wfn.org | Newsline: Brethren staff participate in White House conference call

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl Brumbau gh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN STAFF PARTICIPATE IN WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE CALL

(April 24, 2009) Elgin, IL -- Two Church of the Brethren staff participated  on April 17 in a meeting by conference call with the White House Office of  Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and the Office of Social Innova tion and Civic Participation.

Kathy Reid, associate general secretary and executive director of Caring Mi nistries, and Dan McFadden, director of Brethren Volunteer Service, took pa rt.

>Reid offered the following report:

"The purpose of the meeting was to continue the dialogue between the faith  community and the White House to strengthen the call to service, which is a  priority for President Obama. With the passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Se rve America Act, President Obama has called on Americans to engage in the e conomic recovery agenda and to commit to service as a life-long endeavor.

"On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, both the President and the First  Lady challenged people of all ages to commit to a day of service. Very sho rtly they will again call Americans this time to commit to a summer of serv ice (mid-June through mid-September). The four priority areas of service ar e economic recovery, healthcare, energy, and education. This call will be s upported by tool kits, websites, and other support services to enable Ameri cans to find opportunities and skills for this summer of service.

"This conference call was the first of a series for the White House to seek  guidance from the faith community and from those who have a history of pro viding service opportunities. The Church of the Brethren, and the Brethren  Volunteer Service office in particular, will continue to participate to sup port these service opportunities within the church and the wider community.  Future calls will detail the coming opportunities to participate in Presid ent Obama's service agenda."

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.

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>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