Chris Elliott, a farmer and pastor from Pennsylvania, and his daughter Grace served in Rwanda from January to May 2022. Chris helped with farming and also visiting other churches and projects in Rwanda and nearby countries. Grace taught in the church’s nursery school and has now returned as a BVS volunteer. Find their reflections from Rwanda here.
Officially recognized Church of the Brethren groups exist in the African Great Lakes region (Rwanda, Burundi, and Democratic Republic of Congo), Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, India, Nigeria (general Nigeria page & history) (Nigeria Crisis Response), Spain, and Venezuela.
The ministries of Global Mission seek to integrate faith and service as they challenge and equip Brethren to respond to human need and grow the church of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
Global Mission ministries include:
- Global Food Initiative
- International ministries (this page)
- Global Church of the Brethren Communion
The programming of Global Mission falls into six broad categories:
- church development
- health and well-being
- education
- peacebuilding
- economic empowerment and
- agriculture development
Global Mission envisions the development of a global Church of the Brethren consisting of autonomous groups that witness to their broader communities while mutually encouraging one another as branches from the denomination vine. It seeks to deepen faith and relationships with established mission points, promoting outreach ministries and developing leadership. With emerging mission points, it seeks to promote core Brethren beliefs and practices while building organizational capacity and deepening faith.
Marcos Inhauser, GM staff in Brazil, has created an eight-minute YouTube video explaining the beliefs and practices of the Church of the Brethren. It is in both Spanish and English. We invite you to view it here:
Mission prayer updates
Related news
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Mission 21’s Nigeria Coordination Office in collaboration with Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) and partners, has organized a three-day workshop on “Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment” (PSEAH). The workshop for partner organizations was held on July 18-22 in Jimeta Jola, Adamawa State, Nigeria.
- EDF grants assist in Lebanon, DRC (Congo), Missouri, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C.
Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM) staff have directed Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) grants to support grants in Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the U.S., to respond to flooding and provide assistance to asylum seekers.
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Chernihiv (Chernigov) Brethren in Ukraine has been ministering to their neighbors with the message of the gospel while sharing food and groceries. God's Spirit is moving.
- Learning dry season farming in Burundi
The Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Initiative sponsored a workshop on dry season farming in Gitega, Burundi, July 11-12
- Eglise des Freres Haitiens Miami members travel to Haiti
Eglise des Freres Haitiens Miami members traveled to Haiti in July. Twenty-eight people made decisions to follow Christ, 7 couples were married, 12 people were baptized, and 13 children were dedicated.
- Pastor’s wife freed, violence continues in Nigeria
Killings, kidnapping, and ransacking of communities continue across Nigeria, according to a recent update from Zakariya Musa, head of media for Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria
- Nigerian Brethren pastor’s family attacked, two children murdered
“The yet to be known gun men killed two of Rev. Daniel’s children, a 16-year-old daughter was kidnapped, and he was shot in the leg,” Musa wrote about the attack that took place on pastor Daniel Umaru and his family in early July. “The murdered children were aged 18 and 19. Their mother was rushed to hospital in a traumatic situation.”
- EYN women are freed after abductions, including two of the former schoolgirls from Chibok
Nigerian troops have found two of the former schoolgirls abducted from Chibok by Boko Haram jihadists eight years ago, Mary Dauda and Hauwa Joseph. In a related development, EYN leadership celebrate the return of Mary Iliya, who was abducted in 2020 by jihadists from Bolakile. Also recently freed is Rebecca Irmiya.