Brethren bits

Prayer requests:

— Prayer is requested for the at least three Church of the Brethren families who lost their homes to the Eaton Fire in the Los Angeles area, as well as the other church members who were affected. Pacific Southwest District executive minister Russ Matteson reported that there were several Church of the Brethren families who needed to evacuate the area and will have costs from lodging, lost food while power was out, and costs for cleanup. At least three or four church families also have been experiencing loss of employment or reductions because of the fires. “The Brethren impacted are only a small portion of those that have experienced the crisis,” he noted, adding that the Pasadena Mennonite congregation, which worships in the Pasadena Church of the Brethren building, also had about three families lose their homes.

— Prayer requests from international Church of the Brethren come from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Venezuela:

Pray for members of l’Eglise des Frères au Congo (the Church of the Brethren in the DRC) in Goma, where much of the city is under the control of the Rebal Group M23 according to reports from church leaders. As of late January, members of the Goma Center and Mugunga Church of the Brethren congregations were reportedly sheltering in their homes while shelling and gunfire continued, with pastor Aluta Celestin reporting that a bomb from M23 killed people in the camp for displaced Congolese near the church. The pastor and his family live only 300 meters from the camp. The Congolese church, with funding and support from Brethren Disaster Ministries, has developed an initial relief plan that will be implemented when conditions in Goma allow. Currently the power and water are off in Goma and relief supplies are not allowed into the city.

The border with Rwanda and the Rwanda Church of the Brethren congregations is near Goma. American mission volunteers Chris Elliott and his daughter Grace evacuated the Gisenyi area along with others including leaders of the Great Lakes Bible School. “We ask you to pray for the safety and well being for all and for peace in Rwanda,” said a prayer request.

A “War Relief and Recovery” fund has been created within the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) for donations toward the relief effort in the Goma area and across the border in Rwanda. Go to www.brethren.org/giveEDF-WarRelief.

The Church of the Brethren in Venezuela requests prayer “for our brothers and sisters in Colombia and Venezuela in the face of the conflict between the irregular revolutionary paramilitary groups of the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) and the ELN (Ejército de Liberación Nacional) in the Catatumbo area, a conflict that has caused deaths and crimes against humanity and kidnappings on the border of both countries, as well as generated massive displacement of refugees to the Department of Norte Santander, Cúcuta, Colombia. These armed groups fight for territorial control, to control drug trafficking, etc.” The pastors in Cúcuta, Wreyned Sarmiento and his wife, Valeria Meza de Sarmiento, and Fabián Fetecuá and his wife, Nora, are active social workers and evangelists who are working with their churches to give aid and help to displaced migrants, including Bibles in Spanish for the refugees. Said the prayer request: “Let us pray that their faith and commitment be sustained, the refugees be upheld, and the conflict will stop!”

Job/volunteer openings:

— The FaithX/Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) office seeks candidates for a volunteer position opening. “Come work with us in the FaithX/BVS Office as a year-long volunteer!” said an invitation. “Join our team to plan and lead service project trips for youth, assist in leading volunteer trainings, and use your skills and ideas to creatively promote service opportunities. What does this entail? Leading FaithX trips in summer of 2026. Helping to plan and run BVS orientations. Traveling to a lot of cool places. Developing skills to boost your resume (i.e. event planning, office skills, communication). Working with a forward thinking team. A chance to put your words in to actions and live out your faith in a whole new way. You’ll be provided housing, food money, insurance, and a $3,000 stipend over the year. Participating in a BVS orientation is required before starting. Your start day would be the day orientation ends. Upcoming BVS orientations are: July 25-August 4, 2025, Camp Colorado in Sedalia, Colo.; September 8-18, 2025, Camp Mardela in Denton, Md.” Applications are due May 1. Apply online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7n0onXmWz4cec7ATd0lNsXlrezuImxn6c_y3WHsQfY-BAtg/viewform.

— Eder Financial is seeking a retirement planner to provide financial education and appropriate resources to members in the Retirement Plan and Insurance Plans, aiding them in their goals to get them to and through retirement. This position requires an individual who can appropriately solve for the spoken and unspoken needs of external and internal customers. While some tasks and meetings require an onsite presence, most of the work is done remotely. Eder Financial provides a fair compensation structure with a strong benefits package that includes organizational contributions for retirement, medical, life, and longterm disability, as well as options to add dental, vision, and short-term disability coverage, and offers 22 days of vacation, accrued at the start of the year, along with flexible work hours within a basic workday structure. Eder Financial provides retirement, insurance, and organizational investing to more than 5,000 individuals and client organizations nationwide. It is an agency of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. This is a fulltime, exempt position working for a nonprofit, faith-based organization that aligns with peace church traditions. Employees practice their faith in a diverse array of worldviews and denominations. The ideal candidate will have an undergraduate degree and a strong working knowledge of financial planning/investments. Additional designations are required or must be obtained during the initial months of employment (i.e. CRPC or CFP). This position requires a person who enjoys working with people; is detail oriented, has strong written and verbal communication skills, and has the ability to prioritize workloads; proficient with computer systems and applications; and exceptional organizational skills. Working knowledge of CRM software is a plus. Impeccable follow-up abilities are a must. To learn more about Eder Financial visit www.ederfinancial.org. To apply, submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to Tammy Chudy at tchudy@eder.org.

— Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) has announced an Alumni Spotlight: “Nominate a BVS Alum!” said the announcement. “Do you know a BVS alum who is doing great things in the world or in their career? We’d love to highlight them on our BVS social media. Nominate someone by emailing bvs@brethren.org with their name and contact info (if you have it). The BVS team will do the rest. How can this help BVS? We are finding that many younger folks, in this next generation of potential BVSers, are focused on advancing their careers and often don’t see volunteering as a step in that direction. We all know that BVS can have a tremendous impact on someone’s life, and we want to share these inspirational stories with those thinking about service with BVS. If you want to nominate yourself – you can do that too!”