{"id":26622,"date":"2026-02-12T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=26622"},"modified":"2026-02-14T03:11:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T03:11:11","slug":"brethren-bits-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/brethren-bits-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Brethren bits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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— Remembrance: David A. Waas, <\/strong>99, professor emeritus of history at Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind., and a highly respected peace advocate in the church, died Feb. 4 just a little more than two weeks short of age 100. A remembrance from the university shared the news of his passing \u201cwith a heavy heart.\u201d The university also shared a comment received from a former student when Waas was given an Alumni Honor Award: \u201cEach lecture was a progression of ideas, people and anecdotes leading up to a comprehensive conclusion\u2026. He focused on history as if it were a vast tapestry of interwoven events and people.\u2019\u201d Born in Burbank, Calif., on Feb. 20, 1926, he graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, Calif., in 1943; earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from Manchester in 1947 (during his time as a student he met his wife, Becky Brightbill, in chapel); attended Bethany Theological Seminary 1947-1948; and earned a master\u2019s degree in 1949 and a doctorate in 1958 from the University of Illinois. He worked and taught at several colleges across the country, including as dean of Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio, 1960-1964, before returning to Manchester where he taught until his retirement in 1991. At Manchester, as well as teaching history he also served as head of the Department of History and chair of the Division of Social Studies. He was an ordained minister and briefly pastored Glendale (Calif.) Church of the Brethren. His leadership on the denominational level included participation on at least three study committees that produced papers adopted by Annual Conference: the 1993 \u201cStructure to Deal with Global Denomination,\u201d which he chaired; the 1989 paper on South Africa; and the 1970 poetic Vietnam War-era resolution \u201cA Hope for Peace.\u201d He was a keynote speaker for National Older Adult Conference and was a dedicated supporter of the Death Row Support Project. He was a world traveler and advocate for peace in many parts of the globe including the Middle East, and provided analyses of conflict areas for church-based publications and presentations. After his retirement, he and his wife taught on several Semester at Sea voyages and led dozens of tours to countries all over the world. He is preceded in death by his wife, Becky, and his youngest daughter, Lorraine. He is survived by three daughters, Martha, Deborah, and Elizabeth, and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Memorial gifts are received to On Earth Peace. A memorial service will be held at Manchester Church of the Brethren at a date yet to be determined. Find a full obituary at www.legacy.com\/us\/obituaries\/name\/david-waas-obituary?id=60738022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Messenger is offering a playlist for Black History Month curated by Michaela Alphonse,<\/em><\/strong> pastor of First Church of the Brethren in Miami, Fla., in Atlantic Southeast District, and a member of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board. Find links to the playlist on both YouTube and Spotify at www.brethren.org\/messenger\/playlists\/black-history-month<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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An update from the Deportation Defense Response Team:<\/strong> \u201cWe praise God that U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes blocked the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians last week while a lawsuit challenging it proceeds. While this is a temporary victory that provides extended protections, uncertainty looms. Lynn Tramonte, executive director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, rightly states, \u2018\u2026people can\u2019t live their lives like this, pegging their families\u2019 futures to a court case.\u2019 We ask for continued intercessory prayer and action for our Haitian sisters and brothers.<\/strong> To read more and to spot the faces of some of our Church of the Brethren pastors and leaders present in the audience at the church in Springfield, Ohio, see this article and video. Among those present were Jan and Dick Futrell, Irv Heishman, Tara Hornbacker, Caleb Kragt, Mark Lancaster, Rex Miller, Dan Royer-Miller, Tim Sietman, Zach Spidel, and Dawn Wojcik.\u201d Find the video and report from the Associated Press at https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/haiti-springfield-immigration-ruling-202aef9c838bec43d19d6f1d67766b77<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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— Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) staff were at Powerhouse <\/strong>on Feb. 6-7 at Columbia City (Ind.) Church of the Brethren. Virginia Rendler, BVS co-director, and Aly Heckeroth, assistant FaithX coordinator, attended the regional youth conference for Northern Indiana District and found it \u201cfull of fun, worship, games, and faith-building fellowship,\u201d they wrote for the BVS email newsletter. They provided a FaithX-themed scavenger hunt, and former BVSer Anna Schweitzer represented Youth and Young Adult Ministries, sharing about the upcoming National Youth Conference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

— Brethren Volunteer Service invites prospective volunteers to apply for the BVS Early Enrollment program by Feb. 26.<\/strong> Early enrollment allows applicants to apply for specific placements, know their placement in advance, and have earlier access to limited international placements. Early enrollment volunteers will still attend orientation and start their volunteer year in August or September 2026. \u201cIt is our hope that this initiative will allow highly motivated applicants to apply early and have more confidence in their next steps!\u201d said an announcement. \u201cPlease share this information with anyone you think may be interested in serving with BVS in 2026.\u201d Go to www.brethren.org\/bvs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— \u201cA Call to Christians in a Crisis of Faith and Democracy\u201d <\/strong>is an ecumenical statement signed by Christian leaders from across the country, as preparation for Ash Wednesday on Feb. 18. Denominational staff have encouraged the sharing of this campaign in Newsline. Said the organizers: \u201cOur hope is to release this call with a strong and diverse list of national Christian leaders. We have already surpassed 100 signatories, and in these final days we are working to grow that number even further.\u201d Early next week, the campaign website will be shared along with social media resources and additional materials for signers to use in amplifying the letter beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing throughout Lent and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— \u201cDeliver Us from Evil,\u201d a nationwide Lenten prayer campaign inspired by Jesus\u2019 words in Matthew 6:13, <\/strong>begins Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, sponsored by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC). The Church of the Brethren is a founding member of the NCC. \u201cThe NCC has issued this bold call to collective prayer as an extension of its ongoing #WeWillNotBeSilent campaign, which has mobilized people of faith to raise their prophetic voices for justice, compassion, and the protection of the vulnerable,\u201d said a release. \u201cThe NCC is asking people across the country, regardless of religious tradition, to join in a unified act of faith.\u201d Said NCC president and general secretary Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie: \u201cThe Lord still answers prayer. The God of the Exodus is still breaking chains. The Christ of Calvary is still defeating sin, death, and hell. Then, after we pray, we get up off our knees, roll up our sleeves, and go to work!\u201d Those who participate in the campaign will be encouraged to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n