Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed the latest round of grants, made this spring through early summer, from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF). The grants support disaster relief efforts and aid in North Carolina, Western Maryland, Ukraine, Gaza and the West Bank, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, and Cuba.
By Carolyn Neher Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), a program of Brethren Disaster Ministries, is deploying a team of four volunteers to support families affected by the ongoing wildfires in Washington State. Brethren Disaster Ministries personnel continue to monitor the situation and remain in contact with local Church of the Brethren congregations and Pacific Northwest District
By Sharon Franzén Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM) has opened a new Rebuilding project site in Yancey County, N.C., expanding its long-term response to communities affected by Hurricane Helene in 2024. The site opened June 7, 2026, after volunteers served earlier this year in Ashe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties. Yancey County was among the communities hardest
On Friday, July 3, while many were beginning their Independence Day celebrations, two Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) volunteers were aiding the Kerrville, Texas, community in a very different commemoration.
The Brethren Disaster Ministries and Child Disaster Services breakfast at Annual Conference always has the feel of a reunion, looking backwards, and a planning committee, looking forward. This year was no different as the past and future were celebrated.
Jeff Thomson has been hired as director of Brethren Disaster Ministries for the Church of the Brethren. In his previous role as chief housing officer and general contractor with Interfaith Housing and Community Services, he collaborated with numerous volunteers while leading home repair programs for families in need in Hutchinson, Kan.
The 2026 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren is offering a number of special events and opportunities this summer in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Adam Lane begins May 27 as program assistant for Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), a ministry within Brethren Disaster Ministries, working from the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
The Church of the Brethren has been awarded a half-million dollar grant to support Brethren Disaster Ministries, reported Roy Winter, executive director of the Church of the Brethren’s Service Ministries and Brethren Disaster Ministries. The grant will support “a three-year program expansion and improvements to US based programs,” he said. The grant was received from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its initiative, “Hope After the Storm: Capacity Building for Faith-Based Disaster Relief Organizations.”
The Brethren Disaster Ministries Rebuilding Program is transitioning toward recovery from 2024’s Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, beginning in April 2026 when it is serving survivors in Ashe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties.
