The Church of the Brethren’s Children’s Disaster services (CDS) has deployed volunteers to Hawaii in partnership with the Red Cross. The volunteers traveled on Aug. 14-15. They have set up a Children’s Disaster Services Center in a Family Assistance Center in Lahaina, on the island of Maui. The volunteers are scheduled to serve through Sept. 4.
The Annual Conference office is calling for more volunteers to staff the silent auction taking place during the event in Cincinnati, Ohio, next week. The silent auction is sponsored by the Program and Arrangements Committee for the Conference.
Children’s Disaster services (CDS) has deployed a team of six volunteers to Guam in partnership with the Red Cross. The first volunteer traveled on June 12, and the full team will be in place by June 16.
Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) has successfully conducted her annual General Church Council or Majalisa on May 16-19 at its Headquarters located at Kwarhi, Hong Local Government Area, Adamawa State. In attendance were over 1,750, all pastors (serving and retired), delegates from Local Church Councils, representatives of programs and institutions, and observers.
The Brethren Disaster Ministries leadership seminar held May 14-17 at Camp Blue Diamond in Petersburg, Pa., brought together staff, district disaster coordinators (DDCs), and disaster project leaders (DPLs) to review and renew the rebuilding program.
Six people were killed and a church of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), as well as houses and other properties were burnt at Zah community under the district of Garkida, Gombi Local Government area, Adamawa State, in northeast Nigeria.
Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) for a tornado response and rebuilding program in Kentucky, aid to Ukrainian refugees and others affected by the war, a hurricane response in Honduras, projects of the Church of the Brethren in the Democratic Republic of Congo, among other needs.
Carolyn Neher begins June 5 as associate director of Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), a program of Brethren Disaster Ministries.
The Church of the Brethren in Rwanda is receiving an emergency grant to aid those affected by extreme flooding this week. Etienne Nsanzimana, founding pastor in Rwanda, shared that the churches are “overwhelmed by this terrible flood.”
Pastor Yakubu Shuaibu Kwala, who served a congregation of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) in the Biu area of Borno State in northeast Nigeria, was killed on April 4 in a night-time attack on his home by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The attackers shot and wounded his pregnant wife, who was taken to hospital for treatment. The pastor also is survived by another child.