In this issue: Annual Conference worship services continue to be available online, prayer concerns from South Sudan and Pacific Northwest District, historic photos of the construction of the General Offices are online, Ecumenical Advocacy Days are hiring, and more.
Every other month, leaders from the Church of the Brethren around the world meet to discuss issues facing the global church. In the most recent meeting, the group continued to discuss the meaning of being Brethren and watched a video produced by Marcos Inhauser, a leader of the church in Brazil. “No other church is like this,” several noted.
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) is announcing its first volunteer training workshops since pandemic restrictions started last year. At this time, three events have been announced:
The Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy has signed a letter sent by peace church organizations and other peace groups to the Senate Armed Services Committee. The letter urges an end to the Selective Service System and rejection of any attempt to add women to the group on which the burden of draft registration is imposed. The letter supports a piece of bipartisan legislation, S 1139, that would repeal the Military Selective Service Act.
The Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Initiative (GFI) has given grants to support transition of an agriculture program of Eglise des Freres d’Haiti (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) to a self-sustaining ministry. Also among recent grants are allocations in support of a community garden of Grace Way Community Church of the Brethren in Dundalk, Md., and a food distribution program of the Alpha and Omega Community Center in Lancaster, Pa.
Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have directed grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to Honduras, where relief work continues following last year’s Hurricanes Eta and Iota; to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the Brethren in Goma continue aid to those affected by the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo; to India, in support of the COVID-19 response of IMA World Health; and to Northern Plains District, which is helping organize rebuilding following the derecho that left a trail of destruction in Iowa last August.
Honduras
An additional allocation of $40,000 supports the Church World Service (CWS) rehabilitation program in Honduras for families affected by Hurricanes Eta and Iota. CWS has longterm partners in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala that provided emergency relief programs and were supported by an initial EDF grant of $10,000. CWS has updated its response plan to include the rehabilitation of livelihoods and housing in Honduras. The goal of the program is to support 70 highly at-risk families in rebuilding their homes and livelihoods.
A grant of $30,000 for the Proyecto Aldea Global (PAG) response to the hurricanes was approved concurrently with this grant. All programing will be coordinated by and between CWS and PAG, a long-time partner of Brethren Disaster Ministries. In the past 10 years, support has been given through the shipping of canned meat and EDF grants for PAG’s relief work following various storms. After Hurricane Eta, PAG quickly organized a relief program that included providing 8,500 family food bags for a week of provision, used clothing, mattresses, health kits, blankets, shoes, and family hygiene kits. These items reached 50 communities before Hurricane Iota struck. The relief work has continued after Hurricane Iota, reaching more communities and providing medical aid in more remote regions.
NEWS
1) Office of Ministry makes available documents for 2022 pastor salary and benefits
2) Children’s Disaster Services has completed its work at Surfside building collapse
3) The time to act is now: Rights of conscientious objectors and the Selective Service System
UPCOMING EVENTS
4) Brethren Volunteer Service returns to in-person orientation units
5) Webinar introduces Shine Sunday school materials for the fall quarter
JESUS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
6) Easton Church hosts Zoom Q&A session with Drew Hart
7) Mohrsville offers annual vesper service at historic Pricetown Meetinghouse
8) Stone Church promotes ‘It’s a Small World’ book project
9) Zion Hill Church to hold community COVID-19 memorial service
10) Mount Vernon congregation hosts BBQ Benefit for Alzheimer’s research
11) Manassas Church begins campaign to collect CWS hygiene kits
12) Eaton Community Church hosts disaster sewing bee
13) Nokesville congregation celebrates a ‘joyful day’
14) Brethren bits: Remembering Kermon Thomasson and Esther Rupel, Brethren Disaster Ministries longterm volunteer opening, Annual Conference session recordings available through September, Clergywomen’s Brunch, Brethren Press on YouTube, and more
In this issue: Remembering Kermon Thomasson and Esther Rupel, Brethren Disaster Ministries longterm volunteer opening, Annual Conference session recordings available through September, Clergywomen’s Brunch, Brethren Press on YouTube, and more.
If you are concerned about the rights of conscientious objectors and the Selective Service System (aka “the draft”), the time to act is now.
The Church of the Brethren Office of Ministry has sent out its annual e-packet of documents for the Cash Salary Guidelines and Table for pastors for the upcoming year, 2022. The packet has been provided to the 24 district offices across the denomination, and select documents also are available to download from the Office of Ministry webpage for forms at www.brethren.org/ministryoffice/forms.html.