Ministries of Reconciliation and Listening Will Offer Assistance at Conference

Many who have attended Annual Conference in past years are familiar with the yellow “On Earth Peace MoR (Ministry of Reconciliation) Observer” badges worn by skilled practitioners during Conference business sessions. This year as particularly sensitive business is discussed, these volunteer “Ministers of Reconciliation” will offer assistance not only during business sessions but throughout the Conference, mediating conflict, facilitating communication, navigating misunderstandings, and in general helping to make sense of the proceedings.

Church Leader Signs on to Letters About Afghanistan, Medicaid Budget

Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger has added his signature to two letters from American religious leaders, one addressing the Afghanistan war, and the other on the Medicaid budget. On June 21 as President Obama prepared to announce the number of troops he planned to withdraw from Afghanistan, religious leaders sent him an open letter stating, “It is time to bring the US war in Afghanistan to an end.”

Pregunta: Orientación para responder al cambio de clima de la Tierra

Pregunta: Orientación para responder al cambio de clima de la Tierra (Annual Conference 2011 business item: Query guidance for responding to the changing of the earth’s climate) Considerando lo siguiente: Dios creó la tierra y la calificó como buena, y sigue amar a toda la creación, animada y inanimada, humana y no humana (Génesis 1, Salmo 24, Juan 3:16-17, y otros); Considerando lo siguiente: El clima de la Tierra continúa calentándose ….

Newsline Remembrance: S. Loren Bowman

S. Loren Bowman, 98, former general secretary of the Church of the Brethren, passed away on June 17. He was general secretary of the denomination for almost a decade, from July 15, 1968, until his retirement Dec. 31, 1977.

Newsline for June 16, 2011

The June 16 issue of Newsline features the following stories: 1. Conference officers review how Special Response decisions will be made. 2. Annual Conference bits and pieces. 3. Haitian church celebrates 100th home. 4 CDS volunteers go to Springfield, complete Joplin response. 5. Carol Bowman resigns as coordinator of stewardship formation. 6. New webinar focuses on importance of emotional intelligence. 7. Denominational Deacon Trainings continue in 2011. 8. Brethren bits: Corrections, remembrance, personnel, BVS on Today Show, and more.

CDS Volunteers Go to Springfield, Complete Joplin Response

A new response site for Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) is Springfield, Mass., which was hit by a tornado on June 2. A team of five CDS volunteers began work there late last week in response to a call from the American Red Cross. Meanwhile, CDS volunteers are completing a project to care for children of families living in shelters in Joplin, Mo.

Conference Officers Review How Special Response Decisions Will Be Made

The Annual Conference officers review how Special Response business items will be addressed during the Conference in Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 2-6. Two years ago, Annual Conference adopted “A Structural Framework for Dealing with Strongly Controversial Issues” and directed two items of new business to that framework.

Haitian Church Celebrates 100th Home

A group of church leaders from the US traveled to Haiti June 4-8 to help Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) celebrate completion of the 100th home built by Brethren Disaster Ministries. The church was also celebrating a new Church of the Brethren guesthouse, which will be able to house workcamps.

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