“Celebrating the Church of the Brethren’s 300th Anniversary in 2008″
(April 21, 2008) — The Global Women’s Project’s Steering Committee met in Richmond, Ind., on March 7-9. The steering committee also led worship for Bethany Theological Seminary and Earlham School of Religion. The group includes Judi Brown of N. Manchester, Ind.; Nan Erbaugh of West Alexandria, Ohio; Anna Lisa Gross of Richmond, Ind.; Lois Grove of Council Bluffs, Iowa; Jacki Hartley of Elgin, Ill.; and Bonnie Kline-Smeltzer of Boalsburg, Pa.
The Global Women’s Project is a Church of the Brethren group that seeks to educate about the global poverty, oppression, and injustice which women suffer and how our own over consumption and misuse of resources directly contributes to their suffering.
At the March meeting, the Steering Committee reaffirmed the educational purpose of the project regarding lifestyles and luxury, and rejoiced in the steady flow of generosity from women and men in the Church of the Brethren. The committee also reveled in the astounding work of empowerment of women throughout the world, responded to several requests for support, received the gratitude of ambassadors and partners with the project, and recognized the important work they are doing. The group reflected on the balance between building deeper relationships with partners, and giving freedom and all possible resources to partner sites.
Current Global Women’s Project partner sites include Casa Materna in Matalgapa, Nicaragua; Women Empowerment in Nepal; Palestine News Network radio show for women in Bethlehem; Carpentry Cooperative in Maridi, Sudan; and Shifting Ideas Through Education for African Women in Uganda and Kenya. The project also recently gave one-time grants to the Christian Commission for Development in Honduras, and a women’s sewing cooperative in Nimule, Sudan.
The committee expressed gratitude for the long and dedicated work of Lois Grove and Bonnie Kline-Smeltzer, whose terms end this spring, and announces the affirmation of new members Myrna Frantz-Wheeler of Haverhill, Iowa, and Elizabeth Keller of Richmond, Ind.
For more go to www.brethren.org/genbd/witness/gwp. Contact the steering committee at cobgwp@gmail.com, or contact any Steering Committee member directly.
–Anna Lisa Gross is a member of the Global Women’s Project Steering Committee.
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