{"id":10819,"date":"2016-02-12T00:00:18","date_gmt":"2016-02-12T00:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.brethren.org\/news\/?p=10819"},"modified":"2018-11-06T18:01:23","modified_gmt":"2018-11-06T18:01:23","slug":"brethren-bits-for-feb-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2016\/brethren-bits-for-feb-12\/","title":{"rendered":"Brethren Bits for February 12, 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The founder of Circleville (Ohio) Church of the Brethren is being honored<\/strong> among other local African-American trailblazers, according to an article in the \u201cCircleville Herald.\u201d Church founder John H. May<\/strong> was one of 175 African-American men who in 1870 met in Circleville to discuss the happenings of the April election that year, the newspaper reported. \u201cThey had attempted to exercise the newly acquired right to vote. News articles of that day reported a conspiracy in the state of Ohio to prevent any man of color from casting a vote.\u201d Of the men at that meeting, 147 signed 2 petitions and sent them to members of Congress. The Pickaway County African American Heritage Association (PCAAHA) formed in 2003 to celebrate the historical significance of the event, and each year honors some of the men who took part, and their descendants. On April 2, PCAAHA hosts the Ninth Annual Heritage Banquet, with the honored families for 2016 including the May family. The newspaper reports: \u201cIn 1870, John H. May left the Baptist doctrine and started a German Baptist Dunkard church. He and his wife, Susan Dade Brown May, led family members in worship…. The church grew diversely becoming the Church of the Brethren.\u201d A member of the Dade family will accept the 2016 Posthumous Legacy Award on behalf of Rev. May. Find the newspaper report at www.circlevilleherald.com\/community\/pcaaha-to-honor-descendants-of-local-african-american-trailblazers\/article_65710edd-2ce5-5908-940c-a44290b88573.html<\/a> .<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

— In personnel news from Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., Rob Yelnosky,<\/strong> vice president for finance and operations since 2007, is transitioning to a new role. According to a release, his new position begins Oct. 1, when he will become the college\u2019s point-person on strategic initiatives, including managing implementation and adoption of Juniata\u2019s strategic plan with particular focus on experiential learning, community outreach, and institutional benchmarking. He will be replaced as vice president for finance and operations, effective Aug. 1, by John Wilkin, currently vice president of administration and business affairs at Heidelberg University. Between Aug. 1-Oct. 1, Yelnosky and Wilkin will work together to ensure a smooth transition.<\/p>\n

— District executives, executives of the Church of the Brethren,<\/strong> Bethany Theological Seminary, Brethren Benefit Trust, and On Earth Peace, and their board chairs, together with the Annual Conference officers, met for an afternoon during the Winter Council of District Executives (CODE) meeting. The group engaged in intentional conversation related to the upcoming business of Annual Conference, said a brief report from David Steele, district executive minister of Middle Pennsylvania District and chair of the Inter-Agency Forum. The conversation centered around three questions: What are our hopes for the church (Church of the Brethren)? Given the contentious issues coming to Annual Conference, what are our hopes for Annual Conference? How might we address the emotion which surrounds these issues? Knowing the business of Annual Conference is surrounded with heart-felt emotion, what must we do pastorally so that people feel heard in such a way that brings greater health to the Conference while not overwhelming the Conference or business process? Steele reported that the intent of the conversation was not to arrive at any particular answer or outcome, but to consider the health and well-being of the Conference prior to arriving in Greensboro, N.C. The conversations concluded with expressions of hope, appreciation for the conversation, and prayers for the movement of the Holy Spirit upon this year\u2019s Annual Conference, its leadership, and the church.<\/p>\n

— The Global Mission and Service office has requested prayer<\/strong> for Iglesia des los Hermanos (the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic), and for Eglise des Freres d\u2019Haiti (Church of the Brethren in Haiti). In the Dominican Republic, Brethren will be gathering for their annual conference, the Asamblea, and prayer is requested for safe travel and for the presence of the Holy Spirit in the conference. Members of the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Mission Advisory Committee as well as denominational staff are traveling to the DR to attend the Asamblea. In Haiti, the church has been holding a theological training session in which 27 participants studied homiletics and explored the Old Testament books of Joshua through Esther. In addition, prayers are requested for a mobile medical clinic being held for a community of refugees near the border of Haiti and the DR, for people deported from the DR following court rulings that have stripped them of citizenship.\u00a0 Leaders from Iglesia de los Hermanos worked with partners to provide the clinic, and Brethren congregations provided clothing and food for distribution.<\/p>\n

— Fourteen members of Buffalo Valley (Pa.) Church of the Brethren<\/strong> have served with Iglesia de los Hermanos (the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic), working on church construction projects with the congregations in Magueyal and Azua, and assisting with youth retreats. A prayer request for the experience from Global Mission and Service asked \u201cfor the forging of meaningful, lasting relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

— Mutual Kumquat will be recording the music for the 2016-17 \u201cShine Songbook\u201d and CD<\/strong>, according to an announcement. Shine is a Christian education curriculum jointly produced by Brethren Press and MennoMedia. \u201cSearch for this amazing band online at www.MutualKumquat.com<\/a> as well as Facebook and My Space. Or watch them perform at the Church of the Brethren National Youth Conference,\u201d said the announcement. \u201cOur goal at Shine is to provide music that will help children sing their faith. The Shine Songbook and CD includes songs for Christmas and Easter, reflective prayer songs, upbeat songs that children can dance to, songs with motions, and blessing songs. There are seven languages represented on the 2016\u201317 CD, reflecting the diversity in the church.\u201d For a preview of the Shine CD, listen to \u201cFluye, Esp\u00edritu, fluye\u201d (Flow, Spirit, Flow) at www.ShineCurriculum.com\/Music<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— Also new from Shine, a Lent 2016-Lent 2017 Bible reading plan<\/strong> based on \u201cShine On: A Story Bible\u201d is now available at www.ShineCurriculum.com\/Extras<\/a> . This updated Bible reading plan comes from Nancy and Irv Heishman, pastors at West Charleston (Ohio) Church of the Brethren and incorporates Psalm readings with stories from \u201cShine On.\u201d Purchase the Shine story Bible from Brethren Press at www.brethrenpress.com<\/a> or call 800-441-3712.<\/p>\n

— Camp Eder in Fairfield, Pa., is offering maple sugaring tours<\/strong> from 9 a.m.-12 noon on two Saturdays, Feb. 27 and March 5, during the Mount Hope Maple Madness festivals of fun sponsored by Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve and the camp. Events also include a pancake breakfast, indoor arts and crafts vendors, music, and more. Go to www.strawberryhill.org<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— Regional Youth Conference will be held at McPherson (Kan.) College<\/strong> on the theme \u201cStrip Down: Changing from the Inside Out\u201d (1 John 3:18-20, the Message) on Feb. 26-28. High school youth and their advisors, as well as college students who would like to assist with the weekend, are invited to attend. Leadership will include Jeff Carter, president of Bethany Seminary, and Mutual Kumquat. The cost is $65, with discounted fees available for college students who assist with activities. For more information and a registration link go to www.mcpherson.edu\/RYC<\/a> . For questions contact Jen Jensen at jensenj@mcpherson.edu<\/a> or at 620-2420503 (office) or 402-990-8682 (cell and text).<\/p>\n

— The 2016 Youth Roundtable at Bridgewater (Va.) College<\/strong> is planned for April 8-10, with speakers Tim and Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey. The Friday night entertainment will be the Walking Roots Band.<\/p>\n

— Southern Ohio District is beginning a Listening\/Discerning\/Visioning Process.<\/strong> \u201cAt the 2015 district conference, the body voted to have the district conduct a process for Listening\/Discerning\/Reconciliation utilizing an organization steeped in reconciliation work,\u201d the district newsletter reported. Involved in leadership of the process along with district leaders are Leslie Frye of the Ministry of Reconciliation of On Earth Peace, and Bob Gross and Carol Waggy who conducted a training of volunteers in January. The District Gifts Discernment Team has identified several persons as prospective volunteers to go out in pairs to visit with groups from each of the 52 congregations associated with the district. Their task will be simply to listen and bring back appreciations, concerns, and suggestions regarding the district, expressed by the congregations. This information will be utilized in planning next steps for the district. \u201cYour prayers are also coveted for the ministry,\u201d said the announcement.<\/p>\n

— \u201cCaregiving in the Midst of Conflict: The Deacon’s Role\u201d<\/strong> is the title of a deacon training event on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Village Green on the campus of the Village at Morrisons Cove, Pa. \u201cChurches are often at the center of our sense of community,\u201d said an announcement from Middle Pennsylvania District. \u201cWe come to them for worship, support, communion, and conversation. We bring to them strongly held beliefs and diverse needs. These differences mean that our congregations are also sites of conflict. The Middle Pennsylvania District Shalom Team will provide deacons and other church leaders with listening and engagement tools for proactively dealing with the everyday differences that bring strength and creativity, along with struggle and hurt to our congregations. Over the course of the day we will explore how to identify emerging conflicts, strategies for addressing them, and the ways which the deacons can work together and with other leaders in the church to create healthy conflict practices.\u201d<\/p>\n

— Civil rights leader Otis Moss Jr.,<\/strong> a nationally respected and influential religious leader, spoke for the 48th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance and Rededication Ceremony at Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind. The observance commemorates King\u2019s last speech at a college campus. He presented \u201cThe Future of Integration” at Manchester on Feb. 1, 1968, two months before he was slain in Memphis, Tenn. Moss, who was a colleague and friend of King, presented \u201cLearning from the Life and Teaching of Martin Luther King, Jr. from Generation to Generation\u201d on Jan. 28 at Cordier Auditorium. The presentation was sponsored by the university\u2019s Office of Multicultural Affairs, Peace Studies Institute and Program for Conflict Resolution, and the President\u2019s Office, and was part of the university\u2019s Values, Ideas, and the Arts series.<\/p>\n

— The February edition of the \u201cBrethren Voices\u201d<\/strong> community television program produced by Portland (Ore.) Peace Church of the Brethren features the Brethren Heritage Center in Brookville, Ohio. The center is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the Brethren bodies that trace their roots back to the baptisms in Schwarzenau, Germany, in 1708. Southwestern Ohio was chosen for the location of the center due to the large number of Brethren living in the Miami Valley Region. Beginning in the late 1970s, historian and genealogist Donald R. Bowman of Brookville, a member of the Southern Ohio District Historical Committee of the Church of the Brethren, began accumulating books, historical records and artifacts from several Church of the Brethren congregations. The collection was housed at the old Happy Corner Church of the Brethren and was open to the public for viewing by appointment, as the “Brethren Heritage Center.” In 1999, some Old German Baptist Brethren became concerned about preserving their books and records. Fred W. Benedict, who had earlier pledged his entire library for preservation, met Larry E. Heisey and Mark Flory Steury, each of whom pledged to supplement a project from their own extensive collections. It was at the same time that the Happy Corner project needed a new home. Today, it is known as the Brethren Heritage Center. This edition of \u201cBrethren Voices\u201d tours the center, guided by Gale Honeyman and Larry Heisey. The program is hosted by Brent Carlson in two versions, one for television and a 43 minute version containing more stories and detail about the center. For a copy or more information, contact producer Ed Groff at Groffprod1@msn.com<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— The Global Women’s Project is again offering a Lenten calendar<\/strong> that brings attention each day to issues of wealth and privilege and to global neighbors–specifically women. To receive the Lenten calendar at no cost, send an e-mail to info@globalwomensproject.org<\/a> and request to be mailed a paper copy, or request to be added to the daily Lenten calendar e-mail list. Participants will receive one page by e-mail each day during the season of Lent.<\/p>\n

— \u201cSeven Weeks for Water 2016″ was launched on Wednesday<\/strong> by the Ecumenical Water Network. The effort raises awareness in advance of World Water Day on March 22. The World Council of Churches (WCC) has designated a regional focus on the Middle East in 2016, and accordingly this year\u2019s Seven Weeks for Water \u201cwill take us on a pilgrimage of water justice in the Middle East, with specific reference to Palestine,\u201d said a release. Online resources are provided for individual or group use. The biblical reflection for the first of the seven weeks is by Munib Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and one of the Presidents of Middle East Council of Churches, and currently president of Lutheran World Federation. \u201cIn this reflection he compares the New Jerusalem as envisaged by John in the book of Revelation where \u2018the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city\u2019 and the \u2018thirsty Jerusalem\u2019 of today,\u201d said the release. Find this and more resources at http:\/\/water.oikoumene.org\/en\/whatwedo\/seven-weeks-for-water\/2016<\/a> .<\/p>\n

— Peggy Reiff Miller, author of the forthcoming illustrated children\u2019s book from Brethren Press, \u201cThe Seagoing Cowboy,\u201d<\/strong> is featured in the spring issue of the Heifer International magazine \u201cWorld Ark.\u201d Her children\u2019s book tells the story of a seagoing cowboy who volunteered to accompany livestock shipped by boat to a devastated Europe following World War II. The seagoing cowboys were part of the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Heifer Project–now Heifer International–with funding and help from the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). Miller\u2019s \u201cWorld Ark\u201d article titled “Mining for Gems in the Heifer Archives\u201d tells how she is keeping alive the stories of the seagoing cowboys through research and personal meetings with former seagoing cowboys. Find the article at www.heifer.org\/join-the-conversation\/magazine\/2016\/spring\/mining-gems-heifer-archives.html<\/a> . Miller also will be the featured author at Heifer Village on April 16, as part of the Arkansas Literary Festival. Find out more about the Arkansas Literary Festival at www.arkansasliteraryfestival.org<\/a><\/p>\n

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In this issue: Personnel news from Juniata College, a report from CODE and IAF meetings, prayer requests for an Asamblea in the DR and theological training and a special medical clinic in Haiti, Mutual Kumquat to record music for Shine, an honor for the founder of Circleville Church of the Brethren, Regional Youth Conferences, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[],"class_list":["post-10819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10819"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12507,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10819\/revisions\/12507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10819"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=10819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}