To build just and sustainable peace, engaging churches as well as ecumenical organizations and civil society, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has launched an Ecumenical Peace Advocacy Network (EPAN). The launch came out of a consultation on Dec. 1-5 in Sigtuna, Sweden.
General Secretary
National Council of Churches Governing Board Issues Statement from Ferguson
As Missouri governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency yesterday in anticipation of the imminent indictment, or lack thereof, of officer Darren Wilson, the National Council of Churches (NCC) gathered in St. Louis for a meeting of its governing board. The atmosphere was tense in the room as the governor’s order to ready the National Guard came during a panel discussion featuring four pastors and community leaders from Ferguson, Mo.
‘We Need Urgent Help from the International Community’ Writes EYN President
EYN president Samuel Dante Dali is calling for urgent help from the international community for the people affected by violence in northeast Nigeria. In a letter he sent to the Church of the Brethren in the US this weekend, he also called for the Nigerian government to give serious attention to the suffering of the people.
Nigerian Brethren Headquarters Property Overtaken by Insurgents
The Nigeria Brethren church headquarters property has been overtaken by Boko Haram extremist insurgents. The news was shared in the early hours of this morning in an e-mail from the staff liaison of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), who wrote:
Mission and Ministry Board Approves up to $1.5 Million for Expanded Crisis Response in Nigeria, Authorizes Marketing of Brethren Service Center Property
At its fall meeting the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board took a number of significant actions, including approval of up to $1.5 million in funding for a greatly expanded response to the crisis in Nigeria; authorizing marketing of the Brethren Service Center property in New Windsor, Md.; and approval of a budget for denominational ministries in 2015. Chair Becky Ball-Miller led the meeting on Oct. 17-20 at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill.
Brethren Attend 15th Ordinary Synod of the Church of North India
Church of the Brethren leaders general secretary Stan Noffsinger and mission executive Jay Wittmeyer joined the Church of North India (CNI) at its 15th Ordinary Meeting of the Synod. The triennial event was held Oct. 1- 4 at Sherwood College in the hill station community of Nainital, Uttrakhand, and was build around the theme “Come; Let Us Rebuild…” (Nehemiah 2:17).
Ecumenical Study Committee Shares Preliminary Work, Plans for Annual Conference 2015
The Annual Conference study committee on an Ecumenical Vision for the 21st Century met Aug. 27-28 in Seattle, Wash. With gorgeous weather and a stunning view of Mt. Rainier, the group was blessed to receive the hospitality of Columbia-Lakewood Community Church in Seattle, which is jointly affiliated with the Church of the Brethren and the United Church of Christ.
General Secretary and Public Witness Staff Reiterate Support for Nonviolent Measures in Syria and Iraq, CPTer Comments from Iraqi Kurdistan
In a week when US President Barack Obama has announced new air strikes on Islamic State in Syria by a coalition of the US military and several Arab nations, Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger and the denomination’s Office of Public Witness have reiterated a commitment to nonviolent means of change in Syria and Iraq.
Global Mission and Service, BDM Provide Emergency Aid to Nigerian Brethren as EYN Denominational Staff Flee Insurgent Advance
In scattered reports received piecemeal by e-mail, text, and Facebook since the weekend, it appears that most if not all the denominational staff of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) and their families have left the EYN headquarters as Boko Haram insurgents advance on the area.
Global Mission and Service, Brethren Disaster Ministries Provide Emergency Aid to Nigerian Brethren as EYN Denominational Staff Flee Insurgent Advance
In scattered reports received piecemeal by e-mail, text, and Facebook since the weekend, it appears that most if not all the denominational staff of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) and their families have left the EYN headquarters as Boko Haram insurgents advance on the area.