{"id":25364,"date":"2025-06-14T15:56:54","date_gmt":"2025-06-14T15:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=25364"},"modified":"2025-06-14T16:01:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-14T16:01:04","slug":"brethren-bits-77","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2025\/brethren-bits-77\/","title":{"rendered":"Brethren bits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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— The celebration of life service for Earle Fike Jr.<\/strong> is planned for 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, at Bridgewater (Va.) Church of the Brethren. A former Annual Conference moderator, denominational executive staff, and Bethany Seminary professor, he passed away on May 30. See a remembrance at www.brethren.org\/news\/2025\/brethren-bits-76<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— The youth group at Heidelberg Church of the Brethren<\/strong> in Myerstown, Pa., got a \u201cshout out\u201d from Church World Service after volunteering to assemble CWS Hygiene Kits. The youth \u201cloved the experience,\u201d said a mention from CWS on a blogpost highlighting how congregations can get involved and make a difference. \u201cIt\u2019s a great way to connect and work together to make a difference. We\u2019d encourage your church or youth group to join this mission too.\u201d Go to https:\/\/cwsglobal.org\/blog\/cws-kits-and-blankets-sharing-gods-love-near-and-far<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Bethany Theological Seminary has announced updated email addresses<\/strong> for all of its faculty and staff due to changes in the email system previously shared with neighboring Earlham College. \u201cIt is essential that you send messages to Bethany employees to addresses using the @bethanyseminary.edu domain,\u201d said the announcement. Previously, Bethany employees could also be reached at the @earlham.edu domain. This arrangement ends on Monday, June 16. \u201cFor your convenience, you can find contact information, including email addresses, in the Faculty and Staff Directory,\u201d said the announcement. Go to https:\/\/bethanyseminary.edu\/about\/faculty-and-staff-directory<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Church World Service is offering a webinar on \u201cRefugee and Immigrant Leadership for Social Change\u201d<\/strong> on Tuesday, June 17, at 1 p.m. (Eastern time). \u201cWe\u2019ll highlight stories from our Refugee and Immigrant Leadership for Social Change program, share insights from our new report on the impact of refugee-led organizing across the U.S. and celebrate the individuals and partners who have helped shape this movement,\u201d said an announcement. \u201cHear directly from refugee leaders driving grassroots change, and from partners like Democracy Fund and Unbound Philanthropy about their critical support for this work. We\u2019ll also reflect on current challenges facing refugees and immigrants and the enduring power of community-led advocacy in the face of rising anti-immigrant rhetoric and discriminatory policies.\u201d Speakers include Julia Yang-Winkenbach, US Program Officer, Unbound Philanthropy; Nora Hakizimana, Program Associate, Democracy Fund; Adamou Mohamed, CWS Director of Grassroots Organizing; Danilo Zak, CWS Director of Policy; Ahmed Ahmed, Lancaster, PA City Councilman; Yathrip Abdelgadir, CWS Refugee Community Organizer. Register at https:\/\/cwsglobal-org.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_a8JQnHF8R2GMoYUhRa10wQ<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Eight Brethren were among about 60 Mennonites gathered near the Wissahickon Creek<\/strong> in Philadelphia, Pa., May 2-4. The gathering of Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBTQ Interests titled \u201cFierce, Fabulous, and Sacred\u201d was hosted \u201cby both Germantown and West Philly Mennonite congregations with pastors Jay Bergen and Jonny Rashid sharing leadership with BMC’s Director Annabeth Roeschley and others, including Jessie Houff of the Church of the Brethren,\u201d wrote Anna Lisa Gross in a report to Newsline. \u201cThe mutual care and support was foundational, from the thoughtful planning of the event, to how we interacted throughout the weekend. Travel support was available for those who needed it, and we stayed in people’s homes and the local congregations (including Ambler CoB) did all the cooking. I am so excited to gather in Minneapolis next May for BMC’s 50th anniversary celebration, for stories of courage and radical inclusion, of persistence amidst pain, of faithfully seeking divine revelation, of experiencing God’s love as fierce, fabulous and sacred members of the faith we share.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Torture Awareness Month is a time to \u201cLive Our Values\u201d<\/strong> in bold and public ways, says the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT). A \u201chow to\u201d webinar for faith advocates titled \u201cHow To Shine Your Light\u201d on Wednesday, June 18, at 12 noon to 1:15 p.m. (Eastern time). \u201cDuring the webinar, you will learn about how your faith community can partner with NRCAT to lead public witness vigils on the 23rd of each month to draw attention to the estimated 12,200 people who are held for up to 23 hours a day in solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails,\u201d said the announcement. Presenters will include leaders of WISDOM, a Wisconsin network of faith-based organizations whose members have been leading monthly vigils on the 23rd of each month outside correctional facilities in Green Bay, Milwaukie, and Madison; and EXPO of Wisconsin about hosting rapid response vigils outside a women\u2019s prison following tragedies there. NRCAT also is making banners with messages such as \u201cTorture Is a Moral Issue,\u201d available for display at a vigil or house of worship, contact tmorrow@nrcat.org<\/a> to order a banner. Register for the June 18 webinar at https:\/\/bit.ly\/June18-2025Webinar<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) has issued a statement condemning Israel\u2019s military attacks on Iran,<\/strong> including reported strikes near nuclear facilities and in civilian areas. \u201cThese reckless and unlawful actions risk the lives of hundreds of millions of people across the Middle East and escalate the threat of a catastrophic regional war,\u201d the statement said, in part. \u201cWe also call on Iran to cease its counterattacks against Israel. Military solutions are not the answer and will only cause more death, destruction, and harm. Such escalations not only cause civilian deaths but further destabilize the entire peace and security of the region. Israel\u2019s ongoing military aggression, in recent days, has resulted in the deaths of dozens of unarmed civilians and the destruction of vast amounts of infrastructure in the occupied West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and now Iran. These actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for human life, international law, and regional stability. These actions are not defensive; they are acts of provocation and destruction. Israel is becoming increasingly isolated in the international community, acting outside the bounds of international norms and in violation of multiple international legal frameworks. CMEP calls on the international community to hold Israel accountable to the fullest extent of international law. This includes a complete and multilateral ceasefire and the withholding of weapons from Israel, because of their use in the violation of international law. This will prevent further escalation and halt Israel\u2019s trajectory of destabilization and devastation across the Middle East.\u201d The statement went on to note that \u201cthis is not only a Middle Eastern crisis, it is a global one. The ongoing attacks threaten not only the lives of Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians, Yemenis, Iranians, and Israelis, but also the lives of Americans and others who may be drawn into war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To participate in next week\u2019s weekly online prayer gathering for immigrant justice,<\/strong> on Thursday, June 19, at 12 noon (Eastern time), sponsored by the Deportation Defense Response Team, go to www.onearthpeace.org\/2025_06_19_prayer_gathering_for_immigrant_justice_20250619<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Brethren Disaster Ministries is urging participation in the Annual Conference Blood Drive<\/strong> which takes place onsite at the Conference in Greensboro, N.C., but also allows participation from across the country for those who are not attending the Conference in person. Go to www.brethren.org\/ac2025\/blooddrive<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Discipleship and Leadership Formation and those organizing the next L.E.A.D. Conference<\/strong> are offering a \u201cThird Thursday Webinar\u201d with Dennis Edwards, who was the keynote speaker for last fall\u2019s L.E.A.D. Conference. Go to www.brethren.org\/thirdthursday<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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June 24 is the last chance to apply to serve in Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) this year, 2025.<\/strong> \u201cIf you or someone you know has been thinking about joining BVS, be sure to mark your calendars with our next upcoming application deadline!\u201d said the announcement. The BVS Fall orientation will take place Sept. 10-18 for Unit 338 at Camp Mardela in Maryland where director Chelsea Skillen and volunteer coordinator Virginia Rendler will prepare BVSers for their upcoming year of service and help them create a supportive community with their fellow volunteers. Apply online by June 24 at www.brethren.org\/bvs\/volunteer\/apply<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The next event in the \u201cBVS Visionary Voices\u201d virtual speaker series<\/strong> is June 25 at 8 p.m. (Eastern time) with Jenn Hosler, manager of the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Global Food Initiative and one of the pastors at Washington (D.C.) City Church of the Brethren, who will share about her activism for peace in the Middle East. Register at https:\/\/us06web.zoom.us\/meeting\/register\/njku4xyWS4yExFvvNrh1GQ#\/registration<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The summer FaithX season has begun<\/strong> and there are several short-term service events this month. Said an announcement from Brethren Volunteer Service, where FaithX is housed in the denominational staff, \u201cWe are sending our best wishes to these groups for meaningful weeks full of service, friendships and fellowship.\u201d The FaithX experiences this month include a junior and senior high week at Brethren Woods in Keezletown, Va., on June 8-13; a week for senior highs serving with SnowCap Community Charities in Portland, Ore., on June 15-21; and a week in South Bend, Ind., on June 24-29, partnering with Cultivate, the Methodist Downtown Soup Kitchen, and the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, hosted by Prince of Peace Church of the Brethren. For more information go to www.brethren.org\/faithx<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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