wfn.org | Newsline: Closing Reflection on 300th Anniversary of the Brethren: A Peace Pole in Schwarzenau

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Dec. 31, 2008
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

CLOSING REFLECTIONS ON THE 300th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BRETHREN:
A PEACE POLE IN SCHWARZENAU

(Dec. 31, 2008) Elgin, IL -- A Peace Pole was given to the village of Schwa rzenau, Germany, by the Brethren Encyclopedia Board of Directors on Aug. 3  at the international celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren m ovement, In 1708 the village of Schwarzenau was the site of the first Breth ren baptisms, which took place in the Eder River.

The villagers have now erected the Peace Pole near the village information  sign at the end of the bridge across the Eder. The Peace Pole has on it the  words "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in eight languages.

"Peace Poles are memorials, silent prayers, and international symbols for p eace," said Karin Zacharias, a member of the Schwarzenau Planning Committee  for the 300th Anniversary Celebration, when she spoke at the ceremony. "Th ey remind us that peace is possible and can only grow within us, and that w e should live our everyday lives in the spirit of the words 'May Peace Prev ail on Earth.'"

The villagers of Schwarzenau (population 800) worked diligently to make the  300th Anniversary Celebration a memorable occasion for the more than 500 B rethren who attended from 18 nations. The Peace Pole will be a constant rem inder of the village's appreciation of the Brethren, and stands as a challe nge to all who see it to work for peace on earth.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continu ing 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 t raditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates it s 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 Nig eria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

(This report was written by Dale Ulrich, who represents the Church of the B rethren on the Brethren Encyclopedia Board of Directors and was one of the  coordinators of the 300th Anniversary Celebration in Schwarzenau.)

># # #

>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

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