Two Church of the Brethren denominational staff have signed on to a letter from Christian leaders to the US Congress, urging approval of the diplomatic agreement with Iran. General secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger and Office of Public Witness director Nathan Hosler are among some 50 Christian leaders who have signed the letter, according to a release from the National Council of Churches and the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
Advocacy
Resolution Expresses Support for Christian Minority Communities, Among Other Conference Business
A Resolution on Christian Minority Communities brought by the Mission and Ministry Board was adopted by the Annual Conference. In other business, the Conference dealt with a number of business items deferred from the 2014 annual meeting of the Church of the Brethren including changes to bylaws of the Church of the Brethren Inc. and a polity change related to Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT).
Nigerian Brethren Send Letter of Condolence to Emanuel AME Church
A letter of condolence has been sent to Emanuel AME Church from leadership of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). The letter, sent through the General Secretary’s Office of the Church of the Brethren in the United States, expresses caring on behalf of the entire membership of EYN, following the shooting attack in which nine members including the pastor of Emanuel AME were murdered during a Bible study.
AME Bishops Issue Alert After Seventh Church Fire Since Charleston Shootings
The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church bishops have issued an alert after an AME church became the seventh predominantly black church to suffer a fire since the shootings at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., two weeks ago. Through a release issued by the National Council of Churches, the AME Church shared information about an interfaith call to action that its bishops were to issue yesterday in New Orleans, La.
‘Glory of Gardening’ Webinar Discusses Spiritual Benefits, Wellness Brought by Gardening
A webinar titled “The Glory of Gardening: The Hidden Promises of Community Gardening” will take place on Monday, June 15, at 7 p.m. (Eastern time). This is the final event in a webinar series sponsored by the Going to the Garden initiative of the Office of Public Witness and the Global Food Crisis Fund.
Breaking the Chains: A Reflection from Ecumenical Advocacy Days
I don’t often watch the news anymore; it is too frustrating. I read my fair share of articles while scrolling through my Facebook feed that describe just what state of disarray our world is falling toward. There are few things more terrifying than seeing the brilliantly dramatized retelling of the things that are going on around me, and many days it is hard to find comfort in knowing too much about the world that I live in. Some days I cry.
Re: Targeted Lethal Drones Program
Church of the Brethren general secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger and On Earth Peace executive director Bill Scheurer are among a number of American faith leaders to sign a letter to President Obama expressing “grave concerns” about the United States’ lethal drones policy. The letter follows on the recent drone strike killing of US citizen Warren Weinstein. The letter was put together by an interfaith working group on drones that includes staff of the Church of the Brethren Office of Public Witness.
NCC Annual Gathering Marks New Ecumenical Focus on Interfaith Peacemaking, Mass Incarceration
The National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) held its second annual Christian Unity Gathering on May 7-9 near Washington, D.C. The gathering focused on interfaith peacemaking and mass incarceration, and related topics including Christian responses to police brutality. Some 200 people attended, including leaders from a wide spectrum of Christian traditions.
Alaska Project Receives Going to Garden Grant to Support ‘Far North’ Gardening
A unique gardening project in Alaska is one of the sites receiving grants through the Going to the Garden initiative of the Church of the Brethren Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF) and Office of Public Witness. “I was just floored by what they are doing,” commented GFCF manager Jeff Boshart. The Alaska effort is a personal mission of Bill and Penny Gay and an outreach project of their congregation at Pleasant Dale Church of the Brethren in Decatur, Ind.
Christian Citizenship Seminar 2015 Takes on the Topic of Immigration
Two of the senior high youth who participated in this year’s Christian Citizenship Seminar–Jenna Walmer and Corrie Osborne–report on the event and its impact: “On April 18, Church of the Brethren youth gathered in New York City at the start of Christian Citizenship Seminar (CCS), a conference that allows youth to explore the connections between a specific topic and our faith. This year the topic was immigration. The seminar culminates with congressional visits in Washington, D.C. Throughout the seminar, we discussed the importance of our faith’s connection with citizenship and how immigration impacts our lives. It is a busy week filled with learning, fun, and spiritual growth….”