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
- EDF grants continue Nigeria Crisis Response, send aid to South Sudan
Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to continue the Nigeria Crisis Response through 2023 and to support a response to flooding and conflict in South Sudan.
- Vietnamese ‘Masters of Managing Blindness’ continue to inspire
I felt God’s divine grace come upon me as my “Masters of Managing Blindness,” Nguyen Quoc Phong and Tran Ba Thien, sat at the table with me, enjoying Vietnamese coffee.
- Global Church of the Brethren Communion holds meeting in the Dominican Republic
For the first time since 2019, leaders of the Global Church of the Brethren Communion met in person, hosted by the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic (DR). Leaders representing Brazil, the DR, Haiti, Honduras, India, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Spain, and the United States met for five days, including days of meetings and visits to agricultural projects.
- EYN development partners conduct workshop on ‘Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment’
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.
- Chernihiv (Chernigov) Brethren congregation ministers to neighbors, requests prayer
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.