Church of the Brethren general secretary David Steele was among more than 140 global Christian leaders signing a new letter, released during Holy Week ahead of Easter, calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The Church of the Brethren’s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy was one of the endorsing organizations for a prayer vigil calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, held Thursday afternoon, March 21, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as part of the Lenten Ceasefire Campaign organized by Christians for Ceasefire.
The Church of the Brethren Gun Violence Prevention Action Team is seeking congregational ambassadors. At an organizing meeting on March 2, the group introduced a new path for individuals feeling a call to help their congregations take action on gun violence prevention.
The new Death Row Support Project (DRSP) Team started their work in January, upon the retirement of founder and former director Rachel Gross. One change the team has made is in the process for writers to connect with pen pals on death row. The team invites anyone interested in writing to someone on death row to attend an informational session on Zoom.
Church of the Brethren general secretary David Steele has shared the following pastoral statement for Haiti during a state of emergency and widespread violence in the Caribbean island nation. The full text of the pastoral statement follows in three languages: English, Haitian Kreyol, and French:
Church of the Brethren general secretary David Steele was one of more than 20 Christian leaders signing a letter to President Biden saying, in part: “The time for a comprehensive ceasefire is now. Every day of continued violence not only increases the death toll in Gaza and the cost to civilians but also fosters further hatred toward Israel and the United States and irreparably damages the moral standing of the United States in the broader Middle East. There is no military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
Don Murray (94), an actor, director, and producer, and a former Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) worker, died Feb. 2 at his home near Santa Barbara, Calif. He served in BVS from 1953 to 1955, during which time he joined the Church of the Brethren. Just a few years before he was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor in his film debut, 1956’s Bus Stop with Marilyn Monroe, Murray served in post-war Europe with BVS.
A prayer for peace by John Paarlberg, from a release by Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP).
Congregations and communities of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) were among those suffering attacks during the Christmas season in northern Nigeria, reported EYN staff.
Northern Plains District of the Church of the Brethren is requesting prayer in the wake of the shooting at Perry High School in Iowa on Thursday morning, Jan. 4. At least two members of the district worked at the school or on the campus that the high school shares with Perry Middle School, and they have survived the shooting unharmed physically. Other district members teach at the elementary level in the Perry school district or have worked in the district in various capacities. Other families in the district have children in the Perry schools or are related to students.