“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead” (Matthew 28:5-7a).
NEWS
1) Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed!
2) Global Church of the Brethren Communion takes survey of essential Brethren characteristics
3) Brethren Disaster Ministries and Children’s Disaster Services monitor situation at border
4) Network seeks mission advocates for each congregation and district
5) Twelve mini-grants are given through program for Racial Justice and Healing Racism
PERSONNEL
6) Wenger resigns as executive minister of Western Pennsylvania District
UPCOMING EVENTS
7) First virtual Annual Conference will feature worship, business, Bible studies, concerts, insight and equipping sessions, networking groups, and more
8) Virtual Annual Conference: 12 ‘how-tos’
9) Early-bird registration ends April 9 for Leadership Summit on Wellbeing
10) Two-part Ventures course to focus on cultural competency
11) Brethren bits: Remembering Lois Neher, prayer for Venezuela and Brazil, Messenger gets “Best of the Church Press” awards, Shine VBS named a “top pick,” letter on Yemen, action alert on AAPI violence, FAQ from Annual Conference officers, Healing Racism Congregations and Communities #ConversationsTogether, FaithX registration ends April 15, and more
Landing page of Church of the Brethren COVID 19 related resources and information: www.brethren.org/covid19
Church of the Brethren congregations offering online worship in English and other languages: www.brethren.org/news/2020/church-of-the-brethren-congregations-worship-online.html
*Spanish/bilingual; **Haitian Kreyol/bilingual; ***Arabic/bilingual
*español/bilingüe, ** kreyol haitiano/bilingüe, ***عربي / ثنائي اللغة
Lifting up Brethren who are active in health care: www.brethren.org/news/2020/brethren-active-in-health-care.html
Send information about churches to be added to the listing of online worship offerings to cobnews@brethren.org.
Add a person to the list of Brethren active in health care by sending first name, county, and state to cobnews@brethren.org.
1) Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed!
A statement from David A. Steele, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren
This Easter proclamation is both the foundation of our faith and source of our hope. While for us it transforms our way of living in the world, the world finds resurrection foolish. Resurrection contradicts experience and it confounds human reason. Yet Christians proclaim the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and the restoration of all things in Christ. The promised resurrection with Christ is more than an idea; it is a promise revealed in day-to-day living.
Death haunts our human imagination. It becomes normalized by half a million COVID-19-related deaths in the United States; through the loss of life as asylum seekers and refugees seek peace and security; and through mass shootings like those in Atlanta, Ga., and Boulder, Colo. Death seems like the only way out of no way to people who take their own lives because of emotional or mental struggles; to the government that enacts the death penalty in the name of justice; to women who find abortion to be the solution to health, economic, and relational realities. Too often the violence done to others reflects assumptions about who is worth grieving and who is not, as seen in the rise in hate crimes against Asian, Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ Americans.
Yet those who follow Jesus Christ are a resurrection people. Our salvation through Christ is not an escape from pain, struggle, or death. Rather, our rising with Christ transforms the ways we see the world, live in it, and reimagine the possibilities for life and flourishing. As theologian James Cone has said, in Jesus we gain an imagination that “no one can control.” And as the apostle Paul quotes the prophets: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54b-55).
In this season of Easter, may we reclaim our identity as people of the resurrection. May the promise of new life in Christ be more than doctrine and become a lived and embodied reality in our communities here and now.
2) Global Church of the Brethren Communion takes survey of essential Brethren characteristics
A committee of the Global Church of the Brethren Communion has developed a survey of essential characteristics for a church to be considered Church of the Brethren. The committee is asking all interested Church of the Brethren members to respond. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, and Portuguese.
The Global Church of the Brethren Communion is an organization of the 11 registered Church of the Brethren denominations in various countries around the world including the United States, India, Nigeria, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Spain, Venezuela, and the Great Lakes region of Africa—the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
The survey names 19 characteristics that may be identified with the Church of the Brethren. The intent is to receive feedback from across the 11 denominations as to which characteristics are considered essential, important, or irrelevant.
This survey may lay the foundation for intentional ongoing dialogue among the worldwide Church of the Brethren bodies about theological and denominational identity, and may help strengthen ties between the sister churches.
Results will inform discussion about how to develop criteria for new churches to join the Global Church of the Brethren Communion in the future, as that organization fields many inquiries for affiliation.
The data also may provide information about areas for more emphasis in education of church members. For example, if a large majority of respondents say trine immersion is irrelevant to Church of the Brethren identity, what may that tell us?
The following characteristics of a church are included in the survey:
— identifying with the Radical Reformation,
— being a non-creedal New Testament church,
— practicing the universal priesthood of all believers,
— practicing community interpretation of the Bible,
— teaching and exercising freedom of thought,
— practicing voluntary association as an exercise of individual freedom,
— teaching and living the separation of church and state,
— being a pacifist church,
— teaching and exercising conscientious objection,
— being an agape church that observes the love feast,
— practicing baptism by trine immersion,
— anointing for healing,
— being non-sacramental,
— promoting a simple lifestyle,
— practicing loving service to neighbors and the needy,
— being a church in which fellowship supersedes the institution,
— being an inclusive church and “welcoming the different,”
— being an ecumenical church,
— working for the preservation of Creation.
Complete the survey by the end of April:
— in English at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScB4jJXhitap-4Ns21VriloXQIBF0rh4z9B6h7VPxErTjufIA/viewform
— in Spanish at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSef3bMW17rrUWS4_rqvRSozUqPsOwA8VpEQJS-DZNfy8mBJ2A/viewform
— in Kreyol at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSegQUDXU5F_LqrcMrtB5EC2777AnUSco0F-8D1JfFEc0N4uug/viewform
— in Portuguese at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe84WiGlaqQopFsxCKRM7uzlqEZRj-f0ri7pQ7coya7A0RwCw/viewform
3) Brethren Disaster Ministries and Children’s Disaster Services monitor situation at border
Staff of Brethren Disaster Ministries and Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) are monitoring the situation at the southern border of the United States as numbers of migrants increase, in particular the conditions for families with children and unaccompanied minors.
CDS staff have been in conversation with partners about sites where volunteer childcare teams may be able to provide support for migrant children, either at the southern border or at other sites around the US where migrant children are being sent.
Brethren Disaster Ministries has been participating in meetings of Church World Service (CWS) with other faith-based humanitarian organizations to assess the possibilities of involvement with relief efforts at the border.
CWS is working on a new disaster relief kit to aid refugee minors, reported Roy Winter, executive director of Service Ministries for the Church of the Brethren. The kit will take the form of a backpack filled with the kinds of supplies needed by minor children and youth migrants who are in US custody. The Church of the Brethren Material Resources program may become involved in processing the backpack kits. More information about kit contents and how churches may help put together the backpack kits will be available soon.
4) Network seeks mission advocates for each congregation and district
By Carol Mason
Do you wonder about what is going on in mission work these days? Ever since the Mission Alive Conference of 2012, it has been the goal of the Global Mission office to have a network of mission advocates who want to answer this question for you.
At that time, volunteers were found in each of our church districts who would make sure mission prayer requests, news, and plans were presented at district conferences, printed in district newsletters, and made readily available to each congregation within a district. These volunteers are called District Mission Advocates.
As Mission Advocate Network coordinator, I am updating this network in time to welcome our new Global Mission executive directors Eric Miller and Ruoxia Li. In addition to district advocates, we are updating the Congregational Mission Advocates list as well, so the new directors know they have volunteers in every congregation willing to keep mission news in front of our church members.
If you have a passion for mission, and love to share what you learn about this growing work, consider becoming a mission advocate in your congregation or district!
The mission advocates help us host international visitors to district conferences and Annual Conference, arrange for pastor exchange Sundays and speaking engagements, and will be vital to the next Mission Alive event that may be held as soon as 2022. Remember hosting the EYN Appreciation Choir in 2015? We thank our mission advocates and their congregations for all the behind-the-scenes work they did for that massive undertaking.
Find out more about the Global Mission Advocate Network at www.brethren.org/global/gma, where you may contact me to express interest in becoming a mission advocate. Also, sign up today to receive the Mission Prayer Updates to continually lift up the joys and concerns of our global church. And keep watching this webpage for mission resources and news.
— Carol Mason is Mission Advocate Network coordinator for the Global Mission office of the Church of the Brethren.
5) Twelve mini-grants are given through program for Racial Justice and Healing Racism
Twelve congregations and districts across the denomination have received mini-grants for Racial Justice and Healing Racism through the Church of the Brethren Intercultural Ministries:
Antelope Park Church of the Brethren in Lincoln, Neb., received $747 for a speaker, curriculum, and advertising for a racial justice and healing program, reaching out into the community to broaden racial conversations.
Atlantic Southeast District’s Cross-Cultural Team received $650 for a district-wide discussion of Oneness Embraced by Tony Evans.
Central Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, Va., received $381.83 to purchase books for a book study of The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby.
Chicago (Ill.) First Church of the Brethren received $700 for outside speakers, educational materials, and supplies to engage the community through a series of weekly conversations about the impact of the criminal justice system on African American and other BIPOC groups.
Creekside Church of the Brethren in Elkhart, Ind., received $192 for a guest speaker and books for a congregational program on interrupting racism.
Harrisburg (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren received $750 for guest speakers for a program creating awareness and taking action on the inequity of the current education system for Black and Brown communities.
Mid-Atlantic District received $750 for facilitators from On Earth Peace and an assessment tool for district congregations around the topic of racial healing. The goal is to support the work of congregations by providing resources and a collaborative space for congregations working towards healing racism.
Peace Covenant Church of the Brethren in Durham, N.C., received $748 for educating the congregation, community, and outreach ministries via books highlighting healing racism.
Southern Ohio and Kentucky District’s Racial Justice Team received $750 towards speaker honorariums for a seven-week study on racial justice.
Stone Church of the Brethren in Huntingdon, Pa., received $750 for “It’s a Small World Book Project” to have a congregation-wide conversation. The church also is exploring hosting a speaker series similar to that held in Southern Ohio and Kentucky District in March.
Virlina District’s Race Education Team received $500 for an outreach to district churches “encouraging ‘living like Jesus’ by loving and accepting all people created in God’s image.” The effort also includes a Lending Library at the district Resource Center with books on the history of race and the church’s historical response to racism.
Westminster (Md.) Church of the Brethren received $750 towards educating the congregation and collaborating with the community on topics of racial justice, with the money going primarily to honorariums for local leaders in a series of presentations throughout March.
PERSONNEL
6) Wenger resigns as executive minister of Western Pennsylvania District
William W. (Bill) Wenger has resigned as Western Pennsylvania District executive minister, as of Oct. 31. He has served in the position for about three-and-a-half years, starting on an interim basis in Jan. 2017. He was called to the permanent position in Sept. 2017.
During these years, Wenger oversaw changes in district ministries including the sale of the district retirement home and the stewarding of the financial resource of Camp Harmony.
In addition to his work as district executive minister, he has taught courses on Old Testament, biblical hermeneutics, and church history for the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center, where he is a board member.
Previously, he served pastorates in Maryland and Pennsylvania and was a chaplain at Peter Becker Community in Harleysville, Pa. An ordained minister, he holds a bachelor’s degree in religion from Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and a master of divinity from Evangelical Seminary in Myerstown, Pa.
UPCOMING EVENTS
7) First virtual Annual Conference will feature worship, business, Bible studies, concerts, insight and equipping sessions, networking groups, and more
The 2021 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren will be held online June 30 to July 4–the first-ever fully online annual meeting.
The theme is “God’s Adventurous Future.” Moderator Paul Mundey will preside, assisted by moderator-elect David Sollenberger and secretary James Beckwith. Also on the Program and Arrangements Committee are Emily Shonk Edwards, Carol Elmore, Jan King, and Conference director Chris Douglas.
Registration is required for delegates and nondelegates to attend the full Conference. Worship services will be free and open to the public and will not require registration. Business and worship will be live-streamed in both English and Spanish. A number of Conference events will offer continuing education units for ministers.
Register and find detailed information at www.brethren.org/ac2021. #cobac21
Worship
Links for the worship services in English and in Spanish, and links for the worship bulletins, will be posted at www.brethren.org/ac2021. The preachers are:
— Moderator Paul Mundey on Wednesday, June 30, at 8 p.m. (Eastern), speaking on “A Future Grounded in Jesus” (Revelation 1:1-9)
— Richard Zapata of Anaheim, Calif., a pastor of Santa Ana Principe de Paz Church of the Brethren, on Thursday, July 1, at 8 p.m. (Eastern), speaking on “A Future Informed by Scripture” (2 Timothy 3:10-17)
— Virginia-based siblings Chelsea Goss and Tyler Goss on Friday, July 2, at 8 p.m. (Eastern), speaking on “A Future Sharpened through Risk” (Matthew 14:22-33)
— Beth Sollenberger, executive minister for South Central Indiana District, on Saturday, July 3, at 8 p.m. (Eastern), speaking on “A Future Dependent on Prayer” (Ephesians 3: 14-20)
— Patrick Starkey of Cloverdale, Va., chair of the Mission and Ministry Board, on Sunday, July 4, at 10 a.m. (Eastern), speaking on “A Future Filled with Promise” (Revelation 21:1-6).
Offerings
Offerings will be received via credit card payments at a link that will appear during the live-stream of worship. Also, checks may be mailed to Annual Conference, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.
Wednesday’s offering will support church rebuilding in Nigeria in collaboration with Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), which continues to suffer violent attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram. At least 1,668 churches or church branches have been burned or abandoned, affecting nearly 70 percent of the EYN properties.
Thursday’s offering will help pay for the expenses of volunteers who lead and staff the children’s activities at Annual Conference, encouraging more families to bring their children to participate in the annual meeting. Next year, for the first time, through a partnership with Outdoor Ministries Association, camp staff will be assisting with each age level of children’s activities.
Friday’s offering will help pay Conference expenses for translation into Spanish including the documents for business sessions and worship services and the live, simultaneous translation that takes place during worship services and business sessions.
Saturday’s offering will help upgrade the furniture and supplies used for the Conference children’s activities. New children’s tables and chairs, cribs, pack-n-plays, changing tables, and the shipping containers used to carry furniture to each Conference location, have not been purchased for more than 30 years.
Sunday’s offering will go to the Church of the Brethren’s Core Ministries Fund, for financial support of core denominational ministries.
Business sessions
Registered delegates and registered nondelegates will receive a link to log in to the livestreamed business sessions, available in both English and Spanish, using their computers, tablets, or smart phones. Business is scheduled Thursday through Saturday, July 1-3, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 3-5 p.m. (Eastern). Business sessions will be livestreamed from the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill.
The business agenda will focus on the compelling vision being proposed for the Church of the Brethren, along with reports and the ballot (see www.brethren.org/ac2021/business/ballots). Business sessions also will include Bible studies and a special plenary session.
The plenary on Friday, July 2, at 10:40 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. (Eastern), will led by Tod Bolsinger, vice president and chief of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., and the author of Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory.
Bible studies will be led by Michael Gorman, the Raymond E. Brown Chair in Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Md., and the author of books on biblical theology.
Concerts
Christian recording artist Fernando Ortega, a Dove award winner whose hits include “This Good Day” and “Jesus, King of Angels,” will give a concert on Wednesday, June 30, at 9:15 p.m. (Eastern).
An organ recital will be given by Robin Risser Mundey on Friday, July 2, at 2 p.m. (Eastern).
Workshops and networking
A wide variety of insight sessions, equipping sessions, and networking groups are planned Thursday through Saturday, July 1-3, in three time slots: 12:30-1:30 p.m., 5:30-6:30 p.m., and 9:15-10:15 p.m. (Eastern). These will be offered through a Zoom platform allowing a featured speaker to present, followed by a question and answer time.
During the late afternoon time slot, 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Eastern), Q&A sessions will be held by the board chairs and executives of the Mission and Ministry Board, Bethany Theological Seminary, Brethren Benefit Trust, and On Earth Peace.
Children’s activities
An online “Children’s Corner” is planned for ages 4-7, but available to all who may enjoy this resource. Children do not need to be registered. The three online sessions will welcome children and help them learn about this year’s theme through songs, stories, and activities. Each session includes three short videos, with a downloadable song lyrics page and downloadable activity pages.
Pre-Conference events
The Standing Committee of district delegates will meet online Sunday, June 27, through Wednesday, June 30.
The Ministers Association continuing education event will be held Tuesday, June 29, from 6-9 p.m., and Wednesday, June 30, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1-4 p.m. (Eastern). Keynote speaker Michael J. Gorman will lead on the theme, “The Church in 1 Corinthians: Challenges for Today.” Registration is through the Church of the Brethren Office of Ministry at www.brethren.org/ministryoffice.
For registration and detailed information see www.brethren.org/ac2021.
8) Virtual Annual Conference: 12 ‘how-tos’
Many Brethren are familiar with how Annual Conference is held in person, but how will a virtual Conference work? What do delegates and nondelegates need to know to navigate the first-ever fully online annual meeting of the Church of the Brethren?
- How to register
For an in-person Annual Conference…
Registration is online in advance, with an option to register onsite. Registration options include purchase of meal tickets, the Conference booklet, age group activities, and more. A link to hotel registration is sent to registrants. Worship is free and, along with business sessions, is webcast for those who can’t attend in person.
For this year’s virtual Conference…
Delegates and nondelegates who want to attend the full Conference must register online and pay the appropriate fee at www.brethren.org/ac2021. Registration gives full access to the whole Conference schedule including business sessions, concerts, insight sessions, networking groups, and more. A daily fee is available for nondelegates. Registration continues through July 4, the last day of the Conference.
Worship is free and does not require registration. A link will be posted at www.brethren.org/ac2021.
The registration fee for delegates is $305 and includes access to the full Conference, the Conference booklet, delegate packet, and the 2021 minutes for the church or district represented. Each delegate must register individually, including delegates from the same congregation or district.
The fee for nondelegates to attend the full Conference is $99. The daily fee is $33. There are discounts for post-high school to age 21. Children through grade 12 and Brethren Volunteer Service workers may attend for free.
If groups of people decide to attend together, it is requested that each person register and pay the appropriate fee.
- How to join in worship
At an in-person Conference…
Worship services are free and open to the public, held in the convention center’s main hall.
At the virtual Conference…
Worship will be online, available in both English and Spanish translation through a public link posted at www.brethren.org/ac2021. The daily services are at 8 p.m. (Eastern) on Wednesday through Saturday, June 30-July 3, and at 10 a.m. (Eastern) on Sunday, July 4. Downloadable bulletins will be available.
- How to give an offering during worship
At an in-person Conference…
Offerings in the form of cash and checks are received by the ushers during worship services, and received online from those participating in the webcasts of worship.
At the virtual Conference…
Offerings will be received via credit card payments at a link that will appear on screen during worship. Also, checks may be mailed to Annual Conference, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.
A special offering will be received each day for a variety of needs including church rebuilding in Nigeria; the Church of the Brethren’s core ministries; expenses of volunteers, supplies, and new furniture for the children’s activities at in-person Annual Conferences; and Conference expenses for translation into Spanish.
- How to participate in business sessions
At an in-person Conference…
Registered delegates sit in table groups in the convention center’s main hall. Nondelegates may observe from a general seating area. Business is led by the moderator from the raised head table, with the moderator-elect and Conference secretary and a number of volunteer assistants.
At the virtual Conference…
Registered delegates and registered nondelegates will receive a link to log in to the livestreamed business sessions, available in both English and Spanish translation. Business sessions are scheduled each day Thursday through Saturday, July 1-3, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 3-5 p.m. (Eastern).
Business will be livestreamed from the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., where the moderator and the other Conference officers and assistants will be based. Assisting onsite will be denominational staff and volunteers, a video crew, livestreaming techs, and consultants from Covision–the company running the technical side of this online Conference.
- How to participate in small groups during business sessions
At an in-person Conference…
Small group discussion or “table talk” happen around the delegate tables, with nondelegates invited to form their own small groups. Table talk usually focuses on “get to know you” activities, personal sharing and prayer, responses to questions posed by leadership, and discussion of business items.
At the virtual Conference…
Small group discussion will be online for registered delegates and registered nondelegates. Each will be assigned to a small online group. When it comes time for group discussion, each attendee’s screen will shift from the livestream of business to their small group. Small groups will be held in Zoom-like “breakout rooms,” able to see and speak with each other using the cameras and microphones in their devices. Small group conversation will be particularly important for discussion of the proposed compelling vision.
- How to go to the microphone during business sessions
At an in-person Conference…
Delegates and nondelegates alike may go to the microphones to ask questions or make comments on business items, directed to the moderator. Speakers are on a first-come-first-served basis. Only delegates may make motions or propose action on business items.
At the virtual Conference…
Questions and comments ordinarily taken to the microphones may be written to the moderator in a box that will display on participants’ screens during business sessions. This function is not to be used for chat, as people may be accustomed to in programs like Zoom. Questions and comments to the moderator must be of the quality that would require stepping up to the microphone at an in-person Conference.
- How to vote during business sessions
At an in-person Conference…
Only registered delegates representing congregations and districts may vote. Voting takes place for a variety of business items and the ballot. At the moderator’s discretion, delegates vote on business items in a variety of ways, such as spoken “ayes” and “nays” and shows of hands. The ballot is voted on paper.
At the virtual Conference…
Only registered delegates representing congregations and districts may vote. When it comes time for a vote, options will appear on each delegate’s screen and delegates will click on a button for the option they choose. The ballot also will appear on screens and delegates will click to vote for candidates. The tellers will receive vote tallies via this computerized program.
- How to attend insight sessions, equipping sessions, and networking groups
At an in-person Conference…
Numerous insight sessions, equipping sessions, networking groups, and meal events sponsored by agencies and districts are offered. These sessions represent a wide variety of interests and topics related to church life. Attendees may go to as many or as few as they like, in various rooms in the convention center and nearby hotels.
At the virtual Conference…
Registered participants may log in to their choice of online insight sessions, equipping sessions, and networking groups. A wide variety are planned Thursday through Saturday, July 1-3, in three time slots: 12:30-1:30 p.m., 5:30-6:30 p.m., and 9:15-10:15 p.m. (Eastern). These will be offered through a Zoom platform allowing a featured speaker to present, followed by a question and answer time.
- How to ask questions of the Mission and Ministry Board and Conference agencies
At an in-person Conference…
Time for questions from the microphones is offered following the reports of the Mission and Ministry Board and the three Annual Conference agencies–Bethany Theological Seminary, Brethren Benefit Trust, and On Earth Peace.
At the virtual Conference…
After each report, at 5:30 p.m. (Eastern) on the same day, an online Q&A session will be available. During these sessions, registered participants may ask questions of agency leaders and engage in conversation.
- How children can participate
At an in-person Conference…
Families register children for age-group activities, including childcare for the youngest as well as junior high and senior high groups for the older set. Activities are based at the convention center but often include outings or field trips to nearby parks, zoos, and museums. The Conference Office and host district recruit volunteers to lead and staff the activities.
At the virtual Conference…
An online “Children’s Corner” will welcome children and help them learn about this year’s theme through songs, stories, and activities. Three sessions will be available, with three short videos for each, as well as a downloadable song lyrics page and downloadable activity pages. Families supply their own arts supplies. These sessions are most likely to appeal to children ages 4-7, but all who are young at heart are welcome to enjoy them.
Topics include: Session 1, “God Made Our Beautiful World!”; Session 2, “God Made Us Each Special!”; and Session 3, “God Made Special Helpers, and I Can Be One, Too!”
- How to be on time and not miss anything
At an in-person Conference…
Many purchase and use the Conference booklet to keep track of the busy schedule, marking the events they don’t want to miss.
At the virtual Conference…
The Conference Office suggests that registered participants purchase the Conference booklet–which will list events in Pacific time and Eastern time–and mark their book for their own time zone. A Conference booklet may be purchased during registration for $13 as a pdf or $18 in print (including mailing cost). The business schedule is not in the booklet but will be sent to delegates by email.
- How to plan a Conference across four time zones
At an in-person Conference…
Events take place onsite in the local time zone.
At the virtual Conference…
The schedule is intentionally planned to accommodate people living in all four time zones across the United States–Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern. Facing a new situation in this fully online Conference, the Program and Arrangements Committee quickly realized that those living in the Pacific time zone often are left out when online events are planned to fit an Eastern schedule. For the 2021 Conference, the committee tried hard to ensure that most events do not begin excessively early in the morning for those living on the Pacific coast, and do not run really late into the night for those living on the Atlantic coast.
The Conference booklet lists each event in two time zones, Pacific and Eastern, to help participants across the country keep track of when to log in.
9) Early-bird registration ends April 9 for Leadership Summit on Wellbeing
The Church of the Brethren Leadership Summit on Wellbeing is planned by a group of denominational staff as a virtual event on the evenings of April 19-22. Early-bird registration ends April 9. Take advantage of the $25 savings on attendance to get the early-bird price of $50.
Keynote speakers:
Dr. Jessica Young Brown, a counseling psychologist and assistant professor of Counseling and Practical Theology at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University.
Melissa Hofstetter, an ordained Mennonite minister and clinical psychologist, the founder of Shepherd Heart, who has been adjunct professor in the doctoral and undergraduate psychology departments at Azusa Pacific University.
Ronald Vogt, a psychologist at the Emotional Health Center in Lancaster, Pa., and a certified therapist and supervisor in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
Tim Harvey, pastor of Oak Grove Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, Va., and a former moderator of Annual Conference.
Erin Matteson, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren and a former pastor of 25 years, currently working as a spiritual director, retreat leader, writer, and speaker.
Bruce A. Barkhauer, a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), an author, and adjunct professor with both Lexington Theological Seminary and the IU School of Philanthropy.
Continuing education units are available for ministers who attend the live Q&A and interactive sessions. The summit includes both prerecorded videos by the keynote speakers, to view on your own, and live interactive sessions with the speakers and other attendees.
Register and find out more at www.brethren.org/leadership-wellbeing.
10) Two-part Ventures course to focus on cultural competency
By Kendra Flory
The May offering from the Ventures in Christian Discipleship program at McPherson (Kan.) College will be “The Ministry of Jesus, Ubuntu and Cultural Competency for These Times” led by LaDonna Sanders Nkosi, director of Intercultural Ministries for the Church of the Brethren. The course will be held online in two evening sessions May 4 and May 11 at 6-8 p.m. – 8 p.m. (Central time).
As followers of Jesus, we have a responsibility to foster communities and relationships of respect that honor and welcome people from across various cultures and backgrounds. This course explores biblical examples, the ministry of Jesus, and current texts to provide helpful skill building in increasing our cultural competency, respectful multicultural engagement practices, and beloved community building as described by Martin Luther King Jr. in Kingian Nonviolence and Philosophy. Poetry, video, journaling, reflections, and conversations together will be key components as participants explore and build their cultural competencies as followers of Jesus in these times.
Participants are asked to read at least the first three chapters of the book Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better the African Way by Mungi Ngomane and to keep a cross-cultural skill-building journal. The book can be purchased through Brethren Press at www.brethrenpress.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=0062977555.
In addition to directing the denomination’s Intercultural Ministries, Nkosi is a poet, global traveler, cross-cultural community builder, and senior leader of the Gathering Chicago and the Gathering Global Network. She is currently a doctoral candidate and Wright Scholar in African Centered Ministries, Religion, and Theology at McCormick Theological Seminary.
Continuing education credit is available for $10 per course. The registration process includes the opportunity to pay for CEUs and to give an optional donation to the Ventures program.
Learn more about Ventures in Christian Discipleship and register for courses at www.mcpherson.edu/ventures.
— Kendra Flory is advancement assistant at McPherson College.
11) Brethren bits
— Remembrance: Lois Ruth Neher, 92, who served in Nigeria as a Church of the Brethren mission worker–including a term as a teacher in Chibok, passed away March 28 in Wichita, Kan., surrounded by family. She was born in McPherson, Kan., on Dec. 20, 1928. She graduated from McPherson College in 1951 and married Gerald Neher in 1952. In 1954, the couple left for Nigeria, where they worked in education in a variety of communities in the northeast and raised four children. She worked in Nigeria as teacher of adult education in the communities of Chibok and Mubi, and at Kulp Bible School, now Kulp Theological Seminary of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria a (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). While in Chibok, the Nehers worked at the Church of the Brethren mission school that was the predecessor of the school from which the Chibok schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram in 2014. The Nehers helped expand the size of the school building, making it possible for the first girls to attend. They also made a thorough study of those among whom they lived, including numerous interviews, and documented their learnings in the book Life Among the Chibok of Nigeria, published in 2011. A follow-up book in 2014, Glimpses of Life in Northeast Nigeria 1954-1968, featured photographs of the people of northeast Nigeria. The family returned to the US in 1968, settling in Anna, Ill., where she taught elementary school, retiring in 1989. The Nehers raised Simmental cattle, Appaloosa horses, and Greater Swiss Mountain dogs on their farm in Anna. They also hosted many foreign exchange students. In 2008, they moved to the Cedars Retirement Community in McPherson. Lois was a member of McPherson Church of the Brethren. She was preceded in death by her husband. She is survived by children Rodney Neher (Mary) of Janesville, Wis., Karen Neher (Mahamoud) of McPherson, Bryce Neher (Melissa) of Udell, Iowa, and Connie Weesner (Bill) of Hutchinson, Kan., and grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial gifts are received to EYN, the Cedars, and the McPherson Animal Shelter Medical Fund, care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.
— Registration closes April 15 for this summer’s FaithX experiences (formerly the Workcamp Ministry). Find the summer schedule and register at www.brethren.org/faithx. Fourteen experiences are offered this year, in a tiered system depending on location, nature of the participant groups, and COVID protocols. This year, FaithX experiences are open to anyone who has completed 6th grade, with no age cap. Said the announcement: “We hope this allows people who have been supporters of the ministry in the past an opportunity to experience it themselves!”
— In prayer for the Brethren in Venezuela, the Global Mission office of the Church of the Brethren has shared the news of deaths among church members’ families. One leading family in the church has lost at least six family members to COVID-19 including two cousins and a brother-in-law. “Things are getting tough here,” said their email. “Many pastors have died. We continue to pray and trust in our God and that his will, whatever is good, is pleasant and is perfect. We are feeling sadness for all the people who are dying in our circle of acquaintances. Every day we receive information about infected and deceased.”
Another concern for prayer is the pandemic situation in Brazil and how people there are suffering from COVID-19 including those who may be affected among members of Igreja da Irmandade (the Church of the Brethren in Brazil). Brazil has become an epicenter of the pandemic, suffering its deadliest month in March, with news media describing the country as devastated by its worst-ever health crisis.
— Three Best of the Church Press awards were received by Messenger, the Church of the Brethren magazine, at this week’s annual meeting of the Associated Church Press. An award of excellence (first place) was received for “The Exchange” page in the department category, written by Walt Wiltschek (read it online at www.brethren.org/messenger/uncategorized/the-exchange). Another award of excellence went to Bobbi Dykema for her article “Compassion” in the biblical reflection category (read it online at www.brethren.org/messenger/bible-study/compassion). An award of merit (second place) was received by publisher Wendy McFadden for her article “The Wounds of War and a Place for Peace” in the category of theological reflection (read it online at www.brethren.org/messenger/reflections/the-wounds-of-war). Find more Messenger articles and subscribe to the magazine at www.brethren.org/messenger.
— The Shine Vacation Bible School has been named fifth in the “Vacation Bible School Top Picks 2021” by the Building Faith ministry and Lifelong Learning department at Virginia Theological Seminary. Shine is a Christian education curriculum jointly published by Brethren Press and MennoMedia. “Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary has offered Vacation Bible School reviews for more than 15 years,” said the announcement. “Our department has spent countless hours assessing intensive, formative curricula so that hundreds of folks can rely on an authoritative assessment. This year our “top picks” are based on our intimate knowledge of the publishing companies and information from their websites.” Find the announcement at https://buildfaith.org/vbs-top-picks-2021. Find out more about Shine at www.shinecurriculum.com.
— The Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy is among 75 faith-based, humanitarian, and peace and justice organizations that have signed a letter to President Biden about the dire situation in Yemen. The letter thanked the administration for “taking critical first steps toward peace and food security in Yemen,” such as an end to offensive military participation in Saudi- and Emirati-led actions and reviewing weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The letter urged that the administration take the next step of using its “leverage with the Saudi regime to demand an immediate and unconditional end to its blockade on Yemen, which threatens the lives of 16 million malnourished Yemenis living on the edge of famine.” The letter cited a CNN report about evidence of the life-threatening effects of the six-year-old, Saudi-imposed blockade of Yemen. “According to the UN, 400,000 children under the age of 5 could perish from hunger this year without urgent action. For years, the Saudi blockade has been a leading driver of Yemen’s humanitarian catastrophe,” the letter said, in part. “The recent fuel shortages triggered by the blockade are quickly accelerating major reductions in access to affordable food, clean water, electricity, and basic movement across Yemen. The blockade also threatens to shut down, within weeks, the hospitals reliant on power generators to tend to victims of famine, while making even emergency travel to hospitals prohibitively expensive for Yemeni families, condemning untold numbers of children to certain death at home…. This moral imperative requires the United States to pressure Saudi Arabia to lift this blockade immediately, unilaterally, and comprehensively.”
— An action alert on violence, racism, and hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) from the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy lists a number of resources and actions that may be taken by church members. “Since mid-March 2020, 3,795 reported incidents of hate, such as vandalism, verbal attacks, and physical assaults, against AAPI have been recorded by Stop AAPI Hate,” said the alert. “According to PBS, ‘Even as overall hate crimes fell in 2020, hate crimes against Asian Americans in major US cities grew nearly 150 percent.’” The alert cited the Church of the Brethren’s 2007 statement, “Separate No More,” which affirms that “merely acknowledging or tolerating another’s existence is not enough. Healing and reconciliation must occur because Christ calls us to love our neighbor, with all its ramifications! So, where do we begin?” Find the full alert at https://mailchi.mp/brethren.org/fight-violence-and-hate-against-aapi.
— A FAQ document has been shared by the Annual Conference officers following a series of “Moderator’s District Q&A” online sessions. Twenty-four sessions were held in 14 districts. See www.brethren.org/ac2021/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/03/State-of-the-Church-FAQs.pdf.
— “Join us for another Healing Racism Congregations and Communities #ConversationsTogether meetup,” invites LaDonna Sanders Nkosi, director of Intercultural Ministries for the Church of the Brethren. This online event takes place April 29 at 7 p.m. (Eastern time). Co-hosts are Nkosi and Dana Cassell, who works with the Church of the Brethren Office of Ministry in the Thriving in Ministry program. Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYlcemprD4iGNO0mSexySOEt_6cfyMZhkWB.
— The “Calling the Called” online event on May 1 is a collaboration of several Church of the Brethren districts in the denomination’s Area 1, with a follow-up, in-person event tentatively set for Sept. 25 at Chambersburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. The two events are an effort to identify individuals who are gifted for potential set-apart ministry, said an announcement. “These two days are intended to be an exploratory time and designed to encourage and assist those individuals who may be experiencing the call of God on their lives for ministry.” Congregations in these districts are encouraged to identify individuals who would benefit from such an experience and to share those names with their district executive. The districts involved are Atlantic Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southern Pennsylvania, Middle Pennsylvania, and Western Pennsylvania.
— Illinois and Wisconsin District is partnering with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to offer a workshop on the evening of May 13 on white supremacy and hate groups, and a discussion of racial identity. The event follows on the district’s intentional work on healing racism. “Last August, the Leadership Team drafted and shared a statement addressing racial injustice,” said the announcement. “Since then, the district held a book study on White Fragility, and concerns regarding the safety of people of color when they attend in-person events has led to another learning opportunity.” Presenters are Lecia Brooks, chief of staff for the SPLC, who has a long history with the center where her previous roles included chief workplace transformation officer, outreach director, and director of the Civil Rights Memorial Center; and Diane Flinn, senior consultant for Diversity Matters, with more than 25 years of experience developing programs and facilitating dialogue on race and racial identity, gender and sexual identity, interfaith alliance, and building institutional capacity for equity. Clergy can receive .2 continuing education units by registering for the event with the district. Contact the district office at andreag.iwdcob@gmail.com.
— The Shenandoah District Disaster Auction Coordinating Committee has decided to hold in-person auctions in the Barn Complex at the Rockingham County (Va.) Fairgrounds on May 21-22. “The recent change in outdoor gathering restrictions has now made it possible for the Friday evening livestock and Saturday morning auctions to take place, although with social distancing and mask-wearing required,” said the district newsletter. “Unfortunately, the oyster and ham dinner and the Saturday morning breakfast and lunch offerings will not be available. However, the committee is evaluating ideas for making meals available outdoors using a drive-by method for pick up.”
— Camp Bethel’s 20th Annual Sounds of the Mountains Story Festival will be online on Saturday, April 17. Donald Davis returns to this “all-headliners” festival that also will include Dolores Hydock, Kevin Kling, Bil Lepp, Barbara McBride-Smith, and Donna Washington. “Enjoy this fun, FREE, and truly unique online storytelling event to encourage donations to Camp Bethel,” said an announcement. Go to www.SoundsoftheMountains.org.
— Brethren Life and Thought, a joint publication of Bethany Theological Seminary and the Brethren Journal Association, invites submissions related to the COVID-19 pandemic for a special issue. “We seek creative pieces, poems, sermons, liturgical pieces, sermons, or essays on the intersection of church, faith, and the pandemic,” said the announcement from editor Denise D. Kettering-Lane, associate professor of Brethren Studies and director of the MA Program at Bethany Seminary. Submissions should be emailed to kettede@bethanyseminary.edu by July 1. For questions or more information, please contact the editor by email.
— “What does it mean for us as Brethren to be engaged in racial healing in this time?” asks an announcement of the current Dunker Punks Podcast. “What impacts can we have? Consider these questions as you listen to Rev. LaDonna Sanders Nkosi talk about the Healing Racism Grant and new racial healing initiatives in the Church of the Brethren on this week’s episode.” Go to bit.ly/DPP_Episode112 or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Follow Dunker Punks and join in the conversation on social media @DunkerPunksPod.
— Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is holding a day of prayer and action in solidarity with Indigenous land defenders and water protectors on April 25. Liturgies and resources for putting faith into action have been published to help churches take part. “Worship materials, liturgies, and spiritual practices are now available on our website,” said an announcement. “We invite church communities to use these resources during their worship on the fourth Sunday of Easter. Registrants will receive an invitation to attend a Meet & Greet on Zoom on April 25 at 2 PM Central Time. The Meet and Greet is a space for the congregations, pastors, and participants to gather and reflect on the morning’s learnings and insights with other church leaders and members across Turtle Island.” Go to https://cptaction.org/love-truth-action.
— The 2021 Ecumenical Advocacy Days will be held virtually on April 18-21. Among the organizers are staff of the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy. This year’s theme is “Imagine! God’s Earth and People Restored.” This online event is an opportunity to support the global movement centered on and led by the people and communities most vulnerable to climate impacts due to historic racial and colonial inequities. Participants will be invited to advocate for and reimagine a world that lives out the values of justice, equity, and the beloved community. Register and find out more at https://advocacydays.org.
— Samuel K. Sarpiya, ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren and former Annual Conference moderator, has a new book out called The Highest of All Mountains: A Guide for Christians Seeking Peace and Becoming Peacemakers (Wipf and Stock, 2021). The book is “for people who believe that the gospel is a message of peace and this gospel of peace is relevant for our time,” said the publisher’s description. Find it for sale by Brethren Press at www.brethrenpress.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=9781725270275.
— LaDonna Sanders Nkosi, director of Intercultural Ministries for the Church of the Brethren, has had a book of poetry published titled Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: A Poem Book: Messages on the Journey from the U.S. to South Africa and Back Again. Said a description: “From the intensely self-aware and moving homage to South Africa in ‘Remembering South Africa’ to the impassioned ‘The White Gaze,’ each poem takes us on a self-reflective, introspective journey of connection, identity, godly value, and worth, provoking the reader to perceive the simple truth. It is only in remembering who we are in God, will we see each other clearly without filters or skin-color-tinted glasses.” Find it for sale by Brethren Press at www.brethrenpress.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1736737104.
— Bobbi Dykema, pastor of Springfield (Ill.) Church of the Brethren, has written an article on “Visual Arts: Protestant” for the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. A summary is online at https://oxfordre.com/religion/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.001.0001/acrefore-9780199340378-e-804. Access to the full article is available for a fee.
Newsline is the email news service of the Church of the Brethren. Inclusion in Newsline does not necessarily convey endorsement by the Church of the Brethren. All submissions are subject to editing. Newsline stories may be reprinted if Newsline is cited as the source. Contributors to this issue include Phil Collins, Jacob Crouse, Jenn Dorsch-Messler, Chris Douglas, Stan Dueck, Bobbi Dykema, Jan Fischer Bachman, Kendra Flory, Nancy Sollenberger Heishman, Alton Hipps, Marcos Inhauser, Denise D. Kettering-Lane, Jeff Lennard, Pauline Liu, Carol Mason, Wendy McFadden, Paul Mundey, LaDonna Sanders Nkosi, Debbie Noffsinger, David Steele, Norm and Carol Spicher Waggy, Connie Weesner, Chad Whitzel, Roy Winter, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren. Please send news tips and submissions to cobnews@brethren.org . Find the Newsline archive at www.brethren.org/news . Sign up for Newsline and other Church of the Brethren email newsletters, make subscription changes, or unsubscribe at www.brethren.org/intouch .
Find more Church of the Brethren news:
- Annual Conference 2024 invites Church of the Brethren to gather in Grand Rapids
- Annual Conference officers return query regarding congregational latitude on matters of human sexuality
- Silent Auction to benefit translation expenses and the general Annual Conference budget
- Mission and Ministry Board completes Kingian Nonviolence training, works at envisioning
- Leadership Team issues clarification on On Earth Peace membership with Supportive Communities Network