On Aug. 15-17, a Church of the Brethren Peace Conference in Mwanza, Tanzania, brought together church leaders as potters of hope, molding visions of amani (peace) and tumaini (hope) into forms that can serve their communities.
The Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Initiative (GFI) has given its latest round of grants to support food ministries at four Church of the Brethren congregations in Illinois and Ohio; the Beyond Abundance Program of Phahama Grain Phakama in South Africa; and the purchase of electric mills for indigenous Amazon communities to grind cassava, via the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela.
Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed two $10,000 grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to a flood relief program of ASIGLEH (the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela) and to the work of partner organization Child Life Disaster Relief.
There were many languages spoken around the tables at the Global Mission Dinner held during Annual Conference, as international guests from several countries joined Sharon Brugger Norton, the new executive director of Global Mission for the Church of the Brethren, under the umbrella of Rev. 21:1-5, “The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”
Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed large grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to support Eglise des Freres au Congo (Church of the Brethren in the DRC) providing a six-month emergency humanitarian aid program for families affected by war, and to a program being developed by the Church of the Brethren Mission in South Sudan. Also among recent grants, funding was provided for the Hurricane Helene response of Brethren Disaster Ministries.
Prayer for the international guests who will be attending Annual Conference this year is requested by Global Mission executive director Sharon Brugger Norton. She requests general prayers for their safety and safe travels, with no problems at the border, “and a reminder to greet them warmly and thank them for coming.”
The Global Church of the Brethren Communion met on June 6 via Zoom with delegates from member denominations attending. Among top agenda items the group elected two new officers of the board of the communion: Santos Terrero of Spain as president, and Sharon Brugger Norton of the United States as treasurer.
Roger Schrock as former mission staff in South Sudan, Roy Winter as executive for Service Ministries and Brethren Disaster Ministries, and I traveled recently to Uganda to meet with South Sudan staff Athanasus Ungang and two of his team members* to consult on positioning for the future in South Sudan.
Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to fund planning for increased humanitarian needs in South Sudan; an aid program by l’Eglise des Freres au Congo (Church of the Brethren in the DR Congo) for displaced families and refugees in Burundi who have fled the M23 violence; and purchase of medicines and medical equipment for hospitals and clinics serving Palestinians displaced in Gaza City due to the Israel-Hamas war.
What a joyous occasion following Easter for our Global Church of the Brethren Communion to gather online for the first meeting of 2025. All 12 countries in the communion were represented.