More Nigeria workcamp opportunities have been announced by the Global Mission and Service office of the Church of the Brethren. American Brethren and others who are interested in joining in a workcamp with members of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) are invited to consider one of two workcamps to be held in April and August.
Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) has announced staffing changes, including a resignation and a new hire at its offices located at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Eric Thompson has tendered his resignation as director of operations for Information Technology. Jeremiah Thompson has accepted the position of director of BBT’s Insurance Operations.
The Peace Church Risk Retention Group and the Peace Church Health Insurance Program hold two annual meetings, in which the Fellowship of Brethren Homes participates. In a recent meeting of the Peace Church Retention Group, which is served by Phil Leaman as COO and Russ Shaner as executive director, we were reminded of the group’s mission and values statements.
Sixteen members of Chiques Church of the Brethren spent a week in Haiti in January. Their primary goal was to work on upgrades to the Brethren guesthouse in Croix des Bouquets. The group served with l’Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Church of the Brethren in Haiti).
In this issue: Emma Jean Woodard resigns from Virlina District and other personnel and job announcements, Capstone founder reports from New Orleans after tornado, Ministers’ Association pre-Conference event features Lillian Daniel, mission worker in Vietnam aids children who need eye care, BBT offers webinar on long-term care, and more.
The following is an excerpt of the late Mary Blocher Smeltzer’s story about how she and her husband, Ralph Smeltzer, aided Japanese-American families who were interned by the US government during World War II. The Smeltzers began teaching at the Manzanar internment camp and then worked to relocate Japanese-American families to Chicago and New York with help from the Church of the Brethren and Bethany Seminary. This story was included in the chapter titled “Japanese-American Resettlement Work” in the book “To Serve the Present Age: The Brethren Service Story,” edited by Donald F. Durnbaugh and published by Brethren Press in 1975.
This week’s Newsline “remember when” moment from Brethren history is the decision that created the Brethren Service Committee, the forerunner of the Brethren Service Commission. The BSC went on to become the main implement for the Church of the Brethren’s extensive service activities and witness for peace in Europe and elsewhere following World War II.
Shenandoah District executive minister John Jantzi invites us to prayer as our country struggles with issues relating to immigration and refugee resettlement.
“Medicine of Mercy” is the title of the Lenten devotional from Brethren Press. The Lenten devotional is one of two annual devotional booklets published by Brethren Press, along with the Advent devotional. This year’s Lenten devotional is written by Theresa Eshbach.
Brethren bits for Feb. 3, 2017
