“Celebrating the Church of the Brethren’s 300th Anniversary in 2008″
(May 1, 2008) — A grant of $42,500 from the Church of the Brethren’s account at the Foods Resource Bank confirms the denomination as the lead sponsor of the Ryongyon Sustainable Food Security Program in North Korea. The Brethren account represents funds raised by the local Church of the Brethren growing projects, and is sponsored through the church’s Global Food Crisis Fund.
The North Korea farm project supports environmentally friendly community development at collective farms covering over 7,000 acres. The Church of the Brethren is to be the lead sponsor for the three-year hunger program, which will provide $100,000 to the farms this year, and is expected to provide $100,000 each year for the next two years. The money supports a group of four farm cooperatives.
The Foods Resource Bank general account will provide a matching grant of $42,500 to the Ryongyon project, and ecumenical partners will provide the remainder to make up the total of $100,000. The ecumenical partners include Mennonite Central Committee, the United Methodist Committee on World Relief, the United Church of Christ, and Lutheran World Relief.
“We are deeply indebted to the vigorous work of growing projects in our communion and others that enables us to undertake an effort of this scale,” Royer said.
Earlier this year, Howard Royer, manager of the Global Food Crisis Fund, organized and was part of a delegation to North Korea that visited the farm cooperatives. The delegation also included two other Brethren members, staff of the Foods Resource Bank, and ecumenical partner representatives.
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The Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board. Howard Royer and Jon Kobel contributed to this report. Newsline stories may be reprinted if Newsline is cited as the source. To receive Newsline by e-mail go to http://listserver.emountain.net/mailman/listinfo/newsline. Submit news to the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. For more Church of the Brethren news and features, subscribe to “Messenger” magazine; call 800-323-8039 ext. 247.