{"id":13910,"date":"2019-03-13T15:52:01","date_gmt":"2019-03-13T15:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.brethren.org\/news\/?p=13910"},"modified":"2019-07-23T15:54:45","modified_gmt":"2019-07-23T15:54:45","slug":"brethren-bits-for-march-13-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2019\/brethren-bits-for-march-13-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Brethren bits for March 13, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

—\u00a0Stanley J. Noffsinger has begun as chief executive officer of Timbercrest<\/strong>\u00a0Senior Living Community in North Manchester, Ind. He is a former general secretary of the Church of the Brethren (2003-2016) and most recently director of the Office of the General Secretariat for the World Council of Churches (2016-2018). Previously he served as manager and executive director of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. (1999-2003). He also has spent 10 years in various positions in health care administration in Kansas. He is a graduate of Manchester University and grew up in northern Indiana. A press release from the community noted that he accompanied his father and mother, who was a \u201cNorth Manchester native,\u201d to the groundbreaking for the construction of Timbercrest. Noffsinger began his tenure at Timbercrest at the beginning of March and will be living in the North Manchester area.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Ekklesiyar Yan\u2019uwa a Nigeria (EYN, Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) communications office has requested prayer<\/strong>\u00a0for challenging situations as well as uplifting events this month. \u201cPray for EYN Founder’s day the 17th March to mark the day it started in 1923 at Garkida,\u201d wrote communications staff Zakariya Musa this week, noting as well the EYN Men’s Fellowship is holding its annual meeting this week at EYN headquarters in Kwarhi.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Prayer for the continuing challenge of insurgent violence also is requested, as church members and their neighbors are facing an increase in violent attacks from Boko Haram. EYN officials have reported that in some areas, people are living in fear and many are relocating or sleeping in caves. EYN has requested specific prayers for church members who lost loved ones in an attack on the town of Madagali on March 1, when a suicide bomber entered the house of a church member and killed the family, and a rocket attack killed seven people. The congregation of EYN Bwaguma and church members in the community of Gatamwarwa were attacked in February. The Bwaguma community’s food stores were looted, and a seven-year-old was abducted from an EYN family, among other losses.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Global Food Initiative (GFI) manager Jeff Boshart and volunteer Chris Elliott<\/strong>\u00a0have been traveling to meet with partners and visit agricultural projects in the African Great Lakes region. Their first stop was Burundi to meet with Church of the Brethren partner organization Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Services (THARS) and its founder David Niyonzima. They then planned to visit projects and members of the Brethren Church of Rwanda, led by Etienne Nsanzimana, and also meet with leaders of Eglise de Freres au Congo (the Church of the Brethren in Congo).<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Ellis and Rita Yoder of Monitor Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0in McPherson, Kan., have been honored as the McPherson County 2018 Farm Family of the Year. \u201cMy first thought was I didn\u2019t think we were worthy, but we\u2019re very honored and grateful,\u201d Ellis told the McPherson Sentinel, which reported that “Ellis represents the fourth generation of Yoders to farm in McPherson County. His great-grandfather bought land between McPherson and Inman around 120 years ago.” A note from Connie Burholder, one of the ministers at their church, added that the Yoders “have been extremely generous and involved in Growing Hope Globally (formerly Foods Resource Bank).” Find the McPherson Sentinel article at\u00a0www.mcphersonsentinel.com\/news\/20190227\/yoders-honored-as-farm-family-of-year<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 2019 Ware Lecture on Peacemaking at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College features artists from Silkroad. Founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, the group is named after the historical Silk Road that Ma \u201cclaims can serve as a model for productive cultural collaboration, for the exchange of ideas and tradition alongside commerce and innovation,\u201d said a release. \u201cIn a radical experiment, he brought together musicians from the lands of the Silk Road to co-create a new artistic idiom, a musical language founded in difference, a metaphor for the benefits of a more connected world.\u201d the event takes place April 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Leffler Chapel and Performance Center at Elizabethtown College. Tickets are free but required. Reserve by calling 717-361-4757 or emailing\u00a0lecturetickets@etown.edu<\/a>\u00a0. The Ware Lecture on Peacemaking is part of the Judy S. \u201968 and Paul W. Ware Colloquium on Peacemaking and Global Citizenship and is sponsored by Judy S. \u201968 and Paul W. Ware and Elizabethtown College\u2019s Center for Global Understanding and Peacemaking. For further information contact Kay Wolf, program manager, at\u00a0wolfk@etown.edu<\/a>\u00a0or see\u00a0www.etown.edu\/centers\/global\/ware.aspx<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Appointed Quartet in concert at Forest Chapel Church of the Brethren. Image courtesy of Forest Chapel Church of the Brethren<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

—\u00a0The \u201cAppointed Quartet\u201d will be at Forest Chapel Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0in Crimora, Va., on April 14 for the morning worship service. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. and the concert will be from 10:50 a.m. to 12 noon. \u201cThis group has opened for Gold City, The Kingsmen, Triumphant Quartet, Karen Peck and New River, The Hoppers, The Guardians, The Perry’s, Heirline, The Talleys, and Brian Free and Assurance,\u201d said an announcement from the church. A covered dish meal will be offered after the concert and a free will offering will be taken for the group.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Doris Abdullah, the Church of the Brethren representative to the United Nations,<\/strong>\u00a0took a group of Church of the Brethren workcampers to one of the Civil Society events at the United Nations Department of Global Communications. The group that attended the \u201cChat Series\u201d on March 5 included workcampers from the Brooklyn (N.Y.) First Church and from Church in Drive and Saganaw Valley State University congregations in Michigan. \u201cTuesday was their first chat for 2019 titled \u2018New Year, New Name–Who We Are and What We Do,\u201d Abdullah reported to Newsline. \u201cThe group was able to gain a better understanding of how the UN works, the role of civil society, and Church of the Brethren importance to the workings via interactions with GCCSO ( global communication civil society organization) staff and other members of civil society.\u201d The Chat Series and briefing are carried live on Facebook and other UN media.\u00a0<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Brethren Voices has been produced for March, April, and May,<\/strong>\u00a0already, said an announcement from producer Ed Groff. March program features the Lybrook Community Ministries in New Mexico; the April program is titled \u201cThe Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival\u201d; and the May program invites viewers to \u201cMeet the Moderator\u201d featuring Donita Keister, 2019 Annual Conference moderator. Brethren Voices now has 410 subscribers on Youtube.com\/Brethrenvoices , has had over 175,000 views during the past 7 years, and has been broadcast on over 50 stations around the country.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0In the latest episode of the Dunker Punks Podcast,<\/strong>\u00a0listeners will learn about a project to support the outcast and forgotten in society. Emmett Witkovsky-Eldred interviews Rachel Gross about the Death Row Support Project, and what she and others like her are doing through small acts of kindness, sincerity, and love. Listen at\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/2NEFgfJ<\/a>\u00a0or subscribe to Dunker Punks Podcast on your favorite podcasting app.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0\u201cSearching for…participants in the fall of 1969 BVS Unit,\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0said an announcement from four of the unit members living in the area of North Manchester, Ind.: John Hartsough, Mary Shearer, Bob Gross, and Cliff Kindy. The group is planning a reunion of the unit for the \u201c50-year point since our training in the fall of 1969.\u201d The reunion will take place near North Manchester at Joyfield Farm, where the Gross and Kindy families live and have hosted large gatherings before. Attendees may tent, stay in the barn, stay in extra rooms in hosts\u2019 homes, or reserve a room in a nearby motel or bed and breakfast. Unit members are invited to gather this late summer or early fall to re-acquaint and reminisce. Members of the fall 1969 BVS Unit who are interested in a get together, or who have contact information for other unit members, are asked to contact Cliff Kindy at 4874 E 1400 N, North Manchester, IN 46962; 260-982-2971;\u00a0kindy@cpt.org<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0A joint delegation of representatives from the historic African-American churches<\/strong>\u00a0within the National Council of Churches (NCC) and from the South African Council of Churches has traveled to Palestine and Israel. The trip took place Feb. 21 to March 1. The NCC email newsletter included a report on the trip from NCC president and general secretary Jim Winkler, who accompanied the group, and a \u201cGroup Pilgrimage Statement on Israel and Palestine.\u201d The statement reviewed the activities of the delegation, outlined prayers and commitments that they brought home with them, and stated support for the work of peace and justice in the area, among other content. Find the NCC newsletter at\u00a0www.grnewsletters.com\/archive\/ncc_newsletter\/NCC-Weekly-News-Palestine-United-Methodist-Church-Ecumenical-Advocacy-Days-653334805.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Bread for the World, a Christian anti-hunger group<\/strong>\u00a0that has been a partner organization for Church of the Brethren food security work, has released a devotional guide to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in Jamestown, Va. \u201cLament and Hope: A Pan-African Devotional Guide\u201d was dedicated at a prayer service in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28, the last day of Black History Month. \u201cThe free guide addresses past and current issues of unequal access to land, housing, and education,\u201d reported Religion News Services (RNS). \u201cIt begins with verses from the Bible\u2019s Book of Lamentations that speak of homelessness and affliction and conclude with a proclamation of the steadfast love of the Lord.\u201d Angelique Walker-Smith is the editor. The devotional is being released during the year in which many activities commemorating the arrival of the first African captives in Jamestown are planned, RNS reported, including some by the US Department of the Interior\u2019s 400 Years of African-American History Commission. Find the devotional at\u00a0www.paperturn-view.com\/us\/bread-for-the-world\/lament-and-hope-a-pan-african-quad-centennial-devotional-guide<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0An Earth Day Sunday 2019 toolkit is available from Creation Justice Ministries,<\/strong>\u00a0of which the Church of the Brethren is a partner communion. This year, the suggested date for Earth Day Sunday is April 20, as the Sunday closest to Earth Day on April 22. \u201cSince 1970, communities have taken one day each year to be especially mindful of the Earth and its many gifts,\u201d said an announcement. \u201cSoon after, churches started celebrating God\u2019s creation on the Sunday closest to Earth Day…. The Bible is full of beautiful language and theology for celebrating God’s Creation. Yet sometimes, in the rhythm of the liturgical year, it can be challenging to find a specific time to focus as a church community on the theme of Creation. Earth Day Sunday provides just such an opportunity.\u201d Creation Justice Ministries is an ecumenical organization that continues the work of the former Eco-Justice Program of the National Council of Churches. Each year, Creation Justice Ministries focuses on a particular ecological theme chosen by its members. This year\u2019s resource from Creation Justice Ministries is designed to equip church leaders with preaching, teaching, prayer, and action materials at\u00a0www.earthdaysunday.org<\/a>\u00a0. To connect with others who are planning Earth Day Sunday activities, join the Earth Day Sunday 2019 Facebook event.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP),<\/strong>\u00a0of which the Church of the Brethren is a member communion, has issued a public statement titled “Weaponizing Anti-Semitism Harms Free Speech.” The statement is recommended by the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy. “Over the past several weeks, the political discourse relating to Israel\/Palestine has rapidly deteriorated,\u201d the statement says, in part. \u201cWe have witnessed members of Congress attack their colleagues by name, making accusations of anti-Semitism, often talking over and distorting what was actually said. As an organization committed to advocating for U.S. policies that will help bring about justice, equality, and human rights for all in Israel-Palestine and throughout the Middle East, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) has been dismayed by the tenor of these conversations. They reflect just how far we are as a nation from helping to foster a sustainable end to the conflict in Israel-Palestine…. CMEP calls on leadership not only to repudiate all forms of bigotry, but to be clear in differentiating between actual hate speech and critiques of policy….\u201d Find the full statement at\u00a0https:\/\/cmep.salsalabs.org\/3719publicstatement<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0The World Council of Churches (WCC) is mourning the loss of a staff member<\/strong>\u00a0in the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10. The plane crashed soon after taking off near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 157 on board. It was on its way to Nairobi, Kenya, where the UN Environment Assembly began Monday. In a release expressing condolences on the passing of all on board the aircraft, the WCC reported that \u201cenvironmental advocates and UN staff members were among those who died, including Rev. Norman Tendis, WCC consultant for Economy of Life. Tendis was instrumental in helping local churches invest their resources to make a better planet…and had worked very hard together with colleagues to develop a \u2018Roadmap for Congregations, Communities and Churches for an Economy of Life and Ecological Justice,\u2019 which he was to present Monday morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Mac Wiseman, who died Feb. 24 at age 93, is being remembered<\/strong>\u00a0as a \u201ccountry and bluegrass great\u201d by USA Today, MSN, and other media outlets. He also is remembered for his connections with the Church of the Brethren in Crimora, Va., where he grew up. \u201cRemembering Mac Wiseman\u201d by Peter Cooper, museum editor at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn., reviewed Wiseman\u2019s life and connections to Crimora including ways the church helped shape him and his music. \u201cIn later life, he spent every day sitting in a chair in front of a large photo of the Crimora Church of the Brethren, where he was confirmed at 13 and where his mother played the pipe organ,\u201d Cooper wrote. Noting there were two Brethren congregations in town, he wrote that \u201cat Mac\u2019s Pleasant Hill Church of the Brethren, they dunked you forward in the South River. At the other church they dunked you backwards. Faith was important to Mac.\u201d Wiseman\u2019s musical accomplishments were many, including working as a promoter and record executive, recording more than 65 albums, helping found the Country Music Association, and receiving a National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship, among others. He was called \u201cThe Voice with a Heart,\u201d and USA Today noted that \u201cat the time of his death, Wiseman was the last surviving original member of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs\u2019 Foggy Mountain Boys.\u201d Find one of the many remembrances of Wiseman at\u00a0www.msn.com\/en-us\/music\/news\/bluegrass-and-country-vocalist-mac-wiseman-dead-at-93\/ar-BBU3Fic<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this issue: Stan Noffsinger starts as CEO at Timbercrest, EYN requests prayer, Ware Lecture at Elizabethtown College features artists from Silkroad, BVS Unit from fall 1969 plans 50th anniversary get together, Earth Day Sunday toolkit, remembering Mac Wiseman, and more<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":13900,"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-13910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13910","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\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13910"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13911,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13910\/revisions\/13911"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13910"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=13910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}