wfn.org | Newsline: McPherson County congregations support growing project

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Jan. 23, 2009
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

McPHERSON COUNTY CONGREGATIONS SUPPORT GROWING PROJECT

(Jan. 23, 2009) Elgin, IL -- Three Church of the Brethren congregations alo ng with a Presbyterian Church have sponsored a Foods Resource Bank Project  in McPherson County, Kan., for the past two years.

The Foods Resource Bank (FRB) was developed as a Christian response to worl d hunger. The organization promotes food-growing projects in the US, with t he produce sold and the money used to provide seed, fertilizer, tools, wate r, and instruction in food production systems in developing countries that  do not have adequate food supplies. The Church of the Brethren participates  through the Global Food Crisis Fund, and is one of several mainline Christ ian denominations that are involved.

The Presbyterian Church of Hutchinson, and the Church of the Brethren congr egations in Hutchinson, at Monitor, and in McPherson have sponsored a Growi ng Project for the past two years. In 2007, Jay and Amy Warner along with M ary Ellen Howell near Monitor sponsored a wheat project, and in 2008, Ellis  and Rita Yoder of the Monitor church provided a field for a grain sorghum  project. The Yoders will continue the project in 2009 and 2010 with fields  of soybeans and wheat.

In 2007, $4,305.66 (matched by US AID for a total of $8,611.32) was provide d for programs in Guatemala. In 2008, $9,773.59 (which may be matched by US  AID) was made available for use in Chota, Peru. The 2009 project will supp ort food productions systems in Malawi-Nkhoma.

The four churches involved provide financial support for local production e xpenses. The produce is sold, and the money used in overseas programs. Gran ts for production expenses have been obtained over the past two years from  Monsanto, the Global Food Crisis Fund, and Stine Seed Company.

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 celebrated 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 provided by John Ward, co-chair of the local Foods Resourc e Bank Board in McPherson County, Kan.)

># # #

>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