The 42nd Annual Dunker Church Service at Antietam National Battlefield Park is planned for Sept. 16. The worship service will begin at 3 p.m. at the historic Civil War site in Sharpsburg, Md., sponsored by Church of the Brethren congregations in Maryland and West Virginia.
Peace
Church Leaders Express Heartache at Shootings, Call for Action on Gun Violence
Brethren leaders have joined others in the American Christian community in expressing sorrow and calling for prayer following shootings at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin this past Sunday. At least seven Sikh worshipers were killed and three others injured. The gunman, who had connections with radical right racist groups, committed suicide after being wounded by police gunfire. Statements have been made by Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger, along with Belita Mitchell who is a Brethren leader in Heeding God’s Call, and Doris Abdullah, the denomination’s representative to the United Nations. Ecumenical partners who are speaking out include the National Council of Churches.
Have Mercy on Us: A Prayer Response
On Sunday morning, Aug. 5, in a small town in Wisconsin six Sikhs worshipers were gunned down in their Gurdwara, place of worship, by a racist who then killed himself. On Sunday afternoon, the Sikh community issued a newsletter calling on the interfaith community to show solidarity with them by holding prayer vigils in our own places of worship. I do not know if my church will hold a prayer vigil. So I will pray my prayer and stand in silent worship in my home. — Doris Abdullah
Peace: A World Without Borders
Borders are everywhere. There are borders separating countries/nations, borders drawn between states or municipalities, and even borders that define factory areas or commerce areas within cities. Some say we have to have borders. But what if borders between countries didn’t exist? What if people could travel from one area to another without hostility? The Peace Bell in Hiroshima’s Peace Park in Japan imagines such a world.
Peace Day 2012 Theme Is ‘Praying for Ceasefire’
On Earth Peace has announced a theme and a new name for its campaign encouraging churches and communities to observe the International Day of Prayer for Peace on Sept. 21. This is the sixth year that On Earth Peace has held its campaign. Peace Day is the new name for the campaign, centered this year on the theme, “Praying for Ceasefire.”
BVS Director Participates in Conference Call with Selective Service
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) director Dan McFadden today participated in a telephone conference call with the Selective Service System. The Selective Service System hosted the call to update participants about Alternative Service plans in the event that a draft is ever called for by the US Congress. The call was hosted by Cassandra Costley, manager of the Alternative Service Program for SSS.
Church Staff Involved in Ecumenical Prayer Service for Peace in Syria
On Tuesday, June 12, at 7:30 p.m. an ecumenical prayer service for peace in Syria was initiated and organized by Nathan Hosler, ecumenical peace coordinator for the National Council of Churches (NCC) and advocacy officer for the Church of the Brethren, in collaboration with Father Fady Abdulahad, a Syrian priest ministering in Alexandria, Va.
MSS Interns Begin a Summer of Service to the Church
The 2012 class of Ministry Summer Service interns have been holding orientation June 1-6 at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The mentors for each intern joined the orientation for the last two days of the event. Below is a list of interns and mentors, as well as the ministry settings in which they will serve for the next 10 weeks:
BVSers in Hiroshima Help Organize Peace Concert with Brethren Singer
Brethren Volunteer Service workers at the World Friendship Center in Hiroshima, Japan, recently helped organize a concert for peace given by American Brethren folk singer Mike Stern on April 13.
MoR Works on New Network of Conflict Transformation Practitioners
MoR program coordinator Leslie Frye recently invited representatives from Mennonite Central Committee’s Office of Criminal Justice, the Kansas Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (KIPCOR), and Anabaptist conflict transformation practitioners with a range of ages, colors, and affiliations to join MoR practitioners in conversation regarding the potential of forming a sustainable network for the continuing work of reconciliation.