{"id":5867,"date":"2017-01-20T18:29:26","date_gmt":"2017-01-20T18:29:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.brethren.org\/news\/?p=5867"},"modified":"2018-10-03T18:36:39","modified_gmt":"2018-10-03T18:36:39","slug":"brethren-bits-for-jan-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2017\/brethren-bits-for-jan-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Brethren bits for Jan. 20, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Church of the Brethren Newsline<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>January 20, 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5868\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5868\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5868\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/bvs-named-one-of-the-service.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/bvs-named-one-of-the-service.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/bvs-named-one-of-the-service-300x206.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5868\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brethren Volunteer Service was named as one of the \u201cService Programs that Change the World: Class of 2017,\u201d in a blog from the Huffington Post. BVS staff responded on Facebook, writing, \u201cThanks to our volunteers for inspiring and embodying!\u201d Find the Huffington Post article and listing of volunteer organizations at\u00a0www.huffingtonpost.com\/entry\/give-a-year-gain-a-lifetime-service-programs-that_us_587d48a2e4b06992b1b60a2a\u00a0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;\u00a0<strong>Remembrance: Terry L. Shumaker,<\/strong>\u00a072, of Fort Wayne, Ind., died Jan. 14 at his home. He was a member of the former General Board of the Church of the Brethren, serving in the mid-1990s, and also served in various district leadership positions including moderator of South Central Indiana District where he also served on the district board, and on the district board of Shenandoah District. He served on the board of Camp Alexander Mack, and on the Committee on Interchurch Relations as well as the New Church Development Committee. He had been a pastor in the Church of the Brethren for many years, in both South Central Indiana District, where he was ordained, and in Shenandoah District. He was born Sept. 1, 1944, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Edward \u201cJack\u201d and Betty Carter-Shumaker. He married Carolyn Miller in 1965. He held degrees from Huntington (Ind.) College, Indiana University, and Earlham School of Religion. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, Jan. 21, at Silver Creek Church of God in Silver Lake, Ind. Greeting time is from 10-11 a.m. followed by the service at 11 a.m.-12 noon. \u201cOur prayers are with Carolyn and family, as well as the many whose lives have been touched by Terry\u2019s ministry,\u201d said a prayer request from South Central Indiana District.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;\u00a0<strong>The trustees of Camp Galilee in West Marva District are looking for an individual to serve as camp manager.<\/strong>\u00a0Applicants should have a solid Christian foundation and live a life that reflects these values and have a love for children of all ages and the outdoors. A minimum of a high school education and basic computers skills are required. Responsibilities include inspecting and coordinating with the caretaker to maintain the buildings and grounds; working with cooks to prepare menus and food orders; keeping records for camps, finances, insurance, regulatory agencies, etc.; and overseeing all other operations of the camp with the help of the trustees. Most responsibilities are during the months of April through October and the manager must be willing to stay at the camp when campers are present. An apartment and all meals are provided as well as a limited mileage allowance for travel. Salary is negotiable. Request an application from the West Marva District Office at 301-334-9270. Questions may be directed to one of the following trustees: Mark Seese 304-698-3500; Bob Spaid 304-290-3459; Cathy McGoldrick 301-616-1147.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5869\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5869\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5869\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/food-collected-for-the-mlk.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/food-collected-for-the-mlk.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/food-collected-for-the-mlk-300x174.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5869\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some seven tons of food donated for Martin Luther King Day Food Drive in Elgin, Ill., was collected at the warehouses of the Church of the Brethren General Offices this past weekend, and distributed to eight area food pantries. The General Offices\u2019 warehouse facility has hosted the food collection for several years now. The Elgin Courier-News reported that the food drive this year did not quite meet the goal of eight tons but came close. Organizer Joseph Wars \u201cfocused on the impact of feeding needy families,\u201d said the newspaper report. Over the six years that Wars has organized the effort on behalf of the city, the annual food drive has raised a total of more than 30 tons of food. Among organizations giving donations of food to the effort was Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren, which is located in Elgin. Read the Courier-News story at\u00a0www.chicagotribune.com\/suburbs\/elgin-courier-news\/news\/ct-ecn-elgin-mlk-food-drive-st-0117-20170116-story.html\u00a0.<br \/>Pictured above: Food drive organizer Joe Wars with\u00a0\u00a0Rabbi Margaret Frisch Klein from Elgin&#8217;s Congregation Kneseth Israel synagogue, sitting in front of the large collection of donated food in the General Offices warehouse. Photo by Jay Wittmeyer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8212; The National Council of Churches in the USA (NCC) seeks an operations manager and executive assistant<\/strong>\u00a0to provide administrative and organizational support to the general secretary\/president of the NCC and to oversee all office management, computer networks and systems, office equipment, contracts administration, and human resources administration. This position will be located in the NCC\u2019s Washington, D.C., offices and is non-exempt and non-bargaining unit. Since its founding in 1950, the NCC has been a leading force for ecumenical cooperation among Christians in the United States. The 38 NCC member communions are from a wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African American, and peace churches and include 45 million people in more than 100,000 congregations. The Church of the Brethren is a founding member. Qualifications include a bachelor\u2019s degree preferred, or significant operational and administrative experience; proficiency in Microsoft Office and Outlook with experience with GoogleDocs and WordPress preferred; experience working with Neon or other CRM database systems preferred; passion for ecumenism and the work of the NCC preferred; membership in an NCC member communion preferred; among others. An annual salary of $58,000 and pension benefits are offered, with 22 days of paid vacation, and a significant health care insurance subsidy. For detailed information go to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/nationalcouncilofchurches.us\/job-announcement-operations-manager-and-executive-assistant\">http:\/\/nationalcouncilofchurches.us\/job-announcement-operations-manager-and-executive-assistant<\/a>\u00a0. To apply, send a cover letter and resume by Feb. 15 to: Jim Winkler, General Secretary\/President, National Council of Churches,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mail.google.com\/mail\/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=info@nationalcouncilofchurches.us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">info@nationalcouncilofchurches.us<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8212; Global Mission and Service is praising God for the graduation of students from the livelihood training programs<\/strong>\u00a0of Centre for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives (CCEPI) in Nigeria. \u201cThe program, which is sponsored by the Nigerian Crisis Fund, lasts six to nine months and trains widows and orphans in livelihood skills such as soap-making, computer programming, and tailoring,\u201d said the prayer request. \u201cThe graduates received equipment such as sewing machines and computers to help start their own business. The program trains 75 participants in three locations.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5870\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5870\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5870\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/graduates-of-the-ccepi.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/graduates-of-the-ccepi.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/graduates-of-the-ccepi-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5870\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Graduates of the CCEPI livelihoods training in Nigeria celebrate, shown with the tools of their new trades. Photo courtesy of CCEPI.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The prayer request also noted recent violence in northeastern Nigeria and requested prayer<\/strong>\u00a0for the loved ones of those killed in Boko Haram bombing attacks in Madagali and the University of Maiduguri, and those killed when the Nigerian air force mistakenly bombed an IDP camp of displaced people in Rann. Roxane Hill, coordinator of the Nigeria Crisis Response, reports that the Rann camp is not one where the crisis response program of the Church of the Brethren and Ekklesiyar Yan\u2019uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) has been involved. It is not likely that any EYN members were among some 170 people who were killed, she said via e-mail. Both the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders have been offering aid to the camp. In a tragic follow-up, today the Associated Press is reporting that Boko Haram extremists have attacked the Rann camp just days after the air force bombing on Tuesday. Find the AP report in the Washington Post at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/africa\/boko-haram-attacks-camp-bombed-by-nigerias-air-force\/2017\/01\/20\/2c792532-defa-11e6-8902-610fe486791c_story.html\">www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/africa\/boko-haram-attacks-camp-bombed-by-nigerias-air-force\/2017\/01\/20\/2c792532-defa-11e6-8902-610fe486791c_story.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8212; Global Mission and Service worker Robert Shank,<\/strong>\u00a0who has been serving in North Korea as a dean and teacher at PUST (Pyongyang University of Science and Technology), has been teaching courses at the University of Havana, Cuba, this week. Global Mission and Service staff report that he was invited to present lectures on molecular biology and plant breeding.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8212; This weekend district executive ministers from the 24 Church of the Brethren districts<\/strong>\u00a0will be traveling to Florida to attend meetings of the Council of District Executives. The council holds an annual meeting in Florida every January. Other church leaders also will meet with the district executives and will hold meetings in conjunction with their winter meeting, including the denomination\u2019s Leadership Team (the Annual Conference officers and the general secretary) and the board chairs and executives of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board, Bethany Theological Seminary, Brethren Benefit Trust, and On Earth Peace.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5872\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5872\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5872\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/week-of-prayer-for-christian.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/week-of-prayer-for-christian.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/week-of-prayer-for-christian-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5872\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is being observed by Christians around the world from Jan. 18-25. This annual observance is sponsored by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Roman Catholic Church\u2019s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, which have jointly prepared and published the resources since 1968. Material for this year\u2019s celebration was prepared in Germany and highlights the commemoration of 500 years since the Reformation, \u201creflecting on the legacy of the Reformation and the current spirit of reconciliation in Christ,\u201d said an announcement. Find out more at\u00a0www.oikoumene.org\/en\/press-centre\/news\/unity-prayers-to-recall-reformation-celebrate-reconciliation\u00a0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;\u00a0<strong>Haxtun (Colo.) Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0is celebrating its 100th anniversary of its church building with an open house on Sunday, Jan. 22. Events will include re-dedication of the worship space with a service starting at 2:45 p.m., as well as an art exhibit and organ and piano music. The \u201cHolyoke Enterprise\u201d is reporting that \u201cthe building reflects numerous individuals, most now gone, whose monetary, spiritual, and visual contributions remain etched in its history. The details of that history tell a story not just of a building but also of a people and their faith. It is a narrative that began centuries before the Jan. 7, 1917, dedication of a newly constructed house of worship on the northwest corner of Logan and Chase streets in Haxtun.\u201d Find the news report at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.holyokeenterprise.com\/news\/local-news\/haxtun-church-building-holds-a-century-of-history-CA103895\">www.holyokeenterprise.com\/news\/local-news\/haxtun-church-building-holds-a-century-of-history-CA103895<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;\u00a0<strong>University Baptist Brethren Church<\/strong>\u00a0in State College, Pa., for many years has hosted an Alternative Christmas Fair. \u201cIn typical Brethren fashion I&#8217;ve hesitated to \u2018toot our horn\u2019 about this event but it is truly amazing!\u201d reports pastor Bonnie Kline Smeltzer. \u201cIn about three hours we raise $40,000-plus for over 20 non-profit organizations.\u201d The 2016 fair was held on Sunday, Dec. 4, and collected some $44,300. Find an article about the event in the Centre Daily Times at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.centredaily.com\/news\/local\/community\/state-college\/article118851118.html\">www.centredaily.com\/news\/local\/community\/state-college\/article118851118.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;\u00a0<strong>Evergreen Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0in Stanardsville, Va., is participating in the Souper Bowl of Caring by collecting soup and other canned goods for a local charity, with a goal of collecting more than 104 cans of food. The congregation is challenging other churches to \u201cpick your own local charity and participate in Souper Bowl 2017,\u201d according to the Shenandoah District newsletter. Find out more about this annual nation-wide food drive at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/souperbowl.org\/\">https:\/\/souperbowl.org<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;\u00a0<strong>Chiques Church of the Brethren,<\/strong>\u00a0Manheim, Pa., has sent a workcamp group to Haiti. The 16 people who are serving for a week with l\u2019Eglise des Freres d\u2019Haiti (Church of the Brethren in Haiti) will work on renovations to the Brethren ministry center and guesthouse in Croix-des-Bouquets, will assist with a mobile medical clinic, and will help out with relief efforts that are continuing following Hurricane Matthew.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;\u00a0<strong>Little Swatara Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0in Bethel, Pa., is sending a group of 10 to serve in Haiti from Feb. 4-11. \u201cWe will be staying at a YWAM base in St. Marc and helping construct a home for two families and community ministry,\u201d reports pastor Matt Christ. The group includes Christ along with Ashly and Dan Landis, John and Dianne High, Josh and Cheryl Straw, Leah Blatt, Tiffany Bicksler, and Patti Timmons.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;\u00a0<strong>Washington (D.C.) City Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0is hosting events related to the inauguration and marches occurring in the nation\u2019s capital this weekend. This afternoon the church hosted one of several trainings in nonviolence and active bystander intervention. Tomorrow morning starting at 8:30 a.m. through 10 a.m. it will be a meeting point for Brethren attending the Women\u2019s March in Washington. The church is located at the corner of 4th and North Carolina SE, just off of Pennsylvania Avenue. Find out more at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/1655427671423888\">www.facebook.com\/events\/1655427671423888<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;\u00a0<strong>Bunkertown Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0in McAlisterville, Pa., hosted a healing service on Sunday, Jan. 15, for the congregation of Niemonds Independent Church in Richfield, Juniata County, which was devastated by a fire. Investigators said the fire likely started in the church\u2019s kitchen. See the news report at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.dailyitem.com\/news\/local_news\/congregation-of-fire-damaged-church-will-hold-healing-service\/article_34ba4ccf-5376-5e27-8c3d-aa89f075552f.html\">www.dailyitem.com\/news\/local_news\/congregation-of-fire-damaged-church-will-hold-healing-service\/article_34ba4ccf-5376-5e27-8c3d-aa89f075552f.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;\u00a0<strong>Moler Avenue Church of the Brethren<\/strong>\u00a0in Martinsburg, W.Va., is gaining media attention for its generous aid to people in need this winter season. The church \u201cis serving up home-cooked meals and offering clothes to people in need,\u201d said a news report in December. Church volunteers are handing out free home-made meals and clothes in hopes of furthering their mission, \u201cand the community is responding,\u201d the report said. The newspaper quoted one volunteer, Joyce Fink, who said she gets \u201ca lot of hugs from the people, and they know if they need anything they ask me.\u201d The online report includes a video interview with pastor Eddie Edmonds. Go to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.your4state.com\/news\/west-virginia\/martinsburg-soup-kitchen-offers-up-more-than-the-standard-experience\/623968475\">www.your4state.com\/news\/west-virginia\/martinsburg-soup-kitchen-offers-up-more-than-the-standard-experience\/623968475<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;\u00a0<strong>Living Stream Church of the Brethren<\/strong>, the denomination\u2019s first online congregation, is publicizing a \u201cCalled to Community\u201d Conference being held on Jan. 27 by the Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand. The event is the association\u2019s 2017 National Gathering at the Long Point Conference Center outside of Sydney, Australia, on the theme, \u201cA Weekend of Exploring Christ-Centered Community.\u201d Online coverage starts at 3 a.m. (Eastern time) and the event will be live streamed, according to the announcement. For more information go to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/livestream.com\/livingstreamcob\/Called-to-Community?origin=event_published&amp;mixpanel_id=13ac92ab2ea212-0c76a215fa61a18-43612442-fa000-13ac92ab2ebb2&amp;acc_id=20280207&amp;medium=email\">https:\/\/livestream.com\/livingstreamcob\/Called-to-Community?origin=event_published&amp;mixpanel_id=13ac92ab2ea212-0c76a215fa61a18-43612442-fa000-13ac92ab2ebb2&amp;acc_id=20280207&amp;medium=email<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8212; Dates for the 2017 Meat Canning Project<\/strong>\u00a0are April 17-20 and 24-25, at Christian Aid Ministries in Ephrata, Pa. \u201cThe goal is to can approximately 50,000 pounds of chicken,\u201d said an announcement. \u201cThe meat canning project is a great way for us to minister to those in need during these difficult economic times.\u201d The project is jointly sponsored by two Church of the Brethren districts, Mid-Atlantic District and Southern Pennsylvania District, and is \u201cpowered\u201d by numerous volunteers and donations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8212; \u201cPeacemaking on a global scale is vital,\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0says an announcement of a new initiative at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. The college has created an informative graphic addressing the statistics of conflict and violence with the intention of keeping the ideals of peace and peacemaking alive and to help keep the public aware of \u201cwhere we\u2019ve been and where we\u2019re going,\u201d said a release. \u201cWith an estimated 191 million people dying due to conflict, the 20th century was one of the most violent periods in human history. The Second Republic of the Congo Civil War has taken the lives of 5 million, alone. On a local scale, more Americans die in gun-related deaths every six months than have died in the last 25 years in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, combined. Throughout human history there has been conflict, and in every conflict there has been a group of peacemakers dedicated to resolving differences, reconciling hurts and aggressions and finding a way to live together in community.\u201d Find this new Internet resource at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.etown.edu\/news\/infographics\/peacemaking.aspx\">www.etown.edu\/news\/infographics\/peacemaking.aspx<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8212; Manchester University has selected a musician and author<\/strong>\u00a0to be the keynote speaker at its 49th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance and Rededication Ceremony, said a release from the school. Daryl Davis, \u201cwho has made it his quest to understand and combat racism\u201d will be the speaker for the special event, the release said. The presentation on the theme \u201cNo Place for Hate\u201d takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, in Cordier Auditorium on the campus in North Manchester, Ind. It is free and open to the public. \u201cThe observance commemorates King\u2019s last speech at a college campus,\u201d the release notes. \u201cHe presented \u2018The Future of Integration\u2019 at Manchester on Feb. 1, 1968, two months before he was slain in Memphis, Tenn.\u201d Davis\u2019 journey to understand racism is featured in the documentary \u201cAccidental Courtesy,\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/accidentalcourtesy.com\/\">http:\/\/accidentalcourtesy.com<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8212; The Kline-Bowman Institute for Creative Peacebuilding and the Forum for Brethren Studies<\/strong>\u00a0at Bridgewater (Va.) College are presenting a symposium on the topic \u201cAnabaptist Non-Resistance in the Age of Terror,\u201d to be held March 16-17. Speakers include several Church of the Brethren members&#8211;Robert Johansen, professor emeritus at the Kroc Center, University of Notre Dame, addressing policing instead of military force; Donald Kraybill, emeritus at the Young Center and Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, addressing the Nickle Mines shooting and non-resistance on the personal level; Andrew Loomis of the Department of State addressing violence prevention; and past Annual Conference moderator Andy Murray, formerly of the Baker Institute at Juniata College&#8211;as well as Elizabeth Ferris of Georgetown University addressing refugee security; and Musa Mambula of Ekklesiyar Yan\u2019uwa a Nigeria (the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) who currently is a visiting scholar at Bethany Theological Seminary. The opening panel discussion will be free and open to the public. Friday\u2019s program, which includes lunch, is open to the public for a registration fee of $20. Contact Robert Andersen at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mail.google.com\/mail\/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=randerse@bridgewater.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">randerse@bridgewater.edu<\/a>\u00a0or Steve Longenecker at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mail.google.com\/mail\/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=slongene@bridgewater.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">slongene@bridgewater.edu<\/a>\u00a0for more information. For a list of speakers and issues to be explored go to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/files.constantcontact.com\/071f413a201\/af7daa23-fceb-4dba-a595-93f471b6573c.pdf\">http:\/\/files.constantcontact.com\/071f413a201\/af7daa23-fceb-4dba-a595-93f471b6573c.pdf<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8212; The World Council of Churches (WCC) is planning a World Mission Conference<\/strong>\u00a0to take place in March 2018. A recent planning meeting for the conference was hosted by the United Methodist Church\u2019s General Board of Global Ministries in Atlanta, Ga. The World Mission Conference will be held Tanzania on the theme \u201cMoving in the Spirit: Called to Transforming Discipleship.\u201d More than 700 delegates from churches worldwide are expected to attend, according to a WCC release. The conference will be the first such event to be held in Africa since 1958, when it was hosted in Ghana. The first World Mission Conference was held in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1910. A series of conferences has followed at approximately 10-year intervals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8212; \u201cThe world\u2019s eight richest billionaires control the same wealth between them as the poorest half of the globe\u2019s population,\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0reports the Guardian newspaper of London, citing a report by Oxfam, a charity based in the UK. The report was published to coincide with the World Economic Forum, the newspaper said. Oxfam listed the eight \u201crich men headed by the Microsoft founder Bill Gates\u201d who are worth $426 billion, which the newspaper said is equivalent to the wealth of 3.6 billion people or the poorest 50 percent of the world\u2019s population. \u201cOxfam blamed rising inequality on aggressive wage restraint, tax dodging and the squeezing of producers by companies, adding that businesses were too focused on delivering ever-higher returns to wealthy owners and top executives,\u201d the Guardian said. Last year, the newspaper noted, \u201cOxfam said the world\u2019s 62 richest billionaires were as wealthy as half the world\u2019s population. However, the number has dropped to eight in 2017 because new information shows that poverty in China and India is worse than previously thought, making the bottom 50 percent even worse off and widening the gap between rich and poor.\u201d Find the Guardian news piece at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2017\/jan\/16\/worlds-eight-richest-people-have-same-wealth-as-poorest-50\">www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2017\/jan\/16\/worlds-eight-richest-people-have-same-wealth-as-poorest-50<\/a>\u00a0. Find the Oxfam report at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk\/publications\/an-economy-for-the-99-its-time-to-build-a-human-economy-that-benefits-everyone-620170\">http:\/\/policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk\/publications\/an-economy-for-the-99-its-time-to-build-a-human-economy-that-benefits-everyone-620170<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8212; \u201cIn Elkhart County, a point of light is beaming<\/strong>\u00a0into the Nigerian Church of the Brethren. And it\u2019s all thanks to an 11-year-old Goshen girl,\u201d reports the Goshen (Ind.) News. Sixth grader Gretchen Showalter of Middlebury Church of the Brethren is selling hand-made items to benefit the Nigeria Crisis Response, inspired by the plight of the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok. She sells the crafts in a small store she set up at her church, called Knick Knacks for Nigeria. \u201cItems include small pieces of jewelry, notebook covers, children\u2019s gifts and dream catchers. Her prices vary from 50 cents to $11, with 90 percent of her profit funding the Nigerian church. She keeps 10 percent for new supplies,\u201d the newspaper reported. \u201cSo far Gretchen has sent one check to the Nigerian Crisis Fund for $500 and now she has at least $200 she will be sending.\u201d See\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.goshennews.com\/news\/local_news\/year-old-goshen-girl-sells-crafts-to-aid-nigerian-church\/article_9cb9ce9f-79a8-5bff-a93b-1a23e569978c.html\">www.goshennews.com\/news\/local_news\/year-old-goshen-girl-sells-crafts-to-aid-nigerian-church\/article_9cb9ce9f-79a8-5bff-a93b-1a23e569978c.html<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p>Go to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.brethren.org\/Newsline\">www.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":"<p>Remembering Terry L. Shumaker, job openings, Church of the Brethren General Offices hosts MLK Day food drive, BVS gets recognition as a service program that \u201cchanges the world,\u201d Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, dates for this year\u2019s Meat Canning Project, new peacemaking infographic website from Elizabethtown College, lots of news from congregations, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5870,"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-5867","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\/5867","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=5867"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5873,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5867\/revisions\/5873"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5867"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=5867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}