The Mission and Ministry Board of the Church of the Brethren has reached agreement with Stanley J. Noffsinger that he will conclude his service as general secretary on Friday, Feb. 12.
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CDS Volunteers Work in Oregon over Holidays, Deploy to Area Flooded by Mississippi
Volunteers from Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), a program of the Church of the Brethren and its Brethren Disaster Ministries, were deployed to a Red Cross shelter in Oregon City, Ore., after an apartment building was evacuated. The evacuation was carried out because of concerns about landslides in the aftermath of strong storms on the Pacific coast.
Sustaining Ministerial Excellence Advanced Seminar Brings Together Cohort of Camp Leaders
The first retreat for the SMEAS (Sustaining Ministerial Excellence Advanced Seminar) Camp Leaders Cohort took place Nov. 19-21, 2015, at Shepherd’s Spring Outdoor Ministry and Retreat Center in Mid-Atlantic District. Participants had completed their annual Outdoor Ministries Association Retreat and stayed onsite for this new continuing education program.
Brethren Bits for January 8, 2016
In this issue: Correction, remembering Makanlal Mangaldas Gameti, updates on district leadership, Brethren Benefit Trust seeks member services representative for Employee Benefits among other job openings including searches for executives in Atlantic Southeast and Missouri/Arkansas Districts, BVS director monitors situation for women conscientious objectors after military opens combat to women, Ministry Summer Service applications are due, registration opens for National Young Adult Conference, and more news by, for, and about Brethren.
Preachers Are Announced for Annual Conference 2016
The line-up of preachers for the 2016 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren has been announced. The Annual Conference takes place at the Koury Convention Center and Sheraton Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., on June 29-July 3. Registration opens online on Feb. 17 for both delegates and nondelegates. The Conference theme is “Carry the Light” (John 1:1-5).
Newsline for January 8, 2016
1) Preachers are announced for Annual Conference 2016
2) CDS volunteers work in Oregon over holidays, deploy to area flooded by Mississippi
3) Global Mission and Service worker honored in Vietnam
4) Vietnam blind school holds training with slogan ‘Understanding Eliminates Darkness’
5) WCC leaders express concern over situation on the Korean peninsula
6) Update is available for Church of the Brethren ‘Manual of Organization and Polity’
7) Sustaining Ministerial Excellence Advanced Seminar brings together cohort of camp leaders
8) Don Knieriem resigns as database administrator for Church of the Brethren
9) Registration opens for church planting event in May
10) Brethren Academy announces upcoming courses
11) ‘Heart of Anabaptism’ webinars continue in 2016
12) Brethren bits
‘Heart of Anabaptism’ Webinars Continue in 2016
Four new webinars continue the theme, “The Heart of Anabaptism,” in 2016, announces the Congregational Life Ministies staff. The webinar presenters will explore the core convictions of the Anabaptist Network in the United Kingdom.
Vietnam Blind School Holds Training with Slogan ‘Understanding Eliminates Darkness’
On Nov. 18, 2015, Thien An Blind School of Ho Chi Minn City, Vietnam, hosted a one-day training for 30 sociology students as a part of Service Learning at the University of Humanities and Social Sciences. Participating in this training day were Grace Mishler, a Church of the Brethren member who serves in Vietnam with Global Mission and Service; her program assistant Nguyen Xuan; and program trainee Nguyen Thi My Huyen.
Update is Available for Church of the Brethren ‘Manual of Organization and Polity’
The Church of the Brethren “Manual of Organization and Polity” has been updated to incorporate polity decisions adopted by Annual Conference since the last edition of the manual, and to review and update endnotes to ensure that the manual reflects as much as possible the exact wording of the Annual Conference decisions which established or updated the polity. Go to www.brethren.org/ac/ppg to find the updated files.
Global Mission and Service Worker Honored in Vietnam
On Nov. 8, 2015, Grace Mishler, a Church of the Brethren member and a Global Mission and Service worker in Ho Chi Minh City, was honored for her work with disabled persons by Vietnamese government officials. Selected individuals from the southern region of Vietnam were recognized for their contributions to the disabled community including blind and partially sighted persons, the area of Mishler’s expertise.