{"id":27580,"date":"2026-08-14T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=27580"},"modified":"2026-08-15T18:55:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T18:55:09","slug":"brethren-bits-115","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/brethren-bits-115\/","title":{"rendered":"Brethren bits"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cEngage: Global Mission Gathering, United in Mission\u201d <\/strong>(formerly Mission Alive) is planned for Sunday evening, Sept. 20, at 6:30-8:30 p.m. hosted by Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren<\/a>. Sponsored by the Church of the Brethren Global Mission<\/a>, speakers include Joel Pe\u00f1a, Country Advisory Team member for Venezuela<\/a>; Eric Ramirez, also a Country Advisory Team member; and Rebecca Dali, co-pastor of Panther Creek (Iowa) Church of the Brethren and founder of CCEPI (the Center for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiative)<\/a> in Nigeria. The event is free and open to all. For more information contact Carole Davenport at CDavenport@brethren.org<\/a> or 847-429-4376 during working hours or 847-764-9149 after hours.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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— A prayer request is shared for those affected by severe flooding in communities across Indiana,<\/strong> including areas where several Church of the Brethren congregations and Bethany Theological Seminary<\/a> are located. Brethren Disaster Ministries<\/a> is in communication with district disaster coordinators in both South Central Indiana District<\/a> and Northern Indiana District<\/a> and is ready to support both districts and affected congregations as needs emerge. Please join in prayer for those who have been displaced or experienced damage, for first responders and volunteers, and for communities beginning to assess needs and recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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— Children\u2019s Disaster Services<\/a> has announced its next volunteer training events. <\/strong>\u201cCDS is working to provide more training in communities so that, when a small local response is needed, CDS volunteers can mobilize with the New Windsor office and respond quickly,\u201d said the announcement. \u201cIf you, or your church or organization you work or volunteer for, would be interested in hosting a training, CDS would love to have more volunteers in your town, county, or state so we can provide quicker responses. If you are interested in hosting a training, please get in touch with Carolyn Neher, and we can work together to continue growing our CDS base.\u201d Contact Neher at cneher@brethren.org<\/a> or cds@brethren.org<\/a> or 410-635-8734. Register for one of the following scheduled trainings<\/a>, or share this link with someone 18 or older who may want to become a volunteer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upcoming trainings:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oct. 9-10<\/strong> at Chalice Christian Church<\/a> in Virginia Beach, Va. (Friday 4:30 p.m. to Saturday 5 p.m.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oct. 16-17<\/strong> at Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren<\/a> (Friday 4:30 p.m. to Saturday 5 p.m.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Bethany Theological Seminary<\/a> is hosting a comprehensive evaluation visit for reaffirmation of accreditation<\/strong> by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) Commission on Accrediting<\/a>. The visit takes place Sept. 28-Oct. 1. \u201cThe purpose of the visit is to verify that the school meets all applicable Commission Standards of Accreditation,\u201d said the announcement. \u201cComments regarding how well the school meets those standards and\/or generally demonstrates educational quality may be sent to accrediting@ats.edu<\/a> at least two weeks before the visit. Comments may also or instead be sent in writing to deansoffice@bethanyseminary.edu<\/a>. All comments will be shared with the onsite evaluation committee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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— The Peace and Justice Committee of the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Atlantic Northeast District<\/a><\/strong> is sponsoring \u201cPathways to Peace and Justice,\u201d announced as \u201ca gathering where Church of the Brethren congregations can share ideas and learn from one another’s work for peace and justice in the way of Jesus. All are welcome to attend!\u201d This is the first of two regional gatherings for district congregations, intended to focus on the western section of the district. A second gathering for the eastern section of the district will be held at a later date. The event takes place Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with lunch provided, at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. \u201cWe encourage participants to come ready to share how their congregation cultivates peace and justice!\u201d said the announcement. RSVP by Oct. 3 with the number of people attending from your congregation<\/a>. Or call the district office at 717-367-4730. Contact Suzanne Schaudel with questions at suzanne.schaudel@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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— Camp Alexander Mack<\/a> seeks an accomplished relational leader, grounded in Christian faith, to serve as the next executive director.<\/strong> This is a fulltime, year-round position at the camp located near Milford, Ind. This leader will serve as the chief executive of Camp Mack, providing vision, direction, and stewardship for all aspects of the organization. They will be equally comfortable engaging with campers and congregations, collaborating with board members, developing staff, managing budgets, overseeing facilities, and representing the ministry at large. For more information or to apply<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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— \u201cJoin our 10th annual Camp Bethel<\/a> PEP! 5K Run and Walk fundraiser!\u201d<\/strong> said an announcement from Camp Bethel in Fincastle, Va. \u201cOur 5K course covers some of the many trails, fields, and forests on the 470 acres of Camp Bethel.\u201d The $40 participant fee includes fully stocked water\/aid stations, a race t-shirt, post-race packaged snacks, and brunch. The event on Saturday, Sept. 5, is a benefit for the camp. Register and find out more<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

— The Death Row Support Project (DRSP)<\/a>, a project of the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy, will be holding informational sessions<\/strong> for people interested in learning more about writing to those on death row. \u201cJoin us on Zoom at any of the below times,\u201d said an announcement. \u201cDuring the session we will go over some basics of how this project works, introduce members of the team who are here to support you, and talk about expectations of DRSP writers. We typically have a fairly small group and ask all attendees to briefly introduce themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sessions are offered on<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wednesday, Aug. 19,<\/strong> at 2-3 p.m. (Eastern time)
https:\/\/us06web.zoom.us\/j\/83320687053<\/a>
Meeting ID: 833 2068 7053<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saturday, Aug. 22,<\/strong> 2-3 p.m. (Eastern time)
https:\/\/us06web.zoom.us\/j\/85152917581<\/a>
Meeting ID: 851 5291 7581<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wednesday, Sept. 16,<\/strong> 2-3 p.m. (Eastern time)
https:\/\/us06web.zoom.us\/j\/83320687053<\/a>
Meeting ID: 833 2068 7053<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monday, Sept. 21,<\/strong> 7-8 p.m. (Eastern time)
https:\/\/us06web.zoom.us\/j\/85152917581<\/a>
Meeting ID: 851 5291 7581<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Find more Church of the Brethren news:<\/p>\n\n\n