wfn.org | Newsline: International Celebration of Brethren 300th Anniversary to Take Place in Germany

["COBNews Newsline" <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- July 29, 2008
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION OF 300th ANNIVERSARY OF
THE BRETHREN TAKES PLACE THIS WEEK IN GERMANY

(July 29, 2008) Elgin, IL -- Hundreds of spiritual descendants of the  first
eight "Schwarzenau Brethren" will gather at the site of the first Brethren
baptisms in Schwarzenau, Germany, on Aug. 2-3. The first eight
founders of the Brethren movement were baptized under the leadership
of Alexander Mack Sr. in 1708 in the Eder River at Schwarzenau.

Members of Brethren bodies from 18 countries are expected for a
weekend of special events planned as the 2008 Brethren World
Assembly and the international 300th Anniversary Celebration of the
Brethren, sponsored by the board of Brethren Encyclopedia, Inc.

Sunday Aug. 3 also is the day set aside for a denomination-wide
celebration of the 300th Anniversary in the Church of the Brethren.
Congregations across the US and Puerto Rico are invited to hold a
special time of remembrance and celebration during worship this
Sunday.

The schedule for events in Schwarzenau, Germany, includes on
Saturday, Aug. 2, opportunities for visits to the Alexander Mack
Museum and the former Alexander Mack Schule (school) in
Schwarzenau, and other places of interest; a hymn sing titled "Singing
for Understanding Between the Nations"; the unveiling of a plaque at the
Eder River; and an evening concert by the McPherson (Kan.) College
Choir, the Mannerchor Eintracht of Schwarzenau, the Frauenchor of
Schwarzenau, and the Kammerchor Cantamus of Bad Berleberg at 7
p.m. On Sunday, Aug. 3, morning worship will be led by Fredric G.
Miller Jr. of Mount Olive (Va.) Brethren Church, and James Beckwith,
2008 moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. An
Anniversary Program takes place in the afternoon, with keynote speaker
Marcus Meier, a German academic authority on the early history of the
Brethren and other Anabaptists and Pietists, followed by a concluding
gathering at the river.

In addition, a Peace Fest will be held in Marburg, Germany, on Friday
evening, Aug. 1, with participation by Brethren Volunteer Service and
EIRENE, a German volunteer program that partners with BVS, as well
as other Brethren programs and partners in Europe. The fest will be at
Lutheran Pfarrkirche St. Marien. The schedule begins with displays by
peace organizations. A program will follow, including presentations
about the Brethren Service program after World War II, the International
Cultural Youth Exchange and Brethren Colleges Abroad, BVS in Europe
from the 1960s on, Church and Peace--a group of faith communities
committed to nonviolent discipleship, EIRENE International Christian
Service for Peace which is celebrating 50 years of peace work, the
German Mennonite Peace Committee, and a Marburg Peace Initiative.

For more information about the Aug. 2-3 events in Schwarzenau, contact
US coordinator Dale V. Ulrich at daulrich@comcast.net or 540-828-
6548. For more information about the Peace Fest in Marburg, contact
Myrna Frantz at myrnajef@heartofiowa.net or 641-475-3463.

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 more than 125,000
members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and
sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and
India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org

**********************************************************
To receive Church of the Brethren news via an e-mail list serv, go to
http://listserver.emountain.net/mailman/listinfo/newsline