{"id":4655,"date":"2018-05-26T19:10:22","date_gmt":"2018-05-26T19:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.brethren.org\/news\/?p=4655"},"modified":"2018-09-26T19:16:02","modified_gmt":"2018-09-26T19:16:02","slug":"brethren-bits-for-may-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2018\/brethren-bits-for-may-26\/","title":{"rendered":"Brethren bits for May 26, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Church of the Brethren Newsline
\nMay\u00a026,\u00a02018<\/b><\/p>\n

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A glimpse of the 2018 disaster auction in Mid-Atlantic District. Photo by Walt Wiltschek.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

–\u00a0Remembrance: John Crumley,<\/strong>\u00a0a former Church of the Brethren mission worker in Nigeria, passed away suddenly on May 18. He and his wife, Patricia, served in Jos, Nigeria, from December 1999 to July 2004. His work there began as a supportive role to Patricia, who taught music at Hillcrest School. He repaired musical instruments and tutored students as needed, while being a house husband and father. He also sought ways to support the local Nigerian Brethren congregation and its outreach ministries. During their final year in Jos, he was invited to teach at the women\u2019s program of the Theological College of Northern Nigeria. A memorial service was held on Thursday, May 24, at Polo (Ill.) Church of the Brethren.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Former mission workers Carolyn and Roger Schrock<\/strong>\u00a0are traveling to South Sudan for two and a half months of volunteer service with the Brethren Peace Center in Torit. The Schrocks will train agronomists and work with the Eastern Equatoria Farmer’s Association, an organization seeking to fight the region’s pervasive hunger by encouraging farmers to pool resources and leverage assets. The Global Mission and Service office of the Church of the Brethren is requesting prayer for the Schrocks’ health and safety as they serve. \u201cPray for the efforts of all working to ease the hunger crisis in South Sudan,\u201d said the announcement.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Bethany Theological Seminary has announced<\/strong>\u00a0that Mark Lancaster\u2019s role will change. He will begin work in the newly created position of assistant to the president for strategic initiatives on Aug. 1. He has been executive director of institutional advancement since July 2015. In his new part-time role, he will focus on goals and objectives of Bethany\u2019s new Strategic Vision Implementation Plan, working to maintain Bethany\u2019s relationship and education partnership with Ekklesiyar Yan\u2019uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), explore grants and other funding sources, and continue to maintain institutional connections with major donors.
\nIn related news, Lancaster also will begin Aug. 1 as part-time director of the\u00a0Brethren Heritage Center in Brookville, Ohio.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe Brethren Heritage Center has reached a level in its 15-year history where the need for a salaried director is recognized,\u201d said an announcement. \u201cThe hiring of Mark Lancaster by the Board of Directors moves the BHC from an all-volunteer staff.\u201d Lancaster brings to the position more than 40 years of experience in working with mostly nonprofit organizations including Heifer International and American Friends Service Committee as well as Bethany Seminary. Some of the activities he will lead include strategic planning, outreach, fundraising, donor relations, supervision of volunteer staff, and promotion of the archives regionally, nationally, and internationally. The center is a research and educational facility focusing on the history and genealogy of a number of the bodies that share the heritage of the Brethren movement that began in 1708 in Schwarzenua, Germany.<\/p>\n

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The Office of Peacebuilding and Policy is helping publicize a conference on drone warfare in Chicago in June.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

—\u00a0Ed Shannon has accepted the position of retirement planning consultant<\/strong>\u00a0for Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) beginning June 18. He has been a retirement plan specialist for Converge Retirement for just over five years and has a background in Defined Benefit and Defined Contributions Church Plans. He holds a degree in Human Resources Management from Judson University in Elgin, Ill., where he and his family live and are members of First Baptist Church of Elgin.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0<\/span>The Church of the Brethren seeks an associate director for the Children\u2019s Disaster Services<\/strong>\u00a0(CDS) program within Brethren Disaster Ministries and Global Mission and Service. Major responsibilities include providing oversight, leadership, and administration of CDS. Additional responsibilities include leading the response of CDS volunteers, leading and coordinating new program development and expansion of CDS, managing and supporting the development of ecumenical relationships, and providing sound financial management of CDS. Required skills and knowledge include program development and management, volunteer management, effective training and presentation skills, knowledge of child development and the impact of trauma on child development, strong written and verbal skills in English, ability to communicate effectively with multiple agencies and constituencies and deal gracefully with the public, ability to work with minimal supervision, appreciation for the church\u2019s role in mission with an awareness of mission operations, and ability to act within a multicultural and multi-generational team environment. Training or experience making effective presentations, managing staff and volunteers, working directly with children (teaching, counseling, providing program, etc.), and skilled competency in Microsoft Office component applications are required. Previous disaster response experience is preferred. A bachelor\u2019s degree is required with a preference for an advanced degree. This position is based in the Brethren Disaster Ministries office at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Applications will be received beginning immediately and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Send a resume to\u00a0<\/span>COBApply@brethren.org<\/a>\u00a0or Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039 ext. 367. The Church of the Brethren is an Equal Opportunity Employer.<\/span><\/p>\n

—\u00a0The denomination\u2019s Workcamp Ministry<\/strong>, in preparation for the summer 2018 workcamp season, has prepared commissioning materials for churches to use to affirm and support youth, young adults, and advisors participating in workcamps this year. Materials include a litany and prayer that revolve around the workcamp theme scripture, as well as a description of the service being done at each workcamp. Commissioning materials were sent out to the pastors of churches that have youth, young adults, and advisors participating from their congregations. The resources also may be found online at\u00a0www.brethren.org\/workcamps<\/a>. The workcamp office would encourage all congregations to support the workcamp ministry through their prayers.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Global Mission and Service is sharing a prayer request<\/strong>\u00a0from Gustavo Lendi Bueno, president of Iglesia de los Hermanos (Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic). Prayer is needed because of tensions between Dominicans and Haitians living in the DR. \u201cThere has been an increase in retaliatory attacks on innocent Haitian families, such as when one Haitian commits a crime of robbery or assault against a Dominican, mobs form to attack Haitians or burn their homes in response. Many Haitians in the Dominican Republic are especially vulnerable because they lack citizenship or residency rights and thus face discrimination and inadequate access to government services. Gustavo requests prayers for himself and other members of the Dominican-Haitian Pastors for Peace group as they work against hate and try to help people gain residency. Pray for an end to the cycle of violence, for improved relationships between Haitians and Dominicans in the DR, and for more effective cooperation between the two countries\u2019 governments.\u201d<\/p>\n

—\u00a0The SERRV board of directors<\/strong>\u00a0was hosted by the Church of the Brethren General Offices for meetings on May 9-11. SERRV International is a fair trade organization that had its start as a Church of the Brethren program. SERRV headquarters are in Madison, Wis., but the organization continues to maintain a distribution center at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0is releasing a set of six podcasts on the first 11 chapters of Genesis. The series, called \u201cOther Questions,\u201d has been created by James Benedict, interim pastor for Spiritual Formation and Discipleship. \u201cEach podcast is between 15 and 20 minutes long, and may be listened to online or downloaded. They are designed for people on the go or others who may be looking for a way to go deeper in their understanding of scripture,\u201d said an announcement. Benedict holds four graduate degrees including a master of divinity from Bethany Theological Seminary, a doctor of ministry from United Lutheran Seminary in Pennsylvania, and a doctorate from Duquesne University. He has served as a pastor in the Church of the Brethren for more than 30 years. Links to the podcasts are at\u00a0http:\/\/fcob.net\/get-involved\/grow<\/a>.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Two new episodes of the Dunker Punks Podcast<\/strong>\u00a0are available for listening. A recent Brethren Volunteer Service worker with the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy, Emmy Goering, reflects on \u201cthe good grown from giving ourselves for others.\u201d And Tori Bateman, who currently serves in the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy, interviews Gimbiya Kettering, director of Intercultural Ministries for the Church of the Brethren, who shares her insights on race relations within and beyond the church. \u201cLearn how the Church of the Brethren and Martin Luther King Jr. are connected in ways you may not expect,\u201d said an announcement. The Dunker Punks Podcast is an audio show created by more than a dozen Brethren young adults across the country. Listen to the latest on the episode pages\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/DPP_Episode57<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/DPP_Episode58<\/a>\u00a0or subscribe on iTunes:\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/DPP_iTunes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

— \u201cBrethren Woods is turning 60!\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0says an announcement from Shenandoah District. \u201cJoin Brethren Woods for a fun day of celebrating 60 years of ministry!\u201d The 60th Anniversary Party and Campfire will take place Saturday, June 9, from 3-8 p.m. From 3-5 p.m., activities feature the pool, waterslide, fishing, paddle boats, a photo booth, camp store, a history exhibit, and a nature talk. Dinner, a program, and campfire worship will follow. RSVP to the camp office at 540-269-2741 or\u00a0camp@brethrenwoods.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

— \u201cFarm to Table Dinners\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0are being presented at Shepherd\u2019s Spring, an outdoor ministry center near Sharpsburg, Md., in Mid-Atlantic District, on May 26 and June 23 from 1-3 p.m. These meals are prepared by Chef Heilman for $30 per person as a special \u201ctaste of spring and summer.\u201d The menu and more information is at\u00a0www.shepherdsspring.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Peter Becker Community is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony<\/strong>\u00a0for its newest cottage neighborhood, Maplewood Crossing, on Monday, June 21, at 2 p.m. Peter Becker is a retirement community in Harleysville, Pa., that is related to the Church of the Brethren. The event will be held on the sites of the #1 and #2 Maplewood Crossing Cottages at Maplewood Estates. \u201cThere are nine cottages in the project that will connect our existing cottage neighborhood to the Maplewood Estates apartment complex,\u201d said a release. \u201cThis event will host the individuals and organizations who are making this expansion possible including top executives, board members, architects, designers, future home owners and more.\u201d For more information go to\u00a0www.peterbeckercommunity.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Carol Scheppard, professor of philosophy and religion at Bridgewater College<\/strong>\u00a0and past Annual Conference moderator for the Church of the Brethren, delivered the message at the Bridgewater baccalaureate service on May 4. Approximately 398 seniors received degrees on May 5, in a ceremony on the campus mall. Among the 398 students in the class of 2018, 157 earned bachelor of arts degrees and 142 earned bachelor of science degrees; 17 graduated summa cum laude–the top academic honor which requires students to achieve at least a 3.9 grade point average on a 4.0 scale; 22 earned magna cum laude honors–a\u00a0 3.7 or better average; and 55 earned cum laude honors, requiring a 3.4 grade point average.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0In more news from Bridgewater College, four juniors<\/strong>\u00a0have received the college\u2019s 2018 Summer Christian Experience Scholarship and will work at a variety of church-related camps this summer. Each student was awarded $3,000 from the scholarship program, which is funded by the Bridgewater College endowment fund. Receiving the scholarships are Rosanni Lake Montero, a psychology major, who will serve at Camp Mardela in Denton, Md.; Clara O\u2019Connor, a family and consumer sciences major, Selena Spriggs, a sociology major with a minor in cultural studies, and Jasmine Monique Wright, a psychology major with a minor in neuroscience, who will all serve at Shepherd\u2019s Spring Outdoor Ministry Center in Sharpsburg, Md. The Summer Christian Experience Scholarship Program was created by Bridgewater College to memorialize a number of outstanding church leaders.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Churches for Middle East Peace<\/strong>\u00a0(CMEP) has issued a statement that it \u201cfervently opposes the decision to relocate the American Embassy to Jerusalem and the subsequent refusal of the administration to acknowledge the role of this decision in the escalation of violence in Gaza.\u201d In an email sharing the statement, director of communications Katie McRoberts wrote, \u201cWe support the sharing of Jerusalem by the two peoples and the three faiths–Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Unilateral actions in Jerusalem and incitement to violence create tensions that undermine trust and make resuming meaningful negotiations and achieving a two-state solution more difficult.\u201d Read the full text of the statement at\u00a0http:\/\/org2.salsalabs.com\/o\/5575\/t\/0\/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1415427<\/a>.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is seeking participants<\/strong>\u00a0for a delegation to Colombia on June 26-July 6, and for an Indigenous People\u2019s Solidarity delegation to Canada on July 20-30.<\/p>\n

About the Colombia delegation,<\/strong>\u00a0a CPT announcement explained that the \u201cEl Magdalena Medio is a region rich in renewable and non-renewable natural resources. Due to its richness and strategic position in the country, the city of Barrancabermeja and the Magdalena Medio region have suffered high levels of violence. Massacres and forced displacements left whole communities uprooted where criminal interests took advantage to take the lands and develop their economic projects. Armed groups and paramilitaries control Barrancabermeja and the region. High levels of unemployment and poverty have created a situation where young people see no other options but to get involved with these groups. When judicial efforts to evict communities from their lands do not work, paramilitary groups are used to threaten them.\u201d The Colombia delegation will learn how national agrarian policies of development violate the human rights of campesinos and will delve into the history of the armed conflict and learn how its legacy continues to haunt the people of the area.<\/p>\n

About the Indigenous People\u2019s Solidarity delegation<\/strong>, a CPT announcement said that the group will \u201cexplore what it means to be an ally to indigenous communities engaged in healing, resisting colonialism, and struggling for sovereignty. For years, Anishinaabe people in treaty 3 have been defending their land and way of life, and resisting imposed crises, such as mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system 40 years ago which continues to poison fish that is a traditional staple of their diet. Also, clear-cut logging on their traditional land.\u201d Starting in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the delegation will meet with community development workers and indigenous leaders, spend time with the community in Grassy Narrows, undertake an analysis of colonialism, participate in anti-racism exercises, and critically reflect on how to live in right relations with the Earth and indigenous neighbors.<\/p>\n

More information about the delegations is at\u00a0https:\/\/cpt.org\/participate\/delegation\/schedule<\/a>.<\/p>\n

—\u00a0Ruth Willert of Glendora (Calif.) Church of the Brethren,<\/strong>\u00a0age 96, was celebrated recently for almost four decades of service as church organist. \u201cBefore she first played the organ at the Church of the Brethren in Glendora (at age 60), she was already a longtime piano teacher and accompanist with Glendora Unified School District,\u201d reported the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. \u201cThis month, Willert, at a gracious 96 years old, retires from her post at Sunday services. She\u2019s been making music here for more than 36 years.\u201d Find the newspaper article at\u00a0www.sgvtribune.com\/2018\/05\/11\/96-year-old-glendora-church-organists-career-ends-with-a-crescendo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Go to\u00a0www.brethren.org\/Newsline<\/a>\u00a0to subscribe to the Church of the Brethren Newsline free e-mail news service and receive church news every week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this issue: Remembering John Crumley, personnel notes, job openings, commissioning materials for Workcampers, prayer requested for tensions between Dominicans and Haitians in the DR, new podcasts from Frederick Church of the Brethren and Dunker Punks, Brethren Woods celebrates 60 years, \u201cFarm to Table Dinners\u201d at Shepherd\u2019s Spring, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4656,"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-4655","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\/4655","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\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4655"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4659,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4655\/revisions\/4659"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4655"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=4655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}