Brethren bits for April 22, 2022

— The Church of the Brethren’s South/Central Indiana District seeks candidates for district executive minister. The district includes 40 congregations in the middle of the state of Indiana, representing a wide range of theological views. The district seeks good connections and relationships between the executive minister, pastors, and congregations. The shift to a full-time position envisions strong connections out of which congregations will be able to reach out in service and witness more effectively to Christ. The executive minister’s commitment to Jesus Christ and the scriptures is essential. This full-time position is available Sept. 5, 2022. The executive minister functions as executive officer of the District Board, facilitates the implementation of the core ministries of the district, serves as custodian of all official papers of the district, serves as an ex-officio member of the District Board (without vote), assists congregations and pastors with search and call of ministerial leadership, assists congregations and pastors with the development of wholesome relationships, and assists congregations with church growth initiatives. Qualifications include a clear commitment to Jesus Christ demonstrated by a vibrant spiritual life; commitment to the Seven Core Values of the district; commitment to Church of the Brethren faith and heritage; strong personal, communication, and mediation skills; strong administrative, management, and budget skills; respect for theological diversity; willingness and ability to travel across the district on a regular basis. A master of divinity degree is preferred, as well as a minimum of five years of pastoral experience. Apply by sending a letter of interest and a resume to Nancy Sollenberger Heishman, Director of the Office of Ministry, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; officeofministry@brethren.org. Applicants will be asked to complete a candidate profile on receipt of resume. Applicants are requested to contact three or four people to provide letters of reference. Applications will be received until the position is filled.

— Camp Swatara in Bethel, Pa., is posting the following job openings for the 2022 season: lifeguards, counselors, housekeeping, kitchen, grounds keepers (Building & Grounds). Applicants can visit www.campswatara.org/full-time-employment-opportunities for job description and to apply.  

–– The Annual Conference is sharing an announcement that there will be no onsite quilting at the 2022 Conference. “Due to some lingering hesitations about the need for people to be in close proximity to one another during the quilting, the Association for the Arts in the Church of the Brethren (AACB) will not be hosting the auction or quilting at Conference this year,” said the announcement from AACB coordinator Tara Hornbacker. “There will be a presentation to the moderator. Send your quilt blocks to Margaret Weybright, 1801 Greencroft Blvd., Apt. #125, Goshen, IN 46526. We plan to return to quilting at Conference, along with hosting the auction next year in Cincinnati. See you there!”

— Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) has been highlighted in an article on the “Cool Deeds” website. The article promotes CDS as one of the “Share Good, Do Good, Feel Good” options for readers to support. Go to www.cooldeeds.org/post/view/760.

— Brethren Disaster Ministries also issued a reminder about the upcoming disaster relief auction in Shenandoah District: “It is time to put the Shenandoah District Disaster Ministries Auction on your calendar: May 20 & 21!” Find the schedule and follow the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ShenandoahDistrictBrethrenAuction for updated information.

— Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., has announced that its commencement this year is scheduled for Saturday, May 7. “Bethany will honor graduates from the Class of 2022 during an Academic Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 7, at 10 a.m. in Nicarry Chapel,” said an announcement. “The featured speaker is Kelly Burk, MDiv, a Bethany graduate who serves as Chaplain and Director of Quaker Life at Earlham College.” The seminary will provide a live stream via Zoom.

— Dauda Gava has joined Bethany Seminary as visiting international scholar-in-residence for the Spring semester 2022. Gava is provost of Kulp Theological Seminary, the seminary of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), located near EYN’s headquarters in Kwarhi in northeast Nigeria. He is a Pauline scholar and previously collaborated with Bethany’s Dan Ulrich “to team teach a well-received course on the Book of Romans. They offered that course this year as a January intensive, with Dr. Gava teaching from the Technology center in Jos [Nigeria],” reported a Bethany release. During this Spring semester, Gava has taught a course on Paul’s letter to the Philippians and will be writing a commentary on the book of Titus. He also preached for the Bethany Seminary chapel service on April 6. 

— “Join us for our seminar ‘Children as Peacebuilders: Equipping Resilient Leaders- Environmental Justice,’” invites On Earth Peace. The event is offered at 12 noon (Eastern time) on April 23. “Bring your children!” says the invitation. The agency’s Environmental Justice organizer Calum Clow, and Children’s Peace Formation organizer Hadil Alhayek, will be addressing Environmental Justice as part of On Earth Peace’s Earth Day activities, equipping caregivers and educators with tools–such as storytelling using the Read Aloud Program–to talk to children and the community about issues surrounding environmental justice. Go to www.onearthpeace.org/cap_environmental_justice.

— Atlantic Northeast District is holding a special event on May 14, under the theme “The Church: Alive to Thrive,” hosted at Ephrata (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. Said an announcement: “Gathering from different areas within ANE District, representing ethnically and culturally diverse congregations, we will worship, fellowship, and share testimonies about The Church: Alive To Thrive. La Iglesia: viva para prosperar Encuentro de congregaciones desde diferentes lugares dentro del Distrito ANE, representando la diversidad Étnica y Cultural, adoraremos, compartiremos y proporcionaremos testimonios sobre la Iglesia: Vivo Para Prosperar. Join us in this inspirational time of connection and relationship building with the expectation to learn and return to your own congregation with renewed excitement about how God is working among us! ¡Únase a nosotros en este tiempo inspirador de conexión y construcción de relaciones con la expectativa de aprender y regresar a su propia congregación con entusiasmo renovado sobre cómo Dios está trabajando entre nosotros!” The gathering will address the questions: What is keeping your church alive? ¿Qué mantiene viva a su iglesia? How does your church thrive? ¿Cómo prospera su iglesia? How does your church call out the gifts of persons in your midst? ¿Cómo llama su iglesia a los dones de las personas entre ustedes? How are leaders called out within your church? ¿Cómo se llama a los líderes dentro de su iglesia?

— Pacific Northwest District has begun holding special times of prayer led by the Envisioning Team of Peggy Liley, John Jones, Howard Ullery, and Colleen Michael. The evening online events are held on the first and third Thursdays of the month via Zoom, according to an announcement. The intent is “for a time of prayerfully discerning how best to encourage our congregations and faith communities to reconnect and stay connected in intentional community so we can explore together what God might have in mind for us…. We anticipate this being a time of sharing and prayer concerns for our congregations and thoughtful discernment about the direction our District will be heading specifically in terms of ministry and organization.”

— Virlina District has announced that its Kentucky tornado offering is complete. “District congregations and individual members contributed $12,404.50…. The Disaster Response Committee of the district matched this amount. As a result, we have sent $24,809.00 to Brethren Disaster Ministries. We appreciate the generosity of our people and congregations in giving to this effort!”

— Cross Keys Village: The Brethren Home Community in New Oxford, Pa., is offering educational events for those living with or caring for people with memory loss and dementia. “Making a Difference in the Lives of People with Dementia in the Adams & York Area” is offered in person and online on May 13 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Eastern time) led by author and speaker Loretta Woodward Veney. Register at www.crosskeysvillage.org/difference. “Memory Care Basics,” an interactive three-part series, begins on May 11. Memory care coach Kim Korge will present three afternoon sessions, providing a thorough orientation for family caregivers and professionals who need a better understanding of neurocognitive disorders. Register at www.crosskeysvillage.org/basics.

— McPherson (Kan.) College has announced its Spring Horizon Fund Grant recipients. “For more than a decade, McPherson College has been encouraging the entrepreneurial ideas of its students by awarding mini-grants that help students develop innovative solutions to common problems,” said a release. “This spring, the Horizon Fund is providing grants to 15 students with ideas ranging from a car rental service to daycare to fitness training. The individual grants range from $100 to $500 and students have the option to reapply for continued funding of existing Horizon Fund Grant projects.” Abbey Archer-Rierson, chief of staff and head of the entrepreneurship program at McPherson, said, “The grants have supported a variety of wildly creative ideas and this most recent round of funding is no exception.” Find the full release at www.mcpherson.edu/2022/04/mcpherson-college-announces-spring-horizon-fund-grant-recipients.

— Anabaptist Disabilities Network is the recipient of the 2022 Mennonite Health Services’ Innovation Grant, which will go towards the development of an Anabaptist membership curriculum for youth and adults with intellectual disabilities. A release from the network reported that “ADN’s membership curriculum will include an overview of the biblical story, a brief history of the Anabaptists, an exploration of Anabaptist beliefs and practices, and a detailed explanation of the practice of baptism in Anabaptist tradition. The curriculum will be written for adults, easy to read and illustrated. The teacher’s book will help teachers accompany their students as they consider a choice for baptism. Membership curriculum and Bible studies for youth/adults with intellectual disabilities are some of our most frequently requested resources.”

— Global Scholars Canada is hosting a talk by Rebecca Dali titled “Women in the Cross-Fire: The Girls of Chibok and the Long Road to Healing,” with respondent Elaine Storkey, author of Scars Across Humanity: Understanding and Overcoming Violence Against Women. Dali is a member of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) who has been a leader in responding to and aiding women and children, particularly widows and orphans, affected by violence in northeast Nigeria. Dali completed a master’s thesis as well as a doctoral thesis with Global Scholar’s Wendy Helleman, and “in both she dealt with the effect of violence on women, children and the family in the context of ethnic unrest/riots,” said the announcement. She has been recognized for her work through the NGO she founded called the Center for Caring, Empowerment and Peace Initiative (CCEPI), in 2017 receiving the Sergio Vieira de Mello United Nations Humanitarian Award. The Zoom event takes place on Saturday, May 14, at 11a.m. (Eastern time). To receive the link for this event, email Global Scholars Canada at admin@globalscholarscanada.ca or go to the website www.globalscholarscanada.ca/news-stories/may-14-11am-est-rebecca-dali-on-women-in-the-cross-fire-the-girls-of-chibok-and-the-long-road-to-healing.

–– The National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) is mourning the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya at the hands of the police in Grand Rapids, Mich. The NCC is sharing a prayer by its chief operating officer Leslie Copeland Tune, written for the NCC’s Holy Week of Prayer series: “We are triggered by yet another unnecessary death by police of an unarmed Black man, this time in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are weary of the ways in which racial hatred and vitriol continue to erode the fabric of this nation, making the promise of America seem to be a dream deferred for far too many. We pray for the loved ones of Patrick Lyoya and all those who know the pain they are experiencing right now. We pray for our nation to break this confluence of systemic racism, inhumanity and violence by police who are supposed to protect and serve. We pray for Black and Brown communities, too often plagued by violence and many of whom believe we are not safe, including and especially with law enforcement. Lord, have mercy.”

— Church World Service (CWS) is calling for people of faith “to welcome vulnerable people with warmth and open arms, and urge Members of Congress to do the same. We invite faith leaders and faith organizations to sign onto this important faith letter” about the Biden administration’s “planned end to the inhumane Title 42 policy by May 23rd, 2022.” CWS explained, “Since the announcement to end the policy, new anti-asylum measures have been introduced in an attempt to keep Title 42 in place, including the Public Health and Border Security Act of 2022. This bill would make it difficult or impossible to rescind Title 42 and would force the CDC and DHS to keep border expulsions in place–contradicting the CDC’s scientific analysis which found that the expulsion policy is not necessary to protect public health.” The sign-on letter is available through April 25 at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJ-h9dK8se0v-Ow5aE5RGeGy_Oy5ZCeclMnQI6ipcNr9xLuQ/viewform.

— Church agencies are urging action for those threatened by famine in eastern Africa. An estimated 15.5-16 million people are in urgent need of food assistance in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya, according to the Intergovernmental Government Authority on Development. Reported in a release from the World Council of Churches (WCC), of these numbers, 6 to 6.5 million are in Ethiopia, 3.5 in Kenya, and 6 million in Somalia. “It is also anticipated that floods and insecurity in South Sudan will push another 8 people into acute food insecurity. In the region, 29 million are facing high food insecurity.” Read the full release at www.oikoumene.org/news/as-severe-drought-hurts-food-security-in-eastern-africa-church-and-aid-agencies-call-for-urgent-action.

— The National Religions Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is requesting letters from people of faith to members of Congress urging them “to vote to end the restrictions on transferring detainees out of Guantanamo. The House and Senate Armed Services Committees are now beginning to draft their respective versions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In the past, this bill has been used by Congress to place restrictions on transferring Guantanamo detainees to the U.S. for any reason, even for trial or for necessary medical treatment. Congress has also used the NDAA to place limits on transfers to other countries with bureaucratic hurdles that make transfers unnecessarily complicated. For the past three years, the U.S. House has voted to lift the restrictions on transfers to the United States in their version of the NDAA, but the Senate has not,” explained the NRCAT action alert. Find out more at https://nrcat.salsalabs.org/close-guantanamo-2022-3/index.html. View an NRCAT Facebook post and webinar recording about the Guantanamo Bay detention center, first posted in January of this year, at https://fb.watch/cyqpchqga2.

— Tim and Byron Joseph, who have been part of Onekama (Mich.) Church of the Brethren, were highlighted by the Manistee News Advocate recently as “two-thirds of popular singing group The Nephews…. The cousins grew up next door to each other as part of a larger family that was music oriented. Some of their earliest recollections are attending church on Sunday with the family at Church of the Brethren in Onekama where music played a big role in their services. Both Tim and Byron Joseph couldn’t help but smiling a little when they recalled the debut performance of The Nephews when they played together 62 years ago for the Junior Clio Club in Onekama. Many songs later, they still are entertaining audiences with their smooth harmony. They possibly are the longest-performing musical group in Manistee County.” Read the article titled “The Nephews Spread Joy Through Music” at www.manisteenews.com/news/article/The-Nephews-spread-joy-through-music-17084170.php.

— Marci Frederick, director of libraries at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va., is researching Brethren communion bread practices, including recipes, spiritual practices while making bread, purchased bread, and how the bread is used. In an announcement of a survey for this research, she requests “your personal and congregational stories as she attempts to track how recipes spread and changed.” The survey is open through June 30 at https://emu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6QiDm3DEgvRGsU6. For more information on this Eastern Mennonite University sabbatical project, feel free to contact Ms. Frederick at marci.frederick@emu.edu.

— Mary Dulabaum of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., who works as director of marketing and communications at Judson University, will receive the Marguerite Henry Award for Communications and Technology at the YWCA Elgin 38th annual Leader Luncheon on May 12. She is among 28 women to be honored in a number of categories.

‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑

Find more Church of the Brethren news:

• Global Food Initiative gives four grants to start off the year
• Brethren Faith in Action Fund issues seven grants in first months of 2024
• Brethren bits
• A story of modern-day Psalmists
• ‘One Earth, One Chance’ features David Radcliff of the New Community Project