— Remembrance: Doris Miller Quarles (88), a former associate district executive in the Church of the Brethren, passed away on Aug. 24. She served as associate district executive in Virlina District from 1986 to 1999. She was born in Keyser, W.Va., on Feb. 12, 1937, to John Curtis Miller and Dorothy Vivian Ikenberry Miller. She lived most of her life in the Daleville area of Botetourt County, Va. Early in life she was a basketball player and never lost the love of watching basketball on the television, especially March Madness. Her professional career included years as a home economics teacher at Lord Botetourt High School, but she also worked in the home and raised her family. She served her congregation, Daleville Church of the Brethren, as a volunteer choir director, organist, pianist, Sunday school teacher, and church board member and chairperson for many years. She also volunteered at Camp Bethel in Fincastle, Va. She started a new career as a church leader in the mid-1980s, when she began working for Virlina District. She continued her ministry serving on the residential advisory councils at Cave Spring Place Assisted Living and Friendship South Health and Rehab Center and led weekly Bible studies for her co-residents. She is survived by four children and their spouses: Sharon and Donald Hilliard, Durham, N.C.; Tamera and Tony Kelly, Fincastle, Va.; James Carson II and Wendy Quarles, Roanoke, Va.; and Deborah and Scott Seidel, Fairfax, Va.; as well as Grandchildren and great grandchildren. Memorial gifts are received to Good Samaritan Hospice of Roanoke, Va., and to Camp Bethel.
— Prayer requests from Igreja da Irmandade (the Church of the Brethren in Brazil) have been shared by the Global Mission office: “We ask God to watch over the health of some particular church members, those who are quite debilitated due to excessive workloads. We ask for special prayers for the health of Pastor Suely Inhauser, who is dealing with ALS, as well as our dear Pastor Marcos Inhauser, who has recently been experiencing difficulties with thrombosis. He was recently admitted to hospital for tests, but has since been discharged and is continuing to rest. We ask for prayers for the restructuring of the church after moving to a new address. A new building in a new neighborhood presents us with the typical challenges of a new beginning.” Additional wider prayer concerns for the country of Brazil include crime and violence, corruption, poverty and social inequality, health, and inflation and cost of living. “Our deepest gratitude for your prayers,” wrote Alexandre Gonçalves, treasurer and a minister of Igreja da Irmandade.
— Intercultural Ministries director Founa Badet has published a “Resource List – Terminology” listing key words for intercultural understanding. “By taking the time to understand different cultures, we can all coexist in a more positive World” (www.diversityresources.com). Find a link to download the list as a pdf document at www.brethren.org/intercultural
— Nov. 30 is the deadline for applications for Brethren Faith in Action Fund (BFIA) grants to be funded with moneys available in 2025. Generated from the sale of the upper campus of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., the BFIA funds outreach ministry projects that serve communities, strengthen congregations, and expand the reign of God. Such ministries will honor and continue the legacy of service that the center has epitomized while also addressing the dynamics of the present age. Grants of up to $5,000 per congregation or ministry project per year are awarded with a maximum of $15,000 allocated to any one ministry project over multiple years. Camps may apply for grants up to $2,500 every other year. Any United States Church of the Brethren congregation, fellowship, or project, and any Church of the Brethren camp may apply. Find out more at www.brethren.org/faith-in-action
–– Camp Bethel in Fincastle, Va., is thanking those who contributed to the camp’s 41st Annual Heritage Day. “We had perfect weather, great times visiting and laughing with each other, and a success in fundraising!” said a report. “We are happy to report that, as of today, we have raised $14,205! We are excited to watch that number grow even larger as churches and individuals send money from individual fundraisers or sell remaining Heritage Day items.”
— The Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center (SVMC) invites participation in the remaining continuing education events for 2025, designed for both clergy and laity. SVMC is a partnership that includes the districts of Atlantic Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Middle Pennsylvania, Southern Pennsylvania, and Western Pennsylvania, with the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and Bethany Seminary. Register at www.etown.edu/svmc
“Supporting Terminally-Ill Congregation Members” is offered for laypeople on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. by Zoom, led by Julie Guistwite. The fee is $20 per person for groups of 3 or more who are joining together as a group with one Zoom link, or $25 per person if participating individually. “Persons seek peace, hope, and meaningful personal/spiritual moments until death,” said the description. “Dedicated caregivers’ supportive presence and ease in relating to congregational members at the end-of-life shapes the biopsychosocial-spiritual journey. Drawing on a trifold model of terminally-ill ministry and best practice methods in communication, this interactive workshop explores strategies for supporting and empowering adult members of the church community.”
“Weakness Transformed in the Gospel of Matthew” is offered on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in person at Stone Church of the Brethren in Huntingdon, Pa., and by Zoom, led by Dan Ulrich. The fee for in-person attendance is $65 for .5 CEUs; or $55 for no CEUs. The fee for Zoom attendance is $45 for .5 CEUs; or $35 for no CEUs. “Paul was the apostle who heard Christ say, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Cor. 12:9),” said a description. “Paul was not alone, however, in teaching that God works through human weakness in powerful ways. In this continuing-education workshop, we will find inspiration from the Gospel of Matthew to minister faithfully in situations where we or our congregations feel weak. Visual and performative arts will help us engage imaginatively with selected scriptures to deepen and strengthen discipleship. Since the Revised Common Lectionary features Matthew in 2025-26, preachers may encounter ideas they can develop into sermons for the coming year.”
— Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) has launched an Armenian Advisory Council, inaugurated on Sept. 16 at the Haik and Alice Kavookjian Auditorium of St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York City with an event titled “From Ararat to the World.” CMEP is a partner organization for the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy. Said the release, “The Council will serve as a platform for collaboration among Armenian Church leaders, diaspora communities, policymakers, and advocates to ensure that Armenian concerns remain central to global and U.S. conversations on peace and justice in the Middle East. His Eminence Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Legate and Ecumenical Director of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, serves as Patron of the Armenian Advisory Council.” The council will focus on: strengthening partnerships with the Armenian Church in the US, Armenia, and throughout the Middle East; engaging the American public through webinars, seminars, and public forums addressing Armenian concerns; advancing congressional advocacy to promote: the right of return for displaced populations of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the preservation of Armenian historical and religious sites worldwide, the protection of the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem, and the safety and sustainability of Armenian communities under threat. Other members of the council are Dr. Garo Garibian, Haig Gulian, Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan, Herman Purutyan, Sonya Nersessian, Claire Kedeshian, and Dr. Anna Seferian. For more information visit https://cmep.org/armenian-advisory-council
— Church World Service has issued an action alert that “the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is implementing a plan to financially incentivize unaccompanied children to abandon their legal rights and leave the United States. Reports indicate that as of October 3, DHS has begun to offer minors $2,500 if they agree to waive their legal rights under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and ‘voluntarily depart’ the United States,” the alert said. “The plan exploits an already vulnerable population and places them at greater risk of trafficking and other forms of abuse. The government’s offer to pay children to leave the U.S. and return to the harm they fled is an affront to decades of precedent prioritizing children’s safety.” CWS is encouraging contacts with elected officials to protect unaccompanied children. CWS is a longterm partner organization of the Church of the Brethren, which helped found CWS. To take action and for more information see https://cwsglobal.org/action-alerts/take-action-urge-your-elected-officials-to-condemn-dhs-plan-to-incentivize-unaccompanied-childrens-departure
— A webinar on “AI and Our Information Society: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” will be offered by the World Council of Churches (WCC) on Oct. 15 at 7 (central time). This is the first in a series of webinars on the positive and negative aspects of artificial intelligence and its impact in the digital communication sphere, said a release. “AI is increasingly integrated in existing digital communications platforms, from internet searches to text generators and translation programmes. Many are finding the tools useful in aiding routine tasks, expanding outreach, brainstorming, and enhancing creativity. Yet the same tools are also used to target individuals with abuse, create deep fakes, and add to an ever-increasing amount of disinformation. Panelists will discuss the potential for democratization, accessibility, and the potential perils of bias, hallucinations, stereotypes, exploitation, and vulnerability. They will also cover education and AI, embodiment, chatbots, and groups that are excluded. Finally, discussions will explore media and journalism, AI tools, automation, disinformation, training, accessibility for journalists working in the Global South, and other topics.” Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uV0p-H2KRzSJxYZ8c3hgug
#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving
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Find more Church of the Brethren news:
- Largest congregations send leaders for a time of learning, sharing, and support
- Intercultural Ministries schedules first ‘frontliners’ training, announces new online book club
- Faithful Response Immigration gathering offers inspiration and retreat experience for leaders of immigrant support efforts
- Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center and Brethren Press partner to offer Faith Formation Series
- Feature for Earth Month and Poetry Month: A space to contemplate resurrection and life