Following is an update from the Leadership Team of the Church of the Brethren: With the formation of the Covenant Brethren Church, discord and division are arising within our church body. This reality has accelerated in recent weeks, as the Covenant Brethren Church launched an official recruitment effort. Congregations and individuals are being invited and
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Newsline for August 30,2020
“So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). NEWS1) Brethren Disaster Ministries monitors disaster situations, Children’s Disaster Services sends out Individual Kits of Comfort2) Making webinars count: announcing new policy for clergy continuing education credit3) Brethren Faith
Southern Ohio and Kentucky District offers virtual seminar series on climate change
“Who Still Cares about Climate Change? Pastoral Responses to Denial and Despair” is the title of a weekly virtual seminar, beginning in mid-October, co-sponsored by the Climate Justice Task Team of the Southern Ohio and Kentucky District of the Church of the Brethren.

Atlantic Southeast District to present a Virtual Peace Camp 2020
The Action for Peace Team of the Church of the Brethren’s Atlantic Southeast District is presenting a Virtual Peace Camp 2020, the 13th peace camp to be held by the district. Usually the event is held over Labor Day Weekend at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla., but because of the pandemic the event this year will be online via Zoom and offered free to participants.

Webinar on responding to the opioid crisis to be led by James Benedict
A webinar titled “Continuing the Work of Jesus: Responding to the Opioid Crisis” will be offered on Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. (Eastern time) and Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. (Eastern) with sponsorship from the Church of the Brethren Discipleship Ministries. Content will be the same on both dates. Presenter James Benedict, with more than 30 years of experience as a pastor in the Church of the Brethren, is a scholar in residence at the Center for Global Health Ethics at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Brethren bits for Aug. 30, 2020
Remembering Cindy Badell-Slaughter, opening for executive director of Global Mission, moderator signs “A Christian Statement on Science for Pandemic Times,” prayer requests from the mission office, 2020 Harvest of Justice, Bridgewater named one of best colleges in Southeast, campaign supporting women in Colombia, Nathan Hosler’s new book “Hauerwas the Peacemaker?”

Moderator’s virtual town hall will feature Andrew Young on Sept. 17
Church of the Brethren Annual Conference moderator Paul Mundey has announced plans for the next Moderator’s Town Hall on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. (Eastern time). The featured speaker will be Andrew J. Young, veteran civil rights leader and former US ambassador to the United Nations. The focus of the town hall will be: “Racism: Deeper Awareness, Bolder Action.”

Making webinars count: announcing new policy for clergy continuing education credit
Recognizing that live participation is becoming increasingly difficult for mulitivocational ministers and given the growing library of recorded webinars available from denominational agencies, the Brethren Academy is offering clergy the opportunity to view and report on prerecorded webinars and other educational events for CEUs. A standardized reporting process will provide the necessary accountability.

Brethren Disaster Ministries monitors disaster situations, Children’s Disaster Services sends out Individual Kits of Comfort
Brethren Disaster Ministries is monitoring the situation in Louisiana and Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura as well as the wildfires affecting northern California. Staff are participating in national coordinating calls and communicating with partner organizations to coordinate any response. The initial Church of the Brethren response has begun with Children’s Disaster Services (CDS). The Red Cross activated CDS to deploy 600 Individual Kits of Comfort to aid children and families affected by Hurricane Laura and the California wildfires.

New Ventures in Christian Discipleship season theme to focus on change
The Ventures in Christian Discipleship program at McPherson (Kan.) College 2020-21 season theme is “Change.”
