The Global Food Initiative (GFI) of the Church of the Brethren has made several grants in recent months. The grants support a Going to the Garden retreat, an aquaponics system in Haiti, two community gardens in Spain, and a feeding ministry in Mexico.
In the 1990s, a wave of Dominicans began leaving their home country to look for a better life in Spain. Members of Iglesia de los Hermanos (the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic) were among them. In time they established the Church of the Brethren in Spain and continue to plant new fellowships across the country.
Recent grants from the Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF) are providing support to Church of the Brethren-related projects in Illinois, Maryland, Spain, and Honduras. The four grants total $28,456.
The Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF) has allocated a number of grants totaling more than $90,000. The allocations support Proyecto Aldea Global in Honduras, THARS in Burundi, a community garden related to Mountain View Church of the Brethren in Idaho, two community garden projects in Spain, and agricultural training in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Recognition of the Church of the Brethren movement taking hold in Spain was given with enthusiasm by the delegate body.
A delegation of six traveled to Spain April 1-10, representing groups who are providing financial and logistical support to the emerging church in Spain. Members of this group were: Marla Bieber Abe, co-pastor of Carlisle (Pa.) Church of the Brethren representing Brethren World Mission; Norm Yeater and Carolyn Fitzkee of Chiques Church of the Brethren in Manheim, Pa.; Daniel and Oris D’Oleo of Renacer, a Hispanic church plant in Roanoke, Va.; and Fausto Carrasco of Nuevo Amanacer Church of the Brethren in Bethlehem, Pa.
Recognizing the Church of the Brethren in Spain–and passing on to Annual Conference a recommendation for that body to recognize the fledgling Spanish church, was a key action of the Mission and Ministry Board at its March 8-11 meeting at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill.
Annual Conference moderator Tim Harvey has provided the following report on the annual moderator’s international trip to visit mission points or to meet with international Brethren or ecumenical partners. This year the moderator’s international trip was to visit with an emerging Brethren group in Spain.
“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart” (Psalm 9:1a). 1) Progressive Brethren Gathering hears from seminary president. 2) Church helps Haitians access clean water during cholera outbreak. 3) NCC centennial gathering celebrates 100 years of ecumenism. 4) Spanish language ministry training track is available to Brethren. 5) Disaster volunteers receive a