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Date: June 10, 2005
Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
V: 847/742-5100 F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL: _CoBNews@AOL.Com_ (mailto:CoBNews@AOL.Com)

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN NEWSLINE
June 10, 2005

Fellowship of Brethren Homes meets for annual forum.

June 10, 2005 (Elgin, IL) -- Representatives from 11 Church of the
Brethren 
retirement centers attended the Fellowship of Brethren Homes Annual Forum, a
meeting for CEOs and administrative staff to exchange ideas and discuss
the 
challenges of operating a nonprofit continuing care retirement community. The
Fellowship of Brethren Homes is a ministry of the Association of Brethren
Caregivers.

In the forum's opening keynote address, Parker Marden, retiring president  of
Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., spoke about the quality of care
 provided by Brethren homes. He commented that potential collaboration
between  the colleges and homes could exist through curricular programs at the
schools to  train and staff the homes.

Rick Stiffney, CEO of Mennonite Health Services, led a series of  discussions
ranging from church and board relations, to charitable mission, to
attracting and maintaining quality employees. "If you can come up with one or  two â€
take aways' from these sessions, then it will have been a successful  endeavor,"
said Stiffney. Several of the CEOs later commented that they had  indeed
gotten a few "take aways" and plan to implement them in their own  organizations.

Don Fecher, director of the Fellowship of Brethren Homes, spoke about the
"Brethren connection" and the future of the fellowship. "The quality of care
provided by Church of the Brethren Homes far exceeds the standards that
are 
required by law," he noted. "The type of care provided in a Brethren home is
living the words, ‘What would Jesus do?'"

The meeting was held at Timbercrest Church of the Brethren Home in North
Manchester, Ind. Tours of the host facility were an important part of the forum,
commented Fecher. He also noted that the gathering's relaxed atmosphere
helped	attendees to exchange ideas and learn from one another.

For more information about the ministries of the Association of Brethren
Caregivers see _www.brethren.org/abc/_ (http://www.brethren.org/abc/) .

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to
continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith  in
community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith
traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its  300th
anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the United
States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Brazil,
the 
Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nigeria.

# # #

For more information contact:

Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
Director of News Services
Church of the  Brethren General Board
1451 Dundee Ave.
Elgin, IL 60120
847-742-5100  ext. 260
_cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org_
(mailto:cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org)

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The Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl  Brumbaugh-Cayford,
director of news services for the Church of the Brethren  General Board.
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