Newsline: Church staff participate in conference call with Selective Service

From CoBNews <[email protected]>
Date Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:10:18 -0600

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl
Brumbaugh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, [email protected]

Church staff participate in conference call with Selective Service

(Nov. 19, 2010) Elgin, IL -- Jordan Blevins, advocacy officer and 
ecumenical peace coordinator for the Church of the Brethren and the 
National Council of Churches, and Dan McFadden, director of Brethren 
Volunteer Service (BVS), participated in a conference call with the 
Selective Service System on Oct. 13. 

Programs and agencies of other denominations, along with a number of 
interested groups, also participated. The call was hosted by 
Cassandra Costley, manager of the Alternative Service Program of the 
Selective Service System, and the meeting was opened by Selective 
Service director Lawrence Romo. The purpose was to update the group 
on what's been happening with the Alternative Service component of 
Selective Service. 

There was a clear emphasis from the Selective Service staff that 
there in no expectation of a draft being implemented by Congress. 
They do not anticipate one in the future, yet reminded the group of 
their intent to be ready in that event.

Costley reported there are now three groups that have signed 
memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with the Selective Service 
System: the Church of the Brethren, including BVS; the Mennonite 
Church USA, including Mennonite Voluntary Service; and Christian Aid 
Ministries' CASP (Conservative Anabaptist Service Programs). 

She added that these were the first memorandums of understanding 
completed by Selective Service in over 20 years. Selective Service 
will continue to pursue memorandums of understanding with other 
branches of the peace churches and interested agencies. The 
conference calls also will continue to be held twice a year.

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 celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 
123,000 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
>[email protected]