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?”
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.”
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 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.
The Ventures in Christian Discipleship program at McPherson (Kan.) College 2020-21 season theme is “Change.”
Because of financial difficulties in budgets for this year and next, including the significant drop in Brethren Press sales due to the pandemic, Steve Bickler and Margaret Drafall conclude their work with the Church of the Brethren on Aug. 28.
The Brethren Faith in Action Fund has announced recent grants awarded to eight Church of the Brethren congregations and camps. The fund supports outreach ministry projects that serve their communities, strengthen the congregation or camp, and expand the reign of God, using monies generated by sale of the upper campus of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
Here is a listing of Church of the Brethren congregations that are offering online worship services during the time when COVID-19 is preventing the church from gathering in-person for worship.
In this issue: Remembering Phyllis Kingery Ruff, personnel notes, district conferences, a round-up of news from international partners, Camp Bethel’s “safe and in-person” 5K, the August episode of “Brethren Voices,” MAA receives award, Partners for Sacred Places study of the effects of the pandemic on houses of worship, and more.
Brethren Disaster Ministries has cancelled a short-term response to flooding in Nebraska, that was to take place in late August, and is monitoring needs following the Derecho that hit Iowa and Illinois and the earthquake that struck North Carolina earlier this month.
