Brethren bits

Prayer is requested for a member of l’Eglise des Freres d’Haiti (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) who was kidnapped on Saturday, June 22. The prayer request came from Ilexene Alphonse, who is country representative for Haiti with the Church of the Brethren Global Mission office. The church member was a part of the Dalma congregation. Please be in prayer for their family, loved ones, and the whole congregation.

— A special briefing webinar on Israel, Palestine, and Jordan on Monday, July 1, will feature Nathan Hosler, director of the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy. The event is sponsored by Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP). Said an invitation: “Join Churches for Middle East Peace staff and board members for a special briefing on their May 2024 travels across Palestine, Israel, and Jordan, including the 2024 Christ at the Checkpoint (CATC) conference in Bethlehem. Our panelists will share their major takeaways from their travels and time in the Middle East, update constituents about how CMEP is continuing to show solidarity with our Palestinian Christian siblings, and reflect on the vital role the church must play in calling for peace in the Holy Land.” Register at https://cmep.org/event/cmep-special-briefing.

A playlist of camp songs has been shared by Messenger, the magazine of the Church of the Brethren. Said a Facebook announcement: “Just in time for our July/August issue with the cover feature ‘A Century of Holy Ground’ by Walt Wiltschek, celebrating 100 years of church camps, Bible study writer Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey has curated a playlist of favorite camp songs.” Go to www.brethren.org/messenger/playlists/playlist-camp-songs

— Church of the Brethren-related schools in the Great Lakes area of Africa have been providing pastoral training and Christian education, reports Chris Elliott. The Great Lakes Bible School “held a six-week intensive during May and June, just now completed with 13 students,” he wrote. “Four classes were offered: Church Planting, Systematic Theology, Computer Practical Skills, and Essay Writing Skills. Instructors for the intensive included Joshua (from EYN), Janvier and Theoneste.” He reported that the Brethren School, a nursery school in Bujumbura, Burundi, recently held graduation ceremonies for the Top Class that includes five year olds. The Brethren Academy (nursery school) in Gisenyi, Rwanda, is preparing for the graduation of its Top Class students on July 3. Elliott added that “it seems unbelievable that the school has been operating for two and a half years already and that Grace [his daughter] is finishing her two-year Brethren Volunteer Service commitment. Please pray for Grace as she considers her options for future ministry in Rwanda.” For more about the Global Mission program of the Church of the Brethren go to www.brethren.org/globalmission.

— Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran announced that he has secured $2.1 million in new, congressionally directed funding for McPherson (Kan.) College during a news conference on campus June 27. According to a release from the college, “the federal funds will support the college’s initiative to create an educational center in Kansas for Rural and Community Health Science. The college has made progress toward this goal by introducing a new health science program where students focus on clinical, administrative, behavioral, or community health academic emphasis.” Moran said during the event: “McPherson College is leading the way in training health care providers specifically to serve rural communities. These federal resources will equip McPherson College with the tools to train even more students in clinical, behavioral, and public health professions. This is an investment in the college, the students, and rural Kansas.” This is the first time in the college’s 137-year history that it has secured federal funds through congressionally directed spending.