With blue and yellow t-shirts marking the occasion, a group of Brethren from the United States joined Nigerian counterparts in a workcamp with the motto, “Come Let Us Rebuild.” The workcamp was sponsored by the Brethren Evangelical Support Trust (BEST) and Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). Nine American Brethren led by Global Mission and Service executive director Jay Wittmeyer traveled to Nigeria for a two-week church construction project from Nov. 7-18.
Peace
EDF Grants are Directed to Aid Refugees from Syria, Burundi
Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to aid Syrian and other refugees sheltering in Lebanon, and refugees from Burundi who have fled to Tanzania.
‘The Disturbances’ Tells of Christians Saving Lives During 1966 Genocide in Nigeria
“The Disturbances” is a new feature-length documentary film telling the story of how Christian missionaries and Nigerian pastors helped intervene in violence in northern Nigeria in 1966, during a time of tribal genocide that preceded the Biafra War. Among missionaries from several denominations, Church of the Brethren mission workers are featured including Roger Ingold, who was Nigeria field secretary at the time. Children of Brethren mission children also were among those interviewed for the film.
Office of Public Witness Sponsors Congressional Briefing on Nigeria
This past Tuesday the Office of Public Witness along with members of the Nigeria working group and the Congressional African Staff Association hosted a briefing to discuss the food crisis in northeast Nigeria. Over 40 congressional staffers attended, packing the room.
Christ the King Sunday Letter Calls the Denomination to Renewed Discipleship
A letter has been written to the Church of the Brethren by Annual Conference moderator Carol Scheppard and general secretary David Steele, calling the church and its members to renewed discipleship to Jesus Christ on Christ the King Sunday, Nov. 20. The Sunday between Thanksgiving and the start of Advent is called “Christ the King” or “Reign of Christ” Sunday in the church calendar and invites Christians to be reminded–before a season of waiting–of whom we await.
Christian Citizenship Seminar 2017 Will Focus on Native American Rights and Food Security
Christian Citizenship Seminar (CCS) will happen on April 22-27, 2017. The theme will be “Native American Rights and Food Security,” related to the scripture from Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Group of Chibok Schoolgirls Are Released from Captivity
The Nigerian government says 21 of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014 have been freed in negotiations with the insurgents, according to reports from media outlets today including the Associated Press and ABC News. The negotiations were carried out with help from the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Swiss government.
Bridgewater College to Hold Symposium on ‘Anabaptist Nonresistance in Age of Terror’
Bridgewater (Va.) College’s Forum for Brethren Studies and the Kline-Bowman Institute for Creative Peace-building will host a 2017 symposium, “Anabaptist Non-Resistance in the Age of Terror.”
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Throughout October, congregations are encouraged to raise awareness about the serious problem of domestic violence. Activities may include providing members with information through a bulletin insert (available at www.brethren.org/family/domestic-violence.html ); creating a bulletin board with facts about domestic violence; publicizing the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233) and 800-787-3224 (TDD); hosting a speaker from a local domestic violence shelter or the YWCA; and remembering in prayer people who have been affected by domestic violence.
Atlantic Southeast Holds 10th Annual Family Peace Camp
Atlantic Southeast District held its 10th Labor Day Weekend Family Peace Camp at Camp Ithiel, Fla., on Sept. 2-4. The theme for the camp was “Pathways to Inner Peace.” The resource leaders were pastor Belita and Don Mitchell from Harrisburg, Pa. Belita Mitchell, a former Annual Conference moderator, provided the focus for the five sessions, while Don Mitchell provided meaningful and stirring music.