Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Aug. 16, 2007 Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director 800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org
DISASTER PROJECT LEADERSHIP TRAINEES ARE 'HOOKED'
(Aug. 16, 2007) Elgin, IL -- "My name is Larry, and I'm an addict." The roomful of fellow addicts responded, "Hi, Larry!" This is not the typical opening for a meeting of Church of the Brethren volunteers, but Larry Williams offered this caveat, "I'm addicted to disaster response."
Williams is a disaster project director for Brethren Disaster Ministries. He served as co-trainer for a five-day Disaster Project Leadership Training held at the New Windsor (Md.) Conference Center on July 30- Aug. 3.
All of the Brethren Disaster Ministries project leaders are volunteers. Teams of trained leaders work together in various capacities at each project site where the program carries out clean up, repairs, and rebuilding following disasters.
Eighteen trainees took part in the event. Trainees learned all aspects of disaster project oversight including volunteer management, coordinating work, safety, and household management, as well as the various nuances of relationships, faith, and ethics that are an integral part of the work.
When asked what they thought makes people volunteer for disaster relief, the group was quick to respond: "To give back to people," explained Doretta Dorsch, "It's what we are commissioned to do--what Jesus tells us to do."
Rodney Delawder added, "You build up self-confidence, knowing you can contribute." Christine Delawder chimed in, "We get hooked. Once you see the families and the smiles on their faces, you want to go back and help more."
Trudy Stamy agreed, "The thank yous and hugs from homeowners make you want to come back." Jim Dorsch pointed out that, while volunteering is important, it's also fun: "We laughed 'til our stomachs hurt!"
The training ended with a commissioning service led by Marianne Pittman, a retired minister and one of the trainers for the session, who instructed the group to look intently at their hands. "The saying that Christ has no hands but your own is true for disaster service," she said. "Blessed be the hands that bring help to one another."
She invited the other trainers to share from their own experiences, and John Mueller offered the group this challenge: "Just try to leave more than you bring back. It's not possible.... Welcome to the losing battle of not being able to give back more than you received."
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 almost 130,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.
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For more information contact:
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford Director of News Services Church of the Brethren General Board 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120 800-323-8039 ext. 260 cobnews@brethren.org
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