Full text of "Messenger (1991)"

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In an age of instant communication, one regrettable limitation of
a monthly magazine is the long lead time required.

We're used to that, of course, but we're aware that not all of
you are. We regularly receive letters asking us to announce
meetings scheduled for three weeks later, or asking us why the
Turning Points submission sent in two months earlier hasn't yet
appeared.

This is what's involved in getting an article into print:

This January issue is scheduled to be mailed December 21.
That comes after one week in camera and stripping; two weeks
for printing, folding, and binding; and two or three days for
labeling in the mailroom.

Articles for the January issue were edited by the beginning
of November to allow for several weeks of proofreading,
collecting photos, designing layouts, and creating the pages on
our desktop publishing system. We proofread each article at
every stage, until finally the entire magazine is sent on com-
puter disk to a Linotronic printer that produces our camera-
ready pages. These camera-ready "boards" were turned in to
the printer on November 26.

Since articles must be edited by early November, it's way
back in October that we need to receive information for news
articles and Turning Points. A top-priority news story can make
it in later (a few days before we send out the computer disk, if
necessary), but routine information is needed three months
before the date on the front of the magazine.

Occasionally, when we have an overflow of information for
Turning Points, we have to "bump" names to the next issue.
That can make for an even longer delay before you see the
names you sent in.

So be patient. The Turning Points information you sent two
months ago is probably on the press now. And the November
news release you sent about your upcoming Christmas event
will be reported around February as history.

(y}:^^^U(^'7l^

January 1 99

COMING NEXT MONTH: Reports from Brethren in Sudan and
a profile of moderator Phil Stone.

Editor

Kermon Thomasson

Managing editor

Wendy Chamberlain McFadden

Editorial assistants

Cheryl Cayford, Karia Boyers

Advertising

Sue Radcliff

Subscription services

Norma Nieto, Martha Cupp

Promotion

Kenneth L. Gibble

Publisher

Dale E. Minnich

District Messenger representatives:

Atlantic Northeast, Ron Lutz; Atlantic
Southeast, Ruby Raymer; IllinoisAVisconsi;
Fletcher Farrar Jr.; Northern Indiana. Leon.
Holderread; South/Central Indiana, Lois Ei
Michigan. Marie Willoughby; Mid-Atlantic
Ann Pouts; Missouri, Grace Miles;
Missouri/Southern Arkansas, Mary
McGowan; Northern Plains, Pauline Flory;
Northern Ohio, Sherry Sampson; Pacific
Southwest, Randy Miller; Middle
Pennsylvania, Peggy Over; Southern
Pennsylvania, Elmer Q. Gleim; Western
Pennsylvania, Jay Christner; Shenandoah,
Jerry Brunk; Virlina, Mike Gilmore;
Western Plains, Dean Hummer; West Marv
Winoma Spurgeon.

Messenger is the official publication of the
Church of the Brethren. Entered as second-
class matter Aug. 20, 1918, under Act of
Congress of Oct. 17, 1917. Filing date, Nov

I, 1984. Messenger is a

member of the Associated
*■" P^* Church Press and a subscriber
■^ to Religious News Service and

Ecumenical Press Service.

Biblical quotations, unless
otherwise mdicated, are from the New
Revised Standard Version.

Subscription rates: $12.50 individual
rate, $ 1 0.50 church group plan, $ 1 0.50 gift
subscriptions. Student rate 75c an issue. If
you move, clip address label and send with
new address to Messenger Subscriptions,
1451 Dundee Ave.. Elgin, IL 60120. Allow
at least five weeks for address change.

Messenger is owned and published 1 1
times a year by the General Services Com-
mission, Church of the Brethren General
Board. Second-class postage paid at Elgin,
111., and at additional mailing office. Januar
1991. Copyright 1990, Church of the
Brethren General Board. ISSN 0026-0355.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes t
Messenger, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL
60120.

In Touch 2
Close to Home
News 6
Stepping Stones
Mixed Reviews
Letters 30
Pontius' Puddle
Opinions 32
Turning Points
Editorial 36

26
29

Credits:

^over: John L. Ludwig

2 left: Terri Meushaw

2 right; Sara Wilson

1 top: Glenn Hassinger

4 bottom: Kenneth A. MacCord

V Bob Baucher

■!; Religions News Service/Reuters

II): Religious News SeiTice

12: Wallowitch

19: Georgia Engelhard

25: Don Honick

27: Lois Schmidt

Led to the land of the morning calm 1 1

David R. Radcliff reflects on his new assignment to carry out
the church's ministries in Korea. '

Why pastors leave 12

James Benedict reports on his recent survey of pastors who
have left the pastorate. Sidebars by Robert E. Faus and John
Cassel.

When the call changes 16

Kathy S. Hauger profiles pastors who have left or who have
considered leaving the pastorate.

Spying out a strange land 19

Dan and Cindy Bamum-Steggerda describe the issues faced
by couples serving together in ministry.

Teamwork 21

For many couples, team ministry is working well. Story by
Karla Boyers.

I. W. Moomaw: Prophet of justice 25

J. Benton Rhoades gives tribute to longtime missionary I. W.
Moomaw, "apostle to the rural poor," who died October 2.

A day in the life of a missionary 27

Nigeria teacher Galen Hackman provides a slice of life from
the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria.

Januaiy 1991 Messenger 1

Not all washed up

Earl Heckman, a retired
mechanical engineer, has
designed a cost-cutting heat
recovery system that saves
about one dollar in fuel per
hour of use at the New
Windsor (Md.) Service
Center.

A resident of Elgin, 111.,
Earl worked for 16 years at
the Greeley & Hansen
Engineering Company in
Chicago as head of the
mechanical engineering
group, which designs water

' In Touch' ' profiles Brethren we
would like you lo meet. Send story
ideas and photos (black and white,
if possible) to "In Touch."
Messenger, 1451 Dundee Ave..
Elgin. IL 60120.

and waste-water treatment
plants. Wearing retirement in
October 1989, Earl offered
his services to the center,
where he has worked the past
year through Brethren Volun-
teer Service.

At New Windsor, he has
created a new, more efficient
in-house laundry system.
Over the course of a year, the
system will more than pay for
itself.

A helical heat transfer coil
removes heat from the
washer waste water and
preheats the cold water
supply entering the heater in
the boiler.

Thanks to Earl, the center
will continue to work at
better stewardship of the
earth's resources.— Terri
MEUSHAW

Let there be trees!

Billboards advertising "Let
There Be Trees" are part of a
fundraising effort to plant
100 million trees around the
world in the coming decade.

The billboards urge people
shopping at Dillons grocery
stores to buy a one-dollar
button and fund the planting
of one tree. Customers
wearing the button are given
25 cents off each Nintendo or
video cassette rental.

The effort was organized
by Trees for Life, an organi-
zation based at the First
Church of the Brethren in
Wichita, Kan., and directed
by Balbir and Treva
Mathur. Brethren Volunteer
Service worker Jeff Boshart
also works for Trees for Life
making presentations to area
schoolchildren.

Trees for Life has chalked
up some victories this year:
Balbir distributed 700,000
tree-planting kits to school-
children across the nation.
Rotary clubs in Nepal planted
150,000 banana suckers in
1990— each tree will provide
up to 10,000 pounds of fruit.
Boy Scouts in Kenya are
organizing to plant 10 million
trees during the coming de-
cade. More than 10,000 indi-
genous people in Guatemala
planted a tree in their gardens
during 1990.

Treva, keeping her eye on

the fundraising effort,
announced in November,
"Only 92 million to go!"
-Irene S. Reynolds

Delivery man

In July, Herman Miller was

chosen carrier of the month
for the ViennalOakton Con-
nection, a normal enough an-
nouncement, except he was
approaching his 79th birth-
day. Most of his colleagues
were teenagers or younger.
Herman was surprised by
the selection but was willing
to share tricks of the trade

learned in more than 30 years
of professional work as a
postal clerk and as a carrier
for Washington-area newspa-
pers. The 400-plus papers he
delivers once a week is a nice
change from the seven-days-
a-week route of earlier years.

It is normal for Herman to
combine the past with the
present. He and his wife,
Frances, live in a simple
country-style house he and
his father built a half century
ago. Masses of old-fashioned
flowers flourish in the yard,
which joins modem raised
vegetable beds.

In the community and
church, Herman has also
"delivered" over the years.
Bom and raised in the

2 Messenger Januar)' 1991

shadow of the Oakton Church
of the Brethren in Vienna,
Va., he has assisted with
program, property, and
outreach. Greeting worship-
ers as head usher especially
suits his quiet manner.

He recently received a
citation from the church for
"dedicated services." In his
modest way, he said, "Some-
one had to do it, and I
enjoyed it."

He had little time to bask in
the honor. With two fellow
churchmen, he was off to St.
Croix for a month of volun-
teer disaster response work.
Chances are his paper route
will wait for him, as will
other opportunities. A carrier
who gives full service is hard
to replace and never out-
dated!-SARA G. Wilson

Reunited

The Boleyn family has been
reunited. Sisters Naomi
Stovall and Virginia Ahalt,

and their brother, Lester
Boleyn, who is working in
Kenya through the Church of
the Brethren, helping to trans-
late the Bible into Sudanese
languages, located their
youngest sister this past
summer.

In 1951, the children were
separated when their mother
died. Seventeen-year-old
Naomi became independent,
but Lester and Virginia were
put in one foster home and
two-and-a-half-year-old
Mary Catherine in another.
Their father, who died seven
years later, visited them all
but lost contact with Mary
Catherine when she was
adopted by another family.

When their search was
blocked by sealed records,
Virginia and Naomi turned to

the Frederick (Md.) News-
Post. An article entitled
"Search for a Sister"
included a 1949 picture of
Mary Catherine.

The sisters got results that
evening in the form of a
telephone call from Mary
Catherine Guthrie, who had
no previous knowledge of her
biological family.

"I didn't think I had any
blood relatives other than my
two kids," she told her new-
found sisters.

Truckin' for peace

The sixth Pastors for Peace
humanitarian aid caravan,
which departed from four
northern US cities this past
July, took supplies to non-
governmental development
projects and churches in
Nicaragua. Ten trucks carried
$450,000 in tools, school
supplies, medicine, and
construction materials.

Wayne Judd, pastor of the
Elizabethtown (Pa.) congre-
gation, and Frank Layman,
pastor of the Monte Vista
church near Boones Mill,
Va., were among drivers.

Pastors for Peace, a project
of the Interreligious Founda-
tion for Community Organi-
zation, was initiated in
August 1988 in response to a
contra terrorist attack on a
Nicaraguan passenger ferry.
IFCO executive director
Lucius Walker Jr. was
wounded in the attack.

Names in the news

Frank Ramirez, pastor of
the Elkhart (Ind.) Valley
church, got a lot of attention—
and pledges— at Elkhart's

annual CROP walk. He ran
the 6.2 miles in rainy weather
wearing a three-piece suit.

The Sugarland church near
Parsons, W. Va., presented
Wilma Waybright with a
diamond watch for 60 years
of service as a Brethren
minister, on September 30.
She was licensed September
6, 1930, and was ordained
September 11, 1966.

Stauffer Curry, of New
Oxford, Pa., was honored by
On Earth Peace at a private
ceremony in July. He is a
director emeritus of the OEP
board and served as director
of the National Service Board
of Religious Objectors after
World War II.

OEP also honored Eliza-
bethtown College professor
Donald F. Durnbaugh and
Shalom!, an organization of
peace-oriented Brethren
youth, at its annual recogni-
tion banquet in September.

High school student Brad
Campbell, of the Turkey
Creek church in Edwards,
Mo., has been elected
governor of the 1990
Missouri Boy's State, visited
the Soviet Union in a People
to People program, placed
first in a state speech contest,
and is chairman of his student
council, as well as being the
youngest delegate to Missouri
District conference.

Anne Kenderdine, of the
Elizabethtown (Pa.) church,
and Eric Clair, of the
Swatara Hill church in
Middletown, Pa., were
selected Elizabethtown area
boy and girl of the month in
October. Both are high school
seniors.

Shelly Rocke, of the
Highland Avenue church in
Elgin, 111., was chosen Larkin
High School's homecoming
queen in October.

Although Mike Thralls, of

the Antelope Valley church
near Billings, Okla., did not
succeed in his bid for a state
Senate seat, he did receive 43
percent of the vote in his area
in the November 6 election.
He also serves as moderator
for the Southern Plains
District.

NYC-goers from Western
Pennsylvania District
witnessed an engagement this

summer when aduh advisor
Michael Swick proposed to
advisor Wendy Davis at the
meeting point of the district's
three National Youth
Conference-bound buses.

Rodrick Rolston, of the
Crest Manor church in South
Bend, Ind., was selected
Indiana Correctional Educa-
tor of the Year for 1990. A
sociologist and teacher at
Indiana State Prison, he was
also given the Lifers award
by Lifers United, an inmate
organization.

A. Herbert Smith,
professor of religion and
philosophy at McPherson
College, has won the 1990
Sears-Roebuck Foundation
Teaching Excellence and
Campus Leadership Award.
Such recognition was given
to 700 private college faculty
this year— each receives
$1,000 and the host institu-
tion receives $500- 1 ,500
depending on enrollment.

Sam Erbaugh, of the
Trotwood (Ohio) church, has
written a book. Chief Among
Publicans, released by
Winston-Derek Publishers.

January 1991 Messenger 3

On the bright side . . .

A recent love feast at the
Ephrata (Pa.) church
included 25 members of the
Bright Side Baptist Church, a
black congregation in the city
of Lancaster.

Ephrata members, mostly
white and living in a more
rural location, began to think
of ways to demonstrate inter-
racial harmony when in 1988
the area became the site of
gatherings of the Ku Klux
Klan. The Brethren discov-
ered that the Baptists were
also eager to demonstrate that
far more united than sepa-
rated them. An exchange has
continued ever since.

"Close to Home" highlights
news of congregations, districts,
colleges, homes, and other local and
regional life. Send story ideas and
photos (black and white, if possible)
to "Close to Home," Messenger,
1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

Ephrata pastor Albert Sauls (left) and
moderator Dan'in Boyd share a hug with
Bright Side pastor Louis Butcher Jr.

The love feast was an
experience the Baptists were
looking forward to and were,
of course, curious about.
What better way to develop
love and unity with someone
than to kneel down and wash
their feet!

Culminating the exchange
was Bright Side's leadership
in Ephrata 's October 14
service. The young adult
choir witnessed through song,
and pastor Louis Butcher Jr.
spoke on "Strangers and
Pilgrims"— once we were
strangers, now we are friends,
but we were always pilgrims
on a mission for the Lord.
-Deborah R. Gilbert

The Chetvertukins are sponsored in the US by the Myerstown
church: pictured with Rimma and Nikolay (second and third
from left in front) are children (from left) Natalya, Magarita,
Galina. Nikolay. Gregory, Rimma, Igor, Dimitry, and Sergey.

Freedom-seeking

Meet the Chetvertukins, a
Soviet refugee family of 1 1
sponsored through Church
World Service by the
Myerstown (Pa.) Church of
the Brethren.

After a stay in Italy, the
family came to the US in
March, drawn by the large
settlement of Russian
Pentecostals in the New
Holland (Pa.) area. Members
of the congregation met the
family at the airport, helped
find housing and jobs,
provided initial rent and
groceries, and helped obtain
driver's licenses, required
shots, and certificates.

"None of them spoke
English," says pastor Glenn
Hassinger, who notes that
similar hymns and tunes have
created a bond in worship.
After Sunday service at
Myerstown, the Chetvertuk-
ins normally travel another
40 minutes to worship with a
community of approximately
200 Soviet friends.

"One blessing we've
received from having them
become part of our congrega-
tion is the sense of commit-
ment and dedication to their
religious conviction," says

Glenn. "They've reminded
us anew of the freedoms we
so often take for granted."

'Round the mountain

A third annual Alpine Wild-
erness Hike, co-sponsored by
the Outdoors Ministries
Association and the United
Church of Christ's Commu-
nity Church of Columbus,
Ohio, takes place July 24-
August 6.

The 99-mile hike of the
Wonderland trail circles Mt.
Rainier at 5- to 6,000 feet. A
maximum of 12 people will
be allowed for the hike. The
cost of $200 includes food,
supplies, and shuttle transpor-
tation from Camp Koinonia
to the trail. Contact Marvin
Thill, Missouri District
executive, (816) 747-6216.

Campus comments

Juniata College gave
Community Service Awards
to 19 students at Homecom-
ing, in place of choosing a
queen. Student Kelly
Crawford said the committee

4 Messenger January 1991

wanted "to avoid the sexist
perspective normally associ-
ated with the selection of the
homecoming queen."

Matthew Smucker and
Cynthia Bull received Man-
chester College's first Stu-
dent Alumni Service Awards
at Homecoming. Alumni
Service Awards were pre-
sented to General Board
member Robin Lahman,
Betty Leffel, Florence Freed,
the late Liegh Freed, and
Helen Taylor.

Three Elizabethtown
College alumni received
awards at Homecoming:
Bethany Seminary board
chairman Clyde R. Shallen-
berger, Helen Walton Eber-
sole, and Henry J. Pownall.

A fall art exhibit at
Elizabethtown featured a
collection donated by Mr. and
\ Mrs. Philip Berman, includ-
ing lithographs by Salvador
Dali, Paul Gauguin, and
Pablo Picasso, among other
well-known artists.

Bridgewater College has
honored Margaret Flory,
Wampler Rainbolt, and
William L. Mengebier with
Outstanding Service Awards.

What's happening

A merger is underway be-
tween Missouri and South-
ern Missouri/Arkansas

Districts, pending Standing
Committee approval in July.

Adopting terminology
consistent with other districts.
Pacific Southwest Confer-
ence has changed its name to
Pacific Southwest District.

The Lampeter (Pa.)
church has hosted kindergar-
ten classes for the Hans Hen-
Elementary School, while the
school's new addition is built.

Trinity church in Sabetha,
Kan., sponsored its 30th
annual "Labor Day Weekend
Safety Break" this year in
cooperation with a Methodist
church. Up to 1 ,600 travelers
stopped to share the refresh-
ments served at a rest stop by
a busy highway junction.

Garden Terrace, operated
by the Wenatchee Brethren
Baptist Homes Inc., has been
remodeled at an expense of
$64,000. An October open
house displayed improve-
ments in the apartment house
for senior citizens. "It's just
like walking into a big hotel

Gene Palsgrave and Mary Boucher admire Third World crafts
in the Modesto (Calif.) church's SERRV shop, which opened
more than a year ago and averages $700 in sales each month.
' 'One of the things that really helps is to take a display to
other meetings such as Church Women United," Mary says.

in New York," said resident
Janet Sweetapple.
Central Evangelical

church in the Koreatown area

Charlottesville (Va.) church.
The move was inspired by
former Ethiopian refugee
Mickael Asefa.

^ *y- ^^ ^ 351 5?

Central Evangelical Church

of Los Angeles, Calif., has
received approval for a
$300,000 loan from the
General Board to pay off two
private loans and new
building projects.

A sixth annual volleyball
tournament at the Scalp
Level church in Windber,
Pa., raised $3,107.23 for the
Brethren Home. Locust
Grove church in Johnstown
took first place.

Members of First Central
church, Kansas City, Kan.,
repainted a Salvation Army
Family Shelter as part of a
Bible study on homelessness.

A new history of the
Brethren in Indiana is
underway, sponsored by
historical committees of
Northern Indiana and
South/Central Indiana
Districts. The last such
history was published some
40 years ago.

Possibly the first anointing
by barbecue sauce dedicated
a barbecue pit at the Mount
Pleasant church in Harri-
sonburg, Va., in September.
Ground was also broken for a
new fellowship hall.

At the closing of Waka
(Texas) School, its library
was transferred to the Waka
church, to serve as a commu-
nity library.

An Ethiopian refugee
family— Berhane and As-
segedech Melles and their
sons, Alexander and Lijam—
has been sponsored by the

Milestones

The Farmington-Bethel
(Pa.) church celebrated 125
years September 16.

The Sugar Grove church,
Hooversville, Pa., celebrated
a centennial September 16.

The Turkey Creek church
in Edwards, Mo., celebrated
100 years in June. Members
call it the "halfway house"
as the most central church in
the merger of Missouri and
Southern Missouri/ Arkansas
Districts.

The Ottumwa (Iowa)
church celebrated 90 years of
worship and 3 1 years at its
present location on Septem-
ber 15-16.

The Waka (Texas) church
observed a 75th anniversary
November 1 1 .

The Bassett (Va.) church
observed a 65th anniversary
October 14.

On September 16, the
Springfield (Ohio) congrega-
tion voted to close its church
and to merge with the
Donnels Creek church in
North Hampton.

The Pleasant Dale church
near Decatur, Ind., burned its
mortgage September 16.

The Lakeview church in
Brethren, Mich., broke
ground for a new "barrier-
free" addition October 4.

Planned for October 14,
dedication of the Christ Our
Shepherd fellowship in
Indianapolis, Ind., has been
postponed due to cash-flow
problems.

January 1991 Messenger 5

Sudanese may face mass
starvation, devastation

In Sudan in 1988, drought combined
with the upheaval of civil war caused
250,000 people to die. The situation
unfolding today is even more devastat-
ing.

Because of the lack of rains in 1990,
the present crop harvest is but 20 or 30
percent of last year's. One million
people are expected to be displaced from
their homes in search of food. During the
first two weeks of September, 10,000
southern Sudanese came to Khartoum,
the capital city, which already contained
up to 1.5 million displaced people who
arrived during the past two years.

As new arrivals appear in Khartoum,
the government registers and transports
them away from the city, disallowing
them the use of already overtaxed
systems and supplies. The result likely
means death to these people, for there
are no food or services available to them
in the areas where they are being sent.

The United Nations and the World
Food Program see need for one million
metric tons of food to avert further
tragedy in Sudan. With the world
currently focusing its attention on the
reunification of Europe and the Gulf
crisis, it is feared global interest will not
be adequate to meet the need.

In addition, the Sudanese government
denies reports that millions of its people
face starvation. The chief government
economist said in October that the
government would refuse relief even if
there were famine. US relief officials say
their shipments will be restricted
because of actions of the Sudanese
government, which has confiscated relief
grain and has hindered United Nations
and Red Cross efforts.

Death due to starvation has already
occurred in and around Khartoum, where
Brethren R. Jan and Roma Jo Thompson
work in disaster relief and theological
education with the Sudan Council of
Churches (SCC) and the Presbyterian
Church in Sudan (an interview with the
Thompsons will appear in February).
Soon the starvation will take on mass
proportions. Food supplies that remain

6 Messenger January 1991

are being hoarded for profiteering.

The SCC recently imported 500 metric
tons of grain, which was strategically
placed in Kosti for distribution. Govern-
ment forces commandeered the ware-
house. A few days later, armed person-
nel carried the grain away with no
explanation or reimbursement.
—Kenneth O. Holderread

Marion (Ind.) members used alterna-
tive transportation and challenged
neighboring churches to do the same.

The Genesis Sunday school class at
the Hagerstown (Md.) church postponed
a trip to Pennsylvania because of the
heavy use of gasoline required.

"Oil-Free Sunday" events at First
church in Chicago, 111., and at the

Members of the Antelope Valley church near Billings, Okla., traveled on horseback, I
by foot, and by car-pool for an ''Oil-Free Sunday' ' observance October 28.

Cliurclies respond to call
for 'Oil-Free Sunday'

Brethren congregations participated in
"Oil-Free Sunday" October 21, in
response to a call from the General
Board's peace team to avoid using oil-
fueled vehicles in favor of walking,
bicycling, public transportation, car-
pooling, and in some cases, horseback
riding. The campaign intended to
connect US consumption of oil to the
crisis in the Persian Gulf.

Among participating congregations
was the Quinter (Kan.) church, where
one family rode horses to church and
others ran or walked. A small covered
wagon also carried Quinter worshipers to
service.

Members of the Antelope Valley
church near Billings, Okla., also came to
church on horseback for an "Oil-Free"
observance October 28.

Northview church in Indianapolis, Ind.,
were featured on area television station!"

A Saturday evening hay-ride became
the "Oil-Free" event at the Faith churc
in Batavia, 111. ,

The issue was a tough one for
McPherson (Kan.) members who own c
rigs. "The joke was, let's call for a 50'

A peace delegation, composed of 12 USil
and Canadian members of the Church of
the Brethren, the Mennonite churches,
and the Brethren in Christ denomination, >
left November 21 for a 10-day stay in Iraq '
as this issue went to press.

Church of the Brethren representatives '
included Julie Garber, General Board
editor of study resources, and Bill Keim,
an administrator at the Sandy Spring
(Md.) Friends School. A report will appear '
in March.

[

lercent oil freeze since we only import
iO percent of our oil," pastor Don Booz
old the Wichita Eagle.

"Not everybody participated, obvi-
)usly," said David Radcliff, General
Joard peace consultant and liaison to
Christian Peacemaker Teams, a Men-
lonite and Brethren organization that
iriginated the idea. Some Brethren
hought "Oil-Free Sunday" was
inworkable in their own situations,
ladcliff said. But for those who took
)art, "it was an opportunity to think
ibout the Middle East conflict from a
aith perspective."

The observance was also an opportu-
lity for churches to get media coverage
ind publicity, he added. The media
'seemed to have a genuine interest" in
Itemative views of the Gulf situation,
e said. "I'm glad we had some congre-
ations who provided that for them."

^BC begins Lafiya program,
lears from Bethany Hospital

1 the first meeting of the board of the
issociation of Brethren Caregivers
'ormerly the Brethren Health and
k'elfare Association and the Brethren
[[ealth Foundation), plans were made to
jegin a "Lafiya" program in the US.
I "Lafiya: A Whole Person Health
flinistry" is designed to encourage and
ipport congregations and church-
;lated groups to be healing communi-
(es. The program is named after a
rethren health ministry begun in Niger-
in 1973. A half-time position was
oproved for a Lafiya denominational
cilitator to help select and work with
X congregations during this first year.
Lafiya is one of two ABC projects to
ceive substantial funding from the
general Board's "Vision for the '90s"
ogram. Assistance will also be given
; the Castaiier (P.R.) Hospital, in the
rm of capital improvements, including
edical staff housing.
ABC's health foundation board re-
j ived a report on the status of Bethany
ospital in Chicago, 111. (see accompa-
'ing article). Owner Evangelical Health

Systems asked ABC to waive first right
of refusal to purchase, anticipating a
possible interest on the part of Cook
County. A committee was appointed to
determine ABC's options and to recom-
mend action.

Among other business, ABC:

—adopted a mission and goals state-
ment;

—decided to work on a statement on
nicotine use;

—decided to encourage Annual Con-
ference to pass a resolution on the
themes of silence, shame, and suffering,
as they pertain to issues such as child-
battering, AIDS, addictions, incest,
codependency, and homosexuality
within congregations;

—recommended construction of a
portable platform lift to assure access to
the main Annual Conference platform;

—worked on plans for a pre-Confer-
ence meeting featuring Marie Marshall
Fortune, a United Church of Christ
minister who founded the Center for the
Prevention of Sexual and Domestic
Violence in Seattle, Wash.;

—worked on plans for an older adult
conference to be held in the fall of 1992;

—decided to sponsor a 10-day work-
camp in Culebra, P.R., this summer;

—decided to co-sponsor a two-week
Nigerian Health Care Study Tour in
January 1992 with Bethany Seminary
and the Africa/Middle East office of the
General Board; and

—appointed Paul Boll, executive
director of the Lebanon Valley Brethren
Home in Palmyra, Pa., to ABC's older
adult board.

Bethany Hospital continues
operations under new plan

Brethren-founded Bethany Hospital, on
the West Side of Chicago, 111., plans to
continue operations in the face of serious
financial difficulties (see December,
page 7). The hospital has been losing up
to $1 million a month.

Evangelical Health Systems, owner of
the 212-bed facility, says it will try to
cut costs and increase revenue through

layoffs of about 12 employees, freezes
and cuts in salaries, extra funding for
Medicare patients because of changes in
that program, and more funding from the
state for Medicaid patients, spokes-
woman Karen Schickedanz told the
Chicago Sun-Times.

The hospital may also try to coordi-
nate work with area health facilities and
will try to recruit more physicians and
admit more patients.

"The idea of the county buying the
hospital received a cool reception" at a
Cook County board meeting, the
newspaper said. The former county
board president recommended buying
Bethany as a satellite for the aging Cook
County Hospital. A coalition of West
Side health groups protested the sale,
claiming neighborhood physicians would
have no place to admit patients and
would leave the area.

Deaf ministries to be
cooperative venture

The Church of the Brethren will take
part in a new Anabaptist Deaf Ministries
Board with other Anabaptist denomina-
tions, the Parish Ministries Commission
decided in October.

Cooperative work will be only one
part of the Brethren response to the deaf
ministries recommendations from
Annual Conference, said PMC executive
Joan Deeter. PMC has also appointed a
deaf ministries task force and approved a
budget for its work in 1991.

Some cooperative work is already in
place, Deeter emphasized. The Univer-
sity Park Church of the Brethren in
Hyattsville, Md., is housing the Mennon-
ite Board of Missions' Deaf Ministries
Office. MBM is to be primarily respon-
sible for the cooperative board and will
provide the bulk of the necessary funds
at this time. Cooperating denominations
are expected to work at fundraising for
the effort.

Janice Martin and Jan Eisemann will
represent the Brethren on the board.
Members of the new Brethren task force
are still to be named.

January 1991 Messenger 7

World AIDS Day 1990 took place December 1 , focusing on issues
related to women and AIDS. The World Health Organization esti-
mated that in 1990 one-third of the six million people infected with HIV
were women. With the impact of AIDS as both an illness and a social
and economic challenge, the day drew attention to the special
problems faced by women and highlighted the need for women to
become involved in the worldwide fight against AIDS. From its start in
1988, World AIDS Day has been the only international day of
coordinated action in the global effort to meet the challenge of AIDS.

The 1990 Presidential End Hunger Award was received by
Heifer Project International (HPI) at a White House ceremony in
October. The award, sponsored by the US Agency for International
Development, is presented annually in conjunction with World Food
Day to eight US citizens and organizations making significant
contributions to end hunger. Samson Kisekka, prime minister of
Uganda, nominated HPI for the award after visiting the Perryville, Ark;
livestock research and education center. Kisekka commented that HPI
"provides a hand up rather than a handout."

Statements about the nature of Jesus Christ have divided
Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christians for 1 ,500 years, since the
Council of Calcedon in 451. But in a meeting in September, 34
theologians from 16 countries gave unanimous approval to a state-
ment attempting to mend the theological divide. Discussions con-
cluded that both Orthodox families have maintained authentic Chris-
tological faith, though perhaps have used Christological terms
differently. Theologians noted, "It is this common faith and continuous
loyalty to the apostolic tradition that should be the basis of our unity
and communion," Religious News Service reported.

The call to abolish conscription in Germany is part of a
declaration adopted by the free churches of the former Federal
Republic, who feel that a military draft is no longer needed. The
declaration also calls for a drastic reduction in the size of the profes-
sional army and asks that a social peace service for men and women
replace the existing civilian alternative service.

Cooperation in Bible translation and distribution is being
worked on more closely as a result of meetings held in England in

On bended knee. Attorney General Dick Thornburg presents a checi
for $20,000 to Kisa Iseri, 102, from Ontario, Ore., at a ceremony iielc
at tfie Justice Department in October Laws for sucti payments of
redress to Japanese-Americans for internment in camps during Woric
War II have been supported strongly by Brethren over the years, as
have programs for their resettlement.

October by the United Bible Societies. The hope is to avoid duplica-
tion as well as unproductive competition in the task of making
scripture available. In a statement from 12 organizations, both distri-
bution and translation agencies, it was noted that familiarity and use
of scripture has greatly diminished in "developed" countries, and tha
there has been an increase in sharing from personal experience as
opposed to using scripture. Agencies at the meeting felt these trends
are undermining the church's reliance on the word of God for
guidance and teaching.

The Vatican-sponsored World Peace Day theme, observed
January 1 , was one of "conscience." A Vatican statement said, "If y(
want peace, respect everyone's conscience," and that "this is true fc
individuals as for communities," Peace Media Service reported.

Brethren provide $41,000
for food, disaster funds

A one-time grant for $23,000 has been
given through the Global Food Crisis
Fund to the Church of the Brethren in
the Dominican Republic, toward the
purchase of a diesel engine and pump.
The grant will allow for the construction
of a pump house in Los Toros, an area
that has suffered two years of drought,
and will enable 150 farm families to
irrigate approximately 6,175 acres of
land, assuring them a steady supply of

8 Messenger January 1991

food and some cash income from the
sale of produce.

Another $8,000 Global Food Crisis
Fund grant was given for the purchase of
25 tons of salt for the new Sudan
Council of Churches in the south of
Sudan. Salt, which is not available in the
region, is needed for human consump-
tion and as an item for barter, and will
be used for the relief program of the
council and to buy grains and supplies to
transport and exchange for other items of
necessity.

Grants of $5,000 each were given

through the church's Emergency
Disaster Fund to help the people of Chi
and Cambodia. In Santiago, Chile, the
money will go toward the provision of
food supplements to seven church
communities and to support efforts
toward self-sufficiency.

In Cambodia, an estimated 149,000
people in nine provinces have been
displaced due to fighting in the western
provinces. The $5,000 grant will buy k
containing blankets, plastic sheeting, ,
mosquito nets, water buckets, cooking
pots, utensils, salt, and other supplies.

New church development
right on target for 1990

With the development of 1 1 new congre-
gational starts in 1990, the goal of 1 10
churches for the decade is "right on the
money," says Merle Crouse, church
development staff.

Of the 1 1 new churches, two are
Korean, six Hispanic, and three Anglo.
"This is a much heavier proportion of
ethnic minorities than what we've seen
in the '80s, and I think this is indicative
of what we will be seeing," says Crouse,
who predicts 60 percent of future growth
will be in minority populations.

Another new trend concerns the
decline of the "fully funded" church.
Many new starts are beginning with part-
time or limited full-time pastors, renting
space from schools, fire halls, or other
churches, and staying with a rental as
long as it serves the need. "This is the
only way to go for some congregations
in areas where land and buildings are too
expensive," says Crouse.

To overcome the financial struggle,
some congregations are buying other
denominations' structures as the facili-
ties are outgrown, or the congregations
move to new locations. Still others are
seeking innovative solutions through
renting their own space to other groups
such as day care businesses.

"The key for growth in the '90s,"
says Crouse, "is to find different, more
effective ways to reach out to our
neighborhoods and communities."

General Board, Benefit Trust,
district announce new staff

Timothy A. McElwee has been named
he Washington representative for the
General Board, effective May 1 . He
lolds a degree in peace studies and
eligion/philosophy from Manchester
Tollege, a master of divinity from
3ethany Seminary, and a master of

' 'TOlitical science from Purdue University.

' i^e has served as campus pastor at
Manchester.

' Jerry D. Rodeffer, of Snohomish,
iVash., began work in November in a

Timothy A. McElwee

Janice L. Kensinger

Jerry D. Rodeffer

new position as
treasurer of the
Brethren Benefit
Trust and as
director of the
Brethren Founda-
tion. Rodeffer
received a master
of business admin-
istration from the University of Wash-
ington. He has been involved in real
estate management and management
consultation.

Janice L. Kensinger began January 1
as associate executive for youth minis-
tries in Atlantic Northeast District. She
has served the past eight years as part-
time associate for youth ministries.

Brethren involved in forum
for Salvadoran women

The inaugural meeting of the Women's
International Network for Development
and Democracy in El Salvador (WINDS)
took place in Washington, D. C, in
October, and was attended by women
from around the world.

Jan Schrock, director of Brethren
Volunteer Service, was present as a
member of the international advisory
board. Laura Lomas, a second-year
BVSer in the Washington office of Co-
MADRES, a Salvadoran human rights
organization, was a key organizer of the
conference.

"Salvadoran women are an example
to international women, and WINDS is a
way for us to learn from them and to
imitate their commitment to their
community and to peace and justice,"
says Lomas.

WINDS grew from a July event in El
Salvador, when 600 Salvadoran women
gathered to discuss how to increase
women's leadership in the political,
cultural and economic life of their
country. Among the topics covered at
the October forum were connections
between international women of faith.

women's involvement in the labor
movement, their role in economic
development, and their response to the
environmental crisis in El Salvador.
The group decided to establish an
office in El Salvador from which Sal-
vadoran women have the leadership to
direct women's self-development pro-
jects, and for which volunteers in the US
can assist Salvadoran women by getting
them office equipment, medical sup-
plies, tools, and educational materials.

Large Soviet increase
in refugee program

"While the overall caseload of refugees
is approximately the same as in recent
years, there is a large increase projected
for 1991 in the number of persons
coming from the Soviet Union," says
Donna Derr of the Brethren refugee
office.

In its original proposal for the year.
Congress has approved approximately
124,000 funded admissions for all
nationalities, with an additional "special
need" cap of 50,000 for Soviet cases
alone. Derr attributes this recent increase
to the fact that the Soviet Union has
become more lenient in its own immi-
gration policies of late, as well as to the
longstanding invitation from the US to
take as many of those who want to come
and experience religious freedoms.

"It's hard to tell in terms of numbers,
how many families the Church of the
Brethren helps to resettle," says Derr,
noting final federal budget approvals and
immigration bills as key factors deter-
mining the overall number of cases
allocated to Church World Service, and
in turn, to the Brethren and other
denominations.

"The church does act as full sponsor
for the family, however, providing tem-
porary housing, clothing, assistance with
employment, and access to some sort of
tutoring or education classes if needed."

Other significant portions of the
remaining two-thirds of the refugee
population now entering the US are
composed largely of Amerasian chil-
dren, and Africans and Mid-Easterners.

January 1991 Messenger 9

New book on environment
released by Brethren Press

Creation in Crisis: Responding to God's
Covenant, written by Shantilal Bhagat,
World Ministries staff for economic
justice/rural crisis, was released by
Brethren Press in December.

This 13-chapter book is related to
Bhagat's paper entitled "Creation:
Called to Care," which was presented
last summer at Annual Conference. The
book is designed for use as Sunday
school material, for small group discus-
sion, or to be read individually.

It explores a Christian understanding
of creation, economical and ecological
linkages to the earth, human degradation
of the planet's resources, and a look
toward the future in regard to lifestyle
choices. Ample study and discussion
questions, as well as lists of other
available resources, are included.

"We have treated the earth as just a
resource," says Bhagat. "It is important
for us as Christians to become more
conscious and active in realizing that
ultimately the environment does not
depend on us; we depend on it."

New Anabaptist curriculum
to be produced for kids

In cooperation with the Anabaptist
Curriculum Project for Children, the
Church of the Brethren is beginning
development of new Sunday school
material, working with the Mennonite
Church, the General Conference Men-
nonite Church, and the Brethren in
Christ.

The new curriculum, with a produc-
tion date set for September 1994, will
concentrate on helping adults share the
biblical faith with children and how each
child is part of God's story of faith. The
educational approach will be one of
congregational discipling by interweav-
ing Christian education, worship life,
and daily service to God with reaching
out to others.

The Parish Ministries Commission has
already approved development of the

1 Messenger January 1991

Springbok and Newborn Lamb, nis photo by Betty K. Bruce was a winner in the
annual National Bible Week photo contest. It illustrates Genesis 1 :24. ' 'And God
said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds.' "

curriculum. Staff related to the project
include June Gibble, congregational nur-
ture. Bob Dumbaugh, Brethren Press,
and Julie Garber, editor of study re-
sources. Other Brethren who will help
give overall direction to the project are
Jean Moyer and Donna Forbes Steiner,
members of the curriculum development
council.

Rosella Wiens Reigier, former secre-
tary for children's education with the
General Conference Mennonite Church,
is the project's executive director.

World conflicts hurt poor,
Hunger 1990' report says

Militarization is the chief cause of
hunger and famine in the world, accord-
ing to a report released on World Food
Day, October 16.

"Hunger 1990," published by Bread
for the World, was co-sponsored by
World Concern, the Christian Children's
Fund, Heifer Project, Church World
Service, World Vision, Catholic Relief
Services, and Lutheran World Relief.

The Gulf crisis illustrates the link
between arms and hunger, the 1 34-page
report said. The invasion of Kuwait was
"a consequence of the Cold War, whose
sponsors have poured billions of dollars
worth of arms into the region."

The report accused regional conflicts
of causing hunger by disrupting the
production and distribution of food.
Examples include civil wars in Africa,
fought with US and Soviet arms and
causing famines affecting up to 20
million people.

Hunger is increasing in Third World
countries, where military spending has
increased, and in the US, where the
study said "there are 18 to 20 million
people who are so poor that they
sometimes go without food." The $300
billion US defense budget has been
partly responsible for less spending on
food, housing, and job training.

"Now that the Cold War has come to
an end in Europe, the superpowers are
scaling down their competition in the
Third World," the report said. But the
economic needs of Eastern Europe and
the decline in "strategic value" of Third
World countries may mean the Third
World gets less superpower assistance.

Specific causes of hunger vary, the
study said. "In Ethiopia, the most
pressing issue is peace. In Brazil, the
pressing issues are international debt,
economic mismanagement, and social
injustice. In the US, the most pressing
issues are a lack of commitment to
providing jobs with adequate pay and
benefits' and insufficient funding of
social programs that have proved their
worth."

Led to the land

of the morning calm

by David R. Radcliff

"It's no accident that they chose the
peace consultant to serve as the director
of Korean ministries! ' '

I heard this comment a number of
times since adding this assignment to my
responsibilities on the denominational
staff. Indeed, if one were to go by the
conflicting feelings and perspectives in
evidence over the "'Korea question" at
this past summer's Annual Conference,
it is easy to see why my recent appoint-
ment would evoke this kind of reaction.

It should be no surprise that an issue
such as overseas Korean ministry would
prove challenging and controversial for
our denomination at this point in our
history. Not having faced the prospect of
church planting outside the United States
in some time, we have likewise not had
to face our varying understandings of the
importance and nature of ecumenical
work in other lands, as well as different
convictions about the manner of Breth-
ren "mission" in today's global context.

At this point in my new assignment, it
seems to me that the decision of Annual
Conference with regard to Korea has
pushed us on toward a resolution of
liese different approaches to Brethren
mssion outside the US. Within the
World Ministries Commission and its
*5taff, from the general secretary and
imong others in the church with whom I
lave spoken, there appears to be a
growing consensus that we are moving
n a direction that many of us can affirm.
Vlore importantly, there is a feeling of
jod's call having broken through all our
.vrangling and given us a clear indica-
ion of what God would have us do.

As our denomination takes the next
teps toward establishing itself in "the

land of morning calm," it seems to me
that there are several important markers
that guide our endeavors.

First of all, we must see these early
stages as a period of discernment in
which we earnestly seek God's direction.
The way in which we proceed at this
time will have consequences for our
long-term mission in Korea, so it
behooves us to move carefully and
prayerfully.

We must go to Korea as who we are.
There are already over five million
Christians in the Republic of Korea
(South Korea), with many Protestant
denominations and over one million
Roman Catholics. We need to offer our
unique perspective on Christianity to the
people of Korea, or else we may find
ourselves simply further muddying the
denominational waters.

Even as we offer our distinctive
Brethren witness in this new land, we
must be ready to receive the spiritual
gifts that will surely be offered us by the
people of Korea. This is a people with a
cultural history dating back nearly five
thousand years. Their affinity for
spirituality is well-known. We can
expect that, out of this history and
heritage, they will be among us as
teachers as well as learners.

We must seek the counsel of current
Korean Brethren as we move into this
mission. Many of these Brethren have a
deep personal commitment to seeing our
denomination established in their
ancestral homeland. They also offer
invaluable practical assistance in
bridging the many chasms between our
two worlds.

We should be open to establishing our
denomination in both North and South
Korea. Prospects for the reunification of

the Korean peninsula are as bright now
as at any recent time. We may be able to
play a role in making this a peaceful
reconciliation through ministries on both
sides of the current border.

And so, given these underlying
principles and guided by the Spirit of
God, we proceed toward mission and
ministry in Korea. A discernment team
will have made an exploratory visit to
Korea by the time of the Portland
Annual Conference.

Having made this visit and perhaps
another follow-up visit early next fall, I
will be prepared to make a recommen-
dation to the General Board at its
meeting in October. This proposal will
outline the manner in which we should
proceed in addressing the two-pronged
mandate of the 1 990 Annual Confer-
ence: in establishing the Church of the
Brethren in Korea, and in developing
relationships with the Korean Evangeli-
cal Church (a small Protestant denomi-
nation with whom we share many
similar beliefs and concerns).

The Church of the Brethren stands at
yet another border in its denominational
life. As at any such border, we are bound
to experience a measure of fear and
uncertainty. Yet, as at any border, we
find that our God is fully able to guide
our passage and to grant us sustenance
along the way. Let us go forth in
faith, hope, and love.

Ai.

David R. Radcliff is director of Korean ministries
and peace consultant for the Church of the
Brethren General Board.

January 1991 Messenger 11

Why
pastors

leave

by James Benedict

Several young pastors who serve Church
of the Brethren congregations in Middle
Pennsylvania District gather regularly
for fellowship and mutual support. With
our spouses and children, we meet
approximately once a month just to swap
stories, tell a few jokes, eat sweets, and
to step out of the pastoral role for a few
hours.

The topics of conversation are wide
ranging— everything from potty training
to process theology. But inevitably the
subject of pastoral transitions arises. We
share the latest news about our peers in
other places: who has resigned, who has
taken a new church, and (with fair
frequency) who has left the pastorate I
altogether.

It was after hearing of several col-
leagues leaving the pastorate in the past
few years that 1 grew curious. At times,
it sounded like a crisis; the pastoral
ranks of the Church of the Brethren |
seemed to be hemorrhaging. Aware of
the chronic shortage of pastors in the
denomination, I began to suspect that
pastors leaving the pastorate might be as
significant a reason for the shortage as
the more commonly identified failure to
recruit persons to enter the pastorate.

Beyond mere curiosity and questions
about the shortage of pastors was real
personal concern. Many of those I heard
had left the pastorate were classmates
and friends. I remembered their enthusi-
asm as we left the seminary to begin our
careers. What had happened?

Focusing my curiosity and concern, I
developed a survey to find answers to
the questions that troubled me. How
many of my peers had actually left the
pastorate? Why had they left? Were they
leaving religious work completely or

1 2 Messenger January 1 99 1

only the pastorate? Were those who left
lost to the pastorate forever?

With the assistance of Robert Faus,
the church's consultant for ministry, and
John Cassel, dean of students at Bethany
Theological Seminary, I mailed a brief
survey to 1 25 persons who had gradu-
ated from Bethany between the years of
1977 and 1986 with master of divinity
degrees. Those chosen to receive the
survey were people who might have held
a Church of the Brethren pastorate at
some time since graduation.

The response to the survey was
gratifying. Ninety-seven people (77.6
percent) returned the survey, providing a
wealth of previously unavailable
information. Of those who returned the
survey, six indicated they had never
entered the pastorate. Thus, the basic
statistical pool was a group of 9 1 men
and women who had graduated from
Bethany between 4 and 14 years ago and
served as Church of the Brethren pastors.

uch of what the survey revealed
was more positive than I had anticipated.
For example, nearly 80 percent of those
who had entered the pastorate were
currently serving in that capacity.
Almost two-thirds had remained in the
pastorate continuously, while another 15
percent had left for a time and later

i returned. Roughly 1 2 percent more were
presently working as chaplains, denomi-
national staff, or executives of other

, religious agencies.

Thus, more than 90 percent were still
in some form of ministry. A vast
majority were in the pastorate, and
several of those who weren't had moved
along as part of a preconceived career

, plan or in response to what they de-
scribed as another "calling."

Even those who were currently out of
the pastorate gave evidence of continued
interest in that role. Six of the 19 said
they were likely to return to the pastor-
ate; another 1 1 said they might, though it
was unlikely; and only 2 said they would
never return. Overall, the survey
indicated among the respondents a deep
and abiding commitment to the church
and to the pastoral ministry.

Less encouraging, however, was the
percentage of those who had left the
pastorate at one time for six weeks or
more. Thirty-six percent, or more than
one out of three, had opted out of the
pastorate after entering.

More troubling still were the reasons
they gave. While some advanced
according to plan or responded to a
sense of call, most left for less salutary
reasons. The majority named some
combination of conflict in or with the
congregation (48.5 percent), burnout
(27.3 percent), and inadequate salary
(21.2 percent) among their motivations
for leaving. A significant number of
women mentioned a lack of opportuni-
ties and/or support for women in
ministry as a factor in their decision.

Most who left the pastorate were
young when they entered and still young
when they left. The average stay before
leaving was slightly less than five years.
All but a handful of those who left
started in the pastorate while in their late
20s and left while in their early or mid-
30s. None of the respondents moved on
after spending 10 years or more in the
pastorate.

What began as a simple survey meant
to satisfy my curiosity became also an
opportunity for the subject group to vent
their feelings about serving as Church of
the Brethren pastors. Besides answers to
the questions on the survey, I received

much additional information in the form
of comments, notes, and even letters
returned with the survey.

hirty respondents wrote notes and
nine wrote letters of a page or more.
Several wanted to explain special
circumstances. Many who hadn't left the
pastorate wrote to say that they had
considered it seriously, for the same
reasons given by those who had actually
left. Some who had left expressed
appreciation that someone had shown an
interest. They complained that leaving
the pastorate seemed to have rendered
them invisible in the eyes of the church.

After reading through the surveys and
the letters, I was left with the impression
that there was a great deal of frustration
and dissatisfaction concerning the
pastorate among the respondents. As a
group they showed perseverance, but
they were an unhappy lot. They were, on
the whole, struggling to find fulfillment
as pastors.

Particularly of concern to me are the
reasons most gave for leaving or
thinking about leaving: conflict in or
with the congregation, burnout, and in-
adequate salary. These concerns deserve
the attention of the church. I know of no
quick or painless solution to these
problems, but I do believe that the
respondents' descriptions of these
problems may point us in helpful
directions.

In those cases where respondents
described the nature of the conflict they
experienced in or with the congregation,
it was often rooted in a difference in
values and expectations. In part, this
seems to have resulted from a lack of
preparation.

(continued on page 18)

January 1991 Messenger 13

Good news-bad news

by Robert E. Faus

Jim Benedict's study of beginning
pastors provides us some important
"good news-bad news" information.
We can be reassured by the dedication,
faithfulness and persistence of these
church leaders. What is troubling
though, are the signs of discontent
welling up in so many of these same
persons, especially the issues which
seem to be fueling the discontent.

For over a decade, in my role as
consultant for ministry in the Church of
the Brethren, I have been an observer/
participant in the start-up of many of
these same pastors. I offer a few reflec-
tions from that perspective.

How does the church value its leader-
ship? One obvious way is that when it
employs them in functional ministries
like pastoral ministry it provides just and
fair compensation.

For about 30 years the church has had
a salary scale and guidelines for structur-
ing satisfactory agreements between
congregations and pastors. Yet only
about a third of our congregations are on
the recommended scale; many are
straining to maintain salary support
levels whether or not they are paying
scale. Little wonder that the Benedict
sample reports stress around the matter
of financial support.

Stress is also in congregations,
especially in those congregations
pouring a high percentage of their
resources into pastoral support and for
those calling pastors with many years of
experience. The rapidly rising health
costs on the benefit side signal the
reality that the compensation issue will
become more rather than less troubling
in the years ahead.

There are other ways of valuing
pastors, more important than money. A
congregation aware of its inner dynam-
ics and committed to a mission and

1 4 Messenger January 1991

understanding of the variety of cliques
and sub-groups that make up its mem-
bership will be ready to affirm the pastor
as the spiritual guide for everyone. Yet
we know that pastors are often placed in
the middle of ongoing and often long-
standing family, personal, or theological
feuds which, if handled undiplomati-
cally, result in stress for the pastor or
even termination of the pastorate.

Congregations value their pastors
when their understanding of ministry
(their own and the pastor's) grows out of
the biblical image of gifts in the body of
Christ rather than a secular employment
model in which a ministiy specialist is
hired to do all of the work. Pastors are
affirmed when they know that strengths
in ministry have been sought and
respected.

Congregations value
their pastors when
their understanding
ofministij grows out
of the biblical
image of gifts in the
body of Christ.

In analyzing the findings in his study,
Jim Benedict does not mention one fact
that could be at the heart of some of the
latent problems he discovered: First
pastorates are notoriously stressful.

Students, even with the advantage of
summer pastorates, internships, and
concurrent ministries, move from an
academic laboratory to a congregational
setting. Beginning pastors are filled with
a sense of the call, they are on a spiritual
high, and they are eager to put into
practice many good ideas.

Congregations have a history of their
own and have seen a series of pastors
come and go and function at their own
pace. A year or two into the pastorate,
start-up pastors wonder why they
haven't been more effective and congre-
gations discover yet another pastor who
isn't the "messiah."

What should be refreshing realism for
both pastor and congregation leading
them to a relaxed assessment of their
mutual ministry in the service of God in
that place often instead becomes the first
hints of disappointment in their relation
ship.

Neill Hamilton, for a decade a
researcher of pastoral beginnings, says
that the first three to five years of
pastoral ministry are critical. If the
church wants to perform a very valuable f
service in conserving pastoral leadership
it should pay much more attention to
new pastors.

Bethany Seminary is on target with its
advanced pastoral seminars, bringing
back graduates after three years in a
pastorate and adding non-Bethany
graduates to the list of invited partici-
pants. Three different districts have
appropriately conducted new pastor
retreats for almost a decade. And severall
districts on their own are providing
mentors and spiritual shepherding for
new pastors on that first journey.

I have wondered whether the church
should enter a partnership with Bethany
to have practical ministries in a start-up
congregation become an extension of the'
seminary's theoretical, theological, and
biblical preparation. That way start-up
congregations would be participants in
the development of competencies, and
start-up pastors would feel less pressure
to be expert in everything when
they begin their service.

Robert E. Faus is the Church of the Brethren
General Board's consultant for ministry.

Ministry together

by John Cassel

Each fall and spring the Bethany
Seminary faculty and staff are inspired
and renewed by the commitment and
enthusiasm of new students and graduat-
ing seniors. It is gratifying to read Jim
Benedict's data indicating that 90
percent of our master of divinity grads
are active in ministry and that 80 percent
are serving in pastoral ministry. The data
is all the more impressive when one
realizes that many persons in our culture
experience three to five career changes
over a lifetime.

Bethany takes seriously its role in
educating persons for the various
ministries of the church. Part of this role
is in the training and formation of "set-
apart" ministers. But, wisely, the
Church of the Brethren has never iden-
tified its strength by looking solely to its
clergy.

In July 1990 the board of Bethany
Theological Seminary adopted a "Part-
nership Vision" of theological educa-
tion. The board was expressing its strong
consensus that a partnership of mutuality
represented the best way for Bethany
and the church to think about the
theological education of church leaders
and church members. Jim Benedict's
article allows us to explore some of what
a partnership vision might mean.

What shape does ministry take in the
iChurch of the Brethren? What does
Iministry mean in our cultural and
historical time? The recent Lilly-funded
research of the seminary and the General
;Board points to some wonderful heritage
resources and some difficult issues. The
Church of the Brethren has a strong and
rich heritage in terms of ministry and

i:alling to ministry. Yet, these are hard
imes for the church. As a denomination
ve are experiencing a declining mem-
oership. With all Christian churches we
;are facing an ever more secular world.

The place of religion and the church in
our society is confused. North American
affluence offers a powerful seduction to
our values and commitments.

We are also reminded that the Church
of the Brethren does not have substantial
years of experience with full-time.

Together we can have
strong congregations.
Together we can
discover Gods will
for the church in our
time. Together we can
be Gods people.

professional, "career" ministry. Many
Brethren know that a competent and
effective pastor can do much to enhance
the life and vitality of a congregation.
There is less consensus regarding the
challenge of pastoral ministry. What can
we expect from those we ask to provide
pastoral leadership? What can they
expect from the congregation? These are
questions still being hammered out on
the anvil of experience.

New patterns of ministry and hard
times for the church beg the question.
How has the church and seminary
responded to the new realities of our
time? At least two signposts come to
mind:

a) Some 20 years ago, Bethany
introduced a style of education that
attempted to address the multiplicity of
skills and abilities required by pastoral
leadership. In recent years these con-
cerns have evolved into the Ministry
Sequence courses. Central to these ways
of organizing the curriculum is a
concern to provide students with people

skills, an appropriate self-understanding,
and the means to keep growing across
their years in ministry.

b) Student indebtedness (gathered
through four years of college and three
years of graduate school) has grown in
alarming ways in the past decade. While
the Bethany board has attempted to
address this particular issue, the finances
of ministry and ministry preparation
remain troubling.

A 25-year-old seminary student in
1991 could well be active in ministry
into the year 2035 and beyond— in a new
world demanding new skills. Bethany's
curriculum is designed to enable
graduates to understand and work within
a variety of cultural and ethnic contexts
—including points as diverse as Jim
Benedict's rather homogeneous congre-
gation in New Enterprise, Fa., and the
urban congregations in Nigeria to which
our Ekklesiyar 'Yanuwa a Nigeria
students are likely to return.

Brethren have always relied for
guidance on both the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit and the disciplining commu-
nity of the church. Together— as persons
of faith, as congregations, as districts, as
institutions— we can call, train, and
support persons in ministry. Together,
we can grow in our understandings of
scripture. Together we can have strong
congregations. Together we can provide
a context where each member can think
about career and calling. Together we
can discover God's will for the church in
our time. Together we can be God's
people.

But when each part— whether each
Christian, each pastor, each congrega-
tion, each district, or each school— is left
to its own devices, then we will fall like
Humpty-Dumpty, never to
come together again.

Ai.

John Cassel is dean of students at Bethany
Theological Seminary, Oak Brook. III.

January 1991 Messenger 15

When
the call
changes

by Kathy S. Hauger

Why do pastors leave? The statistics
from Jim Benedict's survey provide a
foundation for thought. His article (page
12} builds upon that foundation by
explaining some of the numbers and
placing them into categories.

The following thumbnail sketches of
selected pastors help us move from
statistics to individuals, in an attempt to
better understand the answer to the
survey question.

In all of these vignettes is a sincere
attempt to maintain integrity and
continue following God's leading. Faith,
while shaken perhaps, seems never to
have been lost. After listening to these
stories, we are reminded that these are
not the only times that God has taken
seeming defeat and turned it into victory.

Irving Glover

Following God's leading is Irving
Glover's goal, whether it takes him into,
out of, back into, or back out of the
pastorate. He clearly states his belief that
"God's call is not static" any more than
is God's Spirit.

Drawn to the Brethren in his youth,
Irving felt God's leading through his
initial 13 years in pastoral ministry and
his subsequent move into the music sales
industry. After four years of success in
the music business, he began to feel
God's prompting to reenter the pastorate.
Floating his minister's profile brought
him to a call to the Daleville congrega-
tion in Virginia.

After 10 years he again felt God's
prompting to move. This time, not clear
whether God wanted him in the pastorate
or out, Irving explored both options. He
turned down a concrete offer in the
music sales industry because it just
didn't feel like God wanted him there.

Leaving a certain opportunity for
uncertain searching, Irving waited while
his profile continued to circulate and
substitute taught in the meantime.
Finally, an invitation came from the
Midland (Va.) church. It felt right to him
and it felt right to them. Irving Glover
returned to the pastorate.

"Being in the pastorate does not mean
you have to say, 'Whoopie!' You're
there because you're called to be there."
The important thing, he says, is to
remain open to the continuing moving
Spirit of God.

Barb Lahman & Gary Hogle

Barb Lahman and her husband, Gary
Hogle, were in the pastorate as a team
until their decision to leave, over three
years ago. Barb now stays home full-
time with their two children. Gary works
full-time as site superintendent for a Girl
Scout camp.

They experienced the pastorate in
different ways. For Gary, the wife-
husband team ministry is not a workable
model for pastoral ministry. Though he
believes the congregation found the
arrangement workable and perhaps even
enjoyable, he would not recommend it.

He began to question the experience
during the second year of his position.
After his third year he began looking
elsewhere. Exploring camping as an |
alternative to the pastoral ministry, Gary
accepted a position at a camp only an
hour away from his previous pastorate.
He enjoys his work, is glad now that it is
"secular," and is happy with the
direction their lives are taking. |

Barb found the team model of minis-
try more workable than did Gary.
Though it's not likely, she doesn't rule
out returning to the pastoral ministry. If
she enters the pastoral ministry again, it
might easily be as part of a pastoral
team. She resigned her position as pastoi
when she discovered she was pregnant,
before Gary had decided to resign. She
jokes that when Gary resigned the
congregation was confused: he couldn't
be pregnant!

Like Gary, Barb is glad for her
decision and likes what she is doing. Yei
there are times when she struggles with
her choice. As a pastor she found herself
a well-respected professional. As an at- '
home mom in an area where she has mei
few professional women, she has found
quite an adjustment to make.

1 6 Messenger January 1991

Judy Georges

Judy Georges only recently left the Ivy
Farms Church of the Brethren in Virgin-
ia to become campus minister at the
University of La Verne, in California.

Her move was motivated by a desire
to head west to be closer to family and a
big-city atmosphere. While Judy loves
the pastorate, she is pleased at the
professional opportunity to be able to
diversify her resume. She doesn't rule
out pursuing a Ph.D. at some point, and
believes she is opening herself to a wider
range of ministries than if she had
remained in the pastorate.

But she has "a strong sense I will
some day return to the parish, because I
love and always will love the parish. Ivy
Farms, take that personally!"

Ken Bomberger

To Ken Bomberger, God's call has been
to be a self-supporting pastor, a ' 'free
minister." So, while it may appear that
he has left the pastorate for secular
employment, he continues to see himself
as being called to the pastoral ministry
and as answering that call.

For eight years Ken pastored as a
partially salaried minister. When the
;ongregation chose to go to a full-time
Dastor, he felt led to focus full time on
lis photography business and to leave
he salaried ministry. Remaining a
nember of the congregation. Ken "laid
ow" for a couple of years. He is now
actively involved in a growing children
ind youth ministry in that church, as
jvell as managing a thriving photography
msiness.
Many questions remain for Ken. There
re few clear signals to guide him, as he
eeks to follow his call from God to be a
jelf-supporting pastor. Yet he is very
'ertain about one thing— that he has not
;ft the ministry.

Cindy Weber-Han

Cindy Weber-Han was a pastor for 12
years. Even while enjoying a successful
pastorate, though, she began to question
the pastoral experience.

The questions became stronger after
she was called to a new assignment and
found herself placed in an unexpected
congregational "hornet's nest." Finally,
she says, she chose to follow God's
leading toward a healthier position after
becoming increasingly frustrated and
experiencing broken promises and
denials.

Cindy does not rule out returning
some day to the pastorate she left four
years ago. She continues to feel called
into the ministry. But today she is
answering that call by counseling drug-
and alcohol-dependent people through
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois,
working largely with the homeless and
societally marginal.

In addition to her concern for those
she counsels, Cindy has concern for the
health of the pastoral system. She
believes that, as a pastor, she was
encouraged to become so involved with
taking care of everyone else that a
healthy sense of self was in danger of
being lost, and she sees this in other
pastors today.

Dean Miller

In his many years as a pastor. Dean
Miller has never left the pastorate.
Would he ever consider leaving? His
answer is a qualified no.

Toward the end of his last pastorate.
Dean began to realize that his age might
work against him. While he wanted to
remain in the pastorate, he considered
other forms of ministry because he
figured congregations might want a
younger pastor. In the middle of his
searching, he received a call from the
Mountville (Pa.) church, where he now
serves.

Dean feels that he's had "good,
challenging pastorates" that have
allowed him the freedom to bring his
personality into his work. But pastoring
can be draining, he says, because of the
diverse expectations of parishioners. To
counter the drain. Dean works at times
of recharging. He carves out time when
he can "let his hair down" with good
friends or pursue personal interests. This
way he'll be able to remain in the
pastorate as long as he feels called

Freelance writer Kathy Hauger. an ordained
Church of the Brethren minister, lives in Chester,
N.J.

January 1991 Messenger 17

(continued from page 13)

As a denomination, we are aggres-
sively promoting urban ministry. We
often focus on understanding other
cultures and ethnic groups, and it is a
priority among our leadership that the
seminary remain in at least a suburban
(if not urban) setting.

But the reality for many seminary
graduates is that their first church is in a
homogeneous white, traditional, and
rural setting. The seminary offers
courses in urban ministry, black, and
even Native American culture. Students
are taught to understand and appreciate
the values of these settings and peoples.
But it is assumed that they understand
and appreciate the culture and values of
the rural Brethren with predominantly
German ancestry whom they frequently
find themselves ministering to after they
leave the seminary.

Very often they do not understand the
people they are called to serve, nor are
they prepared for the isolation of rural
settings. Many are accustomed to greater
cultural and educational opportunities
and more simple conveniences than are
available to them. Also, few are lucky
enough to find readily available peers to
provide support. While many of the
frustrations of ministering in a rural
setting cannot be avoided, it may at least
be possible to prepare pastors better to
meet them.

The problem of burnout, the second
most common complaint of pastors who
have left or have considered leaving the
pastorate, may also be treatable— in this
instance, not so much by the seminary
through preparation as by the congrega-
tion through expressions of appreciation
and support. The surveys revealed quite
clearly that burnout was not a result of
long hours and high expectations alone.

Rather than see burnout as simply a
matter of the pastor working too hard,
driven either by inner needs or external
pressures, it is more helpful to view
burnout as an instance in which positive
reinforcement from all sources (congre-
gation, spouse, family and friends,
district, denomination at large) is

1 8 Messenger January 1991

insufficient to support the level of
activity and energy output required of
the pastor by those same sources.

In short, burnout occurs when stress
overwhelms a person's coping resources
—that are in part a product of positive
reinforcement. A congregation does not
always control all the sources of stress in
a pastor's life. The congregation can
control the demands they place on their
pastor professionally. But health
problems, marital troubles, and personal
debt (all of which may be unrelated to
the pastor's work) can also create stress.
So, too, can a growing family or the
death of a loved one.

While the congregation cannot always
control the sources of the stress that may
lead to burnout, it can balance the
equation by adding support and affirma-
tion when the pastor is under stress.
Regular attendance, a note of apprecia-
tion, an offer to watch the children so
that the pastor and the spouse can spend
time together alone, even a simple pat
on the back— all can help prevent
burnout.

X inally, there is the issue of inadequate
salary. One in five who left named it as a
significant reason for leaving the
pastorate. Pastors are notoriously sensi-
tive about money matters. They don't
get into the pastorate to get rich, yet they
do expect to be supported at a fair rate.
Most pastors I know dread the annual
review of salary and benefits as much or
more than their church boards do.

The survey indicated that most pastors
who left because of inadequate salary
were being paid less than scale and felt
forced to fight for every penny they
received. They were accused of being
mercenaries. Yet it seemed to them that
the church boards or executive commit-
tees were always more willing to ask
them to make a large sacrifice than to
ask all the members of the congregation
to make much smaller sacrifices in order
to provide the money for the pastor's
salary.

Before churches play hardball in

salary negotiations with their pastors,
they may want to take note of the
Bureau of Labor statistics. According to
the most recent government figures,
clergy rank near the bottom among
professionals in median weekly earnings
Office machine repairers, postal clerks,
plumbers, and laboratory technicians all
have median weekly incomes higher
than those of clergy, without putting in
three years of graduate school after four
years of college. Pastors are a bargain,
relatively speaking.

What pastors really want when it
comes to salary is only to feel that they
are treated fairly and with respect. They
understand that congregations go
through financial crises and in most
cases are willing to share the burden of
the crisis by increasing their contribu-
tions along with the rest of the congrega
tion's members. What they resent is
being asked to bear the burden alone.

This survey of pastors who leave the
local church setting seemed to touch a
nerve among many who serve or have
served our denomination. The group
surveyed is already well represented
among our denominational leadership
and is likely to become better represent-
ed as the years pass. It behooves the
church to listen closely to these pastors
and former pastors as they describe thei)
experiences. The response of the i

denomination and of local churches will
have an impact not only on the retention
of pastors but on the quality of ministry '
congregations receive and on the !

recruitment of new pastors.

First Timothy reminds us, "If anyone
sets his heart on being an overseer
(pastor), he desires a noble task" (NIV>
The men and women among us who
have been called to this noble task need!
the support, understanding, and respect
of the church at large. All of that de-
pends on open, honest communication.
Through the survey, the pastors have
spoken. May those to whom and with
whom they minister respond
in grace.

\M^

James Benedict is pastor of the New Enterprise
(Pa.) Church of the Brethren.

Spying out a strange land

Couples in co-ministry

by Dan and Cindy Bamum-Steggerda

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Send men to
spy out the land of Canaan, which I am
giving to the Israelites.' "

Moses sends his scouts out to "see
what the land is like, and whether the
people who live in it are strong or weak,
whether they are few or many, and
whether the land they live in is good or
bad, and whether the towns that they live
in are unwalled or fortified, and whether
the land is rich or poor, and whether
there are trees in it or not. Be bold, and
bring some of the fruit of the land"
(Num. 13).

Last year, at a seminar held at Beth-
any Theological Seminary and spon-
sored by the General Board, this scrip-
ture passage opened our conference on
clergy couples in co-ministry. "Spying
out a strange land" is what it's like for
clergy couples in co-ministry and, quite
likely, for the congregations they serve.

Our leaders were Jim and Jo Carole
Bundy, who have been in co-ministry for
16 years in the United Church of Christ.
Their congregation is a small one on the
west side of Chicago. To enhance our
discussions, the number of couples at the
conference was limited to 10. Other
couples registered but were turned away.

Although the geographic locations,
districts, and church sizes differed, many
of the issues and concerns that we lifted
up at the seminar were similar. As we
shared our reflections on what it is like
to be in co-ministry with our spouses,
these common issues, both positive and
negative, emerged.

The issue of time has many dimen-
sions. Pastors, as a rule, spend a lot of
time working. Co-ministry couples are

no different. Instead of just one pastor,
now there are two. And although they
are both part-time, both pastors put in
hours that reflect the old "two for the
price of one" adage.
This problem of too many work hours

is an issue not only for the couple and
their families to grapple with. The
congregation and solo pastors following
a team need to be aware of this issue.
What's fair to the couple and their
families? What's fair to the congrega-

January 1991 Messenger 19

tion? What's fair to those who follow
us?

When speaking of time, we must
consider work time versus family time
versus couple time versus individual
time. Each requires its share of quality
attention. Work time is important, to
serve the congregation and God. As
good stewards and as disciples of Christ,
we need to model good use of time in all
areas of our lives. When one area gets
too much time, other areas suffer and are
short-changed.

A good example of this is called
conflation. Simply put, this means
bringing work issues home and home
issues to work. There is little or no
differentiation between work and home
life. Sometimes this is lived out in our
bedroom by discussing church matters.
When church completely invades the
home life, children can be shut out and
feel excluded. The problems increase
when congregations have difficulty
remembering what the boundaries
between home and church are.

There are time advantages in the
clergy couple model, too. One of these
advantages can be seen in couples that
have children. Parenting is shared, which
enhances the care and nurture of the
child and minimizes the need for paid
child care. Another advantage comes
when one or both spouses want to try
additional ministry opportunities or other
interests. Some of the couples have
explored teaching, counseling, writing,
and accounting.

Another common issue is identity. We
each have a hard enough time claiming
an identity for ourselves as ministers.
For many of us, being a part of a clergy
couple is our first experience in pastoral
ministry. For some of us, one is just
entering the pastoral ministry while the
spouse has already had years of experi-
ence. For women, being a part of a
clergy couple in co-ministry could be
their only way to have a pastoral
position.

The pastor's wife syndrome was
discussed, but most felt that this problem

20 Messenger January 1991

lessened as the congregations became
more comfortable with the co-ministry
model. For most, but not all, couples, the
woman in ministry gained pastoral
identity by preaching half of the time.

The identity that we have as a married
couple, as a family, and as individuals
seems to be put on hold in order to
concentrate on the professional identity
of each person. Identity issues seemed to
increase if the couples were newly
married and new to the co-ministry
model. Couples who have recently
married are dealing with identity issues
of single versus married in addition to
the other identity issues above.

An identity question brought up during
our seminar had to do with whether we
are "pastor" or "pastors." If Cindy
visits someone in the hospital, was Dan
there to visit too, or was one of the
pastors there and Dan is expected to do
his own visit? This question affects not
only the identity issue— "who is the
pastor?" or "who are the pastors?"— but
also the issue of time and the duplication
of efforts and duties. Couples and
congregations need to struggle with this
tension.

We have named the final issue
complementation. This means division of
tasks or duties. Couples divided duties
differently, but gifts and interests were
always a major criterion. Being able to
divide duties based on gifts and interests
is a definite advantage to the couple and
the congregation.

Preaching did seem to be divided
equally, with one exception. Other areas
of ministry such as administration,
visitation coordination, youth, Christian
education, witness, and nurture were
split based on skill and interest. Some
couples also seemed to divide office
time based usually on who was preach-
ing because they shared an office. Some
even shared a desk.

All the couples seemed to highlight
the positive aspects of co-ministry
because of the ability to divide duties
based on skills and interests, likes and
dislikes. It seems as though the congre-

gations can benefit from complementc
tion too!

The flip side of the complementatio
issue has to do with power and who he
it. More simply asked: "Who's in
charge?" One way that our congrega-
tion, the Christian Church Uniting, ha
dealt with this power issue was to buil
both of us offices. They also changed
location of the pastor's office so that £
power associated with that space was
negated. The "Who's in charge?"
question seems to be one that is in a
constant state of negotiation by the
couple and by the congregation. More
important than "who is in charge" is
that someone is in charge so that detai
and people don't slip through the crac

As the seminar progressed one thinj
became increasingly clear. It is crucia
for clergy couples to find support both
outside and inside their congregations
We also felt that congregations need
support and guidance as they "spy ou'
this new land." This seminar was a gr
way to begin the important dialog and
support between clergy couples. We
recommend that such a seminar be
offered again for the many other clerg
couples in the denomination.

We also recommend that two insigh
sessions be offered at Annual Confer-
ence—one for congregations who have
clergy couple as pastor or are considei
ing calling a clergy couple, and one fc
clergy couples.

In the Church of the Brethren we ha
at least 40 clergy couples in co-minist
and 10 couples in ministry serving
different congregations or church-relai
institutions. We ask that the Church ol
the Brethren ' 'pay attention to clergy
couples," as we continue our mission
ministry together. As a denomination '
have tremendous leadership and pastoi
care possibilities. Clergy couples n
are a gift to the church. L_

Dan and Cindy Barnum-Steggerda are pastor
of Christian Church Uniting Church, Virginia
Beach, Va.. a combined United Church of Christ
Church of the Brethren congregation. Both are
graduates of Bethany Theological Seminary.

Teamwork

Glennis and Ernest Walker

by Karla Boyers

Dick Buckwalter chuckles, remembering
the phone calls he and his wife, Anita,
have received over the past 14 years
while serving as co-pastors at the
Lansing (Mich.) First congregation. The
phone calls came from persons outside
their congregation asking for "pastor
Buckwalter."

"At first, Anita would hand the phone
over to me by habit," says Dick, who
pastored solo for three years previous to
their working as a team. "So I had to
start saying, 'There's two of us here.
Which one did you want?' "

While they've been around for awhile
now, co-pastors, team ministers, clergy
couples (or whatever else one may call
them), for many, still seem to take some
getting used to.

For John and Janice Kulp Long, who
entered the pastoral ministry together
two years ago, both felt very little
hesitation from the Center congregation
in Louisville, Ohio, to try them as a
team. "There was a period of time when
I was introduced as 'the pastor's wife' "
says Jan, "though the members were
very good at correcting themselves
almost as soon as they slipped. ' '

Pattie Stem, who has served as co-
district executive for Pacific Southwest
along with her husband, Irven, for
almost six years, has met with similar
response. "In the beginning, I often
overheard someone saying, 'I want you
to come meet our district executive and
his wife.' "

"Sometimes I think it's more a matter
of attitudinal barriers than theological
ones," says Irven.

January 1991 Messenger 21

Phillip and Louise (Louie) Rieman are
prime examples of broken barriers.
Louie, who soloed for five years while
Phil maintained the household, was then
joined by Phil in ministering to the
Ivester church in Grundy Center, Iowa,
where they've been the past five years.

"When we first started as a team,"
says Louie, "Phil was uncomfortable at
times because members of the con-
gregation tended to look to him, as the
male, for leadership, when in actuality I
had more pastoring experience."

Just how did these couples get in-
volved in their "partnerships?" For John
and Jan Long, they weren't even
considering it. Attending seminary for
reasons of personal growth, and neither
having the intention of pastoring, it was
in the "gradual awareness of our gifts
and abilities that we felt we should make
ourselves available as a team, sensing
the need for leadership in the church,"
says Jan.

Ernest and Glennis Walker, both
retired at the time, felt a call to "fill the
gaps," of an open church, believing that
what they couldn't do alone could be
accomplished together. They had to
move a long way from their home,
children, and grandchildren in Kentucky,
when they made the decision to take a
three-year pastoral commitment with the
Worthington congregation in Reading,
Minn., drawn by the realization that if
they weren't there to fill the pulpit, it
just might remain empty.

Dick and Anita Smith Buckwalter
approached their congregation with the
idea of working as a team. "After the
birth of our first son, Anita was wanting
still to be involved professionally," says
Dick, "and I wanted to have more time
with Nathan. So for us, the idea emerged
from our family situation. We were
hoping to somehow share parenting and
professional roles."

Between them, both Jerry and Becky
Baile Grouse have had several separate
experiences in interim positions, summer
pastorates, and working as youth direc-

22 Messenger January 1991

tors. But when they talked about long-
range pastoral positions, they looked
ahead to family and felt that, for them, it
would be important to share a congrega-
tion. So they put out their profile as a
team, and are now halfway into their
third year of serving the Antioch
congregation in Rocky Mount, Va.

When an opening came up for district
executive in their area, Pattie and Irven
Stem received separate letters asking
them to consider the position. Both read
the letters and laid them aside— inter-
ested, but certainly not something they'd
think of attempting alone. Then one day,
Irven called Pattie and said, "What do
you think about doing this together?"

"As for congregational response,"
says Phil Rieman, "I sense that team
ministry is not a fast-growing movement
in the denomination, though I think it's
steadily being seen as a viable alterna-
tive."

And while certain tensions still seem
to exist within the denomination con-
cerning the "female factor" of ministry
(language being noted as among the
larger hurdles faced by women), the
overall response, at least from the
congregations involved, seems to be
widely supportive.

'ick Buckwalter, who has been active
in the rewriting of hymns and other
materials used in their congregation's
worship, feels his part in the issue of
female ministry is one of being an
advocate for women in leadership. "In
my scriptural understanding of my
position, men are called to be about the
affirming of the gifts of the sisters."

Some have found transitions rather
smooth. Glennis Walker was a pastor's
wife a long time before becoming a
pastor. As far as a change in role, she
feels she "does a lot of the same things
as before, only now in an official
capacity."

"I think we have to realize," says
Jerry Grouse, "that team ministry has

been around a long time— it just hasn't
been called that. And I think any spousei
of a pastor can tell you that."

Perhaps just being able to name it has
been a relief to some. Pattie Stem, also
having spent significant time as a
pastor's wife since the days when she
and Irven were first missionaries in
Nigeria, now feels that her role is less
ambiguous.

"As the pastor's wife it is sometimes
hard to know what others expect of you.
Now I'm in a position where I'm free to
flesh out my gifts and talents, and
somehow, for me, there's more of a
feeling of having been called."

So what's in it for the church? "Op-
tions," says John Long. Like many
pastors and pastoral teams, he and Jan
offer counseling services, and consider i
an invaluable plus to give members the
choice between a male and female
perspective, realizing preference and the
multitude of past experiences, oftentime
painful, which may make a person
uncomfortable disclosing problems or
concems with one or the other sex.

"I think it lends a sense of integrity,
especially when we do marital or
premarital counseling," says Louie
Rieman. ' 'The impression is given that
we won't ask them to process anything
we haven't or aren't willing to do
ourselves."

"Working as a team allows the
congregation different perspectives,"
says Jan Long. "They don't have to
listen to just one of us in the pulpit time
after time. The change keeps them
attentive. ' '

One thing seems certain. For those
congregations that have either sensed .
the need to tum in the direction of a fl
shared ministry, or for those that have
ventured on speculation that it may be
something worthwhile for them to try,
there seems to be the overall impression
of a mutually beneficial relationship at
work.

For the Riemans, it has been a "good
marriage for both," says Phil, noting

'^attie and Irven Stern harmonize during a Pacific Southwest district board retreat.

heir strong stance on war tax resistance
IS a challenge their congregation has had
wrestle with. "One of our biggest joys
n this congregation," says Phil, "is the
;upport we've felt in asking the church

cooperate with us on this conviction,
'erhaps because there are two of us, this
las allowed them to be less hesitant,
mowing that if one of us is arrested, the
)ulpit can still be filled."

For Dick Buckwalter, the plus has
)een in sharing yet another level of
ntimacy with his wife. "It's great to be

1 co-worker with your friend, lover,
vife, and co-parent." Anita would add
hat the partnership has kept their
narriage commitment vibrant. "Sharing
n ministry keeps us working and current
it other issues in our marriage because
t's hard to get a task accomplished with
lirty dishes in the way."

For Jerry Crouse, a benefit has been
he relief from constant pastoral respon-
ibilities. "The awesomeness of having

do sermon preparation and preach
ach week is alleviated in the context of

1 team. Sometimes I need a break, and
vith Becky there, I can get one."

Just how the nitty-gritty of negotiating
responsibilities is worked out varies
somewhat from couple to couple. For the
Stems, "the work seems to divide itself
naturally," says Pattie. She and Irven
share the responsibility of one commis-
sion and split the remaining four, though
each often fills in for the other.

"When we're called on to be guest
speakers at a congregation, or have
responsibilities to perform ordination
services, we tend to write the text
together. First we talk through what we
want to say. Then one writes, and the
other edits. In the end, we both feel the
benefit in having worked through it
together," says Pattie.

The Riemans, who had heard before
that people will regard as pastor the one
who preaches most, decided to take turns
giving the sermon, as most pastoral
teams seem to do. "Basically, the one
not preaching spends the first day in the
office and the rest of the week at home
maintaining the household," says Louie.
"The one preaching is usually in the
office the rest of the week."

A similiar arrangement is shared by

John and Jan Long, looking ahead three
to six months to make a working
schedule, keeping in mind family events
and other outside commitments such as
Jan's participation as district peace
worker.

For most couples, administrative
duties are either shared or divided
according to particular interests, talents,
or experience. Visitation may be shared
or divided, as is leadership in special
services. "One of the biggest joys for
me," says Jan, "is performing a
wedding ceremony as a team. There
seems to be such a model of partnership
present."

Working together as a team within the
same congregation is not for everyone,
however. Tim and Beth Sollenberger
Mophew, who met at Bethany Seminary,
had discussed the option, but never
seriously considered it. Yet both felt
called to do pastoral ministry. So now on
Sunday mornings, Tim preaches at the
more rural West Charleston church in
Tipp City, Ohio, while Beth gives the
sermon to the urban Mack Memorial
congregation about 18 miles away in
Dayton.

"We knew we wouldn't do well
working together," says Beth. "We're
both territorial, and clarity of role is
important for us. And as a woman in
ministry, it's important for me to be able
to have a clear understanding of myself
as pastor."

' This is the set-up that works best for
us," says Tim. "When Beth comes
home with a difficult situation, I feel I
can lend more objectivity, since I exist
outside the problem. In a sense, we're
our own two-person support group. Then
too, we wanted to be outside the mind
games— which can exist when working in
the same congregation— of who's in
charge. This way Beth doesn't get
referred to as the 'pastor's wife,'
except," he laughs, "at the West
Charleston congregation, where she is."

Likewise, there may be a right and a
wrong time to "team." Jan Long feels a

January 1991 Messenger 23

definite advantage is that they were
married 12 years before venturing into
the team capacity. "We were in touch
with ourselves and each other before-
hand, so the transition seemed rather
smooth. Though I'm sure it could be
done, I can only imagine the intensity of
the struggle in being newly married and
tackling ministry as a couple at the same
time."

. nd taking a team pastorate in their
senior years, Glennis and Ernest Walker
prove that it's never too late to consider
the option. "1 can see where, financially,
working as a team in ministry could be a
real struggle when you're a young
couple with children," says Ernest. "I
strongly believe there is a real need and
calling for older couples who are at a
point in life where they have a world of
experience to share, and who are
physically and financially able, to
become involved in ministry."

As couples in team ministry know
only too well, church and personal lives
can sometimes intermesh.

While the Riemans enjoy the flexibil-
ity with home life that team ministry can
offer, the reality of pastoring a congrega-
tion often involves odd hours with
evening meetings.

"I think the hardest time for me in
juggling work and family was when I
held an interim position outside our
congregation," says Louie. "There just
didn't seem to be enough of me to go
around. Even when the kids get older,
they still need you around to unload."

Most couples would stress the need for
good communication with congregations
to form reasonable boundaries and time
commitment expectations, as well as the
need to be aware, as a couple, of the
' 'two-for-the-price-of-one" pitfall.

The Buckwalters have pretty much
formed the habit of taking off Mondays
and reserving that as their "couple
time." In addition, Anita does her best
to take one day a month for an individ-

24 Messenger January 1991

ual "retreat," finding a place where she
can spend the day with her Bible and
journal in silence, meditation, and
reflection.

Jerry and Becky Grouse have made a
habit of keeping track of the hours they
work. "Each week we review what
we've done with our time. It helps us to
avoid bum-out if we can actually see
how much time we've put in and
where," says Jerry. "And our congrega-
tion is good with encouraging us to take
time off to compensate."

For a couple like the Stems, work and
play can often seem one and the same.
"In a district like the Pacific Southwest,
when we travel to certain congregations
for a licensing or an ordination, we may
be driving for a whole day just to get
there," says Irven. So they make good
use of their time, with a dictaphone
hooked to the cigarette lighter, and a
laptop typewriter that mns on batteries.
"But we have fun along the way, and
will sometimes incorporate little side
trips on our way back home," says
Irven. "In the end, it has to be fun."

All couples would agree, it seems, that
the support and love they've felt from
their congregations have been over-
whelming—from surprise weekend
getaways, to monetary gifts for a trip
back to Nigeria, right down to a loaf of
homemade bread left on the doorstep.

The message of team ministry?
Apparently just that— TEAM. Says Louie
Rieman, "The feeling of a team is that
all of us together are ministers to one
another."

Dick Buckwalter says that, for him,
one of the biggest joys in co-pastoring
with Anita has been in watching mem-
bers of their congregation become
increasingly comfortable with many
different individuals taking leadership.
"It's exciting to be part of a model that
works to enable that team spirit as a
whole, and to sense that taking shape in
the worship community."

"It's really a variation on the same
theme," says Jerry Grouse. "The

Ghurch of the Brethren theology has
always been the priesthood of all
believers. So in a sense, having team
pastors in ministry is not such a new
thing."

"And I think it depends on how you
define 'team,' " says Beth SoUenberger
Morphew. "Tim and I consider our-
selves a team because we're married,
we're involved in the same denomina-
tion, and, in a sense, are a model of the
larger church. It's exciting to be part of
two congregations that are in some ways
different, because we get a glimpse of
the bigger picture."

Beth and Tim often "share" their f
congregations by occasionally exchang-
ing pulpits, planning picnics together,
and inviting both congregations to joint
events such as an open house at Christ-
mas. Special services, such as the
dedication of their son, Keith, are i
performed so that both congregations
can be present.

"We really sense the expansion of
fellowship growing in relationship
among the two congregations," says
Tim. "And for us, there's such a joy in
having that many more members in our
church family."

I ot only does the team concept of
ministry seem to advocate a simple
lifestyle (many couples living off one
working salary), and not only does it
uphold church and family as priorities bj
blending them into a tightly woven
pattern, but working as a team somehow-
muddies the sometimes sharp delineatioi
of who-can-or-should-do-what.

Like most things, the message seems
to trickle down and, perhaps, gets most
honestly and adequately expressed by
the children. Ten-year-old Micah Smith
Buckwalter, modeling his father, now
regularly makes eggs for himself. When
asked by his daddy "why?"— the reply:
That he's practicing— "so when I get big
I can cook 'em for my wife and
kids too."

I. W. Moomaw:

Prophet of justice

y J. Benton Rhoades

W. Moomaw, a beloved brother, died
;tober 2, 1990. We do well to thank
3d for his life among us. He spent
iich of his life serving in the larger
umenical church. He was also very
Lich one of us in the Church of the
ethren.

I first met Dr. Moomaw while he
jght at Bethany Seminary, after
mpleting 19 years as a Brethren
issionary in India. We students knew
it he had graduated from Manchester
)llege and had also earned the master's
d doctor's degrees in agriculture and
ricultural economics. At the start of
; course, we addressed him as "doc-
r," but he insisted: "Please, 'brother'
quite enough." He was a modest man.
For 63 years he shared life with Mabel
inger Moomaw. They reared two sons,
ivid and Richard. She was both a
3ther and a professional woman. She
IS deeply loved and respected by her
isband. Near the end of her life, he
•ote to his sons: "Although I have
garded our marriage as an equal
rtnership— her full devotion to you lads
d your families had been the central
irpose of her life down to the present
lur." I. W. Moomaw was a family
an.

While a rural missionary in India, I.
. taught in the Vocational Teachers
jllege at Anklesvar. The creative
ture of his work led to his being
med to the All-India Committee on
isic Education. Thus, he became
quainted with Mahatma Gandhi,
tting on the floor with him at lunch
le day, Gandhi said: "No one wants
ar, but we're being swept toward the
ost terrible conflict in history." I. W.'s
sponse: "Mr. Gandhi, you could lead
e beyond my depth in world politics.

My only competence, if any, is in
farming and village life." The subject
changed, but I. W. never stopped
thinking about the connection between
technology, politics, and the spirit.

I. W. Moomaw was an apostle to the
rural poor— from Midwest family farmers
to the peasants in Asia, campesinos in
Latin America to village tribes in Africa.
He was executive secretary of Agricul-
tural Missions Inc. from 1945 to 1963.
His job was to advise mission boards on
their rural work, never losing sight of its
roots in the gospel. He traveled widely
as a counselor to hundreds of agricultur-
al missionaries.

After official retirement, the
Moomaws engaged in various consultant

assignments for Agricultural Missions
and other church organizations. When I
asked how he could be compensated,
I. W. said: "My only fee is that Mabel
be enabled to travel with me. We have
been separated so much in our work."
She did and they worked as team.

One assignment was to Vietnam
Christian Service during the war there.
They were convinced that our nation's
ill-advised war to curb Communism was
having the opposite effect.

In Central America they helped
conduct a field program study of rural
church work. War clouds were building.
Also rural cooperatives were growing
based on the study of the Bible in the
base Christian communities. They
reported, "We often met the nonviolent
pleas of the peasants for justice. ' ' Justice
was delayed. Violence followed.

The Moomaws were peacemakers.
They went beyond resisting war to do
the things that make for peace.

Brother Moomaw 's latter years were
lived in Sebring, Fla. He chaired the
witness commission in the local church
and district. He represented the Brethren
on the Florida Council of Churches Task
Force on Social Justice for Farmworkers.
I often found young people in the
Christian Ministry to Farmworkers
grateful for the support of I. W. Moo-
maw to interpret to the churches what
the farmworkers were seeking.

Church people did not always hear
him gladly. But his ability to listen and
to reason with those who differed was a
gift both to the workers and to the
churches. I. W. Moomaw was a
gentle, yet firm prophet of justice.

Ai.

J. Benton Rhoades retired at the end of
December as executive secretary of Agricultural
Missions Inc. . New York City. He served the Church
of the Brethren as a missionary in Ecuador for a
decade beginning in 1946.

January 1991 Messenger 25

STONES

by Robin
Wentworth App

Welcome to Stepping
Stones.

Each month in this column
I will share snapshots of life
that I hope will prove helpful
to you in your Christian
journey. I will focus upon
little insights for some of our
daily crosses and thorns.

What I have to offer are
suggestions, perspectives,
and opinions— not absolutes.
Indeed there are pitifully few
absolutes to offer, since God
has designed us as incredibly
complex creatures and much
of our emotional and rela-
tional behavior is directed
by intangibles. I say this in
part by way of disclaimer,
because if you do not like
what I share I've little doubt
you can find a credible
person who disagrees with
me.

Besides— sometimes I'm
wrong!

As you can see, the tone of
this column will be informal
rather than formal, personal
rather than professional.

Day after day I counsel
with individuals who are
overwhelmed with problems
—depression, anxiety,
divorce, school and job
pressures, loneliness, faith
crises, marital tension,
sexual misconduct, various
addictions . . . and the list
goes on.

Husbands may genuinely
love their wives but are
unable to express it con-
vincingly. Women often
realize they're excessive
with eating, spending, or
affections but can't seem to
stay within appropriate
boundaries, even when
they're self-prescribed.
Adolescents emphatically
insist they want their
parents' trust, then betray it
at every turn. And there are
countless verses to the theme

song "I'm no good, I'm no
good, I'm no good, baby,
I'm no good. . . ."

1 listen to them, I labor
with them, I ache for them,
I've even been known to cry
with them. And while age,
sex, social status, and
situations vary, a common
theme runs throughout:
They're at the end of their
coping resources, weighed
down with despair, and fresh
out of hope.

Whatever the problem,
whatever the solution,
whatever the strategy, I'm
convinced the surest route to
frustration is to expect too
much and to travel too fast.
The unfortunate backwash
from the energetic, goal-
oriented products of the
baby-boom generation is a
mindset that believes the sky
is the limit and the deadline
was yesterday.

Not long ago my husband
and I had the privilege of ac-
companying a group of teen-
agers to Florida via Gatlin-
burg. While in those Great
Smoky Mountains, part of
the planned agenda was to
climb the "Chimney Tops"
peaks— not up the path like
normal tourists, mind you;
we were to scale up the back.
I felt secretly challenged and
proud that at thirtysomething
I would be able to keep up
with those young, energetic
hotshots. I embarked full
steam.

But then somewhere about
halfway up all my nerve,
optimism, and cockiness
evaporated. I have never
feared for my life as I did on
that cold, sunny, slippery
mountainside. In fact, many
of those kids delighted in
giving account of how white
my face became!

But here's what I noticed:
Every time I tilted my head

back and focused on the top
of the mountain I felt dizzy,
weak, and totally immobi-
lized. However, when I
simply concentrated upon
the next step, the next
foothold, the next tree root to
grasp, I was able to slowly
but surely climb over the
top. A goodly portion of the
journey was made on my
backside. But I got there.

Thefamily of 12-step
programs have adopted as
their slogan: "One day at a
time." The saying itself is
certainly not new. But it
provides renewal.

We are all wounded
people at best. I've often
thought that, if the scars on
our psyches were visible to
the human eye, some of us
would be a scary sight
indeed. The discouraging
word is that life is beset with
trials and tribulations. We
will always have problems,
obstacles, conflict, unreal-
ized dreams, high demands,
and low thresholds.

But the good news is that
we don't have to control
every variable, cater to every
demand, cover every base, or
conquer every goal. So
whoever told you that you
had to be "successful" in
order to be acceptable was
wrong. And whoever said
that you had to be perfect in
order to be worthy, lied. God
is more than adequate for the
job of being God ... he only
requires us to be faithful.

So remember, when it
comes to managing life's
difficulties, we don't need to
walk on water. We just need
to learn where the
stepping stones are.

Ai.

Robin Wentworth App, of
Nappanee, Ind.. is a therapist,
ordained minister, and a member of
the Camp Creek Church of the
Brethren. Etna Green. Ind.

26 Messenger January 1 99 1

A day in the life
of a missionary

Kamale ( ' 'Finger Mountain' ' )

by Galen R. Hackman

The village of Kwachi is located at the
foot of the famed Kamale or "Finger
Mountain" of the Mandara chain, about
25 kilometers over dirt road and through
streams and rivers. The village has been
the site of Christian activity for some
years, but today the labors of those in the

past will be realized as this EYN
"preaching point" is recognized as a
congregation.

One hundred baptized members are
needed to reach congregational status.
With the designation comes the respon-
sibility of paying dues to the denomina-
tional headquarters of Ekklesiyar
'Yanuwa a Nigeria (EYN— the Church of

January 1991 Messenger 27

the Brethren in Nigeria. This responsibil-
ity sometimes makes preaching points
that would be large enough to be
designated as congregations hesitate to
be organized as a church. Times are hard
in Nigeria and money is not easily
acquired, by people or congregations.

People have gathered from far and
wide. Even non-Christian village folk
have come to witness this special event.
The facilities have been prepared. Grass
roofs have been set up outside under
which the special guests will sit. The
pulpit has been erected, also under a
grass roof. Three women's groups have
come to sing, as will a youth group and
the choir of the local church. Denomina-
tional representatives are present. The
atmosphere is charged with anticipation.

The Boy's Brigade has also assem-
bled, providing leadership to direct
people for seating, to park the two or
three cars that show up loaded with
people, and to be certain the children
stay in their assigned places. Children
are everywhere in Nigeria, and they
flock to any special event such as this,
because herein lies their entertainment.
Usually the children are not allowed in
the sanctuary or, in this case, among the
adult guests spread out under the trees.
(One exception is the performance of a
drama. Then children are welcome in the
congregation.) Nevertheless, many
gather on the fringes of the crowd and
crane their necks to see the action.

Long before the appointed 10 a.m.
hour of worship, the various groups
begin to sing, each taking their turn as
they prepare the assembly for worship.
People are still gathering, as the worship
leader invites us to pray.

The service is typical of Nigerian
worship services— scripture readings,
songs, prayers and preaching. The
preacher is a young man newly set apart
as a probational minister. For a year or
two he will test his calling, later to be

28 Messenger January 1991

ordained to full ministerial status.
During the service, an offering is taken
for the benefit of the church.

Following the sermon, which challen-
ges the people to accept the work of the
church as their work, the chairman of
EYN stands to lead the people in the
official dedication service. He conse-
crates the work to God in a special
ceremony and invites all members of the
congregation to gather before him for a
prayer of dedication. Young and old,

The people of Nigeria
might be poor by
earthly standards. But
as their faith and work
for the Lord bears
fruit, they are rich
toward God.

men and women move forward slowly to
take their position before him. He leads
in prayer, asking God to enter afresh into
the work of this congregation and these
people. It is a solemn event.

I'm thinking the service is about over
when the fundraising begins. The
worship leader begins to call the names
of all the district (gunduma) organiza-
tions. Representatives from any church
in that district, or from the district at
large, are invited to come forward and
place their contribution in the pot. As
they do, their names are announced
along with the amount of the contribu-
tion. Everyone claps and cheers. Then
another donation is given and the scene
is repeated over and over again.

I am struck again by the differences in
our respective cultures. To announce
publicly the amount of my gift and have

people cheer about it grates me the
wrong way. Didn't Jesus say we are no
to let our left hand know what our righ
hand is doing? But this is a different
world, and here the Nigerian church ha
emerged into its own genus of Christia
ity, with its unique way of applying the
principles of the Word to life.

On and on the process goes, through
14 districts (comprising 133 congrega-
tions), five congregations directly unde
the denominational headquarters, Kulp
Bible College staff, and the headquarte
staff. There is no hurry. Introductions c
special guests are made in between the
offerings. Where the offerings come
slowly, we linger to give people time t
decide what to give, and perhaps to let
them feel the peer pressure urging then
to give.

It is nearing 2:30 p.m. and my
stomach rumbles. The service is comin
to an end. Someone in our party sugge;
that we prepare to leave. That's fine w:
the Nigerians, but we cannot leave
without filling our stomachs. We are le
into the sanctuary where food is quickl
placed before us. In typical fashion, wc
are offered minerals (soda pop) and tu\
with miya. We form the tuwo (commes
porridge) into balls and dip it into the
miya (meat with red palm oil gravy).

Our hunger being satisfied and
goodbyes being said, we head back
across the dirt paths and nearly dry
stream beds to our home at Kulp Bible
College. The scene we have just wit-
nessed—that of a preaching point J
becoming a full congregation— is •
repeated often in the fast-growing EY>
The people of Nigeria might be poor b;
earthly standards. But as their faith and
work for the Lord bears fruit, [Tj
they are rich toward God. i

Galen Hackman is sen'ing in a rwo-year
reaching assignment ai Kulp Bible College, Mubi,
Nigeria, which trains leaders for the Church ofth
Brethren in Nigeria.

Typewatching

versus

labeling

by Cheryl L. Martin

REVIEWS

Mixed Reviews critiques books, films,
and other products of the entertain-
ment media that speak to Brethren
living out their faith.

It is human nature to label
others, and we seem to do an
especially good job at name-
calling— often with an
element of putting people
down— when others don't see
or do things the way we do.

The authors of Type Talk
(Dell Publishing, 1988,
$9.95) don't discourage
labeling other people. In
fact, they enthusiastically
endorse it. But Otto Kroeger
and Janet M. Thuesen offer a
way of replacing perjorative
name-calling with non-
judgmental labels.

The "types" in Type Talk
are based on a psychological
test called the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator (MBTI),
developed in the 1 930s by
Katherine Briggs and her
daughter, Isabel Briggs
Myers, based on the theories
of Carl Jung. Kroeger and
Thuesen coined the term
"Typewatching" to describe
the use of Myers-Briggs
types in everyday life.

"There are no good and
bad 'types' in Typewatch-
ing," explain the authors;
"there are only differences.
. . . With Typewatching, the
tendency for a friend to be
late might be viewed as a
typological characteristic
rather than a personal affront
or character defect."

To give you an idea how
this works, I'll explain my
type, which is described with
the letters "INTJ." Each
letter stands for a preference
in how I get energy, gather
information, make decisions.

and orient my outer world.

For instance, the "I"
indicates that I have a
preference (slight in my
case) for Introversion over
Extroversion— Ihal is, I
recharge my personal
batteries through time spent
alone rather than from time
spent with others. The "N"
refers to my tendency to
gather information figura-
tively or iNtuitively, rather
than literally, or with my
Senses.

When it comes to making
decisions, I'm more likely to
make Thinking ("T")
choices based on objective
facts, rather than Feeling
decisions based on how my
choice will affect others.
And finally, I'm a strong
"J" (Judger), preferring to
act on information I already
have, rather than gathering
more, as a Perceiver would.

The four preferences
combine 16 different ways,
forming "types" that add up
to more than the sum of their
parts, as each preference
interacts with the others. The
principle behind Myers-
Briggs types is that if we
know our own and others'
preferences, or "types," we
can turn put-downs into
constructive information,
and prevent conflicts that
can damage or destroy
relationships.

By avoiding psychobabble
and embracing a light-
hearted, humorous approach,
Kroeger and Thuesen make
it fun to learn about improv-

ing our daily interactions
with colleagues, friends,
spouses, parents, children,
and even— they say— pets.

Type Talk is a widely
accessible introduction for
the average reader, and
therefore is more likely to be
read, and— most importantly
—used to change behaviors.

I have used the book
successfully as a topic for
discussion in a mid-week
church group. But while I
agree with the authors' claim
that it is quite possible to
figure out your own type and
benefit from Typewatching
without taking the official
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
test (available only through
professionals, for a fee), I
should note that several in
my discussion group who
had not previously taken the
test never did decide their
own types.

Type Talk can at least help
those of you who hate being
placed in a box to better
understand those of us who
enjoy categorizing. And
understanding can make the
difference between writing
people off and trying to work
with them.

I knew I had caught on to
Typewatching when, instead
of exasperatedly calling a
friend "perpetually indeci-
sive," I caught myself
chuckling while de-
scribing her as a "P."

/it.

Cheryl L. Martin is a member of
the Mennonite Church-related
Community House Church of
Washington, DC.

January 1991 Messenger 29

Win some, lose some

The article on CPS (October) is one of
the best I have read about that program.

My husband and I were married
September 19, 1942, and on October 7
he left for Camp Walhalla. Our years in
CPS greatly changed our lives— we have
spent many years working with high
school and college youth.

Our grandchildren are now of draft
age, and are very much interested in the
peace position. Let's hope they can
witness to peace in their lives without
having to be drafted. Peace is not only
an absence of war; it is a building of
relationships and a working for the truly
better way of life.

Louise Shively
Roann, Ind.

Not that I envy any editor who attempts
to put together a 50th-anniversary issue
about Civilian Public Service, but yours
was pathetic.

I am sorry your coverage (October)
did not convey the incredible diversity
of young men that CPS brought to the
attention of the Church of the Brethren.
I am dismayed that your coverage makes
so little attempt to understand who went
to CPS and what happened to them later,
and then explain it to readers. I dislike
the suggestion that CPS is to be cele-
brated as an institutional matter, and I
dislike the thought that anyone in CPS
was a hero. I react, too, at the assump-
tion that CPS was something new for
Brethren people.

The opinions expressed here are not necessarily
those of the magazine. Readers should receive them
in the same spirit with which differing opinions are
expressed in face-to-face conversations.

Letters should be brief, concise, and respectful of
the opinions of others. Preference is given to letters
that respond directly to items read in the magazine.

We are willing to withhold the name of a writer
only when, in our editorial Judgment, it is
warranted. We will not consider any letter that
comes to us unsigned. Whether or not we print the
letter, the writer's name is kept in strictest
confidence.

Address letters to Messenger Editor, 1451
Dundee Ave.. Elgin, IL 60120.

What troubles me the most is that in a
Christian group that truly practices peace
there is so little respect for the ideas of
people. CPS was about ideas, and CPS
cannot be understood except in terms of
ideas. Looking backward five decades
about CPS is difficult, but it requires
precise thought, including thinking the
unthinkable often. It is not family-
reunion time.

Wilbur Dunbar
Wooster, Ohio

What God can do

In "Things God Cannot Do" (Novem-
ber, page 9), T. Wayne Rieman says,
"God cannot know what has not
happened or what may happen." What
are we going to do with all the prophets
in the Bible? What should we do with
the Bible itself? Rieman also tells us we
should "refrain from using the term
'almighty God.' " I am sure he knows the
Bible uses the term.

Tim Webb
New Castle, Ind.

It is misleading to imply that C. I.
Scofield would question God's omnipo-
tence. In the comments referred to by T.
Wayne Rieman, Scofield does say that
"it is to be regretted that Shaddai was
translated 'Almighty.' " However, in the
very next sentence, Scofield states that
"the primary name. El or Elohim, suf-
ficiently signifies almightiness" (New
Scofield Reference Bible, page 25).

It is uncomfortable to believe a
paradox, but it is irresponsible to deny a
revealed attribute of God in an attempt
to make the universe comprehensible to
our minds. The God who granted us the
opportunity to choose has allowed
natural consequences to our actions in
order to give meaning to our choices.
That is why war and injustice exist.

God's will is for us to choose, even
though that divine decision allows
results that are ungodly. Evidently God
thinks it's worth it. Quite frankly, the
fact that we may disagree alters reality
not one bit.

God's self-restraint at this point in
history must not be interpreted as
impotence. One day the voice of a great
multitude will echo the truth that has
always been true: "Alleluia: For the
Lord God omnipotent reigneth" (Rev.
19:6 KJV).

Suzanne Sampsor
Elgin, III

The proper translation of El Shaddai
aside, the Old and New Testaments are
permeated with references to God's
power and dominion. I sympathize with
T. Wayne Rieman's struggle to reconcile
the desperate condition of this world and
a good God who chooses not to effect
the cures to our liking and on our
timeline. However, I adamantly disagree
with the conclusion drawn from his
reasoning that God is not wholly
sovereign.

Debbie Burkholdei
Nappanee, Ind

When theologians vote

In "Is That Jesus We Hear Speaking?"
(October, page 22), Richard B. Gardner
has provided us with an informative and
essentially unbiased presentation on the
work of the Jesus Seminar.

I do object, though, to one conclusion:
"The seminar is not trying to vote
anything out of the Scriptures. It is not
challenging the inspiration or authority
of any saying in the Gospels. Rather, thei
votes it takes simply try to distinguish
between different levels of sayings in the
Gospels."

The type of voting described actually
does question inspiration and authority.
A saying that is coded as gray or black is
inherently a fraudulent saying; does the
Holy Spirit inspire sayings that are not
from Jesus and yet claim to be from I
Jesus? Personally, I question whether a '
pink saying would be fully inspired and '
authoritative, and do not consider mysell
"misinformed" because I challenge ;
another scholar's logic. j

Patrick R. Dunmin^
Warrenville, Hi

30 Messenger January 1991

Vith the Jesus Seminar, you have only
le listed names of the voters. Neither
ou nor anyone else knows who voted
low (or why).

There is no need for anyone's vote to
« justified, explained, or defended. No
ne's reputation is put on the line nor
ny personal responsibility taken for the
utcome of the vote. There is no way of
nowing which votes represented a
incere effort to get to the truth of the
ospel and which a disinterested.
Hearing "scholarship" representing no
ersonal investment at all.

I suggest that modem society is
ompletely off track in putting so much
list in polls, or votes— thinking these
present a valid and reliable method of
etting at the truth of anything— least of
U the deep faith-truth of the gospel. I
fWl always value the devout and
onsidered opinion of even a single
listed brother or sister Christian scholar
jjver all the secret ballots of any number
ff reputed (but anonymous) "experts."
I Vernard Eller

\ La Verne, Calif.

>ats on the back

"he November issue was superb. It
liowed the new format at its best and
icluded information, edification, and
tiallenge. I just wanted you to know
our work is appreciated.

Jim Benedict
New Enterprise. Pa.

iliank you very much for the November
ditorial ("Management by Query")! It
i absolutely on target. I'm convinced
le issues pointed to have been creeping
naybe leaping) into Conference
ynamics for some time. Some will say
is an insignificant issue, but I believe
le role and function of Annual Confer-
nce is very significant for future
enominational planning.

J. Bentley Peters
Elgin, III.

."hanks for the nice job on the November
isue. I especially liked "Management

by Query." You said well what dis-
turbed me at Annual Conference, but
which I was unable to articulate.

Steve Shelton
East Lansing, Mich.

The brief summary of interviews with
Brethren Volunteer Service workers
conducted by Jan Schrock (October,
page 6) was a boon to our efforts to
provide the Palestinians a voice in
America. Opportunities to share our
views are key to the effectiveness of our
work in this troubled land. Thank you
for giving your readers some glimpse of
indignities inflicted on Palestinians
every day.

Tim Bock, Jo Kimmel,

Rita McGaughey, Jon VanKamp

BVSers in Israel

and the Occupied Territories

Bethany, go west

To listen to Emmert Bittinger's logic on
relocating Bethany Seminary (October,
page 34), "to land it where it should be
—near the center of the Church of the
Brethren constituency," is to also say
that Moses shouldn't have left Egypt,
Peter shouldn't have left the boat, Paul
shouldn't have walked the road to
Damascus, and Jesus should have talked
and walked only with Jews. There is life
west of the Mississippi!

David W. Kirchner
Cedar Falls, Iowa

If the Church of the Brethren desires to
rekindle the mission spirit, perhaps a

start would be to locate the seminary in
an area sparsely populated by Brethren.
This might encourage our future leaders
to leave the comforts of the familiar and
reach outward with Christ's love and
power. The eastern half of the US is not
the only place that needs to hear the
message of Christ via Brethren ideals.

Diane Mason
Moulton. Iowa

The Spirit is inclusive

The spirit of "Our Salt Has Lost So
Much Savor" (August/September, page
35) was very distressing in its exclusiv-
ity and absence of compassion.

The implied condemnation of whole
groups of the humanity to whom the
Spirit of Christ reaches out brings further
distress to those who are already mar-
ginalized because of divorce, sexual
orientation, poverty, cultural difference,
race, or ill health. Historically and
currently, the spirit of this statement has
given permission for scapegoating, self-
righteousness, and hatred.

The statement says, "The Holy Spirit
must be free to convict, teach, lead, and
empower for ministry." In the Bible and
in the history of the church, the individu-
als and groups so touched by the Holy
Spirit were often surprising choices. The
church must not reflect the society that
indulges in polarization and victimiza-
tion. We are called to be open to the
Spirit of Christ and to serve as channels
for that Spirit to all humanity.

Steering Committee

Church of the Brethren Womaen's Caucus

i^t

Pontius' Puddle

NOTICE: Church and district newsletters that reprint ' 'Pontius' Puddle' ' from
Messenger must pay $5 ($10 if circulation is over 500) for each use to Joel
Kauffmann. Ill Carter Road. Goshen. IN 46526.

I JOST &OT Off -THE PHOKE: WITH CHORCW
LE^DE^?S IN THE TH\RD V/ORLt). WE \Gr«.EED
THAT A SPIKITOMLV STROM& SOCIETY SHOOLD
HELP OCT *. SP1R»T0M.\.V S.TROG-&Lm& OME-

WHKT'S I
THE ME)a
^^£9 7 I

THEY'RE SENDlMGrOS

sot^E w?slo^^^R^ES

January 1991 Messenger 31

Opinions

On Persian Gulf, peace movement

Respond in love
to Iraqi people

On October 20, Brethren college
students from Bridgewater, Juniata, and
Manchester inet for a retreat at Bridge-
water College. During discussion, our
nation's military presence in the Middle
East and the likelihood of war in that
region became the focus of much
concern. Out of a desire to see a greater
response to this crisis, we decided to
share our concern with the church.

We are alarmed that so many Chris-
tians in our nation support a US military
presence in the Persian Gulf with very
little apparent understanding of the
political context of the conflict. We are
particularly appalled that so many
Christians are supporting actions that are
clearly not in keeping with Christ's
commandment to love with the kind of
love that casts out all fear, the kind of
love that is patient and kind, the kind of
love that hopes and endures all things,
the kind of steadfast love that is the call
of Christian discipleship. As members of
the Church of the Brethren, we have
grown up being taught that all war is sin.
We want to affirm and embrace actions
that produce wholeness and healing of
relationships.

We strongly feel the absence of such
attempts at reconciliation in the Middle
East. We feel it is not unrealistic for our
nations to sit down and work to under-
stand each other. Few Americans truly
understand the ways in which Iraq feels

To hold in respect and fellowship those in the
church with whom we agree or disagree is a
characteristic of the Church of the Brethren. It is to
the continuation of this value, and to an open and
probing forum, that "Opinions" are invited from
readers.

We do not acknowledge our receipt of obvious
' Opinions' ' pieces, and can print only a sampling
of what we receive. All ' 'Opinions' ' are edited for
publication.

32 Messenger January 1991

threatened. Undoubtedly, few Iraqis
fully understand the ways in which the
United States feels threatened. So far,
we have been unwilling to negotiate and
listen to Iraq's concerns. We have
created a diabolical image of a man
whom we supported financially and
militarily just months ago.

The world will always have conflicts.
Until we learn to deal with them
peacefully, we will never know the
peace that God has intended for us. We,
as Christians, must not continue the
cycle of hatred and mistrust; we must
practice love.

We challenge our church to unite and
explore ways to respond in love. We
have, for ourselves, chosen to write
letters like this one. We have decided to
educate ourselves so that we can
confront the fear and prejudice that
results from ignorance and misunder-
standing. We feel Christ's call to action
and are compelled to continue to
prayerfully discern the will of God for
our lives.

How will the church respond?

/it.

This letter to the church was signed by 34
students from Bridgewater, Juniata, and Man-
chester Colleges.

An appeal on
the gulf crisis

Each of us makes it a little easier or a
little harder for the US to go to war in
the Middle East. The sentiment in each
Brethren congregation makes it a bit
harder or a bit easier. Which side is our
tiny weight on?

Jesus told his followers: ' 'Love your
enemies" (Matt. 5:44).

How do we see the designated enemy
—now especially the Iraqis? In the clas-
sic Polish film The Magician, little boys
on a beach are lured into a shooting gal-
lery and taught to shoot at target. When
a mother doll with a baby is set before a

lad, he shakes his head in refusal. But
then the word enemy is given, he shoot:
the figures to shreds, and the officer
nods approval. Does that designation,
enemy, evoke a comparable response ir
us? Or do we resist the call to war?

Jesus taught: "The Father loves evei
sparrow; how much more does he love
every human being" (Matt. 10:29-31).

. war would probably bring death to
hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, a
majority of them civilian victims killec
in bombings. Can we as disciples of
Jesus go along with that? Or do we
really believe that God loves each Iraqi
as truly and fully as each one of us and
that Jesus died for each Iraqi as much a
for each of us? Do we have some sense
of the human reality of those people ov
there as persons with much the same
needs, hopes, and fears and with the
same love and concern for children? Ir;
has half a million Christians. It is hard
support the slaughter of people whom
we see as much like ourselves.

In the Old Testament God forbade th
sacrifice of children to Moloch and oth
gods. Aztecs on feast days would
sometimes sacrifice 20,000 people to
avert disaster and assure a better future

Are we willing to sacrifice the lives i
30,000 young Americans— perhaps man
more— for Middle Eastern oil? Saddam
Hussein did many terrible things befon
the invasion of Kuwait, but he was seei
as an ally and was given huge amounts!
of arms until he appeared to threaten
Western access to and control of Middi
Eastern oil. How would we see havingi
someone in our own family circle get
killed for that cause?

In the wilderness, Jesus was tempted
by the devil to become a military '

messiah and seize political power so a'
to be able to set things right in the
world.

Do we with Jesus reject the military ,
way or do we go with the masses who i
accept it? Are we easily persuaded by

e media that other efforts are failing
id war would bring the answer?
We should be praying fervently for a
iftening of hard-line attitudes on both
des and a diplomatic solution. The
:rsian Gulf crisis can be resolved by
^gotiations. The main responsibility for
tiling the crisis should be returned to
e United Nations and to the Arab
ttions of the region.
The embargo should not include food
id medicines ("If your enemy is
ingry, feed him"— Rom. 12:20). But
tonomic sanctions otherwise should be
ven more time. The US could agree to
ithdraw step by step from Saudi Arabia
return for comparable Iraqi with-
awal from Kuwait. The US could press
r Israeli withdrawal from the occupied
rritories in the same way that it
mands that Iraq leave Kuwait. United
itions resolutions are equally clear on
)th occupations. Iraq, which has been
jthout a port on the Persian Gulf, could
offered a free port, perhaps under
(lited Nations supervision. More peace
legations should go to Iraq to build
idges of understanding.

V war with Iraq would not be another
enada or Panama. The Iraqi army has
fd years of experience in desert
irfare. The US forces have had none,
le Middle East is a powder keg. A war
Duld unleash incalculable forces. Iraq
ight attack Israel with chemical
papons, and Israel respond with
iclear weapons. Anti-American
Iplings in Arab nations and many other
iuntries would be greatly intensified,
iolent reprisal strikes against Ameri-
ins and other Westerners would almost
|rtainly become much more frequent. A
kr would cause havoc in the American
ii,d world economies.
The Persian Gulf crisis is to be seen as
. est of our discipleship: Do we go with
sus and his way or do we follow
iders who point us to military
ight and war?

uhis statement was adopted by the tri-district
•yrdinating committee (Atlantic Northeast,
ulhern Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic) of the
ethren Peace Fellowship and mailed to pastors in
ise three districts.

Krista Spangler

Christians must
join peace effprt

I was so pleased at the attention given to
Civilian Public Service in the October
issue. I had the opportunity to work in
the office of NISBCO before I left for

Take Hold of Your Future

my permanent Brethren Volunteer
Service project in England, and there I
gained a great appreciation for the work
that was done by conscientious objectors
—both practical and symbolic.

At the Celebration of Conscience
conference, I saw that many of those
objectors did so much more than simply
saying no. They were saying yes to
peace, to life, to service in humility, and

One Step at a Time

McPherson College

McPherson, Kansas 67460 • (316) 241-0731

"/n Nigeria there^s not much publicity about the colleges in
America. I read about McPherson in the Messenger. 1 enjoy my
classes and the envu-onment here. The people are very cooperative,
and I have good teachers in the classes Fm attending. "

— Bitrus A. Bdlia

Principal, Kulp Bible School, 1981-1986

Mubi, Nigeria

Scholarships /Grants: *

Church of the Brethren Awards — Up to $1,000 per year

Brethren Volunteer Service Grants — Up to $500 per year

Children of Alumni Grants — Up to $500 per year

Church-Matching Grants — Up to $500 per year

Dependents of Persons in Church Professions — Up to $1,000 per year

* Awards are
renewable for up to
four years provided
that students remain
eligible for the
grants. Some awards
are based on
financial need and
availability of
funds.

Yes, I want to take the next step and find out more about
McPherson College.

Name

Address .
City

. State .

. Zip .

Phone i )_

. Year of Graduation .

Send to: Admissions Office, McPherson College, P.O. Box 1402,

McPherson, KS 67460 or
call collect (316) 241-0731.

WmHaaiBMBalliBKIiBliBWnBWIiiffiEffilB^^

of race, religion, sex. color, national origin, or physical/emotional stability.

January 1991 Messenger 33

From the

Office of Human Resources.

Two, 1/3rd time, volunteer staff positions ore
available:

ADMIN. DIRECTOR FOR PASSING ON THE
PROMISE

ADMIN. DIRECTOR FOR EVANGELISM LEADERS
ACADEMY

QUALIFICATIONS:

—Excellent administrative skills

—Experience w/coordinating programming or

Experience w/conference events
—Initiative / self-starter
—Work vj/dietai\: follovi^-ttirough skills
—Human relations skills

Interested and qualified persons may make
application by sending a letter of interest and
a resume to; Dale E. Minnicti, 1451 Dundee
Ave, Elgin, IL 60120.

Applicants ore requested to contact 3-4 per-
sons and tiave them provide a letter of
reference.

All materials due by deadline dote: January
26. 1991

they were still doing it today. But my
lingering question: Why are they so few?

I work now in a secular organization—
the largest peace group in Britain. And I
am worried because I do not see a
distinctly Christian force for peace,
when the church could be so influential.
What other reason is there for meeting as
a church than to give us collectively a
power that individually we lack?
Knowing the key to peace, why do we
allow the secular peace movement,
which only thinks it has the power to
bring about peace, to act alone so often?

I believe that there is a mission field
here that we want to ignore, and it lies in
the people who are working doggedly
for peace but who have no understanding

of the Prince of Peace.

I believe that we must demonstrate ou
solidarity with and love for these people
by joining them in their demonstrations
and direct actions. We can't bury our
heads in the sand, hiding from the "rad-
icals" and the "peaceniks"; they need
us. But when we do stand with them we
must make it clear that we are first and
foremost pleading the cause of Christ.

I hope that the churches that have
produced such fine objectors to violence
will join forces and lend their power, the
power of Christ in us, to saying yes
—to loving the peacemakers.

Krisia Spongier is a Brethren Volunteer Sen-ice
worker with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarma-
ment. London, England.

CLASSIFIED ADS

WANTED-Director of Christian Education and Youth.
Ephrata (Pa.) Church of Brethren seeking full-time person to
coordinate our Christian education, youth programs. Some
experience in youth work required. Interested person should
send resume to Atlantic Northeast District Office. Attn: Allen
Hansen, 900 S. Arlington Ave.. Rm. 213. Harrisburg, PA
17109.

WANTED-Design Manager for small Western Kansas
manufacturer. Should have agricultural background, quali-
fications in drafting, engineering. Duties incld. design of
machinery, product improvement, administering R&D,
Field Service. Near Quinter (Kan.) Church of Brethren. Send
resume to: Quinstar Corp., P. 0. Box 424, Quinter, KS
67752.

FOR SALE-Commemorative and customized church
plates, mugs, T-shirts and sportswear made special for your
church by Brethren family. Use for gifts, fundraisers. Con-
tact Dodd Studios, 2841 Belair Drive, Bowie, IvID 2071 5. Tel.
(301) 262-4135.

FOR SALE-Lorida, Fla., 3 bdrm., 21/2 bath ranch-style, c.b.
house. Two blocks from Lorida Church of the Brethren. 6
yrs. old. Dbl. lot, citrus trees, landscaped. Fenced. Storage
barn. Attached garage. Lrg. family rm. Central A/C. Great
bass fishing. $75,000. Call (813) 655-3913 or (414) 473-
4285.

FOR SALE-Our Family Books
Record (revised), 1990; Va.
$32.50. John Mason and Mary
dents, $32.50; others $31.50.
process). (W\\\et m. 1 Susanna
beth Garber, widow of Nicholas
Floyd R. Ii^ason, 4409 Park Rd

by fy^ason: Ziegler Family
residents, $33.50; others
Ann Miller. 1986; Va. resi-
Michael Milter of 1692 (in
Agnes Bechtol; m. 2 Eliza-
Garber.) For info. SASE to:
Alexandria, VA 22312.

FOR SALE-History of Driver-Sprenkle family. Descendants
at Ludwig Treiber (Lewis Driver) and Barbara Sprenkte in the
Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, USA. More than eight gen-

erations compiled fr. cemetery, census, probate, Bible,
birth, death, marriage records. Over 500 pps.; more than
400 family record sheets. Over 3000 descendants w/75
allied surnames and complete genealogy. Old photos,
space to add notes, favorite pictures. Indexed collector's
item, hard-bound cover; gold foil-stamped lid, spine on acid-
free archival paper. Cost $47.75, inclds. postage and han-
dling. Va. residents add $2.15 tax per book. Send check or
money order to Driver-Sprenkle Genealogy, c/o Driver &
Gassett, Compilers, 1 1 94 Westmoreland Dr., Harrisonburg,
VA 22801-3540.

TRAVEL- You are invited to join Host Wayne F. Geisert,
President, Bridgewater College, on tour to exotic orient.
Tour includes Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong
Kong (Jul. 8-22, 1991). Departure via San Francisco imme-
diately following 1991 Annual Conference, Portland. Inclu-
sive price $3,290 per person (dbl. occupancy). 15-day
adventure includes American breakfast each day, and one
special dinner and cultural performance as well as local
tours in four major cities. Economical air connections to San
Francisco fr. Portland, Ore.; Washington, D.C.; other points
can be arranged. For additional info, contact Dr. W. F.
Geisert, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA 22812, Tel.
(703) 828-3362; Fax (703) 828-2160; or Ms. Jacque Wood
Halpern, Turner Travel, (800) 542-2029.

TRAVEL-With a purpose with Wendell and Joan Bohrer to
Alaska following Annual Conference next year. Beginning
July 9 in Portland. For information concerning this cruise/
tour write: Wendell and Joan Bohrer, 8520 Royal Meadow
Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46217. Tel. (317) 882-5067.

TRAVEL-Annual Conference. A/C coach tour to Annual
Conference, Portland, Visit Bethany Sem., Elgin hdqtrs.
Hear Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City, Return
rte. via Victoria, Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise, Write J,
Kenneth Kreider, 1300 Sheaffer Road, Elizabethtown, PA
17022.

SINGLES-Are you lonely? Maybe Crossroads can help yo
too. Some of the couples who have met their mates throug
us include a nurse and a minister, a teacher and a carpente
and a widow and a farmer. Other clients are meeting frienc
who share their interests. Some are still waiting to meet tli
right one. Perhaps they are looking for you. How will you fin
out if you don't join? For information write to Crossroad;
Box 32, N. Tonawanda, NY 14120,

RETIREMENT-Consider living at The Palms Estates
Lorida, Fla., a caring independent-living community on Laf
Istokpoga, 15 miles s.e. of Sebring, near Lorida Church
the Brethren, Access to large lake via canal. Citrus grove
volunteer service opportunities, pool, many activities. Lo
for lease to construct cottages or place single or doubl
wide mobile homes. Sponsored by C.O.B. Atl. S.E. Distrii
Camp in RV park while deciding whether this is the place
the sun for you. Limited number mobile home rentals for ;
month renting period. Write; Walter C. Gingrich, P.O. Be
364, Lorida, FL 33857. Tel. (813) 655-1909.

I
INVITATION-lf you or someone you love moves to orvis''

Los Angeles, tour Crystal Cathedral and Disneyland t,-

worship in exciting church-the Panorama City Church

Brethren, 14517 Osborne, near Van Nuys and NordC

Panorama City Church has congregations in 4 language

In English-language congregation (9:30 a.m.) are Kore;

Hispanic, India, White and African Americans. Truly urb

church with strong Brethren values. Small and growir

Contact Wayne Zunkel, 15843 Blackhawk, Granada HII

CA 91344. Tel. (818)891-2231.

INVITATION-ln Atlanta, Ga„ join Faithful Servant Chur
of the Brethren for 10 a,m. church school and 11 a
worship at Shoney's Inn at intersection of Indian Trail and
85 North, exit 38, Norcross, Contact Pastor Joe May at (4(i
985-1360 or John and Debbie Hammer, 5584 Wilmerl-
Norcross, GA 30092, Tel, (404) 448-9092.

34 Messenger January 1991

lew
Aembers

cIs Covenant, All. N.E.; Jay
Aumenl. Chuck Albrecht.
iackee Bender, Ron Bender,
Philip Buckwalter, Steve
Buckwalter, Andy Canillo,
Liz Carrillo, James Fry, Sr.,
Jill Fry, James Fry, Randy
Gerlach. Joel Heisland, David
Kammerer, Peggy Kammerer,
Tim Keebaugh, Vicki Kee-
baugh, Janelle Kestner, Donna
Lehman, Jill Lehman, Gail
Lowe. Harriet Manion. Angie
Ruhl, Gary Ober, Sherry
Ober. Laureen Sauder, Gloria
Spangler. Mark Stauffer, Deb
Thomas, Rick Thomas, Jeff
Wagner, Nicole Wert
titelope Park, W. Plains: Christy
Dowdy, Dale Dowdy, Steve
Ward'

ihland Dickey, N. Ohio: Tom
Crone, Mary Jo Crone, Bill
Fliger, Durward Hays, Kevin
Hess. Ray, Cindy, Leah &
Michael Hileman, Richard
Koch, Sarah Koch, Greg
Turk. Jennifer Turk

Hse Valley, Idaho: Tammy Birt

ish Creek, Mid-.Atl.: Joseph
Jardine, Michelle Jardine,
Kevin Brunner, Lou Gloyd,
Mickey Greene

istine, S. Ohio: Kelly Bayer,
Norma Jean Hall, Doug
Harter, Melinda Harter,
Abigail Brown, Kami Ellison,
Keyna Ellison, Amber Myers,
Jill Overholser, Christina
Stover, Chris Sinclair, Terry
Stover, Carol Retry

irist Our Shepherd Fellow-
ship, S/C Ind.: Valerie Finnell,
Paul Finnell, Rachel Vice,
Joseph Vice, Debt Troyer,
David Troyer, Jami Miller,
Jan Miller, Dan Stover,
Heather Stover, Rhonda
Hughes, Andy McQueen,
Jeremy BoUnger

ab Orchard, Virlina: Kimberiy
Alderman, Roberi Alderman,
Cynthia Cook. Rebecca
Jarrett, Matthew Jarrett

St Chippewa, N Ohio: Rommie
& Ellen Moore

iniew, N. Plains: John Swimm

'St-Johnson City, S.E.: Kim
Edwards. Sandy Robinson,
Mitch Robinson, Tammy
Anderson

nnanlown Brick, Virlina:
Justin Carter, Duane Hale,
Kimberiy Jarrett, Noel Naff,
Steven McBride, Christina
McBride, Tara Perdue, April
Perdue, Scott Sink, John
IS Lavinder

lendale-Ariz., Pac. S.W.: Sybil

i Keim, Robert Keim, Stacey
Uphoff, Jeff Uphoff,
Elizabeth Fanner, Angie
Mannino, Sherry Turner,
Robert Hale, La Vera Hale,

I Chuck Springer, Angie

' Lahman. Jack Dunbar, Eileen

, Dunbar, Pat Marmino

.'ster, N. Plains: Mary Jane

' Button-Harrison

■nark, Ill.AVis.: Whitmey Miller

wer Deer Creek, S/C Ind.:

Mary Kessler

Maple Spring, W. Pa.: Nick &
Janna Bennett, Amy Fisher.
Anna Haburcsak. Bessie
Haburcsak. Mary Haburcsak.
Dale Leverknight. Joe &
Patricia Moehler. George &
Cathi Neuhof, Blaine Shaffer,
Nancy Stahl. Amanda
Thomas, Becky Weimer,
Wade & Nancy Weimer

McPherson, W. Plains: Lora Coff-
man, Lynda French, Cheryl
Hammarlund, Jeannie Harden.
Jo Eva Jones, Steven Kaboyo.
Dorothy Michaelis, Douglas
Miller, Emmanuel Smaci,
Angela Wallick, Bitrus Bdlia,
Denise Butler, Shannon Hull

Mechanicsburg, S. Pa.: Lindsey
Wakefield, Ronald Bamhart,
Stephanie Bamhari, Marga-
rette Knox. Denise Sieke, Carl
Sieke, Darlene Walters

Mexico, S/C Ind.: Peggy Owens,
Hali Gibson, Heather Gibson.
Holly Baker, Adam Moore,
Dean Weaver, Janet Weaver,
Jenny Conner, Rhonda
Lippold, Cunis Dillman, Greg
Donaldson, Nathan Collins,
Rick Pierce. Janet Baker

Mineral Creek, Mo.: Jason
Bradley. Justyn Bradley,
Caleb May, Reuben May

Mohler, Atl. N.E.: Brian Loose,
Mark Rabold

Mount Vernon, Shen.: Teny Shu-
maker, Carolyn Shumaker,
Paul Henninger, Betty
Henninger, Thelma Cash,
Donna Falls

Prices Creek, S. Ohio: Elsie
Knotts, Mary Poffenber

Pyrmont, S/C Ind.: Leon and
Linda Welk

South Waterloo, N. Plains:
George Daringer, Jime
Daringer

Springfield, All. N.E.: Richard
Riehman

Troy, S. Ohio: Pam Dalton

Uniontown, W. Pa.: Edward
Baugh, Betty Baugh. James
Ross

West Richmond, Virlina: Donna
Marie. Alyce Newman. Nancy
Curley, Wister Vernon, Ann
Vernon, Paige Tucher, Steve
Driver

Wilmington, Ail. N.E.: John
Winter

Woodland, Ill./Wis.: Erin Sell,
Julie Ann Ott, Linda Bricker,
Marilyn Danner, Theresa
Hamm

York First, S. Pa.: Karen Gentzler

The following wedding anni-
versaries are listed in Turning
Points: 50, 55, 60, 65, and
anything after 70. Remember
to include first and last names,
town, state, and the number of
the aimiversary.

Wedding
Anniversaries

Alrey, Elven and Leta, Dayton,

Va.. 50
Becker, Raymond and Florence,

Troy, Ohio, 50

Duncanson, Harold and Kathryn,

Modesto, Calif., 50
Fackler, Charles and Anna Mae,

Annville, Pa., 50
Fike, Paul and Ella Mae.

Bridgewater. Va.. 50
Kiracofe, Henry and Vallie, /

Bridgewater, Va., 50
Koehler, Frederick and Icel,

Udell, Iowa, 60
Mallison, Victor and Alvetta,

Custer, Mich.. 50
Miles, Charles and Alma, Queen

City. Mo.. 60
Miller, Garland and Edith.

Bridgewater. Va.. 50
Miller, Versal and Grace,

Centerville, Iowa, 50
Sheffer, Wilson and Treva,

Bridgewater, Va., 60
Sisler, Warren and Lila.

Cloverdale, Calif., 60
Tate, Edgar and Geraldine. Salem.

Va., 50
Tate, Prentiss and Aurelia, Salem,

Va.. 50
Watson, Stanley and Alice,

Modesto, Calif., 50
Wine, Everette and Lela,

Bridgewater, Va.. 50
Ziegler, William and Florence,

Palmyra, Pa., 60

Deaths

Adams, Oscar, 72. Ephrata, Pa..

Sep. 26. 1990
Allman, Walter, 87, Dayton, Va..

Jul. 15, 1990
Arey, Roy, 95, Hinton, Va.. Aug.

10, 1990
Bachman, Sandra JoAnn, 43,

Glendale, Ariz.. Jun. 26. 1990
Barnett, Luther W.. 60, Salem.

Va., Apr. 14. 1990
Benson, William E., 82, Mason,

Mich.. Aug. 28. 1990
Berheibile, Daisy R.. 92.

Rockwood. Pa„ May 4, 1990
Bertha, Davis, 82, Polo, 111., Oct.

3, 1990
Botkin, Charles, 89, Sugar Grove,

W. Va..Jul. 8, 1990
Bowser, Edward Sr., 87, York,

Pa.. Sep. 12. 1990
Cable, Oscar. 88. Monticello. 111.,

Apr. 15. 1990
Capps, G. Glenn, 80, Cerro

Gordo, 111., Apr. 9. 1990
Carnall, Waldon, 84, La Verne,

Calif, Oct. 21. 1990
Cash, Jesse, 74, Harrisonburg,

Va.. Sep. 6. 1990
Coleman, Nellie. 80, Caldwell,

Idaho, Jul. 18. 1990
Craun, Dee, 87, Bridgewater, Va.,

Oct. 23. 1990
Cupp, Daniel, 87. Staunton. Va.,

Jul. 26, 1990
Danielson, Era Bemice, 87, Hair-
field, Iowa, Sep. 30, 1990
Davis, Earl, 74, Mechanicsburg,

Pa.. Oct. 19. 1990
Delawder, Vesta. 64. Broadway,

Va., Oct. 23, 1990
Dillon, Macie, 82, Roanoke, Va.,

Sep. 28. 1990
Dorraugh, Charles, 81, Luray,

Va., Sep. 19, 1990
Eagles, Mabel, 85, Palmyra, Pa.,

Jul. 21, 1990
Eavers, Melvin R., 81, Stuarts

Draft, Va., Aug. 2, 1990

Ebersole, Effie, 77, Palmyra, Pa.,

Sep. 2. 1990
Eby, Ralph V.. 67. Elkhart. Ind..

Oct. 28. 1990
Enyeart, Effie M.. 88. S. Whitley,

Ind., Oct. 14, 1990
Evans, Gladys, 96, Glendora,

Calif, Oct. 20. 1990
Everhart, Mary. 85. San Dimas.

Iowa. Aug. 28. 1990
Evers, Melvin. 80. Stuarts Draft,

Aug. 2, 1990
Fitzwater, Marshall. 75. Harrison-
burg. Va.. Aug. 31, 1990
Flook, Roger, 82, Boonsboro.

Md.. Aug. 12. 1990
Flora, Opel. 90. Boones Mill. Va.,

Aug. 28, 1990
Garber, Wilbur. 91. Bridgewater.

Va..Sep. 11. 1990
Gochenour, Thomas. 32,

Edinburg, Va.. Aug. 26. 1990
Heckman, Eunice, 85, Decatur,

111.. May 25. 1990
Hellam, Anna Mae, 78, Phoenix,

Ariz.. Feb. 17, 1990
Hendershot. Sandra, 51, Polo. 111.,

Sep. 23. 1990
Hess, Max. 74, Harrisonburg, Va.,

Aug. 13, 1990
Higgs, Myrtle, 70, Harrisonburg,

Va..Oct. 20. 1990
Horst, Brian, 18, Lebanon. Pa..

Oct. 26. 1990
Jacobs, Mary Propst, 97, Bridge-
water, Va.. Jan. 30. 1990
Jones, John E.. 81. Hagerstown,

Md,, Jun. 30. 1990
Judy, Monna, 94, Franklin, W.

Va.. Sep. 6. 1990
Kestner, Lillian. 80. Twin Falls.

Idaho, Oct. 22, 1990
Kestner, Lincoln, 81, Twin Falls,

Idaho, Sep. 2. 1990
Kline, Mary, 60, Washington,

DC, Oct. 21, 1990
Kline, Orpha. 74. Wardensville.

W. Va..Jul. 17, 1990
Kohart, Bemice, 87, Continental,

Ohio, Sep. 28. 1990
Kurtz, Eula Rose, 88, Phoenix,

Anz., Sep. 3, 1990
Lambert, Arthur, 80, Franklin, W.

Va., Jul. 4, 1990
Lee, Leslie H.. 60. Modesto,

Calif., Aug. 20. 1990
Lehman, William, 66, York, Pa..

Sep. 19, 1990
Lesby, Russell, 84, Falls Church,

Va..Oct. 20, 1990
Lichty, Stephen A.. 30, Waterloo,

Iowa, Nov. 1. 1990
Luster, Sarah, 84, Roanoke, Va.,

Sep. 16. 1990
Manner, Mary. 98, Wakarusa,

Ind.. Oct. 13. 1990
Marchand, Dorothy, 81, McPher-
son, Kan.. Oct. 28. 1990
May, Rhoda, 85, Fulks Run, Va..

Aug. 13, 1990
McCumber, Helen, 72, Scottville,

Mich., Oct. 1. 1990
McKinney, O'Neil. 66, Mechan-
icsburg, Pa.. Jul. 2. 1990
Mellinger, Emily, at birth,

Pyrmont, Ind.. Jul. 18. 1990
Mellinger, Seldon, 78, Carlisle,

Pa., Sep. 30. 1990
Mikesell, Zelma, 83, Greenville,

Ohio, Sep. 23. 1990
Miller, Dove. 81. Bridgewater.

Va.,Oct. 2, 1990
Miller, Icie V., 88, Harrisonburg,

Va., Oct. 28, 1990

Miller, Mary. 84, Mount Jackson,

Va.. Jul. 12. 1990
Minnie, Ralph, 8 1 , La Verne,

Calif., Oct. 19. 1990
Mitchell, Hazel, 86, Broadway,

Va. Aug. 15. 1990
Mitchell, William S., 78, Tacoma,

Wash.. Aug. 30. 1990
Mongold, Mallie V., 82,

Hamsburg, Pa.. Sep, 18. 1990
Moomaw, Ira W.. 96. Jackson-
ville, Fla. Oct. 2, 1990
Morell, Mary, 67, Custer, Mich.,

Jul. 18. 1990
Newman, A. B.. 95. Salem. Va.,

Oct. 27. 1990
Nininger, R. Douglas. 84,

Roanoke, Va.. Sep. 25. 1990
Noffsinger, Irene W.. 71. Elkhart.

Ind.. Oct. 16. 1990
Painter, David Franklin. 77.

Palmyra. Pa.. Jun. 4, 1990
Palmer, William, 72. Astoria, 111.,

Jul. 8. 1990
Petry, Earl, 97, Eaton, Ohio, Oct.

20. 1990
Price, Ethel, 71, Broadway, Va.,

Oct. 16. 1990
Rhoades, Louise. 80. Rocky Ford,

Colo.. Oct. 7. 1990
Rummel, Martha. 83. Greenville,

Ohio, Sep, 25, 1990
Shank, Gertrude M,, 85,

Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 13, 1990
Shepherd, Charles, 9 1 , Tampa,

Ha., Apr. 12, 1990
Shepherd, Fannie, 97, Tampa,

Fla., Sep. 24. 1990
Shoemaker, Earle. 72. CoUege-

ville. Pa.. Jun. 10. 1990
Sisler, Warren, 84, Cloverdale,

Calif., Sep, 27, 1990
Slead, Minnie Mae, 97, Kalona,

Iowa, Oct. 6, 1990
Smucker, Carl S.. 80. Sun City,

Ariz., May 19, 1990
Smyser, Henry, 82, Dallastown,

Pa., Sep. 29, 1990
Snyder, Irene E.. 87. North Man-
chester, Ind., Oct. 22. 1990
Sowers, Bertha, 86, Floyd, Va.,

Jul. 21, 1990
Speer, Cecil M.. 83, Loma Linda,

Calif.. Aug. 11. 1990
Stalder, Edith, 86, Cen-o Gordo,

111, Jun. 14, 1990
Stauffer, Miriam, 70. Elizabeth-
town, Pa., Oct. 21. 1990
Stubbs, Mildred, 88, Richmond,

Ind., Sep. 30. 1990
Summers, Willie M., 93, Bridge-
water, Va.. Sep. 7. 1990
Travis, Dorothy A., 8 1 . Wenat-

chee. Wash., Oct. 24. 1990
Turner, Virginia. 76. Stanley. Va..

Jul. 9. 1990
Wagoner, Dwight, 68, Pyrmont,

Ind.. Aug. 24. 1990
Wertz, Wilbert. 78. Blue Ridge,

Va..Jul. 26. 1990
Whitehead, Wallace. 65. Phoenix.

Ariz., May 7. 1990
Wieand, Viola, 99, Peoria, 111..

Mar. 20. 1990
Williams, Robert E.. 77. Carlisle,

Pa.. Oct. 14. 1990
Wine, Effie, 102, Mount Sidney,

Va.. Sep. 20, 1990
Wood, Pearl, 83, Broadway, Va..

Aug. 28, 1990
Wright, Fred H., 82. Youngtown,

Ahz.. Feb. 28, 1990
Zimmerman, Ruth C, 85. Bridge-
water, Va.. Jun. 18, 1990

January 1991 Messenger 35

Christmas past

I've always been a bit intrigued by the idea that
children resemble their parents. Since I'm
adopted, I had no firsthand experience with what
is really a very commonplace idea.

So quite regularly, now, I gaze on my own
child with a sense of wonder. The eyes and nose
are unmistakeably mine. The mouth and hair
come straight from her dad. And I think I can
take credit or blame for that independent streak
that I see developing.

It is a bit incredible to see these pieces of a
previous generation emerging in a new human
being who is, regardless, developing into a
unique person in her own right. She will no doubt
be very different from the child we expect to
arrive in a few months.

It's natural to think of babies and births at
Christmastime. It's an even more compelling
connection when one has a toddler underfoot and
a baby in the making. The birth of one's babies is
every woman's Christmas, writes Madeleine
L'Engle.

As our 20-month-old folds her hands in
nighttime prayers and learns the names of the
figures in the creche, I am overwhelmed by the
innocence of childhood and the astonishing
choice that God made to send his Son in the form
of a baby.

How did God choose to send this Savior
through the common experience of childbirth?
What did God ponder as he gazed for the first
time at the human face of his Son? Did God, like
any new parent, marvel at the tiny fingers?

And what did Mary ponder as she gazed at
the divine face of her son? Did she look for the
curve of her mouth in his face? Was she mysti-
fied by a child fully divine and fully human?

36 Messenger January 1991

Between Christmas and Epiphany, a day we
low-church Christians are scarcely aware of, lies
another day even more obscure— Holy Innocents'
Day, which recalls Herod's slaughter of the
innocent babies of Bethlehem. After that day,
what did Mary ponder as she gazed at her baby's
face?

That story, like others that tell of children
taken from their parents, cuts into some new part
of me now that I am a mother. It never fit well
with the shepherds and the angels, of course, but
now I am even more capable of grasping its
horror. 'When Herod lashes out at God incarnate,
Christmas is over.

On Christmas day, is this what God saw
foreshadowed in the face of his Son? Is this what
Mary saw?

When we reach January, we have finished our
festivities and unpacked the post-Christmas blues.
When we reach Epiphany, we have come through
both Christmas and Holy Innocents' Day. We
have seen God's most glorious gift, and we have
seen humankind's most terrible response. We
have seen candlelight, and we have seen the harsh
reality of desert sun. We have seen the olive
branch of peace, and we have seen the machinery
of war.

> ut God sent his own Holy Innocent, who bears
the likeness of the one who sent him. The story of
Christmas will not be complete until Easter.

That is what we remember as we weep with
Rachel for her children, as we bow in adoration
with the magi, as we gaze at the face of the Child.
When Christmas is past, Christmas still is
present.-WENDY Chamberlain McFadden

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Have you noticed? MESSENGER has gotten closer
to home.

We've expanded our local news into two sec-
tions-In Touch and Close to Home. In Touch
profiles people we'd like you to meet. Close to
Home highlights news of congregations, districts,
colleges, and other local and regional life.

But that's not all. Mixed Reviews offers you a
Brethren critique of various media. Turning
Points lists new members of the church. And, be-
ginning this month, the informal Stepping Stones
column promises to help you through life's ups
and downs.

Take a closer look. We're closer to you.

MESSENGER. We're bringing you home.

with love! -

For many years we've wondered how the Church of the Breth-
ren might get MESSENGER into every Brethren home. While
Messenger reaches 24,000 subscribers, what about the other
36,000 or so Brethren households (figuring roughly two and a
half people per household divided into a denominational
membership of about 150,000)?

Well, that is now happening with the issue
you're holding in your hands. Through a one-time
cooperative effort of Messenger and the stew-
ardship staff, this issue is being provided free to
an additional 40,000 households. The Sudan
articles and a special centerfold will help congre-
gations learn more about the ministries supported
through the One Great Hour of Sharing offering
emphasis, and it's through that major interpreta-
tion effort that the free magazines are being
distributed to congregations in a quantity that we
hope is roughly the same as the number of
households. (We're not sending bundles to those
churches that already subscribe for all their members.)

In addition to providing extra exposure to the One Great
Hour of Sharing material, we hope many people will take a
closer look at Messenger, and consider subscribing.

And, by the way, a closer look at this issue will reveal yet
another innovation. We're launching a series of occasional
features that help you relate your Christian faith to daily life.
We hope this series, called "Faith at Home," will enrich you.

S^^.^7%,

COMING NEXT MONTH: Articles on evangelism and
Nigeria's Rural Health Program, plus reports from Brethren
visitors to Iraq.

February 1!

Editor

Kermon Thomasson

Managing editor

Wendy Chamberlain McFadden

Editorial assistants

Cheryl Cayford. Karia Boyers

Production, Advertising

Sue Radcliff

Subscriptions

Norma Nieto, Martha Cupp

Promotion

Kenneth L. Gibble

Publisher

Dale E. Minnich

District Messenger representatives:

Atlantic Northeast, Ron Lutz; Atlantic
Southeast, Ruby Raymer; lUinois/Wiscon
Fletcher Farrar Jr.; Northern Indiana, Leo
Holderread; South/Central Indiana, Lois I
Michigan, Marie Willoughby; Mid-Atlanl
Ann Fouls; Missouri, Mary Greim; Mis-
souri/Southern Arkansas, Mary McGowaj
Northern Plains, Pauline Flory; Northern
Ohio, Shen-y Sampson; OregonAVashingi
Marguerite Shamberger; Pacific Southwe;
Randy Miller; Middle Pennsylvania. Peg|
Over; Southern Pennsylvania, Elmer Q.
Gleim; Western Pennsylvania, Jay Chrisli
Shenandoah, Jerry Brunk; Virlina, Mike
Gilmore; Western Plains, Dean Hummer;
West Marva. Winoma Spurgeon.

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In Touch 2
Close to Home
Vews 6
Column 1 1
iitepping Stones
^ixed Reviews
setters 33
Opinions 34
'ontius' Puddle
rurning Points
Editorial 40

35
39

>edits:

rover: United Nations
!: Thad Allton/ropfia Capital-Journal
! top: Phil/Kathy Jones
I bottom: Irene S. Reynolds
V. Bob Fellers
i left: Sue Radcliff
i right: Florence Firebaugh
' left, 12-13: George Keeler
i top: Cheryl Cayford
i bottom, 10 bottom, 17, 24 bottom:
Wendy McFadden
10 top: RNS/Robert Boczkiewicz
1 6, 27 art: Kermon Thomasson
19, 24: J. Roger Schrock
!1, 23: R. Jan Thompson
!2, 24 top: Phil Grout

A lawyer with convictions 12

Bob Bowman introduces Phil Stone, the yirginia attorney
who will moderate the 1991 Annual Conference.

Cain Lackey: A mountain legend 15

The moderator's great-grandfather was a legendary moun-
taineer preacher. Story by Kermon Thomasson.

Sudan prays for peace 1 9

Roger Schrock 's recent trip to Sudan revealed a deep hunger
for peace. Article by Wendy McFadden.

Hunger in Sudan 21

The situation in Sudan is desperate, say Jan and Roma Jo
Thompson, Brethren workers there. Interview by Cheryl
Cayford.

Taming the tube 27

Parents must help kids monitor the media, says Quentin J.
Schultze. Interview by the editors of U.S. Catholic.

page 27

Cover: A Liber ian mother and child. This year the Church of the Brethren
has provided $25,000 through its Emergency Disaster Fund for people in
Liberia, who are suffering from a year of ruthless violence from the civil war.
Food and medical needs are severe.

These grants have been made in response to Church World Service's
appeal for $1 million from US churches. More than 80 percent of the
population in the capital dry of Monrovia are malnourished. Hardest hit are
women, children, and the elderly.

Relief and development assistance in Liberia and elsewhere around the
world are made possible through such efforts as the One Great Hour of
Sharing, highlighted in this issue with a special insert.

February 1991 Messenger 1

Flap jack quilter

Lewis Butts became a quilter
by need. His wife, Cleo,
needed someone to piece
quilt tops for her when she
became unable to do work at
her sewing machine.

Lewis now pieces quilts for
the women's fellowship at
the Topeka (Kan.) church.

and I couldn't make the
comers match," he says.

Lewis has boxes of fabric
blocks already cut, just
waiting for him to sew
together. Many are made
from double-knit fabric for
lap quilts that the church
group will "coarse quilt."
There are between 30 and 35
of the quilt tops waiting for

■ I /I Touch' ' profiles Brethren we
would like you to meet. Send
story ideas and photos (black
and white, if possible) to ' 'In
Touch," Messenger. 1451
Dundee Ave.. Elgin, IL 60120.

One of the quilts he cut out
and pieced— in a personally
designed pink and blue Tic
Tac Toe pattern— was auc-
tioned at the church's Dun-
kerfest Days in September.

After Lewis pieced the
quilt, the women's group,
including Cleo, met weekly
to quilt it by hand. Lewis cuts
fabric blocks and pieces and
binds quilts, but doesn't do
the hand quilting.

He does, however, cut all
his quilt pieces with scissors,
though he has a faster rotary
cutter. "Some say I'm awful
particular because some of
the patches the women cut,
they didn't cut true enough

the women to quilt, and
Lewis estimates the group
has already completed 50.
Some are donated to the
Rescue Mission or North
Topeka Outreach, and others
are sold to individuals or to
benefit the church.

The Butts have also col-
laborated on some quilts for
their children and grand-
children.

Lewis is known as the
"Flap Jack Man" in the
Good Sam recreational ve-
hicle organization. He fries
pancakes at Good Sam gath-
erings and at state meetings
has been known to use 150
pounds of mix.

"I like to keep my hands
going. If I read a little, I go to
sleep, so then I go back and
start sewing. That's the way I
relax, I guess."— Anita
Miller Fry

This article is excerpted from the
Topeka Capital-Journal, with
permission.

Walker with a cause

From the rural hills of
southern Virginia, to the
lakefront of Chicago, III.,
Andy Jones is a walker with
a cause. Just ask him. Ask
him why he is always ready
to step off on the next walk
designed for supporting some
worthy group or social
concern.

His answer will be a solid,
no-doubt-about-it, " 'cause
it's fun." That's reason
enough for this nine-year-old
presently living with his
family in Oak Brook, 111.

Andy's first experience
was in a world hunger walk
sponsored by his home con-
gregation, the Antioch (Va.)
church. He, along with 124
others, stepped off together
on the first of what has
become an annual event for
raising money to help fight
world hunger.

Since then, Andy has
walked in a CROP walk in
Virginia as well as one in
Lombard, 111. He joined over
800 other walkers in a 16-
mile trek along the lakefront
of Chicago last April. This
walk generated thousands of
dollars for research of
multiple sclerosis. This fall
he was also involved in other
walks.

Andy enjoys the fellowship
and fun and senses the good
that comes from such events.

2 Messenger February 1991

He likes the idea that lots of
money can be raised this way
to help people. Those who
see him grow and develop
glimpse more. But for Andy,
this is reason enough.
—Phil and Kathy Jones

Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits

"I can't keep all my baby
rabbits," says Carolyn
Martin, a 16-year-old
member of the Ottawa (Kan.)
church.

"Donating them to Heifer
Project International is the
next best thing. I know I'm
starting a chain of helping
others when I give my rabbits
as breeding stock to HPI, and
the offspring go to less
fortunate people who donate
their first-born doe to
someone else."

"Carolyn names, feeds,
and gives tender loving care

to all her rabbits," says her
mother, Mrs. Richard Martin.
"She hugs and talks to them,
and cries hard when they
leave for HPI's 1,200-acre
ranch at Perryville, Ark.. And
we never, ever think about
eating one."

Each year, Carolyn takes
her rabbits to The Bishop's
Roundup in November in
Lawrence. There, Heifer
Project trailers load up used
clothing and livestock. The
intemational project, started
in 1944 by Brethren Dan
West, of Goshen, Ind., now
has 150 projects in 44
countries.

Last year, Carolyn donated
five Dutch rabbits. Her
parents received a tax
exemption of $75, and the
receipt indicated that the
baby bunnies went to an
Indian reservation in Sioux
Falls, S. D.

Carolyn was 10 years old
when Helen Jamison, another
Brethren from rural Ottawa,
gave her a Heifer Project
T-shirt. She was so "turned
on to HPI" that she chose it
as the topic of an eighth
grade heritage project.

While other students were
digging into family histories,
Carolyn researched Heifer
Project from the time during

the Spanish Civil War when
Dan West doled out pow-
dered milk and decided, "If a
cup, why not a cow."

In comparison to heifers,
rabbits efficiently and quickly
convert food into meat. The
offspring of prolific rabbits
can total 150 pounds of meat
in one year.

Most of the 17 rabbits
Carolyn has donated have
been crossbreeds from white
Califomian bucks. She's had
New Zealand, Mixed Satin,
and even Champagne
d'Argent, a rabbit bom with
black fur that changes to
silver.

Carolyn is on her high
school honor roll and is
president of her 4-H club.
Her near-future plans are to
get a part-time job cleaning
out animal pens for a
veterinarian; her long-range
plans are to work in a zoo.
-Irenes. Reynolds

TV for children

Brethren media education
volunteer Ramona Pence,

who gives workshops on
media and children, and
Brethren Jean Meyer, were
among about 50 people from
various denominations at a
symposium on "Television
and Children" in November.
Initial plans were made to
create and produce a high-
quality, value-based chil-
dren's television program
dealing with affective
development. "The United
Methodist communication
team will meet to find
sponsors, set goals, and test
some pilots," reported
Ramona. "At this point they
don't know what type of
children's program it will be,

what vehicle (public, cable,
or network), or what age they
will target. It was the
beginning step."

Names in the news

Daria Kay Bowman, a

student at Bridgewater (Va.)
College, will spend three
weeks in February as an
intern at the Quaker United
Nations office in Geneva,
Switzerland, monitoring the
UN human rights commission
meetings.

Dale Ott, of Geneva,
Switzerland, visited Romania
in November as a member of
the Christian Children's Fund
team that spoke with officials
concerning family-based
living alternatives for
institutionalized children.

Gary and JuliAnne
Bowser Sloughfy have been
instrumental in starting a
Habitat for Humanity chapter
in Fostoria, Ohio. JuliAnne,
pastor of the Fostoria church,
has volunteered in helping
form the new chapter, of
which Gary is president.

Phyllis and ClifTord
Oshel, and son Johnathan,
of the Topeka (Kan.) church,
were one of five families
selected as Topeka family of
the year. The Oshels have
taken in three teenagers who
otherwise would be in insti-
tutions for homeless youth.

Anna Snyder, of First
church in Chicago, 111., is
associate director of the
Albert Einstein Peace Prize
Foundation and helped organ-
ize a January seminar in
Moscow, with Mikhail
Gorbachev as the keynote
speaker. The foundation
awarded him its peace prize
in June.

February Messenger 1991 3

■ 'Close to Home' ' highlights
news of congregations, districts,
colleges, homes, and other local and
regional life. Send story ideas and
photos (black and white, if possible)
to "Close to Home." Messenger,
1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin. IL 60120.

Kristallnacht

Fifty-two years ago Novem-
ber 9, the peace of the world
was shattered by Kristall-
nacht in Germany— "the
night of broken glass' "—when
Jewish homes, property, and
synagogues were destroyed
and 30,000 Jews were carried
off to concentration camps.

Ira Lydic, pastor of the
Lebanon (Pa.) church, gave
the sermon at a recent Jewish
observance of Kristallnacht.

In the summer of 1990, the
Lydics went to Germany to
visit their daughter, who is an
exchange student. Visiting
the Dachau concentration
camp, Ira noted the silence of
visitors in the presence of the
gas chambers and was
impressed by a sign that said:
"If we do not remember the
lessons of the past, we are
doomed to repeat the mis-
takes of the past."

Eager not to "repeat the
mistakes of the past," he
conferred with his friend
Louis Zivic, rabbi of the Beth
Israel Synagogue, and the
idea of a community com-
memoration service was
formed. Eight people
representing different faiths
participated in the service and
Ira gave the sermon. Spon-
sors included almost 50
Protestant and Catholic
churches.

Mindful of a common
heritage, the people of good
faith in Lebanon Valley
joined in commemorating
Kristallnacht by leaving
building lights on as beacons
in the night.

On the previous Sunday
Rabbi Zivic attended the
Lebanon church to invite the
congregation to the Kris-
tallnacht service, while
members of a Roman

Catholic church were in the
basement preparing noon
meals for the needy. Three
very different faiths— within
the same walls— with no
barriers between them.
-Harlan D. Bross

Paving the way

The Hagerstown (Md.)
congregation is getting
"lots" of use from its park-
ing lot. As an outgrowth of
involvement in the Education
for Urban Ministries pro-
gram, the church has worked
to identify some needs of
people in the immediate area

to which they might relate.

One simple act of friend-
ship has been to allow
neighbors to park in desig-
nated areas of the church lot,
except on Sunday momings.

In October, the church held
its fourth annual Fall Festival,
and the parking lot was trans-
formed into a petting zoo,
with sheep, goats, rabbits,
and chickens. Free refresh-
ments were provided, and
inside the church were dis-
plays, games for children,
bingo (with groceries for
prizes), and music.

"We wanted to give people
in the community the feeling
that they are free to enter the
church, and that it's a place

Kids Night Out with God (K.N.0.W. God) is a weekly Bible
study for children ages 4 to 12 at the Castine (Ohio) church.
During the Pn'o years it has been in progress, attendance has
grown from about 10 to 40. Sharon Fellers, one of six teach-
ers, says the church felt the children could benefit from
additional Bible study outside of Sunday school.

Separated according to age, the three classes have, among
other things, spent time studying their heritage by writing
letters to CROP, Heifer Project, and mission projects to learn
more about what Brethren are doing.

Twenty minutes of music from the study hour has given rise
to the congregation s first children s choir. Other activities
include crafts, keeping prayer journals, and community
activity such as ' 'pick-a-treat' ' at Halloween, when the
children take goodies to others instead of collecting them.

4 Messenger February 1991

where they're welcome,"
says Guy Wampler, pastor of
the congregation.

Yet another use for their
pavement evolved last May,
when free table space was
provided on the church lot for
a community yard sale.

What's happening

Camp Mardella has pro-
duced an audio tape of camp

songs entitled "Mardella's
Musical Memories."
As part of an International
1 Peace Lantern Exchange
I Project, children from the
I Westminster (Md.) church
created peace lanterns they
sent to the Soviet Union and
held a ceremony setting
afloat lanterns they received
j from Soviet children.
j Ridgeway Community
' church in Harrisburg, Pa.,
hosted a 14th annual volley-
ball marathon with more than
100 people representing nine
Brethren churches. In 24
hours $84,000 was raised for
Heifer Project International.

"The King's Kids"
Sunday school class of the
Parker Ford (Pa.) church
raised $750 by recycling 20
tons of glass. Now the con-
gregation is enjoying padded,
upholstered pews the money
helped purchase.

Happy One Hundred!

The University of La Verne

(Calif.) celebrates its centen-
nial with festivals and awards

throughout the 1990-91 year.
Harold Fasnacht, president
emeritus 1948-68, received
the first centennial medallion
for his 42 years of service.

After 43 years of coaching
the La Verne football team,
Roland Ortmayer was
awarded a centennial medal
of distinction at halftime of
his final game in November.
Herman Landis, 92, one of
the oldest La Verne alumni,
has also been honored with a
distinguished service medal
for his ongoing support over
the past 70 years.

Manchester College, in
North Manchester, Ind., won
first place in a National Asso-
ciation for Campus Activities
contest to find the college
with the most outrageous,
creative, unusual, imagina-
tive, or bizarre outdoor event.
The prize-winning activities
included a hog-roast, a
lifesize monopoly game, and
a mudfest.

A recent Beverage Respon-
sibility Education Week at
Juniata College in Hunting-
don, Pa., included a "Happy
Hour" with "mocktails" and
Friday night entertainment
with a keg of draft birch beer,
as well as lectures on drink-
ing and driving. "This is not
an anti-alcohol campaign,"
said one student organizer.
Chuck Howells. "Instead we
hope to promote responsible
drinking."

Memories mal<e money

A book by Geraldine Crill
Eller is helping raise money
for the Mustard Seed Day
Care Center sponsored by the
Wenatchee (Wash.) Brethren
Baptist Church United.
Each donor of $10 or more

Thirteen new members joined the Clover Creek church in a
special 200th anniversary baptism in the nearby Clover Creek.

gets a free copy of A Pot-
pourri of People, a collection
of memories of people and
events that helped shape and
sustain the church.

"Even with much donated
labor, we still need cash,"
Geraldine writes. "I decided
that offering a free book for a
donation to the center would
bring in more revenue than
passing the collection plate. It
has!"

The center provides care
for latchkey children as well
as preschool services five
days a week. Organizers have
also designated a room for
English classes for home-
bound Hispanic mothers,
Geraldine reports.

Reunion

Anyone who has ever been a
camper at Camp Mon-Dak,

near Dunseith, N. D., is
invited to an all-camper
reunion July 12-14. "We're
hoping to reach people who
have at some time been in the
camp and would like to come
back," said organizer Ruth
Clark. Contact her at Rt. 2,
Box 36, Froid, MT 59226;
(406) 963-2533.

Milestones

The Clover Creek church in
Fredericksburg, Pa., observed
its 200th anniversary with a
weekend of special activities
in September. In an old-
fashioned baptism in nearby
Clover Creek, 1 3 new
members were received.

Center Hill church near
Kittanning, Pa., celebrated
1 70 years October 2 1 .

The La Verne (Calif.)
church celebrated the 100th
anniversary of its founding
November 3.

The Freeport (III.) church
observed its 75th anniversary
October 28.

The Cooperative Disaster
Child Care program
celebrated its 10th anniver-
sary in October.

La Mision de Jesus in
McFarland, Calif., has been
received as a Church of the
Brethren fellowship by
Pacific Southwest District.

The Somerset (Pa.) church
held a mortgage burning
October 2 1 to celebrate the
conclusion of part of its
renovation program.

Bethel Temple church in
Pomona, Calif., has been
disorganized. Its final service
was held January 28, 1990.

February Messenger 1991 5

Christian Peacemal<er Teams
group reports on trip to Iraq

A Brethren, Quaker, and Mennonite
Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation
that traveled to Iraq November 21 —
December 1 says war can be avoided if
the US shows respect for Iraq's point of
view and for Arab culture.

The 12-member group, including
Brethren Julie Garber and Bill Keim,
met in Iraq with government officials
and with officials of the US and Cana-
dian embassies, as well as leaders in a
women's organization, school children, a
hospital administrator, and a Syrian
Catholic bishop.

The highest-level meeting took place
with Nazir Hamdoon, Iraq's deputy
foreign minister. Hamdoon and delega-
tion members discussed the possibility of
using third-party negotiators with
international profiles, such as Roger
Fisher and Ramsey Clark, to arbitrate the
crisis.

In addition, the team urged the release
of all foreign "hostages" and specifi-
cally asked for the release of six US
citizens with serious medical conditions,
giving names provided by the US State
Department.

"Only later did we learn that five of
the six were released to Muhammad Ali,
who also went to Baghdad to seek
freedom for captives," reported Julie
Garber. "The five had been held in
strategic sites and claim to have been
treated well."

A $12,000 shipment of medicine for
infants and children, prepared by the
New Windsor (Md.) Service Center, was
presented by the group to the Red
Crescent Society, the Arab equivalent of
the Red Cross. The delegation reported a
shortage of vaccines and medicines,
water purification chemicals, and fuel
additives.

"I'm generally hopeful that there will
not be an armed conflict," Garber told
reporters at a press conference upon
returning to New York December 1 .
Iraqi leaders are willing "to put any-
thing on the negotiating table," she said.

CRT coordinator and team member
Gene Stoltzfus said, "Iraq will not pull

6 Messenger February 1991

back until their matters (about dissatis-
faction with Kuwaiti leaders) are talked
about in a serious way." Iraqi leaders
believe Kuwait took advantage of Iraq
during its war with Iran, he said, and
they believe they have a right to Kuwaiti
territory.

The delegation also included Quaker
Landrum Boiling, who has extensive
experience in informal diplomacy
between US and Soviet leaders and US
and Palestinian leaders.

"I think we're part of a pretty solid
voice that opposes a military operation"
to end the crisis, Garber said. "And I
hope we demonstrated that to Iraq and,
more importantly, to our own govern-
ment."

(The March Messenger will cany
first-hand reports of the trip from Julie
Garber and Bill Keim and a news report
from a December trip by general
secretary Donald Miller, with 18 other
top US church leaders, to cities in the
Middle East.)

Bretliren Press becomes
a center for resources

In a move intended to make Brethren
Press the center for development of
resources for Brethren congregations and
members, the editorial and publishing
units of Brethren Press have been shifted
into the Parish Ministries Commission.
The shift came after a decision at the
October General Board meeting to put
the press under the direction of the
treasurer's office, moving it from the
General Services Commission.

Order fulfillment and Brethren Press
finances are now administered by the
treasurer's office, and order procedures
will not change. An editorial unit,
directed by editor of study resources
Julie Garber, and a publishing unit,
directed by Brethren Press publisher
Robert Dumbaugh, are administered in
the Parish Ministries Commission. Pub-
lishing goals, decisions, and recommen-
dations are made or reviewed by the
publishing council, now to be convened
by Dumbaugh.

The editing and publishing units will I
begin to examine what resources the
Brethren most need, said PMC executivt
Joan Deeter. "Beyond that we will
obviously be exploring which of our
pieces will serve a wider audience."

Brethren Press will now do more to
publicize and explain the work of the
church, especially the Goals for the '90s
said Deardorff. More work in communi-
cation will help the denominational stafl
districts, and congregations work
together to achieve the goals, he said.

The press continues to sell to a wider
readership through the "faithQuest"
venture, which markets Brethren Press
products. FaithQuest has been made a
separate department, Deardorff said, so
that its financial success or failure does
not affect the regular workings of
Brethren Press.

"I've had some concern that if
Brethren Press is seen as only an
income-producing unit," said general
secretary Donald Miller, "then it's unde
heavy pressure to balance its budget. I
believe that Brethren Press is primarily
to resource the congregations.

"There's been talk about how we hav^
two editorial staffs, one in PMC, and om
in Brethren Press," he added. " 'Breth-
ren Press' will continue to be the way of
designating or identifying the publishing
function" of the church.

Peace, creation, and structure!
Iiead Conference discussion

Among business on the agenda for the
July 2-7 Annual Conference in Portland,
Ore., are proposed statements on
peacemaking and creation, a report from
the denominational structure review
committee, and a series of new queries.

The peacemaking paper offers
guidance for the ministry of peacemak-
ing to individuals and congregations.
The statement is an unfinished item of
business from last year. Also unfinished
business is the 1990 paper on creation,
which Conference decided to circulate a
a study document. The paper has been
revised and is brought for approval as a

enominational statement.

The structure review committee will
ive a report on its assignment to review
hurch structure as a way of enhancing
le church's ministries.

Queries for discussion at Conference
iclude:

New relationships with Brethren
eritage churches worldwide. Atlantic
outheast District asks Conference to
cause the Church of the Brethren USA

take initiative in approaching the
ther churches around the world who
link of themselves as of the Schwar-
enau Brethren heritage to consider
j/ays of meeting together for worship,
;llowship, mutual encouragement, and
oint planning of how we might work
jgether and witness to Christ's love in
,ie world."

1 Query on missions to unreached
eople groups. Northern Indiana Dis-

The 1991 Annual
Conference logo
encourages
Brethren to expe-
rience, proclaim,
and share the joy
of worshiping a
living God.

Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world
and as head of the Church according to
the Scriptures."

The nature of the church. Atlantic
Northeast District asks Conference to
appoint a study committee to report in
1992 with a statement on "the essential
nature of the Church of the Brethren,
that without which we would no longer
be the Church of the Brethren," suggest-
ing that such a statement would be
useful in church planting in new ethnic
and geographic areas.

Query on organ and tissue donation.
Northern Ohio District asks Conference
to recommend a church response in
educating and encouraging members as
to how they might help relieve the
suffering of individuals requiring organ
and tissue donations.

Ethics in ministry relations. Oregon-
Washington District asks Conference to

recommend tithing.

Phillip Stone, Annual Conference
moderator, will preside over the business
sessions and preach at the opening
worship on Tuesday evening.

Other conference speakers are Eugene
Roop, professor of Old Testament at
Bethany Seminary, on Wednesday
evening; June Yoder, professor at
Associated Mennonite Seminaries in
Goshen, Ind., on Thursday evening;
Gilbert Romero, pastor of the Bella
Vista church in Los Angeles, Calif., on
Friday evening; and Susan Stem Boyer,
associate pastor of the Manchester
church. North Manchester, Ind., on
Saturday evening. Thomas Geiman,
pastor of the Mill Creek congregation in
Port Republic, Va., will speak at the
closing Sunday morning worship.

Janice Fralin, from Edgemont, Colo.,
will be music coordinator, and Bruce
Hirsch, faculty member of the University
of La Verne (Calif.), Conference choir
director. Mary Jo Flory Steury, co-pastor
of the Troy (Ohio) church, will be
worship coordinator.

The theme of this year's Conference is
"Behold! The wonder of God's pres-
ence!" Patricia Helman of Fort Wayne,
Ind., and Rosanna McFadden of Indian-

1 ^...

Phillip Stone

Ettiit'iw Hi'i'p

|ict asks: "Should the Church of the
.Irethren have a clear and specific plan
jWhich identifies countries, ethnic/racial
roups, timetables, and estimated
ssource allocations) for proclaiming the
ospel and planting Churches of the
Irethren among unreached people
roups?" The query states that "36
ercent of the world's population" do
|0t know Christ.
Religious pluralism and headship of
Christ. Atlantic Northeast District asks
mnual Conference to "formulate a
lear and concise statement concerning

June Yoder

Gilbert Romero

Susan Stern Bover

Thomas Geiman

appoint a committee to "develop a code
of ethical principles for clergy in the
Church of the Brethren . . . which would
include the concerns of the 'Ethics in
Ministry Relations' paper passed by
Standing Committee in 1988."

Support of Brethren outreach
ministries. As part of the Goals for the
'90s program to expand mission efforts
and work in the areas of young adult and
deaf ministries, the General Board rec-
ommends that Conference challenge
congregations to increase support "by
10 percent each year through 1995" and

apolis, created the logo design.

The location for business sessions,
worship services, exhibits, and all main
activities will be the new Oregon Con-
vention Center in Portland. Special
events include a Saturday evening
concert by pianist Ken Medema.

Information about registration,
accommodations, transportation, and
special events will be mailed in packets
to all churches and registered delegates
in March. Contact the Annual Confer-
ence Office, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin,
IL 60120.

February 1991 Messenger 7

\^''

Roger Schrock to take
new post in Sudan

Roger Schrock has resigned his execu-
tive post with the Church of the Brethren
General Board effective July 3 1 in order
to take a key assignment in Sudan.

Schrock has been named acting
executive secretary of the New Sudan
Council of Churches, an ecumenical
agency recently begun to assist Chris-
tians in the southern, rebel-controlled
part of Sudan. He and his wife, Carolyn,
will move to Torit, in southern Sudan,
next September.

Schrock has served as associate
general secretary and executive of the
World Ministries Commission since
1985. Previously he was the denomina-
tion's Africa representative.

His Africa experience also includes
three years teaching at Waka Schools in
Nigeria, several years managing Breth-
ren mission hospitals and later heading
the Lafiya health care program in
Nigeria, and three years in Sudan coor-
dinating a primary health care program.
He has also pastored the Lewiston
(Minn.) Church of the Brethren.

During his tenure as WMC executive,
Schrock was heavily involved in work of
the National Council of Churches—
especially through Church World Ser-
vice, the NCC's relief and development
arm. Schrock was a member of the
"Committee of Fifteen," which helped
design a restructure of the NCC in 1989.

8 Messenger February 1991

Selection of liymns almost
complete for new hymnal

After years of sorting and debating, the
three Hymnal Project committees-
music, text, and worship— made final
recommendations in October, and then
disbanded.

The decision-making Hymnal Council
then voted— hymn by hymn— on the rec-
ommendations, singing many of them,
rejecting some, accepting others. By the
end of the meeting, the total number of
approved hymns reached nearly 600.
The final 100 or so were to be selected
at the last meeting of the 14-member
council in January.

Three Hymnal Project staff— managing
editor Rebecca Slough, music editor Ken
Nafziger, and administrative secretary
Lani Wright— will prepare the hymnal
for publication, presenting it to the
printers by early 1992, with release set
for June 1. The hymnal will cost $14.95.

A reduced price of $ 11 .95 will be
offered for pre-paid orders between Jun
1 and December 31, 1991.

The new hymnal, produced jointly by
the Mennonite Church, General Confer-
ence Mennonite Church, and the Churcl'
of the Brethren, replaces the 1951
Brethren hymnal and the 1969 Mennon<!
ite hymnal.-STEVE Shentk

Bethany gives full tuition
to Brethren students

At a fall meeting, the board of Bethany
Theological Seminary decided to make-
full tuition scholarships available to
Brethren students in the master's
programs, beginning in the 1991-92
school year.

The board adopted a goal of raising
$500,000 to help pay for the new schol-i
arships. Financial aid for non-Brethren

Three church leaders from Panama visited the General offices November 30,
giving a panel report and discussion on the situation in their country since the Deceri
ber 1989 invasion by US forces.

Secundino Morales {center below), a bishop of the Evangelical Methodist Church^
Ernesto Weigandt (second from left), a Lutheran Church pastor, and Alcibiades Lope
(right), a Baptist Church pastor, shared events suffered by their people both physical
and economically.

Lope: emphasized the need for the people of Panama to "be given back the rlght\\
to act as a nation" and not be ' 'strait-jacketed by outside forces."

All three expressed appreciation for US church Involvement in the concerns of
their country. As for continuing pressure on the US government to remove military
control and provide reparation to the Panamanian people. Weigandt urged those
present not to give up. "We are living at a time of reshaping," he said.

itudents will continue to be available.
The board also discussed criteria for
elocating the seminary and appointed a
|roup to prepare a plan for marketing the
jresent campus in Oak Brook, 111.; began
I search for a new president; adopted a
lew faculty manual; adopted a new
)olicy on sexual harassment for a one-
/ear trial period; and noted progress in
in accreditation self-study.

i^oung adults gather,
velcome the stranger

rhe 15 th annual Young Adult Confer-
;nce at Camp Woodland Altars in
'eebles, Ohio, brought participants from
IS far away as California and Massachu-
letts to spend their Thanksgiving holiday
n fellowship and renewal.

Workshop leaders Bob and Nancy
^aus focused on several dimensions of
he theme, "Welcoming the Stranger,"
)y looking not only at the stranger out-
ide, but at the strangers within— those
)arts which seem "out of sync with our-
elves," said Bob Faus. "We are called
come to know, to serve, love, and in-
cite the stranger into our midst because
n that stranger, God himself is
iresent."

Fourteen workshops focused on topics
uch as community, faith sharing, and
jadership within the church. In one
ession, Phyllis Carter, Annual Confer-
nce moderator-elect, shared the urgent
all to spiritual renewal recently released
y six denominational leaders. "Planting
reams with youth is extremely impor-
int," said Carter. "If we're going to get
ack to our roots, this is where to start."

During the weekend conference, 10
lembers of the group drafted a state-
lent declaring and confirming Brethren
eace and nonviolence convictions, par-
cularly in response to the Persian Gulf
risis, which was then made available
)r those who wished to sign. Partici-
ants had the option of donating a per-

ntage of the fuel cost of the trip to

ipport the church's peace office. A

>tal of $231 was collected.

Of the record 115 registered for the

inference, some went to reunite with

old friends, to meet new ones, or to
escape the stresses of studying. Others
participated in the conference to see how
Brethren young adults in other/congrega-
tions are thinking and feeling about life
in the church, and to take new ideas for
revitalizing youth back to their own
home congregations.

"This is the future of the church," said
Judy Dotterer of the Union Bridge (Md.)
church, attending the conference for her
seventh time. "We have here this
weekend future moderators and general
secretaries for the Brethren."

NCC speaks out on the gulf
as it celebrates 40 years

The National Council of Churches' 270-
member general board in November
called for "an immediate halt to the
buildup and the withdrawal of US troops
from the Gulf region"— except those
explicitly recommended by the United
Nations security council.

The council also pressed the US to ne-
gotiate, "including direct negotiations
with Iraq." The statements came during
a meeting in which the organization
celebrated its 40th anniversary.

To mark the occasion, a new logo was
adopted. Brethren staff Howard Royer

and Wendy McFadden were part of the
logo constituency committee, which
Royer chaired. The teal and purple
design represents the "ecumenical
ship," with the cross as a mast, riding
waves suggesting the world, the waters
of baptism, and the winds of the Holy

Spirit. It was designed by Beleski and
Swain Design, of Westport, Conn.

Joan B. Campbell was elected unani-
mously as general secretary through
1995. She is currently executive director
of the Worid Council of Churches' US
office and is a minister both in the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
and the American Baptist Churches
(USA). New directors were chosen for
the NCC's four units: Lani Havens will
direct the Church World Service and
Witness Unit; Constance Tarasar the
Unity and Relationships Unit; Kenyon
Burke the Prophetic Justice Unit; and
J. Martin Bailey the Education, Commu-
nication, and Discipleship Unit.

General Board announces
half-time staff member

Jean L. Hendricks began January 1 as
ministry training field associate, work-
ing in the central and western regions of
the Church of the
Brethren. A gra-
duate of McPher-
son College and
Bethany Seminary,
she lives in Law-
rence, Kan., where
she is pursuing
graduate work and pastoring the Law-
rence Mennonite Fellowship.

Brethren group to visit
sister church in Cuba

A "sister church encounter between
North and South" will take place in
April when Brethren visit the Christian
Pentecostal Church of Cuba. Brethren
are invited to apply to take part.

"Our Cuban sisters and brothers live
in a socio-political context very different
than ours," said Latin America/Carib-
bean representative Yvonne Dilling.
"Exchanges can enrich our awareness of
diversity in the global body of Christ."
Contact the Latin America/Caribbean
Office, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL
60120; (708) 742-5100.

February 1991 Messenger 9

Church gives $20,000
to ease malnutrition

A grant for $15,000 was given through
the church's Emergency Disaster Fund
to cover shipping costs of food and
medical supplies to the people of Liberia
suffering from widespread malnutrition
due to the fighting in their country.

Another EDF grant for $5,000 was
donated in response to the economic
crisis in Argentina, where there is a great
need for food and medicines to help
alleviate the increasing problems of
hunger, malnutrition, and sickness.

Peacemal<ers offer groceries
at Colorado air force base

At their November "peace revival" in
Denver, Colo., attendees of the Christian
Peacemaker Teams conference ended
the weekend of workshops and keynote
speakers with a demonstration outside
Lowry Air Force Base, gathering with an
offering of groceries that was later
distributed to area food banks.

Cliff Kindy, a member of the CPT
steering committee and of the Man-
chester church in North Manchester,
Ind., said the $4,000 of donated foods
and money was presented to "contrast
how money could be used to help
people, as opposed to how Lowry spends
money." The grocery sacks were deco-
rated by children, and some of the

Groceries were donated outside Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado during a Novei
ber Christian Peacemaker Teams "peace revival," and later went to area food bai

children present wrote a letter to
President Bush describing the activity.

A final act of demonstration came
when five members of the group
proceeded inside the base, taking infant
formula that they requested be sent to
the gulf to "contrast how Jesus calls us
to respond to our enemy, as opposed to
how Lowry responds," said Kindy.

Lowry Air Force Base is the financial
center for US Air Force activity, writing
the checks for materials and supplies.
CPT, a Brethren and Mennonite peace
group, sponsored a 12-member delega-
tion to Iraq in November (see page 6).

Talking with the deaf

is possible with a tele-
communications device
for the deaf (TDD) like
the one Parish Minis-
tries administrative
assistant Joan Pelletier
demonstrates at left.
Messages are keyed in
and appear on an elec-
tronic display. Those
who have a TDD can
now call the denomina-
tional offices using the
regular number, (708)
742-5100.

Moscow choir shares
more than music

Every concert given by the 45-memb
Logos Choir of the Moscow Baptist
Church received a standing ovation d
ing the group's October 23— Novemb
14 tour. Traveling in 13 states, the ch
performed to a total of 18,400 people
Church groups gave lodging and fooc

Clyde Weaver, of the Highland
Avenue church in Elgin, 111., coordini
the tour, which was sponsored in part
New Call to Peacemaking, an effort c
Brethren, Mennonites, and Quakers.

"Our country has entered a new st£
of giving to the Soviet people," he sa
"But giving only is lonely. This was
opportunity to have the Soviets share
their gifts with us." This "mutuality
exchange," is a way to begin perceiv
Soviet brothers and sisters "biblicall)
instead of politically," he said.

One of the choir's instrumentalists,
who left the group illegally toward th
end of the tour, wrote a note asking fc
giveness of his colleagues. He said he
could not return to his country for
reasons he did not explain. "Though
came as a surprise, there were no hare
feelings from other members," said
Weaver.

1 Messenser Februarv 1991

oint
of order!

The moderator
esponds to three
oarliamentary
questions raised in
'ast year's Annual
onference debate.

by Phillip C. Stone

Every Annual Conference moderator
approaches Conference with the full
assurance that several points of order
will be raised as to procedural matters.
Several points of order raised at the
1990 Annual Conference in Milwaukee
dealt with the procedures associated with
the use of queries for bringing business
before the Annual Conference. The
misunderstandings or differences of
opinion related to at least the following
areas:

1) Whether a query can be sent
directly to Annual Conference from a
district board. Some, including persons
who had significant responsibility in
drafting and interpreting the polity rules
about queries, believe that queries
should not come directly to Annual
Conference from the district board.

However, one phrase in the polity
relating to queries reads: "when a
district board or district conference
initiates a query. ..." This implies to
some that queries can come directly
from district boards.

Those who believe that queries should
not pass directly from district boards to
the Annual Conference interpret that
language in the context of a general
requirement that even queries initiated
by the district board still need to go to
district conference. Certainly the
language is not so clear as to preclude a
different interpretation.

Furthermore, as recently as 1983 and
1984 Annual Conference received and
adopted queries coming directly from
district boards. There is sufficient ambi-
guity in language and sufficient prece-
dent for direct referrals from district
boards that it would be difficult to reject
a query on this basis under present rules.

2) Whether a query can contain its

own answer. While polity provides that
the query should "avoid giving an-
swers" or proposing a specific solution
to the problem raised by the query, a
proposal may be offered. While the
suggestion of an answer is discouraged,
it is not prohibited. It is important,
however, that Conference distinguish
between accepting the query (with the
right to provide its own answer) and
endorsing the proposed answer.

3) Whether queries containing
apparently conflicting proposed
resolutions can both be accepted. Since
Annual Conference has authority to
make judgments as it deems appropriate,
there is nothing in polity that automati-
cally precludes Conference from taking
action that some observers would claim
to be incompatible. The issue of com-
patibility, like other issues such as
limited resources, would be proper
subjects for the floor debate and should
be resolved by voting.

X he church has developed written
polity setting out procedures for the de-
velopment and handling of queries. This
procedure ought to be consulted and
followed when a query is proposed. In
addition to the procedures described
here, there is a strong recommendation
for consultation with local, district, and
national church staff persons to see
whether the query has previously been
answered, to find out whether resources
exist that would make an answer
unnecessary, and to help develop the
query into its most useful form. Those
procedures help assure that the limited
Annual Conference time can be
used wisely.

Ai.

Phillip C. Stone is moderator of the 1991 Annual
Conference.

February 1991 Messenger 11

A lawyer with convictions

Phil Stone brings
more to the job of
moderator than just
a legal mind. He
earnestly seeks unity
and spirituality for the
entire church.

by Bob Bowman

"Do you know why Washington, D. C,
is full of lawyers and New Jersey is full
of toxic dumps?"

Phil Stone, moderator of the 1991
Annual Conference, suave and polished
in his three-piece suit, had a twinkle in
his eye as he continued: "Because New
Jersey got first choice."

Lawyers put up with a lot of ribbing.
But Phil is an attorney himself. He is
listed in three editions of Outstanding
Lawyers of America and has been a
partner in the law firm of Wharton,
Aldhizer & Weaver since 1972. The list
of honors he has gotten and the associa-
tions to which he has been elected as a
part of his practice are impressive.

Formerly most of Phil's practice was
in the courtroom as a trial lawyer. In
1985, however, he switched partly to
commercial practice— corporate work
and estate planning— so he could have
more time with his family.

As the first lawyer elected to moderate
the Church of the Brethren Annual
Conference, Phil says his first reaction is
uneasiness. Dunkers aren't known for
their support of the legal profession.
"I'm really surprised that they would
elect a lawyer to a major position like
that," he admitted.

Yet, just because Brethren have been
reluctant to sue one another does not
necessarily mean they are against
lawyers. Somebody has to draw up our
wills, see that the accused get a fair trial,
and help us plan out estates.

In fact, his training as a lawyer will be
one of the gifts he brings to the Portland,
Ore., Annual Conference. "Analytical

1 2 Messenger Febraary 1991

ithinking is certainly a part of practicing
law," he said. "My practice has taught
me certain rules about procedures that
ought to be valuable in terms of moder-
ating Annual Conference. I hope I have
some understanding about what it takes
to be fair, about the flow of business,
and how to frame motions in a proper
way.

■'I see the moderator as an advocate
for the delegates. The delegates are the
ones who are going to have to decide.
While everybody can speak and make
motions, the delegates are the ones who
are accountable.

"When I sit there as a moderator I
hope I'll be thinking, 'How should an
advocate protect his delegates?' One
way is to respect their time. Another is
to make sure they get good information.
Another is to make sure the process is
not unwieldy. And another concern is to
look out for comfort. ' '

Phil grinned. ' "That may be my worst
problem in this whole process because I
demand a lot of myself and sometimes
have a problem wanting to keep things
moving even when breaks or rest stops
ought to take place."

e will also bring his deep Brethren
convictions to the job of moderator as he
does to his law practice. One of the least
attractive duties of his practice was
handling divorce. Several years ago he
stopped taking such cases, although he
still does some counseling to try to stave
off divorce. Phil may have a unique way
of handling these cases. He tells about
talking to a man who had come to see
him once about a divorce.

"Do you ever do business just by
word of mouth and a handshake," Phil
asked, "or do you require a written
contract for each transaction?" The man
acknowledged that he did a lot of work
by verbal agreement. "In fact," he said,
"a lot of my business I conduct over the
phone."

"And do you expect that your partners
in these verbal agreements will stick to
their word even when there are no
witnesses to your phone conversations?"

The man said he counted on it. In fact,
if anyone ever backed out of a deal they
had made with him verbally, he would
no longer do business with them.

"What if you made binding verbal
commitments in front of a room full of
witnesses. What if you made a contract
with the most formal words and in the
presence of a minister? Would you
expect those commitments to be kept
also?"

The man paused. He was beginning to
get the drift of Phil's questions. He
thought about it from a new perspective.

"To the best of my knowledge," Phil
added later, "he and his wife are still
together."

Phil Stone grew up in the Mount
Hermon Church of the Brethren in
Henry County, Va. It is a congregation
that has contributed many leaders to the
denomination. What is there about
Henry County that has nurtured so many
strong church leaders?

Phil is one of seven children of a
close-knit family. "The area where we
grew up," he explains, "was a neighbor-
hood. Not a village or a town, but a
community with neighbors. Many of the
people in the community went to the
Mount Hermon church. It was the social
center for the neighborhood.

"When I was a child there was a
neighborhood grocery store across the
road from the church. Granny Eanes,
who kept the store, had the church key,
so if any of us needed to get into the
church to practice piano or do anything
we'd ask her. She was a kind of guardian
of the church.

"I remember one of the things that
made quite an impression on me. I must
have been eight or nine— I joined the
church at that age— when I was meeting
the pastor for some conversation about
that. Guy Wampler Sr. was my pastor.

Top: During his busy schedule at last
year's Annual Conference, Phil Stone
found a place to call home. He was
wishing his mother happy birthday.
Bottom: His legal training came in
handy when, as moderator-elect, he
functioned as parliamentarian for
moderator Curtis Bubble.

February 1991 Messenger 13

He was one of my great heroes. I
thought I was really an adult because I
had just joined the church and could go
ask Granny Eanes for the key. I was very
proud of the fact that I was going to
open the church door myself.

"I went over there but I couldn't get
the door open. Somehow, even with my
scant strength, I bent the key double. I
was just petrified. While Granny Eanes
was a very sweet person, I was also a
little intimidated by an adult. And she
was the custodian of the key. And I had
to take this back to her.

"When Guy Wampler arrived, he
replaced that key with his own and
straightened out the bent key to keep for
himself. I thought I had just been
delivered from the enemy. I learned
about grace at an early age."

Phil also remembered that his congre-
gation gave him and other youth many
opportunities for leadership. "We
probably weren't very adept at those
skills, but people were patient with us
and encouraged us and supported us."

"As I think about that," he mused, "I
regret the fact that some of our churches
have gotten so sophisticated that the
young people do not have a chance to
participate and so they don't feel that the
church relates very directly to them."

One of his early opportunities came in
1961 when he was able to attend the
German "Kirchentag" as an exchange
student under the Church of the Breth-
ren-inspired International Christian
Youth Exchange. That was the last such
meeting of Lutherans from both East and
West Germany before the Berlin Wall. It
will be a special joy when, in June, he
visits the German Lutheran Church for
the first "Kirchentag" as a united
Germany.

On Phil's resume are some surprising
entries. He lectured at the American
Society of Abdominal Surgeons in 1985.
He also has spoken to state seminars for
physicians. He served on a committee to
prepare a document "Principles of Co-

operation for Physicians and Attorneys
in the Commonwealth of Virginia."

Part of this activity comes out of a
Brethren interest in reconciliation. Phil
has been active in pressing for legisla-
tion that would restrict lawsuits against
physicians but would establish stronger
ways for doctors to police their own
profession.

Phil lives with his wife, Cherryll, and
four children on a farm that once be-
longed to the Abraham Lincoln family.
You will find him there occasionally,
sitting on an old Massey Ferguson
tractor, running a bush hog over the
fields with some of the Lincoln aura still
hovering nearby.

.e is a history buff; for a short time
he was a high school history teacher. An
area of special interest is his lifelong
study of Abraham Lincoln. For years he
has held annual memorial services at a
local cemetery where some of the
Lincoln family are buried. It takes very
little prodding to get a rich lecture on
Abraham Lincoln and the place Lin-
coln's faith played in his life.

Phil has more than an academic
interest in relating faith to life, however.
Some time ago he determined that wor-
ship should be the theme of the Annual
Conference he moderated. "When I told
the Central Committee my idea, they
were coming up with scripture verses
right and left. We finally settled on 'Be-
hold, the wonder of God's presence.' "

The theme of worship brings together
several concerns that Phil has been
facing. He feels a loss of aliveness in
much Brethren worship. The denomina-
tion is facing flat budgets and dwindling
membership, but an even deeper concern
for Phil is broken relationships within
the church.

"Sometimes we are really nasty to
each other," he said. "I've received
more vicious attacks from church
members as a member of the General

Board and as moderator than I ever have
as a lawyer. I chose a worship theme i
because it's awfully hard to get up off i
your knees and then abuse each other."

Nastiness has not been the predomi-
nant impression Phil has gained as
moderator, however. He is quick to poini
out the many letters he has received
offering prayer for him during this year.
"I'm overwhelmed by the support of
folks. People are so supportive."

At the same time, Phil is burdened by
what he senses as a growing alienation
between our national leadership and the
congregations.

"I hear this from both sides. It was
particularly strong at Aimual Conference
last year. I am not employed by the
church, either at the local level or the
national level, so I hear it from both
sides. Our staff are committed and
sacrificial. And we, as a denomination,
are partly to blame for the stress they
experience. This stress affects their
families as well as themselves. So it is
unseemly of us to be judgmental."

He found his experience on the
General Board to be particularly helpful
in learning to appreciate diversity.
"There were some people on the board
with whom I couldn't agree if we were
together for 10 years! But we still
experienced unity. We can't sacrifice
community just because we don't
agree."

The worship theme is not simply a
tool to make us more gentle with each
other, however. In choosing this theme,
Phil is responding to his own sense of
the majesty of God. For Brethren who
are often remarkably casual in their
worship, he would like to recapture an
awareness of the awesome and holy
nature of God. "How do we encounter
God today? Very few of us see a burning
bush, as Moses did. And yet we
have our own burning bushes."

Ai.

Bob Bowman is pastor of the Pleasant Valley
Church of the Brethren, Weyers Cave, Va.

14 Messenger Febraary 1991

Cain Lackey

A mountain legend

Annual Conference moderator Phil Stone has a rich Brethren
heritage, including a rough-hewn great-grandfather who shaped
himself into a revered and effective mountaineer preacher.

by Kermon Thomasson

Virginia's Patrick County a hundred years ago had a reputa-
tion for lawlessness and rough living. Hardy Scotch-Irish had
settled the Blue Ridge Mountains 150 years earlier. The good
creek and river bottom land had been taken up first, and as
one generation succeeded another, cabins were built farther
and farther up the hollows and hillsides.

Each of these generations found life a little harder.
Schools, and often churches, were forgotten, and all energies
were devoted to wrenching a living from the grasp of a
reluctant land. There were few roads, mostly trails that
connected one cabin clearing to another. Cut off from the rest
of the country, the mountaineers' life took on a character of
its own— shaped by ignorance, hardship, and isolation.

Over the Blue Ridge, in Floyd County, the Church of the
Brethren— known in the area then as "Dunkards"— was strong
and well established. (Floyd County today is the only county
in the United States where the Church of the Brethren is the
predominant denomination in numbers.) What is known
today as Topeco would become the mother congregation of
many offspring in southwestern Virginia, North Carolina, and
West Virginia.

A young man from Patrick County, John Abe Hooker— one
of the few there getting an education— attended school in
Floyd, became attracted to the Brethren there, and joined the
Topeco "Dunkards." Enthusiastic about his new-found faith.
Hooker invited ministers to come and preach in his home
community across the Blue Ridge. After a time of successful
meetings in schoolhouses and groves, the Smith River

Cain Lackey with his third wife, Hettie. Once, after preaching
an impromptu sermon while dressed in work clothes. Lackey
was urged to speak again that evening. Overhearing the
mountain preacher protesting his unreadiness, a bystander
shouted out, ' 7 want to hear the man with overalls on!' '

February 1991 Messenger 15

Top: Smith River, where Cain Lackey
gave his life to Christ in 1892, recently
celebrated its centennial. Lackey also
served here as minister. Bottom: Cain
Lackey's gravestone epitaph, despite its
frequent use, seems appropriate for this
man still so well remembered in the
mountains where he ministered.

ML LACKEY

congregation of "Dunkards" was
founded in 1890. (Smith River cele-
brated its 100th anniversary this past
October with activities that attracted
statewide television coverage.)

A couple of years later, J. A. Dove, of
Botetourt County, came to Smith River
as an evangelist. The new congregation
was thriving, and good-sized crowds
were attracted. One afternoon, as
Brother Dove and the pastor, W. A.
Elgin, were out on foot making evangel-
istic calls, they were crossing a field
when they saw a young man digging a
ditch. Brother Dove asked the pastor
who the man was. Brother Elgin replied,
"That's Cain Lackey, but you don't
want to go down there. He's the worst
man in this country."

On the surface, the pastor's characteri-
zation was warranted. In a community of
rough and tough men, Cain Lackey
stood out as the main one you didn't
want to mess around with. He was bom
William Elkanah Lackey, on January 3,
1869, to Croff and Martha Lackey of
Patrick County's Elamsville community.
(Elkanah was— and still is— a popular
name in this area. It comes from
1 Samuel 1:1— the father of Samuel.
Often it is pronounced "Elkaney" or
shortened to "Caney" or "Cain." A
prominent Primitive Baptist preacher
and state legislator— Elkanah B. Turner-
helped popularize the name.)

Cain was the oldest of 1 1 children. He
grew up amid the hardships common to
all his neighbors. Late in life, he recalled
lying in bed at night as a child and
seeing the stars through the shingles of
his parents' cabin. By the age of 10 he
was helping clear new ground for farm-
ing, using a two-horse plow. At age 15
he helped his father build a grist mill on
Puppy Creek, 10 miles from their home.
Cain picked and shoveled on the mill
race all day and slept at night on rough
boards under the open sky, waking at
dawn with his clothes soaked with dew.

Cain's physique seemed to be shaped
and strengthened by such hardships. He

grew into a giant of a man who could
outwork any of his peers. One friend
recalled how Cain could cut wheat (with
a farm implement called a "cradle")
until he was drenched with sweat, then
stand in the river to cool off. Once he
"cradled" 172 dozen sheaves of wheat
in 10 hours.

Cain's strength was prodigious. A
neighbor remembered, "I used to see
him pick up railroad cross-ties as easily
as an ordinary man picking up a two-by-
four. ' ' When he was hauling cross-ties
by wagon to sell to the railroad com-
pany, occasionally the load would
"slip." Cain would use one cross-tie in
his hands as a maul to knock the others
back into place. Arriving at the railroad
depot, Cain unloaded his ties into stacks
15 feet high, laying them up by himself,
without apparent effort.

Yet the man who could handle a cross-
tie as if it were a two-by-four could
combine his great strength with compas-
sion and gentleness. Once Cain was
walking home from Roanoke, a distance
of about 50 miles. Snow lay a foot deep
on the ground. His companion, a large
black man, overcome with cold and ex-
haustion, fell over in the snow and could
not go on. Cain picked his friend up and
carried him in his arms until he found a
house where he could be cared for.

Reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln
legends, Cain was a champion wrestler
who could lick men larger than himself.
He admitted that he had met big men
who could throw him, but he had never
found anyone who could keep him on
the ground.

Such was the strength and reputation
of this hard-working, hard-living, hard-
drinking, hard-fighting young man, that
still today his exploits are told by old
men who witnessed them. It was said
that he could lick any man on Smith
River or Shooting Creek. And the fights
were of the knock-down, drag-out, eye-
gouging, nose-biting, no-holds-barred
variety. In a fight at Old Union Church,
Cain beat off another roughneck and 13

1 6 Messenger February 1991

of his friends in a free-for-all that left
Cain's head scarred for life from the
mule spurs his opponents beat him with.
The fight ended with Cain throwing his
chief opponent into the river and asking
who wanted to be next. In later life, Cain
called the scars on the back of his head
"the scars of sin."

This not-to-be-meddled-with brawler
was the man whom Brother Elgin called
"the worst man in this country." But, to
the pastor's surprise Brother Dove
replied, "Then he's the very man I want
to see, because Christ came to save
sinners." He strode over to young Cain
and asked him to come to the revival
that night.

Cain, noted for his forthrightness as
well as for his temper and strength,
replied, "You don't want a man like me
to come to church."

"Yes, you're the very man I want to
see at church tonight," countered
Brother Dove. "Will you come?"

"Yes, I'll come," said Cain, after a
moment of hesitation.

As the two preachers walked back
across the field to the path. Brother
Dove asked, "Will he come?"

"Yes," responded Brother Elgin. "If
he tells you he'll come, he'll be there.
He's just that sort; he'll do what he tells

Part of the legacy of
Cain Lackey are
descendants who
have been active in
the Church of the
Brethren. Two
great-grandsons
currently sen'e in
top posts in the
denomination-
Wilfred E. (for
Elkanah) Nolen
(left), executive of
the Brethren Benefit
Trust, and Phillip C.
Stone, Annual
Conference
moderator.

you. But if he tells you he'll give you a
whipping, he'll do that too."

And Cain Lackey came to church that
night . . . and kept on coming back.
Hettie Elgin, who later became Cain's
third wife, remembered the conversation
among her companions as they rode a
farm wagon home from church that night
Cain first attended the Smith River
revival. One young man, who knew Cain
well, said, "The preacher can preach
until his hair comes out, but he'll never
reform that young buck."

On the last Saturday night of the
revival, a seeming miracle occurred.
When the call came for those who
wished to give their life to Christ to
come forward, Cain Lackey rose from
his pew. He had his 2-year-old child
asleep in his arms. The small church
was packed. Moved by an irresistible
impulse, Cain mounted the pew back in
front of him and walked forward to the
minister, pew back to pew back, with the
sleeping child in his arms! No one there
had ever seen the likes.

Yet, despite Cain's dramatic response
to the altar call, so bad was his reputa-
tion and so strong the doubt that he
could possibly have been converted, that
he actually was denied baptism for the
time being. But not only was the new

convert sincere; he was also humble,
patiently bore the rebuke, and waited for
acceptance.

Ignorant and unable to read or write,
he had never even seen a Bible. He knew
nothing of the Christian faith but what
he had learned at the revival. He had
simply been moved by the evangelist's
preaching . . . and believed. He actually
thought, he confessed later, that each
Christian sect had its own Bible. Thus
his first request to pastor Elgin was to be
given a "Dunkard Bible."

From the night of his conversion, Cain
Lackey was a changed man. And a
determined one. He struggled until he
was able to read the New Testament for
himself and learned to write as well. He
considered his attaining literacy the
greatest achievement of his life.

In a few years he was called to the
ministry at Smith River. Mindful of his
earlier reputation, Cain took up the work
of Christian ministry with humility and
patience. He said later, "As a new
minister, I desired the prayers of the
whole church, even from the least to the
greatest. And I decided that if I should
ever fall into sin, making it necessary for
the church to disfellowship me, I would
keep right on going to church and sit, not
with the members, but just back of them,
and I would be so faithful that they
would have to take me back."

Cain Lackey gave himself to a
ministry that included not only pastoring
Smith River but evangelizing a large
area and establishing other fellowships.
He sought full-time work from the
Church of the Brethren General Mission
Board, but was turned down. Undiscour-
aged, he ministered on, supporting
himself and his family by farming and
saw-milling. Losing two wives to early
deaths, Cain was married three times and
fathered nine children. Croff, his
youngest, still survives, in his mid-80s.

Cain's ministry was often as difficult
as the farming and saw-milling. While
many people appreciated his ministry
and responded favorably, there was still

February 1991 Messenger 17

the rough-hewn mountain culture to
contend with.

Once he was preaching in a one-room
schoolhouse near Stuart. A gang of
ruffians tried to overturn the little
building with big skids they had cut for
the purpose. Cain went out to quiet them
down, but when he went back in the
pranksters renewed their disturbance.
Back outside went the preacher. "Men,"
he said, "we invite you to come inside
and be quiet. If you don't, it is better for
us and for you that you clear out and
leave us alone. I came here to have this
meeting and I don't intend to let a bunch
of yellow cowards run me off." The
ruffians, admiring the mountain preacher
for his courage, and knowing his
physical capabilities, slunk away
chastened.

Each weekend Cain rode many miles
on horseback, preaching in two or three
different churches on Sunday. He
ministered all through Patrick and into
adjoining Floyd and Henry Counties.
Bad roads, swollen creeks, and deep
snow drifts did not stop him. One winter
morning he started out on horseback for
a distant church that was expecting him.
The snow drifts got so deep that he left
his horse and continued on foot. The
snow was up to his elbows, but he
trudged on, not wanting to disappoint
those awaiting him.

When Cain got to the church there was
not a track in the snow. The little church
was empty and cold. Not one person had
come for the service. Undaunted, Cain
sang, prayed, and went away feeling
blessed. Afterward, he said, "I did not
feel that I was alone. There were two of
us at Rock Hill that snowy day. The
Lord was with me there."

The strongest threads that run through
the fabric of Cain Lackey's life and
ministry are his humility, his generosity,
his firmness, his persistance, and the
inflexibility of his principles. Nothing
less than these could have gained and
kept for him the respect of the rough-
necks, moonshiners, bootleggers, and
other hard-living types that he neigh-
bored with and ministered among.

Cain Lackey often said, "Let a man
stand for something, and, whatever you
do, don't be on the fence. Get on one
side or the other so people will know
where to place you." One person said of
Cain, "He always has his colors up so
that the neighbors can see where he
stands on matters. They know, too, that
when he has taken his stand he cannot be
bought off in his opinions and that he
will go through fire and face death to
accomplish his purposes. His is a faith
that wins."

c»

'ain Lackey also won over many
people because his method carried with
it not only force but love. He strongly
opposed and worked against the illegal
whiskey-making and selling that was a
way of life in the mountains. Yet he
gained the respect of moonshiners and
bootleggers with his fearless but love-
filled confrontations.

Once he went to a liquor still where
three men were busy making moonshine.
Upon seeing the preacher, they were
scared almost out of their wits. To their
surprise, Cain put his arm around one of
them as an expression of the love he had
for them as neighbors. The man was
speechless in Cain's embrace and
trembled and wept with emotion. "I go
to them empty-handed," Cain would
explain about such encounters. "If they
kill me, tell them they have lost their
best friend."

Cain Lackey was well known for his
Christian generosity— generosity that led
to his approaching the end of his life im-
poverished, having to sell his farm and
move to poorer quarters to make ends
meet. "I have never turned down the
opportunity to help anybody," he
declared. "Even the very worst sinner
might come to my door begging food
and clothes and I would give him the last
thread off my back and the only meat
left in the house before I would see him
go away hungry and cold."

An elderly nephew of Cain's recently
marveled at this aspect of his long-dead
uncle's generosity. "Can you imagine

anybody living like that today, with all
our greed? Yet that's how Uncle Cain
lived and that's what the Bible teaches.'

This remarkable preacher and practi-
tioner of Christ's gospel lived out his lif
and ministry in the vicinity of Patrick
County's Elamsville, dying at age 64 in
1933. The Gospel Messenger, upon his
death, ran a photo and an obituary that
summed up Cain Lackey's life in a suc-
cinct statement: "Although he suffered
greatly, he remained faithful to his
duties, both to the church and home."

Cain's grave is in a small family
burying ground in a cow pasture on the
farm that was his home for many years.
Hardtop highways coimect the settle-
ments of Cain's lifetime. Most of the
people round about seem prosperous anc
middle-class, many of them commuting
to jobs in nearby factories, offices, and
shops. The character of the community
is still quite rural, but education and
communication have brought it into the
mainstream of American life— for better
or worse.

Cain Lackey is well remembered. The
exact measure of what this one unlikely
Christian minister accomplished is
impossible to take. But that he had a |
lasting, positive influence on many lives
and left his community a better place is
not disputed by anyone. Gone nearly 60
years, Cain Lackey lives on in memorie;
that are still fresh, and the man has
become a legend that continues to in-
spire those who know and
recite it.

Ai.

Special thanks are due to Joel B. Naff
ofBoones Mill, Va.,for much of the
material used in this article. Joel Naff
served as a summer pastor at Smith
River in the early 1930s, collected
material on Cain Lackey, and produced
a short biography. Brother Naff gave us
his kind ' 'permission to revise the story
if you like and use as much of it as you
like, or quote from it, giving me just a
little credit for the authorship." At the
recent Smith River centennial, the 84-
year-old minister and author was an
honored guest.

1 8 Messenger February 1991

Sudan prays for peace

by Wendy Chamberlain McFadden

')uring a fall sabbatical spent working
n Sudan, World Ministries Commission
executive J. Roger Schrock was invited
become acting executive secretary of
he New Sudan Council of Churches, a
ledgling council created to ser\>e Chris-
tans in the southern, liberated part of
he country (see news story on page 8).

Consequently, during part of his time
n southern Sudan, in the town ofTorit,
lager carried out the initial tasks of
etting up shop— establishing an office,
tiring an administrative assistant,
ollecting supplies.

He will return to Sudan for two
lonths this spring, to assist the council
urther. Then, after winding up his re-
ponsibilities in the US as World Min-
stries executive this summer, he and his

wife, Carolyn, will move to Torit in
September. In his new post, he will be
seconded to the New SCC by the Church
of the Brethren and other North Ameri-
can church partners.

Out of his recent trip, he compares life
in southern Sudan with life in the North,
and the situation today as opposed to his
experiences working there seven years
ago.

As Roger Schrock traveled this past
fall in southern Sudan, church leaders
testified to the growth of the Christian
church: "Not everyone in the New
Sudan will be a Christian when the war
is over, but everyone will have been told
the story of Christ."

The "New Sudan," or the part of the

country "liberated" from the govern-
ment, possesses a vitality that contrasts
sharply with life in the North, Roger
reported. A 10- week sabbatical took him
to both parts of the country.

He had been invited into the South by
leaders of the New Sudan Council of
Churches, a council formed recently to
help unite Christians in the southern,
liberated area. The Khartoum-based
Sudan Council of Churches, with which
the Church of the Brethren has worked
for a decade, is unable to provide
assistance to the South because of the
civil war.

While the war has caused separation,
the church in the South has not been
diminished, Roger learned. Bishop
Nathanael of the Episcopal Church in

n the town ofNasir. near the Ethiopian border, Roger Schrock was warmly welcomed by the large Christian community.

***^^V-^,

February 1991 Messenger 19

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Bor told him, "In 1984, the war isolated
us from the rest of the church. I had
nothing to share with my people but the
cross. We have always preached about
the power of the cross, but now we know
the power of the cross.

"With the example of Christ and the
symbol of the cross, we no longer need
to have any fear. We know that God's
will shall be done and some day, in
God's time, there will be peace in
Sudan."

While every church building in Bishop
Nathanael's diocese has been destroyed
or damaged, the number of Christians
has more than doubled since 1984,
Roger learned.

The area where Roger and his family
worked in the early 1980s has also
experienced phenomenal church growth.
When they left in 1983, there were seven
churches for 200,000 people. Now there
are over 200 churches.

But the growth is not without a major
problem— leadership. In the western Nuer
region where the Schrocks lived, there
are no ordained priests or pastors.

In Nasir, a center for the Presbyterian
Church, near the Ethiopian border, the
church has 1 5 1 preaching points and
29,310 baptized Christians. But there has
been a pastor there only four months out
of the last five years.

hen he stepped off the plane in
Nasir, Roger was greeted by a crowd of
150 Christians with choirs and drums.
They said he was the first church repre-
sentative from the outside to visit them
in five years.

Later he met with more than a hun-
dred church leaders, some of whom had
walked two days to see him. On Sunday
morning, nearly a thousand people
gathered under the trees for prayer.

"When it came time for the offering,
people brought grain— in a sense sharing
out of their own mouths with people who
have less," Roger said.

But one's exuberance with the

20 Messenger February 1991

NASIR

TORIT

church's strength is diminished by the
realities of war. Roger experienced the
civil war first-hand when the town of
Torit suffered aerial bombing one day.
Hearing the bombs drop closer and
closer to him— the closest landing about
400 yards away— was the most terrifying
experience of his life, he said. Thirteen
people were killed, and 27 injured.

"All you can do is lie on the ground
and pray and hope," said Roger. "Then
you rise up and realize you are okay,
deeply shaken, emotionally traumatized.
You look around and become concerned
to see who has been hurt and if there are
any casualties, feeling very helpless as
people begin to die.

"Then you sit around for some hours
reflecting with fellow Christians about
the senselessness of war and the great
difficulties that people seem to have in
peaceably resolving conflicts. You
finally have to say, 'We have to really
trust that God will find a way.' "

One of the amazing experiences of his
time in Sudan "was to experience for
the first time what a liberation move-
ment means to the people involved.

"I had assumed that liberation meant
fi'eedom in a political or military sense.
Instead it has meant a change in attitude
about being responsible for one's own
destiny and not being bound by those
things that historically have limited a
person or society."

' 'There is almost no question in their
minds that eventually their movement
will succeed, even though they know it
may be a long and difficult journey to

reach the destination."

Roger began his visit to Sudan in the
capital city of Khartoum, where he wai
warmly reunited with friends from his
earlier years in Sudan. Many of the Nuer
people who had lived in Bentiu and
Mayom, the towns where the Schrocks
served in the early 1980s, are displaced
people in shanty towns and camps
around Khartoum.

In Mayom, where they had started the
church with Nuer friends, only one
building is left standing, Roger learned.
Many of the survivors had walked the
600 miles to Khartoum.

When Roger visited camp Souk el
Markazi, where many of those from
Mayom now live, he found that the
15,000 residents had been almost totally
without water for three days. Their only
food was what the women who worked
as servants in Arab homes could beg,
scavenge, or steal.

"Yet the amazing lasting impression
have is that they have an undying faith
and hope that God will find a way to
bring peace to their land and they can
return to their own homes," said Roger,

"Whether in the government-con-
trolled North or the liberated South of
Sudan, I was struck by the one theme
that was common to the Christians on
both sides— the hope for peace."

The church there invites people to
enter into prayer on their behalf, said
Roger. "They have a deep desire for
peace, and they hope their fellow
Christians would join them in
that."

One Great Hour of Sharing

WE ARE THE CHILDREN

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Young . . . and at risk. These

■en, typified above by a Sudanese boy encamped

>. .. .^um at a resettlement center of the Sudan Council

of Churches. Upwards of 9 million of his people face starvation.

Over the past 18 months Church World Service has sent $500,000, and

the Church of the Brethren $135,000, to assist refugees in Sudan.

"With the example of Christ and the
symbol of the cross, we no longer need
to have any fear. We know that God's
will shall be done and some day, in
God's time, there will be peace in
Sudan."

While every church building in Bishop
Nathanael's diocese has been destroyed
or damaged, the number of Christians
has more than doubled since 1984,
Roger learned.

But the growth is not without a major
problem— leadership. In the western Nuer
region where the Schrocks lived, there
are no ordained priests or pastors.

Wh,

Later he met with more than a hun-
dred church leaders, some of whom had
walked two days to see him. On Sunday
morning, nearly a thousand people
gathered under the trees for prayer.

"When it came time for the offering,
people brought grain— in a sense sharing
out of their own mouths with people who
have less," Roger said.

But one's exuberance with the

church's strength is diminished by i
realities of war. Roger experienced
civil war first-hand when the town ■
Torit suffered aerial bombing one c
Hearing the bombs drop closer and
closer to him— the closest landing a
400 yards away— was the most terri
experience of his life, he said. Thir
people were killed, and 27 injured.

"All you can do is lie on the groi
and pray and hope," said Roger. "'
you rise up and realize you are oka;
deeply shaken, emotionally trauma
You look around and become conci
to see who has been hurt and if thei
any casualties, feeling very helples;
people begin to die.

"Then you sit around for some h
reflecting with fellow Christians ab
the senselessness of war and the gn
difficulties that people seem to hav^
peaceably resolving conflicts. You
finally have to say, 'We have to ret
trust that God will find a way.'

One of the amazing experiences (
time in Sudan "was to experience 1
the first time what a liberation move
ment means to the people involved.

"I had assumed that liberation meant
freedom in a political or military sense.
Instead it has meant a change in attitude
about being responsible for one's own
destiny and not being bound by those
things that historically have limited a
person or society."

' 'There is almost no question in their
minds that eventually their movement
will succeed, even though they know it
may be a long and difficult journey to

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"Whether in the government-con-
trolled North or the liberated South of
Sudan, I was struck by the one theme
that was common to the Christians on
both sides— the hope for peace."

The church there invites people to
enter into prayer on their behalf, said
Roger. "They have a deep desire for ■
peace, and they hope their fellow |
Christians would join them in
that."

20 Messenger February 1991

One Great Hour ofSharini^

WE ARE THE CHILDREN

I''!

Young . . . and at risk. These

are the world' s children, typified above by a Sudanese boy encamped

outside Khartoum at a resettlement center of the Sudan Council

of Churches. Upwards of 9 million of his people face stan'ation.

Over the past 18 months Church World Service has sent $500,000, and

the Church of the Brethren $135,000, to assist refugees in Sudan.

In Liberia (above), last year's

civil war dislocated a million persons, separating in Monrovia alone 10,000 children

from their families. Church World Service now seeks

$1 million for emergency support and medical teams in Liberia; recent Church of

the Brethren grants total $25,000. At right, in newly independent

Namibia, a country reeling from 70 years of control by South Africa,

young returnees await repatriation. Through Church World Service the churches have

invested $600,000 in relief and repatriation in Namibia.

One Great Hour of Sharing

In the Dominican Republic,

Church World Service has worked for 30 years on programs of integrated

development with SSID, the social service arm of the country' s

Protestant and evangelical churches. In the village of Los Toros,

a recent Church of the Brethren grant of $23,000 will bring irrigation

to 150 farm families and 6.000 acres. Children from the new Church of the Brethren

congregation in Los Toros are pictured above.

Through One Great Hour of Sharing, the Emergency Disaster Fund, and the Global Food Crisis Fund, the
Church of the Brethren contributes over $1 .25 million a year in Christ's name for programs of relief and develop-
ment and in response to hunger, homelessness, and disaster. A large proportion of those served are children.

::^v in Sudan

onfiscating food that other relief
gencies had in their storerooms.

Why does the Sudanese government
eny that starvation is going on?

Jan: I think it is pride. They do not
'ant to admit that their fundamentalist
luslim govemment is involved in a
ituation where people are hungry. Some
;lief agencies have indicated that the

February 1991 Messenger 21

One Great Hour of Sharing

In the Dor

Church World Service has worked for 30 years

development with SSID, the social servict

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3
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03
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Protestant and evangelical churches. In th

a recent Church of the Brethren grant of $23

to 150 farm families and 6,000 acres. Children from the new Church of the Brethren

congregation in Los Toros are pictured above.

Through One Great How of Sharing, the Emergency Disaster Fund, and the Global Food Crisis Fund, the
Church of the Brethren contributes over $1 .25 million a year in Christ's name for programs of relief and develop-
ment and in response to hunger, homelessness. and disaster. A large proportion of those served are children.

Hunger in Sudan

)y Cheryl Cayford

!. Jan and Roma Jo Thompson are
brethren stajf seconded to the Sudan
'!ouncil of Churches (SCC) and the
'resbyterian Church in Sudan. Jan
.'orks on disaster relief, crucial in a
'rought- and war-ravaged country
fhere the northern Muslim government
as lost much control of the rebel-
ontrolled and mostly Christian South,
'oth Roma Jo and Jan teach in and help
md a Theological Education by
Extension (TEE) program in the capital
ity of Khartoum in the North. The
jllowing inten'iew was made during a
ionth's vacation in the US. They
eturned to Sudan November J .

What is the situation of relief work
1 Sudan?

Jan: Starting the first of August, the
udanese government required all relief
gencies to receive permission from a
linistry to buy food from brokers or
rain dealers. The International Commit-
5e for the Red Cross was trying to get
ood for an airlift into a besieged,
ovemment-held town. When I left they
ad waited six weeks and still had not
sceived permission to buy grain. And in
lose six weeks, the government began
onfiscating food that other relief
gencies had in their storerooms.

Why does the Sudanese government
leny that starvation is going on?

Jan: I think it is pride. They do not
i'ant to admit that their fundamentalist
Muslim government is involved in a
ituation where people are hungry. Some
elief agencies have indicated that the

February 1991 Messenger 21

government sold a bunch of its grain to
Iraq this spring as a swap for military
armaments, because Iraq has been
supporting the Sudanese government in
the civil war. I think the government is
a little bit embarrassed for people to
realize that they swapped food for
arms.

I think it is also a way to say to Arab
countries, "The Western Christian
nations are not supporting us. We need
support from the Arab countries." And it
will be an excuse for them to disinvite
Western relief agencies out of the
country. The relief agencies also monitor
civil rights abuses and make reports to
the world press.

Civil rights abuses are going on in
Sudan?

Jan: We hear from our Sudanese
friends, from people who are picked up
off the street, taken to jails, tortured.
Security police took the editor of the
sec monthly newsletter from his office
in the middle of March and he still is in-
carcerated. People are not permitted to
visit him, and there was no explanation
given as to why he was picked up. He
had written a fairly strong editorial the
month before condemning some action
that the government had taken.

Are Christians especially under
scrutiny?

Jan: Yes.

Roma Jo: According to one of the
pastors, there have been young men,
from age 12 to their early 20s, picked up
off the street and not heard from again.
No one knows for sure where they are or
what happened to them. The pastor has
been in touch with several families that
have lost young men.

Jan: It is thought the government is
taking them and brainwashing them to
be jihad, which is the holy war for the
Muslims, and that they would be a jihad

green beret-type corps. Since the young
men are southerners and speak the
southern language, they would then be
used as a guerrilla unit.

So mostly southerners are being
picked up?

Jan: Yes. We heard that some sou then
young men have been forcibly picked
up. Others have been enticed by money
and offers of prestigious posts. When
Roma Jo was talking with the Dinka
tribespeople about starting a TEE
class . . .

Roma Jo: The Dinkas were saying
how difficult it was to get transportation
for the teacher or the tutor to get to a
group discussion. I said, "Couldn't you
have a class in your house or your
courtyard?" They said, "Probably not"
—because when there is a regular event
or a group meeting, then they are
under surveillance and they are ques-
tioned.

Jan: When Roger Schrock (executive
of the General Board's World Ministries
Commission) wanted to live with a
Sudanese family to study Arabic, we
tried for four or five months to get
families to open their homes, and they
all said, "It is not safe to have a
kuwadja (white person) living with us,
or even to be seen coming and going
from our home. We would be questionec
by the security and possibly impris-
oned."

Jan: And I have had my Sudanese
counterpart, when letters have to be
signed and so forth, simply say, "It is
not safe for a Sudanese to put his name
on letters of protest at this time." So I
think the Sudanese are very, very aware
of the potential for retaliation from the
government.

Has this come about because of the
civil war, or is it the conflict between
Muslim and Christian or North and
South?

22 Messenger Febraary 1991

These children are among thousands of displaced people living in Wau.

The story of Abuk

I found Abuk sitting on the floor
among idle, rusting machinery. Frail,
aged, and dressed in a cloth that could
only have been used as a dust cloth by
western standards, Abuk was sweeping
her small living area. The cloth
covered the lower half of her body.
The upper was bare, exposing her thin
and weakened condition. She smiled
and I felt her saying, "This is not my
choice, but we must survive."

Abuk is one of thousands who have
moved into the forestry workshop and
office complex in the city of Wau.
They sleep under workbenches, in the
wrecked hulls of trucks, in hallways,
and under the open sky. The roofs leak
and they have no protection from the
weather and the swarms of mosquitoes.

Wau, in southwestern Sudan, was
once a thriving community of 25,000
that enjoyed public services such as
electricity, water, and telephones.
River barges from Khartoum brought
many consumer goods. The commu-
nity was surrounded by large teakwood
plantations and rich farm land.

The city is now a "garrison" town
controlled by the Sudanese military.
The surrounding countryside is
controlled by the SPLA rebel group.
Diesel to run the power plant and the
waterworks no longer comes by road

or barge. Displaced people have
swelled the population to more than
250,000. The land can no longer be
tilled due to the insecurity of the area.
One does not leave town without
risking being caught by either side.

Any available land— along the road,
between the curb and sidewalk, in a
roundabout, next to a market stall— is
planted with either dura grain, toma-
toes, eggplants, or peanuts. Gardens are
planted right up to the houses, as
opposed to the usual practice of
keeping a clear space to discourage
snakes and insects from getting in.

Aurelio Madut and I were in Wau to
finalize arrangements for an airlift of
relief supplies from Nairobi. Canada
International Development Agency, the
Mennonite Central Committee, and the
Lutheran World Federation agreed to
help with funding, supplies, and logis-
tics. The total cost will be between $2
1/2 and 3 million. The airlift is
expected to carry 1 ,765 metric tons of
food, seeds, hand tools, fuel, and spare
tires, and will feed 40,000 people for
three months.

I am often reminded of Abuk and
pray that the assistance provided by all
the relief agencies, little as it seems to
be, will offer comfort to her and her
people.-R. Jan Thompson

Jan: It is more the government trying
to silence the Christians and impose the
total Muslim religion on the country.
The government will do anything it can
to control the southerners, who are the
Christians. In August the government
closed down two of the Catholic youth
clubs. The government has told the
Sudan Bible Society that it is going to
have to close its office. It is another
indication that the government is really
moving on the Christian church.

Roma Jo; Being a southerner says you
are Christian, and you are on the
opposite side of the government, which
is Muslim.

How does this affect your work with
the TEE program?

Roma Jo: So far I do not feel any
direct impact from the government, but I
am always just a little bit leery that they
might show up during a group discussion
time and say, "Disband." We meet in a
church yard and there should be some
sanctuary and safety there, but there is
no guarantee.

Jan: We felt fairly safe personally, up
until the gulf crisis started.

And that has changed the situation?

Jan: Yes. We are returning with some
apprehension, honestly, but we feel that
we need to go. When we first went to
Sudan, Roger Schrock and Ken Holder-
read (former General Board Africa
representative) both said, "Your basic
role is to be there and to be in solidarity
with the church. The accomplishments
you make are not so important. It is
more important that your presence is
there." If that is true, it is probably more
important that we be there now than it
was a year ago.

What about the food situation? Is
mass starvation really right around
the corner?

February 1991 Messenger 23

Jan: There is a Sudanese government-
sponsored program called the Early
Warning System, that comes out once a
month. It lists prices in the markets, the
rainfall for the year to date, and it gives
indications of harvest. We in the SCC
took the information— from government
sources— indicating that we will have 20
to 40 percent of a normal harvest this
fall, if that much. The figures also
indicate that there is just no surplus grain
in storage now.

We have also talked with other relief
agencies and with pastors who have said,
"We have people who are starving." I
attend a meeting every Monday in which
all the relief agencies get together under
government auspices and we report what
is going on. The relief and rehabilitation
commission survey teams reported
starvation in a small community outside
Juba. There were also cases in the town
of Kosti.

Roma Jo: Death by starvation.

Jan: And Kosti is where the govern-
ment confiscated grain that the SCC had
purchased. Before we left Sudan, 10,000
people from the Dafur region came into
Khartoum in a two-week period. Dafur is

R. Jan and Roma Jo Thompson

usually a breadbasket region. The people
said they had been living off wild shrubs,
and fruits for three months. They had
sold their animals and there was nothing
left to do, so they came to Khartoum.
When you have 10,000 people walk
across the desert, that is an indication
that there are problems.

The government is now stopping all
these persons 30 to 40 miles outside of
Khartoum and putting them in military
camps. I think the government is afraid
of food riots. There had been one food
riot in a western town the week before
we left. Even if there was food, it is
almost impossible to deliver it because
of the civil war and the militia, a kind oi
home guard of northern Arabs. The
World Food Program had a train loaded
with grain headed to a certain area. The
militia would not let it move, and that
train has been sitting there for a year, i

Is the government confiscating most
of the relief that goes into the country

Jan: I do not know how much relief is
going into the country. The New York
Times indicated that the US has stopped
all their flow of relief supplies. Omar
Bashir, the president of Sudan, quietly
asked US AID for $150 million in grain,
and the agency laughed at him and said
no, because of his government's previ-
ous actions. I think the Western nations
will not send food to the present regime
both because of the confiscation of relie
supplies and its support of Iraq. I think
there is going to be mass starvation. i

Is there anything the churches can
do?

Jan: The Sudanese pastors and Chris-
tians say the best thing the international
community can do is pray for Sudan.

Roma Jo: If there were an overthrow
and a new government, there is the
possibility that things could turn around
But how many attempts have there

24 Messenger February 1991

been? Four or six attempts in the last six
months.

How long can the government, or
even the country itself, survive under
these conditions?

Jan: I think the country cannot
survive. The International Monetary
Fund has declared Sudan a non-cooper-
iting government, which means other
;ountries are not supposed to extend
;redit. Now, because of the gulf crisis,
he Arab countries that have been
supportive of Sudan are not sending
hings.

For example, medicines— the doctor
will write a prescription for you and you
10 down to the local pharmacy and they
ust laugh at you. A lot of factories have
lad to close down because of lack of raw
Tiaterials. That has put a lot of people
)ut of work. There are hundreds of
Sudanese coming back from Saudi
\rabia, where they were working,
)ecause the Saudis have told them to go
tome. Sudan was getting a lot of its
breign currency from Sudanese working
n the gulf states. When those persons
;ome home it means more mouths to
eed, a decrease in international cur-
■ency, and it is just all piling up.

What is the situation with the rebels
n the South?

Jan: They control an area larger than
he country of Uganda. There are
garrison towns that the government
:ontrols, but the only way the govem-
nent can supply them is by air. The
ntemational community has been
eeding the people of the garrison town
)f Juba for a year and a half by daily
lirlifts from Nairobi. The SCC is feeding
he people in the garrison town of Wau
^'ith an airlift.

People who have been in the South
ndicate that churches are growing,
schools are being conducted without a

lot of supplies, and the "liberated areas"
in rebel control are being supplied
through Nairobi. World Vision, USAID,
Catholic Relief Services, and others are
giving food and supplies. A New SCC is
being established there for relief and
training of pastors.

So the situation for people in "liber-
ated areas" in the South is better than
in the North?

Jan: It seems to be.

You know, we really would like to be
positive about something. We can be
positive about the faith of the Christians.
We can be positive about the friendship
of the Sudanese people on a one-to-one
basis. I have had several Sudanese say,
"If you had been here three or four years
ago, I would have had you and your
family to my place for a meal." And
they kind of cry, and they say, "We
cannot host you."

Roma Jo: The way they would like to.

Jan: Because of so many southerners
either living with them, or because of the
cost.

I was kidding with one of my friends
at SCC— we were late at a meeting and
Roma Jo expected me home at two
o'clock and it was five o'clock— and I
said, "Lino, I'm going to have to go
home with you." He said, "Fine, you
will be the 43rd person in line to go to
the bathroom. I have 42 people living
with me."

He is, I presume, not a rich person?

Jan: No, he is an accountant. And the
SCC is advancing salaries for people.
There are some people who have taken
their salaries as far as two years in
advance. We can be positive about the
church and about the people, but we
cannot be positive about the situation.

Roma Jo: It is a desperate situation.
The best solution would be two Sudans,
a southern Sudan and a northern Sudan.

But the northerners would not stand for
that because so many of the resources
are in the South. And transportation— I
suppose it would take years for the roads
and the river and other means to open
up. I do not know what the answer is.

Jan: If the war were to stop, it would
take 15 or 20 years of development and
a massive amount of funds to replace the
infrastructure that the British had when
they were in Sudan.

The Brethren are still funding some
relief shipments. Are those shipments
also going to be confiscated? Are we
throwing our money down the drain?

Jan: Good question. We do not know.
The Emergency Disaster Fund helped
pay freight costs for 55,000 blankets,
10,000 school kits, and some baby
layettes and sewing kits that Church
World Service donated. I do not think
the government will confiscate blankets
as it has food, but that is a possibility.

I was willing to gamble because the
blankets are so greatly needed. It gets
cold in November, December, and
January, and people live in the refugee
settlements with very little clothing and
are malnourished and need something to
keep them warm. We could have used
half a million blankets and still not had
enough. Probably it will give one or two
blankets per family for a family of six.

Even the TEE program is being
hindered because of lack of supplies. We
are taking 20 reams of mimeograph
paper back to Sudan with us. Even if we
have to pay $200 overweight charges to
take the paper on the plane, that still will
be cheaper than what we would pay in
Sudan, if we could find it there. But 20
reams is not going to last very long.

Roma Jo: Is the church wasting its
money by having done what it has done?
Maybe, but we still have to gamble that
the aid is going to reach its destina-
tion and help the people who
need it.

Ai.

February 1991 Messenger 25

STONES

by Robin
Wentworth App

Not too long ago I received
from a client one of the
nicest compliments I've ever
had: "You always make me
think . . . and I can't remem-
ber your ever using the word
'should.' "

"It's a four-letter word," I
said, "and a sizeable per-
centage of the people who
end up in my office are here
because of too many
'shoulds' in their lives."

Though oversimplified,
my response was not too far
from the truth. "Anxiety" is
that subjective state of fear
and apprehension that inter-
feres with the ability to think
clearly, to solve problems,
and to adequately manage
environmental demands.
Excessive anxiety can lead
to what early psychodynamic
theory called "neurosis,"
which described the condi-
tion of those individuals who
were demonstrably "sane,"
but who engaged in rigid,
self-defeating behaviors.

While the term has been
deleted as a diagnostic
category, it still retains some
descriptive value in distin-
guishing between the milder
psychological disturbances,
i.e. "neuroses," and the
more severe, debilitating
ones, i.e. "psychoses."

In my experience, it seems
that such neurotic anxiety all
too often has its roots in
other-oriented thinking—
which invariably gives birth
to an endless list of
"shoulds" and "oughts."

I realize I need to be
careful here lest I leave the
impression that I am advo-
cating a hedonistic narcis-
sism . . . which I'm not. For
those of us who accept the
message and Lordship of
Jesus Christ, there is an
external standard that man-
dates a concern for others

that is not only altruistic, but
healthy.

The difference lies in the
choice of verb to express the
intention. A concern for
others bom out of conviction
says, "I want . . .," while a
preoccupation with others
rooted in compulsion says,
"I should. ..." The former
communicates, "I am con-
cerned about you because
you are important and I care
for you." The latter states,
"I am worried about what
you will think of me if I
don't live up to your stan-
dards." The former denotes
integrity and promotes
strength. The latter gener-
ates anxiety and fosters
neurosis. Listen to the
difference:

"I should invite her to
church. "/"I want to invite
her to church."

"I should teach Sunday
School. "/"I want to teach
Sunday School."

"I should volunteer. "/"I
want to volunteer."

"I should give more
money. "/"I want to give
more money."

Can you hear how much
more power and energy is
reflected in the "want
to's" as opposed to the
"shoulds"? The very word
"should" sounds weak and
grudging, while the phrase
"want to" communicates
motivation and deter-
mination.

Now for the confusing
part. More often than not, the
external behavior manifested
by said "shoulds" and
"want to's" is incredibly
similar, if not identical.
That's one of the reasons a
lot of seemingly healthy
people "suddenly" suffer
some kind of breakdown or
find themselves in desperate
need of psychological inter-

vention. It's also why sin-
cere, conscientious people
are particularly vulnerable to
the compulsive trappings of
"shoulds." And as a ther-
apist I know too well that the
last thing someone who is
stumbling under a load of
"shoulds" needs is more of
the same.

I have an exercise for you:
Just for fun, monitor the
"shoulds" and "oughts"
that parade through your
mind. I predict you'll find an
undeniable correlation be-
tween their frequency and
your level of stress.

After they're tallied, ex-
amine them and eliminate
the ones that don't belong to
you. This is crucial, because
most of you cooperate with
"shoulds" that are not con-
ducive to your personal
well-being and do not nur-
ture an effective Christian
witness. So divest yourself of
those anxieties by casting
them upon the One who
cares for you.

Now, for those expecta-
tions you believe have a
place in your life, delete the
word "should" and insert
the phrase "want to." I think
you're in for a pleasant
surprise. You'll find anxiety
replaced by energy.

Living according to the
"shoulds" of others results
in neurotic compulsion.
However, choosing to
internalize a "should" and
making it a "want to" com-
municates conviction and
demonstrates the highest
level of adaptive functioning
. . . even by secular
standards.

Robin Wentworth App, of
Nappanee, Ind., is a therapist,
ordained minister, and a member of
the Camp Creek Church of the
Brethren, Etna Green, Ind.

26 Messenger Febmary 1991

Taming the tube

an interview with Quentin J. Schultze

his is the first in an ongoing series of
ccasional articles that help relate
'hristian faith to daily living.
' 'We are a nation of people sitting
round in the evening watching tele-
ision," says Quentin J. Schultze,
iterviewed here by the editors of M.S.
'atholic. Professor of communication
rts and sciences at Calvin College in
rrand Rapids, Mich., Schultze recently
onducted in-depth interviews with
oung people aged 10 to 18 as principal

author o/ Dancing in the Dark: Youth,
Popular Cuhure and the Electronic
Media (Eerdmans. 1990).

"The only way to cope," he tells
parents, ' 'is to develop interpersonal
relationships that are so healthy and so
authentic that your children's need to
reach out to the media and even, to some
extent, to peers is not so strong."

Is life harder for kids growing up
today than it was a generation ago?

It's harder in some ways and easier in
others. In terms of basic economic
survival, it's easier for those in the US
middle class. But in terms of coping
emotionally, there's no question that it's
more difficult now.

Growing up begins earlier and ends
later than it used to. What used to be
confined in North American culture to
the teenage years is now extending fur-
ther and further. Today you can find 10-
year-old girls dressing like they're 16,

February 1991 Messenger 27

/ think today s kids are
exceedingly unhappy.
They find pleasure in
rapidly changing
experiences, including
media consumption;
but they have a deep,
lurking need for some
meaning and purpose
in their lives.

behaving provocatively without even
knowing that they're doing it. But they
sense that they have to be women and
that they need to find some kind of
intimacy.

You also find grown men who drive
around in sports cars, dress like teenage
boys, job-hop, and avoid getting married
or taking on responsibilities. There is an
implicit selfishness in their lifestyle, yet
they have a strong sense that their lives
lack real meaning. They're not sure who
they are; they define themselves in terms
of the job they do or the activity they're
involved in at the moment. They're just
out on the prowl.

Are today's kids happy?

I think they're exceedingly unhappy.
They find pleasure in rapidly changing
experiences, including media consump-
tion; but they have a deep, lurking need
for some meaning and purpose in their
lives. The very thing that they're after
—the thing that their parents have trained
them to be after— is material gain, and
young people are finding it less and less
satisfactory.

Unhappy children tend to blame their
parents for causing their problems, and
parents in turn often blame institutions,
such as churches and school systems, for
not bringing their kids up right. But I
think parents are a major, if not the
major, part of the problem.

What do young people want out of
life?

Youth have essentially two needs: onei
is for identity, and the other is for i

intimacy. They're stuck between kid-
hood and adulthood, and they're grap-
pling with the basic question of identity:
Who am I?

In terms of intimacy, they need a
close, open relationship with another
person. This relationship doesn't have tc:
be specifically sexual, though expres-
sions of sexuality are one way teens
meet their need for intimacy. In addi-
tion, people in our culture question their^
identity at the same time they experieno
physiological changes and a growing '
awareness of their sexuality. So the
answers to the question "Who am I?"
get wrapped up in the answers to "Whoi
am I as a male or female?" i

Who's providing these answers?

In the past, identities and intimacies
were formed in the traditional social i
institutions. The family was number one
but the school, the church, and the
neighborhood were also very powerful. !
Neighborhood ethnic groups that
included one's church and family were
especially important. These were the la;
pockets of resistance to the influence of
the electronic media in this culture.

But where do today's teens go to findi
out about sexuality? The answer is veryis^i
clear— their peers. Thirty percent of i
teenagers say peers are their number-on
source. The second source— just behind '
peers and equivalent in influence— is
films. Parents and pastors are so far
down the list they don't even matter I
anymore.

If we take this a little bit further and
ask teenagers where their peers are \ |i|
getting their ideas about intimacy and
identity, they say: "From peers and the

28 Messenger February 1991

ledia." So a kind of youth ghetto has
een created, where youth communicate
lostly with other youth, consuming
outh-oriented media and Hving in a
ukure that is increasingly separate from
ny other culture within the society.

When did the media begin to take
ver?

After World War II, all kinds of
lectronic, youth-oriented media were
eveloped. These media stepped in and
rovided teaching and nurturing while
ther institutions disintegrated. Trans-
ortation and communications technol-
gies came together at a time when
ffluence developed rapidly. More and
lore parents said, "Our principal desire
i for a better life— materially." They
lade decisions without, perhaps,
linking through all the implications of
leir decisions. In a society of abun-
ance, they decided that material wealth
'as more important than the careful
urturing of their children. As these
ecisions were made implicitly, the
lectronic media moved in.

To see how this works, think about the
arent who says, "Isn't TV great with a
-year-old? If I turn it on, the kid will sit
lere and watch it and I can get other
lings done." Or, "I'd rather have my
jenagers sitting in the house watching a
ideo— even when I'm not exactly happy
bout its content— than out on the
treets." You see, parents and others
riticize the media but also depend on
le media to help them continue their
elfish lifestyles.

How do you suggest that families
ught to change?

They can start by cutting back on
idividual media consumption. Then
ley can encourage family activities,
dmost any activity that families engage

in together will end up promoting
conversation. They can take walks, go
for drives, or play board games; the
activity depends on the ages of the kids.

Going on vacations together is good,
though more and more it is the tendency
for yuppie parents to leave their kids
behind with someone else and go on
vacation by themselves. Parents need to
get away sometimes, but vacations have
been very important occasions for
families to get away from the media and
be together.

I have asked adults, "What are the
things you remember that built relation-
ships between you and your parents?"
And the very kinds of things they said
are things that are disappearing, such as
doing the dishes together. Obviously
that's not directly related to the media,
but it's amazing how many people said
that before they had dishwashers they
would take turns in the kitchen. One
parent would be there with a different
kid each time, and they would talk.

So when I speak to people about this, I
simply say, "Think back on your own
experiences while growing up. What
things did you do that promoted commu-
nication, that helped to frame your
character? Then figure out which ones
will work with your family."

These activities will pay off by
automatically developing relationships.
These lead into discussions in which
parents can provide insight. The way
that parents do or don't provide insight
about everyday issues influences the way
their children will make judgments about
the media and the wider culture.

How can watching television cause
trouble?

The biggest problems are that it's in
the home, it's free, and it's effortless. It
takes more effort to read a book or to do
almost anything else. Even architecture

is designed for television viewing, and
chairs are set up in rooms to make it
easier to watch television and more
difficult to discuss things with people.

The average mother now spends about
15 minutes a day communicating with
her children; and the average father
spends about 2 to 4 minutes, though one
study has it at 40 seconds a day. In the
average home the television set is on
more than seven hours a day, and it's
driving out interpersonal communica-
tion. We are a nation of people sitting
around in the evening watching televi-
sion.

People watch a sitcom, ' 'The Cosby
Show," for example, and say, "Boy,
that's a great family— you know, that's
what my family ought to be like." Well,
maybe it is and maybe it isn't.

In my home, we say, "An hour a day
for TV, and that's it." If something
special— the Winter Olympics or a movie
we all love— is on, then we make an
exception.

But we've decided that if we have
only 2-1/2 hours of time to spend as a
family each day and we use that all up
with television, what's left? How are my
son and daughter going to learn anything
from me or my wife just through normal
interaction? I'm not talking about sitting
the kids down for a lecture, saying, "I
want to teach you something." But I am
talking about doing things that naturally
promote communication.

Going for walks is a major activity in
my home, and my son and I go out and
share ideas. We usually commiserate
about the "girl problem": He has his
version of it; I have my version of it.

But once we were walking down the
street in one of the wealthiest areas in
town. I was eyeing the big homes with
gates and long driveways and all. Out of
the silence, my son asked, "Dad, are the
people who live here going to heaven?"
I said, "What do you mean? I don't

February 1991 Messenger 29

Let's get youth into
the mainstream
activity of our
churches not just
as token represen-
tatives but as bona
fide people who are
becoming adults
and have something
to offer

know these people." And he said, "But
doesn't the Bible say that rich people
can't get to heaven?"

So there we were, walking through
this neighborhood and talking about ca-
mels, the eyes of needles, and the hu-
man heart. Now, take the best television
program you can think of— the most re-
deeming one on— and I ask you: Should
I, as a father, trade those walks with my
son for that program? I don't think so.

You've said that kids usually turn to
the media rather than their parents
for information. What messages do
they get?

"You're sexually frustrated? We've
got the solution. You want to be thought
of as sexually attractive? Here's how
you dress; here's how you speak."
Something that's natural about the way
we're made, male and female, has
become a matter of cultural exploitation
by those who stand to gain by defining
"male" and "female" in a certain way.

You can't understand Madonna as a
phenomenon, for example, without
understanding that her message to
women is, "I've got something for you
to be like." The flip side is her message
to men, saying, "Isn't this really what
you want in a woman?" Sexual mes-
sages are pervasive in this culture.

MTV is the first television network
designed specifically to say to young
people, "We've got the answers to the
problems that you have regarding
intimacy and identity." The whole
channel was set up with that in mind.
The people who designed it knew exact-
ly what they were doing.

For instance, when they set up the
VJs, which are the video equivalent of
disc jockeys, they said, "Let's have
them in a very personal environment,
kind of like a family room. We'll dress
them informally and make it seem live.

so that individual teenage viewers
watching will feel like they are develop
ing a relationship— an intimacy
—with a VJ as a friend." This is just onei
example of how MTV has tried to pull
this off. They've concentrated on it,
whereas the other media are still figuring
out how they can best take advantage of
those basic needs for identity and
intimacy.

Soap operas are another big attraction'
for teenagers. I've asked some youth
why they watch them, and the best way ]
can summarize their answers is to report
that soap operas seem like a window intd
the adult world for teenagers. Young
people want to know what the adult
world is all about, and they can turn on ;
TV and see the intimate adult world.

Now, obviously, real adults know that
soap operas are hardly a reflection of
what the real adult world is like. At best
they're an exaggerated version of some '
parts of it. But teenagers who watch the
soaps don't know that.

I remember speaking to a large group
of parents and being asked by one man,
"What can I do to keep my 1 6-year-old i
daughter from watching a soap opera
every day?" I didn't want to embarrass
him; but I responded with, "When was (
the last time you talked with your
daughter about sex?" He turned beet
red, and I sort of wished I hadn't asked
him that. But I said, "Your daughter ha;
some needs that are being met by this
program, and they're not just needs for i
entertainment. She's looking for exam-
ples of intimacy and of what women are
supposed to be like as grownups." I
suggested that he sit down and watch th
show with her and then talk about the
extent to which it portrays adult life as i
really is. Opening up communication
can weaken the soaps' strong lure.

Rock songs and rap music are
getting a lot of press lately. Are they

30 Messenger February 1991

eally a bad influence?

Here's a surprising finding: Though
nany young people know the lyrics of
;very single popular song, most have
lever thought about the lyrics at all. I'd
isk them, "What do you think this
neans?" In almost every case, even if
he meaning was clear, they didn't get it.
Because music is experiential, it com-
nunicates on many different levels; and
'oung people tend not to think about it
n terms of the lyrical message. The
yrics of most popular songs could be
;hanged, and they would be just as
lopular.

If the message doesn't matter, why
ire the lyrics so graphic?

The message matters, but the message
s not just lyrics; it's feelings and emo-
ions that youth often cannot express
:asily in words.

People who produce these products
lave their own ideas about what makes
hem successful. Sensationalism is one
hing that will get people talking. When
I rap group has a record that gets cen-
ored, the fuss is probably the single best
)romotional thing that could happen to
hem. So the message becomes, "Be
taring" or "Be cool," especially by
mying our record.

Why don't young people show better
udgment in choosing their entertain-
nent?

Though superficially sophisticated,
^outh are basically very naive about the
nedia and popular art. Schools, public
ind private alike, fail students by not
lelping them develop some type of
nedia literacy. The visual media are
)eginning to dominate public communi-
:ation in this society and, increasingly,
iround the world. If students cannot read

a visual message critically— can't even
understand what's being said through
color, through symbol, through perspec-
tive, and so forth— they're not receiving
an adequate education. Christian schools
have an incredible opportunity to bring
into the classroom not just a neutral
visual literacy but also a religious
perspective from which to interpret
information.

Youth are incredibly informed about
what's going on in popular culture; but
they have no idea, for example, what
goes into the production of rock videos.
Almost all young people that I've talked
with think that these videos are made by
the rock groups themselves. They don't
understand that very few groups have
any control whatsoever over their
videos. They're made like commercials:
The record company hires a producer,
usually someone from the advertising
business, and the producer makes a
commercial for a record. Very few rock
groups have the clout to control their
publicity rights, so most just allow them-
selves to be used in whatever way neces-
sary for the purposes of promotion. But
few fans understand that. They're con-
vinced that the rock group is trying to
say something to them, that there's a
special message to be found if they just
watch.

In fact, the real message is something
like, "Enjoy this experience and buy the
recording. We love your money."

So how can parents and parishes
become more influential than the
media?

If churches don't offer real and
positive views of sexuality, of identity
and intimacy, then they're setting up
situations where the media can come in
and offer solutions to the problems
young people face. The way most insti-
tutions have responded to youth prob-

lems in general is to try to get youth
together. They are treated like youth and
taught like youth (by people who try to
be like youth) in their own "youth
ghetto." I think church youth groups, by
and large, are part of the problem rather
than part of the solution. What churches
have done by setting youth apart in this
way is to set up the very kind of market
conditions that the media need to reach
youth.

We really need to figure out ways to
promote cross-generational communi-
cation within traditional social institu-
tions. For example, some young people
and adults from one church traveled
together throughout the South for a
couple of weeks building houses for poor
people. They prayed together, they
worshiped together, and— probably for
the first time in their lives— the youth
had some adults treat them as adults and
bare their spiritual souls to them. When
the kids came back, many said that their
lives had been transformed in the short
period of time.

The fact is that adults have needs for
identity and intimacy, too. In most cases,
though, they have done a somewhat
better job of finding real, God-glorifying
ways to meet these needs.

The youth ghetto that has developed
depends upon the maintenance of
immaturity among youth, a group that
now encompasses people 28 and 29 (and
soon 35 and 40 and 65) years of age. I
suggest churches take these youth and let
them mature by working with adults. Let
them build self-esteem by accomplishing
something. Let's get youth into the
mainstream activity of our churches not
just as token representatives but as bona
fide people who are becoming adults
and have something to
offer.

Ai.

This article is reprinted, with permission, from
the October 1990 issue ofU. S. Catholic.

February 1991 Messenger 31

Is love
as strong
as death?

by Frank Ramirez

REVIEWS

Mixed Reviews critiques books, films,
and other products of the entertain-
ment media that speak to Brethren
living out their faith.

"Believe. ..."

(advertising slogan for
the movie Ghostj

"The affirmation 'For love
is strong as death . . .' has
been generally recognized as
the theme and message of
the Song of Songs" (Marvin
Pope, Anchor Bible, page
226). Although the movie
Ghost bears little outward re-
semblance to the delicate
biblical poem of sexuality,
the same thread is woven
throughout its story.

G/!05? (PG- 13) is a well-
crafted thriller with a
supernatural twist. Patrick
Swayze plays Sam Wheat, a
yuppie New York banker.
Demi Moore plays his lover.
When Sam is murdered
during an apparently random
robbery, he finds himself
suspended between heaven
and hell, a prisoner of earth
unable to touch the life of
the one he loves.

Sam discovers his death
was no accident, and his
lover is the next target. Only
with the unwilling help of a
charlatan spiritualist, played
by Whoopi Goldberg, who
steals the show, can he
haltingly communicate with
the living.

Love is as strong as death,
at least in this film, and the
action of love can protect
and defend as well. "It's
amazing," Sam says near the
end. "The love you carry
inside, you keep." His final
words, "See ya," hold in
them the promise of reunion
and restoration.

The whole genre is send-
ing a message to Christians.

Ghost, with such recent films
as Always, Hello Again, and
Chances Are, tells us our
secular age owns a great
anxiety about death along
with a hunger to know about
the life after. Though not a
Christian film, it asks ques-
tions to which Christians
profess to have answers. It is
not enough to know we
survive death. Will we still
love and care for the same
things?

One of the most over-
looked aspects of the
resurrection of Jesus is the
fact that on his return from
death he ministered first to
those who loved him. The
character of his love was
unchanged. The potential of
love had expanded. No
longer housed in that chosen
and feeble vessel that could
be tortured on the cross, his
love could "inspire," in the
sense of giving breath. Is
love as strong as death?
Three things abide, we read
in 1 Corinthians, and the
greatest of these is—

Ah, you interrupt! The
world wants quantified
results, a report from that
"undiscovered country, from
whose bourn no traveller
returns" (Hamlet Ill-i), even
at the risk that a tale should
"unfold whose lightest word
would harrow up thy soul
..." (Hamlet I-v). We offer
Good News, but it must be
taken as the substance of
things hoped for. In inviting
someone to take that leap of
faith we may show them the
effects left in the wake of the
great leveling storm of Love.
He is risen!

One thing the film makes
clear is something our
ancestors in the faith took
for granted— we live in
middengeard, that is,
middle-earth, a rather vague
place suspended between
the clarification of heaven
and the dissolution of hell.
At any moment the thin
tissue of this world can
collapse, sending us in a
burst into a wider world that
was never more than a breath
away. Such a world demands
real choice, not merely
between "tastes great" and
"less filling," but between
real life and real death.
Believe. . . .

One other element
deserves mention. Sam
Wheat discovers in death
that he left much unsaid.
How often, as clergy and
caregivers, do we turn the
thoughts of the dying, and
the living, away from the
unassailable fact that "Men
must endure their going
hence" (King Lear V-ii)?
Ministry with the dying
should emphasize the
importance of articulating
love, settling accounts,
achieving closure.

The action of Ghost is
vivid and graphic. It contains
extremes in language and
situations of the sort regu-
larly encountered in a major
city. Having stated this
caveat, I have no hesita-
tion in recommending
Ghost.

"See ya!"

Frank Ramirez is pastor of the
Elkhart Valley Church of the
Brethren, near Elkhart, Ind.

32 Messenger Febraary 1991

., 1.

Loving God comes first

Praise the Lord for Vemard Eller's
November article, "Why the First
Commandment Must Be First."

We must love God as our first priority
in order to condition ourselves to love
self in a God-like way. Then we will be
ible to love our neighbors, be they
Friend or foe.

To love God with our whole being is
:o find the peace of God that passes all
inderstanding (Phil. 4:7). That condi-
;ions us for the second commandment.

Wilmer M. Lehman
Edison, Neb.

Choices in the Gulf

^ou disparage President Bush's efforts
'or peace in the Persian Gulf (October
iditorial, "Which Drummer Shall We
"■ollow?"). But isn't there a greater sin
;han war?

You turn a blind eye to the flouting of
ntemational law in the invasion,
ooting, raping, and spoiling of Kuwait.
yVould the editorial have read the same
Nay if it dealt with Hitler's invasion of
^land? Get real.

Myron C. Hoist
York. Pa.

I write this as the USA is poised on the
Drink of war. Our national leaders have
he same values and assumptions as
hose of our leaders of the 1960s on such
ssues as winnable wars, evil empires.

r/ie opinions expressed here are nor necessarily
hose of the magazine. Readers should receive them
n the same spirit with which differing opinions are
'.xpressed in face-to-face conversations.

Letters should be brief, concise, and respectful of
he opinions of others. Preference is given to letters
hat respond directly to items read in the magazine.

We are willing to withhold the name of a writer
miy when, in our editorial judgment, it is
varranted. We will not consider any letter that
-omes to us unsigned. Whether or not we print the
etier, the writer's name is kept in strictest
'onfidence.

Address letters to Messenger Editor, 1451
'Dundee Ave.. Elgin, IL 60120.

justifiable use of force, covert activities
too sensitive for public scrutiny, and
acceptable risks to human life. President
Bush reveals his own shallow under-
standing of history by promising never
to enter a military situation that we
would not win.

No one can win a war. Innocents will
die and we will have lost in trying to
win. The more convinced or convincing
the president is about winning, the more
destructive, unrealistic, and ultimately
prolonged the war would become. Our
country has not even dealt fairly with the
victims and veterans of our past wars,
whose disfiguring injuries, enduring
psychological problems, and inadequate
health care remind us of only a fraction
of the cost of war.

We have a choice that we may never
have again. If we are indifferent and
complacent about peace, the choices will
be made for us, and the outcome will be
war. We do not have to accept President
Bush's version of history, his determina-
tion of what is worth dying for, or what
he thinks we should kill for. This is a
time for the courage and moral outrage
of citizens to turn the direction of
misguided leaders.

Mike Stern
Seattle, Wash.

CPS: Right then and now

The October coverage of Civilian Public
Service was excellent. My father is Luke
Bachman, who was quoted about quietly
influencing his children.

I was proud of my father for choosing
an unpopular stand on an issue he felt
strongly about. His action influenced me
to become a non-registrant when I turned
18 in 1971. 1 chose to enter Brethren
Volunteer Service even though I was not
technically a "CO."

After my BVS term, served at Elgin
(111.) State Hospital, I stayed on as a
hospital employee for several years. This
led to my becoming a registered nurse
and currently being close to my ultimate
goal of completing medical school (this
June) and practicing as a naturopathic

physician in the Pacific Northwest.

Throughout these 20 years of my
involvement in the health care field I
have had the strong support of both my
father and my mother (who served as a
volunteer at Elgin State Hospital also
and served at Castafier Hospital, in
Puerto Rico, with my father).

My parents' experience with CPS
definitely "rubbed off on me" in a most
positive and powerful way.

Gary Bachman
Seattle, Wash.

I was a pastor in Lima, Ohio, and a
member of Annual Conference Standing
Committee when, in December 1940, the
committee was summoned to a meeting
in Chicago to consider the US govern-
ment's proposal that the Historic Peace
Churches (Brethren, Mennonites, and
Friends) set up, administer, and pay for
CPS camps for our COs and others. We
accepted that proposal.

CPS was right for that time. It had its
pluses and minuses but it affirmed our
support of our Brethren COs.

Charles E. Znnkel
North Manchester, Ind.

Debating God's abilities

Most readers of the November article
"Things God Cannot Do" will miss the
point made in the first paragraph, that
God cannot do certain things because
God is self-limited. This article will be
widely misunderstood and will do much
more harm than good.

Roy White
Citronelle, Ala.

T. Wayne Rieman's assertions about
what God cannot do are all contradicted
by scripture. Because we are limited and
weak, we imagine that at some point
God is too. The "Almighty God" is
beyond our reach. No amount of human
intelligence or reasoning can change
that. If we could understand God he
would be unworthy of our worship.

W. Ken Groff
Dayton, Ohio

February 1991 Messenger 33

On the need for spiritual renewal

Joyce S. McFadden

Work for Brethren
spiritual renewal

The December Messenger, from cover
to cover, grew on me as I read one
article after another. I identified with
Michael King's telling of depression and
"tear-filled soul," of "busying our-
selves to forget the hurt" (page 1 1). I
affirm, with King, that, yes, the story of
the birth of the Holy One is true, and we
will all "get picked up," not only at
Christmas, but on any day we see the
need and ask for help.

I was so moved by the call to spiritual
renewal by our Church of the Brethren
leaders (page 10), that I reread and stud-
ied it carefully, even spending several
hours poring over scripture and Richard
Foster's Celebration of Discipline. As I
read, and as I prayed for a sense of
God's will for me on this issue, I got
excited. Mighty winds of the Spirit can
move, even in a quiet living room, and I
felt as if a gust from the General Board
room in Elgin, 111., had touched me.

I made an inner commitment to join in
prayer with my sisters and brothers at
7:30 a.m., EST, each Monday. I suspect
that I have only begun to struggle with
the thought of fasting.

Imagine a group of Brethren fasting
and rejoicing together, celebrating what
God has done and can do for us as
individuals and as a denomination. No
sackcloth and ashes, mind you, but
putting God at the center of our worship
and celebration, bringing our gifts and

We do not acknowledge our receipt of obvious
"Opinions" pieces, and can print only a sampling
of what we receive. All "Opinions" are edited for
publication.

34 Messenger February 1 99 1

heaping our offering tables as full as we
usually do our potluck dinner tables.

Jorge Toledo and our Dominican
Republic Brethren (page 18) might be
able to help us learn to rejoice in our
plenty. They seem to understand the joy
of just singing and praying together.
They seem capable of worship "free of
lethargy and empty repetition, but filled
with awe, reverence, and energy," as
called for by our Faithful Six (page 10).
Spontaneous singing and witnessing,
perhaps. I'll bet that Jorge's Brethren
don't have printed bulletins for their
two-to-three-hour nightly meetings!

And imagine us "all going to church
early in the morning to praise before
(we) go to work." I would settle for us
gathering for collective silent prayer and
meditation. The December Messenger
gave us a vision. Let's go for it.

I call the church to go a step farther
than the February 1 7 day of confession
and repentance and ask, "To what
lengths are we willing to go to be
healed, empowered, energized. Spirit-
filled?" We need to move beyond Bible
study, prayer, fasting, and worship, and
do some thorough personal and corpo-
rate soul-searching and confession
before we can truly know the depths of
God's love and grace for us or be
cleansed and empowered to respond to
God's call.

Any serious recovering alcoholic who
works the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics
Anonymous knows that recovery is
thwarted and stunted until there is a
willingness to face self-inventory and

'■'

confession. As Christians, we pray for
God to forgive us our trespasses (debts) ■
as we forgive our debtors. How many of i
us have taken time, however, to quietly •
and prayerfully list these wrongs, these i
trespasses? To bring them to the light of i
consciousness, in written form?

It is amazing to consider the energy :
and power that these free-floating guilts,:
fears, hurts, resentments, angers, and
other impotent, prideful, shameful
feelings drain from our souls and to
consider the depression that often
results. It is equally amazing to considerfl»
the transformation and freedom that
come from sharing with God and anothe:
human being the exact nature of these t
debilitating qualities. The power they
hold over us is broken, and we become :
free to be empowered with the gifts of '
the Spirit that Paul talks about.

This inventory and confession that has
transformed millions in Twelve Step
programs over the past 50 years is not
new to AA. Richard Foster quotes ■

Dietrich Bonhoeffer and tells of his own '
experience in finding that confessing '
"releases the power that heals. Our
humanity is no longer denied, but
transformed." And so it is.

I can see us Brethren moving to a
corporate inventory and Confession,
looking at the resentments, hurts, and
pain within our body as a church.

This would lead naturally into some-
thing I remember was done routinely in
my childhood: The deacons came to us
before communion and asked if we had
anything against a brother or sister that

Pontius' Puddle

NOTICE: Church and district newsletters that reprint ^'Pontius' Puddle" from
Messenger must pay $5 ($10 if circulation is over 500) for each use to Joe\
Kauffmann. Ill Carter Road. Goshen. IN 46526.

HEV, &0D, X RESENT tWl^imMS
BE\MO RE.FER'^EO to in
CtWPToRE ^S SHEEP. IT
IKPL\EC.THAT We: HfKVE-
SHALLOW CONVICTIOU?.
AMD ^^E E^<,lLV SWAVED
BY THE PREVMLlNCr WiMDS
OF COMTEtA9oRM?V CULTURE.

.-^

■k

&006 90lhiT.
I'LL SEE
WHAT r
CAN DO.

bate on flag use in churches

e needed to make right before ap-
roaching the Lord's table. What if we
jterally, prayerfully, and humbly asked
jod and others to forgive us and
intended this kindness to those with
|hom we have been angry or by whom
'6 have been hurt? What if we took the
pok of James seriously? Are we afraid
i) trust the very fellowship we call the

ody of Christ?

If we were as honest and open in the
ihurch as persons are in the Fellowship
f Alcoholics Anonymous, we would
lave to risk being shredded in the
jrocess. But by God's transforming
race, this doesn't have to be true in the
hurch.

God is calling the Church of the
■rethren to spiritual renewal, not a
•urial, as Wayne Fralin may have been
fnplying (pages 6 and 32). But bless
iour heart for getting our attention,
brother Fralin. We need to acknowledge
le encumbering grave clothes that are
inding and killing us before we can see
le need for change or catch the
ision for spiritual renewal.

Ai.

Joyce S. McFadden is a member of the
'anchester Church of the Brethren, North
'anchester, Ind.

ohn R. Long

Let's debate the
JS flag issue

appreciated Jay Steele's November
)pinion piece, "We Are Mired in
'■Mediocrity." I, too, was very disturbed
t Annual Conference's refusal to
espond to the query "Use of Flags on
uhurch Properties." And I was amazed
In the first place by Standing Commit-

e's recommendation to send it back
inanswered.

The Church of the Brethren has no
official historical statement on the
iresence of flags in its sanctuaries,
likely the use of a flag was so uniformly

opposed in the past that the matter never
came up for discussion. In this day of
"mediocrity," however, things have
become blurred in our church-state
relationships, even though Annual
Conference approved a paper on church

Take Hold of Your Future

and state relations in 1989.

Two things impressed me about this
flag item of business. First, the query
was worded very carefully, so as not to
be offensive or inflamatory in its
wording. Second, a passionate story was

One Step at a Time.

McPherson College

1731

McPherson, Kansas 67460 • (316) 241-0731

Kevin, a sophomore, and Laurale. a senior, shown with their parents,
Carol and Rev. George Snyder '63.

^^McPherson College extends a warm tvelcome offiienSship to visitors and students. The College and its
faculty offer an atmosphere of caring plus sharing of ideas for an excellent education. "

— G«orge Snyder

1963 Alumnus and Parent of two McPherson College students;

Pastor, West York Church of the Brethren

York, Pennsylvania

Scholarships /Grants: *

Church of the Brethren Awards — Up to $1,000 per year
Brethren Volunteer Service Grants — Up to $500 per year
Children of Alumni Grants — Up to $500 per year
Church-Matching Grants — Up to $500 per year
Dependents of Persons in Church Professions — Up to $1,000 per year

* Awards are
renewable for up to
four years provided
that students remain
eligible for the
grants. Some awards
are based on
financial need and
availability of

fi"^- : Send to: Admissions Office, McPherson College, P.O. Box 1402,

McPherson, KS 67460 or
call coUect (316) 241-0731.

McPherson College does not discriminate on the

basis of race, religion, sex. color, national origin, or physical/emotional stability.

Yes, I want to take the next step and find out more about
McPherson College.

Name

Address .
City

. State .

. Zip.

Phone I )_

. Year of Graduation .

February 1991 Messenger 35

told by the pastor of the congregation
from which the query came, concerning

From the

Office of Human Resources —

FIELD STAFF FACILITATOR FOR LAFIYA:

A Whole-Person Healtti Ministry

This part-time position requires no relocation

RESPONSIBILITIES:

-interpret & promote newly developed program
for Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC)

-vi/ork vj/6 modei congregations annuaiiy to
facilitate this program

—serve as trainer

-work w/ABC Executive Director in directing
and implementing the Laflya program.

QUALIFICATIONS:

— theiogicai training

—experience in health core field & con-
gregational ieadership

-understanding of wAiolistic health principles

-v\niiing to travel & spend extended time vinth
each of the model congregations

Interested and quaiified persons may make
application by sending a letter of interest and
a resume to: Dale E. Minnich, 1451 Dundee
Ave,, Elgin, iL 60120. Applicants are requested
to contact 3-4 persons and have them provide
a letter of reference.
All materiais due by February 21, 1991.

its struggle over the issue. Here was a
plea for direction from the Brotherhood
on a matter of great concern to that
congregation . . . and that district. But
Conference chose simply to throw the
matter back into the laps of the congre-
gation and district. "Anything will be
fine." seemed to be the response.

After that business session was over, I
mentioned my concern to another pastor
and he told me, "Well, you know, this is
really not an issue in our churches." His
reply surprised me, but apparently this is
true for some congregations and some
pastors. My knowledge of what is
happening in the Brotherhood is not
extensive, but I do know that the
struggle of the congregation in Shenan-
doah District is not unique. It is an issue
for many people.

The flag issue is one we should

address. The presence of our national
flag in the house of God does say
something about our church-state
relationship and how we view it. Who do
we put first in our life? Why? In what
ways do the presence of symbols in our
churches affect that? We need to be
dealing with such questions.

The only Brethren paper related to the
issue (as far as I know) is one pulled
together by E. Paul Weaver some 20 or
30 years ago. Apparently it was handed
out to Standing Committee members at
Milwaukee. There is nothing official
about this paper, but it might be worth
considering. Perhaps it should be
circulated as part of the process of
discussing this important issue.

Ai.

John R. Long is co-pastor of the Center Church
of the Brethren. Louisville. Ohio.

CLASSIFIED ADS

WANTED-Residential Manager. Christian married couple
needed as Residential Managers in group home for devel-
opmentally disabled adults. Also to provide daily supervi-
sion to residents. Position inclds. planning, implementing
individual goals. Prefer one spouse have degree in human
service field. Experience with developmentally disabled
helpful. Salary, benefits, rm./board provided. Inclds. private
apt. For more info, contact Angle Petersheim, Executive
Director, C.R.O.S.S., Inc., 712 Pinola Rd., Shippensburg,
PA17257. Tel. (717)530-1788.

WANTED-lmmediate pos. opening, Dir. of Member Serv-
ices, Mennonite Health Services, Akron, Pa. Start date
negotiable. Provide direction, administrative services to
health, welfare institutions; develop, execute programs of
administrative consultation, contracted management serv-
ices for member institutions. Executive exp.. Master's
degree in healthcare administration preferred. Strong lead-
ership skills, Mennonite, Brethren in Christ or Church of
Brethren affiliation essential. Detailed job description pro-
vided on request. Contact Carl L. Good, Executive Director.
Mennonite Health Services, Box 500, Akron, PA 17501-
0500. Tel. (717)859-1151.

FOR SALE-Our Family Books by Mason; Ziegler family
Record (revised), 1990; Va. residents, $33.50; others
$32.50. John Mason and Mary Ann Miller. 1986; Va. resi-
dents, $32.50; others $31 .50. Michael Miller of 1692 (in
process). (Miller m. 1 Susanna Agnes Bechtol; m. 2 Eliza-
beth Garber, widow of Nicholas Garber.) For information
SASE. Write; Floyd R. Mason, 4409 Park Rd., Alexandria,
VA 22312,

FOR SALE-Being ex-CPSer myself, I found CPS articles in
October MESSENGER issue very interesting. Many Church
of Brethren CPS boys were in camps with us Old German
Baptist boys. I have written a book-OW German Baptists in
CPS (1989). Gives info, on our church's long-time opposi-
tion to war; formation of CPS in earliest days incld. corre-
spondence that transpired between Government. Selective

36 Messenger February 1991

Service, NSBRO and Old German Baptist Service Commit-
tee in connection with Church of Brethren. 288 pages incld.
pictures, contributions of experiences fr. over 40 Old Ger-
man Baptist CPSers. $10.50 postpaid. Available fr; John
W. Brubaker, 2323 Halderman Rd., West Alexandna, OH
45381.

TRAVEL-With a purpose with Wendell and Joan Bohrer to
Alaska following Annual Conference next year. Beginning
July 9 in Portland. For information concerning this cruise/
tour write; Wendell and Joan Bohrer, 8520 Royal Meadow
Dnve, Indianapolis, IN 46217. Tel. (317) 882-5067.

TRAVEL- You are invited to join Host Wayne F. Geisert,
President, Bridgewater College, on tour to exotic orient.
Tour includes Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong
Kong (Jul. 8-22, 1991). Departure via San Francisco imme-
diately following 1991 Annual Conference, Portland. Inclu-
sive pnce $3,290 per person (dbl. occupancy) 15-day
adventure includes American breakfast each day, and one
special dinner and cultural performance as well as local
tours in four major cities. Economical air connections to San
Francisco fr. Portland, Ore.; Washington, D.C.; other points
can be arranged. For additional info, contact Dr. W. F.
Geisen, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA 22812. Tel.
(703) 828-3362; Fax (703) 828-2160; or Ms. Jacque Wood
Halpern, Turner Travel, (800) 542-2029.

TRAVEL-Annual Conference. A/C coach tour to Annual
Conference, Portland, Visit Bethany Seminary, Elgin
hdqtrs. Hear Salt Lake City Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Return route via Victoria, Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise.
Wnte J. Kenneth Kreider, 1300 Sheaffer Road, Eliza-
bethtown, PA 17022.

TRAVEL-South Pacific. Once in lifetime trip to New Zeal-
and, Australia. Inclds. Great Barrier Reef, Milford Sound,
home stay and dinner, sheep station, Sydney, Christ-
church. Springtime down under. Nov. 20-Dec. 7. Hurry.
England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland optional. June 14-

June 30 or July 6. More than just another commercial tour.
We give you more for less. Rothrock Tours, 502 Charies,
McPherson, KS 67460. Or call for brochures-(316) 241
2670.

TRAVEL-Experience Magic of the Alps in 1991. Austria
Switzerland, or Germany used to enhance tours of Europe
Why not enjoy all three on tour June 20-July 3, 1991 . Co-
hosted by Frank Miller, retired Purdue Extension Agent, anc
Cass White, Program and Seivice Dept., Timbercres'
Home. Alternate date July 4-17, 1991. Tour arranged bj
Rural Route Tours. Visit Munich, Rothenburg, Zermat (a
foot of Matterhorn), St. Moritz, Innsbruck, Vienna, Oberatii'
mergau, Salzburg, Geneva, Augsburg, Frankfurt. Ride fa
mous Glacier Express. Visit a family in Bavarian Alps. View
ancient castles, quaint villages fr. riverboat deck on deligfit
ful blue Danube cruise. Relax in first-class hotels, Buffe
breakfast, 3-course dinner daily except Vienna. Trave
deluxe motor coach designed for sightseeing. Full-timf
professional English-speaking Tour Manager. Contac
Frank Miller, 317 Hickory Lane, North Manchester, ih
46962. Tel. (219) 982-4529 or Cass White (219) 982-6649

INVITATION-lf you or someone you love moves to or visit
Los Angeles, tour Crystal Cathedral and Disneyland bu
worship in exciting church-the Panorama City Church o
Brethren, 14517 Osborne, near Van Nuys and NordofI
Panorama City Church has congregations in 4 languages
In English-language congregation (9;30 a.m.) are Korear
Hispanic, Indian, White and African Americans. Tmly urbai
church with strong Brethren values. Small and growinj
Contact Wayne Zunkel, 15843 Blackhawk, Granada Hills
CA91344. Tel, (818)891-2231.

INVITATION-ln Atlanta, Ga., join Faithful Servant Churc
of the Brethren for 10 a.m. church school and 11 a.iT
worship at Shoney's Inn at intersection of Indian Trail and «
85 North, exit 38, Norcross. Contact John and DebW
Hammer, 5584 Wilmer Dr., Norcross, GA 30092. Tel. (■
448-9092.

lebbti

)asuies Foi The Road

990 NYC theme with 3,000+ backup singers

Lines Foi The Biethien

the miciophones in heaven)

iedicated to everyone who has waited to speak
Annual Conference

u Let Me See The Music

I love song lor those who give us the beauty
igning

lot We Ccdl Love

984 SAC theme at Manchester College

Availahk
Order from:

Andy

Terry

Murray

Ti*

No
(a1

c
i

c
s

]

"Just As I Am"

Jxist As I Am

about abuse and survival

Hi. Little ButteillT

simple flight of fancy

Tony And I

T.V. violence and you and me

, Happy To Be Your Man

written by a guitar player with a broken finger

Preacher Sarah

a history lesson about the first women preacher in
the Church of the Brethren

5 in Cassette or CD

Andy & Teiiy Munoy

R.D, 4, Box 3
Huntingdon, PA 16652

pif Please send me cassettes at $9.95 each

PlfifTSft sftnri mft CD's rrt ?; 1 4 O.S errrh

J. Shipping and Handling

■ Pennsvlvania residents Dlease add 6% Sales Tax

Name

Address

1.50

Total

II you would like to have a signed albuin lor a gilt, please
enclose the name ol the person lor whom it is intended

O To Christian Ministry

O To Congregational Leadership

O To Peacemaking & Service

O To Provide Financial Support

O To Study Scripture

O To Encourage Others

O To Upbuild the Church of the Brethren

Dear Friends,

You can bury it as deep as a bone, but
the thing you want more than anj^thing
is not to speak about the Word, but to
receive it. Not to say the word of grace,
but to hear God call your name. Young or
old. East or West, North or South, rich or
poor, that is the hunger of people at
Bethany. Not so much to know, as to be
known; not so much to find as to be
found. Won't you join us in our life of
obedience to God's call?

Fumitaka Matsuoka

Academic Dean

Bethany Theological Seminary

In God*s Love,

Bethany Theological Seminary

MEYERS AND BUTTERPTELD ROADS
OAKBROOK, ILLINOIS 60521

708/620-2200

lew
/lembers

nn Arbor Mennonite-Brelhren,

Mich.: Joe Harvey

rcadia, S/C Ind.: Mildred
Deaver

ethany. Mid-Atl.: Garey Morris,
Denise Morris. Linda Tribbilt.
Chnstine Basnight, June
Hasseti, Bonnie Brown, Karen
Finney, David Moore

elhel-Neb.. W. Plains: Steve and
Penny Dombierer, Emily Jo
Gunn. Jordan Dowdy, Joshua
Wieldel, John and Karen
Kidney

ethlehem, Virlina: James Cor-
nog. Martha Comog

enter, N. Ohio: Phyllis Butt.
Lisa Dawson

hiques, Atl. N.E.: Jay. Susan,
and Heather Eberly. Kenneth
and Nedra Shuman

loverdale, Virlina: Blanche
Dooley. Donna Mooney. John
Mooney, Linda Naff

ommunity, Atl. S.E.: Pat and
Arlene Burnett. Wyota Fleet-
wood. Josephine Frankham.
Doris Gorman. William and
Deanna Holland, Robert Ne-
ville. Earl and Anne Peterson,
Michael Pridemore. Wade and
Sharon Sansing, James Shoe-
maker. Beverly Sielski

ounty Line, W. Pa.: Danielle
Hammel, David Hammel,
Debra White

rexel Hill, Atl. N.E.: Billie
Bums. Michael Bums, Carol
Carolan. John Carolan. Dawn
Descamps. Sharon Gerry.
Nancy ShuU. Paty Sihler, Ruth
Tilton

llisford/Whitestone, Ore.AVash.:
Tim Sibley. Jennie Weddle.
Teresa Oh Happy, Corey
Keeton

phrata, Atl. N.E.: Anne
Burridge. Steven Burridge,
Shawn Felix. Bonnie Keller,
Laura Keller. Mildred
Clifford. Walter Horst, Ethel
Horst. Dennis. Nancy. Caralyn
J., and Kathryn Schonewetter.
Dean Sensenig

Irst-Harrisburg, Atl. N.E.:
Bruce Dawson. Becky Eberly.
Hazel Ebersole. Dallas Mayor

irst-Phoenix, Pac. S.W.: Robert.
Evelyn, and Scott Peck.
Murray and Ruth Williamson,
Tim and Dawn Snell

lorin, Atl. N.E.: Larry and

Norma Baum. Nevin and Beth
Wagner. Suie Cinder. Linda
Baum. Andy Graham. Tim
Kay, Michael Kline. Michelle
Kline. Matt Krouse. Bob
Myers

lower Hill, Mid-Atl.: Kevin
Brumbaugh. Natalie Brum-
baugh. Bill Ziegler. Linda
Ziegler. Chris Ryan. Edwina
Ryan. Jeff Coe, Lora Coe.
Troy Atkinson. Marie Atkin-
son. Alan Sine, Wanda Sine

ood Shepherd, Virlina:
Cornelia. Gabriella, Jan. and
Natasha Flora. Lynn Oliver.
David Doughty. Bethley
Dowdy. Sarah Hagedom

ostetler, W. Pa.: Jennifer Miller,

Barbara Kerschensteiner,
Howard and Martha Gragg.
John and LuAnn Jackson

Lilitz. Atl. N.E.: Elizabeth
Weidman, Nancy Wenger

Lone Star, W. Plams: Clint and Jo
Leon. Shirley Brandes

Maple Grove. N. Ind.: Michael
Barkey. Michael Cardosa.
Todd Lehman. Judy Lehman.
Joan, Sandy. Randy, and
Terry Sizemore, Lawrence
Watkins. Ruth Watkins

Maple Spring. W. Marva: Orville
Kight, Shirley Kight. Teresa
Peterson. Ruth Peterson.
James Layman. Emily Lewis

Marilla, Mich.: Sam Beckelic

McPherson, W. Plains: Bret Bow-
man. Sandra Lolling. Steve
Mason. Barbara Wagoner.
Doug and Karen Burkholder.
Rick and Gayle Doll, Glen
and Kerri Snell, Doug and
Tandy Wine

Meadow Branch, Mid-Atl.: Tracy
May, Heather Watson, David
Watson, Shawn Stewart. Kim-
berly Click Stewart, Richard
Bumham

Middle Creek, Atl. N.E.: Naomi
King. Loren Hosier. Jessica
Brubaker, Kirby Garman,
Melanie Martin. David
Neidermyer

Midland, Mid-Atl.: Beverly

Butterfield. Benjamin Cooke.
Betty Coffman, Curtis
Coffman

Mount Vernon, Shen.: Elwood
Arehart. Fred Hollen

New Enterprise, M. Pa.: Jolene.
Nancy, and Raymond
Albright. Christopher Baker.
Eric Corle. Jeanne Defibaugh,
Richard Defibaugh, Erin
Drenning, Corey Imes. Jami
Reighard, Tony Shope, Bran-
don. Julie, and Kristie Snider,
Linda Weitzel. Terry Weitzel.
Greg Wood, Andrew Van
Horn

New Paris, N. Ind.: Vernon Jr.
and Karen Hartley. Waller and
Edith Homes, Mervin. Judy,
Mary and Junior Miller

Painesville, N. Ohio: Alexis
Olson. Jason Ashton. Robert
Knepp. Alissa Ward. Holly
Ray. Amanda Horton

Peoria, Ul.AVis.: Barbara Stan.
Steven Gilbert

Pilsburg, S. Ohio: Nadine
Zimmer. John K. Strawser

Pleasant Hill, S.E.: Leslie Shaver

Red Hill. Viriina: Neal Arthur,
Daniel Arthur. Brenda
Hawkins, Brenda Gregory,
Sue Van Name. Bill Van
Name. Billy Van Name. Ron
Byrd, Jennifer Byrd. Jessica
Muncy. Kathy Cochenour.
Darrel Altic. Meg Weeks,
Michelle Altic, Danny Craft,
Rose Blankenship, Lewis
Blankenship, Justin Boyd

Ridge, S. Pa.: Donald Halter.
Isabelle Halter, Sharon
Thomas, Jenny Holtry, Keith
Kunkleman. George Finken-
binder, Dorothy Finkenbin-
der. Victoria Burger

Root River, N. Plains: Benjamin
Broadwater, Shaun Rindels

Springfield, Ore./Wash.: Debbie
Roberts. Steve Kinzie

Summerdean, ViHina: Carlton
and Lisa Radcliff. Kevin
Shearer. Mtuie Schroeder. .
Teresa Delano

Tucson, Pac. S.W.: Jessica Dice.
Misty Row. Rudy Miller.
Patricia Judd, Geary Judd.
Bertha Holcomb

University Park, Mid-Atl:

Kimberly McDowell. Hooker
Monroe

Wawaka, N. Ind.: Gene Clemens.
Rachel Custer, Kathryn Frick.
Mike Jones. Doug Lengel.
Wylene Lengel. John McGill.
Dean Norris, Bemie Norris.
Troy Stewart

Welty, Mid-Atl.: Paulette Pickett,
Jason Pickett

Winter Park, Atl. S.E.: Sheila
Baker. Steven Bollinger,
Jennifer Burke. Rebecca
Cooke. Richard Cooke, Stacy
Hoover. Danny McGlothlin.
Joe McGlothlin, Amy Mon-
roe, Kathleen Smith. Helen
Spence. Carol Yeazell

Woodbridge, Mid-Atl.: Sarah
Bowman, Sharon Hewitt,
Gregory Hewitt, Lisa Dex-
heimer, Darlene Graham,
Barbara Atwine, Mary Sager.
Andy Bridenbaugh. Kim
Bridenbaugh. Anne Owens,
Amanda Ayers. Eric Garber,
Jason Garber, Peggy Ward.
Teresa Franklin. Eden Till,
Kelly Saylor. Bruce Brown,
Pal Mederois, Tom Owens,
Sara Gangawere

Woodbury, M. Pa.: Kenny and
Sue Ott

Yellow Creek, N. Ind.: Mike Van-
derveer, Pat Vanderveer.
Jenny Purdue. Ryan Barthol-
omew. Melissa Debroka

Pastoral
Placements

Albright, Kim Yaussy. from sem-
inary to Huntington. S/C Ind.

Baker, George and Sandra, from
secular to Beachdale. W. Pa.

BenhofT, Steven, from secular to
Trotwood. S. Ohio

Carter, Karen, from secular to
Monte Vista. Virlina

Deardorff, Tim, from secular to
Mexico. S/C Ind.

Herbert, Frank W.. from Venice
Fellowship. Atl. S.E.. to
Johnson City/Kingsport. S.E.

Hyre, Greg, from secular to
Eaton, S. Ohio

KaufTman, Herman, from Paines-
ville, N. Ohio, to Everett, M. Pa.

Lowe, John Jr., from Elkhart Val-
ley. N. Ind., to Prince of
Peace. N. Ind.

McPherson, Steven, from Painter
Creek, S. Ohio, to Nampa.
Idaho

Miller, R. Eugene, from Rockhill,
Mid. Pa., to Longmeadow,
Mid-Atl.

Myers, Craig A., from seminary to
Blue River, N. Ind.

Planck. Roy. from secular to
Eaton, S. Ohio

Ramsey. Randolph, from Hollins
Road. Virlina. to St. Peters-

burg First, Atl. S.E.

Wheeland, Frank, from secular to
Black Valley, Fed.. M. Pa.

Yoder, Gary, from Fairview, N.
Plains, to Pamter Creek. S.
Ohio

Younkins. Gale, from Longmead-
ow, Mid-Atl., to Walnut
Grove. W. Pa.

Licensing/
Ordination

Bolhnger, Dale. licensed Jul. 24,

1990. Cocalico. Atl. N.E.
Burke. David H.. licensed Sep. 8.

1990, Bush Creek, Mid-Atl.
Cepero, Juan O., ordination

received Jul. 21, 1990. Vega

Baja. Atl. S.E.
Chandler, Michael D., ordained

Sep. 29, 1990, First. ViHina
Durr, Marilyn J., ordained Sep.

29. 1990. Cherry Grove. W.

Marva
FIgueroa, Juan A., ordination

received Jul. 21. 1990.

Segunda Iglesia Crislo

Misionera, Atl. S.E.
Figueroa, Isabel, ordination

received Jul. 21, 1990,

Segunda Iglesia Cristo

Misionera. Atl. S.E.
Hollenberg, Keith Earl, ordained

Oct. 6, 1990. Lost Creek/Free

Spring, S. Pa.
Ilyes, Charles L., licensed Jun. 28,

1990. New Fairview. S. Pa.
Kunselman. Dorothy, licensed

Oct. 6. 1990. Oakdale. W. Pa.
Leatherman, Roger D., ordained

Sep. 29. 1990, Romney, W.

Marva
Markey, Dale E.. licensed Jun. 28,

1990, New Fairview, S. Pa.
Matteson, Russell L., licensed

Apr. 21. 1990, Christ Church,

Carol Stream. lU./Wis.
Matteson. Erin A., licensed Jun.

16, 1990, Christ Church,

Carol Stream. Ill./Wis.
Messier, John H., licensed Sep. 8,

1990, Fnendship. Mid-Atl.
Yenser, Herald E., ordained Jun.

9, 1990, Defiance, N. Ohio

Wedding
Anniversaries

Baldwin, Charles and Naomi,
Syracuse, Ind., 50

Billings, Leo and Mary Mae,
Ottumwa, Iowa. 70

Black. Leroy and Vemeda, Clays-
burg. Pa.. 50

Darcy. Fred and Frances. Sparta,
N.C..70

Dunbar, Jack and Eileen, Sun
City. Ariz.. 55

Ford. James and Margaret,
McPherson. Kan., 50

Hubbard, Clarence and Juanita.
Lawrence, Kan.. 50

Loucks, William and Fanny,
Goshen, Ind., 73

Ott. Howard and Edna.
Bridgewater. Va., 50

Phibbs. Paul and Bertha. Bridge-
water, Va.. 50

Shiplett, Lester and Camilla,
Greenbelt, Md., 50

Stehman. Willis and Alta. Lake
Odessa, Mich.. 50

Worthen. George and Agnes,

Rockford. 111.. 60

Deaths

Achey, Mae, 89, Richland. Pa..

Sep. 26. 1990
Agee, Doris, 68. Roanoke. Va..

Nov. 16. 1990
Baugher, Christopher, 8, Gettys-
burg, Pa., Sep. 15. 1990
Beadle, Thomas. 60. Ottumwa,

Iowa. Oct. 15, 1990
Bean, Amanda, 84. Elgin, III.. Oct.

26, 1990
Bowman. Berkley, 92. Bridge-
water. Va..Nov. 8. 1990
Buhrman, Edna. 67, Rougerville.

Pa.. Sep. 2. 1990
Clark, Margaret L.. 83, Easton.

Md., Oct. 28, 1990
Craun, Dee H.. 87. Bridgewater,

Va.. Oct. 23, 1990
Deardorff, Noble E.. 88. Wenat-

chee. Wa.sh.. Nov. II. 1990
Denzer, Millie. 99. Minnesota

City. Minn.. Sep. 23, 1990
Diehl, Irvin, 67. Weigelstown. Pa.,

Sep. 14. 1990
Evans, Mary £.. 68. Altoona, Pa..

Nov. 14. 1990
Fasick, Carris. 85. West Milton.

Ohio. Oct. 15. 1990
Fuhrman, Dorothy. 81. Hanover,

Pa.. Nov. 3, 1990
Griffith, Aldean M.. 77, Wool-
wine. Va.. Nov. 20, 1990
Hainsey, Melvin. 76. Claysburg,

Pa.. Aug. 2, 1990
Heckman, Lanah K.. 89, Mercers-
burg. Pa.. Nov. 4. 1990
Henderson, Maude, 76, West

Milton. Ohio. Mar. 27, 1990
Houck, Bums, 74. Westminster.

Md.. May 17. 1990
Jacobs, Virginia. 84. York New

Salem, Pa., Nov. 14, 1990
James, Lasee. 8 1 , Syracuse. Ind.,

Oct. 30, 1990
Kleist, Evelyn G., 82, St. Charles,

Minn.. Oct. 3, 1990
Lawyer, Ferres, 62. Hanover, Pa.,

Oct. 31. 1990
Lewber. Maudie. 80. West Milton.

Ohio, Apr. 24, 1990
Marchand, Dorothy, 81. McPher-
son. Kan.. Oct. 28, 1990
Maystorovich. Gertrude, 60.

"Windber, Pa.. Sep. 10, 1990
Mellinger, Shelden, 78. Carlisle,

Pa.. Sep. 30, 1990
Rarish, Earl. 65. Royersford, Pa.,

Sep. 18. 1990
Schrock, Bessie. 92, Elkhart. Ind..

Nov. 19. 1990
Sell. Joseph W.. 89, Modesto,

Calif.. Nov. 26, 1990
Sharpleff, Hulda. 65. Union

Bridge, Md., Oct. 4, 1990
Spitler, Charles. 83. West Milton.

Ohio. Aug. 30, 1990
Stump, Guy K., 88. Waynesboro,

Va., Nov. 19, 1990
Weaver. Tracy. 83. Hummel-

stown. Pa..Ocl. 2, 1990
Webber, Ralph. 85. Modesto,

Calif., Nov. 17. 1990
Wheeler. Martha. 63, Flora, Ind..

Nov. 15, 1990
Williams, Herbert. 61, Austin-
burg, Ohio. Oct. 25. 1990
Wine, Effie, 102, Mount Sidney,

Va., Sep. 20, 1990

February 1991 Messenger 39

Labor that's not in vain

Ten years ago— Sunday, February 1, 1981—1
attended Christian worship under a tamarind tree
in Mayom, Sudan. At that time Roger and
Carolyn Schrock were helping the Sudan Council
of Churches establish a primary health care
program in this remote area of Africa's largest
country. It was the Schrocks' third Sunday in
Mayom.

1 wrote about my experience in an editorial
titled "Thoughts Under the Tamarind Tree"
(April 1981). One of my thoughts was "of
another Brethren venture begun under a tamarind
tree-at Garkida in Nigeria, March 17, 1923." Of
the Nigeria venture 1 wrote, "The seeds of hope
and faith planted there have yielded a bountiful
harvest of thousands of committed Christians."
Of the Sudan venture I asked, "What would
come of our work in Sudan, begun so modestly at
Mayom? Who knows?"

Who knew, indeed!

War between northern Sudan and southern
Sudan forced the Schrocks to leave Mayom in
1983. Fighting in the Mayom area ravaged the
little village. Today many of those who survived
the fighting live in shanty towns and camps on
the outskirts of Khartoum— 600 miles away, a
point they reached on foot. At Mayom only one
building is still standing, Roger Schrock learned
on a recent trip to Sudan (see page 19).

In Khartoum's camp Souk el Markazi, Roger
found his former Mayom neighbors living on the
brink of starvation, in direst want of the basics of
life. Their cattle-herding way of life is "on
hold," and their very culture is in danger of being
destroyed by the displacement and chaos.

Considering the depths to which the fortunes
of the Nuer folk of Mayom have sunk, one is
reminded of the advice Job's wife gave him as he
sat among the ashes: "Do you still persist in your
integrity? Curse God, and die."

But wait! Roger says, after visiting the
Christians in Souk el Markazi, "The amazing,
lasting impression I have is that they have an
undying faith and hope that God will find a way
to bring peace to their land and they can return to
their own homes."

Apparently the years of war waged by the
Muslims of Sudan's North have served to temper,

40 Messenger February 1 99 1

rather than destroy, the faith of the Christians of
the South. In February 1981, there was a mere
handful of Christians under the tamarind tree in
Mayom. In 1983, when the Schrocks left, there
were seven churches in the area. Now, Roger has
learned, there are over 200 churches.

It is back into war-torn southern Sudan, still
heavily bombarded by the army from the north—
and suffering as well from the counter action of
the rebel army— that Roger and Carolyn are
committed to return this coming fall. Roger will
serve as acting executive secretary of the New
Sudan Council of Churches (see news story,
page 8).

n my aforementioned editorial I stated, "You
can be sure than anyone in Sudan today who is a
Christian isn't into it for fun or fringe benefits."
That was in 1981. What more of 1991?

I find myself inspired, not only by the
courage and faith of the Christians of Sudan, but
by the willingness of the Schrocks to return to
work there, knowing that they will be under fire,
literally.

It makes me sad to remember that 1981
Sunday church service under the tamarind tree,
knowing how the years that followed have
brought so much misery to the people I met and
admired. But now I have a better understanding
of God's guidance of human affairs.

We do well not to count too much on things
turning out the way we plan them, when we
involve ourselves in mission. "The best laid
schemes . . . gang aft a-gley," even for the most
earnest Christian worker. The important thing is
not the fulfillment of our "best laid schemes,"
the playing out of our rosy scenarios of what
should come to pass. The important thing is to be
faithful, to be undaunted by setbacks and adver-
sity, to "keep on keeping on."

It is appropriate that I end this 1991 editorial
the way I ended the 1981 editorial, with the
words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:58. "There-
fore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable,
always excelling in the work of the Lord, because
you know that in the Lord your labor is not in
vain.— K.T.

Have you noticed? MESSENGER has gotten closer
to home.

Take a closer look. We're closer to you.

Messenger. We're bringing you home.

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
ANNUAL CONFERENCE

July 2-7, 1991
Portland, Oregon

Portland is a very

appealing location

for our Annual

Conference —

located on the

banks of the ,^,^^^

Willamette J^^^i*^'^^^L '^^i6i^S>^\^

River, its " -^-^^^^^j''^ ^^

skyline backed

by towering evergreens; and Mount Hood, the State's highest mountain at 11,325 feet, provides a

backdrop for one of the nation's most attractive cities. Portland is knov\/n as the "City of Roses."

1991 Conference theme design

Conference will be located in the beautiful
new Oregon Convention Center.

There will be a heavy schedule of business
and a great variety of music and worship
styles in evidence of the richness of worship
throughout the world,

One special program of note — Ken
Medema will present a concert following the
Saturday night worship service.

The Conference will begin with the Tuesday evening worship service and conclude with the Sunday
morning worship and consecration service, information about pre-conference meetings and other
programs is provided in this issue of MESSENGER.

What an opportunity to experience the Great Northwest with Its majestic mountains and Pacific
Coast! Watch for the 1991 INFORMATION PACKET with tour options prior to or following the
Conference.

VOLUNTEER HELPERS

I am volunteering my help with conference tasks I have marked
beiovi/. I have numbered them in order of preference. I plan to arrive
at Conference on July

Brethren Press Book Exhibit

Registration (t>'pe badges, collect fees, sort cards)

Usher (business and general sessions)

Child care services

Children's activities (age 6-11)

Youth activities

Messengers (Conference business sessions)

Tellers (Conference business sessions)

Information/mail desk

Ticket sales

SERRV Exhibit

Annual Conference office

Please circle
approximate age;

Name

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St/RFD
Cify

. State .

-Zip.

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Additional volunteers may indicate on a separate sheet their
interest in serving.

PROGRAM BOOKLET

(Available in May)

Please send the follovi/ing:

copies at S7.00 each of the 1991 Annual Conference

Booklet (regular binding)

copies at $10.50 each of the 1991 Annual Conference

Booklet (spiral binding)

1991 Annual Conference Information packet.

(Add $1.00 for postage and handling)

Name

St/RFD .

City.

. State .

.Zip.

Amount remitted $

(Delegates sending the delegate authorization form and registra-
tion fee will automatically receive one program booklet viflthout
further cost)

Ttiere will be no pre-conference registration for non-delegates
this year.

Information about Conference programs and reservation forms
may be obtained by contacting your pastor or write:

Annual Conference Manager

1451 Dundee Avenue

Elgin, Illinois 60120

1^^ tl

I the unshakable faith

that ChristUke, sacrificial i

love can overcome all evil,

we reaffirm our conviction

that all war is sinful, and

that all attempts to promote

and prepare for war are

inimical to peace and

antagonistic to Christ's way.

1948 Annual Conference Resolution on Peace

i.i|'7b^.9VI IC«(2V

Down luiiiic in \'iiiiinia

As followers of this column have noticed, it has carried the
name of managing editor Wendy McFadden for the past four
issues while the editor was on a sabbatical (a fringe benny
received by members of the General Board's staff). Most
colleagues, upon first seeing the editor around the offices again,
commented, "1 forget what it was you were
doing while you were gone."" Others, including
the magazine's readers, never knew. Some
accountability seems in order.

The editor spent the fall months roving about
the denomination, getting closer in touch with
Messenger's constituency, the better to fine-tune
the magazine to meet its needs. The itinerary
touched 12 states and included visits to three
district meetings, several congregations, some
Brethren-related agencies, a few individuals, and
a delightful weekend at the 14th annual Brethren
Disaster Relief Auction in Lebanon, Pa. The
sabbatical, in the editor's view, was a great
success. He has returned to his desk rejuvenated.
His good spirits are due, in part, to the great job the maga-
zine staff had done in his absence. No work had piled up. It was
just a matter of jumping back in.

The editor's friends and family know he sees himself as a
Virginian-in-exile and so were not surprised that he made his
headquarters for much of his sabbatical down home in the Blue
Ridge mountains. That "down-home"" orientation may explain
why the editor enjoys putting together the "In Touch" and
"Close to Home" pages, which are calculated to make MESSEN-
GER kinder and gentler, warmer and fuzzier for its readers.
Going through congregational and district newsletters, college
news releases, and newspaper clippings in preparing those pages
is a delightful way for the editor to continue, in a desk-bound
way, the roving he did on sabbatical. It's interesting to learn
what individuals and congregations find to do in witnessing to
their faith.

We hope that the aforementioned features and the entire
magazine, in its new format, are getting closer to home. Let us
hear from you . . . with constructive criticism, newspaper
clippings, and tips for items to pick up on.

March 1991

Editor

Kermon Thomasson

Managing editor

Wendy Chamberlain McFadden

Editorial assistants

Cheryl Cayford, Karla Boyers

Production, Advertising

Sue Radclitf

Subscriptions

Norma Nieto, Martha Cupp

Promotion

Kenneth L. Gibble

Publisher

Dale E. Minnich

District Messenger representatives:

Atlantic Noilheast. Ron Lutz; Atlantic
Southeast, Ruby Raymer: lllinois/Wisconsii
Fletcher Farrar Jr.; Northern Indiana, Leona
Holderread: South/Central Indiana, Lois Eii
Michigan, Maine Willoughby; Mid-Atlantio
Ann Fouts; Missouri, Mary Greim; Mis-
souri/Southern Arkansas, Mary McGowan;i
Northern Plains. Pauline Flory; Northern
Ohio, Sherry Sampson; OregonAVashingto)
Marguerite Shamberger; Pacific Southwes^
Randy Miller: Middle Pennsylvania, Pegg;
Over; Southern Pennsylvania, Elmer Q,
Gleim; Western Pennsylvania, Jay Christne!
Shenandoah, Jerry Brunk; Virlina, Mike
Gilmore; Western Plains, Dean Hummer:
West Marva. Winoma Spurgeon.

Messenger is the official publication of the
Church of the Brethren. Entered as second- ,
class matter Aug. 20, 1918, under Act of J
Congress of Oct. 17, 1917. Filing date. No'
1. 1984. Messenger is a r

COMING NEXT MONTH: A cluster of articles on '^Brethren
and their faith," plus two features on mission in the Dominican
Republic.

member of the Associated
Church Press and a subscriber
to Religious News Service ant
Ecumenical Press Service.
Biblical quotations, unless
otherwise indicated, are from the New
Revised Standard Version.

Subscription rates: $12.50 individual
rate. $10.50 church group plan. $10.50 gifi
subscriptions. Student rate 75c an issue. If
you move, clip address label and send with
new address to Messenger Subscriptions.
1451 Dundee Ave.. Elgin. IL 60120. Allo\
at least five weeks for address change.

Messenger is owned and published 1 1
times a year by the General Services Com
mission. Church of the Brethren General \
Board. Second-class postage paid at Elgin
111., and at additional mailing office. Marc
1 99 i . Copyright 1 99 1 . Church of the
Brethren General Board. ISSN 0026-0355
POSTMASTER: Send address changes
Messenger, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin. IL
60120.

Touch 2

ose to Home

;ws 6

orldwide 9

le Church Alive 27

epping Stones

ixed Reviews

'tiers 32

tntius' Puddle

irning Points

litorial 36

edits:

ver: Photo by Religious News

lervice

iide front cover; Ruth Thomason

Don Petersen

Phil Grout

8, 19, 20: Kermon Thomasson

Jim Solheim

US Senate

: Mennonite Reporter photos by Ron

lempel

, 18: Francine Buono Moody

: art by Paul Grout

: Three Lions

Promoting peace in Baghdad IQ

Julie Garber describes a visit to Baghdad from which she
returned sure that war with Iraq could be avoided.

Projecting the war's aftermath 1 1

Bill Keim analyzes the background of the Middle East crisis
and projects the likely consequences of the US action.

Seed sowers of the truckstops 16

Highway chaplains "share the load" with truck drivers on
the Pennsylvania highways. Story by Jackie Rollfinke.

Nigeria's Rural Health Program comes of age 19

For 1 8 years a unique health-care program has been growing
in Nigeria. Carol and Ralph Mason chronicle that growth and
RHP's coming of age.

Beyond the grieving 22

When our weeping's over, there is a gift waiting for us to
receive. Easter meditation by Kenneth L. Gibble.

Chasing after sinners 25

James Benedict wonders, if God is so interested in people we
might call "sinners," shouldn't we be also?

Omegatrends 29

Terry Hatfield looks to the future and projects some happen-
ings that Brethren should be preparing to deal with.

War in the Middle East gets major attention
this month, with news coverage on page 7,
articles starting on pages 10 and 11, and an
editorial on page 36.

March 1991 Messenger 1

Any objections?

When Plowshare Peace
Center, in Roanoke, Va.,
scheduled an information
session for January 15— Iraq's
Kuwait pullout deadline— it
was natural to turn to Clyde
Carter.

Plowshare was putting
together a panel of people
trained to counsel young men

while fulfilling a promise to
his dad to spend at least a
semester at Bethany Theo-
logical Seminary, he made a
switch: He discovered that he
and pastoral ministry had the
right chemistry.

Clyde pastored the Mid-
land Church of the Brethren
in northern Virginia from
1961 to 1972, where he
counseled scores of young

' In Touch' ' profiles Brethren we
would like you to meet. Send
story ideas and photos (black
and while, if possible) to "In
Touch." Messenger. 1451
Dundee Ave.. Elgin. IL 60120.

considering taking a "consci-
entious objector" (CO)
position if the military draft
resumes. Clyde is Plow-
share's "dean" of CO
counselors. He is the one to
whom it refers the questions
that come into its office.

Clyde, who is pastor of
Mount Bethel Church of the
Brethren, in rural Eagle
Rock, Va., has been doing
CO counseling since the
middle 1950s. He began
when he was active in the
Fellowship of Reconciliation
(FOR) during his student
days at Bridgewater College.

After college, Clyde served
as a CO himself, doing his
alternative service through
Brethren Volunteer Service,
working with East German
refugees in West Berlin.

He planned a career in
chemistry. But immediately
following his BVS term.

men on Selective Service
obligations. "All the boys in
my congregation decided not
to go (into the armed
forces)," he recalls, "after
the first one was drafted."

His CO counseling
continued after he moved to
Daleville— near Roanoke.
There he lives on a secluded,
wooded hilltop overlooking
Tinker Creek, made famous
by writer Annie Dillard. The
Carter home, "Day spring,"
a model of rustic elegance,
includes an office and
counseling center where
Clyde meets his counselees.

Although Clyde is sympa-
thetic to any sincere expres-
sion of opposition to war, he
has little patience for coun-
seling those who lack a deep
commitment to pacifism. "If
a man is not willing to go to
jail for what he believes,"
Clyde says, he won't counsel

him. Conscientious objection
"is not an escape from
something, but a behef."

Clyde believes his job is
not to tell men how to avoid
the draft, but to help them
state their beliefs clearly and
document them in a form
acceptable to the draft board.

When his counselees write
their statement of beliefs,
Clyde has them send it to
Plowshare and to the peace
group in their denomination.
In the case of Church of the
Brethren counselees, they
should contact the peace
consultant's office in Elgin,
111. (Call 1-800-323-8039 and
ask for David Radcliff.)

"Some of the guys are
scared to death of the draft
board," says Clyde. He tells
them they need not be. With
the good counseling that
Clyde provides, they will be
able to address that board
with courage, conviction, and
an articulate statement of
their pacifist beliefs.

Don't touch that dial!

When Kent Leininger

graduated from DeVry
Institute of Technology in
1987 and began working for
electronics giant Hitachi
Industries as an electron
microscope technician, he
seemed headed for "suc-
cess."

But the career advance-
ment wasn't enough. "Mak-
ing the money wasn't all it
was cracked up to be," he
decided. "I wanted to do
something to help people."

Kent entered Brethren
Volunteer Service and now,
with no salary, he works for
Radio Lumiere, the voice of

2 Messenger March 1991

the Baptist Church in Haiti.
The station's programing is
done by Haitians. Kent
provides the technical know-
how.

Because of Haiti's 85-
percent illiteracy rate, radio

broadcasts are crucial to
communication. Radio
Lumiere promotes the
Christian way as a faith that
tempers the misery of life in
troubled Haiti. It also reports
on political events, health
services, and human rights
issues.

Says Kent, "The Haitians
have a sense of dignity and
hope that boggles my mind."
When people mention the
"sacrifice" he is making, he
replies, ''Sacrifice? I con-
sider it a real privilege to
serve here."

A familiar ring

The 1935 West Waterloo
High School class ring was
found in the mud beneath the
lake in Pine Lake State Park,
near Eldora, Iowa. But whose
ring was it? Inside were the
faded initials "WP."

An effort was made to find
the owner, using high school
records. There were two 1935

graduates with the right
initials, but neither one could
be located. After several false
leads, the search was
dropped. That was over two
years ago.

Recently, a newspaper
reporter mentioned the matter
to Bob Smith, director of the
Church of the Brethren's
Camp Pine Lake, adjacent to
the state park. With a call to
the Church of the Brethren
General Offices in Elgin, III.,
Bob tracked down the elusive
"WP"— Wayne Parris— in
Sandy Spring, Md.

It was, indeed, his long lost
ring. Wayne recalls that he
was a camper in 1939,
playing water polo with his
future wife, Melba, when he
threw out his arm "and the
ring went flying."

The ring is now back
home. The Parrises, who
served as Church of the
Brethren missionaries in
Nigeria, 1947-1950, celebrate
their 50th wedding anniver-
sary June 8.

Stiil in print

Charles Ferry, retired since
1982 from the Forry and
Hacker, Inc., printing
business, now "works for the

Lord," as he puts it. He
outfitted a little print shop in
the Lititz (Pa.) Church of the

Brethren (where he is a
member) and does volunteer
printing for Church of the
Brethren projects in the area.
His biggest project recently
was the 14th annual Brethren
Disaster Relief Auction last
September (see December
1990, page 4). Charlie
cranked out 80,000 sale bills,
10,000 bookmarks, 2,000
posters, 20,000 church
bulletin inserts, and 3,000
quilt auction papers, in
addition to other work.

Names In the news

Louise and Albert Gray, of

the Brook Park (Ohio)
Community Church of the
Brethren, were volunteer
teachers for last year's fall
term at Rust College, an all-
black school in Holly
Springs, Miss. Albert taught
economics and Louise
supervised a tutorial lab.

Wenatchee (Wash.) Valley
College has honored the late
Jay Eller with a scholarship
in his memory. It aids
second-year students in
physics or engineering— Jay's
field, in which he taught at
WVC. He also was a Church
of the Brethren minister for
over 50 years.

Ann Showalter, of Oak
Park, 111., received the US
Assistant Secretary of Health
award this past December for
"outstanding effort in the
fight against AIDS." Ann
works with the pastoral-care
network for AIDS in Chicago
and serves with the Church of
the Brethren AIDS Ministries
Task Group.

Karen Graham, a member
of the Snake Spring Valley
Church of the Brethren, near

Everett, Pa., was the 1990
' 'Nurse of Hope ' ' for the
Bedford County (Pa.) unit of
the American Cancer Society.
She serves at the regional
cancer center at Altoona's
Mercy Hospital.

David and Sandra
Reisinger FrankHn com-
pleted six years of volunteer
service in Bangladesh in
February, serving through
Mennonite Central Commit-
tee. David is a member of the
Modesto (Calif.) Church of
the Brethren and Sandra is a
member of the Chiques
congregation, Manheim, Pa.

Remembered

Herman Landis, 92, died
December 13, 1990, in La
Verne, Calif. Last month's

Messenger (page 5)
mentioned the University of
La Verne honoring Herman
with a distinguished service
medal. Herman, a member of
the La Verne Church of the
Brethren,was a missionary in
Nigeria, 1938-1952.

Missionary centenarian

Mary Schaeffer, of Brethren
Village, Neffsville, Pa.,
celebrated her 1 (X)th birthday
this past December 16. She
served as a Church of the
Brethren missionary in
China, 1917-1950. Mary was
an In Touch subject in the
March 1983 Messenger. On
her birthday she was looking
forward to an early February
visit from China's Yin Ji
Zeng (see January 1989 cover
story), whom she knew as a
little boy in China.

March 1991 Messenger 3

' 'Close to Home' ' highlights
news of congregations, districts,
colleges, homes, and other local and
regional life. Send story ideas and
photos (black and while, if possible)
to "Close to Home." Messenger,
1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin. IL 60120.

A church for the '90s

The La Verne (Calif.)
Church of the Brethren ended
its centennial year with a
vision for the years ahead.
Centennial Sunday speaker
Earle W. Fike Jr. exhorted the
congregation to "adjust its
program and open the doors
wider' ' as it moves into the
1990s and prepares for the
approaching new century.

"A wise congregation in
the '90s will ... be a wel-
come place for fellowship
and community," said the
Huntingdon, Pa., pastor.
"Welcome singles, families,
heads of household, the
disenfranchised, the upperly
mobile," he advised.

"Find ways to function
that allow people to partici-
pate," he continued. "Don't
badger them about time.
Make it easier for harried
adults, children, and youth to
be involved. Provide basic
handles on how faith works
in everyday life. Give them
the basis to see how Christian
faith helps them through the
next week."

Singing in fine shape

The Folklore Society of
Greater Washington con-
ducted a traditional shape-
note sing last fall at the
"Dunker Church" on the
Antietam National Battle-
field, near Hagerstown, Md.
The group sang from the
Original Sacred Harp, an
1 844 collection of sacred
choral music that has given
its name to a folk tradition
known today as "sacred harp
singing."

This four-part, unaccompa-
nied, community singing

tradition is also called "fa-
so-la" or "shape note,"
referring to the system of
musical notation used by

the Brethren rebuilt the
church. It is the focal point of
the battlefield park today.
Each year, on the Sunday

I
Do

3
mi

5
sol

6
la

7
ti

8
do

nm^m

singing-school masters since
the 1 790s to make easier the
learning of tunes.

The sing at the "Dunker
Church" followed the
traditional pattern, in which
the singers or "class" sit in
their four vocal sections in a
hollow square facing each
other, and different leaders
take turns leading a tune or
"lesson" of their choice.

The setting of the "Dunker
Church" was not without its
irony. Brethren who wor-
shiped there in Civil War
times would have been
scandalized by such carrying-
on. Brethren leader Peter
Nead, writing in 1850, called
four-part harmony "an
abomination to God."

The Brethren didn't even
publish a hymnal with music
until 1872. But when they did
(The Brethren's Tune and
Hymn Book) it used the
shape-notes and harmony
they earlier had scorned.
Brethren hymn books used
shape-notes until 1925.

The "Dunker Church"
was known to the Brethren as
the Mumma meetinghouse.
Ruined in the 1862 battle of
Antietam, it was restored and
used until a 1921 storm
flattened it. The remains were
stored away until 1962, when
the National Park Service and

nearest the battle date-
September 17— the Church of
the Brethren holds a memo-
rial service there.

Vice versa

The Marcos Inhauser family,
Brazilians now living in
Quito, Ecuador, spent two
months last summer as
"missionaries in reverse,"
speaking to groups, leading
Bible studies, and introducing
new Latin American hymns
among eight congregations in
the Church of the Brethren's
Northern Indiana District.

"Instead of sending, we
received," said Yvonne
Dilling, Latin America/
Caribbean representative on
the General Board staff, who
initiated the visit. It was an
attempt to expand awareness
of the gifts in the Latin
America church. ^

Marcos Inhauser, on
sabbatical from his work with
the Latin American Council
of Churches, came with his
wife, Suely, and their three
children.

"Part of the mission was to
get the family into congrega-
tions and help members
understand the church in
Latin American countries,"

4 Messenger March 1991

said district associate
executive Ron Finney, who
coordinated the itinerary.

For the Inhausers, it was a
chance to "see if missionar-
ies who have been sent to
their country represent the
average church member in
the United States."

25th anniversary

The Brethren Peace Fellow-
ship of Atlantic Northeast
District will hold a 25th
anniversary dinner meeting
April 11. The 6:30 p.m.
meeting will be held at the
Elizabethtown (Pa.) meeting-
house. Wayne Zunkel, who
was instrumental in begin-
ning the fellowship, will
speak. He is pastor of the
Panorama City Church of the
Brethren, Grenada Hills,
Calif.

Gifts that beget

The third annual Heifer
Project International (HPI)
"Living Gift" fair, held at
Lititz (Pa.) Church of the

Brethren, raised more than
$7,000 for the well-known
Brethren spin-off that sends
livestock to the needy around
the world.

This and that

Copahee volunteers-
Brethren Disaster Service
workers who helped in
cleanup and repair in Co-
pahee, S.C, after 1989's
Hurricane Hugo— were
invited back this past January
12 for a "thank-you barbe-
cue" hosted by grateful
recipients of the Brethren aid.
A new house in Mount
Pleasant, S.C, was dedicated
in memory of Wayne
Gingerich, a volunteer from
the Madison Avenue Church
of the Brethren, York, Pa.,
who died January 15, 1990,
while working in Copahee.

Miami (Fla.) First Church
of the Brethren organized a
toy fair during the 1990
Christmas season to promote
toys that don't encourage
violence.

Rambo, GI Joe, and
Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles were out. Seven
stores agreed to bring to the
fair only "nonviolent" toys.
The congregation assembled
a collection of toy catalogs.

"Parents don't know
where to go buy these
things," said co-pastor Sue
Wagner Fields. "Even if
people don't buy, this sparks
their mind with other ideas."

The Greencastle (Pa.)
Church of the Brethren was a
church really on fire for a
brief time last December 13.
During a remodeling project
a welder's torch set the roof
ablaze. A section of roof was
burnt, but the interior of the
church was not damaged.

Harold and Sherry Cripe,
Dallas and Barbara Ganger,
and Paul and Fern Crispyn,
all from the West Goshen
Church of the Brethren, in
Goshen, Ind., were among the
drivers for six truckloads of

Christmas supplies donated to
Galilean Home Ministries, in
Liberty, |Cy., by churches in
the area of Elkhart County,
Ind. Other Brethren drivers
were Don and Doris Walter,
Greg Kirkdorffer, and Terry
Flickinger, from the Union
Center congregation,
Nappanee, Ind. The Kentucky
ministry cares for 75 children
either disabled or abused and
no longer wanted by their
parents. The trucks carried
frozen meat, canned food,
fresh fruit, school supplies,
toys, and other items.

The youth of the Mount
Vernon Church of the
Brethren, Waynesboro, Va.,
are proving themselves
stewards of creation by
"adopting" a two-mile
stretch of highway near the
church. They pick up
roadside litter four times a
year. Before each cleanup the
youth meet to discuss safety
procedures and stewardship
principles.

Campus comments

Bridgewater College will
host the Southeastern
Regional Youth Roundtable
April 20-21 for Church of the
Brethren youth from Pennsyl-
vania to Florida. Resource
leader for the event is David
Radcliff, peace consultant on
the General Board staff. The
roundtable theme is "Com-
mitted for Life . . . Ready to
Serve."

McPherson College has
been adopted by Leticia
Martinez, a second-grade
pupil in San Jose, Calif.
McPherson participates in a
program initiated by San
Jose's Eden vale Elementary
School, which has its pupils

"adopt" a college in a
program calculated to steer
more of its minority children
toward a college career. Jack

. .-US'

.. jT^

k-H

f...'

™

Hii

Patino, a 1989 McPherson
graduate (shown in photo
with Leticia), serves as
Edenvale's representative
from the college.

Bridgewater College will
host a special conference
October 4-5, on the topic of
"Brethren in Transition:
Trends and Implications."
Several Brethren scholars
will speak, and perspectives
will be offered from the
Brethren Church and Men-
nonites, as well.

One of the event's planners
states, "The conference is
being organized on the
assumption that the Church
of the Brethren has not
systematically looked at the
causes of its decline in
membership. Or, it's easier to
fix (something) if you know
what's broke."

The University of Kansas,
in Lawrence, is looking for a
full-time campus minister,
preferably someone from the
Church of the Brethren,
Presbyterian Church USA, or
United Church of Christ.
Contact: United Ministries in
Education, Office of Person-
nel Information, 1 1780
Borman Dr., Suite 1-C, St.
Louis, MO 63141.

March 1991 Messenger 5

us government concedes
to sanctuary movement

Settling a five-year-old lawsuit, the US
government has agreed to stop deporting
undocumented Salvadorans and Guate-
malans, halt reprisals against sanctuary
churches, and adopt new procedures for
political asylum. The agreement ends a
decade of action against the refugees and
the sanctuaries that sheltered them.

The "American Baptist Churches
case" was brought by 80 religious and
refugee groups and charged the govern-
ment with violating the Refugee Act of
1980, barring ideological considerations
in granting political asylum.

"According to the suit, the refugees
had a 'well-founded fear of persecution'
in their countries, but the federal govern-
ment was unwilling to admit this was the
case because such an admission would
suggest that the US was aiding govern-
ments that violate human rights,""
Religious News Service reported.

About 1 50,000 asylum requests that
have been denied or are pending will get
new hearings, and another 350,000
refugees will be encouraged to apply,
according to attorneys for the 80 groups.
The government also agreed to provide
$200,000 to work with religious and
refugee groups to locate refugees who
may be eligible for asylum.

Lucas Guttentag, a lawyer for the
American Baptist Churches, is "cau-
tiously optimistic that the new asylum
procedure . . . will be a fair one.""

Another lawsuit ended in December
when a federal judge ruled government
agencies do not have "unfettered discre-
tion"" to infiltrate religious gatherings as
part of criminal investigations. Judge
Roger D. Strand said investigators could
infiltrate churches without warrants in
certain circumstances, however, such as
being invited by church members to par-
ticipate in criminal activities.

The 1986 lawsuit by four Arizona
churches and their parent denomina-
tions—the Presbyterian Church (USA)
and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America-charged that Immigration and
Naturalization Service agents, who were
part of an undercover operation to gather

6 Messenger March 1991

Scenes such as the one above, in which refugees from Guatemala appear masked
before a 1985 press conference to protect themselves from being identified, may be a
thing of the past since the settlement of the American Baptists' sanctuary case.

information about the sanctuary move-
ment, created a "chilling effect" on the
free exercise of religion when they made
secret tape recordings at services.

Evidence was presented during the
trial that the ministry of the congrega-
tions was directly impaired when the
surveillance became known. Two of the
churches eventually closed because of a
drop in attendance caused by distrust and
fear, according to the churches" lawyer.

The Church of the Brethren signed as
a "friend of the court"" in a 1987 appeal
to a previous ruling on the case. The pas-
tor of one of the churches— John Fife, of
the Southside Presbyterian Church in
Tucson, Ariz.— spoke at the Messenger
dinner at Annual Conference in Phoenix
in 1985.

As of May 1987, 12 Brethren congre-
gations had declared themselves sanctu-
aries and 9 others were involved in some
way. Conference endorsed sanctuary for
Latin American and Haitian refugees in
1983, saying it "is an appropriate
Christian response."

Emergency Disaster Fund
helps Sudanese go home

A grant of $12,000 has been given from
the Emergency Disaster Fund to cover
costs of returning 2,500 western Nuer
people to their homes in southern Sudan.

This is a test to see if the "war-torn
region's infrastructure can handle it,"

said Roger Schrock, World Ministries
executive. Over 100,000 of the 1.5
million displaced people in and around
the capital, Khartoum, are from the Nue
homeland, 600 miles southwest. Schrocl
and his family worked on a health care
program there during the early 1980s.

Much of the Khartoum area has "seer
only a 20-percent harvest this year"
because of drought, and according to
some experts five million people are in
danger of starvation, Schrock said.
Despite the civil war in the South, the
Nuer Christians feel they have a better
chance of survival away from the
government-controlled North, where the
legal system of Islam makes them
"second-class citizens," Schrock said.

It is hoped the Nuer will become self-
sufficient. "We've been in conversatior
with other churches in the US to possibr
help us move others, if all proves
satisfactory," said Schrock.

Newsline, a new telephone news
service from the Church of the
Brethren, features the latest
Brethren responses to the war and
other Brethren news. A Maryland
number-(301) 635-8738-plays a
three-minute recorded message
available 24 hours a day. A new
message will be available each
Thursday morning.

rethren join other Christians
I responding to the war

Surely God mourns over the loss of
iman life and the seeming eagerness
ith which our nation has entered the
ar," general secretary Donald Miller
rote in a pastoral letter mailed to each
(ngregation January 18.
"Over the years the Church of the
rethren has borne witness to our
inviction that there is always a nonvio-
nt means for resolving conflicts. Now,
war has broken out, let us witness
;ain to our conviction that war is not
e answer to this or any international
spute," Miller said.

hurch leaders express concern

iller was among 25 US church leaders
ho agreed on a common response to
e war, including prayer for a speedy
id to the conflict, a call for an immedi-
2 cease-fire, and concern for all at risk.
The Church of the Brethren has
ovided information on conscientious
)jection to the group, which represents
majority of the 30-plus denominations
the National Council of Churches.
Statements in opposition to the war
so were issued by National Council of
lurches leaders, the general secretary
the World Council of Churches, and
m-govemmental organizations (NGOs)
the United Nations.

isaster/refugee developments

le Cooperative Disaster Child Care
ogram has agreed to work with the
5d Cross and the State Department to
re for children of military personnel
covering from serious injuries.
The State Department is establishing
ic "family support centers" in the US.
le Child Care program will provide
)lunteers to one of the centers, in Fort
;wis. Wash.

The Refugee/Disaster program has
jreed to work with the State Depart-
ent and the Red Cross in providing
rvices to refugees. The government
iticipates offering care for up to a
illion refugees, housed in the US at
mporary "mass care centers." Breth-
n will work at two centers, in Mary-

land and Virginia.

"We see our service in these areas as
an opportunity to witness to lovfe and
peace in a very crucial way," said
refugee/disaster director Donna Derr.
"We are in no way condoning US
military actions. We are trying to be true
to our mandate to serve the innocent
victims of this man-made disaster."

Brethren prepare for a draft

Since January 1, peace consultant David
Radcliff has mailed almost 600 "peace
packets" giving information on draft

possibilities and statements of conscien-
tious objection. Radcliff holds files for
COs in case of a draft.

Brethren Volunteer Service has
applied to Selective Service to employ
COs doing alternative service. Director
Jan Schrock encourages Brethren to
develop BVS projects in their churches
and communities, as the demand for as-
signments in the event of a draft may
exceed the current number of projects.
Health care assignments will be needed
in particular, as health care professionals
may be drafted, Schrock said.

General secretary travels with US group to the Middle East

A delegation of 19 US church leaders,
including Church of the Brethren general
secretary Donald Miller, traveled to the
Middle East December 14-20 to meet
with Christians there and to "pray
together, hear one another's concerns,
and consider what US churches can do to
encourage peace," Miller said.

He was one of nine delegation
members who met with Christian leaders

General secretary Donald Miller (third
from right) was one of 19 US church
leaders to go to the Middle East. His
group visited Jerusalem and is shown
below at the Al Aqsa mosque.

in the cities of Jerusalem and Bethle-
hem, in Israel and the Occupied Territo-
ries. Another group went to Beirut,
Lebanon, and a third traveled to
Baghdad, Iraq.

In Jerusalem, the Greek Orthodox
Patriarch, the Armenian Patriarch, and
the Roman Catholic Patriarch "spoke of
the great devastation that will result if
war breaks out in the Middle East," Mil-
ler said. "All agreed that the invasion of
Kuwait is unjust, but that the destruction
resulting from all-out conflict would
hardly save Kuwait and could spread."

The group visited the Dome of the
Rock, the site of recent violence, and
talked with Islamic leaders who "voiced
the cry of the Palestinians, many of
whom have been forced to leave their
homes for the sake of the Jewish state,"
Miller said. "We were asked dozens of
times why the US supports the United
Nations resolution regarding Kuwait, but
vetoes those regarding the Palestinians.
Their concern was for the US to be more
even-handed ... to be as concerned
about human rights as about oil."

Invited by the Middle Eastern Council
of Churches, the group began its trip in
Cyprus, where the Greek Orthodox
bishop asked "why Americans are so
concerned about Kuwait, but say nothing
about the Turkish occupation of Cy-
prus," Miller said. "Those of us who
went to the Middle East return home to
call people to join in prayer for peace
and justice there."

March 1991 Messenger 7

Shanksters retire with 41 years
of church service in Nigeria

Celia and Owen Shankster have an-
nounced their retirement in June after
serving 41 years as Church of the
Brethren employees in Nigeria.
The Shanksters went to Nigeria in

1950. Since then,
Owen has over-
seen many
construction
projects-
churches and
other buildings
for the Ekklesiyar
" Yanuwa a Nigeria (the Church of the
Brethren in Nigeria), the Waka schools
complex, construction for the Lafiya
health program, and a well-digging
program begun under Lafiya and now an
EYN project.

The well program, which works
cooperatively with communities, had
completed 2,500 wells as of June 1990.
For the past year Owen has served as an
advisor only, having turned over
directorship to his assistant.

Celia Shankster has given much of her
time in Nigeria to bookkeeping, teach-
ing, and treasurer's work. For the past
several years she has taught at a school
in Garkida.

Schwarzenau group will visit
Brethren in the United States

About 35-40 residents of Schwarzenau,
Germany, part of the Schwarzenau
Heritage Society, will be hosted by
Brethren when they visit the US in late
March and early April. Donald F.
Dumbaugh, professor at Elizabethtown
(Pa.) College and the US contact for the
group, said this is a "return visit."

"Every year, hundreds of Brethren
from the US go through Schwarzenau,
where they are very generously shown
and told about their historic Brethren
roots," said Dumbaugh. "The reverse
motivation for this trip is to let the
German residents see where and how
Brethren in the West live."

8 Messenger March 1 99 1

The group plans to arrive in Philadel-
phia and travel west for a visit of about
15 days.

Proposal in development
for caregiver curriculum

An eight-person committee representing
five Anabaptist denominations is
developing a proposal for curriculum to
teach caregiving to congregations.

Jay Gibble, executive director for the
Association of Brethren Caregivers and
chairman of the project, said the mater-
ial will be a "sequel of sorts" to Called
to Caregiving: A Resource for Equipping
Deacons in the Believers Church.

The committee felt the uniqueness of
Anabaptist community-based faith
defined their objectives. "Most other
training resources focus on pastors and
leaders," said Gibble, "but how do you
then equip laity as caregivers? Anabap-
tist theology clearly speaks to the
ministry of all believers. And in a time
of crisis, most people tend to turn first to
a close friend, spouse, or family member
before seeking help from a profession-
ally trained person."

Plans are to have a finalized proposal
by May. Several phases will focus on
relationships between seminaries and
congregations.

On Earth Peace conference
focuses on environment

Faith and environmental renewal was the
theme for a December conference on
peacemaking hosted by the On Earth
Peace Assembly in New Windsor, Md.

Keynote speakers for the event were
Shantilal Bhagat, staff for eco-justice
and rural concerns, and Richard Cart-
right Austin, a Presbyterian specializing
in environmental theology and ethics.

Tom Hurst, director of OEPA, said the
conference was a success because it did
not merely look at the problems. Rather,
speakers gave practical measures one
can take whether living on a farm or in

an apartment, such as to create a
landscape in your yard that is beautiful
yet at the same time edible. "Partici-
pants left feeling positive with practical
things to do," said Hurst.

"Working on these . . . issues is part
of the Brethren peace wimess because
we cannot be at peace unless we're at
peace with the earth," Bhagat said.

Pre-Conference workcamp
to take place in Portland

Portland, Ore., the location of Aimual
Conference this summer, is also the site
of a week-long workcamp for young
adults.

Up to 25 people ages 18-35 can take
part in the June 25 -July 1 project to re-
habilitate older houses for low-income
families. Cost is $70. Contact the Younj
Adult Ministry Office, Church of the
Brethren General Offices, 1451 Dundee
Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

New Murray album features
NYCers singing theme song

The National Youth Conference theme
song, "Treasures for the Road," is
included on a new album by Andy and
Terry Murray called "Just As I Am," o
sale through Brethren Press.

"Treasures for the Road" uses the i
voices of 3,000-plus NYC participants. '•■
"We positioned microphones so that wt'
would get voices but no instruments,"
Andy Murray said. "We added instru-
ments, lead voices, and effects. I think
the NYC back-up singers will be please
with the way their song turned out."

The title song "is about the pain and
confusion of an abused child growing u
in a church that does not understand an(
often does not acknowledge the issue ol
abuse," he said. Another song, "No
Lines for the Brethren," is dedicated "i
all those who have ever been frustrated
waiting their turn to speak at Annual
Conference." Compact discs and
cassettes are available.

Critical food shortages in Africa mean millions may starve in
Ethiopia, Sudan, Liberia, Angola, and Mozambique. A coalition of six
relief organizations, including the World Council of Churches, says the
famine may be as bad or even worse than that of 1984-85, with
possibly 20 million Africans facing starvation this winter unless an
immediate influx of food aid is received.

The Ethiopian government and rebels agreed to reopen the port of
Massawa and to share humanitarian food relief, announced the United
Nations World Food Program. Shipments will be divided betw^een gov-
srnment- and rebel-held areas. The port was closed in February 1990.

The 1890 massacre of over 200 Lakota Sioux by us

^rmy troops at Wounded Knee, S. D., was remembered in somber
jrayer during a December ceremony that began with 1 50 Indians on
lorseback circling the mass grave. At an earlier mass, Ben Black Bear
Jr., a Catholic deacon, compared those slain to the Holy Innocents:
'They were our first martyrs."

To help Indians buy their land, the Catholic Church in
Ecuador is paying $28 million of Ecuador's $1 1 .2 billion foreign debt,
rhe debt paper will convert to local currency for use in financing low-
nterest credits for the Indians to buy land, for farm training, health and
jducation programs, and the restoration of their religious and artistic
jstates. About 30 percent of Ecuador's 10.7 million population are
ndians living in extreme poverty in mountain and jungle regions.

The Immigration Act of 1990 is the first major reform to
mmigration since 1965, and the most significant since the 1920s,
^mong changes, the law increases overall annual immigration to
700,000 people a year for the next three years; revises or eliminates
Bxclusion of entry based on political views or sexual orientation; speeds
:he naturalization process; emphasizes the reuniting of separated
'amilies; and grants a "temporary protected status" to certain nationals
3f counthes in civil strife or natural disaster situations, such as the
Balvadorans.

The Vietnamese government gave permission to the Men-
lonite Central Committee to set up an office in Hanoi, marking the
approval of the first Amehcan relief agency in the country since the
i/ietnam War. An earlier (vICC office in Vietnam was closed in 1975.

Four more medical personnel have joined a Church World
Service medical team in Liberia, including a retired Mennonite physician
jnd his wife from Pennsylvania, a United Methodist physician from
Sierra Leone, and an Episcopal nurse from New York City. The group
eft for Monrovia, capital of the civil war-torn country, in January to join
a team of three personnel sent in December.

Abortion as a legal option in certain cases is supported by a
Tiajority of Presbyterian Church (USA) clergy and laity, according to the
'first-ever scientific survey of the 2.9-million-member denomination on
the issue," Religious News Service reports. A majority also oppose the
lotion of unrestricted abortions, in what is believed to be the most
9xtensive of any abortion survey conducted by a large mainline Protes-
tant denomination in recent years. Over 90 percent of the respondents

Health care was the topic when Annual Conference moderator
Phillip Stone (at right above) and Washington Office staff Melva
Jimerson delivered a petition with 700 Brethren signatures (gathered
at Conference) to Senator Jay D. Rockefeller, chairman of the Pepper
Commission. Concern for 34 million Americans without health
insurance prompted the petition, which calls for legislative hearings on
universal access to health care. Rockefeller is expected to pursue a
bill seeking reform in health insurance practices.

said abortion should be legal for women whose health is seriously
endangered because of pregnancy; over 80 percent approved abortion
in cases resulting from incest or rape; and more than 70 percent
thought it should be permitted when a strong chance for serious
defect in the baby existed.

Some military have been protesting US policy in the
Persian Gulf by refusing to report for active duty, according to the
International Fellowship of Reconciliation. Marine reservist Erik Larsen
began questioning his military role two years ago and is now trying to
leave the reserves as a conscientious objector. An active duty Marine
in Hawaii was placed in solitary confinement for refusing to board a
plane to the Middle East. In Fort Benning, Ga., 200 soldiers in the
197th Infantry Brigade failed to show when the President called them
to action, as did 12 soldiers at a Kansas base.

Religious News Service reported that Sergeant George Morse
sought conscientious objector status after his division was alerted for
duty. Vowing to go to prison rather than serve in Saudi Arabia, he was
sentenced to five months in jail, demoted to private, and faces a bad-
conduct discharge.

A new Army procedure is forcing military persons seeking CO
status to deploy to potential combat zones before filing.

More than half of us adults read the Bible at least monthly,
according to a report from the Princeton Religion Research Center,
but only a little more than a third can name the four Gospels. "The
Role of Bible in American Society," a report based on a telephone
survey of 1 ,021 randomly selected adults and conducted in November
by the Gallup organization, found that 17 percent reads the Bible at
least daily, 23 percent reads the Bible at least weekly, 13 percent at
least monthly, and 20 percent rarely or never. Just 37 percent could
name all four Gospels and 50 percent could name one. in a 1982
Gallup survey, 42 percent could name all four.

March 1991 Messenger 9

IN UNSHAKABLE FAITH

Promoting peace in Baghdad

Julie Garber and Bill Keim were the
Brethren representatives in a 12-
member delegation to Iraq, November
21— December 1.

Sponsored by Christian Peacemaker
Teams, an initiative of Mennonites
and Brethren, the group sought to
listen to people there, to engage in any
efforts possible to encourage peace,
and to deliver medicines that are in
short supply because of the embargo.

While this and other peace missions
did not avert war, the Brethren, out of
nearly 300 years of conscientiously
opposing war, continue to believe that
war is not the answer to any interna-
tional dispute.

In the next pages, Julie Garber
reports on the details of the trip, and
Bill Keim analyzes the background of
the crisis and likely effects of the war.
The experience that this group had in
Baghdad contributes to the Church of
the Brethren's improved understand-
ing of those our country considers the
enemy.

10 Messenger March 1991

by Julie Garber

Twelve delegates representing four
peace churches in the US and Canada
traveled to Baghdad on a mission of
peace, November 2 1 —December 1 .
Eight Mennonites, two members of the
Church of the Brethren, one Brethren in
Christ, and one Quaker formed a
Christian Peacemaker Team to deliver
medicines in short supply due to the
embargo and to tell the Iraqis that many
Christians in the West support a negoti-
ated settlement in the Middle East crisis.

In meetings with high-level govern-
ment leaders, the team expressed its
rejection of all war, including the
invasion of Kuwait and the amassing of
American troops on the Saudi-Kuwait
border. Spokespersons Gene Stoltzfus
and Landrum Boiling emphasized that
war in the region would be catastrophic,
protracted, and would solve nothing.

Noting Christian teachings to love
enemies and citing United Nations
resolutions disallowing the embargo of
food and medicine, our delegation con-
fessed that our government's embargo of
food and drugs was immoral. To
alleviate shortages, we delivered a
$12,000 shipment of medicines to the
Red Crescent Society, the Arab equiva-
lent of the Red Cross. Church World
Service contributed the shipment, made
up entirely of medicines for infants and
children. The supplies were assembled at
the New Windsor Service Center in
Maryland.

In light of US State Department decla-
rations that hostages were expendable in
the face of war and had no value as a
human shield, we urged the Iraqis to free
all hostages. More specifically, we asked
for the release of six hostages with seri-

ous medical conditions. We had been
given their names by the State Depart-
ment.

Only later did we learn that five of the
six were released. The five had been
held in strategic sites and claimed to
have been treated well.

When we had been in Iraq nearly a
week, we were granted a meeting with
the deputy foreign minister, Nazir
Hamdoon, the highest ranking official
we were to see. Landrum Boiling,
veteran Middle East activist with con-
nections with top political leaders in the
area, asked for a meeting with the
foreign ministry to test the idea of
bringing in third-party negotiators to
mediate the crisis. Canadian Mennonite
Harry Huebner and I accompanied
Landrum to the sensitive meeting.

The meeting was unlike our other
meetings with officials. We usually filed
into a room to hear a 45-minute, party-
line speech, while video cameras and
tape recorders and notetakers recorded
every comment and every face.

Hamdoon served in the Iraqi Embassy
in Washington for four years and is
assistant to Tariq Aziz, who later met
with President Bush and Secretary of
State Baker. He came into the room,
skipped the usual speech, looked directly
at Landrum, and asked what connections
we had to people who could help.

Landrum suggested that third-party
arbitrators were available who could
communicate with both sides. Figures
such as Jimmy Carter, Roger Fisher,
Ramsey Clark, and Jesse Jackson have
been important players in informal inter-
national diplomacy. We asked the Iraqis
whether non-govemmental people with
international profiles and diplomatic
(continued on page 12)

IN UNSHAKABLE FAITH

Projecting the war's aftermath

by Bill Keim

A primary goal in all of our discussions
was to listen carefully to the perspec-
tives of our Arab hosts so that we could
carry their concerns back home.
These conversations took place with a
wide variety of people ranging from high
governmental officials to average
citizens of Iraqi, Jordanian, Palestinian,
and Lebanese descent.

One of the most interesting aspects of
these talks was the consistency of the
message we received. Three important
themes emerged from these exchanges:

Iraqi grievances with Kuwait. There
seems to be little doubt that Iraq had a
number of legitimate grievances with
Kuwait. Although the western press has
characterized this dispute as an argument
over oil prices and production levels, it
is much more complex.

A key factor in their quarrel is a
border dispute involving a major oil
field. According to the Iraqis, 90 percent
of that oil field is on their side of the
border. During the Iran-Iraq war, the

Top: As a statement of humanitarian
support for children suffering under the
embargo, delegation leader Gene
Stoltzfus presents a can of infant formula
to Iftekhaar Ahmad Ayoub, vice presi-
dent of the Iraqi Women' s Federation.

Bottom: F. S. Al-Alousi, general
secretary of the Red Crescent, receives a
shipment of medicine (stacked behind
the group) from delegation members
Julie Garber, Bill Keim, and Elias
George. The shipment, given by Church
World Service, was arranged through
the Church of the Brethren and prepared
at the New Windsor (Md.) Sen'ice
Center.

Kuwaitis developed extensive oil wells
on their side and seriously depleted the
oil reserves in this field without compen-
sating Iraq.

Another issue relates to the aid
provided by Kuwait to Iraq for the war
with Iran. At one level this was a war for
land and control of the strategic Shatt al
Arab waterway, but at another level it
was an effort to block the spread of
Islamic fundamentalism. The ruling
families in Kuwait and the other gulf
states stood to lose a great deal if that
movement spread from Iran into the
Arabian peninsula.

To prevent that development, these
states provided Iraq with massive
financial assistance during the war. Iraq
viewed this aid as grants to support a
common cause, but after the war Kuwait
demanded repayment, insisting that their
advances had been loans.

With these two issues already strain-
ing relationships, Kuwait insisted on
maintaining oil production levels beyond
the limits established by OPEC, thus
lowering the international market price
of oil. This seriously threatened Iraq's
ability to meet heavy financial obliga-
tions and development needs resulting
from the war.

A related allegation is that Kuwait was
also using its enormous foreign reserves
to manipulate and weaken Iraqi cur-
rency. In total, these economic maneu-
vers were viewed in Iraq as deliberate
acts of economic warfare.

A number of diplomatic initiatives
were undertaken to address these
grievances, and all met with failure.
Several people spoke of the rude and
"un-Arab" way in which these initia-
tives were rejected by the Kuwaitis.

According to one account. King

March 1991 Messenger 11

IN UNSHAKABLE FAITH

Garber (from page 10)
experience could be helpful. Hamdoon
seemed very interested in the idea. We
promised to contact negotiators if they
so desired. We left having planted the
seed, not knowing if it took root.

Our main mission that week was to
listen. We wanted to hear the Iraqi story.
We learned that, in this market culture,
everything is negotiable. The Iraqis told
us over and over that they would put
everything, including Kuwait, on the
bargaining table, but they would not
accept any preconditions to the talks.

We learned of intense feelings in the
whole Arab world that America is
seeking its own self-interest in the region
and opposes Arab self-determination.
Each escalation of the crisis solidifies
the resolve in Arab countries to resist US

hegemony. Months ago, the Iraqis were
disgruntled by their leader, but they now
make him a symbol of Arab unity. Even
the people of Jordan and Palestine are
willing to overlook Saddam Hussein's
human rights abuses because he offers
them power over their future.

e learned that the invasion of
Kuwait cannot be separated from the
Palestinian issue. The Kuwait invasion
has become a platform for airing all the
issues affecting the Arab world, includ-
ing a homeland for Palestinians, an Arab
federation, and a fair distribution of
wealth for all Arab states.

Though Palestinians did not figure
into the invasion of Kuwait, Saddam
Hussein has maximized on the logic of

consistency, calling for the withdrawal
of all major powers from small defense-
less countries. Specifically, there would
be more willingness on the part of Iraq
to withdraw from Kuwait if the Israelis
would comply with United Nations
resolutions 338, which forbids occupa-
tion of one state by another, and 242,
which specifies withdrawal of Israel
from the Occupied Territories.

Unlike Arab states with religious
regimes, Iraq is a secular society with
surprising openness and freedom for its
citizens. We saw signs of a police state,
to be sure: surveillance equipment,
videotaping of all our meetings, armed
guards, and official and constant escorts.
Yet we could photograph and tape
record anything.

Religious groups are unhindered by

Keim (from page ll)
Hussein of Jordan agreed to serve as a
mediator but wasn't even allowed to
disembark from his jet after landing in
Kuwait. Such a snub by the rulers of
Kuwait represents a tremendous insult
within the Arab culture.

Iraqi interpretation of this intransigent
attitude followed two general theories:
Some stated that the Kuwaitis were
hardened by the knowledge the US
would back them-that American troops
were, in fact, already on their way
before Iraq invaded. A more sinister
view was that the Kuwaiti actions were
being orchestrated by the US in an
attempt to topple the regime of Saddam
Hussein and establish a pretext for
American military presence in the
region.

Arab vs. international solutions.
Another common theme that emerged
from our discussion was alarm over the
swift and massive international response

12 Messenger March 1991

to the invasion. Everyone with whom we
spoke felt that the problem could have
been resolved as an inner-Arab issue if
the US had allowed such a solution. No
credence was given to the argument that
the US had to rush in to protect Saudi
Arabia. Most with whom we spoke felt
that an international solution was not
necessary but, having elevated the issue
to that level, it is crucial that the West
deal consistently in responding to such
conflicts.

In both Jordan and Iraq we heard great
resentment about the double standard
that has been applied to United Nations
resolutions related to this region.
Although Turkey's invasion of Cyprus
was condemned by the Security Council,
no action has been taken and Turkish
troops still occupy much of the island.

UN condemnation of Israel's Lebanon
invasion resulted in similar inaction.
And in spite of overwhelming interna-
tional support for UN resolutions 242

and 338, Israel continues to occupy the
Arab lands that were invaded in 1967.
Such selective application of interna-
tional law is viewed with great suspicion'
in the Arab world.

' hile in the West we hear that the
gulf crisis is the first test of a new worldj
order, many Arabs see this situation as
the first crisis created by that new world'
order. With the demise of Soviet power,
the US, they say, is now unrestrained in
the pursuit of its own global interests.

From that perspective, the invasion of
Kuwait provided a pretext for America
to establish a permanent military
presence on the Arabian peninsula. That'
presence is viewed as a long-held US
goal that will be used to exert control
over the crucial oil reserves of the
region.

In that context, the current crisis is
seen as an attempt of western powers,

IN UNSHAKABLE FAITH

he government. Even the Christian
ommunity, making up only 5 percent of
le population, enjoys active church life,
outh activities, and open worship. We
/orshiped in a Syriac Catholic Church
nd talked briefly with the bishop. He
Did of an international peace conference
osted by Christian churches in Iraq.
Some of our group dreaded what they
lought would be a dry visit at the gov-
mment offices for women, but were
aptivated by the astounding story of
/omen in Iraq. In very few places in the
^rab world have women achieved as
luch as they have in Iraq. They drive
ars! Women are found in every profes-
ion: medicine, engineering, economics,
nd education. They have been instru-
lental in providing health care, espe-
ially midwifery, across the country and

are credited with helping to lower infant
mortality to a respectable rate. Twenty-
four women fill seats in a parliament of
200 representatives.

Perhaps the most surprising visit we
made was to the Saddam Center for the
Arts, a modem art museum. If art reveals
something about a society, this art was
very telling. Islam traditionally forbids
depicting human forms, so geometric
shapes and designs figure highly in Is-
lamic art.

But Baghdad does not observe strict
Islamic law. Its artwork is freer, varied,
and expressive. Paintings depict sexual-
ity, birth, and love— highly unusual in the
Arab world. Anti-war and anti-West
poster art gave us the only hint of
political debate in a country solidly
behind Saddam Hussein. And Christian

themes— Jesus in modem Arab dress, the
last supper with 12 women surrounding
Jesus— spoke of religious pluralism. No
one in our group, with 30 collective
years of experience in Arab countries,
had seen this kind of art in the region.

Ihe art museum was representative of
modem Baghdad. Iraq is a major indus-
trial, commercial, and military power,
one of three among the Arab states. Only
Egypt and Syria are as developed. It has
a highly developed system of highways,
modem architecture, active universities
and schools, and research and teaching
hospitals.

However, the intemational embargo is
having some effect on city services. At a
children's hospital we learned of short-

specially the US and Great Britain, to
j-exert control over the region. Saddam
lussein's popularity among citizens in
le Arab world derives, not from his
ggressive invasion of Kuwait, but rather
rom his determination to stand up for all
irabs against these neo-colonialist
/estem aspirations for dominance over
le Arab homeland. This is a crucial
spect of the confrontation that has not
een understood or sufficiently ad-
ressed by western media.

Prospects for peace/costs of war.
according to President Bush, the US
ought four goals through the deploy-
lent of American troops in the region:
) the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from
Kuwait, 2) restoration of the legitimate
kUwaiti govemment, 3) release of all
oreign hostages, and 4) implementation
f adequate security arrangements to
ecure stability in the region.

One of the strongest impressions I
rought back from the trip was that these

goals could be achieved through peace-
ful means. Everyone with whom we
spoke expressed a desire for direct talks
between the US and Iraq. There was also
a clear willingness to negotiate all
aspects of the dispute, including Iraqi
withdrawal from Kuwait.

Two questions that were frequently
asked and difficult to answer were why
our govemment seemed so eager to go to
war and why it was so set against talking
with the Iraqis.

Given the fact that direct substantive
talks seemed to provide great potential
for successful resolution of the conflict.
Bush's opposition to such dialog was
quite baffling. Many Arabs asked
whether there was a second, private
administrative agenda that is the real
motive for our strategy toward Iraq.

Given our official reactions to dialog
and several statements from US officials,
one might assume that the tme purpose
of our military buildup is to "take out"

Saddam Hussein and destroy Iraq's
military and economic strength. That
strength and Hussein's articulation of
long-held pan-Arabist sentiments may
well be the real reason for massive
military intervention in the region.

Regardless of the reasons for such
reliance on a military option, it is clear
that the war with Iraq will have tremen-
dous long- and short-term costs and will
seriously undermine US interests in the
region for decades to come. Although
the administration is frantically assuring
the American public that a war with Iraq
will not be another protracted Vietnam,
the cost in human life could be just as
devastating.

With conservative official estimates of
US losses set at 20 to 30 thousand, other
experts predict as that as many as 50,000
Americans will die. That number equals
the number lost over several years in
Vietnam, but those deaths would likely
be experienced in six months or less.

March 1991 Messenger 13

IN UNSHAKABLE FAITH

Garber (continued)

ages of medicines. Because of this,
hospitals can perform only emergency
surgeries and life-saving treatments.
Vaccines are in short supply because the
international community fears Iraq will
cultivate live vaccines for germ warfare.

We also visited an elementary school
where the educational model was largely
rote memorization. Each class we visited
provided us with a recitation of the
alphabet or a reading. Some welcomed
us to Baghdad in unison English.

In exchange we offered them cards
and notes with messages of peace from
American children. The older children
assembled in a courtyard to demonstrate
their patriotic support of Saddam
Hussein. Of course, the teachers encour-
aged their excitement about him, but the

session finally broke into real communi-
cation when the children rushed up to us
practicing their English and asking,
"What is your name? How are you?
Please write your name for me." Chil-
dren are children are children. The boys
wanted their pictures taken with us. The
girls were anxious to see these western
men up close.

For many Iraqis, Iraq is a place of pro-
mise. They credit Saddam Hussein for
development in the country and for
bringing the Arab nations together.
Despite the existence of secret police
(who seem to exert control mainly on
political figures), the use of poisonous
gas against their own countrymen, and
long years of exhausting war with Iran
and now, perhaps, with the US, the
Iraqis are determined to help the Arab

world organize itself for economic and
social development and for control of
their lands. Saddam Hussein, they
believe, can help them do it.

t sounds far-fetched to say Saddam
Hussein is a moderate, that he is inter-
ested in democracy, that his government
has been working on a constitution, or
that he believes the wealth of one Arab
nation should be used to support weaker
Arab nations. But that's what unsolicited
merchants in the market, school chil-
dren, professionals, politicians, and
military officials said.

Party politicians reminded us over and
over that the US is not innocent— that
America was the first to use nuclear
weapons; America used Agent Orange, a

Keim (continued)

US officials are less forthcoming with
estimates of Iraqi military and civilian
casualties as a result of war, but one can
only assume that such losses would be
even more devastating. While it is
difficult to predict the outcome of any
war, it appears that the US strategists
have seriously underestimated both the
resolve of the Iraqi citizens and their
loyal support of Saddam Hussein.

Underestimating those factors could
well lead to an overly simplistic ap-
praisal of the price of pursuing the
military option. Few Iraqis, when faced
with such a war, need to ask the ques-
tions of purpose that are already com-
mon among American soldiers. They
know what is at stake for Iraq and its
people.

If the human costs of such a war aren't
sufficient to give pause, the resulting
disruption of oil supplies caused by war
could have a devastating impact on the

14 Messenger March 1991

economies of all nations of the world.
That impact would be especially hard on
the US economy because we will carry
most of the direct costs of war.

Cj ven if such human and economic
costs seem justified by Saddam
Hussein's perceived threats to the
region, our long-term interests .seem
even more jeopardized by such a war.

Throughout the region our delegation
heard Arab aspirations for developing
more democratic forms of government.
Those who presented such sentiments
have been greatly encouraged by recent
events in the Soviet Union and Eastern
Europe. One might assume that the
current American intervention would be
welcomed by those seeking such
democratic changes.

That perspective loses sight of the fact
that we are intervening to reinstate a
Kuwaiti government that is widely seen

as a corrupt and despotic regime. In fact,iji
most of our political support throughout
the region is extended to governments
that provide little or no democratic
participation for their citizens.

Even if we are successful in military
terms and manage to dispose of Saddam
Hussein as a threat, the legacy of such an
Arab humiliation could create a ground-
swell of popular opposition to American
involvement in the Arab world. That
sentiment could easily result in the
overthrow of the gulf royal families and
any other Arab governments that sided
with the US in the venture. Such
developments would undermine the very
regional security that we seek to estab-
lish and could result in ever-widening
circles of military conflict.

Sorting out the facts. As with any
conflict it is difficult to reconcile the
viewpoints we heard with those provided
by our government officials. One week
visiting and talking with Iraqis certainly

IN UNSHAKABLE FAITH

;hemical weapon, in Vietnam; America
las used aerial bombing indiscriminately
igainst civilians; America has invaded
small countries in self-interest. None of
his excuses Iraq's aggression and
violence. It merely puts all war and
Jaddam Hussein into perspective.

When we left Iraq, I felt sure that war
;ould be averted. The Arab coalition
supporting the US seemed fragile.
Domestic and congressional support was
leeply divided at home. Arab leaders
vere working hard toward a comprehen-
live solution to Middle East problems.
\.nd heads of state had agreed to talk.
But as January 1 5 approached (the
'resident's deadline for an Iraqi with-
Irawal from Kuwait), diplomacy
)etween the US and Iraq failed as
)oliticians stirred the situation to crisis

proportions. On January 16, peace gave
way to war.

I took the failure of diplomacy very
personally. Through our visit, the enemy
was personalized and I worked hard for
their safety, speaking to churches,
organizations, students, and politicians.
It was also personal because, like you, I
knew American doctors, pilots, and
soldiers in Saudi Arabia and I worked
equally hard for their safety.

Sadly, the great sacrifice on the
battlefield will not answer the questions
that remain: What, if any, role should
the US play in the Middle East? How
shall the Arab nations relate to one
another profitably and amiably? Why do
we support regimes such as Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia but not Iraq? What is the
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian

question? What sacrifices will America
make in funding for our schools, clinics,
roads, jobs, and the arts so that we may
be the world's greatest military power?
When victory comes to one side or the
other, we will certainly face more
questions than when we started.

The burden of sadness, the sense of
failure, and the human loss nearly
immobilizes us. But the light shines in
the darkness and the darkness of sinful
war has not overcome it. However
disappointing war is (especially to
God!), we are the body of Christ sent to
reconcile the world, and by the grace
of God, we will be tools
for peace.

Julie Garher is editor of study resources for the
Church of the Brethren General Board.

ioesn't make one an expert on the
;ubject. Given the human-rights viola-
ions attributed to Saddam Hussein, one
nay well doubt whether any of those
vith whom we met could truly have
)een speaking their conscience. And yet,
here was a ring of truth to much of what
ve heard.

In sorting through the claims and
:ounter-claims, I was heartened by the
vords of Mahdi Saleh, the speaker of the
'National Assembly. In responding to our
ielegation's plea for the release of all
lostages, he said that he and the govem-
nent shared our opinions but were
ooking for "the slightest hint of
softening in the American position"
)efore taking that step. Saddam
"lussein's decision to release all hostages
;ame as no surprise, therefore, following
Bush's move in December toward talks,
rhat official Iraqi response provides
jome verification of the sincerity and
genuine desire for peaceful resolution

that we sensed in all of our meetings
with Iraqi officials and citizens.

It was clear from our discussion that a
peaceful solution was possible but that
Iraq would not easily be beaten into
submission. Given the Arab view of
international intervention, two factors
must be included in any UN- or US-
brokered settlement.

J^ irst, we in the West must not insist on
formulas that require the public humili-
ation of Saddam Hussein. The opening
US position— that Hussein must totally
withdraw his forces before any negotia-
tion takes place— was clearly a formula
for humiliation.

Secondly, any settlement must be seen
as the UN's first step at resolving the
many ongoing conflicts of the region.
Although the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
will be much more difficult to address,
western credibility will be seriously

undermined if there isn't comparable
energy devoted to the resolution of this
problem.

While the White House would have us
believe that Saddam Hussein is totally
responsible for initiating this war,
George Bush clearly shares responsibil-
ity for the failure of a diplomatic solu-
tion to the crisis. His decisions will have
even more impact on how that war ends.

We can only pray that greater cultural
sensitivity will be demonstrated by
President Bush once the military
objectives have been met and that our
nation exhibits as much concern for the
Iraqi people as we have for the Kuwaitis.
If not, our highest aspirations for the
new world order will be undermined by
a legacy of hate and mistrust, for rJ/T]
much of the Muslim world. I 1

Bill Keim is assistant head of Sandy Spring (Md.)
Friends School. He served as the Church of the
Brethren's Africa/Middle East representative 1985-
1987.

March 1991 Messenger 15

Chaplain Don Mason (left) meets with
trucker Ken Boyer, a deacon at the
Carlisle (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.

Some seeds fall on the parking lot pavement and
are ground under the tires of big Mack trucks;
some fall on the median strip and forthwith
spring up, only to be mowed down by the high-
way department; some fall on the embankments
and the flowering vetch smothers them out;
but others fall on . . . well, let the Truckstop
Ministry Chaplains tell you about them.

16 Messenger March 1991

Seed sowers

of the truckstops

oy Jackie Rollfinke

rompact cars, move over. Here come
he big rigs. They're huge, they're tough,
ind without a doubt they're the kings of
he road.

It's a cool, drizzly morning in Penn-
;ylvania's Cumberland Valley— not the
)est conditions for hauling a load of
reight across the country or across the
:ounty. Many of the truckers have been
m the road since 2 a.m., and they're
eady for a cup of thick, dark coffee by
he time they pull into one of the
ruckstops flanking the Carlisle-
Middlesex interchange.

More than 20,000 rigs a day pass
hrough this crucial cloverleaf at the
;rossroads of Interstate 8 1 and the
Pennsylvania Turnpike (the second
)usiest trucking area in the entire United
Jtates), so it's understandable that the
ZB airwaves are alive with chatter.
Jome of it's pretty glum. Truckers with
landles such as "Widow Maker," "Bad
^ews," or "Devil's Advocate" have a
ot to gripe about, ranging from the
imount of time they have to spend away
rom home to the police's latest drug
:ting operation.

Suddenly another voice cuts in— a
lelpful, caring one. The old pros can tell
hat this CB radio isn't a deluxe model;
hey refer to him as "the guy with the
oy," but he does have an official
landle— "Seed Sower." We're not
alking about wild oats. We're talking
Vlatthew 13:1-23, and the fellow who
lopes that the seed of his ministry falls
)n receptive ears and hearts is Donald
Vlason, the Truckstop Chaplain.

The Truckstop Ministry was initiated
as an outreach program of the Pennsyl-
vania Council of Churches' Leisure
Ministries Committee, which for a
number of years was chaired by Warren
Eshbach, district executive of Southern
Pennsylvania District of the Church of
the Brethren. Southern Pennsylvania has
joined with the regional subdivisions of
five other denominations to become the
ecumenical sponsors of the chaplaincy
serving the Carlisle/Greater West Shore
Area.

It is not unusual for Don Mason, an or-
dained minister in the United Church of
Christ, to be the guest preacher before a
Brethren congregation, or for monthly
Church of the Brethren offerings to be
earmarked for the support of his work.

Ihe Carlisle program is one of three
truckstop chaplaincies that have been
begun in the past five years by the
Council of Churches. Glenn McQuown
serves in the Brookville/ Strattenville
area, and Fred Simmel assists truckers
and travelers at the Breezewood inter-
change of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The latter ministry is supported by a
six-member ecumenical coalition,
including Middle Pennsylvania District
of the Church of the Brethren. Funding
for these programs is supplied not only
by the Council of Churches and the
district and congregations, but also by
the trucking industry and interested indi-
viduals, including the truckers them-
selves.

Described by Don Mason as "almost a
mission field," the Truckstop Ministry is

in some regards unique. Whereas most
congregations are settled, stable commu-
nities of people who are such creatures
of habit that they tend to sit in the same
pews week after week, Don's flock is by
definition an assortment of rolling
stones. Since he assumed his position in
January 1990, "Chaplain Don," as the
truckers call him, has spoken with,
counseled, or otherwise served over
1,300 individuals. Perhaps five of them
are persons he has seen more than once.

The focus of Pennsylvania's Truckstop
Ministry also is atypical. Church groups
in other states have made efforts to reach
out to truckers, but these programs
usually take the form of converting an
18-wheeler into a mobile chapel and
presenting religious services at a
different truckstop each evening. The
Pennsylvania chaplains prefer to connect
truckers or travelers seeking worship
opportunities with area congregations;
instead of emphasizing sermons, they
offer what they call a "presence-
oriented" ministry, characterized by
listening, encouragement, and construc-
tive actions.

Nobody knows the need for these
services better than Ken Boyer. The
genial, Texas-sized trucker, who usually
wears a Western shirt, cowboy boots,
and jeans that are topped by a
handtooled leather belt with an ornate
Navajo buckle, is hard to distinguish
from many other persons who share
coffee breaks with Chaplain Don at the
truckstops' lunch counters. But Ken is
there to discuss plans more often than
problems.

A deacon at the First Church of the

March 1991 Messenger 17

Chaplain Don
Mason listens

to the concerns of
a trucker at a
Carlisle, Pa.,

truckstop counter.

Brethren in Carlisle, Ken has been a
strong backer of the Truckstop Ministry
since its inception. He was a member of
the original "start-up" committee, along
with Warren Eshbach and First Church's
former pastor, Mike Morrow. He
continues to work with the current
Carlisle pastor, Ed Poling, on the
committee that provides supportive
services for the chaplain's personal and
professional growth.

Trucking dominates Ken's life— even
in church on Sunday mornings. When
the Carlisle congregation erected a new
sanctuary several years ago, it became
clear that air-conditioning would be a
necessity rather than a luxury. The
church property is located so close to
Interstate 8 1 that the windows can never
be opened during services: The roar of
tractor-trailers would drown out the
voices of the preacher and choir.

While the constant presence of the
trucking industry may provide minor
inconveniences for some Cumberland
Valley residents, it puts food on Ken
Boyer's dinner table. It also keeps him
away from that table to an extent that
can be painful.

In "An Understanding Friend Away
from Home," a videotape about the
Truckstop Ministry produced for the
Council of Churches by the Church of
the Brethren's ubiquitous Dave SoUen-
berger. Ken sums up the truckers'
dilemma poignantly: "It's our job to

move the freight. The more you work,
the more money you make. And the
more you work, the more you're away
from home. Your wife and family need
you at home, but at the same time you
can't spend too much time at home with
them, or you're not going to be able to
give them what they need financially."

Being in such a bind throughout one's
entire working life can be rough, and it's
not surprising that a psychologist who
studied truckers concluded that trucking
is the most stressful career in the world.
It follows, then, that a large portion of
Don Mason's work consists of counsel-
ing persons tormented with loneliness, a
sense of separation from their families,
and assorted job-related tensions.

The chaplain, who makes good use of
his bachelor's degree in psychology,
currently is bolstering his skills by
taking courses in clinical pastoral
education at the Milton S. Hershey
Medical Center. "So much loneliness,
pain, and anger to relieve," he writes in
his newsletter. Seeds of the Sower. "So
much to share about God's love and
Christ's redemption."

As he moves from truckstop to
truckstop, Don finds many people
desperate for help and healing. One day
it's a trucker having difficulty determin-
ing the line between disciplining his
stepchildren and abusing them. The next
day it's a female hitchhiker in need of
food and medicine. The plague of

homelessness afflicting the United States
also infects the truckstops, and at times
the chaplain has found himself driving a
stranded individual or family to a shelter
in the early morning hours of the night.

Nonetheless, Don Mason seems to
thrive on what he calls "the best job I've
ever had." When his eight-year-old son
Harris visited him at work and observed
him conversing with the truckers in the
TV lounge and video game room, the
boy asked, "Dad, is this what you do for '
a living— drink coffee, watch TV, and
play video games?"

"Well, you might say that's a part of
it," Don answered.

"Dad," said Harris, "how can / get a
job like that?"

For the Truckstop Ministry chaplain,
each day has its share of camaraderie
and catastrophes— and also challenges.
High on Don's agenda is the need for
better funding and for volunteers to
provide even more services to truckers
and travelers who need to feel God's
love in their lives. Having already been
accepted warmly by the truckstop
owners and staff, the chaplain is working
hard to establish better rapport with the
trucking industry, to let them know, as
Charles Dorsey of the Pennsylvania
Council of Churches puts it, that when
their "relationship with God, and within
their own heart, and with their family is
good, that's going to make a driver a
better driver for the company."

Wh.

'hat some individuals might find to
be a burden is for Don Mason the most
rewarding part of his work— the "assured
presence of needy people; the fact that
there's always someone here who needs
to know Christ cares for them." And
when they have met the truckstop
chaplain, the truckers know and experi-
ence that caring.

"Friendship: That's what the love of
God is," one trucker remarked after
talking with Don.

The chaplain simply responds
"I share the load."

\M.

Freelance writer Jackie RoHfinke is a member of
the Carlisle (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.

1 8 Messenger March 1 99 1

Nigeria's Rural Health Program

comes of age

by Carol and Ralph Mason

A milestone has been quietly passed in
the ongoing story of the work begun in
Nigeria 68 years ago this month by the
Church of the Brethren.

In 1990 the Rural Health Program that
the Church of the Brethren Mission
began in 1973 was handed over to
Ekklesiyar 'Yanuwa a Nigeria (EYN—
the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). It
completed a process, begun in 1985, of

the US-based Church of the Brethren
putting its Nigeria mission work in the
hands of EYN.

The Rural Health Program (RHP) is
one of seven programs of EYN that once
were operated by the Church of the
Brethren Mission and its partner church,
the Switzerland-based Basel Mission.
The other six are the Self-help Well-
drilling Project, Garkida Technical Shop

A Rural Health worker-in-training learns how to conduct a diagnosis.

March 1991 Messenger 19

A health-care worker leads a clinic for
under-five children and their mothers.
Early childhood diseases and malnu-
trition are among the threats to life and
good health in this area of the world.

and Training School, Rural Develop-
ment Program, Adult Literacy Project,
Kulp Bible College, and Theological
Education by Extension.

Last year was also a historic year
within RHP itself. For the first time it
had a Nigerian medical consultant to
oversee the treatment of diseases carried
out at RHP's health posts and dispensa-
ries and to teach at the RHP Training
School. Dr. Isaiah Tari was bom and
grew up in Micika, in the eastern area of
EYN. He got his medical training at
Ahmadu Bello University, in Zaria,
Nigeria.

What do the changes mean? For one
thing, while the Church of the Brethren
USA is no longer initiating health,
education, and welfare programs in
Nigeria, the ones that took root in the
past 68 years are stronger and more vital
than ever, reaching a greater number of
people each year.

RHP, serving six tribes in two states
and 10 local-government areas, sees an

estimated 182,000 patients a year (1987
figures). It maintains 70 health posts
covering all 14 EYN church districts,
and 12 dispensaries.

RHP also trains 100 village health
workers annually, in a 3-month health
course taught by the medical consultant.
RHP touches the lives of countless other
people with its each-one-teach-one
policy of home visits, social gatherings,
and informal meetings where stories and^
dramas about health-care procedures are ^
presented.

For another thing, EYN officials who
have long been given direction and
funding by the Church of the Brethren
USA's General Board, are finding their i
footing in administering and budgeting
the essential programs they have chosen
to continue.

"Effective supervision and continuing
education for its staff have been the
primary reason for RHP's successful
growth," says Bulama Birdling, RHP's '
Nigerian director since 1984. "But," he

20 Messenger March 1 99 1

dds, "the cost of that supervision and
inding the funds to attract skilled
ersonnel are two of RHP's biggest
roblems at present."

Isaiah Tari concurs. He has worked for
le government as well as in the private
ector and, from 1983 to 1985, was the
ledical officer in charge of Garkida
Jeneral Hospital (founded by the
lission in 1924 and turned over to the
;deral government in 1976). Dr. Tari
nows the material benefits of such work
nd realizes that EYN cannot begin to
ffer its workers incentive salaries and
xtras.

"How to maintain high morale and
lotivation among staff has to be
/eighed against our turnover," he says.
Consider that we are trying to keep our
rices as low as possible." Dr. Tari con-
ludes, "Keeping a good team of dedi-
ated workers comfortable on the job
/ill be one of our biggest problems."

"Comfortable" is a highly subjective
/ord, but what Dr. Tari alludes to is the
omparison between attracting a
lissionary doctor who comes with an
xpectation of service— but who also has
le backing of relatively affluent
hurches in the United States— and
ttracting talented Nigerian doctors to a
iral Garkida village without incentives
f a high salary, household equipment,
ducational opportunities for children,
nd increased medical benefits.

Director Birdling sees that the
reatest advantage of having a Nigerian
ledical consultant instead of a foreign
ne, in addition to ease of communica-
on and knowledge of the culture, is that
the Nigerian doctor is likely to stay in
le program longer, while the US
lissionary doctor has a limited time of
ervice."

How to draw up guidelines to make
lat possibility reality is one of the tasks
efore RHP today. "We need more
killed workers to assess the impact our
ealth posts and dispensaries are
laking," says director Birdling. He
onsiders the American workers to be
etter skilled in organization and re-
earch, as well as in taking initiative and

"executing a plan of action thai' would
help RHP know how well it is doing."

Because of the reasonable prices,
availability, and— most importantly—
purity of their drugs, the EYN dispensa-
ries are drawing more patients every
day. Regular clinic hours and skilled
paramedics continually attract new
patients to the RHP health posts.
Explains director Birdling, "In Wandali
(a village on the western edge of the
EYN area), for instance, more people
come to the dispensary for advice and
treatment than go to the local hospital."

major difficulty for RHP is meeting
transportation costs. "Vehicles are the
backbone of this program," noted Dr.
Lois Wise, a recent short-term worker
from the USA. All the dispensaries are
reached by car or Land Rover, and most
could easily be reached for much of the
year by motorcycle. But a motorcycle
that cost 6,000 naira three years ago cost
between 12,000 and 15,000 in 1990. (A
good monthly salary in Garkida is 200
naira, where a chicken costs 30 naira.)
The present RHP vehicles are not
sufficient and are under frequent repair
for damage caused by bad roads. A
pick-up truck was recently repaired for
14,000 naira, even with the low-cost
labor charges in the EYN shop.

RHP's 12 dispensers usually live close
to their dispensaries, but the health posts
must be visited regularly by the supervi-
sors to maintain efficiency of these
prime preventive centers of health
education. The 70 health posts are
divided into four quadrants, each under
the direction of a supervisor who goes to
the villages each working day to give
immunizations, on-site training to
village health-care workers, advice and
consultations to patients, and who
implements the health-care strategies
outlined by the director.

These strategies often include sanita-
tion and clean water supply plans. In
carrying out these plans, the whole
community may participate, under the
supervision of the health post. The EYN

Self-help Well Project, under the
management of Owen Shankster (a
missionary in Nigeria for 41 years), has
been responsible for 2,508 wells. A
clean water source is the first priority in
preventing disease.

In addition to the dispensary and
health post activities, RHP maintains a
training school for village health
workers, dispensers, supervisors, and all
other RHP staff. The school's courses
are popular for both men and women
seeking to upgrade their village life.
They return home to share their training
in symptoms of common diseases, use of
simple medicines, physical exams, and
the knowledge of how diseases are
contracted and can be prevented.

The RHP medical stores in Garkida
house the largest supply of inexpensive,
pure drugs in Gongola and Bomo states.
As a nonprofit organization, RHP is able
to charge more than 50 percent less for
drugs that are guaranteed fresher and
purer than anything available on the
market. With the high cost of hospital
care (to say nothing of the conditions in
many hospitals), treatment at home with
the advice of the RHP medical consult-
ant or village health worker is often
preferable or really the only choice. RHP
gets most of its supplies from agencies
that import directly from Europe and are
well aware of the importance of expira-
tion dates and sealed packaging.

In spite of all the difficulties that it
faces in operating its program, the RHP
had steadily built a reputation for effec-
tiveness, dependability, and caring. The
goal of health care and health conditions
that are on a par with those of more
developed countries will not be reached
in the EYN area for years to come. But
the 18-year-old program has already
proven that its Nigerian and American
founders were on the right track, and it
has become a role-model for health
programs in other developing coun-
tries in Africa and else-
where.

Carol and Ralph Mason are workers in EYN
from the Church of the Brethren USA.

March 1991 Messenger 21

Beyond the grieving

When our weeping
for a loss is over, we
find there is some-
thing being offered—
beyond the grieving—
if only we can receive
it. It's a gift called
resurrection . . . and
the giver is God.

by Kenneth L. Gibble

What do you do when someone you love
dies? You grieve. At least that's what
you do if you can.

Frederick Buechner, in The Sacred
Journey, writes of his father's death,
which took place when Frederick was 10
years old. Looking back on that event,
Buechner understands now that for many
years he was unable to deal with the fact
that his father had taken his own life. He
explained the death by telling people
that it had resulted from "heart
trouble," as, in a sense, it had.

Buechner says he did not feel real
grief over his father's suicide until more
than 30 years later. "The grief was post-
poned," he writes, "until only in middle
age did it became real enough for me to
weep real tears at last and to see better
than I ever had earlier who it was that I
was weeping for and who I was that was
weeping."

What is it, who is it, that we grieve
over when someone we love dies? We
say it is loss that causes us to grieve, and
that is true enough. But usually it is our
loss we mean. What we grieve over is
ourselves and the sense of lostness and
helplessness and loneliness that we feel.
In a way, it is our own death we are
mourning, that ultimate separation from
everything and everyone we have loved.

rhat about our Lord's disciples? How
did they react when the one they loved
had died? There is but one brief mention
of their grief recorded in Mark 16: 10.
But this was not the normal kind of
grieving. Jewish custom of the time
called for ritual mourning immediately
after the death, on the way to the burial,
at the place of entombment, and for at

least seven days afterwards. Such rituals;
were not possible for those who loved
Jesus. He had died as a criminal, and his
tomb was surrounded by a Roman guard

The Gospels of IVIark and Matthew
record that angels instructed the women
who found the empty tomb to tell the
disciples that the risen Lord would
appear to them in Galilee. Why did the
disciples go to Galilee? Perhaps they
were so numb from all that had hap-
pened in the previous few days that they
simply obeyed the message without
thinking. It's also possible the disciples '.
were so filled with joy at the women's
words that they left for Galilee in a burs,
of excitement. But I rather doubt it.

Most likely they dismissed the
women's story as wishful thinking. Luk*
tells us that the men regarded what the
women told them as "an idle tale."
Mark gives us the disciples' response to^
the women's report with the succinct
comment: "They did not believe it."
Still, there was nothing better to do.
Why not leave this wretched Jerusalem,
this hellhole of a city that had swallowi
up their master and all their dreams
along with him? Go back to Galilee. Gd
back home. And try to forget.

So they went. And if in their going i
they carried deep in their hearts the seecj
of an incredible hope, there was some-
thing else they carried with them— fear.
For, as Edmund Steimle has noted in
Preaching the Story, when the disciples
buried their Lord's body in the tomb,
"they buried not only their hopes and
dreams and all the promises he had helc^
out to them, all the love and care he hac^
shown, all his concern for the unlovely j
and downtrodden; they also buried
"their shoddy faith, their shabby
quarrels as to who was greatest in the j
kingdom, all the petty jealousies . . . thf!

1 .5SS

22 Messenger March 1991

igly scenes of denial and betrayal— all
his was buried with him too. ..."
If Jesus was alive, then all their
ailings were alive as well! And if the
lisciples went to Galilee in hope of
ineeting their risen Lord, they went also
vith the opposite hope that the whole
hing would just go away— the broken
Ireams, the vivid memories, the haunt-
ng awareness of their own failures. Let
hem all die as he had died.

It's easy for us to fault such a lack of
courage in the disciples. Easy, but
dishonest. For the truth is that you and I
resist the resurrection much the same as
they did. We prefer selective amnesia
over resurrection. We'd rather pretend
that the pain of past disappointments and
betrayals and failures never happened.
We don't want to relive all that, thank
you just the same. If the Lord is really
risen, Peter must look into the face of

the one he had denied three times. If the
resurrection really did happen, then you
and I must face the truth of our own
denials and cowardice, we must deal
with the painful reality of judgment.

Maybe it isn't mostly doubt that
makes so many people resist the resur-
rection; maybe it's mostly fear. Few of
us like to be reminded of our mistakes,
our faulty judgment, our sin. We prefer
to say, "What's done is done," "Let

Maiy at the Tomb." by Paul Grout

March 1991 Messenger 23

sleeping dogs lie," "That's water over
the dam." Resurrection means we can't
say that anymore. A risen Lord means
we must meet him again with all the
dark places of our living exposed to his
relentless light.

And so Simon Peter said, "I am going
fishing." Can we blame him? Going
fishing, for Peter, was a way of going
back to the way life had been before the
man from Nazareth had said, "Follow
me." Back to the way life was before he
believed Jesus was the promised messiah
. . . and before his promise to Jesus, "I
will die with you," had been revealed as
pathetically empty boasting.

"I am going fishing," said Peter. And
we say it with him whenever the flimsy
structure of our own lives threatens to
come crashing down around our ears.
It's what we say whenever we want to
make ourselves forget that every
precious thing we've ever known has
been shattered, one way or the other. We
say, "I am going shopping," or "I am
going to the office," or "I am going out
to mow the lawn," in the hope that the
old routines will absorb our sorrow, our
fear, our memories of failure.

Oo Peter goes fishing, and the others
go with him. They fish all night and
catch nothing. Not that it matters. It isn't
fish they want, it is the fishing. But then,
just as dawn is about to break, they see a
man standing on the beach. It is the
Lord, and after they struggle to shore, he
gives them bread and fish to eat. And he
is restored to them.

Then he turns to face Peter, and the
disciple learns what resurrection means.
Three times Jesus asks him, "Do you
love me?" Three times Peter says,
"Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Three times, as many times as Peter had
denied his Lord. Peter learns that resur-

rection means confronting his failures
and fears. But he learns that it also
means those failures and fears need not
be the last word. The last word is for-
giveness, new life. Resurrection means
that grief and fear give way to joy.

That is what Easter is all about. And it
is even the barest hint of this joy that
brings out the crowds on Easter. Many
who find themselves in church aren't
sure themselves why they are there.
They may think they've come because
somebody in the family wanted them to.
Maybe they come because it seems like
a nice thing to do. But underneath it all,
I think what gets them there is an unarti-
culated yearning to believe that Easter is
more than just a nice story with a happy
ending, more than a rite of spring.

A few years ago I found myself
driving to a retirement home for a visit I
dreaded. My mother, whose mental state
had been gradually declining because of
Alzheimer's disease, had suddenly
begun to slip rapidly. I knew she would
be in a different building now, one
designed for people whose physical and
mental states made it impossible for
them to care for themselves. For some
reason, I decided to swing by the house
where I had spent most of my youth. It
was a crisp morning, with one of those
achingly bright blue skies one knows
will soon enough give way to the
chilling rains of November.

1 got out of the car and walked around.
The feed mill where my father had
worked for 25 years of his life was doing
a booming business. The sycamore tree
he had planted 10 years before his death
had grown tall and thick-trunked. I
wanted to look at more, but I couldn't
see because the tears I thought had all
been shed years before now flooded my
eyes. Why was I crying? For all the
reasons people cry, I guess. And because
I knew somehow that in a few months.

Mother would no longer be able to
recognize any of us anymore. I wept
because I was beginning to know what
it's like to be the last generation. I wept
because . . . when someone you love
dies, you grieve.

• ut out of such a time, and others like
it, there is something being offered—
beyond the grieving— if only we can
receive it. It's a gift called resurrection,
and the giver is God.

You may tell me I'm kidding myself
to say I look forward to a time, beyond
time, when my mother will know us
again, when I will once again see and
hear her laugh the way she used to, when
I will feel again the scrape of my
father's five-o'clock-shadow whiskers
on my cheek. You might call it self-
delusion, or religious sentimentality, or
wishful thinking. And you could be right
about that.

And you might object that things such
as laughter and the touch of one cheek
on another are too earthly, not spiritual
enough for sound theology. And this too
may be so. But I take comfort in the
Gospel's account of the risen Jesus doing
earthy things, such as having a fish fry
on the seashore for his friends. And I
remember with joy how Jesus enabled
Peter to deal redemptively with the
betrayal that could have destroyed that
disciple.

Resurrection faith isn't something we
get because we are good or smart or
deserving. It's a gift given for no earthly
reason, no reason at all, except that
which abides in the heart of the God whc
loves us. And that's reason
enough.

Kenneth L. Gibhle is co-pastor of the Arlington
(Va.) Church of the Brethren and promotion
consultant for Messenger.

24 Messenger March 1 99 1

Chasing after sinners

by James Benedict

I'll never forget the day I found out my
father was once a cheerleader.

I was a teenager in my family in Iowa
when I made my discovery. Somehow a
conversation about school cheers got
started. It was not a topic I figured my
father would even be interested in. My
brothers and I were taking turns reciting
our favorite cheers, when Dad, who was
on the edge of the conversation, chimed
in, "How about this one?

One. tv,'o, three, four, five, six,
seven.

All good players go to heaven.

When they get there, they scream
and yell,

'All bad players go to ... .'

Rickety-rackety russ.
We' re not allowed to cuss.
But, nevertheless, we must

confess.
There' s no one better than MHS."

My brothers and I looked at each other
in stunned silence. Finally somebody
asked, "Dad, how do you remember that
cheer after so many years?"

"Well, I was a cheerleader," he said,
as if it were obvious.

My mouth dropped open. I hadn't ever
considered even the possibility that a
male could be a cheerleader. My image
of a cheerleader was a pretty, bouncy
young female in a bright sweater, a short
pleated skirt and saddle oxford shoes. I
can't describe the pictures that flashed

through my mind— my father a cheer-
leader?

Every once in a while you find out
something about someone that makes
you re-evaluate everything you thought
you knew about that person. Jesus, as he
is presented in the Gospels, seemed to
have a way of saying things that struck
the religious leaders of his day in just
about the same way that I was struck by
finding out my dad was once a cheer-
leader.

Jesus described God in ways that
dumbfounded the scribes and Pharisees.
In fact, I imagine that Jesus' ways of
describing God dumbfounded just about
everybody. Jesus seemed to turn the
universe upside down. People could not
take Jesus seriously without needing to
re-evaluate everything they thought they
knew about God.

Jesus did this best with his parables.
Take the parable of the prodigal son, in
which (everyone realized) the father
represented God. The story is full of
elements that shocked the audience.

The first is that the younger son would
dare to ask for his inheritance. Such a
request was unthinkable in that culture.
(For that matter, try to imagine it in
ours!) It was like saying, "Dad, I wish
you were dead. All I really want is your
money."

The second element that shocked the
audience was that the father said,
"Yes." What kind of a father would go
for a deal like that? Why give anything

March 1991 Messenger 25

to such a disrespectful child?

But the element that absolutely
floored the audience comes near the end
of the story, when the boy has come to
his senses after wasting his inheritance
on riotous living and is on his way
home. The audience probably thought
this story finally was turning out right.
This no-good boy has suffered and
learned his lesson. Now, if he's lucky,
his father will give him a good stem
lecture and allow him to work as a day
laborer on the family farm. A day
laborer was lower than a slave in many
respects, and that is what the boy
deserved.

Ye,

^et, just as everything seemed to be
beginning to make sense, Jesus' story
took a turn that flabbergasted everybody.
The father, seeing this no-good son
coming up the lane, gets up, runs to
meet him and smothers him with kisses.

He runs! Mature gentlemen did not
run in those days. Running was consid-
ered highly undignified. And to run to
embrace a bad person— unthinkable! And
to top it all off, this old man represented
God! This was God making a fool of
himself to go embrace a sinner! Shock-
ing indeed!

The two parables that come before the
prodigal son were shocking in a similar
way. Jesus was accused by the religious
folks, the good people, of spending too
much time with bad people— tax collec-
tors and other kinds of sinners. Hearing
the complaints, Jesus responded with
two brief stories. The first is about a
shepherd whose flock numbers 100. If
one is lost, Jesus asked, won't the
shepherd leave the 99 to find the one?
And won't he and all his friends rejoice
when that one is found?

The good people knew what he meant.
God as a shepherd of the people was a
traditional image (Psalm 23, Ezekiel 34).
The lost sheep was a sinner and the

26 Messenger March 1991

shepherd was God.

Then Jesus told a parable about a
woman who lost one of 10 coins. Most
likely these coins were those arranged on
a chain that were the equivalent of a
modem woman's wedding ring. The
woman would search and search for it.
And how she would celebrate— she and
all her friends— when she found it. It is
obviously the same story and Jesus'
audience got the point.

But they were scandalized. The story
suggests that God goes out searching for
sinners. They ought to look for God!
They know where to find God. Anyone
can point them to the temple. They can
find out what the Scriptures say if they
want. Why should God go out looking
for them? If they're interested, let them
do the looking.

That was the attitude of Jesus'
audience. As they saw it, it didn't suit
God's dignity or glory or holiness to be
out looking for sinners, especially not in
order to forgive and bless them.

That is too often our attitude, too.
Frederick Buechner has said, "One of
the blunders religious people are par-
ticularly fond of making is the attempt to
be more spiritual than God." What he
means is that we have this high and holy
image of God and it is hard for us to
imagine that God wants to be involved
in the world in the way that God appar-
ently does want to be.

George MacCleod offers a good
thought when he reminds us, "Jesus was
not crucified in a cathedral between two
candles, but on a cross between two
thieves; on the town garbage heap; on a
crossroad so cosmopolitan that they had
to write his title in Hebrew and Latin
and in Greek (or shall we say in English,
in Bantu, and in Afrikaans?); at the kind
of place where cynics talk smut and
thieves curse and soldiers gamble. That
is where he died and that is what he died
about. And that is where churchmen
should be and what churchmen should

be about."

But if the tmth were told, it would be
that as often as not we religious folks
would like to keep God out of certain
kinds of neighborhoods and away from
certain kinds of people. We would like
to get God to move out of the wrong pa
of town, away from sinners, into a
resplendent temple, or into a fine
cathedral, or a fine new suburban
Brethren church where all we good
people could come and worship.

But God will not be moved. As
shocking as it may be to us, God has
decided to chase after sinners in the
wrong part of town. God has decided to
go looking for people who don't deservi
to find God. As the author of the letter c
1 Timothy puts it, God is even interest©
in "the worst of sinners."

So the decision is up to us. We will
have to re-evaluate some of the things
we thought we knew about God. And if
we discover, to our surprise, that God
really is interested in folks we might cal
"sinners," we will have to decide if we
are going to be interested in those
"sinners." If God wants to be over then
on the wrong side of the tracks, we will
have to decide if we are going over thert
on the wrong side of the tracks. Do we
want to be with God?

Xhis is what it means to be tmly "in
mission"— to be among the people that
Jesus showed us God was interested in.
To reach out, beyond the safety of our
own circle, to others who need God. It
means further involvement in prison
ministries, among the urban poor, and in
the developing world. It also means
more intentional outreach to the "sin-
ners" in our own neighborhoods.

It's frightening and it's risky.
But it is our calling.

Ai.

James Benedict is pastor of the New Enterprise
(Pa.) Church of the Brethren.

k ckmti

ALIVE

by Paul E. R. Mundey Staying put

happening in many congre-
gations—a tendency to grasp

"The Church Alive" is an
evangelism column that appears
three limes a war.

In the late 1950s the digital

too tightly what worked at

watch was presented to the

one time in history, but does

leaders of the Swiss watch

not work today.

industry. They rejected it

For "turn-around" to

because they

knew that they

occur, congregations need to

had the best watch already.

abandon some of the old-

The man who offered them

reaching for the new, which

the watch sold the idea to

is yet to be. The future is

Seiko.

bright for congregations "in

In 1940 the Swiss watch

touch with the times "-eager

industry employed 80,000

for the new thing that God

people. Today they employ

longs to bring forth.

18,000. In 1940, 80 percent

of the watches sold in the

world came
land. Today,

Tom Switzer-
80 percent of

'Bright Spots'

the watches

are digital.

On your local radio station.

This is a parable of what is

air 60-second spot announce-

Reasons Families Join Churches

n ChecK.
below t
your de
thlschi

Preaching

Youth
Ministry

A friendly
atmosphere

A church's
emphases

Christian
education

111 the reasons listed
hal entered Into
cision for Joining
rch.

■ Of all the reasons you

joined your current church,
whlcti would you say Is the
main reason you joined?

1 7Q-/.

1 35%

JS*l%

^■■^^■21%

^Bs%

1 ■;■;%

H^^H 1 6%

1^2%

Music

The church's
location

_J40%

[35%

1 '*■•«»«■

|2%

relative
Invited me

L 1 2go/^

■4%

Visit by the
minister

I 1 10%

l1%

Miscellaneous
reasons

L|_ lin-/.
■ 6%

ments that are friendly,
positive, and directed toward
"everyday living" themes.

Sign up for Radio Bright
Spots by contacting the Net
Resources Center at 1 (800)
638-3463. You will receive
260 different scripts a year-
enough for five days a week,
52 weeks a year.

Congregations have
reported these benefits from
using the 60-second spots:

• They attract visitors.

• They raise the visibility
of the congregation in the
community.

• They provide an identity
in the community for the
pastor.

• They multiply the
number of ministry opportu-
nities for the congregation,
as unchurched people
approach Bright Spots
churches for assistance.

Wliy visitors stay

A widely circulated research
finding reveals that between
80 and 85 percent of all new
people come to a church
because of being invited by a
friend, relative, or loved one.
But why do they stay . . . and
eventually join?

A research study done
recently by Group magazine
sheds light on this question
—at least for families with
children. The top three
reasons cited were preach-
ing, youth ministry, and
a friendly atmosphere.

Ai.

Paul E. R. Mundey is the General
Board's stajffor evangelism.

March 1991 Messenger 27

STONES

by Robin
Wentworth App

I hate volleyball.

And it has nothing to do
with not being good at it. I'm
a lousy bowler, for example,
but I always have fun bowl-
ing. When it comes to run-
ning I'm more tortoise than
hare, but jogging is an
activity I have appreciated
and practiced for many years
now. So I'm persuaded there
is no correlation between my
level of skill and my enjoy-
ment barometer. With
volleyball there is an inter-
vening variable.

In volleyball I am inevita-
bly assigned to a team that
has at least one member who
really likes to win. And it
doesn't take this person long
to figure out that I'm not
good at volleying. Before
you know it, this teammate
is sticking to me like Velcro.

Then my assertiveness
skills exit, my reason
evaporates, my feet turn to
cement, my arms become
lead, and my brain is like
cotton. In no time my
"rescuer" and I are into an
ineffective, dysfunctional
relationship characterized by
dependency, resentment, and
lop-sided responsibility.

And you know what? Our
team nearly always loses:
One person cannot consis-
tently be in two places at
once, and one player cannot
indefinitely carry the weight
of two. Sooner or later the
rescuer slips up, or wears
out, or breaks down. Then
we not only have lost the
game; we're angry, resentful,
and blaming as well.

The same situation has
been observed repeatedly in
families, and defined by the
addictions treatment field as
"enabling." In a family
system, the role of "ena-
bler" is the one who helps
{enables) a sick person to

stay sick. Or to lift it out of
the disease model and
describe in operational
terms, an "enabler" neutral-
izes all motivation for a
person with a problem to
change by constantly rescu-
ing that person from the
natural, if unpleasant, conse-
quences of his behavior.

In a chemically dependent
family the "enabler" is the
person who repeatedly "calls
in sick" for a spouse who is
experiencing physical illness
as a result of excessive
drinking. Or the parent who
intervenes on behalf of off-
spring who are suffering the
logical consequences of
substance abuse— by bailing
them out of jail, or loaning
them money when they have
repeatedly mismanaged their
finances. In such situations
the relationships become
progressively dysfunctional
and mutually dependent.

Although these roles are
more glaring and rigid in
chemically dependent, bio-
logical families, similar
dynamics have been ob-
served in many organizations
including the workplace and
the church. Dysfunction
comes in many shapes and
sizes, and unfortunately has
many aliases. Especially in
the church context, where we
diligently strive to "do unto
others" and to "turn the
other cheek," it is all too
easy for "enabling" to
masquerade as virtues . . .
virtues such as:

Support: However, true
support will uphold construc-
tive behaviors while allow-
ing destructive behaviors to
collapse. In contrast, ena-
bling cultivates the sickness
at the expense of the health.

Help: The difference here
is that genuine help encour-
ages one to outgrow the

helper. "Help" that is
enabling fosters dependence.

Forgiveness: In order for
forgiveness to be forgiveness
it must never diminish the
damage. We make a mock-
ery of Christ's sacrifice and
atonement if we do not
acknowledge the magnitude
of our transgression. Ena-
bling has no common ground
with forgiveness, for
enabling pretends no harm
has been done and refuses to
admit, let alone address, the
problem. Enabling overlooks
the problem, lets it slide,
shrugs it off.

Are you wondering
whether or not you are
"enabling" someone? Here
are some checkpoints:

If your person-with-a-
problem is aware of it,
working on it, and showing
improvement, it is unlikely
that you are enabling.

Are you talking about it? W
you are covering up and
keeping secrets, consider it a
sign of enabling.

If your actions help your
person-with-a-problem
accept responsibility for his
behavior, then it is not
enabling. An enabler's
"help" provides infinite
excuses to blame others.

My volleyball illustration
is not a perfect parallel
because in a game like that
the problem is obvious and
easily corrected (compara-
tively speaking). In people
systems, however, enabling
is more subtle, enmeshed,
and debilitating. But one
similarity that does hold
true: As long as enabling
continues, everyone rJjT'
loses. tZr!

Robin Wentworth App. of ,

Nappanee, Ind.. is a therapist,
ordained minister, and a member of
the Camp Creek Church of the
Brethren. Etna Green. Ind. i

28 Messenger March 1 99 1

Omegatrends

by Terry Hatfield

We Brethren can no longer think in provincial

terms. From Lititz to La Verne, from Flint to

Falfurrias,from Seattle to San Juan, we have

become part of the global community.

"The year 2000 is not just a new century
but a religious experience. ..." Accord-
ing to John Naisbitt, in Megatrends
2000, "the 1990s present a new world
view. It will be a decade like none that
has come before. ..."

Naisbitt goes on: "The year 2000 is
operating like a powerful magnet on hu-
manity, reaching down into the 1990s
and intensifying the decade."

I have identified, with Naisbitt's
counsel, some "Omegatrends" related
to the Church of the Brethren that might
mark the path to "The End" and usher
in the Alpha of the 21st century or signal
the reign of God.

Omegatrend: Life will get better for
most of us.

The ability to care for ourselves and
our families will improve in the 1990s.
We will have more disposable income.

We will be able to choose, vote, and
invest with our money in more of what
we consider is important. Stewardship
will have its greatest potential for human
good in history. We will give to Christ
and the church in unprecedented ways or
succumb to the poverty of secular
materialism.

Omegatrend: The poor will be with us.

However, economic justice will have
its greatest opportunity in human history.
Capitalism and socialism both have
shown their shortcomings. The world
arena for economic justice in this decade
will be an emerging democratic capital-
ism. Perhaps the church's most effective
response to the world's poor will be to
educate and train persons to find a place
in the first truly global economy.
Traditional welfare approaches will
create dependencies and increase the gap

between the rich and the poor.

On the US domestic scene, poverty
and the erosion of the family are directly
related. Ninety-four percent of married
couples are not in poverty. Single
parents and their children represent the
largest impoverished group.

The church's greatest contribution will
be to help create healthy families, teach
values that honor covenant, and provide
an atmosphere of support and healing to
hurting marriages and dysfunctional
families.

Omegatrend: Our identity as a historic
peace church will become less impor-
tant.

The message of the futility of war has
been heard and experienced. Superpower
governments know it, and most major
denominations have incorporated "a
peace position" into their global

March 1991 Messenger 29

perspective. Despite the current situation
in the Persian Gulf, I believe that the last
world war has already been fought, save
the unpredictable and ever-present
possibility of Armageddon.

War on a regional scale will continue.
Our vigilance for peace will need to be
keen. But the world will look for a
"restoric" peace church, a church that
will help restore God's intended peace
for the soul, the person, and the family.
It will look to a church that is not
historic in its peace position, but rather
one that in the present visibly lives
peace out in its congregational life and
in the daily walk of its disciples.

Omegatrend: Our foreign missionary
activity will follow the trade routes.

Just as Corinth became a key port for
distributing goods and the gospel, so will
the rise of Asia and Eastern European
economies become a trade route to
missionary activity. We can ill afford
traditional imperialistic missionary
efforts— neither their moral or cultural
destructiveness nor their bottomline
dollar cost.

In Asia, indigenous Church of the
Brethren congregations in South Korea
will provide an opportunity to carry the
gospel to Japan, Indonesia, Thailand,
Malaysia, and Singapore. These national
churches will provide the training and
financial base for churches in China,
North Korea, Manchuria, Vietnam, and
the Philippines.

Omegatrend: The simple "gospel
truth" will become more appealing.

The glut of information continues to
overload computers, billions of reams of
paper, and the human mind. The com-
plexity of choices that stifles decision-
making and discourages commitment is
creating a hunger for a clear, simple (but
not simplistic) understanding of the
purpose and meaning of life.

30 Messenger March 1 99 1

Omegatrend: The church's aging and
leadership concerns will be relieved by
ethnics and women.

The "melting pot" may be an Ameri-
can myth, but its results are not. The
influx of ethnic groups and immigrants
into a culture (and the church) decreases
the average age of the culture and brings
in that ethnic group's "brightest and
best."

Just over 39 percent of the 14.2
million executive, administrative, and
management jobs are held by women.
Women may, in fact, be better socialized
for the relational teamwork and self-
management skills needed by leadership
in the '90s. The church has vast leader-
ship resources in women and new ethnic
Brethren.

Omegatrend: The focus on the individ-
ual versus the collective will increase.

From the dismantling of the collective
farm system in China and the Soviet
Union to the blossoming of personal
freedoms in Eastern Europe, individual-
ism will continue to rise. The individ-
ual's need will become the focus of
successful marketing in business and
compassionate response in religion.

However, true community will be
embraced as a necessary part of the
individual faith journey. Churches must
recognize that the personal relationship
of their individual members with Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord is paramount
to their corporate life and mission.

Omegatrend: Worship will become
more visual.

The renaissance in the arts and the
emergence of the first adult generation
that does not remember life without
television, computers, sophisticated
stereo sound, and a culturally indigenous
rock music will change the ways the
church expresses its adoration to an

awesome and wonderful God. Contem- i
porary music, drama, video clips, dance,
symbols, and works of art will mark the
worship services of alive missional
churches. I

Omegatrend: A great new revival will
occur.

The signs of revival are all around us. i
The interest in spirituality is growing in ;
most cultures and in most religions.
Revival will renew the church where the
Spirit of God is not thwarted by human
resistance.

The Church of the Brethren and other
mainline churches need to acknowledge
the huge moderate evangelical core in
their membership calling for a return to
the centrality of Jesus Christ as the only
biblically offered basis for salvation, the
teaching of the Scriptures, the preem-
inence of evangelism in the purposes of
the church, and the proclamation of the
gospel as central to social action and
service. Likewise, individual spirituality'
and human emotion must be celebrated
as a part of the Christian experience.

So much for the "Omegatrends."
What does all of this have to do with the
Church of the Brethren? Most of it
seems so global.

That is absolutely right. We can no
longer think in provincial terms. From
Lititz to La Verne, from Flint to Falfur-
rias, from Seattle to San Juan, we have
become a part of the global community.
We are no longer able to hang on to a
single cultural norm to make decisions,
define mission, and risk internal change.;
Jesus Christ is presenting himself in
proportions we cannot ignore— King of
Kings, Lord of Lords, Master of the
Millennium. Let us respond in propor-
tions that bring honor to his
name.

Ai.

Terry Hatfield, of South Bend. Ind., is executive
for Northern Indiana District of the Church of the
Brethren.

A canvas
of suffering

! by William
Haldeman-Scarr

REVIEWS

Mixed Reviews critiques books, films,
and other products of the entertain-
ment media that speak to Brethren
living out their faith.

For the past 25 years, Chaim
Potok has written insightful
and provocative novels of
Jewish life in America.
Though his stories are
diverse in subject matter,
there is an integrating theme
that unites his work: the
tension between the distinct-
iveness of being Jewish and
the intrusions that a plural-
istic society brings upon it.

This is particularly evident
in Potok's recent novel. The
Gift ofAsher Lev, a sequel to
his critically acclaimed My
Name is Asher Lev, first
published in 1972. Reading
them in order will help you
understand the allusions,
character development, and
story line in the sequel.

In The Gift ofAsher Lev,
this tension is portrayed in
the life of Asher Lev, an
observant Hasidic Jew who
is a remarkably gifted and
controversial world-famous
artist. Early in the story, this
tension is poignantly
expressed in a comment
Asher makes to his wife,
Devorah: "When I paint, I
think of the truth of the
painting, I try never to think
of the consequences." It is
this world view and passion
that creates and sustains the
interweaving conflicts in
Asher's Ladover Hasidic
community, his family, the
secular art world, and, most
painfully, himself.

The Gift of Asher Lev
begins with Asher's return
home to Brooklyn for the
funeral of his Uncle
Yitzchok Lev. There the
Rebbe (a spiritual leader),

while praising the dead man,
offers Asher this riddle:
"Three will save us, the
third is our future." The
riddle resonates throughout
the story to its conclusion,
when Asher comes to
understand what his gift as
an artist really is.

The story of Yitzchok
(who has a puzzling art
collection) is interwoven into
Asher's so that the issues
regarding secular art, its
value and purpose, and the
obligations of the individual
to one's personal integrity,
family, and the faith
community are drawn out
in a matrix of theological,
ethical, and existential
struggles.

As in his other novels,
Potok creates a thoughtful
story based on the particular
experience of Jewish life in
order to raise questions of
universal significance. In this
story, these questions are
painted on a canvas of
suffering: To whom is one
ultimately obligated— self,
family, or community? What
is the relationship between
good and evil? Do good and
evil exist dualistically, or do
they co-exist in some
mysterious way? Can
humans simultaneously
possess these qualities? Is
the world chaotic, ambigu-
ous, or ordered? Can anyone
really leave the faith
community that formed
them? Should one submit
one's unique self for the sake
of family or the faith
community?

Potok does not provide

any easy answers to such
questions. But he does
provide the anguish. Indeed,
there is a painful logic in the
tension between distinction
and plurality, community
and individual that drives the
story to its heart-rending
conclusion. And the answers
one may derive from this
story may be just as haunting
as the questions raised.

This is a story for all
people who value their faith
communities for their life
and hope, including us who
practice our faith in the
Church of the Brethren. The
Gift of Asher Lev deserves
careful reading and reflec-
tion because it resonates with
our values of community,
discipleship, inclusion, and
conscience.

Potok provides creative
insight into the mores and
theology of Hasidism and the
philosophy and business of
art. The story also helps us to
understand the artists' world
view in light of such recent
issues as the obscenity trial
in Cincinnati over porno-
graphic art and the political
wrangling over funding for
the National Endowment for
the Arts.

This is a deeply moving,
carefully crafted story,
written in hope for those who
may not know where they
are going and especially for
those who are so sure
where they are headed.

William Haldeman-Scarr is co-
pastor, with his wife. Sara, of the
Mo.xham Church of the Brethren, in
Johnstown. Pa.

March 1991 Messenger 31

Bring the jubilee

The December Messenger cover was
especially good. The texture of the paper
fitted well with Rosanna Eller McFad-
den's calligraphy.

I also liked Wendy McFadden's
editorial, "It's Time for a Jubilee." I
will be interested in hearing if such a
thing as a Brethren "jubilee" Confer-
ence comes about.

Marianne Michael
Iowa City, Iowa

An issue witli feeling

I appreciated the December Messenger
being a "feeling" issue— not so much
"business."

There were four articles that spoke so
much to me that I have filed them away
for future reference— "Christmas Means
We'll Get Picked up." "Brown-eyed
Angels," "The Irrational Season," and
"Friendship."

Glee Yoder
Willow Street. Pa.

Thanks for Stepping Stones

Thanks for the brand-new column in
Messenger, "Stepping Stones," by
Robin Wentworth App (see January,
page 26; February, page 26; and this
issue, page 28). It's the best thing you
have printed in years. I can live with it
for a long time.

That last paragraph in the January
column says it all for me: "So remem-

The opinions expressed here are not necessarily
those of the magazine. Readers should receive them
in the same spirit with which differing opinions are
expressed in face-to-face conversations.

Letters should he brief, concise, and respectful of
the opinions of others. Preference is given to letters
that respond directly to items read in the magazine.

We are willing to withhold the name of a writer
only when, in our editorial judgment, it is
warranted. We will not consider any letter that
comes to us unsigned. Whether or not we print the
letter, the writer's name is kept in strictest
confidence.

Address letters to Messenger Editor, 1451
Dundee Ave.. Elgin. IL 60120.

32 Messenger March 1991

ber, when it comes to managing life's
difficulties, we don't need to walk on
water. We just need to learn where the
stepping stones are."

Dorothy S. Williams
Goshen, Ind.

Some spirited responses

The Brethren Revival Fellowship
Committee affirms the direction evident
in the "Call to Spiritual Renewal"
initiated at last October's General Board
meeting (see December, pages 6, 10).

At the same time, it is deeply con-
cerned about the heresies in some of
T. Wayne Rieman's columns in the 1990
Messengers. The November installment
says, "God cannot know what has not
happened or what may happen. If God
already knows the future or what we will
do, then we are not free." This is not a
minor deviation from truth, but a major
heresy. The committee is saddened by
such theological nonsense.

When people are serious and earnest
about spiritual renewal, they will have a
strong desire not to grieve the Holy
Spirit. It is inconsistent to make pious
calls for Bible study, prayer, and
worship and then publish material that
demeans the omniscience of God.

Messenger and the signers of "A
Call to Spiritual Renewal" should
diligently maintain doctrinal integrity
along with the spiritual disciplines called
for in the document.

BRF Committee
York, Pa.

The Church of the Brethren is declining
in numbers (see December, page 7). but
what gets numbers?

Do added numbers indicate more
spirituality (see December, pages 6, 10)?
Does it prove great skill and dedication
in reaching more people? Could we do
better?

Also, what is "spiritual"? In counsel-
ing, I pray, "May your will be done, and
the Holy Spirit guide." Then I check the
counselee's godliness in personal
relations. Would we be more spiritual if
we shook or fell on the floor? Would we

be better to see flashes and hear bells?

Do growing groups grow without
taking to the streets and going on the
air? If the Church of the Brethren does
that, what is to be our message? Must wt
first get it? Would a modem Jonah know
where a message is needed today?

I know what he might say.

Roy Whit
Citronelle, Ala

The movement of God's spirit amid the
statistics in the General Board report
(see December, page 6), is an inspira-
tion.

The need for church renewal is
critical. The responsive chord struck in
the General Board could mark a turning
point in Church of the Brethren history.
The board is to be commended for
stopping its meeting for this focus.

The idea of a denominationwide focus
on prayer, Bible study, fasting, and
worship returns us to our Brethren roots
As our history reflects, these disciplines
are in our origin.

David S. Youn
West Chester, Pi

The nub of the matter i

Why do Church of the Brethren pastors '
leave? (See January, page 12.) Many *
pastors leave because they are not filled
with the Holy Spirit or do not have a
personal relationship with our Lord,
Jesus Christ. They go searching for
something they think will be more
fruitful.

For years the Church of the Brethren
has been declining in interest, service,
and membership. How much attention \i
given nowadays to the Peace Corps,
volunteer service, and the Holy Spirit
Conference? There is little motivation
for young people to stay with the work
of the Lord.

Why is the larger body of the Church
of the Brethren so apathetic about and
aloof from the Holy Spirit Conference
(a Brethren special-interest group now
known as Brethren Renewal Services-
Ed.)! At our conferences we are lifted
up and inspired to work for our Lord.

et I never see anything about our work
Messenger.

I used to read Messenger from cover
cover. Now I just scan it, only reading
e letters and editorials. We need
tides of more interest to readers.

Rosella Miller
New Lebanon. Ohio

Pontius' Puddle

IM THE- BEC^lW^^I^4Cr,
G-OD EMDOWEC) OS
WITH FREE 6A0(tE-
TME ABILITVTO DO
CrOOD OR EVIL--

Irv.

NOTICE; Church and district newsletters that reprint ' 'Pontius' Puddle" from
Messenger must pay $5 ($10 if circulation is oyer 500} for each use to Joel
Kauffmann, til Carter Road, Goshen. IN 46526.

TO BOIUD OR X)E?TROy--
ro LOVE OR TO WATE--
TQ EXPLO\-T OUTO
ENKVCLE: OCR ,

FELLOW CREATORESS

3-r

-"^

I'M SURE IT tAOST
HAVE SfEfAED LIKE
A 600D IDEA AT
THE TltAE.

oPP^rssmJ^"^''

eneral Board not trusted

'endy McFadden's editorial in the
ovember 1 990 Messenger made sense
me. Annual Conference more and
ore has been taking it upon itself to do
ings that the General Board should be
)ing.

But the question not addressed in the
litorial is "Why?"
Annual Conference delegates are
ving such specific instructions to the
eneral Board because they don't trust
e board to carry out broader Confer-
ice directives.

Some groups in the denomination
gue that the General Board is selective
which Conference directives it picks
) on. Others have gone so far as to say
at the General Board actually works
;ainst the will of Annual Conference on
me issues, such as homosexuality.
So the trend toward "management by
lery" is just a symptom of the deeper
oblem of mistrust. When that mistrust
allayed, management by query will
:ase.

m Don Fitzkee

'-< Elizabethtown, Pa.

eiebrate true war heroes

took personal courage and conviction
ir Civilian Public Service (CPS)
orkers to refuse to fight in World War
, the most popular war in US history
ee October 1990, 10-21).
But in reading the article "War
eroes" (page 15), I could not equate
PSers' hardships with the supreme
icrifice of those who gave their lives to
eserve our democratic system and the
ght of choice.
For each conscientious objector (CO),

Take Hold of

Future

One Step at a Time.

McPherson College

McPherson, Kansas 67460 • (316) 241-0731

Pictured is Tahnee Carlson, McPherson College freshman, with her
parents, John and Neva Carlson.

"A/cP/ierson College offers a positive transition from home to profession. The small campus
promotes responsibility and growth. We support McPherson because of its commitment to positive
values. Intentional values in education are critical. "

— Neva and John Carlson, Ft. Collins, Colorado

Scholarships/Grants: *

Church of the Brethren Awards — Up to $1,000 per year

Brethren Volunteer Service Grants — Up to $500 per year

Children of Alumni Grants — Up to $500 per year

Church-Matching Grants — Up to $500 per year

Dependents of Persons in Chiu'ch Professions — Up to $1,000 per year

* Awards are
renewable for up to
four years provided
that students remain
eligible for the
grants. Some awards
are based on
financial need and
availability of
funds.

"S.

Yes, I want to take the
McPherson CoDege.

Name

step

and find

out

about

Addrpss

rity

_ State _

_ Zip

Phone i i.

. Year of Graduation .

Send to: Admissions Office, McPherson College, P.O. Box 1402,

McPherson, KS 67460 or
caUcoUect (316) 241-0731.

McPherson College does not discriminate on tine

basis of race, religion, sex. color, national origin, or physical/emotional stability

March 1991 Messenger 33

there were counterparts in the armed
forces who fought and died to preserve
that CO's right to be a CO and, 50 years
later, to "celebrate" the CPS experi-
ence.

I hope that the CPS celebrants
appreciate what was done for them.

J. A. Kruppenbach
Lancaster, Texas

From the

Office of Human Resources

EXECUTIVE, WORLD MINISTRIES COMMISSION &
COMMinEE ON INTERCHURCH RELATIONS

QUALIFICATIONS;

—overseas experience

— management skills & experience

—at least a Bactieior's degree w/graduate

training desired
—demonstrated communication skills
—willingness to travel
—commitment to ttie ecumenical ctiurcti

APPLICATION DEADLINE; Marcli 28, 1991
For furttier information contact; Dale E,
Minnich, 1461 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120,

EXECUTIVE, WEST MARVA DISTRICT

QUALIFICATIONS;

—management skills & administrative

experience
—pastoral experience/theological training

desired

APPLICATION DEADLINE; March 15, 1991
for furtlier information contact; Donald Rov/e,
V^Box 188, New Windsor, MD 21776,

Sell seminary and forget it

I have a better idea for what to do with
Bethany Theological Seminary (see
1990 articles on Bethany's future-
January, page 5; February, page 19;
April, pages 7, 14, 17; May, page 35;
June, page 9; August/September, page
16; October, page 34): Sell the seminary
and give the money to a mission
program that proclaims the gospel to
save souls.

My congregation interviewed a
pastoral candidate who graduated from
Bethany Seminary and did not believe in
the virgin birth of Jesus! Another
candidate said that Bethany doesn't even
teach belief in the virgin birth !
Neither does it teach the inerrancy of
scripture!

These two failings of Bethany faculty,
along with the seminary's position on
homosexuality, are abominations in the
Lord's sight.

We should send our ministerial
students to a seminary that teaches the
whole Bible as truth . . . from cover to

cover.

Ron Teubner
Cando. N.D.

I\/IESSENGER as connection

A member of the Onekama (Mich.)
Church of the Brethren, I moved to Nev
Mexico to teach for the winter. I
underestimated how much I would miss
my church.

The only Church of the Brethren
congregations in New Mexico are Clovi
and Tokahooka'adi— both hours of
driving from here.

So when the first Messenger arrived.'
I grabbed it and read it from cover to
cover. And I have done the same with
the others as they have arrived.

Although I feel God's presence daily,
I have come to appreciate more than i
before my Brethren heritage and the pax
the church has played in my spiritual
growth. Messenger connects me with
home— 1,700 miles away.

I appreciated seeing in the November
issue (page 3) mention of Richard Ward' |
my late pastor. He and his wife, Mary,
were instrumental in bringing me into
the Church of the Brethren.

I would appreciate hearing from
Brethren in New Mexico.

Nan Nielsi
Angel Fire, N.A

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Record (revised), 1990: Va, residents, $33,50; others
$32.50, Mn Mason and Mary Ann Miller, 1986; Va, resi-
dents, $32,50; others $31 ,50, Michael Miller of 1692 (in
process), (lyliller m. 1 Susanna Agnes Bechtol; m. 2 Eliza-
beth Garber, widow of Nicholas Garber.) For information
SASE. Write: Floyd R. Mason, 4409 Park Rd„ Alexandria,
VA 22312,

SCHOLARSHIP-Baker Peace Scholarship. Competitive
scholarship available to students interested in pursuing
concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies, Juniata Col-
lege. $1 ,000 p/year for four years. Inquire immediately at;
Baker Peace Institute, Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA
18852,Tel, (814) 643-4310 ext, 361,

TRAVEL-Greece, 1991, Join tour host Richard J, Hall
(pastor, Newport Church, Shen, district) and Or, Donald B,
Strobe in tour of Greece, Focus on ministry of Paul, Some
points of interest; Thessalonika, Kavalla, Philippi, Meteora,

34 Messenger Marcli 1991

Delphi, Mycenae, Corinth, Athens, Dr, Strobe (professor,
Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies) will present seven
lectures on biblical events and background. Departure; Oct,
1 6, 1 991 , fr. JFK, Retum; Oct. 25. $1 798 plus $1 25 for fees.
Early registration discounts available. Inclds. round trip
airfare, first-class accommodations, much more. For bro-
chure, contact; Pastor Hall, 421 Fourth Street, Shenan-
doah, VA 22849. Tel. (703) 652-8029.

TRAVEL-Annual Conference. A/C coach tour to Annual
Conference, Portland, Visit Bethany Sem„ Elgin hdqtrs.
Hear Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City, Return
rte. via Victoria, Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise. Write J.
Kenneth Kreider, 1300 Sheatfer Rd, Elizabethtown, PA
17022.

TRAVEL-With a purpose with Wendell and Joan Bohrer to
Alaska following Annual Conference this year. Beginning
July 9 in Portland. For information concerning this cruise/
tour write; Wendell and Joan Bohrer, 8520 Royal Meadow
Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46217, Tel, (317) 882-5067,

TRAVEL- You are invited to join Host Wayne F, Geisert,
President, Bridgewater College, on tour to exotic orient.
Tour includes Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong
Kong (Jul, 8-22, 1991), Departure via San Francisco imme-
diately following 1991 Annual Conference, Portland, Inclu-
sive price $3,290 per person (dbl, occupancy) 15-day
adventure includes American breakfast each day, and one
special dinner and cultural performance as well as local
tours in four major cities. Economical air connections to San
Francisco fr, Portland, Ore,; Washington, D,C,; other points

can be arranged. For additional info, contact Dr, W,
Geisert, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA 22812, Ti
(703) 828-3362; Fax (703) 828-2160; or Ms, Jacque Wo(
Halpern, Turner Travel, (800) 542-2029,

SINGLES-Are you lonely? Maybe Crossroads can help yt
too. Some of the couples who have met their mat(
through us include a nurse and a minister, a teacher and
carpenter, and a widow and a farmer. Other clients a
meeting friends who share their interests. Some are si
waiting to meet the right one. Perhaps they are lookir
for you. How will you find out if you don't join? F
information write to Crossroads, Box 32, N, Tonawand
NY 14120.

INVITATION-lf you or someone you love moves to or visi
Los Angeles, tour Crystal Cathedral and Disneyland b
worship in exciting church-the Panorama City Church
the Brethren, 14517 Osborne, near Van Nuys and Nordo
Panorama City Church has congregations in 4 language
In English-language congregation (9:30 a,m,) are Korea
Hispanic, Indian, White and African Americans, Truly urb£
church with strong Brethren values. Small and growin
Contact Wayne Zunkel, 15843 Blackhawk, Granada Hill
CA91344, Tel, (818)891-2231,

INVITATION-ln Atlanta, Ga„ join Faithful Servant Churcl
of the Brethren for 10 a,m, church school and 11 a.r
worship at Shoney's Inn at intersection of Indian Trail an
1-85 North, exit 38, Norcross. Contact John and Debb;
Hammer, 5584 Wilmer Dr., Norcross, GA 30092, Tel. {W
448-9092.

lew
lembers

7 help us compile thisfealure,
riodically send us a list of new
embers of your congregation,
tst give names of new members
id the congregation. Send to
ESSENGER. Turning Points. 1451
mdee Ave.. Elgin. IL 60120.

rcadia, S/C Ind.: Mildred
Deaver

;achdale, W. Pa.: Timothy
Sanner, Diana Sanner, Tina
Knopsnyder, Harry G.
Watkins

radford, S. Ohio: Milte &
Debbie Erbaugh. Larry &
Diana Beck, Samuel
Christophel. Steve & Debbie
Ganger, Susan Ganger, Mary
Jane Sargent

JSh Creek, Mid-Atl.: Joseph
Jardine, Michelle Jardine,
Kevin Brunner, Larry, Chris,
and Mickey Greene. Larry
Summers. Janeice Summers.
Gary Weller. Lou Gloyd

mdo, N. Plains: Tanya Raddohl,
Travis Shock

!dar Lake, N. Ind.: Karen
Farlow. Jim Farlow, Curry
Harding. Jack Harding,
Roland Harding. Amanda
Wells. Jaime Wells, Jim Wells,
Rozzy Wells

irist Our Shepherd, S/C Ind.:
Marsha Anderson, David
Anderson. Donald, Connie,
Donald Jr., Jason, Steven. &
Thomas McQueen

'erett, M. Pa.: Christopher
Barley, Fern Rose, Duane
Bowman, Tiffany Defibaugh,
Amy England. Barry Han-
man. Alicia Hunt, Jessica
Hunt. Brenda Kay Claycomb,
Richard Morgart, Judy
Morgan, Mary Ellen Morral

lirview, Mid-Atl.: Terri Lynn
Gadow

lirview, Virlina: Alvin &
Dorothy Mitchell

llowship, Mid-Atl.: Lesley
Mason. Jesse Ruppenthal,
G. W. Stocker, Crystal, Tanya,
James Sr., & Doris Shade

rsl-Rockford. Ill.AVis.: Mark
Beesley, Sharon Shipp
Beesley, Edwin Okeson,
Debbie Ritchey

■een Tree, Atl. N.E.: Damon
Grier, Michael & Lori Lantzy,
Patricia May, Charles &
Cynthia Mordan, Stephen
Washko. Sara Stiles

-eenmount, Shen.: Karen &
Robby Burke, Linda Buston,
Ricky Dove, Polly Frye, Lois
Hisey, Jeremy Houts,
Shannon Mongold, Jeanette &
Jennifer Morris

mover, S. Pa.: Peggy Fiorello,
Michael Hippensteel, Theresa
Hippensleel, Maciah Bair,
Keri Yinger, Mary Wilson,
Carl Elliott, Nettie Elliott

y Farms, Virlina: Michael
Nelson, Elizabeth Nelson,
Tamra Jones, Jerry Furr, Rita
Furr, Lenora Richardson

nnersvilie, Atl. N.E.: Ronald
MuUins, Brooke MuUins

Leamersviile, M. Pa.: Agnes Sell
Smith. Debbie Regets

Lima, N. Ohio: Diane Crider,
Renee Looker

Loon Creek, S/C Ind.: Stacy
Fouts, Jan Smith

Midland, Mid-Atl.: Adam
Coffman, Kyle Wilkison.
Barbara Wilkison

Mohler, Atl. N.E.: David
Sprenkle, Dory Sprenkle

Nappanee, N. Ind.: Tim Wentz,
Dan Widmoyer

New Carlisle, S. Ohio; Dan
Sprinkle, Wava Davidson,
Mary Mantel, Doug Shroyer,
Evelyn Shroyer

Nokesville, Mid-Atl.: Edwin Neff.
Kathleen Neff, Deborah
Edenhan, Rebecca Earhan,
Saffan Andolsun, Janet
Graham, Patricia Hall,
Kimberly Kenner, Keith
Long, Catherine Long

Northview, S/C Ind.: John Leinin-
ger, Delia Gonzalez-Huffman

Paradise, N. Ohio: Hilda

Kauffman, Adam Wengerd,
Bethany Hochstetler, Jessica
Snyder, Alice Evans.
Stephanie Evans, Edna Lopez,
Doyle Rudy

Pasadena, Pac. S.W.: Jennifer
Passamano, Sarah Passamano

Peace Valley, S. Mo./Ark.: Louis
Jackson, Roger Jackson. Jr.,
Bronwen Madden, Benha
Miller, Matthew Norsworthy,
Jane Reno, Jennipher
Simmons

Rummel, W. Pa.: Richard Wirick,
James, Beverly, and Julia
Huskins. Randy Statler,
Connie Statler

Scalp Level, W. Pa.: Christopher
Fuska, Sabrina Gladis,
Raymond Crawford, Marcie
Thomas, Kelly Gordon, Todd
Shaffer, James Weaver,
Charlene Weaver, Melissa
Deyarmin, David Patterson

Uniontown, W. Pa.: Les & Lois
Shallenberger

Wakarusa, N. Ind.: Brandon
Tom, Melody Cunningham,
Lulu Hoffer

Wakemans Grove, Shen.:
Jennifer Baker. Dina Fix.
David Robbins, Valerie
Robbins, Lisa Wells, Chris
Lutz, Angela Haycock, Phyllis
Smith, Kristi Miller

West Goshen, N. Ind.: Jennifer
Sherman. Bridget Keil. Abby
Whirledge, Carol & Jonathon
Millard, Erma Searls. Nancy
Elliott, Donald & Emma Mae
Bates, Lester & Rebecca Fike,
Kenneth & Leona Holderread,
Joseph Lidy

White Oak, Atl. N.E.: Amy
Becker, Laura Hershey, John
Stauffer

Woodbury, M. Pa.: Jessica Lyn
Appleman, Jason Banon,
Deliah Kennedy

Licensing/
Ordination

Bustillo, Luis M., ordained Nov.
10, 1990, La Mision de Jesiis,
Pac. S.W.

Crain, Keith, ordained Sep. 8,
1990, Mill Creek, S.E.

Firestone, Reid A., licensed Nov.
10, 1990, Medina, N. Ohio

Flecke, John B., licensed Nov. 10,
1990, Good Shepherd, Mid-
Atl. '

Hironimus, Bertha, ordained Sep.
22. 1990, Ligonier, W. Pa.

Kingsbury, Tommy D., licensed
Nov. 17, 1990, Mount Airy,
S.E.

Liggett, Julie, ordained Nov. 3,
1990, Northern Colorado, W.
Plains

Wiltschek, Walter J. Jr., licensed
Oct. 18, 1990, York First. S.
Pa.

Pastoral
Placements

Drumeller, Dick, from other
denomination to Independ-
ence, W. Plains

Herbert, Donna, from other
denomination to Good
Shepherd-Bradenton, Atl. S.E.

Kingsbury, Tommy, from secular
to Mount Airy, S.E.

Tijerina, Jacob, from seminary to
Iglesia Evangelica, N. Ind.

Wine, Doug, from secular to
McPherson, W. Plains

Wedding
Anniversaries

Brubaker, Wayne and Betty, Van

Buren, Ind.. 50
Fusselman, Luther and Louise,

Huntington, Ind., 50
Heinbaugh, Ray and Feme, Som-

merset. Pa., 74
Hochstetler, Richard and Irene,

Orrville, Ohio, 50
Kalp, William and Olive,

Rockwood, Pa.,50
Power, Leo and Florence, Ollie,

Iowa, 65
Reid, Dale and Anna, Danville,

Va.. 60
Schrader, Dale and Sylvia,

Waterloo, Iowa, 65
Shever, Darrell and Elda, Moville,

Iowa. 50
Spradling, Ralph and Pauline,

Floyd, Va., 50
Stutzman, Verda and Vernon,

Johnstown, Pa., 50
Worthen, George and Agnes,

Rockford, 111., 60

Deaths

Alexander, Rose, 83. Hagerstown,

Md.. Mar. 7, 1990
Andrew, Barbara, 42, Brush

Valley, Pa., Nov. 25, 1990
Athey, Mae, 95, Boonesboro,

Md., Mar. 6. 1990
Bastin, Orpha, 9 1 , West Plains,

Mo., Oct. 12, 1990
Blackwell, Leonard W., 84, Chris-

tiansburg, Va., Nov. 2, 1990
Bond, Everett A., 83, Kansas City,

Kan., Aug. 9, 1990
Bowers, John, 73, Hagerstown,

Md..Jan. 3, 1990
Bowman, Rhea W.. 89, Bridge-
water, Va., Dec, 7, 1990
Broadwater, Clair, 70, Preston,

Minn., Dec. 20, 1990

Brooks, Nelson, 65, Roanoke,

Va., Dec. 24, 1990
Brubaker, Ethel, 77, Virden, 111.,

Apr. 2, 1990
Buchanan, Ruth, 95, Boonesboro,

Md., Feb. 20. 1990
Burger, Ruth, 66. Perryton, Tex.,

Nov. 23, 1990
Burkett, Almeda, 100, Windber,

Pa, Jan. 29, 1990
Burkhart, Hannah, 84, Cando,

N. D., Dec. 3, 1990
Campbell, Ella, 67, Hagerstown,

Md., Dec. 13, 1990
Cartwright, Veva, 88, Cando,

N. D., May 23, 1990
Coy, Catherine, 75, York, Pa.,

Dec. 12, 1990
Crider, Marguerite, 89, Hagers-
town, Md.. Mar. 13, 1990
Deaver, John, 73, Riverview, Fla.,

Sep. 18, 1990
Deibert, Walter, 89, Williamspon,

Md.,Jun. 5, 1990
Dell, Miriam, 88, McPherson,

Kan., Jan. 4, 1991
Detter, Rachel, 88, La Verne,

Calif.. Dec. 1, 1990
Dietz, Galen, 96, Harper Woods,

Mich., Nov. 21. 1990
Ecklund, Robert O., 62, Windber,

Pa., Aug. 26. 1990
English, Doris, 78, Newport

News, Va., Nov. 15, 1990
Faust, Sadie, 93, Windber, Pa.,

Apr. 3, 1990
Fenstermacher, Cora, 85, Pine

Grove, Pa., Sep. 20, 1990
Fitz, Robert J., 91, New Oxford,

Pa., Oct. 7. 1990
Flory, Lola M., 94, Lawrence,

Kan., Nov. 24, 1990
Francis, John, 50, Elton, Pa., Dec.

16, 1990
Garvick, Ruth, 71, East Berlin,

Pa., Aug. 18, 1990
Gatton, Thomas, 74, Virden, 111.,

May 4, 1990
Gearhart, Carole, 28, Hagers-
town, Md., Sep. 28, 1990
Gibson, Lois, 79, Keota, Iowa,

May 8, 1990
Gilbert, William H., 93, Spindale,

N. C.Nov. 12, 1990
Gilland, Kate. 93, Williamsport,

Md.. May3, 1990
Glenn, Hazel, 81, Virden, 111., Sep.

15, 1990
Gnagey, Vicie, 96, Greenville,

Ohio, Oct. 11, 1990
Godfrey, May, 65, York, Pa., Dec.

11, 1990
Grove, Nora. 91, North English.

Iowa, Jun. 8, 1990
Haller, Arbutus, 91, Hagerstown,

Md.,Jan. 3. 1990
Heid, Eldon, 68, Rockford, 111.,

Nov. 6, 1990
Hershberger, J. Edward, 82, Day-
ton, Ohio, Nov. 13, 1990
Hess, Chester B., 93, Strasburg,

Pa., Oct. 31, 1990
Hinegardner, Jack. 73, Cando, N.

D., Nov. 15. 1990
Hochstetler, Richard, 71, Orrville,

Ohio, Dec. 18. 1990
Hogle, Mae M.. 82, Conrad, Iowa,

Nov. 17, 1990
HufT, Edna, 74, Middletown, Md.,

Nov. 20, 1990
Huston, Phyllis. 53, Covina,

Calif.. Nov. 25, 1990
Hutzell, Austine, 66, Hagerstown,

Md.,Jul. 31, 1990
Hykes, Minnie, 103, Boonesboro,

Md., Feb. 24, 1990

James, Woodrow. 78, Pyrmont,
Ind., Nov. 20. 1990

Johnston, Marie, 74, McPherson,
Kan., Dec. 25, 1990

Kintzel, Alma, 74, Pine Grove,
Pa., Nov. 15. 1990

Lahr, Ernest, 87. Huntington,
Ind., Jul. 8, 1990

Lawyer, Ferres. 62, Hanover, Pa.,
Oct. 31, 1990

Lo Prinzi, Charles, 76, Whiting,
N. J., Sep. 28, 1990

Long, Erma, 75, Virden, 111., Oct.
20, 1990

McAninch, Harold, 58, Union-
town, Pa., Dec. 18, 1990

McCary, Joseph, 79, Hanover,
Pa.," Dec. 5. 1990

Mikesell, Irene, 86, Greenville,
Ohio, Oct. 22, 1990

Myers, Alvin P., 86, Clemmons,
N. C, Sep. 2. 1990

Neher, Edna, 89, Topeka, Kan.,
Jan. 3, 1991

Nelson, Virgil, 85. Newport News,
Va.. Aug. 3, 1990

Nieder, Mabel, 93. Lawrence,
Kan.. Dec. 6. 1990

Petry, Ann. 70, Akron, Ohio,
Dec. 9, 1990

Phibbs. Paul V., 70, Bridgewater,
Va., Dec. 22, 1990

Phillips, William H., 76, Windber,
Pa., Dec. 14, 1990

Rhinehart, Kenneth, 82, Greens-
fork, Ind., Nov. 19, 1990

Rhoades, Chalmer, 84, Green-
ville, Ohio, Nov. 29, 1990

Rosalo, Chester, 7 1 , Virden, 111.,
Sep. 19, 1990

Sawyers, Thelma, 83, Hazel Park,
Mich, Oct. 11, 1990

Sexton, John, 70, Yorktown, Ind.,
Nov. 22, 1990

Shankster, Owen S., 86, Pioneer,
Ohio, Dec. 3, 1990

Shever, Darrell, 74, Moville,
Iowa. Oct. 12. 1990

Smith, Isabel B. 96, Martinsburg.
Pa., Nov. 26. 1990

Sollenberger, Elizabeth, 95, Mar-
tinsburg, Pa.. Dec. 21, 1990

Stanley, Lena, 75, Virden, 111.,
Aug. 28, 1990

Stouffer, Margaret, 87, Williams-
port, Md., May 24, 1990

Swesky, Virgie, 80, Dayton, Ohio,
Nov. 27, 1990

Taylor, Ruth H., 76, McGaheys-
ville. Va., Nov. 23, 1990

Thomas, Frances, 93. Hager-
stown. Md.. Jan. 1, 1990

Troutman, Ray, 64, St. Clair,
Mich., Oct. 8. 1990

Walter, Effie. 81. Hanover. Pa.,
Oct. 24. 1990

Wambaugh, Harold. 83, Pine
Grove, Pa.. Oct. 7. 1990

Weagley. Jessie, 95. New Oxford,
Pa., Oct. 29. 1990

Wentz, Carrie. 96. Johnstown, Pa..
Sep. 1, 1990

Weyant, Benha M., 91, Windber,
Pa.. Dec. 25. 1990

White, Jane, 68, Hagerstown,
Md.. Oct. 29, 1990

Wilt, Chalma, 56. Norwick. N.Y.,

Dec. 15. 1990
Wirth, Pauline. 80. Doylestown,

Ohio, Dec. 23. 1990
Wright, H. Verl, 94, Greenville,

Ohio, Oct. 6, 1990
Wrightsman, Estell, 93, Virden,
III., Apr. 24. 1990

March 1991 Messenger 35

The day the war intruded

The week the war erapted in the Middle East began
for us here as it did for many other Brethren across
the denomination. On the night of January 15
Elgin's Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren
was filled for a solemn candlelight service, open to
the community. Even back in December the church
had held early-morning prayer vigils while peace
groups were visiting the Middle East.

On Wednesday evening, with the war just a
couple of hours old, we got our first calls from
Brethren out in the congregations, wanting to know
what response the General Board staff had to the US
invasion of Iraq.

Thursday was a long day for the Communication
Team as we set aside our usual deadlines and
concentrated on the war. The day began with the
General Offices staff and all employees meeting in
the chapel for a prayer service. Immediately
following that, the Communication Team met and
set things in motion to respond to the press and the
Brethren constituency.

Quickly we gathered with general secretary
Donald Miller, World Ministries executive Roger
Schrock, and peace consultant David Radcliff. We
decided on a threefold strategy— a news release; a
letter from Don Miller; and a two-page piece that
would tell Brethren how to get news, summarize
various Brethren responses to the war, and offer
suggestions for individual and congregational
response.

Everyone then scurried to work stations. Mate-
rial must be gathered, the pieces written, the printers
notified of our need, and address labels requested
from the computer room.

Don Miller, in his letter to congregations, called
on Brethren to "witness again to our conviction that
war is not the answer to this (the war with Iraq) or
any international dispute." He had visited the
Middle East in December with 1 8 other top church
leaders in efforts to pursue peace. In recent days and
weeks, he had signed several ecumenical appeals to
President Bush that urged continued dialog and
other nonviolent efforts to resolve the crisis.

We hastily assembled news developments (see
page 7): On the day the war began, Brethren
Cooperative Disaster Child Care had agreed to a
State Department request to provide volunteers for a
center in Fort Lewis, Wash., to care for children of
military personnel recovering from war injuries.

For persons from the Middle East displaced by

36 Messenger March 1991

war, the US government had made plans for "mass
service centers" offering transitional care for up to a
million people. On January 15, Donna Derr, director
of Brethren Refugee/Disaster Services, had arranged
with the State Department and the Red Cross to
render such services as transportation and immigra-
tion counseling at two of the centers.

To get up-to-date information on the war and the
Brethren response. Brethren were instructed to call
Church of the Brethren "Newsline"-(301) 635-
8738— for a three-minute recorded news message
prepared by our Communication Team. Already in
place was the Church of the Brethren "computer
bulletin board" (Cobweb), carrying transcriptions of
the "Newsline" telephone messages, information on
conscientious objection, updates on Brethren
responses to the war, and other material related to
the Middle East crisis.

Brethren youth and young adults wanting
information on conscientious objection to war were
asked to contact the Church of the Brethren peace
consultant, David Radcliff.

Brethren Volunteer Service had applied to
Selective Service to be designated as an employing
agency for persons doing alternative service in lieu
of military induction, should the draft resume.

Other information that we sent to congregations
included a call to interfaith dialog among Muslims,
Jews, and Christians; a caution to seek alternative
news sources to the media usually turned to, in order
to get a balanced view of the Middle East situation;
to pray for peace; and to find effective ways to
publicize the Church of the Brethren peace stance
(one church already has run a half-page newspaper
ad, stating a peace message).

• y the end of the working day on Thursday, our
news release had been faxed, and our printer had run
the other pieces. Volunteers would stuff all the
material into envelopes the next day for mailing.

On Friday we returned to our neglected dead-
lines. But our minds were still on the war and our
hearts were heavy for those with family members in
the armed forces and for our brothers and sisters in
the Middle East caught up in a conflict beyond their
control. Our hope was that we had adequately done
our part to support Brethren peacemakers who need
to know what their denomination was doing in
response to the war.— K.T.

1991 Youth
Vl/orkcamps

le 1991 youth theme is "Committed for Life,
eadytoServe."Je$u$ commanded us to serve
ie mother as part of our faith when he washed
|e disciples' feet at the Last Supper,
orkcamps give youth an opportunity to
]>lore timely issues from a Christian perspecthre
d put their faith into action.

le National Youth Office is sponsoring seven workeamps for high school aged youth during the
mmer of 1991:

Reynosa, Mexico

June 8-1S

Brooklyn, New York

June 17-23

Tijuana, Mexico

June 22-29

Manchester, Kentucky

July 14-20

Putney, Vermont

July 22-28

Miami, Florida

uly 29-Augu$t 4

Moorefield, IVett Virginia

Augutt 5-11

For

more information contact:
Rhonda IC Pittman

1991 Youth Workcamp Coordinator

1451 Dundee Avenue

Elgin, IL 60120

708-742-5100

Plan now to attend a youth workcamp this summer.

JllMI^VL^iMU

O To Christian Ministry

O To Congregational Leadership

O To Peacemaking & Service

O To Provide Financial Support

O To Study Scripture

O To Encourage Others

O To Upbuild the Church of the Brethren

Dear Friends,

Bethany has taken a bold new initia-
tive in response to the leadership needs
of our denomination. Beginning with
1991-92, all Church of the Brethren
M.Div., M.A.Th. and TRIM students will
be eligible for a fiiU tuition scholarship.
We trust the new program will:

a) make a seminary education access-
ible to all;

b) encourage persons who have not
thought of ministry;

c) keep educational debt manageable.

We need the support of the church. We need you to call quality per-
sons to ministry. We need you to financially underwrite this program,
Please write or call for details regarding this new partnership in minn
istry training.

In God's Love,

John J. Cassel

Dean of Students

Bethany Theological Seminary

OdL, J C^jJ

Bethany Theological Seminary

MEYERS AND BUTTERFIELD ROADS
OAIfBROOK, ILLINOIS 60521

708/620-2200

Church of the Brethren April 1991

'An hour is coming when those

who kill you will think that by

doing so they are offering

worship to God.'

-John 16:2

Fromllii'Ediff

AnisI Jan Lu\ken

For this history aficionado, putting together the cluster of
articles (pages 20-33) on Brethren and their faith was a lot of
fun. I love to run downstairs to the Brethren Historical Library
and Archives and root through old magazines and books in
search of source material and graphics to illustrate the stories.
On this assignment, however, some of the
graphics were more ""graphic" than I care to see.
Martyrs Mirror illustrations leave little to the
imagination. In fact, as I selected those to use
in Messenger, I was careful to spare the readers
the more gruesome scenes.

Who was the artist who etched the 104
martyrdom scenes that appeared in the 1685
edition of Martyrs Mirror?

Jan Luyken (1649-1712) was an important
Dutch printmaker, much in the tradition of
Rembrandt, who preceded him. He designed over
3,000 copper plates to illustrate histories. Bibles,
and his 1 1 books of religious verse. The fifth
child of a humble, devout Amsterdam couple,
Luyken experienced conversion at age 26 and his art thereafter
reflected his new faith.

Luyken illustrated more than 500 books in his lifetime and
spent his final years quietly working in his printmaker's studio,
living simply, helping the poor, and providing spiritual aid to
friends and strangers. Of his art, he remarked humbly, "It serves
me only as a staff to sojourn in the present country."

As I explain in my foreword for the cluster, on page 20, the
"Brethren and Their Faith" articles are presented in the hope
that they will help readers more readily answer those who ask,
""So, what's different about the Brethren?"

April 19?

^IjUlMt^i^ uA(S^

COMING NEXT MONTH: Annual Conference preview, photos
of Portland, and articles on New Church Development.

Editor

Kermon Thomasson

Managing editor

Wendy Chamberlain McFadden

Editorial assistants

Cheryl Cayford, Karla Boyers

Production, Advertising

Sue Radcliff

Subscriptions

Norma Nieto, Martha Cupp

Promotion

Kenneth L. Gibble

Publisher

Dale E. Minnich

District Messenger representatives;

Atlantic Northeast. Ron Lutz; Atlantic
Southeast, Ruby Raymer; Illinois/Wiscon;
Fletcher Farrar Jr.; Northern Indiana, Leoi
Holderread: South/Central Indiana, Lois E
Michigan. Marie Willoughby; Mid-Atlant
Ann Fouts; Missouri, Mary Greim; Mis-
souri/Southern Arkansas, Mary McGowai
Norlhem Plains. Pauline Flory; Nonhem
Ohio. Sherry Sampson; Southern Ohio,
Shirley Petry; OregonAVashington.
Marguerite Shamberger; Pacific Southwe?,
Randy Miller; Middle Pennsylvania. Pegg
Over; Southern Pennsylvania, Elmer Q. i
Gleim; Western Pennsylvania, Jay Christr;
Shenandoah. Jerry Brunk; Virlina. Mike
Gilmore; Western Plains. Dean Hummer; '
West Marva, Winoma Spurgeon.

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[n Touch 2
Close to Home
News 6
Worldwide 9
Poetry 18
!)tepping Stones
Letters 36
Pontius' Puddle
Furning Points
Editorial 40

37
39

;)redits:

I^over, 30-31, 33: Martyrs Mirror
I photo: Brotherstone Publishers
I art: Christopher Raschka
! top: Richard Gwin

I top: Alan Brown

5 right: McPherson College

): Karen S. Carter

1: R. Jan Thompson

'i top, 1 1 top, center; Kermon

Thomasson
^: Roger Schrock
10: Photographer's Comer and Framery

I I bottom, 28, 32: Brethren Historical
I Library and Archives

12-13: Pablo Stone
14-17, 19: Phil Grout

Pilgrim on a perilous road 10 /

China's Pastor Yin Ji Zeng clearly is a "survivor," having
weathered many storms in his journey as a Christian.
Special Report by Cheryl Cayford.

Food for the hungry 12

"Don't send us food," the Los Toros people told the Breth-
ren. Karla Boyers describes the better gift sent instead.

A people hungry for the gospel 14

Photos taken by Phil Grout in the Dominican Republic show
a people filled with spirituality and inured to hardships.

A time for prophets and pastors 1 8

David Radcliff reminds us that we can witness against a war
and still show compassion toward people caught up in it.

The faith that saves 20

Galen Hackman explores James, a book that Brethren
consider basic to their principle of a faith bonded by works.

No creed but the New Testament? 24

Richard B. Gardner says that our popular Brethren slogan
"No creed but the New Testament" has much to teach us
about the faith we confess and the way we confess it.

Truths not so self-evident 26

Paul W. Keller uses the story of Michael Wohlfahrt and
Benjamin Franklin to encourage us to hold on to our Brethren
tradition as "dissenters from certainty."

Remembering our martyrs 30

Hated by Protestants and Catholics alike, and bent on
reforming the church, many early Anabaptists paid for their
faith the price of martyrdom. Kermon Thomasson reviews a
perilous chapter in the story of our spiritual forebears.

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Page 30

April 1991 Messenger 1

Consider this ant

James H. Lehman, a

member of Highland Avenue
Church of the Brethren, in
Elgin, 111., has been known
more than 15 years for his
scholarly works such as The
Old Brethren, church school
curriculum, audiovisuals on

providing clever illustrations
that make the reader say,
"Yes, that's just the way
■Shaky' must have looked."

Why a children's book
from this author? "1 felt the
children's book industry was
expanding and would be a
good place to break in,"
explains Jim, who is his own

"In Touch" profiles Brethren we
would like you to meet. Send
story ideas and photos (black
and white, if possible! to "In
Touch." Messenger, 1451
Dundee Ave.. Elgin. IL 60120.

denominational program, and
studies on higher education
and evangelism. Sober and
serious stuff, and Jim is
obviously no sluggard. •

But now he's wised up, *
having gone to an ant and
considered its ways. He's
come out with a children's
book, called The Saga of
Shakespeare Pintlewood and
the Great Silver Fountain
Pen.

"Shaky" is no ordinary
ant. He sees things the way
little girls and boys do. He
wants to write stories about
what he sees. There follows a
heroic struggle to use a huge
fountain pen. resulting in
Shakespeare Pintlewood
becoming a literary giant.

Artist Christopher Raschka
plays A. B. Frost to Jim's
Joel Chandler Harris,

publisher— Brotherstone
Press. Proof that he's serious
about his new venture, Jim is

soon to publish a second
children's book. The Owl and
the Tuba, also illustrated by

Christopher Raschka.

Ants and owls are symbols
of wisdom. Was it mere
serendipity that they are the
heroes of Jim's first two
books in his children's
series? Perhaps, but there
just may be something going
on here.

Coming out in the wash

In our January story on Earl
Heckman ("Not all Washed
up"), we erred in saying that
he had worked through
Brethren Volunteer Service.
Points out Eleanor Rowe,
director of personnel at the
New Windsor Service Center,
"In fact Earl did not come to
New Windsor through BVS
but by direct negotiation."

Our apologies. Meanwhile
Earl is on a new project,
doing remodeling work at the
General Offices of the
denomination, in Elgin, III.

What earthly good is it?

Carine Ullom is committed
to minimizing her impact on
the earth. While in Germany
as a Fulbright scholar, this
member of the Wiley (Colo.)
Church of the Brethren joined
Robin Wood, a European
awareness group working to
save trees. "I strove to
understand environmental
issues," says Carine. "But
the more I learned, the more
frustrated I felt."

Last fall Carine (now a
student at the University of
Kansas) joined three other
concerned persons who had
decided on Earth Day, April
22, 1990, to organize a store
selling environmentally

2 Messenger April 1991

'^«

Carine Ullom (right) and a partner. Sue Dalton. stock their
shop shelves with environmentally responsible items.

responsible items. In Decem-
ber the Simple Goods
General Store opened in
Lawrence.

The store offers such
products as "100 percent
post-consumer" recycled
paper, "Earth Lights"—
energy-saving light bulbs,
and "transparent cellulose
food bags" to replace plastic
freezer storage bags— made of
plant fiber and 100 percent
biodegradable. Other "simple
goods" are cotton shower
curtains, reclaimed motor oil,
insulated window coverings,
reflector shades, and items
sold in bulk to avoid unneces-
sary packaging. But the
"hottest" item of Simple
Goods is its solar-powered
battery charger. Just put your
old batteries in the unit, set it
in sunlight, and the photo-
voltaic cells in the unit
generate the electricity to
recharge the batteries.

Community education is
one of the store's goals. A
rocking chair in the resource
center encourages customers
to sit and read up on environ-
mental issues.

The goods are simple and
so is the concept: Use only
those things that aren't
injurious to the environment.

Let's hope Carine and her
kind have a maximum impact
on humanity if not on the
earth.-lRENE S. REYNOLDS

Centenarian cowboy

Milton Lohr, of the

Hooversville (Pa.) Church
of the Brethren, turns 100
April 20. His congregation
will celebrate the event, as it
did his 99th birthday, when
the Pennsylvania Senate pre-
sented him with a citation as
one who "exemplifies the

Milton Lohr dandles a great-
great grandson.

finest virtues of American
life."

Milton's most memorable
experien'ce occurred shortly
after World War 11, when he
served as a "sea-going
cowboy" with Brethren
Service, caring for heifers
being shipped to Poland to
replace animals destroyed in
the war. The Brethren Service
workers served through
UNRRA (United Nations
Relief and Rehabilitation
Administration).

Remembered

Fritz Eichenberg. print-
maker and illustrator of 19th-
century classics, has died at
age 89. The gentle Quaker
artist, who emigrated from

Eichenhero' s "Peaceable Kingdom"

Germany to the USA in 1933,
illustrated such works as
Dostoevski's The Brothers
KaramazoY. Brethren ap-
preciated him for his prints
carrying the theme of peace.

Names in the news

Katie Yelinek. an 1 1 -year-
old member of the Waynes-
boro (Pa.) Church of the
Brethren, had a poem. "Birds
of Prey," published in the
February issue of Wildbird
magazine. It was her first
published work.

Sarah Kinsel, a 12-year-
old member of the Beaver-

creek (Ohio) Church of the
Brethren, sent MESSENGER a
poem she wrote out of
concern for the killing going
on in the Middle East War.
One verse of her poem reads
"You say this land
is worth fighting
for.
But I care about the
people more."

Harlan Brooks, of
Hemdon. Va., has written an
autobiographical work. Call
to India. He and his wife.
Ruth, were Church of the
Brethren missionaries to
India, 1924-1960.

Harry Coffman, a
member of the Uniontown
(Pa.) Church of the Brethren,
was named 1990-1991
"Educator of the Year" by
the Uniontown Area Cham-
ber of Commerce Education
Council. Harr>' has been a
school principal in Union-
town for 21 years.

Lowell Zuck, of St. Louis,
Mo., has been installed as the
first United Church professor
of theology and histor>' at
Eden Theological Seminary,
in St. Louis. He has taught at
Eden since 1955.

Eloise and Eugene Lichty,
members of the McPherson
(Kan.) Church of the Breth-
ren, have begun a two-year
stint of Brethren Volunteer
Service as directors of the
World Friendship Center in
Hiroshima. Japan. The center,
established in 1965, is
committed to building lasting
peace based on international
friendship and to supporting
the atomic bomb survivors in
Hiroshima. Starting with
Brethren Service in Italy in
1946-1947, the Lichtys have
been active through the
years in f>eace, community,
church, and social justice or-
ganizations.

April 1991 Messengers

Kids breaking up stuff

These kids break up every-
thing they get their hands on!

The "King's Kids"
Sunday school class at
Parker Ford (Pa.) Church of
the Brethren collected and
sold 20 tons of glass over the
past two years, learning the
recycling habit and earning

$750 from its work.

Are the "King's Kids"
resting on their laurels now?
No! They are resting, instead,
on new velour-covered pew
cushions bought for their
church with their earnings.

Over the years, the class
had used the recycling
earnings to buy Christmas
gifts and food baskets for the

Above: The ' 'King's Kids." Front: Teacher Rose Ella
Latshaw. David Weaver. Nevin Kramer. Tammy Yeager. Becky
Romig. Christina Ewing. Back: Joel Romig, Laurel Kramer,
Kristi Gehris. Michele Ewing, Tim Doering.

' Close to Home' ' highlights
neiis of congregations, districts,
colleges, homes, and other local and
regional life. Send story ideas and
photos (Mack and white, if possible)
to "Close to Home." Messenger,
1451 Dundee Ave.. Elgin. IL 60120.

Freedom singing

The third annual "Sing Out
Against Apartheid" was
sponsored by the Church of
the Brethren South African
Network and Synapses, a
Chicago-based justice and
spirituality organization. The
event is held each year on
Martin Luther King Jr.'s
birthday and staged outside
the South Africa Consulate in
Chicago.

Among the participants
were the youth choir from
Chicago First Church of the
Brethren, Douglas Park
Church of the Brethren
members, Chicago-based
Brethren Volunteer Service
workers, several Bethany
Seminary students, and the
195th Brethren Volunteer
Service orientation unit.

Below: Apartheid protesters
from Douglas Park Church
of the Brethren Steve
Aldridge, pastor Jack
Eairweather, Emily Harris,
and Carol Aldridge.

needy, to hold socials for
senior citizens, and to provide
blankets for disaster relief.
This time around, the kids
decided they would do some-
thing closer to home. So the
Parker Ford congregation is
now sitting pretty and the
"King's Kids" fundraisers
are r'aring to go on a new
project.

Dismantling a wall

The third annual service
marking Martin Luther King
Jr.'s birthday was held at
Woodberry Church of the
Brethren, in Baltimore, Md.
Noteworthy in the gathering
was the integrated character
of the participants, which
would have gladdened the
heart of the civil rights
leader. Many people came
from two largely black
Catholic churches, and others
came from several largely
white United Methodist
churches.

"Things like this take
down some of the walls,"
reflected Helen Downs, a
Woodberry member.

4 Messenger April 1991

Who's got the quilts?

Rachel Weybright, of the
Association for the Arts in
the Church of the Brethren

(AACB), is in a bind. AACB
is celebrating its 20th
anniversary this summer at
Annual Conference and
wants to display quilts from
each Conference since its
first quilting bee in 1974.
Problem is, AACB doesn't
have a record of who bought
the quilts for 1975 and 1976,
and those quilts are needed to
complete the exhibit.

The quilts didn't have the
date embroidered on them,
but can be identified by the
Conference logo— 1975: "All
Creation Awaits" and 1976:
"Set Free to Serve." The
owners of those quilts should
contact Rachel Weybright,
13394 County Road 48,
Syracuse, IN 46567. Tel.
(219) 642-4675.

Land of the rising sun

J. Calvin Bright, pastor of the
East Dayton (Ohio) Church
of the Brethren, is chairman
of the board and senior board
member of Sun Rise Multi-
purpose Center, a 22-year-old
agency he helped found to aid
the needy of Dayton.

Sun Rise works to "move
folks from dependency to
independence, from lack of
self-esteem to a sense of self-
worth, from exploitation to
power," according to Calvin.

Some 3,000 people are
coming through the Sun Rise
doors to get help from the
whole gamut of social
services provided by the
several agencies under Sun
Rise's umbrella.

One secret to Sun Rise's

success: The center is funded
by the county and city com-
missioners and even receives
federal money.

Signing the pledge

In December 1989. 142
people in the Mount Pleas-
ant Church of the Brethren,
in North Canton, Ohio,
signed a pledge to read the
Bible during the coming year.

This past January, 54
certificates and ribbons were
awarded to those who plowed
through the entire Bible.
Special recognition was

Bible literates Amanda
Workinger and Jessica Toth.

given to Amanda Workinger
and Jessica Toth, 13-year-
olds— the youngest members
among the finishers.

Home, sweet home

Ralph Carujo and Madeline
Diaz and their seven children
had a home this past winter,
thanks to 35 volunteers from
the Hempfield Church of the
Brethren, East Petersburg, Pa.

The Hempfield folks
renovated a badly run-down
house in Lancaster owned by

the Water Street Rescue
Mission, which leased the
house to the needy Carujo
and Diaz family for 25
percent of its net income.
Hempfield also donated
$4,000 worth of materials.

Campus comments

The business newspaper
Investor's Daily highlighted
the University of La Verne
as a school whose "come-
back has a lesson for manag-
ers." The school's centennial
fundraising campaign had
collected $1 1.3 million at the
time the article was published
and was way ahead of its
goal.

Mubarak E. Awad, founder
and director-in-exile of the
Jerusalem-based Palestinian
Center for the Study of Non-
violence, was Bridgewater
College's Glen Weimer
Lecturer in December.

"Amish Culture in
Transition" was the topic of
a lecture series at Elizabeth-
town College February 19-
March 26. Complementary to
the series is an exhibit of Old
Order Amish art at the
Bucher Meetinghouse.

An exhibit of memorabilia.
"Martin Luther King Jr.,
Peacemaker," was on display
at Manchester College
throughout February.
Manchester's "Church as
Peacemaker" conference is
being held April 6-8. A report
on it will be in the July
Messenger.

Elizabethtown College
held a "teach-in" in January
on the Persian Gulf crisis and
options for response and
action. A prayer vigil
followed. The college also
issued a statement on the

Gulf crisis, reaffirming
Elizabethtown's peace
heritage through its Church
of the Brethren founding.
A chapter of Habitat for
Humanity has been formed at
McPherson College. Each
Saturday, student volunteers

McPherson campus minister
David Valeta and students
Tahnee Carlson and Bret

Bowman install insulation.

for Habitat work on construc-
tion projects in the town to
help persons who otherwise
could not afford adequate
living quarters.

Milestones

Jones Chapel congregation,
near Martinsville, Va.,
celebrates its 50th anniver-
sary April 7, with Western
Pennsylvania district execu-
tive Ron Beachley (former
Jones Chapel pastor) as the
main speaker.

West York congregation,
York, Pa., will celebrate its
25th anniversary May 2-5.
Speakers include Southern
Pennsylvania district execu-
tive Warren Eshbach and
former Annual Conference
moderator William A. Hayes.

April 1991 Messengers

Brethren campuses
respond to war

From Bridgewater College to the
University of La Verne, students and
faculty are finding a variety of ways to
both protest US involvement in the Gulf
and to show support for the troops in
action, recognizing mixed feelings on
campus.

Manchester, Ind., president William
Robinson expressed opposition to the
war while appealing for listening skills
and mutual understanding. A student
peace group struggled with how to
respond to a planned "victory rally,"
choosing a silent witness to express a
difference of opinion while preserving
others' freedom of speech.
University of La Verne (Calif.) vigils

Elizabethtown and Juniata College students and professors joined Brethren from
Pennsylvania, Virginia, and other areas at a January 26 march for peace in Wash-
ington, D.C. Press reports said 75,000 were there; organizers counted up to 250,000.

At Bridgewater (Va.) College on
January 23 a peace fellowship commit-
tee held a morning peace demonstration.
That afternoon, students held a "pro-
America" rally and made a video to
send to troops stationed in Saudi Arabia.

On the Elizabethtown (Pa.) College
campus, weekly informal "gulf talks"
are held in dormitories. On Thursday
nights, a support group meets for those
with family and friends in the US armed
forces in the Middle East.

David Valeta, campus minister at
McPherson (Kan.) College where
students vigil for peace regularly in the
community, said the college itself has
not issued an official position but is
"trying to allow freedoms of expression
for all sides."

At Manchester College in North

6 Messenger April 1991

have included participants on both sides
of the war debate. A number of faculty
panel assemblies held on campus have
aimed to open dialog on the war and
related issues, as has a political ethics
class devoted to looking at cultural,
political, and historical aspects of the
war.

At Bethany Seminary in Oak Brook,
111., a seminar exploring different faith
perspectives on peace was opened to the
larger community. Chimes sound across
campus to remind students to stop and
pray.

David Satterlee, campus minister at
Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., said
discussion on campus has been ongoing.
Before the war, there were "positive
feelings that peace would come," said
Satterlee. "Now there is more silence

.... more prayers for mercy and for-
giveness, and for people caught in the
cross-fire."— Karla Boyers

Pamphlet tells how to help
children cope with war

The Cooperative Disaster Child Care
Program is providing advice on how to
understand children's wartime fears.

"When Children Ask About War"— a i
pamphlet by director Lydia Walker— [
gives ways to respond to children's |
questions, pain, and confusion resulting >
from war, including the separation from [:
or death of a family member. Order fron|
Cooperative Disaster Child Care, New
Windsor Service Center, Box 188, New
Windsor, MD 2 1 776; (30 1 ) 635-8734.

Church gives $20,000 in aid
for war-displaced people '

An Emergency Disaster Fund grant of
$20,000 will help meet needs of Middle
Easterners affected by the Gulf war.
Reports estimate that 1 .4 million
people may flee to Jordan, Syria,
Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, and Bahrain,
among other areas. The Ecumenical i
Relief Service of the Middle East
Council of Churches (which handles
funds donated through Church World
Service) anticipates heavy costs in food >j
distribution, medical supplies, and ■

material aid. Plans include transforming '
family centers currently giving preven-
tive health care into emergency clinics.
It is anticipated that grants or loans of ;
about $400 per displaced family will be
given for transportation and provisional
settlement.

Historic peace churches,
FOR make declaration

A statement by the "historic peace
churches" and the Fellowship of
Reconciliation (FOR) has been pub-

shed as a book, A Declaration on
'eace: In God's People the World s
'enewal Has Begun. A group of
lennonites, Friends, and Brethren
aveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to
resent the book to World Council of
!hurches head Emilio Castro and to
egin a dialog on the statement.
"Is loyalty to Jesus Christ compatible
Axh participation in war? We believe
lat it is not," state authors Douglas
rwyn, George Hunsinger, Eugene F.
loop, and John Howard Yoder. The
ook focuses on the people of God as "a
ving parable of the new creation" and
icludes a short history of peace church-
OR cooperation. Contact Herald Press,
cottdale, PA 15683.

Discernment committee'
lamed for Korea worl(

L committee has been named to help
iscem "what the shape of the Church
f the Brethren mission will be in
[orea," reported David Radcliff,
ieneral Board staff for Korea.

The group has taken as its mandate the
jinual Conference directives to
stablish a relationship with the Korean
Evangelical Church and to plant the
!hurch of the Brethren in Korea,
ladcliff said. Serving with him on the
ommittee are Joan Hershey, General
loard chairwoman; Irven Stem, Pacific
outhwest District co-executive; John
ark, pastor of the Central Evangelical
Church of the Brethren, a Korean
ongregation in Los Angeles; Abe Park,
Korean Brethren pastor from Laguna
liguel, Calif.; and Shin II Jo, pastor of
le new Korean Brethren fellowship in
'hiladelphia.

"We can't map out in advance how
lis will shape up," Radcliff said. "My
wn concern is that we be open to God's
jading" and to the possibility that some
doors may be closed to us," he said.

The committee will decide who to
ontact in Korea and will consider
ifferent models for establishing the
hurch, Radcliff said. The group hopes
3 make a trip to Korea by mid-June and

will sponsor an insight session at Annual
Conference in July. A recommendation
on how to proceed in Korea may be
made to the General Board in the fall.

Globai warming is topic
of churcli consultation

Representatives of North American and
European churches met in Gwatt,
Switzerland, in January to discuss
measures pushing for international
efforts to reduce "greenhouse gas"
emissions.

The International Ecumenical Consul-
tation on the Responsibility of the
Churches for the Protection of the
Earth's Atmosphere gathered 80 persons
from 18 northern industrialized nations.
Shantilal Bhagat, General Board staff for
eco-justice and rural concerns, was one
of nine US delegates.

The meeting proposed that industrial-
ized nations reduce carbon dioxide
emissions by three percent annually. The
US delegates call on churches to give a
high priority to climate change problems
and urge the US government to support
targeted reductions.

Over $90,000 given
for disaster relief

A final grant of $40,000 was given
through the Emergency Disaster Fund to
cover costs of closing work on Hurricane
Hugo rebuilding projects.

An allocation of $12,000 was given to
purchase food and medicine for children
and disabled persons in Romania.

Refugees get water
jugs, drinking cups,
and charcoal at a
camp set up after
authorities destroyed
a camp near Khar-
toum, Sudan. Breth-
ren staff R. Jan
Thompson says the
Sudan Council of
Churches has no food
to give there because
donors do not want to
encourage displacing
other camps.

A grant of $10,000 was given in
response to food needs in the Soviet
Union.

To help provide food in an airlift to
250,000 Sudanese trapped in the
government-held garrison town of Juba,
surrounded by rebel-held territory, an
EDF grant of $10,000 was given.

In response to November's severe
flooding in Washington state, $10,000
was given for Snohomish county— one of
three counties hardest hit by the disaster.

A total of $3,279.47 went to cover
training costs of Brethren coordinators
and workers in the Cooperative Disaster
Child Care program.

The church also gave $3,000 to defray
the cost of medical supplies taken to Iraq
by the Christian Peacemaker Team dele-
gation that visited last November.

In response to severe crop loss due to
flooding in Honduras, a grant of $2,000
went toward the purchase of medical
supplies, clothing, food, and tools.

District executives endorse
call to spiritual renewal

In a January 7 meeting, the Council of
District Executives adopted a statement
endorsing the "Call to Spiritual Re-
newal" issued by denominational
leaders in December (see December
1990, page 10).

"We believe spiritual renewal in our
districts is the key to effective ministry
and denominational growth," the
statement said. The executives pledged
commitment to spiritual disciplines
leading up to Annual Conference,
including Bible study, prayer, fasting,
and "meaningful worship."

April 1991 Messenger 7

Bethany Seminary group
visits church in Nigeria

A group of fifteen, including Bethany
Seminary students, president Wayne
Miller, and professor of church history
Murray Wagner, spent a two-week
"winter intensive" January term
traveling through Nigeria.

The group visited congregations of
Ekklesiyar 'Yanuwa a Nigeria (Church
of the Brethren in Nigeria), exchanging
greetings especially with families whose
children are now attending the seminary.
The group also met with EYN faculty
and staff at the Theological College of
Northern Nigeria, where they partici-
pated in classes. They spent a day at the
Yankari Game Reserve and visited a
leprosarium founded by the Church of
the Brethren.

Wagner, who led the group, said the
richest parts of the tour were "relation-
ships we were able to establish in person
with EYN people" and the opportunity
to see what Brethren mission work has
done in Nigeria.

General Board announces
new Africa/Middle East rep.

Mervin B. Keeney began in March as
the General Board's Africa/Middle East
representative. From 1978-85 he served
the board in personnel positions. He was
seconded to the Sudan Council of
Churches as a
medical adminis-
trator in 1985-87.
Recently, Keeney
was employed in
the US General
Accounting
Office.

Brethren Benefit Trust board
lowers pension plan age

Some Brethren Benefit Trust Pension
Plan members may be able to start
annuities as early as age 55, the BBT has

8 Messenger April 1991

The Fsmily Life Task Force, appointed last March, met in February to plan Annuat
Conference insight sessions on parenting, marriage, and family ministry, and to dis-
cuss upcoming events and involvement. The group was appointed for an interim perioc
until a stajf position for family ministry is created (see June 1990, page 7).

' 'One of the first things we did was to review the needs assessment survey given at
Annual Conference last year," said executive for Parish Ministries Joan Deeter. The
sun'ey was conducted to find out what family ministries would benefit Brethren.

The task force will continue to ' 'struggle to form a definition of 'family' that can
speak to our diversity," said Deeter, ' 'and not just rely on the traditional understand-
ing of a family unit." Members are: (front row) Colleen Eastis, Tom Deal, Glen
Crago; (second row) Joan Deeter, Anita Smith Buckwalter , Susan Sassenberg, and
Donald Booz. Carroll Petiy is not pictured.

announced. The lowered minimum age
requirement, previously age 60, was set
by the board of directors in November.

Plan members can begin receiving an
annuity at the earlier age, effective
immediately, if the employer has chosen
to go with the lower age requirement.
Each Brethren institution in the plan
may place its own restrictions, which
cannot now go below age 55.

The Annual Conference Pastoral Com-
pensation and Benefits Advisory
Committee sets the age limit for pastors
and other church and district employees.

New plans for the '90s
made by On Earth Peace

The On Earth Peace Assembly is
expanding its ministry with additional
peace academies and new approaches to
peace education.

Seventeen academies are offered in
1991— up from nine last year. Most of
the academies are intended for young
people, and six this year will be held for

the youth in specific districts. Several
special academies have also been
created for the needs of other groups,
such as an April session to train pastors
in employing peacemaking in their con-
gregations.

Director Tom Hurst said past acade-
mies tended to focus on war and peace
issues, mostly through lectures. "While ^
we still look at our denomination's
traditional understanding and teaching o
peace and war, we're also broadening
our focus to peacemaking tensions
within ourselves— our lives at home and'
school, and how we respond interraciall
and in the city," he said. The academies
will begin "eliciting more from the
young people" in terms of activity and
input. I

OEPA assemblies, offered twice a
year, also reflect a broader view. One ,
held last year looked at environmental
issues and an assembly in December wi
emphasize how to make peace with the
animal kingdom.

New this year are retreats exploring
peacemaking from a cross-cultural and
"contemplative" standpoint, a peace

)espite the war in the Gulf, leaders of churches in the Middle
last showed strong support for continuing with the February 7-20
Vorld Council of Churches Seventh Assembly in Canberra, Australia.
Now, more than ever, we need that assembly," said Andrea Cano, a
VCC press officer.

The first days of meetings were dominated by the war and Abori-
inal issues. Concern was voiced for refugees throughout the world-
specially those displaced by the war. Said Edmond Browning, bishop
if the US Episcopal Church, "I believe that if Augustine and Aquinas
/ere alive now, and had to contend with the Smart Bomb, they would
of have reached the just war theory that they did." Asked what side
jod is on, Gabriel Habib, general secretary of the Middle East Coun-
il of Churches, said God "is on the side of those who are suffering."

The US delegation led the way in condemning the war. In a doc-
ment issued by the National Council of Churches, members opposed
ie war on moral grounds, calling for churches to reach out to those
urt by the war-to be "havens of prayer," places for discussion, and
centers for nonviolence." "The words of the gospel cannot be recon-
iled with what is now happening in the Gulf," the statement con-
luded. The document was signed by 74 US church leaders, including
heads of denominations and 15 Catholic bishops.

Eighty thousand European youth gathered in Prague,
Izechoslovakia, December 28-January 2 to recognize the discourage-
lent of many Eastern Europeans despite newfound freedoms. Cana-
ian Catholic Brother Emile, a member of the French-based Taize

community that orchestrated the event, said sessions stressed the
responsibility of Christians to be a "leaven of reconciliation at this
special fime in the history of Europe." Half of the participants came
from Poland and for the first time in the history of Taize's regular New
Year's meetings, the Soviet Union was represented.

Lutherans and Episcopalians have reached accord in
talks conducted over the past 20 years which may lead to a "full
communion" of the two denominations in the receiving of sacraments,
liturgical functions, and the consecration of bishops. Theologians said
agreement was reached over the troublesome concept of the "historic
episcopate" which would allow the churches to remain autonomous
while becoming interdependent. Earliest approval of the document,
which is expected to receive some stiff opposition, would come in
1994 at the Episcopal Church General Convention, and in 1995 at the
Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Former US President Jimmy Carter has been nominated
for the Nobel Peace Phze by the American Friends Service Commit-
tee. Carter's achievements, as listed by the AFSC, include mediation
efforts in the Middle East, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, and Somalia, as well
as work on Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Panamanian elections. AFSC
executive secretary Asia A. Bennet said Carter has "used the prestige
and power of his position as an ex-President-not for personal advan-
tage or gain-but to address some of the most intractable problems
that exist in various parts of the world."

amp training for Sunday school
sachers and Bible school leaders, and an
'elderhostel'" program for senior
itizens.

A master list of pastors, speakers,
ounselors, and peace educators is also
leing compiled. "Eventually, people
an call up looking for workshop leaders
nd peace trainers, and we'll be able to
sll them who they might contact in their
rea," said Hurst.

Geraldine Click, OEPA president and
laughter of On Earth Peace founder
4. R. Ziegler, said OEPA's overall
nission is to "educate the person in the
lew to witness to the church peace
losition and to help young people learn
make decisions as adults— to help
)eople work at solving their problems
vithout going to war." As the program's
endowment grows, Click hopes it will
)ecome self-supporting and able to
ncrease its services.

Enten Eller, a Bethany Seminary
tudent and OEPA board member for
leven years, said he sees "education as
ictive peacemaking" and feels it is a

commitment to a diverse peace educa-
tion that is the strength of the program.
As for the future. Hurst hopes OEPA
will become more of a resource center,
offering materials for in-depth peace

study and becoming a meeting place for
people with varied perspectives to
resolve differences. Eller said such
hoped-for expansion is really a "recap-
turing of an old vision" of the founder's.

Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 195, an extra training unit held to handle this
year's overflow number of volunteers, went through orientation in Chicago January
15-25. Members are: (front row) Samuel Spire, Anna Fillmore, Molly De Maret,
Angle Breidenstine (orientation assistant), Debbie Eisenbise (orientation coordina-
tor), Angela Wallick, Bill Romberger; (second row) Todd Tijerina, Phyllis Butt
(assistant to the director). Rebekah Truemper, Jan Schrock (director), Steve Cay ford.

April 1991 Messenger 9

Pilgrim on
a perilous road

by Cheryl Cayford

The prospect of meeting Barbara Bush at
the White House did not seem to make
Yin Ji Zeng nervous. After all, the
diminutive 80-year-old had been the
Bush family's pastor when George Bush
served as head of the US Liaison Office
in Beijing, China, in the 1970s (see
January 1989, pages 1, 14-16).
Yin and three other Protestant Chinese

leaders (Kan Xueping, Feng Hao, and
Ge Bay Juan— a woman and the only one
of the delegation fluent in English)
arrived in the US at the end of January
for a first visit to this country. They had
heard they might visit the White House,
and so brought a gift worthy to give the
President— a large and splendid scroll
painting of two tigers. Fortunately, a
February 19 date to visit the White
House was confirmed.

Yin, in life's pilgrimage, has con-
quered many obstacles and depended on
the grace of Christ. After growing up in
a Brethren family, the son of Chinese
Brethren pastor Yin Han Zhang, Yin
graduated from seminary in 1938. One
of his first pastorates was in the town of
Xiyang, Shanxi Province, occupied by
the Japanese and surrounded by the
Communist Eighth Route Army. The
Japanese thought Yin was a spy for the
Communists; the Communists thought
Yin was a spy for the Japanese. Finally
the Japanese accused him of being "a
running dog of the American people."
He was ordered to fetch his family, then
living in the town of Pingding, and brinj
them back to serve the Japanese.

He left town very early on the second
morning after the interview.

In 1941 Yin was invited to go to work
with the Presbyterian church in Beijing.
At the end of World War II, the Chinese
Civil War began in earnest. Yin and his
family joined the Church of the Brethrer|
missionaries in Christian work in
Sichuan Province. But upon completion I
of the Revolution in 1 950, Yin returned
to the Presbyterian church in Beijing. , ||

The Communist government reorgan- <
ized all the churches in China and
labeled some pastors "rightists." What \
had been 64 churches and at least 10
denominations in Beijing were "mixed
up," as Yin says, into four congrega-

Left: Pastor Yin renewed ties with 100^
year-old Mary Schaejfer during his US
visit. The centenarian missionary served
in China 1917-1950 and has known
Pastor Yin since he was a little boy,
although the two had not seen each
other in over 40 years. Right top: A
good-natured Pastor Yin ticks ojfthe
events of his life for interviewer Cheryl
Cayford. Right center: Pastor Yin was
hosted at the General Offices in Elgin,
III., by General Board Asia representa-
tive Lamar Gibble and general secretary
Don Miller. Right bottom: Pastor Yin
found this old photo of himself and his
family in the Brethren Historical Library
and Archives. BHLA presented him with
a copy, his family memorabilia having
been lost in the turmoil of China politics
and social upheaval.

1 Messenger April 1991

■•-^

^J( ■■

»- J^ ■^

H h^.

tions and one Protestant church. Fewer
pastors were needed and Yin was sent to
work on a large farm outside Beijing.

He returned in 1961, but the Cultural
Revolution closed all churches and all
pastors became laborers.

As Yin contemplated returning to his
church work, the government religious
affairs officials turned to him for help. In
1971, shortly before US President
Nixon's 1972 visit, Yin was asked by
government officials to return to Beijing.
A leader of the Three-Self Movement— a
movement for self-sufficiency among
Chinese Christians— asked him to attend
a meeting with two army officials.

They asked him to hold worship
services for foreigners in Beijing. Yin
chuckled as he remembered the meeting.
The Christians refused. The army men
became very polite. They acknowledged
the harm done to the pastors by the
political movement, but persuaded them
to follow the Maoist "revolutionary
foreign affairs way"— the policy, as Yin
explained, of replying in friendship to
the overtures of other countries.

The first foreigner to worship with
them was a maid from Pakistan's
embassy, who wanted to spend Christ-
mas in a church. Others soon followed,
including future US President George
Bush and his family.

In 1979, at Easter, after the end of the
Cultural Revolution and changes of
power in the government, churches were
allowed to reopen and Chinese Chris-
tians allowed to attend and worship. This
they did. The number of reopened
churches is about 6,000 and the number
of practicing Christians in China has
grown to 5,000,000-from 700,000
before the civil war. Other religions also
are open and flourishing.

Theological seminaries were reopened
in Nanjing in 1981 and 14 others have
opened in various parts of the country
since then. Yin now serves as president
of Beijing's Yan Jing Theological
Seminary, opened in 1986. He also is
chairman of the city's Three-Self
Movement and president of the Beijing
Christian Council.

The "mix up" in the church has been
beneficial, he reported. Christians

believe in "one way," but through
historical developments, have organized
different churches, he said. Why not
come together in one church?

Beijing's Chongwenmen church,
where Yin serves as senior pastor,
retains characteristics of the original
denominations: Baptisms are performed
by both immersion and sprinkling, and
communion is celebrated in a variety of
ways. Many different worship styles are
used, including Saturday services for
former Seventh Day Adventists.

The government has changed its
attitude toward religion, Yin said. In
1949 the Communists were convinced
that religion had no place in a socialist
country. But the policy of attempting to
eradicate all religion waned. When Yin
took part in a "very important" 1988
meeting with an official of religious
affairs, Christian leaders heard that the
government had realized that religion
would last for a long time.

The official said religion had the
advantage of "giving happiness to the
Chinese people's spirit," and announced
that the government intended to encour-
age the seminaries to train more pastors.
Christian leaders have seen no evidence
of this actually happening, however.

Meanwhile, with help and financial
support from the Church of the Brethren
General Board, the National Council of
Churches, and the Presbyterian Church
(USA), the Chinese delegation has been
able to visit with Christians in the US to
see how churches here minister to their
people. Lamar Gibble, General Board
representative for Europe and Asia, was
able to help Yin renew ties to the Church
of the Brethren in visits to the General
Offices in Elgin, 111., the New Windsor
(Md.) Service Center, Atlantic Northeast
and Mid-Atlantic Districts, the Brethren
Village (a retirement home in Lancaster,
Pa.), and several Brethren congregations.

In addition to friendship and hospital-
ity, the Brethren were able to give
something back to Yin— family photo-
graphs preserved in the Brethren
Historical Library and Archives. Much
of his own memorabilia has been lost,
and the photographs are priceless
treasures.

Ai.

April 1991 Messenger 11

Where there's water, there's

Food for the hungry

'Don't send us food,' the Los Toros people

told the Brethren. 'What we really need is

help to make our farms produce again.'

by Karla Boyers

In the village of Los Toros, in the
province of Azua in the Dominican
Republic— approximately one mile off
the paved highway running from the
capital city of Santo Domingo to the
Haitian border— 5,000 people live with
only sporadic electricity and a water
system that is inefficient at best.

They are largely an agrarian people,
growing vegetables for sale to major
canning companies in the area, which
supply incentives for planting particular
types of produce. Tomatoes, beans, com,
eggplant, squash, and okra compose the
bulk of such "truck crops" raised. But
two years of drought have left the
harvest unmaterialized. The farmers turn
their animals into the fields to graze on
what little there is to eat. Children and
adults are left ill with diarrhea and
dehydration.

And yet, when the townspeople met to
discuss their crisis and what they should
do, instead of immediate food aid, they
decided what they really could use was
an irrigation pump. Although their need
for a high school (the nearest is 15 miles
away) or a health center (a doctor visits
once a week) is great, they agreed their
first priority was a way to secure water

1 2 Messenger April 1991

for their land to produce food for
themselves.

Los Toros is one of 10 preaching
points of the Church of the Brethren in
the Dominican Republic and the largest
of seven congregations in the province
of Azua. Initial evangelism began seven
years ago by Puerto Rican Brethren, who
were joined by the US church after the
1990 Annual Conference action calling
for expanded mission in the DR.

Last September, Santos Mota, pastor
of the Los Toros church, and other
Dominican Brethren called the General
Board's Latin America/Caribbean
representative, Yvonne Dilling, to ask
for help in their hunger situation.
Through the Global Food Crisis Fund (a
Brethren program of relief for hunger
and homelessness both domestic and
overseas) $23,000 was given to Iglesia
de los Hermanos in Los Toros for the
purchase of a water storage tank, an
irrigation pump, and a diesel engine.

Pablo Stone, a retired agricultural
engineer, went to Los Toros last Novem-
ber to oversee the project purchases and
initial installation. A member of the
Disciples of Christ, he has a long history
of missionary involvement in South and
Central American countries, including
eight years as director of Heifer Project

International in Mexico.

During the 15 days he spent in the DR,
Pablo met with church people, members
of the five associations of farmers (ap-
proximately 150 laborers), a mothers
club (many who are wives of the farmers
and involved in nutrition and health care
issues), and the Church World Service
office in Santo Domingo.

"Many are getting desperate in terms
of what to eat, some migrating to larger
towns for work," said Pablo. "There are
300 children under the age of five whose
mothers measure their arm and wrist
circumference to classify them as first-
second-, or third-degree malnourished so
they can get milk. ' '

One of the first things Pablo did was
to help Santos and others choose the
pump and get the necessary materials-
cement, sand, and reinforcing pipe— to
begin work. The community had already
gained approval to tap the government-
controlled canal running beside their
village.

While in Los Toros, Pablo also spent
time working out a contract between the
church and the farmers for care and
maintenance of the system. A decision-
making board of directors was formed
from both church people and members
of the five associations of farmers to

jovem the future of the pump.

"While the pump stays in ownership
Df the church in Los Toros, the church
las placed no restrictions on who can
ise it," said Pablo. Just who can use the
3ump, however, does depend on nature
[how much water remains available) as
ivell as basic physics. "Depending on
he gravity, about 500 acres can be
rrigated. ' '

When it comes to making the schedule
for pump use, the board of directors
;onsiders what stage each of the various
:rops is in (who needs water most now),
ind how much land is owned by each
farmer. The more land, the more water is
illotted, and the higher the dues the
^armer pays.

As well as covering diesel fuel costs
rnd other ongoing operation expenses,
:oIlected dues help pay the wages of the
;Ocal man hired to maintain the system—
;he single paid position of the entire
Droject. All other work has come from
i'olunteer efforts of community mem-
bers. And, all pump users are expected
:o rotate turns as nightwatchman.

According to Pablo, this system of
"fair scheduling" is a characteristic of
:he people. "There is a unique spirit of
:ooperation to be found in the Domini-
:an culture. They have a long tradition
jf helping each other farm. Others come
to plow, plant, or harvest in turn of
whose crop is at that particular stage.
Fheir payment is lunch from the land-
awner."

When Pablo left Los Toros, construc-
tion had just begun on the pump house,
ind the people were digging the ditch to
lay pipe. Everyone was working stead-
ily, eager to have the system operational
is quickly as possible.

Of the 1 ,000 families in Los Toros,
about 150 are now actively using the
pump. "Initial estimates of benefitting
1,500 people directly could easily extend
to twice that indirectly because of
economic boosts to merchants and local
shop owners," said Pablo. While there is
hope that the irrigation pump will turn

Opposite: Los Toros' dry river bed. Top: Fablo Stone, with Danilo de Leon, vice-
president of the Dominican Church of the Brethren Council. Above: Four men
(including pastor Santos Mota, left) mark the corners for the irrigation project' s pump
house. Below: A Los Toros farmer prepares fields that will be irrigated.

Los Toros around economically, Pablo
marks September— completion of the
first major harvest cycle— as "the true
indicator. ' '

Meanwhile, the people of Los Toros
wait, laboring in faith as well as in hope
that water will restore productivity
to a parched land.

/it.

April 1991 Messenger 13

Photography by Phil Grout:

A people hungry
for the gospel

Jorge Toledo, a Puerto Rican member of the Church of the
Brethren instrumental in beginning Brethren mission work in
the Dominican Republic, describes his motivation simply:
"Every time I went there I saw the people hungry for the
gospel, hungry for interrelationships, and I started to dream. I
wanted to start churches in small villages where there are no
churches."

Now there are beginning to be churches in small villages,
projects to help the Dominicans lead healthier lives, and
interrelationships that are a blessing to Dominicans, Puerto
Ricans, and US Brethren alike. Phil Grout captures some of the
spirit of Brethren mission in the Dominican Republic in his
photographs shown on these pages.— Kermon Thomasson

Left: Two children of Viajama are
absorbed in a worship service.

Above: A young girl lifts her hand in
praise during the dedication senncefor
the new church in Los Toros.

14 Messenger April 1991

Left: A young Haitian man worships reverently in Santo
Domingo.

Above: Santos Mota preaches during a nighttime service in
Santo Domingo, his face lit only by a kerosene lamp.

April 1991 Messenger 15

Above: A weary man wipes the sweat off his brow as he pauses from
toil in his Los Toros garden.

Top right: A Los Toros farmer waters his tomato plant bed.

Right: A pensive little girl rests outside the Viajama church.

y^^

16 Messenger April 1991

Left: Jorge Toledo
(right), a member of
the Church of the
Brethren in Vega Baja,
P. R., and instrumental
in starting the mission
work in the Dominican
Republic, frequently
visits to encourage the
church and to nurture
its leaders. Here he
visits Viajama pastor
Vidal Geraldo in his
home.

Below: Gathered outside the newly dedicated Los Toros church is a group symbolic of
the three-way partnership that works in the Dominican Republic— Earl Ziegler (far
left) and Thorn Keller (far right), US Brethren from Pennsylvania: Pedro Brull
(second from left) and Jorge Toledo (second from right), Puerto Rican Brethren: and
Dominican Santos Mota (center), pastor of the Los Toros congregation.

April 1991 Messenger 17

When I am Zacchaeus

by Carol Bowman Gnagy

When I am Zacchaeus,

I, too, become small-
Shriveled in spirit and soul,
A shrunken scrap of insignificant flesh,
Reduced by alienation and pain.

When I am Zacchaeus,
I, too, become small-
Separated from the human family
By taxing wrongs I have imposed—
Harsh words spoken here or there
A lack of patience.
Stubborn pride insisting I am right.
Intolerance of the truth others see.
Actions that rob others of self-worth.

When I am Zacchaeus,
I, too, must go tree-climbing—
Out on a limb.
Risking
A fall

or being seen

or a change of view.

When I am Zacchaeus,

Christ comes to me . . .

Looks me full in the face.

And loving me for all I am.

Says, "I'm coming to your heart today."

When I am Zacchaeus,

Accepted, loved, forgiven seventy-times-seven,
I, too, grow in stature.
Full-size, I reflect the image of the Great I Am—

Accepting, forgiving, loving.
Restoring to the human family what I have stolen,
Offering to my brothers and sisters love I have received.

Then, Praise God! For I have grown!
I am whole again!
Praise God!
I have grown!

Carol Bowman Gnagy. of the Sunnyslope Church of the Brethren/United
Church of Christ congregation, Wenatchee. Wash., is a member of the
General Board.

M&&.

A time foi

by David Radcliff

Two recent phone calls demonstrated to
me something of the dual challenge
facing the church in a time of war. One
was from a member of a Church of the
Brethren congregation that was doing
what we might expect a peace church to
be doing these days— speaking out for
peace. The other was a reminder that the
church, even a peace church, has more
than one dimension to its mission during
a time of international conflict. Both
calls also highlighted the opportunity
before us in this or any time of crisis.

The first call was from a woman in the
San Diego (Calif.) congregation. She
and other members had joined with
fellow Christians and community people
in a peaceful witness to their faith in a
public setting. This expression of their
convictions took an additional measure
of courage, since San Diego is a major
port for the US navy.

Whatever negative reaction this peace
witness may have engendered, the Breth-
ren members found another response
from some of those who joined them in
their peace vigil that day. Seeing the
sign identifying the Church of the Breth-
ren members, several people expressed
interest in knowing more about their
congregation. Notable among these were
some people who expressed their dissat-
isfaction with their own church commu-
nities because of their home congrega-
tions' perspective on the war. "I had
never felt so isolated in my congregation
before," said one. "With the outbreak
of war, I have come to realize just how
much different my beliefs are from those
of my congregation as a whole."

The San Diego members plan to return
to this place of witness. They want to
continue to express their disagreement
with the war, but are also planning to
"arm" themselves with pamphlets ex-
plaining the church's beliefs, practices,
and location.

The second telephone call came from
a person who, like the San Diego caller,
expressed strong emotions about this

18 Messenger April 1991

rophets and pastors

var. This man's first questions had to do
vith a number of hymns that he could
lot find in the present Brethren hymnal,
spurred on by a magazine article he had
ead, he had looked in vain for hymns
;uch as " Onward Christian Soldiers"
ind ' 'The Battle Hymn of the Repub-
ic." " I want to know why somebody
"elt that these hymns didn't belong in
)ur hymnal anymore." he said.

In talking further, it became clear that
lis concerns were deeper than simply the

all-encompassing love for human beings.
This is why we abhor war— because of
what it does to human life. Yet this same
love also must enable us to respond to
the many who find themselves caught up
in the very war we oppose.

Jesus showed loving concern for those
people who were caught up in things of
which he may have been critical.
Healing the Roman soldier's slave,
visiting Zacchaeus, forgiving the
woman caught in adultery— all these

We can witness against a war and still show
compassion toward people caught up in it.

nclusion of certain hymns in the hym-
lal. It turned out that he was a Vietnam
/eteran. He had grown up in the Church
)f the Brethren, but had found that the
:hurch seemed to turn its back on him
ipon his return from southeast Asia. Out
}f the church for a while and now back,
le found some of his old frustrations
surfacing. As he listened recently to
mnouncements in his congregation
ibout Brethren support for conscientious
ibjectors, he wondered what the church
vould do with those of its members who
were either in the military or who had
'amily members there. Would those of
his generation who are caught up in the
A'ar effort feel as abandoned by the
:hurch as he had felt?

I was thankful that I could tell him
A'hat I had been hearing from around the
ienomination. I described how some
;ongregations had been reaching out to
hose within and beyond their fellow-
ihips whose lives were being affected by
his war. I told him that our church lives
n tension at times like this. We need to
ift up our historic peace testimony, and
/et we have a responsibility to minister
those whose lives are being grievously
iffected by the trauma of war.

The church has both a prophetic and a
pastoral ministry in time of war. At the
leart of God's call to us is a deep and

stories demonstrate how Jesus sought out
and cared for human need wherever he
encountered it.

This did not mean that Jesus curtailed
his witness against violence or dishon-
esty or unfaithfulness in marriage. It did
mean that he could align himself against
those things that violate human life or
relationships while showing love and

compassion for the people who were
caught up in these same things.

Of course, the result of Jesus' compas-
sion for others often was that they found
themselves drawn to a new way of life.
So astounding was this combination of
intolerance for the sin of the world with
unconditional love for the people of the
world, that people experienced genuine
transformation upon encountering it— the
miracle of the gospel.

So it can be for the church in the
context of today's war afflicted world.
Warfare is to be condemned as an
affront to God's purposes for human life.
Of this we can be sure. Yet those people
who find themselves enmeshed in war
and its bitter fruits are as in need of the
love and care of the church as any of
God's children.

If and when this prophetic witness and
this pastoral compassion meet, those
around us may be so surprised and
delighted that they will want to know
who we are. We must be ready
to tell them.

David Radclijfis peace consultant on the
General Board staff.

David Radclijf presents peace issues to a Brethren youth gathering.

April 1991 Messenger 19

\/ (Bretfiren
andlHeir
Jaith

"Arbeite und hojfe ' : "Work and hope' ' —from an old Pennsylvania German print.

Faith bonded by works:

The faith that saves

When people ask you, "What's
different about the Brethren?" or
"What do Brethren believe?" what do
you tell them? What is unique about
the Church of the Brethren?

With those questions in mind, we
have assembled a cluster of articles
that works at defining what our
Brethren forebears . . . and their
forebears, the Anabaptists . . . held to
as the basis of their faith. It was a faith
that withstood persecution, even
martyrdom. It's a faith that we would
do well to hold onto today.

20 Messenger April 1 99 1

by Galen R. Hackman

Read: James 2:14-26

If the Brethren have a favorite book
among the epistles of the New Testa-
ment, James likely is the one. James has
a concern for a practical, aggressive
faith rooted in right thinking and belief.
The practical nature of the book has
grounded it deep in the Brethren
consciousness. (See "Brother James: the
First of the Brethren?" by Ronald C.
Amett, February 1989.)

Throughout this book, the issue that
bums in James' heart is that of genuine
faith. Authentic faith, James insists, will
handle trials and temptations and it will
open a person's heart to God's Word and
to other people. In 2:14-26 (which
perhaps was intended to be the very

climax of his message), James turns to a i
thorough discourse on the very nature of;
genuine, saving, justifying faith.
Genuine faith is a message that also has t
burned in the hearts of Brethren through
out our history. James 2:14-26 stirs our i|
souls and our minds.

The setting of James' message

Why does James say what he does?
Apparently his readers were being f

enticed to turn away from their commit-l
ment to a faith that was wholly inte- l
grated with works. Someone (or some
group of people) was bringing to James i
readers a different understanding of <
faith. The presence of this influence is i
reflected in verse 14, where James
writes, "... if someone says he has I
faith" (NKJV) and again in verse 18, :

vhere he writes "But someone will
:ay. . . ." Whether this distortion in
ioctrine was a resuh of a misunderstand-
ng of Paul's teaching is not indicated in
he passage, but clearly an influence
)ther than James' was being felt in the
rhristian community.

What was the argument being pre-
;ented by James' opponents? The
;tatements that James identifies as
;oming from his opponents (verses 14
ind 18) show that the rival doctrine was
lot a total repudiation of works. Instead,
ames' opponents presented an "either/
)r" alternative.

The original argument raised by the
)pposing teachers is implied in these
/erses: "What good is it, my brothers
ind sisters, if you say you have faith but
lo not have works? Can faith save
/ou?" (2:14) and "But someone will
;ay, 'You have faith and I have works' "
2:18).

Rather than a total repudiation of
vorks, what James' opponents appar-
;ntly were promoting was the notion that
aith and works are both vital means of
ixpressing a commitment to God. That
s, one person might have faith and
mother have works, and each gift should
)e accepted as equally efficacious. After
ill, they may have argued, no one has all
he gifts, therefore faith is as good a gift
IS works, and vice versa. Either you
lave faith or you have works, but not
)oth.

To this situation and way of thinking,
'ames directs his teaching. He says,
'Show me your faith apart from your
vorks, and I by my works will show you
ny faith" (2:18b). James' proposition is
simple, yet strong. He raises a straight-
orward question, "How can a claim to
aith be proven if it has no visible
;ffects?" Against this "faith alone"
:oncept, James argues for a working
laith. He insists on a faith bonded with

works, in which both are equal aspects
of a single energizing force— the faith
that saves.

Genuine faith is not an empty claim

In response to the teaching of those who
propose that faith alone is sufficient for
salvation, James presents three stirring
arguments. In the first of these (verses
14-17), he challenges his readers with

Brethren of genuine
faith will, on the one

hand, carry a

concern for personal

holiness by keeping

free of immorality

and the 'sins of the

flesh J and, on the

other hand, both

care about and act

upon the social

needs of the day.

the idea that genuine faith is not some-
thing barren, but rather it is dynamic,
alive, and functioning in practical ways.

"What good is it, my brothers and
sisters," James challenges, "if you say
you have faith but do not have works?"
(2:14). Under the force of James' words
we are compelled to consider what
practical value a claim to faith has if
there is no change in life, no outward
manifestation of the new-found faith in
one's conduct. Of what use and purpose
would such a claim be?

James' emphasis is upon those who
claim faith, but who cannot demonstrate

faith. He asks very pointedly, "Can faith
save you?" (2:14b). The argument (as
brought out clearly by the New Interna-
tional Version's "Can such faith save
him?") is that an empty faith, unaccom-
panied by works, is without merit in
God's eyes.

To drive home this point, James
follows with an illustration right from
the streets of his day: "If a brother or
sister is naked and lacks daily food, and
one of you says to them, 'Go in peace;
keep warm and eat your fill,' and yet
you do not supply their bodily needs,
what is the good of that?" (2:15-16).

Again, James raises the question,
"What good is it?" To wish pleasantries
on someone who is suffering without
also acting upon that sufferer's need
accomplishes nothing except to make the
well-wisher feel better. So it is with a
faith void of deeds.

Genuine faith is not an empty claim.
Verse 17 closes the argument: "So faith
by itself, if it has no works, is dead. ' '
This pronouncement that faith without
works is dead is reminiscent of Jude's
description of the apostates of his day
being "twice dead" (Jude 1:12). A
workless faith is dead both in its ability
to produce fruit and in its saving value.
The evidence of a dead faith is that it
exists "by itself" (Jas. 2:17).

Genuine faith is not mere acceptance
of a creed

With verses 18 and 19, James mounts his
second attack against the kind of faith
espoused by his opponents. James is
combating the idea that faith alone is a
suitable means of commitment to God.
In verses 18 and 19, he rejects this
teaching by building upon the idea that
faith alone (that is, unaccompanied by
works) cannot be proven.
People can make any kind of verbal

April 1991 Messenger 21

^retfiren
aruClfieir
Jaith

statement about what they believe. They
may even give intellectual assent to an
orthodox creed. James reminds his
readers (and us) that no one holds to a
more orthodox creed than the "de-
mons." They readily proclaim the shema
(the central proclamation of the Jewish
faith, from Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O
Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord
alone"). The "demons" hold to the
basic truth of the Judeo/Christian
philosophy— monotheism. The "de-
mons" do not question the truths of
Christianity: They know them to be fact.
However, the "demons" are not
righteous in God's sight because their
faith is not genuine. Their faith is mere
intellectual assent— mere acceptance of a
creed. With the "demons," what they
know to be true somehow does not
permeate into the heart and demonstrate
itself in actions. Otherwise, they would
no longer be "demons."

22 Messenger April 1991

So it must be with us. Faith must find
its way into the heart to affect one's
feelings and into the will to change one's
actions. Of course, belief in cortect
doctrine is necessary and important, for
it is with hearing and believing that faith
begins, as Paul puts it: "But how are
they to call on one in whom they have
not believed? And how are they to
believe in one of whom they have never
heard? And how are they to hear without
someone to proclaim him? And how are
they to proclaim him unless they are
sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are
the feet of those who bring good
news!' " (Rom. 10:14-15).

The church of today needs to be
committed to orthodox, biblical truth.
Belief that does not transform one's life,
however, is insufficient for salvation.
Not only is there no way for persons to
prove the sincerity of their faith except
by works, but also a faith that is power-

less to produce works is completely deac
and unable to provide any real spiritual
benefit.

With these two concepts forming a
foundation, James goes on to consider
his final point about faith and works:

Genuine faith is manifested through
good works

The third and final approach that James
uses against this false idea of faith is
drawn from Hebrew history, in which hil
readers were steeped. James' goal is to
show that whenever one is declared
righteous by God, that declaration is
God's gift in response to genuine faith
on the part of the receiver. Genuine
faith, James asserts once again, is a faith
bonded with works— a working faith.
He begins with an invitation to be
open-minded and learn from the history
of God's actions with humanity. He
asks, "Do you want to be shown, you
senseless person, that faith apart from
works is barten?" (2:20). His evidence
follows:

X^ irst, it is argued that the great
ancestor of the Jewish people, Abraham'!
was indeed justified by works (2:21-24)1
(See Genesis 15:6, quoted by James in
2:23; and Genesis 22:1-19, especially
verse 12.) The key verse in understand-
ing James' argument is verse 22: "Youi'
see that faith was active along with his
works, and faith was brought to complej
tion by the works." James is not saying!
that Abraham's faith in God's promise
(made in Genesis 15:6) was of no
consequence. Rather, he is insisting thai]
since Abraham believed with genuine
faith, that faith went on to produce
obedience in Abraham's life.

The key words in verse 22 are "activi'
along with" and "brought to comple-
tion." James uses noteworthy language i
to express his doctrine of working faith.

'rimarily, he is saying that faith does not
stand alone, but has another dimension.
Fhe abstracts of belief must be balanced
A'ith the practicalities of works. The two
:ooperate with each other.

James claims that through Abraham's
ivork of obedience, his faith came to
;ompletion. The basic idea behind this
vvord "completion" is that of "bringing
an end," "finishing," and "accom-
Dlishing." Although the word often is
:ranslated "perfect" in the more literal
;ranslations, in the original language of
;he Bible the word contains no idea of
absolute perfection or impeccability.
Rather, the idea is that the thing (or
oerson) to which perfection is ascribed
rias fully completed the purpose for
which it was created. It has reached its
;nd. It has accomplished its goal.

This same meaning can be seen in
James 1:2-4, where James delineates the
purpose of trials. He insists that trials
have the benevolent purpose of bringing
Faith to perfection.

James is explaining that genuine faith
has a purpose— transforming character
md developing obedience. He explains
that when faith produces works, those
works are the very fruit of faith and
bring to full completion the purpose for
which faith exists. The production of
works in the life of the believer accom-
pUshes the end (or goal) of genuine
faith.

Abraham began his intimate relation-
ship with God when he believed God's
promise in Genesis 15:6: "And he
believed the Lord; and the Lord reck-
oned it to him as righteousness." In
response to Abraham's faith, God
granted to him a righteous standing. But
the faith flourishing in Abraham's heart
was placed there for a purpose— to create
good works, and to transform Abraham's
life into one of obedience. Abraham's
willingness to take the long journey with
his son Isaac, and his ultimate submis-
sion to God's request, put his faith to the

test and provided an outward manifesta-
tion of the faith that propelled him
through life. The work proved, per-
fected, and completed the faith. James
closes this illustration from Israel's
history with the words, "You see that a
person is justified by works and not by
faith alone" (2:24).

James' second illustration also is taken
from Hebrew history. He tells of Rahab
the prostitute, who helped the Hebrew
spies escape entrapment in Jericho on
their information gathering mission for
Joshua. (See Joshua 2:1-24, 6:22-23; and
Hebrews 11:31.)

J ames makes the same claim for Rahab
that he did for Abraham: Faith was
completed by works, resulting in
Rahab's justification. He asks, "Like-
wise, was not Rahab the prostitute also
justified by works when she welcomed
the messengers and sent them out by
another road?" (2:25).

Why did James choose these two
illustrations? Abraham is understand-
able: He is the esteemed ancestor of the
Hebrews. But why choose the example
of a woman of questionable character
and of relative obscurity?

Perhaps James chose people from
these two social extremes to prove a
point: In contrast to each other, Abraham
was a Jew, a man, and a noble person,
while Rahab was a Gentile, a woman,
and a prostitute. And yet, even with this
polarization, Abraham and Rahab were
saved by the same means.

Jew and Gentile, male and female,
social elite and social outcast have but
one hope of eternal life— salvation by
grace through a working faith. Regard-
less of nationality, sex, character
qualities, personality, or social standing,
to be right with God requires believing
God's promises with a faith that will
transform the life into one of obedience.
We cannot best James' closing remark.

"For just as the body without the spirit
is dead, so faith without works is also
dead" (2:26).

Works is more than avoiding sin

When James speaks of works, he has
much more in mind than just keeping
oneself free from personal sinful acts.
His concept of works is dynamic,
aggressive, and holistic. For James,
genuine faith will produce works of a
social dimension, as well as a private
one. The person of faith will heed
James' command to "keep oneself
unstained by the world" (1:27) and also
stand against showing favoritism (2:1-
13), oppose materialism (4:1-2), and
defend the rights of the oppressed (5:1-
6)— to name a few social concerns that
James addresses.

In today's world, the person of
genuine faith will, on the one hand,
carry a concern for personal holiness by
keeping free from immorality and the
"sins of the flesh," and, on the other
hand, both care about and act upon the
pressing social needs of the day. This
may mean working to relieve world
hunger, or to witness against war, or to
support the victims of abortion, or to
speak out for justice for minority groups,
or to aid the homeless of the city streets,
or to address the needs of neighbors who
cannot make ends meet.

What then is genuine Christianity?

Justification comes by faith alone— the
great cry of the Reformation— but not by
the faith that is alone (void of works)—
the essence of James' teaching. Genuine
Christianity is both faith— right belief
about the things of God— and works \it |
zing as the people of God. I — J

—right living ;

Galen R. Hackman is a Church of the Brelhren
missionary, leaching at Kulp Bible College, near
Mubi. Nigeria.

April 1991 Messenger 23

'Brttfirtn
andnJievr
Jaith

For Brethren today:

No creed but the New Testament?

by Richard B. Gardner

'If any one voice in scriptumid'-^dminates our

reading of the whole that it drowns out other

voices, we have a serious problem.'

Slogans. Most of the groups or organiza-
tions I know have some slogan, some
catchy phrase they use to describe
themselves:

"Be prepared."

"In God we trust."

"The quality goes in before the name
goes on."

"Veritas liberat."

So it is, likewise, in the Church of the
Brethren. And one of the slogans we like
to cite provides the title of this article:
"No creed but the New Testament."

The position summed up in this slogan
goes all the way back to the 18th
century. According to Samuel Smith, a
Quaker historian in colonial Pennsylva-
nia, the Brethren "have a great esteem
for the New Testament, valuing it higher
than all other books, and if they are
asked about the articles of their faith,
they know of no other than what is
contained in this book, and therefore can
give none."

In the era of our early forebears, such
a position was quite novel. It contrasted
sharply with the mindset of many
religious groups, who fought wars over
creeds and sought to silence dissenters.

But that was then. What about today?
Is the slogan "No creed but the New

24 Messenger April 1991

Testament" only a relic of history? Or
does it still say something important
about who we are as Brethren— and who
we want to be?

Before answering that question, we
need to admit up front that our cherished
slogan has its dangers and limitations.
Sometimes it has been abbreviated to
read simply "No creed," conveying the
mistaken idea that we never confess our
faith or that convictions are unimportant.
Sometimes the slogan is used as a basis
for bashing the Old Testament, over-
looking the fact that the New Testament
constantly appeals to the Old. And
sometimes, regrettably, the slogan has
been only a slogan, mouthed by persons
who know neither the creeds nor the
New Testament.

So, where does that leave us? In spite
of its misuse, the slogan "No creed but
the New Testament" belongs with our
future as well as our past. It has much to
teach us about the faith we confess and
the way we confess it.

The faith we confess cannot be pack-
aged once and for all in a neat state-
ment or system.

That particular learning did not come

easily for me. Journal entries from
earlier days remind me of a time when I
operated with a very tight doctrinal
system. I equated that system with true
faith and was ready to defend it against
all threats, real or imagined.

Somewhere along the line, however,
the system began to crack. I came to
realize that no statement of faith, no
well-structured theological system, can
ever nail God down. God's reality is
forever overflowing our rational contain
ers, and God's surprises are forever
confounding our calculations.

This does not mean that statements of
faith are wrong. To the contrary,
confessing our faith is an essential part
of our witness, whether in personal
exchange, congregational worship, or
papers of Annual Conference. State-
ments of faith are a means of declaring:
This is how we perceive God's story at
this juncture in our own story.

No matter how well we say it, how-
ever, no statement is ever the final word
No matter how well we put the pieces
together, no system is ever the final
system. "No creed but the New Testa-
ment" is a reminder that the mystery of
God cannot be captured or exhausted in
our attempts to define that mystery.

The faith we confess has a clear point
of reference, a primary story from
which we take our clues for interpret-
ing all of life.

It is commonplace now to describe the
worid we inhabit as pluralistic. We live
in a kind of cultural "farmer's market,"
full of booths or stands displaying
different texts, different traditions,
different lifestyles, different ideologies.
In the midst of this market, we con-
stantly are deciding what to keep, what
to sell, and what to buy. But how do we
make those decisions?

The slogan "No creed but the New
Testament" helps to define the ground
rules by which we barter in the market.
On the one hand, it permits us to draw
from the diversity around us. Because
we are not bound by a closed system, we
are free to sample the wares that others
offer. Who knows what God might have
in store for us, from a source we least
expected?

On the other hand, we are guided in
this process by the New Testament story
of God's agenda in Jesus Christ. We do
not wander through the market as
aimless consumers, but as people formed
by a particular promise and vision. We
are ready to explore the truth claims that
come to us from other sellers. But we
know that whatever is true and valid
must in some way fit with our charter
story, the New Testament story of God
at work in the world to redeem all
creation. That is our compass, our
constant point of reference.

The faith we confess must be shaped by
all the voices that speak in the Scrip-
tures, not just those we know or like
best.

There is a persistent tendency in the
church to fasten on one element in
scripture and overlook the rest. As others
have put it, we establish our own "canon
within the canon."

For some persons, this selective canon
consists of a favorite section or author in
the Bible— perhaps the letters of Paul, the
Sermon on the Mount, or the letter of
James (see page 20). For others, it may
be a favorite theme or emphasis— justifi-
cation by faith, liberating the oppressed,
or following the way of Jesus. Whatever
our preferred texts or themes, they
become the lenses through which we
read the rest of scripture.

To be sure, there are times when we
need to focus on one particular strand of
the Bible. In a culture that is obsessed
with law and performance, the grace
notes of Paul's letters sound a vital
corrective. In a church where patriarchy
still reigns, texts that challenge patriar-
chy deserve our special attention. In a
violent society, our red-letter texts must
be those that call us to peace and
reconciliation.

Lowever, if any one voice in scripture
so dominates our reading of the whole
that it drowns out other voices, we have
a serious problem. The faith we confess
will be a very distorted faith.

"No creed but the New Testament" is
a reminder to listen to all the voices of
the biblical story. As in every choral
concert, some of the voices and some of
the numbers may appeal to us more than
others. It is in the whole program,
however, that we experience the fullness
of God's self-disclosure.

The faith we confess springs from
direct engagement with the biblical
writings, not from positions taken by
those who went before us.

The issue is well-stated in a query that
came to our Annual Meeting in 1857:
"Would it not be better in deciding upon
all subjects ... to refer first to the Word
of God, instead of first referring to the
old minutes?" With brevity and
wisdom, the delegates gave the answer:

"We think it always safest to refer first
to the Word of God!"

The 19th century Brethren who
debated this query were free enough
from the creeds of other churches. At the
same time, they had become captive to a
century's worth of traditions of their
own making, covering every facet of
life. In confronting this situation, the
instincts of those who brought the query
were sound. They realized that it is not
sufficient to live out of traditions derived
from the New Testament. It is essential
in every generation to return to our
biblical wellsprings and discover anew
what is there for faith.

How easily we forget that, however.
Activists can become content with the
stale visions of yesterday's movements.
Theologians can become mired in the
language and methods of yesterday's
thought systems. Church boards can
become stuck in programs that respond
to yesterday's problems.

The slogan "No creed but the New
Testament" points us in a different
direction. It summons us to turn afresh to
the primary sources of our faith, and to
let ourselves be changed by what we
discover.

A Brethren tract from the 1 8th century
describes this process of discovery and
transformation rather well: "The
necessity of Christendom requires that
all the words of Christ and his Spirit be
so read, considered, and believed . . .
that the entire New Testament is written
into the hearts of its readers, until their
lives become living letters of God in
which one can read all the command-
ments of Jesus Christ."

When and where this happens. "No
creed but the New Testament" is more
than a mere slogan for us to recite. The
word has become flesh, text
incarnate in life.

Richard B. Gardner is assistant professor of New
Testament at Bethany Theological Seminary. Oak
Brook, til. He also senes as director of ministry
training on the General Board staff.

April 1991 Messenger 25

fBntfinn
and*Ifieir
!Faitfi

Truths noi

by Paul W. Keller

In Philadelphia of the late 1720s,
Benjamin Franklin was just a young
buck, at least 50 years away from
becoming the gentle philosopher,
scientist, and statesman of our history
books. The German immigrants who
would become today's Church of the
Brethren had been in town scarcely a
decade. Yet, the Dunkers, as they
already were called, were getting a bad
press in the City of Brotherly Love. So
were other sects that espoused peace,
particularly the Quakers, who had gone
on record with their principle that no
kind of war was lawful.

One day, Dunker Michael Wohlfarht
fell into conversation with young
Franklin. The future publisher of The
Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Rich-
ard's Almanac was still working for
other printers at the time. Wohlfahrt was
out of sorts. The Dunkers, he groused,
were being "grievously calumniated
("bad-mouthed," we'd say today) by
the zealots of other persuasions, and

were being charged with abominable
principles and practices to which they
were utter strangers."

Franklin listened sympathetically, and
responded, in effect, "Hey! New sects
often get this kind of treatment. It's par
for the course." He suggested for the
Dunkers ". . .it might be well to publish
the articles of their belief and the rules
of their discipline."

Wohlfahrt had heard that line before.
He told the printer that the idea had beer
proposed and discussed among the
Dunkers and they had decided against it,
for these reasons:

"When we were first drawn
together as a society, it had
pleased God to enlighten our
minds so far as to see that some
doctrines which were esteemed
truths, were errors, and that
others which we had esteemed
errors were real truths. From
time to time he has been
pleased to afford us further
light, and our principles have
been improving and our errors

Michael Wohlfahrt: 'Denouncing vengeance'

The Michael Wohlfahrt who modestly told Benjamin Franklin of being unsure that he
had arrived "at the perfection of spiritual or theological knowledge" was no longer
assailed by uncertainty once he joined Coru-ad Beissel's Ephrata society. Franklin
affords this vignette of "Brother Angonius" as gadfly at best and prophet of doom at
worst, in the September 24, 1734, issue of The Pennsylvania Gazette:

"Yesterday morning Michael Wohlfahrt, one of the Christian Philosophers of
Conestoga, appeared in full Market in the Habit of a Pilgrim, his Hat of Linnen, his
Beard at full Length, and a long Staff in his Hand. He declared himself sent by
Almighty God to denounce Vengeance against the Iniquity and Wickedness of the
Inhabitants of this City and Province, without speedy Repentance. The Earnestness of)
his Discourse, which continu'd near a quarter of an Hour, the Vehemence of his
Action, and the Importance of what he delivered, commanded the Attention of a
Multitude of People. And when he had finished, he went away unmolested."

26 Messenger April 1991

to self-evident

diminishing. Now we are not
sure that we have arrived at the
end of this progression and at
the perfection of spiritual or
theological knowledge, and we
fear that if we should once print
our confession of faith, we
should feel ourselves as if
bound and confined by it, and
perhaps be unwilling to receive
further improvement, and our
successors still more so, as con-
ceiving what their elders and
founders had done to be
something sacred— never to be
departed from."
Ben Franklin was mightily impressed.
This modesty in a sect," he wrote
ears later in his autobiography, "is
erhaps a singular instance in the history
f mankind, every other sect supposing
self in possession of all truth and
lat those who differ are so far in the
'rong. ..."

Pretty heady stuff, that kind of praise.
00 bad that Michael Wohlfahrt did not
ve up to the image projected to
lenjamin Franklin. Prominent in the
'onestoga congregation of the Dunkers,
e came under the sway of maverick
lonrad Beissel and locked horns with
le Dunkers' leader, Alexander Mack.
;/hen Beissel split off and began
jrming the Ephrata society, Wohlfahrt
allowed him and became his faithful
Brother Angonius." He became
nathema to Mack's followers, appear-
ig in their meetings and, claiming to
peak by direct revelation from God,
enouncing those who refused to submit
) Conrad Beissel 's teaching and
;adership.

In spite of Wohlfahrt not living up to
ranklin's billing, the truth is that the
rethren are part of a remarkable

The Jirsf Brethren gathered together because
they were not satisfied to accept the state church
catechism as a final word. They saw that human
beings . . . and their institutions . . . were too
faulted for finality. We were, at our beginning,
dissenters from certainty.

Benjamin Franklin wasn't a big name yet when he met Michael Wohlfahrt.

April 1991 Messenger 27

and*lHeir
tFaith

tradition, whose unusual roots we often
overlook. We marvel at the insight and
wisdom of the founders of this nation-
Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James
Madison, and the others. They had a
vision of checks and balances in govern-
ment that proved durable and produced a
model that has served other nations.

For similar reasons we should appreci-
ate the insights of our Church of the
Brethren founders. They sensed two
truths not so self-evident to members of
other religious groups: 1) Understanding
is never complete, and 2) written
authority can be injurious to your mental
and spiritual health.

Understanding (religious and other-
wise) is never complete; it is a process.

The Brethren founders knew that what

looked like enlightenment needed more
enlightenment. As Wohlfahrt explained,
"Doctrines which were esteemed truths
were errors, and . . . others which we had
esteemed errors were real truths." Then
the founders came to a conclusion that is
the very essence of all learning: "Now
we are not sure that we are arrived at the
end of this progression."

There is profound humility in that
statement. It acknowledges that human
beings are limited, that their knowledge
is incomplete, and they have personal
needs and wants that color anything they
think or believe.

Michael Wohlfahrt's statement
represents a shining moment in our
history, consistent with how our whole
fellowship had its beginning. That little
cluster of "first" Brethren gathered
together because they were not satisfied

J. H. Moore: 'Spoiling a little history'

Editor J. H. Moore wrote in the May 2, 1931, Gospel Messenger, "We must spoil a
little history for some of our writers and public speakers. It has been frequently
asserted that the Brethren of colonial days refused to formulate and publish a state-
ment of the faith and practice of the church for the reason given by Michael Wohlfahrt
(in his conversation with Benjamin Franklin)." Moore's speculation was that Franklin
"... seems not to have known that there were two separate bodies of people then
known as Dunkers or German Baptists; one with headquarters at Germantown and the
other at Ephrata. ..." Wohlfahrt, claimed Moore, "... was not a member of the
Church of the Brethren."

Moore, who called Conrad Beissel and his followers "dreamers, theological
speculators and mystical in the extreme," had as his main point the contention that
Mack's followers, on the other hand, ". . . had some understanding about their tenets,
faith and practice, their doctrinal claims. ..."

He countered other writers' claims that Wohlfahrt was speaking to Franklin about
Alexander Mack's followers by citing Mack's publications Grundforschende Fragen
(Basic Questions) and Rechte und Ordnungen (Rights and Ordinances).

Michael Wohlfahrt was bom in 1687 in Memel (now in Lithuania). He migrated
to Pennsylvania in the 1720s and was baptised by Conrad Beissel in the Conestoga
congregation in 1725. Devoted to Beissel, Wohlfahrt followed him when he broke
with the Brethren in 1728. He remained an active member of the Ephrata society until
his death in 1741.

J. H. Moore wrote off Michael Wohlfahrt as one who "... probably did some
good, but as a proselyter, a great deal of mischief, and would doubtless have passed
into the realms of unknown history had it not been for the interview with Benjamin
Franklin. . . ."— Kermon Thomasson

28 Messenger April 1991

to accept the state church catechism as al
final word. They saw that human beings
. . . and their institutions . . . were too
faulted for finality. We were, at our
beginning, dissenters from certainty.

Written authority can be injurious to
your mental and spiritual health.

Consider Wohlfahrt's words: ". . . [W]e
fear that ... we should feel ourselves asi
if bound and confined by (a printed
confession of faith) . . . and our succes-
sors still more so, as conceiving what
their elders and founders had done to be
something sacred— never to be departed
from."

People are seduced by two tempta-
tions—the desire for certainty and the
wish to control the thinking of others.
Early Brethren sensed a need to resist

4oth temptations. They refused to
ssume they had some final word and
hey refused to saddle future genera-
ions with the weight of their authority.
Marshall McLuhan was right: The
nedium is the message. Something put
nto print looks more certain than it is.
\nyone who questions it is threatened
ivith the "sin" of nonconformity.
) The person who wants things written
llown, once and for all, is like the man in
William Saroyan's fable who had a cello
vith only one string on it. He would sit
or hours, drawing his bow over the one
string, all the while holding his finger in
me place. The man's wife put up with
his awful noise for a long time, but
inally she got the courage to speak to
lim about it. "I've noticed," she said
/ery quietly, "that when others play the
;ello, they have four strings over which
hey draw the bow and they move their
"ingers around constantly." Her husband
stopped playing for a moment, looked
lard at her, and responded: "You just
ion't understand. Of course the others
nove their fingers around constantly,
rhey are looking for the place. I have
bund it! ' '

That is a state of mind the early
Brethren were determined to avoid,
lence the noncreedal church we have
ilways been— "No creed but the New
Testament."

But a new breeze is blowing across the
and. The fastest growing denominations
)ffer a menu of theological certainties
hat seems irresistible to millions of
jeople. By comparison, the Brethren's
simple fare seems pallid and insipid.

Maybe that accounts for recent calls
imong the Brethren for more reliance on
;he authority of Annual Conference, for
nore disciplined membership, and for
dynamic certainties to reverse the
slippage in membership. We yearn for
unanimity and the single voice. We
iflagellate ourselves because we don't all
hold the same theology. And we take it
as a given that we are losing members

Ben Franklin: 'Traveling in fog'

Benjamin Franklin contrasted the Brethren with those who suppose themselves in pos-
session of all truth, who are ". . . like a man traveling in foggy weather: Those at
some distance before him on the road he sees wrapped up in the fog, as well as those
behind him, and also the people in the fields on each side. But near him all appears
clear, though in truth he is as much in the fog as any of them."

because we have diluted our message.

A friend tells me of a religious sect in
which dissent is quieted with the simple
statement "The thinking's been done on
that." There is, I fear, an increasing
number of members of the Church of the
Brethren who wish for a voice that
speaks with that authority.

We need the message of Michael
Wohlfahrt to help us stay the course. His
message came at a time when the
Dunkers felt threatened and put upon. Its
power was in holding fast to a founding
principle on the ground that it was true,
not on the ground that it worked.

The Church of the Brethren has a
tradition its members should appreciate.
William P. Robinson reminds us in
"The Unique Challenge of the Faith We
Have to Share" (Brethren Life and
Thought, Summer 1990) that we con-
tinue to make unique contributions in
peace and social justice, in modeling the
simple life, in service at home and

abroad, and in noncreedalism. Now is no
time for a loss of nerve. It is a time,
rather, for reaffirming our beginnings:
We are a learning, questing, searching
church.

Our base is far wider than a rigid
authoritarianism and, for the long run,
far stronger. If it is true (and I believe it
is) that we always will need "new
vision" to revitalize us, the soil of
openness that has been with us from our
beginning is ideal for planting and
nurturing that vision.

The Church of the Brethren stands as a
living reminder that there can be
commitment without domination,
conviction without dogma, and
action without intimidation.

M,.

Paul W. Keller is professor emeritus of speech
communication at Manchester College and a
member of the Manchester Church of the Brethren.
North Manchester. Ind. In the middle 1940s he
served as an assistant to Messenger editor
Desmond W. Billinger.

April 1991 Messenger 29

(BrttfiTtn
andlHeir
!Faith

Remembering our martyr;

Hated by Protestants and Catholics alike, the
Anabaptist 'radical reformers' not only were
bent on reforming the church but on restoring itS
The price for many was martyrdom.

by Kermon Thomasson

In today's world of religious pluralism,
it's hard to imagine people in the 16th
century being tortured, burned at the
stake, or drowned over the issue of how
one is to be baptized.

Even after the Protestant Reformation,
infant baptism— the accepted mode for
most of Christian history— remained in
practice. Baptizing only adults— those
who chose to be baptized— was a far-out
notion that cut at the heart of both
church and state.

Yet it was just one of many revolu- '
tionary ideas of the Anabaptists ("rebap
tizers")— the "radical reformers." The '
issue of civil government was another
factor in the creation of Anabaptism.
Some of the Anabaptists wanted a totall;
self-governing church, free of govern
ment meddling. And these radicals
didn't want merely to reform the church]
they wanted to restore it wholly to what
they perceived to be its initial purity ancf
simplicity.

Elaborate church bureaucracies
rankled the Anabaptists. Decisions, they

Dirk Willems rescues his pursuer

Dirk Willems, of Asperen (in today's Netherlands), as an Anabaptist, was being held i
a castle turned into a prison. He let himself out of a window with a rope made of
knotted rags, dropping onto the ice that covered the castle moat.

Seeing Dirk escape, a guard pursued him as he fled. Running across a pond
covered with thin ice, the emaciated Dirk did not break through. His heavier pursuer,
however, did not make it. Dirk heard his cries, turned back, and rescued him. The
ungrateful guard seized Dirk and returned him to captivity.

Tradition holds that Dirk's execution by burning was bungled, with a high wind
blowing the flames away from him, delaying his death. The town's present-day
citizens consider Dirk a folk hero and have named an Asperen street in his honor.

30 Messenger April 1991

^n Anabaptist loses his cover

,ugustijn, a baker of Beverwijk (in today's Netherlands) was an Anabaptist who had
le protection of the town's police officer. But one day the mayor, a fanatic of the
aditional faith, had Augustijn arrested while his friend was out of town. Surprised at
is breadmaking, Augustijn had no time to escape. He was hastily tried, sentenced to
eath, and rushed off to a bed of hot coals.

The taunting mayor assured Augustijn that he was destined for hell. The doomed
lan turned on his persecutor, sharply commanding him to appear for judgment before
rod within three days.

Immediately after the execution, the mayor fell ill. Deranged in mind, he cried
ut over and over, "Peat and wood," and died within the prescribed three days.

Urk Willems rushes back to save his pursuer, only to be returned to captivity.

Augustijn, an Anabaptist baker in
Beverwijk, thought he was safe, having
the town police officer as his protector.
But while the friend was out of town,
Augustijn' s enemies seized him and took
him away to trial and execution.

declared, should be made not by a
hierarchical leader but by the entire
congregation.

Separation of church and state was
another central Anabaptist tenet. The
church, they said, is to be composed of
free, "uncompelled" people. One's
conscience should not be coerced by the
state.

The Anabaptists saw nonviolence as
central to Jesus' teaching, so pacifism
was another important feature of their
lives. Jesus' followers should be distinct
from society, even a society that called
itself "Christian."

Anabaptism was too much for both the
traditional Catholic church and the new
Protestant followers of Martin Luther
and the other great reformers. For them,
Anabaptist extremism justified their
being persecuted, executed by fire,
sword, garrote, gallows, or drowning.
Thousands of Anabaptists paid for their
convictions with their lives.

A Dutch writer, Thieleman Jansz. van
Braght, wrote and published in 1660 a
massive book on the persecutions
because he thought the Anabaptists of
his time needed the witness of their
forerunners who had so courageously
died for their faith. The book is known
today as Martyrs Mirror.

To illustrate a 1685 edition of the
book, a premier Dutch printmaker, Jan
Luyken, produced 104 copper plates that
captured scenes of public torture and

April 1991 Messenger 31

V ^BrttfiTtn
andlHeir
IFoitfi

death. Until recent years the original
plates were thought to have been lost in
the destruction caused by World War II.
But 30 of them were discovered in 1975
—straggling survivors of a 300-year
odyssey.

Seven of these plates were purchased
in 1977 by an Old Order Mennonite
historian, Amos Hoover, of Lancaster
County, Pa. The other 23 plates disap-
peared into the hands of a Rhineland art
collector by the name of Lamberts.
Hoover retained two plates and sold his
other five to interested persons and

institutions. The Brethren Historical
Library and Archives acquired one, and
Bethany Theological Seminary another.
(See sidebar, page 33.)

In 1988 Hoover got word that the art
collector had died and the remaining
plates were up for sale. After a tedious
round of negotiations the plates were
purchased on behalf of various Mennon-
ite patrons.

Good Books, of Intercourse, Pa.,
recently has published Mirror of the
Martyrs, in which is reproduced the 30
etchings matching the copper plates now

known to exist. Brief versions of the
stories that the etchings illustrate are told
by the book's authors— John S. Oyer and
Robert S. Kreider. Oyer teaches at
Goshen (Ind.) College and Kreider has
taught at Bluffton (Ohio) College and
Bethel College, North Newton, Kan.

Write Oyer and Kreider, "These
artistic works should ... be received
gratefully as a conduit of a collective
memory. Encompassed by the caring
wings of story, a people nurtures and
passes on its faith. These ancient plates
offer an opportunity to tell in fresh ways I

Ephrata prior Peter Miller spent three
years translating Martyrs Mirror. The
result was a huge 1 .500-page, leather-
bound tome (below). The Ephrata logo
(above, right) says. ' 'Work and hope."

Ephrata prints a Martyrs Mirror j

At the request of Pennsylvania Mennonites, the Ephrata society, a group that broke
from Alexander Mack's followers in 1728, printed a new edition of Martyrs Mirror in
1751 that ran to more than 1,500 pages. Jan Luyken's illustrations are not carried in
this edition. It did feature, however, a frontispiece depicting the immersion baptism ol
Jesus. This was left out of copies sold to Mennonites, who did not baptize by immer-
sion. Brethren buyers, who held to trine immersion, got copies with the baptism scene
intact.

Peter Miller, prior at the Ephrata Cloister, had the task of translating the book. A
visitor to the cloister in 1753 recorded his conversation with Miller: "He showed me '
the History of the Persecutions of the Anabaptists, a large and thick folio volume, '
which he himself had translated from the Holland into the German language, and had ■
afterwards had it printed there in Ephrata, saying that it was the largest book that had
been printed in Pennsylvania, as also that he had labored for three years upon the
translation, and was at the same time so burthened with work that he did not sleep
more than four hours during the night. ..."

When the Revolutionary War broke out in the 1770s the American army seized
from the Ephrata Cloister the remaining stock of the book, using the paper for car- '
tridge wadding ... to the consternation of the pacifist community. As recorded in the
society's official record, Chronicon Ephratense, "This gave great offence in the
country, and many thought that the war would not end favorably because the memo-
rial of the holy martyrs had been thus maltreated."— Kermon Thomasson

32 Messenger April 1 99 1

brethren own Martyrs Mirror plates

ivo of the 30 Jan Luyken copper plates, from the seven acquired in 1977 by Amos
oover, were purchased by Brethren institutions. The Brethren Historical Library and
rchives, in Elgin, 111., now owns the plate depicting the execution of Hendrik
smkens. Eemkens, an illiterate tailor from East Frisia (islands off the coast of
ermany), used his vast store of memorized scripture to counter the arguments of the
ergy who tried to make him recant. At Eemkens' execution a bag of gunpowder was
ing around his neck and fired before his body was burned. His executioners consid-
ed killing with gunpowder more humane than the slower burning to death.

Bethany Theological Seminary, in Oak Brook, 111., owns the plate depicting the
;capitation of Wolfgang Binder, of Scharding, Bavaria.

endrik Eemkens (above, right) was executed "humanely" by the exploding of a bag
'gunpowder tied around his neck. Wolfgang Binder (right) was killed by
^capitation, a more common means of execution practiced in the 1 6th century.

)w in perilous times the faithful
illowed Christ with joyful abandon."
The plates carry a universal story, the
ithors point out. "Although denying
e practice publicly, many governments
ill carry out evil acts of torture. More
isoners of conscience languish now in
nely cells than in the 1500s. In the
)th century more people have been
lied for conscience sake than in any
her century in history. The Anabaptist
artyrs have kinship with a host of
artyrs past and present."
The Brethren, whose movement was
lunded in Schwarzenau, Germany, in
708, were latter-day Anabaptists who
tperienced persecution in Europe that
id nothing of the dimensions of the
errors depicted in Mirror of the
'artyrs. Yet those martyrs writhing in
;ony in Jan Luyken's etchings are the
)iritual ancestors of us Brethren of
'day. Separated from us by four
mturies, still they are our sisters and
others in the faith. Struggling to live
it our Anabaptist beliefs in today's
lUralistic and materialistic world, we
ive much to learn from the
iges of this book.

M,.

The horror of it all

Even we who can remember Ku Klux Klan lynchings of blacks and Jews not so long
ago and all of us who are jaded by the violence we see on television (including the
killings in the Middle East) are horrified by the carnage of the Anabaptist persecutions
portrayed in Mirror of the Martyrs. Executioners frequently bungled their gory work
and were derided in turn by spectators in the carnival atmosphere of the event.
The executioner strangled, then burned David van der Leyens of Ghent (in
today's Belgium). After the coals had died down around David's supposedly lifeless
corpse, spectators cried out that he still lived. Goaded by their jeers, the executioner
plunged a large iron fork into David's breast.

The executioner makes sure that David van der Leyens is no longer alive.

Mirror of the Martyrs is available
om Good Books, Main St., Intercourse,
A17534. Tel. (717)768-7171.

April 1991 Messenger 33

f- .■«

July 22-25

Manchester College
N. Manchester, Indiana

August 5-8

Bridgeiuater College
Bridgeujater, Virginia

EVANGELISM

LEADERS

ACADEMY

1991

Cynthia Hale

Pastor, Ray of Hope Christian
Church, Decatur, GA.

Herb Miller

Executive Director, National

Euangelistic Association;

National Leadership

Institute.

July 29- August 1

University of LaUerne
LaUerne, California

August 12-15

UJarner Pacific College
Portland, Oregon

Gary Demarest

Associate Director of Euangelism and
Church Deuelopment, Presbyterian
Church USA.

Jeremiah lUright

Pastor, Trinity United

Church of Christ,

Chicago, IL.

July 15-18

McPherson College
McPherson, Kansas

August 19-22

Life Enrichment Center
Leesburg, Florida

Frank Harrington

Pastor, Peachtree Presbyterian Church
Atlanta, GA.

Eddie Gibbs

Professor of Euangelism,

Fuller Theological Seminary,

Pasadena, CA.

Brochures and an interpretatiue uideo are available

Contact: Euangelism Leaders Academy

1451 Dundee Auenue Elgin, IL 60120 1-800-323-8039

STONES

by Robin
Wentworth App

Horror movies scare the
daylights out of me.

Whenever I watched one
as a kid it was weeks before
I could make it through the
night without a trip to my
parents' bed. Even now, if I
accidentally glimpse a scene
during a preview I have an
irrational urge to cross
myself and recite the rosary
. . . except that I don't know
the rosary.

So while I don't make a
habit of watching them, it
seems to me that the "hor-
ror' ' component of typical
horror movies revolves
around dead things that
won't stay dead— zombies,
vampires, mummies, ghosts
—dangerous creatures that
are supposed to have died
but who continue to terrorize
the living because they are
not really dead.

On the psychological
level, the same scenario
repeats itself in our lives.
Often we are most terrorized
and immobilized by some
past occurrence that's
supposed to be a dead issue,
but instead keeps reaching
out from its grave. It may be
a guilty secret, an honest
mistake, a destructive habit,
an old grudge, or the silent
shame borne by an assault
victim. But what inevitably
happens in many a person's
life is that one mistakenly
assumes that such things are
dead when they're only
dormant . . . buried alive.

Among the most frequent-
ly voiced misconceptions
concerning the therapeutic
process is the idea that "all

the therapists do is dwell on
the past and blame the
parents for everything. Why
dredge all that stuff up. . . .
Aren't we supposed to
forgive and forget and just
get on with life?" Yeeesss,
but . . .

Haven't you placed
carefully wrapped leftovers
in your refrigerator, forgot-
ten about them, and then
found them spoiled? In spite
of the cool temperature, in
spite of being sealed off
from other perishables,
eventually the stench of the
spoiled food permeates the
whole compartment and if
you don't act fast the good
stuff is contaminated by the
rotten.

And haven't you seen cuts
and abrasions that on the
surface seemed to be healing
over, but underneath were
teeming with infection?
Everyone knows that in such
cases you can't cure the
infection unless you reopen
the wound.

Ignoring something does
not make it go away. Denial
is not death. In order for a
painful part of our past to
die, it has to be killed. In
order to kill it, we must do
battle. And in order to do
battle, we must confront it.
Then and only then can we
bury it and expect it to stay
buried.

In his letter to the
Corinthian church, Paul
stresses how that which is
sown does not come to life
unless it dies (Cor. 15:36). If
the seed does not die, it will
not produce fruit. Newness

then can only happen after a
death and a burial. On a
spiritual level, we symbolize
this through baptism. How-
ever, we run into problems
when attempting to apply
this principle in our day-to-
day lives and personal his-
tories, because "dying"
hurts and "burial" is hard
work. Which is why most
people avoid doing either.

Consequently, the thera-
peutic process often necessi-
tates a confrontation battling
the "psychological zom-
bies" and "emotional
mummies" so they can be
killed and buried. Which in
turn sets us free to newness
—new options, new possibili-
ties, and new depth in rela-
tionships without the icy
fingers of not-yet-dead issues
clawing at us from inconti-
nent "graves."

In horror movies, the story
reaches a resolution only
after the protagonist success-
fully kills the frightening
creature. In real life the
death of old fears, memories,
and resentments also brings a
successful resolution. But
left to themselves they
usually don't die; they only
fester. Confronting them
releases us from their grip,
neutralizes their power, and
allows "forgetting what lies
behind and straining forward
to what lies ahead"
(Phil. 3:13).

Robin Wentworth App, of
Nappanee, Ind.. is a therapist,
ordained minister, and a member of
the Camp Creek Church of the
Brethren. Etna Green, Ind.

April 1991 Messenger 35

Have you noticed? MESSENGER has gotten closer
to home.

But that's not all. Mixed Reviews offers you
a Brethren critique of various media. Turning
Points lists new members of the church. And the
informal Stepping Stones column is designed to
help you through life's ups and downs.

Take a closer look. We're closer to you.

MESSENGER. We're bringing you home.

Encouraging disciple makers

As pastor of the Elkins congregation, I
am extremely grateful for the gift of
February Messengers to our members.
Many of these Brethren will really enjoys
reading Messenger . . . most of them
for the very first time.

I really like the new format of the
magazine. And it's uplifting to see new
members listed. That encourages our
congregations to work hard at making
disciples.

D.Arnold Naff Sr
Elkins, W. Va

Stirred by February issue

The February Messenger was great. I
liked the cover and other pictures, the
print, the church news, the mission
news, and all the other informative
articles. Continue on!

Erma Petri
North Manchester, Ina

A few years ago I wouldn't have
bothered to read Messenger. But I have
been deeply moved by recent issues,
such as December 1990 and February.

I was particularly stirred by the
February issue, which I read in Colo- I
rado, while at a district stewardship
commission meeting. Joyce McFadden'i
piece on spiritual renewal. Bob Bow-
man's "A Lawyer With Convictions"
(which makes me want to know our
moderator and brother Phil Stone), and
"Cain Lackey: A Mountain Legend"

The opinions expressed here are not necessarily
those of the magazine. Readers should receive thei
in the same spirit with which differing opinions arii.
expressed in face-to-face conversations.

Letters should be brief, concise, and respectful o\
the opinions of others. Preference is given to letter j
that respond directly to items read in the magazint

We are willing to withhold the name of a writer
only when, in our editorial judgment, it is
warranted. We will not consider any letter that
comes to us unsigned. Whether or not we print <A«J
letter, the writer's name is kept in strictest
confidence.

Address letters to Messenger Editor, 1451
Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

36 Messenger April 1991

Pontius' Puddle

e some of the most moving reading
lyone could find.

These articles are spiritually uplifting
id upholding to one who affirms that
e Church of the Brethren needs new
rection ... in the midst of more than a
ndful of Brethren who hold a pharisai-
1 view that the Church of the Brethren
n do no wrong.

Larry L. Ditmars
Lincoln, Neb.

auding the legend

le Cain Lackey "legend" was much
predated. It provided insight into our
rlier Brethren— how they lived and
iw they influenced our church of
day.

Tucked away among the hills and
Jleys of Pennsylvania, Maryland,
irginia, and West Virginia, there must
many more stories like this one. I
ish our Brethren historians would write
sm up for us.

Glenn Klahre
Everett, Pa.

[)u know the type

le "type watching" that Cheryl Martin
scribes in "Mixed Reviews" (Janu-
y, page 29) also is dealt with in the
lok Please Understand Me, available at
DSt bookstores. A 75-question test
veals your type. The rest of the book
plains the various types in easily
iderstood language.
Here in Idaho District we used the
pewatching with our district board and
scovered that we were typical. Ninety-
/e percent of ministers are "intuitive
elers" (IF), which means their first
mcem is people and feelings. Seventy-
/e percent of congregations are
sensation judging" (SJ), which means
eir first concern is tradition and duty,
ith this knowledge we can understand
e conflict between ministers and
ingregations: The minister asks, "How
ill this program affect people?" The
lurch board asks, "How will this
ogram affect the budget (or change

NOTICE: Church and dislrici newslellers ihal reprint ' 'Pontius' Puddle' ' from
Messenger must pay $5 ($10 if circulation is over 500) for each use to Joel
Kauffmann. Ill Carter Road. Goshen. IN 46526-

Wey, JEHOVAH DODE,

TUis. IS YooR ^A^lr^
AMP^^Bl^^^, pontics.
OIVE tAE rwE.

r^L

SORE THING---
THOOSH^LL WCfTKILL'.
T^400SHW.LMOTSTE^L'.,
THOO SH^\.L mX COM^-\ \
TrtOO SHML ^40T SWE^U '
THOO SH^\.L NOT WORSHIP
OTWtR S-OOS I

IT V/OULDN'T HORT
G-OD TO TRY A>AD
BE ^ UTTLE
rAO«.E U\P.

( )nc Step ;it a

McPherson College

McPherson, Kansas 67460 • (316) 241-0731

^■P"

■

^^^^

^wp

W'^r~" -'

^ ^

Pictured with Denise (at right), a senior at McPherson College, are her parents
Velva Wagner Butler and Donald Butler.

^^McPhenon College offers a good ratio of students to professors and a variety of oppottunities to be in-
volved in — churck, academic programs, and extracurricular activities. "

— Donald '55 and Velva Wagner Butler '54

Scholarships/Grants: *

Yes, I want to take the next step and find out more about
McPherson College.

Name

* Awards are
renetvable for up to
four years provided
that students remain
eligible for the
grants. Some awards
are based on
financial need and
availability of
finds.

Address _

City

Phone t-

. State .

. Zip .

. Year of Graduation .

Clip and send to: Admissions Office, McPherson College,
P.O. Box 1402, McPherson, KS 67460 or
call coUect (316) 241-0731.

McPherson College does not discriminate on the

basis of race, religion, sex. color, national origin, or physical/emotional stability

April 1991 Messenger 37

tradition)?'" When you understand what
is important to the other person, it is
easier to be tolerant— and easier to find
solutions to problems.

The book is a great resource for a
board retreat, making board members
better able to understand each other. Its
use might make it possible for a pastor
to stay in a congregation longer (see
January, pages 12-18). It's also good for
marriage counseling: Expectations of
marriage partners become more realistic.

From the

Office of Human Resources ^

NEEDED REGULARLY:
PART-TIME PASTORS

More than half of the Church of
the Brethren congregations call
part-time pastors to serve them!
Have you considered re-locating
to serve? Or in retirement, have
you considered serving one of
these congregations?

For further conversations, contact
your District Executive or Robert
Faus, Consultant for Ministry, 1451
Dundee Avenue, Elgin, IL 60120.

Public schools in Idaho use the
concept to match students and teachers.
An SJ (duty) teacher becomes impatient
with an SP (freedom) student, who feels

that few things are worth giving up
personal freedom.

Donis Murdo<
Boise. 1dm

1991 WOMEN'S EVENT

■

Gifts and Giving ^

August 1 - 4, 1991 ^^ X/ 1 ^^

Elizabethtown College ^^ £ / 1 1

V !

Elizabethtown, Pa. M X / \ \

featuring / l(/| /J ^

Celia Allison Hahn 1 1 \l §(11 1

Editor-in-Chief 1 \^-t\( J

Alban Institute Publications % \ 1 l\^^

$140 postmarked by June 10, 1991 ^L \ ^

$160postmarkedafter June 10, 1991 ^^^ J J ^

Commuters : $ 1 00 by June 1 "V ^^

$115 after June 10 y

DEADLINE: July 8, 1991

For brochures and scholarship information contact

Program for Women, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120

■■>;■

(708)742-5100, ext. 279

'■'■'

CLASSIFIED ADS

WANTED-Young adults, ages 18-35, are invited to unique
opportunity for service, fellowship, worship, Bible study.
Young adult workcamp in Portland, Ore., June 25-July 1,
1991 (week before Annual Conference). Young adults will
team up with Habitat for Humanity in Portland, renovate
number of older houses. Low income families are enabled
to purchase their own homes at more reasonable cost
because of this volunteer labor. Cost is $70 for entire week
(inclds. food, housing, work materials, etc.). Registration
forms available by writing to Chris Ivlichael, YouthA'oung
Adult Ministry Office, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

FOR SALE-H/story of the Nokesville Church of the Breth-
ren. 1883-1950, by J. Robert Beahm. 57-page illustrated
booklet describes this Northern Virginia congregation.
Included is brief history of Hebron Seminary, which in its 1 5
yrs. had as students or faculty Brethren leaders I. N. H.
Beahm, William Beahm, Anna Beahm Mow, Baxter Mow,
Sarah Beahm Miller, Samuel Harley, William Moomaw,
Early Flohr, Mary Royer, Guy West, Russell West, Isaac
Sanger, and J. F. Graybill. $6 ppd. Send orders to Church
of the Brethren Library, P. 0. Box 56, Nokesville, VA 221 23.

FOR SALE-Our Family Books by Mason: Ziegler Family
Record (revised), 1990; Va. residents, $33.50; others
$32.50. John Mason and Mary Ann Miller. 1986; Va. resi-
dents, $32.50; others $31 .50. Michael Miller of 1692 (in
process). (Miller m. 1 Susanna Agnes Bechtol; m. 2 Eliza-

38 Messenger April 1991

beth Garber, widow of Nicholas Garber.) For information
SASE. Write; Floyd R. Mason, 4409 Park Rd., Alexandria,
VA 22312.

FOR RENT-Modern Ozark country home in south/central
Mo. Three bdrms., new well, garden spot. Near Churches of
Brethren. Available mid June. Contact Eldon Coffman, HC
Rt. 7, Box 24, Cabool, MO 65689. Tel. (417) 962-4493.

RETIREMENT-Retiring? Come to Washington, Kan.,
where hwry. 36 and 15 intersect in northern Kan. Small rural
town that takes care of senior citizens. Not far from several
good sized towns. Small alive Church of the Brethren. Eco-
nomical housing. Beautiful rolling hills, trees. Long spring-
time, long fall. Contact John and Edith Ditmars, R.R. 2, Box
221, Washington, KS, 66968. Tel. (913) 325-2608.

RETIREMENT-/! Consumer's Guide to Selecting a Retire-
ment Park can be yours free. Call now for this free educa-
tional packet. Learn 1 1 secrets of happy, healthy retirement
park; 7 potential drawbacks of retirement parks; 9 mistakes
to avoid when choosing retirement park; 26 tough questions
to ask before selecting retirement park. Plus, get full details
about The Willows at Camp Verde, northern Ariz., unique
retirement park in clean, smog-free setting. It's all free. So
call now toll free 1-800-658-5916 or write to Tom and Jan
Pobst or Galen and Ruth Snell, The Willows Retirement
Mobile Park, HC 75, Box 1520, Camp Verde, AZ 86322.

TRAVEL- You are invited to join Host Wayne F. Geist
President, Bridgewater College, on tour to exotic orii|
Tour includes Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hi
Kong (July 8-22, 1 991 ). Departure via San Francisco itni
diately following 1991 Annual Conference, Portland. In
sive price $3,290 per person (dbl. occupancy) 15-
adventure inclds. American breakfast each day, and '
special dinner and cultural performance as well as k
tours in four major cities. Economical air connections to !
Francisco fr. Portland, Ore.; Washington, D.C.; other po
can be arranged. For additional info, contact Dr. W
Geisert, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA 22812.
(703) 828-3362; Fax (703) 828-2160; or Ms. Jacque W
Halpern, Turner Travel, (800) 542-2029.

TRAVEL-Annual Conference. A/C coach tour to Ani
Conference, Portland. Visit Bethany Seminary, E
hdqtrs. Hear Salt Lake City Mormon Tabernacle 01
Return route via Victoria, Canadian Rockies, Lake Lot'
Write J. Kenneth Kreider, 1300 Sheatfer Road, E ■
bethtown, PA 17022. '

INVITATION-ln Atlanta, Ga., join Faithful Servant Chi,!
of the Brethren for 10 a.m. church school and 11 ■
worship at Shoney's Inn at intersection of Indian Trail ai
85 North, exit 38, Norcross. Contact John and De il
Hammer, 5584 Wilmer Dr., Norcross, GA 30092. Tel. (■
448-9092.

lew
lembers

nnville, Atl N.E.: Elizabeth
Light. Carl Longnecker.
Sharon Clark. Beverly Finkle,
Jackie Weaver, Jeff Snyder.
Denise Snyder, Fran, Dale,
Matthew. Michelle, and
Melonie Bushong

ntioch, Virlina: Jason M. Jones

enterHill, W, Pa.:Carland
Karen Baughman, Delbert,
Tara. and Cory Smeltzer,
Roxanne Fink, Lenya Baker

tiarlottesville, Shen.: Anne
Weybrighi, George and
Barbara Henry. Kim Seivers.
Ryan Spencer, Chris Neofolis.
Paul and Sarah Bowman

liiques, Atl. N.E.: Nevin
Brubaker

[iristian Church Uniting,
Virlina: Charles Bennett.
Dawn Bennett, Mary Lee

lover Creek, M. Pa.: Dusty
Bassler, Darla, Harry, and
Shawn Claycomb, Larry
Criswell. Mary Criswell.
Kevin. Ryan, and Sherry
Dilling, Jennifer Dixon.
Candy Hoover, Jennifer Lear,
Dorothy Long. Mark Long,
Kathy Mowery, Glen Norris,
Robert Reighard, Julie
Ritchey, Bob. Cindy, and
Lynea Wareham, Steve Weber

Doestoga, Atl. N.E.: Richard
Travis, Melanie Koser. Terry
Kuny. Holly Kuny. Lindsay
McElhenny. Brenda Riehl,
Bruce Snader. Matthew
Stoltzfus. Amy Yingling.
Mark Yingling, Robert Good,
Lori Good, Betty Jane Stoltz-
fus, Tami Denlinger. Diane
Gontero. Gary Gontero, Heidi
Hartmann. Jan Hess, Wes
Koser, Jay Riehl. Dina
Smoker. Nancy Good. Wayne
Anderson

enance, N. Ohio: Lorraine Grim.
Susan Perez. Beth Bohn.
Lynette Galusta. Deana Koch

ast Chippewa, N. Ohio: Marie
Patton Buchwalter

llzabethtown, Atl. N.E.: Clar-
ence and Jane Crider, Rebecca
Thomas, Helen Holmes,
Alfred and Darlene Myers,
Kenneth and Margaret Shaffer

reen Tree, All, N.E.: LuAnn
Gantz. Michail Ganiz, Dory
Schwanger, John Townsend,
Ken Risser, Sue Risser, Carl
Drumheller, Joanne Drum-
heller, Dave Heckman.
Charles Stanford

rottoes, Shen.: Jack and Tina
Glover. Jeanetle Winegard

idian Creek, Atl. N. E.: Timothy
Schwager, Susan Schwager.
Sandra White. John Hauck.
Deborah Hauck, John Paul
Holsey. Joyce Detweiler

eyser, W. Marva: Scott Hoti,
Adam Rice, Donald Shiriey,
Jackqueline Shirley. Cindi

' Leatherman, Harold Statler,

I Ruth Statler. Anna Mae Clay,

I Linda Wilson

jacey Community, Ore./Wash.:
Helen Lawrence, Toby Gos-

ney. Ada Webre, Johnny
Webre. Lloyd, Denise. and
Abner Hoage. Carolyn
Spivey, Alice Colyar, Way-
land Rice. Maude Rice. Helen.
Millard, and Barbara Fall,
Joanne Presley, Harold
Boone, Leta Boitnott. Clair
Boitnott. Dawn Wiggins. Ben,
Pamela, and Alesha Almaraz,
Bonnie Bieg

Memorial. M. Pa.: Kathleen
Greenloaf. Rick Yingling.
Mark. Nancy, and Heather
Oldham, Craig Hinish.
Eugene Feather, Robin Shaw,
Brice Verbit, Tom Wareham,
Krisly Hoover, Sherri Verbit

Middle Creek, Atl. N.E.: Richard
Pomeroy Jr., Kathy Ann Geib,
Peter Rutt, Charlene Rutt

Midway, Atl. N.E.: Lisa Hess,
Debra Brubaker, Christopher
Wenger. Kendra Reist, Janelle
Harrell, Jason Martin, Tammy
Keller, Eldon Martin. Helen
Martin, Beverly Bollinger

Mohrsville, Ati. N.E.: Dustin
Risser, Michelle Sensenig

Monroeville, W. Pa.: Charles
Daw, Andrew Hendricks,
David Kreke, Robyn Kreke,
Karen Story, Robert
Swearingen

Mount Vernon, Shen.; Elwood
Arehart, Beth Hollen, Fred
Hollen, Sherrie Tush

Peace, N. Plains; Vera Daniels,
Howard Daniels, Kathy Rowe,
Myrtle Dofner

Pine Creek, N. Ind.: Deaima Buss,
Ralph and Joan Baughman.
Arlene Cohee, Catherine
Stone, Carolyn Figg, Suzanne
Figg, Julie Gensinger. Jessica
Platz

Pipe Creek, S/C Ind.: Brenda
Starkey, Bob Daggelt, Cary
Stephens. Barb Stephens.
Brad Dirrim

Prices Creek, S. Ohio: Heather
Miller. Gregory McWhinney,
Kurl McWhinney, Judith
Shiverdecker, Wanda
Shiverdecker

Spring Mount, M. Pa.: Myers
Kimmel, Lois Kimmel

Sunnyside, W. Marva: Randy
Brant

Westernporl, W. Marva: Harry
Kyle. Kimberly Lewis, Carl
Spiker, Shirley Spiker

Zion Hill, N. Ohio: Anna Conard,
Rachel Conard, Jonathan Bell,
Emily Jacoben, Stacy
Jacoben, David Bomberger

195th BVS
Orientation Unit

(Orienlation completed January

25, 1991)

Cayford, Steve, Glendale, Calif.,

to Washington Office on

Haiti, Washington, D. C.
De Maret, Molly, Ft. Worth,

Texas, to project pending
Fillmore, Anna, Buffalo Grove.

Jll., to Unity House Chicago,

Chicago, 111.
Romberger, Bill, Bath, N. C, to

Washington Office on Haiti.

Washington, D. C.

Spire, Satnuel, Dandridge, Tenn.,
to Central Evangelical
Church, Los Angeles, Calif.

Tijerina, Todd, North Manches-
ter. Ind., to Building with the
Voiceless of El Salvador,
Washington, D. C.

Truempcr, Rebekah. Valparaiso,
Ind., to NISBCO. Washington,
DC.

Wallick, Angela, Tulsa, Okla.. to
On Earth Peace Assembly,
New Windsor, Md.

Licensing/
Ordination

Baker, Jimmy Lee, ordained Jan.

12, 1991, Pipe Creek, S/C Ind.
Fike, Matthew P., licensed Aug.

14. 1990. Oak Park, W. Marva
Romack, C. Richard, licensed Jan.

12, 1991. Muncie, S/C Ind.
Waas, Martha Susan, ordained

Jan. 12. 1991. Northview. S/C

Ind.
Wilkes, O. Magee. ordination

received Nov. 10. 1990, East

Valley, Pac. S.W.

Pastoral
Placements

Allen, richard. from other

denomination to Andrews,

S/C Ind.
Bitner, Robert, from secular to

Harris Creek. S. Ohio
Cloyd, Gary, from secular to

Beech Grove, S. Ohio
Coffman, Eldon M., from Cabool,

S. Mo./Ark., to English River,

N. Plains
Elgin, Glenn, from secular to

Pleasant Dale. Virlina
Griffith, Tony, from other

denomination to Beech

Grove, S. Ohio
Mallow, Terrell, from Glendale.

M. Pa., to Maple Grove, W.

Marva
Morris, Robert III, from Marion.

N. Ohio, to Bridgewater,

Shen.
Noffsinger, Bruce, from Mount

Hermon, Virlina. to HoUins

Road, Virlina
Payne, Russell, from Liberty,

S.E.. to Blissville. N. Ind.
Penrod, Robert, from Emmanuel,

S. Ohio, interim, to

Emmanuel, S. Ohio
Reeves, Marvin, from retirement,

to Pleasant View, Virlina

Wedding
Anniversaries

Fike, Ralph and Dorothy.

Westemport, Md., 50
Marsh, Irvin and Edna,

Westemport. Md.. 60
Millard, Edward and Ann, North

Canton. Ohio. 50
Shriver, Landis and Virginia,

Saxton. Pa., 50
West, Lester and Cecille, Prescott.

Iowa, 50
Ziegler, Wilmer and Myra,

Annville, Pa., 50

Deaths

Allman, Dorothy, 68, Greensburg,
Pa.. Oct. 20, 1990

Bariko, Michael, 73. Harrison
City. Pa,,Jun. 8. 1990

Baughman, Charles. 84. Gettys-
burg. Pa.. Nov. 27. 1990

Blair, Mildred, 81, Somerset. Pa..
Sep. 27. 1990

Boyer, Charles. 79. Sandy Spring.
Md..Jan. 19. 1991

Burnett, Frances, 88. Richmond.
Ind.. Dec. 19. 1990

Caccia, Betty. 67. Greensburg.
Pa.. Aug. 28, 1990

Claypool, Mildred, 67,

Kittanning, Pa.. Oct. 12. 1990

Culler, Trevadon O.. 85. Nash-
ville, Mich., Jan. 20. 1991

Dawson, Catherine. 81. Green-
ville, Ohio, Dec. 23, 1990

Dean, Louise Mills. 75. Harrison-
burg, Va., Jan. 7, 1990

Diaz, David. 60, Pomona. Calif.,
Jan. 1. 1991

Dunbar, Rosetta, 77, Adrian,
Mich., Nov. 1, 1990

Eberly, Lillian. 96, Neffsville, Pa.,
Nov. 26, 1990

Eyier, Joyce L.. 42. New Windsor.
Md., Dec. 14, 1990

Fairall, Carl V., 70, York, Pa..
Jan. 20. 1991

Fink, Vergie M.. 89. Hollidays-
burg. Pa., Dec. 29, 1990

Focht, George M.. 72, Hollidays-
burg. Pa.. Dec, 28. 1990

Fogelsonger, W. H, 71, Waynes-
boro. Pa.. Oct. 23, 1990

Foltz, Russell, 88, Westemport.
Md., Jun. 17, 1990

Gearhart, Jennie, 87, Ruffsdale,
Pa.. Jun. 11, 1990

Gettemy, Hazel. 91, Greensburg.
Pa., Nov. 1, 1990

Gordon, Nina, 79, Worthington,
Minn., Jan. 16. 1991

Graybill. Mark, 8 1 . Littiz, Pa.,
bee. 6. 1990

Guilliams, Virgil, 62. Boones
Mill. Va.. Dec. 12, 1990

Harding, Maurice, 75. Harlville,
Ohio, Jan. II, 1991

Harris, D. M., 85, West Man-
chester, Ohio, Jan. 10. 1991

Hartman, Arthur, 88, Piedmont.
W. Va.. Dec. 16, 1990

Heidlebaugh, Lucy E., York. Pa..
Dec. 23. 1990

Heidlebaugh, Raymond E. Sr..
93, York. Pa., Jan. 18, 1991

Helmick, Mary P.. 93. Palmyra.
Pa., Oct. 22. 1990

Henry, John F.. 50, Elton, Pa,,
Dec. 16. 1990

Henry, Mary E., 88, Greencastle,
Pa., Dec. 22. 1990

Hoover, Bertha. 74. Union
Bndge. Md.. Dec. 29. 1990

Johnston, Benha. 83. Greensburg,
Pa., May 25, 1990

Johnston, Marie, 74, McPherson,
Kan., Dec. 25. 1990

Kauffman, Jean, 58. Hamburg,
Pa., Nov. 3. 1990

Kibble, Etta, 86. Dixon. 111.. Jan.
11. 1991

King, Ida Clara, 94, Kittanning.
Pa.. Dec. 6, 1990

Landis, Herman B., 92, La Verne,
Calif, Dec. 13. 1990

Lawrence, Dorothy. 71. Greens-
burg. Pa., Dec. 12, 1990

Lehman, Elizabeth, 99, Martins-
burg, Pa.. Feb. 19. 1990

Marsh, Robert. 48. Burlington.
W. Va.. Feb. 26. 1990

McCabe, Marybell. 77. Greens-
burg. Pa.. Sep. 8. 1990

McCary, Joseph D.. 79, Hanover,
Pa.. Nov. 5. 1990

McDaniel, William, 77, Milton.
Del.. Jan. 18. 1991

Mengel, S. Maude, 79. Richfield.
Pa. Oct. 24. 1990

Miller, Vema, 85, Reading, Pa.,
Jan. 6, 1991

Mussetter, Homer Ray. 88. Penn
Laird, Va.. Jan. 16. 1990

Myers, Russell A., 81. Harrison-
burg. Va., May 28. 1990

Myers, Ed L. Sr.. 73. Penn Run,
Pa.. Dec. 23, 1990

Nell, Pauline, 87, East Berlin, Pa..
Dec. 29, 1990

Osterwise, James, 49, Greens-
burg, Pa.. May 26. 1990

Outten, Rosalee. 64, Greenwood,
Del., Dec. 6. 1990

Oxford, Ruby. 71, Akron. Ohio,
Jan. 13. 1991

Painter, Paul. 83. Palmyra. Pa.,
Jan. 4, 1991

Railing, Mary E.. 93. Carlisle, Pa..
Oct. 26. 1990

Reents. Bemard C. 67, Wells-
burg, Iowa, Jan. 7, 1991

Sabatine, Kathryn, 48, Greens-
burg, Pa., Dec. 29, 1990

Schlenker, Jonathan, 67. Pasa-
dena. Calif , Dec. 12, 1990

Shank, Gertrude. 85. Lancaster,
Pa., Oct. 13.J990

Shearer, Wilford H., 69, Glen-
ville. Pa.. Dec. 21. 1990

Shoemaker, Gary Scott, 45,
LinviUe, Va.. Mar. 26, 1990

Simon, Elnora B.. 69. Syracuse.
Ind., Dec. 26, 1990

Singer, Bertha E.. 79. Taneytown.
Md.. Nov. 26. 1990

Snyder, Beatrice V., 74, York,
Pa.. Jan. 10. 1991

Snyder, Olive. 69. Greensburg,
Pa.. Jun. 22, 1990

Stauffer, Miriam. 70, Elizabeth-
town. Pa.. Oct. 21, 1990

Stott, Barry. 42, Norristown, Pa.,
Aug. 27. 1990

Stott, Clara, 75, Audubon, Pa.,
Sep. 8, 1990

Strife, Cyms L., 80. Hagerstown,
Md..Jan. 5. 1991

Sutton, Edna, 99. Pomona, Calif,
Dec. 29, 1990

Thompson, Claude, 85, Bent
Mountain. Va.. Jan. 15. 1991

Truxal, Elsie, 87, McMurray, Pa.,
Jul. 26. 1990

Uhl, Victoria. 96. Keyser. W. Va..
May 23. 1990

Vearn, Harry. 87. Dayton, Ohio,
Dec. 29. 1990

Wareham, Irvin. 92. Roaring
Spring, Pa., Dec. 30. 1990

Willett, Laura. Bent Mountain,
Va..Jan. 18, 1991

Wilson, Bessie Willett. Bent
Mountain. Va., Jan. 22. 1991

Winand, Neil R., 76. Dallastown.
Pa.. Dec. 6. 1990

Wisner, Maynard, 86. Polo. III..
Dec. 26. 1990

Witter, Susan G., 87, New
Oxford, Pa.. Dec. 7. 1990

Younkins, Clark. 80, Kittanning,
Pa.. Aug. 17, 1990

April 1991 Messenger 39

Mark Twain in Kennebunkport

One morning I was trudging along down ttie street to
work. It was still dark and a snow storm was raging.
I was moving against the wind, my head drawn
down into my feathers and my thoughts fixed on hot
coffee. Suddenly in the whiteness of the storm a
dark shadow began flapping over me. I looked up,
startled, half expecting to feel the talons of Sinbad's
giant roc from The Arabian Nights. But it was only
the magnified shadow of a neighbor's American
flag, floating between me and his porch light.

That ominous shadow set the mood and direction
of my thoughts for the remainder of my walk to the
office. Even later, as I drank my hot coffee.

Aside from feelings that stem from my deeply
held Brethren conviction that all war is wrong, I
have been troubled since the beginning of the war
against Iraq by the media event that television
makes of it, the power of television news to shape
our views, and what passes for correct patriotism in
the mind of the masses.

Most troubling is the attitude implied by the
pro-war voices that unless you are hysterically
waving the Stars and Stripes and busily tying yellow
ribbons around everything, there are grounds for
suspecting you of un-Americanism at best and
treason at worst.

My attention was caught by a newspaper article
about a Sunday church service in Kennebunkport,
Maine. President Bush was there. When the congre-
gation was invited to express prayer concerns, a man
stood up near the president and said, "I have a
concern. Think of the 18 million people of Iraq. Half
are children under the age of 15. There are children,
just like the children sitting here. ..."

"As he continued," the article says, "voices in
the church began to cry, 'Enough!' and then the
congregation rose and started singing the first verse
of 'God Bless America.' " The man was dragged
away by police and thrown in jail.

I remember that church. I'm Just sure it's the
same one described by Mark Twain in his story
"The War Prayer."

"It was a time of great and exalting excite-
ment," wrote Twain. "The country was up in arms,
the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire
of patriotism." He goes on to describe a scene
familiar to us today: "On every hand and far down
the receding and fading spread of roofs and balco-
nies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the
sun." Twain doesn't record it, but I am sure a
yellow ribbon was tied on every tree and gatepost.

In the church the pastor was winding up a long

40 Messenger April 1991

and impassioned prayer that God would "... watch
over our noble young soldiers and aid, comfort, and
encourage them in their patriotic work, . . . help
them to crush the foe (and) grant to them and to
their flag and country imperishable honor and
glory."

A stranger moves up the aisle, silences the
pastor, and addresses the congregation. He assures
the patriotic parishioners that God has heard their
prayer. Both prayers, for he explains there have been
two prayers, "... one uttered, the other not." To his
puzzled listeners, the stranger recites the unspoken
prayer of their hearts:

"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of
our hearts, go forth to battle— be Thou near them!
With them, in spirit, we also go forth from the sweet
peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe.

"O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers
to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover
their smiling fields with the pale forms of their
patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the
guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in
pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a
hurricane of fire.

"Help us to wring the hearts of their unoffend-
ing widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn
them out roofless with their little children to wander
unfriended the wastes of their desolated land. . . .

"For our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their
hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrim-
age, make heavy their steps, water their way with
their tears. . . . We ask it, in the spirit of Love, of
Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the
ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore
beset and seek his aid with humble and contrite
hearts. Amen."

.fter standing and singing "God Bless America"
(Twain forgot to mention), the God-fearing and
patriotic folks in this church decided "... that the
man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in
what he said."

Thus Twain abruptly ended his indictment of
those who thoughtlessly cheer on the troops. The
moral of the tale came earlier, in these words of the
stranger: "If you would beseech a blessing upon
yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a
curse upon a neighbor at the same time."

And "Who is my neighbor?" That's a good
question. One that the wavers of flags and tie-ers of
yellow ribbons well might ask.— K.T.

O To Christian Ministry

O To Congregational Leadership

O To Peacemaking & Service

O To Provide Financial Support

O To Study Scripture

O To Encourage Others

O To Upbuild the Church of the Brethren

Dear Friends,

Bethany has taken a bold new initia-
tive in response to the leadership needs
of our denomination. Beginning with
1991-92, all Church of the Brethren
M.Div., M.A.Th. and TRIM students will
be eligible for a full tuition scholarship.
We trust the new program will:

a) make a seminary education access-
ible to aU;

b) encourage persons who have not
thought of ministry;

c) keep educational debt manageable.

We need the support of the church. We need you to c£dl quality per-
sons to ministry. We need you to financially underwrite this program.
Please write or call for details regarding this new partnership in min-
istry training.

In God's Love,

John J. Cassel

Dean of Students

Bethany Theological Seminary

Oo/m J C^Jci

Bethany Theological Seminary

MEYERS AND BUTTERFIELD ROADS
OAKBROOK, ILLINOIS 60521

708/620-2200

NEWNESS

OF LIFE

WELCOME

NEW

CHURCHES

jA/elcome the 12 new churches that have sprouted up in the
rch of the Brethren this past year. Welcome their arrival in
ertoRico, California, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.
Rejoice in the spiritual enrichment that six new Hispanic and two
jUe^ Korean churches bring. Nurture the dream of 1 10 new
«nurch starts in the 1990s. Celebrate newness of life among
persons and families and in the community of Jesus Christ.

Support new church development through a Pentecost
offering to your local church, or send it to the Church of
the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120,

PENTECOST OFFERING

3\o

Church of the Brethren May 1991

kew church signboards
on the Brethren scene

:V'

Ifcs

•'»l

.■. = -s1t,tt|

/'"'•?

Newsline

(301)635-8738

24-hour headline news from
the Church of the Brethren

Messages updated by Thursday morning each week.

For more information, contaa the Communication Team

1451 Dundee Avenue, Elgin IL 60120; (800) 323-8039

One of the Communication Team's objectives in the Goals for
the '90s is to get the news out faster to the folks in the congrega-
tions. In this age when you can watch a war on TV while it's
happening in the Persian Gulf, it is ironic that we here at the
Church of the Brethren General Offices can't get the primed

word out to the
denomination as
fast as our prede-
cessors could a
hundred years ago!

So we are
looking for ways
other than print to
get the word out.
One method we
now are using is
Cobweb, the
Church of the
Brethren "computer
bulletin board." Problem is, not every Brethren has the tech-
nology at home to benefit from Cobweb.

But now we have something we think just about every
member of the Church of the Brethren can use. It's "Newsline."
If you want to get an update of Brethren news, just pick up your
phone, dial (301 ) 635-8738, and you'll hear the pleasant voice
of our own Cheryl Cayford giving three minutes of late-
breaking Brethren news.

We were working on this idea and talking about when we
would begin the service when the war broke out in the Persian
Gulf. That crisis made up our mind for us. We scrambled and
began Newsline immediately. The first few weeks were devoted
to the Brethren response to the war. But now you'll hear more
general news.

On the last day of the March General Board meeting, here
in Elgin, we introduced Newsline to board members by having
the chairwoman, Joan Hershey, dial the Newsline number, and,
through use of an amplifier, the board heard a special Newsline
broadcast summarizing the General Board meeting just then
concluding. You can't get news any hotter than that. So we are
putting a check mark by our Goals for the '90s objective.

That number, once again, is (301 ) 635-8738. Dial it and see
what exciting things besides Newsline are happening out there.

COMING NEXT MONTH: Articles on singles in the Church of
the Brethren, faith-shaping events in persons' lives, and a salute
to the 100th anniversary of the University of La Verne.

Editor

Kermon Thomasson

Managing editor

Wendy Chamberlain McFadden

Editorial assistants

Cheryl Cayford, Karia Boyers

Production, Advertising

Sue Radclift

Subscriptions

Norma Nieto, Martha Cupp

Promotion

Kenneth L. Gibble

Publisher

Dale E. Minnich

District Messenger representatives:

Atlantic Northeast. Ron Lutz; Atlantic
Southeast. Ruby Raymer; IIHnois/Wiscon
Fletcher Farrar Jr.: Northern Indiana. Lee
Holderread; South/Central Indiana. Lois I
Michigan, Marie Willoughby: Mid-Atlan
Ann Fouts; Missouri, Mary Greim: Mis-
souri/Southern Arkansas, Mary McGowa
Northern Plains. Pauline Flory: Nonhcm
Ohio. Sherry Sampson: Southern Ohio,
Shirley Peiry; OregonAVashington. >

Marguerite Shamberger: Pacific Southwe
Randy Miller: Middle Pennsylvania, Pegj'
Over; Southern Pennsylvania. Elmer Q. |
Gleim: Western Pennsylvania, Jay Chrisli,
Shenandoah, Jerry Brunk; Virlina, Mike '
Gilmore: Western Plains, Dean Hummer;|
West Marva, Winoma Spurgeon.

Messenger is the official publication oft!
Church of the Brethren. Entered as secon
class matter Aug. 20, 1918, under Act of'
Congress of Oct. 17, 1917. Filing date, N

1 . 1 984. Messenger is a
^ member of the Associated
'" ^' Church Press and a subscribi

to Religious News Service ai

Ecumenical Press Service.

Biblical quotations, unless
otherwise indicated, are from the New
Revised Standard Version.

Subscription rates: $ 1 2.50 individual
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you move, clip address label and send wi
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Messenger is owned and published 1 1
times a year by the General Services Con
mission. Church of the Brethren General
Board. Second-class postage paid at Elgii
111., and at additional mailing office, Maj
1991. Copyright 1991, Church of the
Brethren General Board. ISSN 0026-035
POSTMASTER: Send address change
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1 Touch 2
lose to Home 4
ews 6
olumn 9
onference Preview
tepping Stones 42
etters 44
ontius' Puddle
urning Points
ditorial 48

45
47

redits:

5ver, 39: Ken Bomberger

left: Irene S. Reynolds

;enter right, 14 map, 16: Kermon

rhomasson

right: Al Friesen

WCC/Peter Williams

Karla Boyers
' top: Andy Arenz

left, 19 top, 20: Larry Geddis

right: Steve Terrill

-23: Messenger files
|, 25 top and center, 26 center left and
light, bottom: World Council of
ii^hurches photos by Peter Williams

bottom: Phil Grout

top, 27: Howard Royer

, 36: Pattie Stem

left: Cheryl Cayford

: L. Vernon Frazier

On the Oregon trail 14 *

To heighten Annual Conferencegoers' anticipation of that
drive to Portland, we had Karla Boyers assemble some stories
from the host districts. Sidebars on Jan EUer and Sidney King
and a selection of photos depicting scenes travelers may see.

On second thought 21

Turns out that a lot of those former Annual Conference
moderators would do things differently if they had a chance.
Elaine Sollenberger found that out . . . and other interesting
details . . . when she surveyed her fellow veterans of the
denomination's highest elective office.

In Canberra: Sparks from the Holy Spirit 24

Howard Royer fills us in on the happenings at the recent
World Council of Churches meeting in Australia.

Rediscovering church extension 28

Merle Crouse, staff for new church development, does a self-
interview to update us on the progress of church planting.
Sidebar on telemarketing a new congregation.

Why we're excited 30

Karla Boyers interviewed eight new Brethren to learn what it
was that turned them on about the Church of the Brethren.

Some plantings that rooted 33

Don Fitzkee and Karla Boyers present eight new church
plantings that took hold and are growing. The fledgling
congregations tell what worked for them.

From Ghana to Germantown 38

A "missionary" from Ghana ministering in the "mother
church" at Germantown? How did that come about? Don
Fitzkee profiles Richard Kyerematen.

Page 39

May 1991 Messenger 1

Mean on mavericks

When cattle skedaddle, John
Honeywell hits the saddle.

"Neighbors all around call
John to saddle up and come
corral their cattle," says his
mother, Loraine. The 1 7-

"In Touch' ' profiles Brethren we
would like you to meet. Send
story ideas and photos (black
and white, if possible) to "In
Touch," Messenger, 1451
Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

year-old president of the
youth group at the Antelope
Valley Church of the Breth-
ren, in Billings, Okla., is
always ready to oblige.

When a bunch of calves
got loose during an ice storm,
they created havoc on the
nearby highway. Their
owner, driving a pickup,
couldn't manage on the ice.
Enter John on his trusty horse
Jazz. He soon had the
cavorting calves back behind
their fence again.

John got started horsing
around three years ago, when
his dad. Rusty, bought Jazz
for him. John had become
interested in roping, watching
some cousins who were into
the sport.

After attending a couple of
roping schools, John began to
practice in earnest, riding
Jazz. He is now winning belt
buckle prizes at rodeo events
in north central Oklahoma.

John and his younger

brother. Rocky, do team
roping. John lassos the calf's
head, then turns the animal so
that Rocky can rope its feet.
Sister Stacy often hazes for
her brothers — helping comer
the calves so the ropes can be
removed.

Last Memorial Day
weekend, a roping arena kit
that Rusty had ordered
arrived on Saturday. Loraine
recalls, "Our fellows were so
eager, they spent the weekend
digging 75 post holes, setting
the posts, erecting the panels,
and spot-welding them in
place. On Monday evening
their friends joined them for a
full-blown roping session."

Where is all this leading?
Given enough rope and with
some luck, John hopes to
compete someday in the
National Finals Rodeo.
— Irene S. Reynolds

Keystone in place

When Stanley Earhart took
over in January as director of
the Keystone Bible Institutes,
he was accepting responsibil-
ity for an agency that not
only had its keystone solidly
in place but had a firm
foundation as well.

Keystone Bible Institutes
(KBI) began over 20 years
ago with the purpose of
providing basic Bible
teaching for lay people of
Anabaptist tradition. Today it
still reaches out to that consti-
tuency, but its program has
evolved to include courses
that reach people "where they
are" — courses including
family life, AIDS, social
issues, loneliness . . . what
have you.

"There is no systematic

agenda that we follow," says
Stanley, as he explains the
scope of the KBI sessions.
"We usually get input from
those attending the institutes
in order to select subjects for
the coming year."

Over the 20 years, more
than 22,000 people have
participated in the institutes,
which are open to any
denomination interested in
learning more about Anabap-
tist beliefs and traditions.
Eleven 5-day institutes
were scheduled for 1 99 1 .
They began January 6 and
ended March 1 1 . They take
place at churches and
retirement homes in the
general area of Southern
Pennsylvania and Atlantic
Northeast Districts of the
Church of the Brethren.

KBI is a cooperative
program of the Church of the
Brethren, Brethren in Christ,
and Mennonite Churches of
Eastern Pennsylvania. The
two Church of the Brethren
districts mentioned earlier
appoint members from their
ranks to the KBI board.

One of Stanley's goals is

to attract younger people to
the institutes. Right now most
participants are older people,
ranging downward to young

2 Messenger May 1991

adults. KBI waives the basic
$15-a-week fee for high
schoolers.

Stanley, a retired church
worker now living at Breth-
ren Village, Neffsville, Pa.,
has served the Church of the
Brethren as pastor, district
executive (Southern Pennsyl-
vania), and director of district
ministries on the national
staff(I983-1986). He knows
his KBI constituency well
and has a high regard for its
performance. "Through
KBI," he says, "many people
are deepened spiritually and
become informed and
equipped to serve Christ
more effectively."

For those lay people who
will not be moving on to
more formal education, KBI
courses may well be the
keystone of their faith that the
institute name implies.

Word to Wise

Bob Wise, a member of the
McPherson (Kan.) Church of
the Brethren and current
president of the Kansas Bar
Association, was one of 500
American lawyers and 1,000
Soviet lawyers who heard
Mikhail Gorbachev extol
perestroika last fall at the
Moscow Conference on Law
and Bilateral Economic
Relations.

Since then, perestroika
(economic restructuring) and
glasnost (openness) have
become tainted watchwords,
but Bob still is favorably
impressed with what he
experienced in the Soviet
Union.

He witnessed a peaceful
protest in Moscow's Red
Square that involved 25,000

demonstrators. "The Soviet
people are engaged in a
frantic effort to achieve a free
society," said Bob. "All of us,
as citizens of the world, have
a tremendous stake in their
achieving that goal."

Bob considers Gor-
bachev's reforms "one of the
most remarkable chapters in

Bob Wise (left) with president of
USSR's Union of Legal Profes-
sionals, outside the Kremlin.

world history." And, the
Kansas lawyer is still
optimistic that the "remark-
able chapter" will endure in
the record.

Scamper School pioneer

Evelyn Metzger has been
honored by Cedar Lake
Church of the Brethren,
Auburn, Ind., for her 17 years
as director/teacher of its pre-

school program. Many of her
students returned for the
surprise celebration. During
her years with Scamper
School, Evelyn was noted for

her creative activities, rang-
ing from students preparing
their own healthy snacks to
adventuresome field trips.

To show her appreciation
to Cedar Lake in return,
Evelyn has presented it with a
"Peace Pole," which now
stands near the church door.

Remembered

Sam Lindsay, 84, of

Broadway, Va., died March
2. He is remembered for
restoring the Broadway home
of Brethren martyr John
Kline. Called "Tunker
House" by Lindsay and his
wife, Pauline, the Kline home
(which also is the birthplace
of M.R. Zigler) hosted an
important 1973 meeting of

representatives of the five
Brethren bodies. The Tunker
House meeting led to the
1983 publication of the
Brethren Encyclopedia.

Names in the news

Steven Edris, of East Fair-
view Church of the Brethren,
near Manheim, Pa., has been
named "Builder of the Year"
by the Building Industry
Association of Lancaster
County. The award recog-
nizes individual achieve-

ments and involvements in
industry, community, and
association activities.

John Vance, of the Twin
Falls (Idaho) Church of the
Brethren, and his wife, Renee
Johns, have begun a three-

year assignment in Mongo,
Chad, through Mennonite
Central Committee. John's
assignment is teaching
English.

Wallace Hatcher, of
Linville Creek Church of the
Brethren, Broadway, Va.,
received the Harrisonburg-
Rockingham County Cham-
ber of Commerce "Business-
person of the Year" award.
President of Lantz Construc-
tion Company, he is chairman
of the Bridge water College
Board of Trustees.

Orville Lauver, of York
(Pa.) First Church of the
Brethren, received the
"Distinguished Community
Service" award from the
Founder's Club of The
Brethren Home, New Oxford,
Pa. He is known for his many
gifts to his church, the home,
and other agencies.

Timothy K. Jones, who
formerly held Church of the
Brethren pastorates in
Virginia and Texas, recently
published a book Mentor and
Friend: Building Friendships
That Point to God (Lion
Publishing Corporation). Tim
is associate features editor of
Christianity Today magazine,
in Carol Stream, 111.

May 1 99 1 Messengers

Light from a logo

Turkey Creek Church of the
Brethren, at Fristoe, Mo., has
adapted the denominational
logo to make a stained-glass
art piece at the back of its
chancel. It is dedicated to
those who have served the
congregation. Turkey Creek
celebrated its 100th anniver-
sary in 1989.

Summer homework

For the Brethren youth who
spent a week last summer
cleaning, painting, and
repairing at the Brethren
Fellowship House in Harris-
burg, Pa., the seeds of hope
they planted have sprouted
and produced fruits.

The work of the youth and
other volunteers made it

possible for a family of seven
facing eviction to have a
second chance.

The fellowship house is the
work of the Brethren Housing
Association, a ministry
started by five Harrisburg
area congregations. Together,
Harrisburg First, Spring
Creek, Hanoverdale,
Ridgeway Community, and
West Green Tree own five
apartments and two houses
that provide transitional
homes for families in crisis
situations.

Selected families may stay
up to a year, paying monthly
expenses for the property —
basically the cost of utilities.

Weekly sessions with the
families help establish goals,
financial budgets, and lend
emotional and spiritual
support.

Gerald Rhoades of First
Church says the housing
ministry is "a way for
families facing homelessness
to get back on their feet."

Sisters: Take note

The Brethren Revival
Fellowship held a 1-day
training seminar in late
March at the Midway Church
of the Brethren, near Leba-
non, Pa. Among the topics
covered were "The Privilege
of Being a Wife and Mother,"
"Visiting the Elderly," and
"Women in the Life of
Christ."

South Africans' R & R

Smuts and Nokwazi
Ngonyama, of South Africa,
for several weeks were the
guests of Baltimore (Md.)

First Church of the Brethren.
The family has been active in
the Christian Freedom
Movement in its home
country and needed time for
rest and reflection because of
the extended stress of its
work. In Baltimore the
Ngonyamas were hosted by
General Board member
Barbara Cuffie. They
accompanied her to the
General Board meeting in
Elgin, 111., in early March,
before returning to South
Africa.

Hillcrest accredited

Hillcrest Retirement Com-
munity, in La Verne, Calif.,
is among 100 retirement
communities accredited by

HILLCREST

the national Continuing Care
Accreditation Commission.

Hillcrest president Charles
Cable says that the benefits of
accreditation for Hillcrest
include respect of communi-
ties and the public for
meeting higher standards of
management, plus the
advantages of making a self-
study of one's own facilities.

Opening barriers

Lakeview Church of the
Brethren, in Brethren, Mich.,
dedicated a barrier-free
addition to its building April
14. The addition includes a
restroom and a three-stop
elevator. A five-session class
has been conducted on
"God's Love — Available to
All."

4 Messenger May 1 99 1

Mid-winter spirit lift

East Chippewa Church of
the Brethren, Orrville, Ohio,
held a Mid-Winter Festival of
Faith in early February. This

congregation is crammed full
of musical talent. The senior
choir was accompanied by a
six-piece "Brethren Brass"
ensemble and a seven-piece,
intergenerational string
ensemble.

Campus comments

Three buildings and a
fountain at Manchester
College have been named to
the National Register of
Historic Places. The "historic
district" includes the Admin-
istration Building, Ikenberry
Hall, and Oakwood Hall.

The University of La
Verne, continuing its
centennial celebrating, has
published a book The
University of La Verne, A
Centennial History: 1891-
1991. An all-day birthday
party was held in March and
an Alumni Day celebration
April 27. The school's
anniversary will be high-
lighted with articles in the
June Messenger.

The American Armenian
International College of the
University of La Verne
celebrated its 1 5th anniver-
sary in February. The college

traces its ties to the Church of
the Brethren to Brethren aid
to Armenians after the 1915
massacre of Armenians by
the Ottoman Turks.

Bridgewater College held
its 96th Spiritual Life
Institute in March. Brethren
minister Earl Mitchell and
Ron and Shirley Spire — co-
executives of Southeastern
District of the Church of the
Brethren — were given the
college's Outstanding Service
Award.

Juniata College's Church
College Relations Council
unanimously passed a
resolution urging the US
government to renew its
commitment to international
peace. The resolution was
presented to the council by
freshman Brian Kreps, of
North Manchester, Ind.

Biff Green, vice president
for university relations at the
University of La Verne, will
become president of Friends
University, in Wichita, Kan.,
it was announced in March.
Green is a member of the La
Verne (Calif.) Church of the
Brethren.

Bethany Theological
Seminary's Summer
Extension Schools will be
held at Bridgewater College
July 22-26, led by Eugene
Roop and June Gibble, and at
the University of La Verne
August 5-9, led by Fumitaka
Matsuoka and Yvonne
Dilling.

The McPherson College
Concert Choir was on tour in
Kansas and Colorado over
the first of April. Coordinat-
ing the tour was campus
pastor David Valeta.

James M. Wall, editor of
Christian Century magazine,
was the lecturer for the
annual Anna B. Mow
Symposium at Bridgewater

College. His opening presen-
tation was on religion and
politics in the Middle East.

McPhei'son College's
Religious Heritage lecturer
this year was John Howard
Yoder, a scholar whose focus
is on the theology of peace.
In addition to his lectures, he
appeared in several classes at
the college. Yoder teaches
theology at Notre Dame.

Juniata College's presi-
dent, Robert W. Neff, has
been appointed to serve a 2-
year term on the board of

directors of the National
Council of Independent
Colleges, an association of
300 private schools.

Elizabethtown College
will host the Brethren Bible
Institute July 15-19. Instruc-
tors include Harold Martin,
Frank Reed, Craig Alan
Myers, Steve Hershey, John
Minnich, and James F. Myer.

Elizabethtown College
also will host the Interna-
tional Communal Studies
Association, July 25-28. This
is the first time the associa-
tion has met in the USA. The
focus will be on historical
and present-day communal
societies around the world.

Spring break in Florida
didn't mean wild beach
parties for the 20 Juniata
College students traveling by
van and U-Haul to the
Sunshine State to study
wildlife. Said biology

professor Robert Fisher, the
group would "actually see
and hear the wildlife it has
been studying in the lab."

The 1990 edition of
Ripples, the Bridgewater
College yearbook, received a
first-place award from the
American Scholastic Press
Association, winning 900 out

of 1 ,000 points. Editor was
Kajsa Svarfvar, a 1990
graduate from Umia, Sweden.

Let's celebrate

Genesis Church of the
Brethren, Putney, Vt.,
dedicated its new facility
April 27-28, beginning with a
love feast. A bus and van
carried folks up from
Southern Pennsylvania
District (of which Genesis is
a part) for the event.

Upper Conewago Church
of the Brethren, near East
Berlin, Pa., will observe "the
250th anniversary from its
start-up at Big Conewago,"
September 7-8.

New Covenant Church of
the Brethren, Powell, Ohio,
dedicated its new sanctuary
April 14.

Wilmington (Del.) Church
of the Brethren kicked off a
year-long 75th anniversary
celebration in January. A
birthday party will conclude
the observance December 1 .

May 1991 Messenger 5

At its March meeting, the General Board reflects on the aftermath
of the war and hears plans for relief efforts in the Middle East

"Now is not the time to forget that we
have concerns about the war and the
aftermath of the war," said World
Ministries Commission chairwoman
LaVon Rupel. A "Lenten Letter" on the
war was a major item at the General
Board's March meeting, which was
marked by an emphasis on spirituality.

War on the agenda

"Looking back over the past months,
we have been deeply troubled by the
efforts to justify the Gulf war as holy, or
just, or moral," the Board said in the
Lenten Letter, which was sent to all
Brethren congregations. "We have been
alarmed by the glorification of the new
military technology. . . . We are grieved
by the killing of innocents and combat-
ants and the destruction of property,
antiquities, and the eco-system."

The Board expressed concern about
division caused by the war in churches
and communities and listed "glaring
contradictions" raised by the conflict.
"As we again proclaim our Christian
faith that the crucifixion gave way to the
resurrection," the letter concluded, "we
also proclaim our faith and hope that this
heinous conflict can be transformed . . .
into new life and peace."

Relief efforts

The Board heard plans for a Brethren,
Mennonite, and Presbyterian effort to
send $100,000 in aid to Iraq and perhaps
Kuwait. An Emergency Disaster Fund
grant of $52,000 will go to relief in the
area and the church is contributing to the
salary of one of two Middle East
Council of Churches personnel who are
in Baghdad to develop relief services.

A renewing spirit

An emphasis on spirituality begun by
church leaders in October continued
with a feetwashing and love feast
Sunday evening and a prayer meeting
Monday morning to coincide with a
weekly time of prayer for renewal of the
denomination.

An emphasis on the Spirit was also set
by a pre-meeting discussion of the
World Council of Churches Seventh
Assembly in Canberra, Australia, using

6 Messenger May 1 99 1

the theme, "Come, Holy Spirit, Renew
the Whole Creation." Brethren who
attended the assembly reported and the
Board discussed how issues raised at the
assembly relate to the Brethren, includ-
ing power-sharing and inclusion in the
church, women in leadership, the role of
youth, care for creation, and the situation
of native peoples.
Among other business

• A paper on "Peacemaking: The
Calling of God's People in History," was
passed to Conference for consideration,
as was a revised version of the "Cre-
ation: Called to Care" paper.

• The Board endorsed a proposal for a
National Older Adult Conference in
October 1992.

• The Board's Goals and Budget
Committee approved a project to send
English Bibles and biblical reference
materials to the Nuer people in Sudan.

• The Goals and Budget Committee
assigned staff to explore responses to
urban violence, in response to a Pacific
Southwest District request.

• The Parish Ministries Commission
discussed guidelines for local church
building loans. District executives
present said the proposed guidelines
caused dismay among district leaders
because of the degree of district respon-
sibility in relation to that of the congre-
gation. PMC member Earl Traughber
and Board staff will meet with the
Council of District Executives for
further discussion.

• The General Services Commission
lent support to tentative plans for a
national media campaign to raise
awareness of the Church of the Brethren.

• A paper on church growth goals for
the '90s was referred back to staff by
PMC after discussion revealed differ-
ences on the issue. Staff will bring a re-
vision to a PMC meeting at Conference.

• WMC heard plans for a retirement
community at the New Windsor (Md.)
Service Center and asked staff to report
on management options.

• The Board approved a response to
the Improving Relations Study (IRS)

An Australian aborigine dances at the ' i
Seventh Assembly of the World Council
of Churches. Brethren who attended
reported to the Board in March. i

Committee report on improving relatior
between the Board, districts, congrega- j
tions, and individual Brethren, includinj
recommendations to avoid bureaucratic
terms and raise awareness of the denom
ination at district events. \

• GSC appointed Cathy Simmons '
Huffman, of Linthicum Heights, Md., tc :
the Brethren Historical Committee.

• A briefing was given on "The Face .
of Mission," a program in which Board {
members and staff will visit more than
200 congregations to present the work c
the church.

• Cuts were made to meet budget
projections, including reducing the PM(
executive position to 80 percent and '
asking other agencies to increase
financial support for cooperative work.

The Board met its budget in 1990 andli
congregational giving was up two per- li
cent from 1989, but direct giving was I
down in the last half of '90. An increase
of more than 230 percent in bequests
may result from aging membership and
past emphasis on bequest giving.

The New Windsor Service Center lost
$265,760 through cuts in the Church
World Service clothing program and in
government support for aid shipments.
Low returns from a direct mail campaig
contributed to a Brethren Press loss of
$156,630. Both programs will bring
reports of efforts to improve the situa-
tions to the Board in June and October.

blunteer from Israel
}lls 'war story'

here are "two nights I'll never forget,"
lys Tim Bock, Brethren Volunteer
ervice worker who has returned from
rael and the Occupied Territories.
At 3 a.m. on January 16, civilians
amed of the US and allied forces'
tack on Baghdad. Standing on the
rrace of Ecco Homo — the convent
here he lived and worked in
jrusalem's Old City — Bock says the
luslim quarter seemed "subdued."
gveral blocks away, however, Israelis
I the Jewish quarter were on the roofs
jlebrating with loud music.
Twenty-four hours later, the first air-
lid sirens blared, warning civilians to
:treat to sealed rooms and don gas
lasks. "You could tell there was a
ecret pleasure' among the Palestin-
ins," says Bock. While they were
ixious about the attack, "they believed
addam Hussein would never hit them."
nd Palestinians were happy for a strong
rab leader to "shake things up."
The first three missile warnings

created "pandemonium." Bock fumbled
to put gas masks on uncooperative
children in the basement of the convent,
which had offered its facility to the Mus-
lim community in the event of an attack.
Some 200 people came the first night.

But after the first few weeks of SCUD
warnings, people grew "casual" about
the "minor inconvenience," says Bock.
Many went on roofs to spot SCUD and
Patriot missiles.

When Bock left in February, prepara-
tions were being made for the short
ground war that started two days later.
He wonders what it was like for people
to be able to take the tape off the win-
dows and put their masks away. "I felt
like I saw the beginning of the film but
missed the conclusion," he says. He
imagines Israelis must be happy, but
word of a cease-fire must have brought a
"dark day" for Palestinians and "grave
disappointment" that Hussein's big
threats did so little to change their lives.

Bock served most of his three-year
assignment in Israel and the Occupied
Territories at Tantur, an ecumenical
theological institute. Before the invasion

Discernment team' prepares for visit to South Korea

he new Korea "discernment" team (see April, page 7) met in February to discuss its
isit to South Korea May 28-June 8. (From left) Abe Park, Joan Hershey, John Park,
hin II Jo, Irven Stem, and David Radcliff will travel to different parts of the country,
leeting with religious leaders and others to assess possibilities for church planting,
hin II Jo expressed hope for a successful trip, saying he "felt the Holy Spirit was
resent" during the meeting. Abe Park has "waited a long time for this" and hopes the
lurch will back it as "the way to China and North Korea." Work in North Korea will
ot now be explored but the group is interested in such contacts in the future.

of Kuwait, he had the opportunity to
travel for several weeks in Syria and
Jordan. Now he has returned to the US to
do another term of service at the B VS
office in Elgin, 111. — Karla Boyers

Church sends aid,
workers to Brazil

An Emergency Disaster Fund grant of
$10,000 has been given to rebuild the
meeting house of the Tunker, or Comu-
nidade Pacifista Crista church in Rio
Verde, Brazil. The building — also the
home of pastor Onaldo Pereira — was
destroyed in a flash flood in January.

Pereira first contacted the Church of
the Brethren in 1982. He attended
Bethany Seminary in 1984-85 and in
1987 spent several months in Virlina
District, where he was ordained. Pereira
then returned to Brazil and helped a
group of worshipers formally incorporate
in the city of Fortaleza. In 1989, suffer-
ing exhaustion and overwhelmed by the
immense responsibilities of the new
church, he returned to Rio Verde to rest.

As he regained health, he again felt
God calling him to ministry, but hesi-
tated to take leadership. He asked US
Brethren for guidance. Latin America/
Caribbean representative Yvonne Dilling
and Shenandoah District executive
Merlin Shull visited Pereira in February.

There is no structural tie between Bra-
zilian and US Brethren, but there is a
spiritual tie. The church's name "reflects
the group's affinity for, and understand-
ing of, the ideals and beliefs of the
Church of the Brethren," Dilling said.
For now, she encourages support through
prayer and correspondence. The possibil-
ity of providing leadership training to
members of the group is being explored.

A team of Brethren disaster volunteers
(Cliff Kindy, James Grove, Bob Pittman,
Bruce Reeves, and Grant Verbeck) went
to Brazil in March to help rebuild the
meeting house. Dilling said there has
also been interest in helping replenish a
theological library lost in the flood. To
avoid duplication, Dilling's office is
coordinating contributions.

May 1991 Messenger?

ABC staff go to Puerto Rico,
begin pians for ceiebration

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of
Brethren health work in Puerto Rico. A
celebration is planned for November
1992 to commemorate the occasion.

In March, staff from the Association
of Brethren Caregivers went to Puerto
Rico to initiate planning for the celebra-
tion and to assist the Castaiier Hospital
with a $1 million capital improvement
drive. The hospital seeks money to build
staff housing, relocate and enlarge the
laboratory, and make improvements to
meet licensing requirements, says Elsa
Groff, chairwoman of the fundraising
committee. Now serving more than
25,000 people in four mountain commu-
nities, the hospital has an enviable
record in community-based health care.

The celebration will also focus on
health ministries in other parts of Puerto
Rico, including an ABC volunteer
community health organizer to be placed
there later this year.

ABC staff also visited the Christian
Community Center in Rio Piedras,
housed in the Second Iglesia Cristo
Misionera, a church that has recently
affiliated with the Brethren. The center
works on health and human needs in its
impoverished neighborhood, and
neighborhood homes destroyed by
Hurricane Hugo have been rebuilt
through the Brethren disaster program.
"I can't get up and talk about love, I
can't talk about justice, and wall myself
off from the people around me," said
pastor and center director Juan Figueroa.
— Elizabeth Jamsa

Team spreads peace message
to summer youth camps

Four Brethren high school and college
students will spend six weeks this sum-
mer visiting church youth camps,
spreading "the Brethren peace stance,"
says Outdoor Ministries Association
director Nancy Knepper.

Christopher Brown, Joy Kraybill,
Andy Loomis, and Audrey Osboume
will lead discussions, workshops, and

8 Messenger May 1991

worship at Camp Bethel, near Fincastle,
Va.; Camp Carmel, near Linville, N.C.;
Brethren Woods, near Keezletown, Va.;
Camp Ithiel, near Gotha, Fla.; and Camp
Swatara, near Bethel, Pa. The team is a
new initiative of the youth ministries
office, the peace consultant, the Outdoor
Ministries Association, and the On Earth
Peace Assembly.

Brethren World Assembly
planned for July 1992

A Brethren World Assembly, tentatively
scheduled for July 15-18, 1992, is
planned by members of the Brethren
Encyclopedia, Inc., board of directors to
com-memorate the 250th anniversary of
the first Annual Conference in 1742 and
will take place at Elizabethtown (Pa.)
College.

Donald Dumbaugh, Elizabethtown
College professor, said planners hope to
draw Brethren from around the world
and across denominational lines. The
meeting will focus on a common
heritage and "the international character
of the Brethren movement," he said.

The Brethren Encyclopedia board
includes members of the five major
Brethren denominations — the Church of
the Brethren, the Brethren Church, the
Dunkard Brethren, the Fellowship of
Grace Brethren Churches, and the Old
German Baptist Brethren Church.

Gardner writes commentary
for Herald Press series

Herald Press will publish a commentary
on the book of Matthew written by Rich-
ard B. Gardner, associate professor of
New Testament studies at Bethany Sem-
inary and director of ministry training
for the General Board.

The book is part of the Believers
Church Bible Commentary series, a joint
effort of Brethren and Mennonite
churches that focuses on a believers'
church perspective on scripture and
biblical interpretation by the community.
Matthew is to be published in June.

Video to provide glimpse
of new worship hymnal

Hymnal: Our Singing Faith is a new
video made to promote the new coopera-
tive hymnal of the Church of the
Brethren and the General Conference
Mennonite and Mennonite Churches.

A promotion manager for the GCMC
is in charge of the video. Footage
includes a mixture of congregational
activity and interviews with people
involved in creating the hymnal.
Brethren Press hopes to have the video
available at Annual Conference.

Brethren young adults join
Europeans in Nigeria work

A workcamp sponsored by young adult
ministries and the Africa/Middle East
office took 13 American, 5 Swiss, and 5
German young adults to visit the
Ekklesiyar "Yanuwa a Nigeria (the
Church of the Brethren in Nigeria)
January 18-February 12.

European participants were from the
Basel Mission, a "sister" mission of
EYN. The group spent 12 days building
student houses at Kulp Bible College
and working on roofs and kitchens for
staff houses at EYN headquarters. They i;
also visited villages, churches, a game
reserve, and other places of interest.
Monroe Good, who led the group, said
the two churches the group worshiped ini
were among the 25 new EYN churches
organized in 1990.

For Rhonda Bingman, a US partici-
pant, a high point was the "camaraderie i
of the group." "What started out as
difficult (a language barrier) brought us '
together because we had to work harder
to understand each other."

The trip was a return home for Jeff
Boshart, a Brethren Volunteer Service
worker in Kansas. He was bom in
Nigeria during the time his parents
worked there. "This is a church and a
people that has definitely not lost its
salt," he said. "Nigeria may not be as
rich or powerful, or have the comforts ol
the US . . . but the quality of life is of
the highest imaginable."

Apocalypse, now and then

by Frank Ramirez

rhe morning after the ceasefire in Iraq
ook effect I walked by the "Today
5how" on TV and caught a glimpse of
^enry Kissinger. Hey, I thought, don't I
enow you? Didn't you used to be the
\ntichrist?

It was back in the early 1970s, during
ny days in California (otherwise known
IS the womb of the gods). New religions
)op up like puppies there, and old ones
ake on new life. I had been to Calvary
rhapel a few times, enjoyed the Chris-
ian rock, and was leaning again toward
Christianity as my religion of choice.

Those were apocalyptic times. The
Jnited States was reeling in Vietnam
md Cambodia. A presidency was on the
/erge of toppling. Governments in
Europe were experimenting with
;ocialism. Belief in basic values was
)eing questioned.

Books by writers such as Hal Lindsay
;onfidently pointed to current events as
;lear pointers to the end. The strident
lature of their call turned off some non-
)elievers, and many believers as well.

The world didn't end.

Henry Kissinger now dwells in that
wilight zone between his memoirs. Time
nagazine, and interviews with perky
vake-up hosts who have to remind us
A'ho he was. And I'm happy to say that
;ven though the world didn't end, many
)f those converts from that time when
3ur nation seemed to be falling apart are
still believers.

And the same people are still publish-
ng books interpreting current events as
;lear pointers to the end.

Saddam Hussein was only the most
■ecent of a number of Antichrists touted
3y sincere people of faith. To be honest,
Hussein was not much of an Antichrist,
rhe emperor wore no clothes, and the
Tiother of all battles turned into a lulu of
i rout.

Nevertheless, in a short amount of
time he created a tremendous furor
among preachers and believers regarding
his place in biblical prophecy. Books
appeared with the speed of a blitzkrieg
affirming the end was near. (Alas for the
publishing trade, such books quickly
have become dated). There were reports
on National Public Radio of children
who came to school crying because of
what they had heard at church. Articles
in the Elkhart newspaper about area
ministers confirmed that this particular
hysteria was a local phenomenon as
well.

Attempts to match current world
events to Armageddon are nothing new.
The events of a millennium ago doubt-
lessly will be repeated during the months
leading to that moment in the year 2000
when the odometer turns over and we
get to see all those zeros pop up.

The danger of those who cry "Wolf!"
is that they distract potential believers
from the true facts of the gospels — that
no one knows the hour this will occur.
We are such things as dreams are made
of, and in his own time the dreamer will
cry "Wake!" to the sleepers and bring us
all to the new world of the morning.

Vemard Eller, of La Verne, Calif., has
written the best book on the subject —
The Most Revealing Book of the Bible. It
is currently out of print but available in
an authorized study edition through the
University of La Verne. Vemard points
out that every doomsayer has been
batting .000. Is it fair to assume, he asks,
that God would reveal a message about
which every single generation but one
would be doomed to a false interpreta-
tion? His book suggests that a more
biblical approach to the book of Revela-
tion is to take its message of salvation
seriously, instead of literally, especially
since no one agrees with another on
what it literally says. The Bible promises
that no one will know the hour of the

end, but that everyone will know what is
expected of him. Revelation, then,
presents a gospel consistent with the rest
of the Bible.

Every preacher who stands up and
identifies the date and time, including
those who pointed to Hussein and Iraq as
the keys to understanding, while making
an honest mistake, ends up looking
stupid in the eyes of the world. And all
of Christendom looks foolish in the
process.

All people of faith take a beating from
these speculations. The materialists
thrive on those who make a spectacle of
themselves, since it confirms their
fondest suspicions.

I suggest a moratorium on hysteria
about the end. I'd like my fellow
preachers to think twice before failing
again at the game of biblical prophecy. I
suggest we all take a deep breath and
calm down, and that believers in general
get back to the business of the gospel.
There are hurting people who need what
we have to offer to keep us busy until
the end really comes.

And you know, I've got a funny
feeling if we just stop looking and
pointing and matching the show
really will close.

Frank Ramirez is pastor of Elkhart Valley
Church of the Brethren. Elkhart, tnd.

May 1991 Messenger 9

Ai.

Portland

From July 2 to 7 Brethren will meet
along the Willamette River at the new
Oregon Convention Center in Portland —
the "rose city" — for a week of inspira-
tional worship, work, and reunion. The
theme for the 1 99 1 Conference is
"Behold, the Wonder of God's Pres-
ence." Business will be moderated by
Phillip C. Stone, an attorney from
Harrisonburg, Va.

Repeat conferencegoers are well
•acquainted with the regular array of
offerings — exhibits, the quilt auction
that benefits hunger causes, late-night
insight sessions. New events and other
highlights are presented in this preview
of the Portland Conference. For more
information, see the Annual Conference
packets distributed to each congregation
or contact the Annual Conference office
at 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120;
(800) 323-8039.

Worship

Tuesday evening: Preacher: Phillip C.
Stone, Annual Conference moderator.
Topic: "How Awesome Is This Place."

Wednesday evening: Preacher:
Eugene Roop, professor of Old Testa-
ment at Bethany Seminary. Topic: "Our
Hope is Gone."

Thursday evening: Preacher: June
Yoder, professor at Associated Menno-
nite Seminaries, Elkhart, Ind. Topic: "It
Ain't Like in the Pictures!"

Friday evening: Preacher: Gilbert
Romero, pastor of the Bella Vista
Church of the Brethren, Los Angeles,
Calif. Topic: "Look Who is Going to
Take a Spiritual Bath!"

Saturday evening: Preacher: Susan
Stem Boyer, associate pastor of the
Manchester congregation. North Man-
chester, Ind. Topic: "In Joy and Fear."

Sunday morning: Preacher: Thomas
Geiman, pastor of the Mill Creek

1 Messenger May 1991

congregation. Port ^•

Republic, Va. Topic

"The Real Wonder of God!"

Pre-conference meetings

A conference on "Violence and Abuse:
Challenge for the Church" begins
Monday at 7 p.m. and ends Tuesday at
noon. The speaker is Marie Fortune,
author of Se.xual Violence: The Unmen-
tionable Sin and director of the Center
for the Prevention of Sexual and
Domestic Violence in Seattle, Wash.
The event is sponsored by the Associa-
tion of Brethren Caregivers, the Program
for Women, and the Womaen's Caucus.

The Ministry of Reconciliation,
through the On Earth Peace Assembly, is
offering a workshop on "Interpersonal
Peacemaking and Reconciliation,"
Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m.

Frank R. Tiliapaugh, pastor of the
Bear Valley Baptist Church in Denver,
Colo., is keynote speaker at the
Minister's Association meeting, Monday

7:30-9:30 p.m. and
Tuesday 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tiliapaugh,
author of The Church Unleashed and
Unleashing Your Potential, will speak
on "Building the Church; Penetrating the
Culture."

Norman Whan will lead a new church
development workshop on telephone
marketing called "The Phone's For
You," Monday, 8 a.m. -4 p.m. (see
page 40).

The Day of Intercession is held
Tuesday 9 a.m. -4 p.m.

An orientation for first-time attendees
is held Tuesday 3:30-5 p.m.

Also meeting before Conference are
Standing Committee, the General Board,
the Brethren Health and Welfare board,
the Brethren Health Foundation board,
the Brethren Homes/Older Adult board,
and the district executives. Bethany
Seminary will hold a reception.

Tours, and more tours

A variety of sightseeing tours will be offered Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday of
Conference week.

A favorite tour for Portland visitors is the Mount Hood Loop, stopping at
Crown Point, Multnomah Falls, and Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery en route
to Mount Hood National Forest and the Cascade Range.

A city tour of Portland includes the 22-room French Renaissance Pittock
Mansion, a stroll through the Japanese Gardens, and a chance to see 10,000 rose
bushes of 400 varieties at the International Rose Test Gardens.

The Columbia River Gorge tour includes stops at Women's Forum State
Park, Crown Point, the 620-foot Multnomah Falls, and the Bonneville Dam and
Fish Hatchery.

A tour of the north Oregon coast includes stops at the Maritime Museum
and the 1 66-step Astor Column in Astoria, and a Lewis and Clark fort replica at
Fort Clatsop.

The Mount St. Helens Loop captures the essence of the volcano's eruption
from Windy Ridge, with a vantage point to see the crater (Monday tour only).

For cost and registration information contact Cathy Barclay at Raz Trans-
portation Company— (800) 666-3301 or (503) 246-3301.

Annual Conference preview by Karla Boyers

Young Adults at Conference

A pre-Conference workshop for young adults, sponsored by the Young Adult
Steering Committee, will review structure and polity of Annual Conference and
the General Board, important issues to be discussed at Conference, and the role
of young adults in participating in Conference decision-making.

The Tuesday 9 a.m. -noon workshop will feature presentations from General
Board staff. Annual Conference moderator-elect Phyllis Noland Carter, and
pastor Chuck Boyer, of the La Verne (Calif.) congregation.

The Young Adult Steering Committee is also sponsoring a workcamp the
week prior to Annual Conference, in cooperation with Portland's Habitat for
Humanity. Cost is $70. Contact the Young Adult Ministries office at 1451
Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; (800) 323-8039.

during the week

Jlble studies: Electives, Wednesday
hrough Saturday, 7:30-8:30 a.m.

Committee hearings: Tuesday 9-10
).m.: Denominational Structure Review:
'eacemaking; Brethren and Black
Americans; Creation: Called to Care;
'astoral Compensation and Benefits
Advisory Committee.

Forums: (Discussions on items of
jeneral interest) Tuesday, 9-10 p.m.:
rommittee on Interchurch Relations,
jeneral Board Response to Annual
ronference Actions.

Insight sessions: Wednesday through
'riday, 9-10 p.m.

General Board live report: Thursday
Homing.

Age-group activities: Combined
ictivities are planned for single adults
age 25 and older) and young adults (age
8-30). Senior highs (grades 9-12),
unior highs (grades 6-8), and children
K-5th grade) also have special activi-
ies. Child care is available for infants
hrough age 5 during business sessions
ind worship.

Meal events

Sreakfasts: Tickets are $6.50. Thurs-
iay: Brethren Press. Friday: Evangel 21:
evangelical Leaders, People of the

Covenant. Saturday: On Earth Peace
Assembly. Sunday: Sunday School
Teachers.

Luncheons: Tickets are $8.50.
Tuesday: Ministers' Association (box
lunch $5), Wednesday: Association of
Brethren Caregivers Recognition,
Ecumenical, Outdoor Ministries,
Program for Women. Thursday: Young
Adult Ministry, CoBACE, Association
for the Arts lunch and tour of Portland's
Pittock Mansion, Japanese Gardens, and
International Rose Test Gardens (limited
number available in advance from An-
nual Conference office for $15), Breth-
ren Journal Association, Older Adult,
HIV/AIDS Ministry Network. Friday:
Church and Persons with Disabilities,
Womaen's Caucus, Passing on the Prom-
ise, Congregational Deacons, Urban
Ministries, Youth Ministry, Association
of the Arts (AACB). Saturday:
Bridgewater College, Elizabethtown
College, Juniata College, University of
La Verne, Manchester College,
McPherson College. Sunday: On Earth
Peace Assembly (box lunch $6.75).

Dinners: Tickets are $10.50. Wednes-
day: Church Growth and Evangelism.
Thursday: Messenger. Friday: World
Ministries, Higher Education. Saturday:
Hispanic Ministries.

Tickets for meal events will be

available at Annual Conference, but
conferencegoers are encouraged to
purchase tickets early through the
Annual Conference office.

Music

Early evening concerts: Wednesday
through Saturday, 6-6:45. Wednesday:
Mike Stem, songwriter from Seattle,
Wash., and "Just Us" folk music group.
Thursday: Steve Kinzie, songwriter and
guitarist from Eugene, Ore., and friends.
Friday: William Stafford, Oregon poet
and teacher. Saturday: "Northwest
Potpourri," musicians from Oregon and
Washington District.

The Conference choir will be
directed by Bruce H. Hirsch, of Alta
Loma, Calif. To sign up, send $7 for a
music packet to the Conference office.

The handbell choir will be directed
by Lois Schopp. To sign up, write to her
at 401 Marilyn, Wenatchee, WA 98801.

Spouse support

Ordained minister and Pacific
Southwest District co-executive
Pattie Stem will speak at the
Pastors' Spouse Support Group
meeting, on Tuesday at noon.

Stem, a pastor's wife for more
than 20 years and previously a
missionary in Nigeria, now shares
the district executive position with
her husband, Irven.

Pre-registration is available by
sending $7.50 for a bag lunch to
Nancy Fitzsimons, P.O. Box 355,
Outlook, WA 98938. A limited
number of tickets will be available
at the Ministers' Association
Conference on Monday, July 1,
from 6-7:30 p.m. Child care is
provided.

May 1991 Messenger 11

Charles Boyer

Theresa Eshhach

Judy Mills Reimer

Albert Sauls

Candidates for moderator-elect

Charles Boyer La Verne, Calif.. (Pacific Southwest) La Veme congregation. Age 53.
Pastor. Church board, chair; Sunday school teacher. District writing clerk; youth
cabinet. Annual Conference Standing Committee; study committee. Director of
volunteer services; peace consultant; national youth cabinet advisor; campus minister
to international students. National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious
Objectors, board member, chair.

Theresa Eshbach Thomasville, Pa., (Southern Pennsylvania) Bermudian congre-
gation. Age 50. Executive director. Children's Aid Society. Sunday school teacher;
vacation Bible school director. District Christian education commission; camp board,
leader. Annual Conference Standing Committee, nominating committee, chair; study
committees, chair. Health and Welfare board, executive council; health foundation.
Educational development team. Author/curriculum writer.

Judy Mills Reimer Roanoke, Va., (Virlina) Williamson Road congregation. Age
50. Owner/manager office furniture retail business. Church board; nurture and witness
commission, chair; children's director; Sunday school superintendent; deacon. District
board; nurture commission; outdoor ministry committee. Brethren Volunteer Service;
General Board, chair; commissions, chair. Ecumenical observer. Annual Conference
study committees. Institute of Industrial Ministries, chair.

Albert Sauls Ephrata, Pa., (Atlantic Northeast) Ephrata congregation. Age 59.
Pastor. District moderator; board, chair; witness commission; new church planting;
board for ministerial matters, chair; discipleship and reconciliation committee, evan-
gelism committee. Annual Conference delegate; speaker; study committee. Evange-
lism counselor. Local ministerium, president; hospital chaplaincy committee; Ecu-
menical Christian Action Committee.

Initial 1991 ballot

General Board, district representa-
tives. (Five-year term. Standing Com-
mittee selects two from each district.)
Michigan: Kathi Griffin, Freeport,
Mich.; Brian L. Rise, Lake Odessa,
Mich.; Thomas Wagner, Muskegon,
Mich.; Douglas E. Wantz, Middleton,
Mich. Southern Pennsylvania: Donald
Fogelsanger, Chambersburg, Pa.; John
L. Huffaker, Waynesboro, Pa.; Carol A.
Scheppard, Princeton, N.J.; Walter Wilt-
schek Jr., Hellam, Pa. West Marva:
Samuel K. Detwiler, Moorefield, W.Va.;
J. Rogers Pike, Mountain Lake Park,
Md.; Norma Osborne McCombs, Eglon,
W. Va.; Sue Sappenfield Overman,
Morgantown, W. Va.

General Board, at-large representa-
tives. (Five-year term. Standing Com-

1 2 Messenger May 1991

mittee selects four.) Gary Benesh, North
Wilkesboro, N.C.; Betty Jo Buckingham,
Prairie City, Iowa; Kathlyn L. Coffman,
Cabool, Mo.; Donald R. Fitzkee,
Elizabethtown, Pa.; Edith Gauby, Waka,
Texas; Kiyo Mori, Covington, Wash.;
Carl E. Myers, Elgin, 111.; Colleen Beam
Smith, Orlando, Fla.

Annual Conference Central Com-
mittee. (Three-year term. Standing
Committee selects two.) Kim Yaussy
Albright, Huntington, Ind.; David M.
Bibbee, South Bend, Ind.; Jeff Parsons,
Sparta, N.C.; Gilbert Romero, Los
Angeles, Calif.

Pastoral Compensation and Benefits
Advisory Committee, laity. (Five-year
term. Standing Committee selects
two.) Rita Beam, McPherson, Kan.;
David Hurlbut, Modesto, Calif.; Ja-

CPS Reunion

A reunion for Civilian Public
Service veterans who were at
Cascade Locks (CPS #21) during
1940-46 has been planned for June
26-28 at the Menucha Retreat and
Conference Center, 22 miles east
of Portland.

Wives, widows, and other
CPSers are also welcome. Accom-
modations may require sharing
rooms with 6-8 people. Contact
Charlie Davis, 4295 S.W.
Melville, Portland, OR 97201;
(503) 244-8288.

son D. (Dick) Lindower, South Bend, ,
Ind.; Virginia Hileman Meyer, Naper-
ville. 111.

Committee on Interchurch Rela-
tions. (Three-year term, Standing
Committee selects two.) Larry M.
Dentler, North Liberty, Ind.; Geraldine
Zigler Glick, Broadway, Va.; Bettina
Harmon, Denver, Colo.; David G. Metz
ler, Bridgewater, Va.

Brethren Benefit Trust. (Four-
year term. Standing Committee selects
two.) Carl L. Brubaker, Lititz, Pa.; Don
Fecher, Rocky Mount, Va.; James K.
Garber, North Manchester, Ind.;
Raymond Martinez, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Bethany Theological Seminary
Electors, college. (Five-year term.
Standing Committee selects two.) P.
Joan Austin, Elizabethtown, Pa.; Doris
Coppock, McPherson, Kan.; Judith
Georges, La Veme, Calif.; Dorothy
Hershberger, Martinsburg, Pa.

Bethany Theological Seminary
Electors, laity. (Five-year term. Stand-
ing Committee selects two.) Jay Crist,
York, Pa.; Marsha K. Hoover, Claren-
don Hills, 111.; Charles H. Kwon,
Evanston, III.; Peg Margus Yoder,
Huntingdon, Pa. |

^ew Business

>Jew business focuses on a broad variety
if issues including evangelism and the
lature of the Church of the Brethren and
esus Christ.

A Northern Indiana query — Missions
unreached people groups — asks
>innual Conference if the denomination
hould have "a clear and specific plan
. . for proclaiming the gospel and plant-
ng Churches of the Brethren among
inreached people groups."

Two Atlantic Northeast District
lueries request statements from Annual
Conference. Religious pluralism and
leadship of Christ asks for a statement
onceming Jesus Christ as "Savior of the
vorld and as head of the church accord-
ng to the Scriptures." The nature of the
:hurch requests the appointment of a
tudy committee to report in 1992 with a
lefinition of the "essential nature of the
rhurch of the Brethren, that without
vhich we would no longer be the Church
if the Brethren."

Other new business includes:

Seeking new relationships with
brethren heritage churches world-
vide. Atlantic Southeast District asks
he church to consider ways to meet with
)ther Brethren denominations around the
vorld.

Support of Brethren outreach min-
stries. The General Board recommends
hat Conference challenge congregations
increase financial support and tithing.

Pursuing stewardship practices in
seeping with our calling. Southern
'lains District petitions for a committee
study the financial savings of steward-
ship measures such as holding Confer-
;nce biannually.

Per capita funding of district pro-
»ram. Missouri District asks the General
Board to appoint a committee to study
he equalizing of district funding.

Procedure for presenting queries to
Annual Conference. Middle Pennsylva-
lia District asks Standing Committee to
eview and clarify procedures for bring-
ng queries to Conference.

Ethics in ministry. Oregon/Washing-
on District asks for a committee to

develop a code of ethical princi{)les for
Brethren clergy.

Organ and Tissue Donation. North-
ern Ohio District petitions for the ap-
pointment of a committee to evaluate
organ and tissue donation.

Changes in Brethren Medical Plan/
Pension Plan, Ministers' Group. The
Pastoral Compensation and Benefits
Advisory Committee recommends
changes in the Medical Plan: increasing
the deductible to $200 and eliminating
base benefits. It also recommends that
the minimum age to receive an annuity
be lowered from 60 to 55.

Ratification of Brethren Benefit
Trust Action. The Brethren Benefit
Trust board recommends changes in
qualifications for election of members.

Quick Conference news

From June 30-July 7, Newsline, a
Church of the Brethren telephone
news service, will feature daily
updates on Annual Conference
events.

Newsline currently provides
weekly updates on Brethren news,
with new messages posted Thurs-
day mornings. Newsline's three-
minute recorded message can be
reached 24 hours a day, seven days
a week. Call (301) 635-8738.

Unfinished business

Brethren and Black Americans. The

committee appointed last year will bring
a report, including recommendations to
the General Board that high priority be
given to an anti-racism program in the
Goals for the '90s; that the Urban
Ministry staff position be restored to
full-time; that a black staff member be
hired by the Board with full-time

Help wanted

Annual Conference wouldn't be
possible without the help of
volunteers.

The Deaf Ministry Task Force is
looking for people to help with
deaf interpretation. Contact Janice
Martin, 504 Elm Street, Frederick,
MD 21701; (301) 662-0342.

Doctors and nurses are needed to
serve in the first aid room. Contact
Dr. Wayne Zook, 201 S. Elliott
St., #16, Wenatchee, WA 98801;
(509) 662-2972.

The Church and Persons with
Disabilities Network offers a
"Buddy System" to adults or
children with disabilities. Contact
the Association of Brethren
Caregivers, 1451 Dundee Ave.,
Elgin, IL 60120; (800) 323-8039.

To find out about other volun-
teer opportunities, contact the
Annual Conference Office.

responsibilities for black ministries; that
a relationship be developed with a black
US denomination; that each Brethren
college establish a relationship with an
historically black college; and that
congregations be in solidarity with black
Americans and other victims of racism.

The denominational structure
review committee will also report.

Two papers — "Peacemaking: The
Calling of God's People in History"
and "Creation: Called to Care" — will
be brought for approval. The first at-
tempts to make a comprehensive
statement on the Brethren commitment
to peacemaking as a way of life. The
second paper was brought to last year's
Conference, where delegates asked that
it be made available for study and be
brought again this year. The paper has
been revised and shortened.

May 1991 Messenger 13

O Whitestone

^^^ A Vi OEllisforde

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I Tacoma.0 q "wenatchee_

Olymrnaf^ Camp Komoma

S Lacey WASHINGTON
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' Richland O Outlook
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PORTLAND 06p„,,,,,

f Salem

On the
Oregon

trail

by Karla Boyers

OREGON

6 Springfield
'bCamp Myrtlewood

Grants

ts PassO^

V \ o Klamath Falls

Fruitlandij Mountain View

BowmlW^«-- ^-
Boise Valley

Twin

Jackpot 9

The districts of Oregon-
Washington and Idaho
comprise 25 congre-
gations. Brethren driving
to Conference from
Pacific Southwest
District or from the
eastern states will pass
close to many of them.
All have their welcome
mats out for the travelers.

To whet your appetite for that trip to Annual Conference

in Portland, we have assembled a few stories from the

host districts. Oregon-Washington and Idaho welcome you.

Wenatchee's day care center
operates on faith

When the Wenatchee (Wash.) Brethren-
Baptist Church United challenged its
congregation to find a way to minister to
children in the neighborhood, a group of
five women began meeting weekly for
prayer and conversation. From the
meetings, the idea emerged for a day
care center, with special emphasis on
benefitting low-income families.

The women canvassed the neighbor-
hood for its opinions and talked to
school officials to see what needs
existed. The idea — planted in faith in
October 1 989 and watered by prayer and
the generous financial sponsorship of the
Wenatchee church — sprouted in April
1990 with the opening of the Mustard
Seed Day Care Center.

1 4 Messenger May 1991

The center has its own board of 10
directors, seven of them members at
Wenatchee. Besides contributions of the
Brethren-Baptist congregation, the board
presently is looking to other churches in
the area, "hoping to find others to co-
sponsor" the center. Funds are solicited
from the community, which is "very
supportive," according to Lynn Brown,
volunteer director of the non-profit
corporation.

Mustard Seed meets in the lower level
of a small church in the community
since the Wenatchee church does not
pass strict fire code standards for such
use. Of the 22 children registered, 70
percent are from low-income families.

In an informal study conducted by the

principal of the Wenatchee school
district, it was found that 36 percent of
its students are at home alone after
school, and 80 percent are on free or
reduced-price lunches.

"Wenatchee has no provision for
latchkey children," says Lynn. The day
care center has plans to expand and
incorporate this group of children as
well. A property located cattycomered td
the low-income school Mustard Seed is
hoping to serve has been purchased and
donated to the center. ^J

A committee of community leaders
(including the mayor's wife) is applying
for grants to finance building the new
Mustard Seed structure. Hopes for the
future also include recruiting members
of a retirement community to help out at I
the center, which now operates with foun
full-time staff and other volunteer labor.

It's "amazing, really, that we've done !
what we have so quickly," says Lynn,

A'ho believes strongly that from the
)utset of their brainstorming meetings it
was "God's idea to pull us along."

This year, the Mustard Seed Day Care
Center was selected as one of seven

finalists in the nation for a World Vision
church project called, ironically enough,
the "Mustard Seed Award" . . . which
goes to show what a little act of faith can
grow into.

Mustard Seed director Lynn Brown
with a few of her charges.

Camp Myrtlewood respects
its 'spiritual' setting

Zamp Myrtlewood, 156 acres nestled "in
he hills" just outside of Myrtle Point,
3re., is a "spiritual" place, says Mar-
garet Jones, co-director of the Church of
he Brethren camp for over seven years,
ilong with her husband, John. She notes
hat the Indians who were "here before
as" have left a certain feel to the land.

The 55-year-old camp is host to about
50 groups year-round, and operates with
1 full-time staff of three — Margaret,
lohn, and current Brethren Volunteer
Service (BVS) worker, Jim Borkholder.
Several other volunteers help out in the
summer or during times when larger
groups are using the facilities.

Camp Myrtlewood works hard to
incorporate into its program a respect for
he environment. Recently they have
^een working with the Oregon state
Isheries department on a Salmon Trout

Enhancement Program (STEP). The
nearby logging industry has polluted the
river system. The water "gets silty. The

Above: A deer commands the morning in
a Camp Myrtlewood meadow.

Below: BVSer Jim Borkholder salvages
firewood for Camp Myrtlewood from a
logging company' s clearcut area.

May 199! Messenger 15

eggs of spawning fish hatch, but choke,"
Margaret explains.

To help correct the problem, spawning
fish are caught and their eggs are taken.
When the eggs reach the "rubbery" stage
where they can be easily handled, they
are transported back to the river and
placed in a "hatch box" — a wooden box
set in the river, allowing water to run
over the eggs. When the eggs hatch and
grow to "about an inch long," the hatch
boxes are opened and the fish are
released. "Instead of there being a 95-
percent mortality rate, this way we only
lose about five percent," says Margaret.

The camp also is involved in a stream
enhancement program with the Oregon
fish and wildlife department, putting
"debris" back into the stream. Trees and
rocks are "glued" into the water to give
fish a "hiding place" and keep them
from getting washed downstream into
the flood plain.

"Sometimes we're branded as 'envi-
ronmentalists, but okay people,' " said
Margaret. "People know how (ecologi-
cally concerned) we are, but they also
know that we understand them as neigh-
bors, know their fears, and have concern
and respect for them as people."

Idaho Brethren are betting on
Jackpot being a winner

Ervin Huston, formerly Idaho District's
executive, was president of the Twin
Falls (Idaho) Association of Churches
when a Methodist member of the group
put her chips on the table, so to speak,
broaching the possibility of a joint
venture in Nevada.

Six years ago, a meeting was held to
discuss the ecumenical move, which
began with Church of the Brethren,
Presbyterian, Methodist, and Catholic
participants, later joined by Disciples of
Christ, Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, and American Baptist Con-
vention denominations. "We first had to
work through our different traditions and
develop trust," said Ervin.

The building — donated by the Idaho
Catholic Archdiocese — was to be trans-
ported from Eden, Idaho, to Jackpot. It
was decided the church would provide
separate services for Catholics and Pro-
testants. All Protestant groups decided
the emphasis should be interdenom-

inational. "We wanted a strong church
that says we can overcome our doctrinal
differences, that doctrine is not the
ultimate part of ministry," said Ervin.
The venture, however, marking the first .
Brethren involvement in Nevada, was
still without a pastor.

Meanwhile, in the rolling hills of
eastern Kentucky, Peggy Boyce, a part-
time Presbyterian pastor, picked up an
interview for a church opening in Ne-
vada through a resume computer match.

"The church traveled 70 miles and I
came 2,100," said Peggy. Both arrived
in one piece, although, unlike Peggy, the
church had to get some fixing first.
While it was en route to Jackpot, riding
atop a flatbed tractor-trailer, a pin in
the back axle of the truck broke, causing
the church to slide into a ditch and break
in two. But the little broken one made it
to Jackpot none-the-less, where it is '
located "past the end of Progressive ■
Drive. You get off the road and keep on

Jan Eller: A lot of administrative skills

Jan Eller, Oregon and Washington
District's executive since 1986, grew up
in Long Beach, Calif., and moved to
Portland, Ore., in 1973. She is a long-
time volunteer in various capacities on
the district level — including work on
ecumenical hunger projects — and was
district moderator-elect when the DE
position became available.

"They were looking for someone who
had a lot of administrative skills," said
Jan. At the time, she had spent the past
four years working on a budget advisory
committee for the city of Portland.
Likewise, her master's degree in public
administration made it clear that she was
a prime candidate for the job.

"Because of my education and
experience, I understand systems," said
Jan, who enjoys "trying to facilitate the

1 6 Messenger May 1991

right match between pastor and church,"
and who says the position hasn't brought
any "big surprises" for her. "What I

don't like — and don't think any DE ]

enjoys — is conflict in which I have to i ^
intervene." ■ •

Jan is excited about new-church >

growth for the district, which is involved f
in Passing on the Promise, the denomi- '
national program for evangelism. Sup- '
port is being lined up, but "the biggest \
key is finding the right people to lead," \
said Jan.

For Jan, Oregon- Washington District '
is "defined a lot by its geography." "Ont
thing that's different here from the area
east of the Mississippi is that we tend to
be more relaxed, more casual about '
things." :

Casual, however, by no means
translates as lackadaisical when it come; '
to Jan's search for "the right match."
Two-thirds of the pastors in Oregon-

?oing," says Peggy.

A town of about 1 ,000 located 55
miles south of Twin Falls, Jackpot is a
'one-business town" where the
'gaming" industry (as they call it in
Nevada) is king. The church is four-
tenths of a mile from one casino, and
seven-tenths from Cactus Pete's — the
largest casino employer in the area,
rhere are only two trailer parks (the
predominant type of housing) that aren't
Dwned by the casinos, and one of those
is for employees of the elementary-high
school of 257 students.

Peggy, who began services at Jackpot
Community in August 1990, sees little
difference between Jackpot and any
'steel town" in America where every-
:hing is dominated by a single trade. In
;he case of Jackpot, however, the trade
runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week
—an interesting dynamic to consider
ivhen making a worship schedule.
Currently, Protestant services run 4 p.m.
Sundays, 10 a.m. Tuesdays, and 9 p.m.
rhursdays. Sometime soon, Peggy may
;nd up incorporating a 2 a.m. service to
iccommodate yet another "shift" of
:asino employees.
I The church, currently operating with

Washington's 18 congregations (totaling
ibout 1,963 members) are seminary-
rained and ordained — which is signifi-
:ant says Jan, considering the small size
3f some of the congregations.

As a "half-time" DE, Jan travels
ilmost 30 percent of her time, and
spends about nine hours a week in the
office.

"We're looking forward to hosting
Annual Conference this summer," says
fan, whose excitement is shared by
.Tiany from Oregon-Washington District
vvho might not be able to attend a
Conference in the East.

For information on sightseeing
ittractions in the district, contact the
castors in those areas; or for Portland,
:all Jan Eller at the district office: (503)
^53-6099.— Karla Boyers

Top: A front-end
loader nudges the two
pieces of the Jackpot
church back together
after an accident
occurred while the
building was being
moved. Above: A
recent photo shows
the remodeled
church, none the
worse for its ordeal.
Right: Pastor Boyce
held the first worship
service in the church
last September. Folks
from Twin Falls.
Idaho, had come
down to help clean
and paint.

May 199! Messenger 17

Right: The Columbia River Gorge lies along
the scenic route east of Portland.

Below: Skidmore Fountain and the
surrounding 20-block historic district mark
Portland's original commercial core.
Portland's Metropolitan Area Express
(MAX) light rail line has a 15-mile course.

Left: Multnomah Falls cascades over the
rock walls of the Columbia River Gorge,
east of Portland. At 620 feet, it is the fifth
highest waterfall in the United States.

portable toilets, unfinished floors, and no
lock on the door, is "about $5,000 away"
from a permanent permit. The
unfinished renovations keep Peggy from
launching many of the activities she
would like, including youth groups,
special services for pre-school children
and their parents, crafts and sewing
times, Sunday school (though it may not
be on Sunday), as well as special events
such as a Mother's Day Out.

Besides juggling her schedule to
involve as many people as possible,

1 8 Messenger May 1 99 1

another part of Peggy's challenge right
now is developing polity to incorporate
all participating denominations' faith
traditions. Although it presents a diffi-
culty at times, Peggy has "always
believed we can get more done to-
gether." She hopes to keep and celebrate
the various traditions. "Very few people
in Jackpot have a sense of denomination
and church history or ties — I want to
allow them to fit in where they feel
comfortable."

Peggy "loves" the new venture and is

"having the time of her life." "I want to
be here to marry the children I'm
baptizing, and to baptize their children."'
And yet. Jackpot still doesn't feel like a ■
hometown to her. "To call a place a
hometown, there has to be a school, a
church, a playground, and a cemetery.
We don't have a playground or a
cemetery yet."

But Jackpot Community church is '
working on all that, and Peggy is taking !
the gamble that someday. Jackpot will '•
become a real hometown. '

Sidney King: She's held every office

Before Sidney King became Idaho
District's executive in November 1989,
she "held every office" and has worked
tvith all of Idaho's executives since it
Decame a district in 1972.

Bom in Caldwell, Idaho, Sidney is
:hird-generation Idahoan. In 1865, her
great-grandmother came west in a
:overed wagon, and seven years later
gave birth to Sidney's grandmother in a
:ave during an Indian uprising.

The oldest of three daughters, Sidney
Dften went pheasant hunting with her
Father — an interest that continues today
ivith her husband, Verl, with whom she
ilso hunts deer, antelope, and duck.

Sidney and Verl live in Twin Falls
where they are members of the Church
3f the Brethren congregation there. As
DE, Sidney works about eight hours a
week out of her home, where she also
works as an accountant. In addition to
denomination involvement as a DE,
Sidney also works in the denomination's
Womaen's Caucus.

What Sidney most enjoys about being
DE is "working with people and congre-

gations." Sometimes, to do just that, she
has to travel quite a distance — from 1 30
to 200 miles to Idaho's six congregations
(excluding Twin Falls). Once a month
she visits all pastors. At least once
during the year she attends each congre-
gation for worship and board meetings.
Sidney says there is excitement in the

district about Passing on the Promise, a
denomination program for evangelism in
which each Idaho congregation currently
awaits results of a self-study research.
As for the buzz right now, "many are
talking of taking buses to Annual
Conference," says Sidney.

Idaho itself is "one of the fastest
growing states in the nation," according
to Sidney. "And we're friendly."
Easterners who come through, and
pastors who come from the east "take a
while getting used to our openness."

As a sampling of Idaho hospitality,
Sidney, along with her district, invites
any travelers — campers, hitchhikers, or
otherwise — to stop through on their way
to Annual Conference. For brochures of
must-see attractions, names of camp-
grounds and other areas to pitch your
tent, or for general information on Idaho
District and its congregations, send a
SASE to Joan Holloway, Rt. 1, Filer, ID
83328. Or contact Idaho District office,
1758 8th Ave., Twin Falls, ID 83301; or
telephone (208) 734-7813.— Karla

BOYERS

May 1991 Messenger 19

Above: Mount Hood,
Oregon's highest peak at
11, 325 feet, provides a
backdrop for the Annual
Conference city. Portland is
known as "the City of
Roses," because of the
abundance and quality of
those flowers there.

Right: Pioneer Court House
Square once was a dreary
parking lot. It is a public
gathering plaza and staging
area for Portland's festivals.

20 Messenger May 1991

AXM

On second thought

What Annual Conference moderators wouldn't enjoy a

chance to improve on their earlier record? Most of the former moderators

in this survey would do things differently if they

had it to do all over again.

3y Elaine Sollenberger

lince the late 1940s Annual Conferences
egularly have had a theme. Not all of
hem were memorable, but phrases such
IS "To Heal the Broken," "Flamed by
he Spirit," "All Creation Awaits," "Go
"orth in Faith," and "Teaching Them to
Dbserve all Things" may bring to mind
;ome of the Brethren gatherings of the
)ast.

Annual Conference themes, although
iltimately chosen by Central Commit-
ee, often reflect the preference of the
noderator. In fact, one expectation of
he moderator is that of ". . . assuming
esponsibility/privilege in determining
he focus/theme ... of the conference."

Recently the former moderators were
isked to participate in a complete-the-
lentence kind of survey. The hypotheti-
;al sentence read: "If I were moderator
tgain, I would propose that the theme be
. . " and "the title of my moderator's
iddress would be. . . ." The respondents
:ould include the main points of the
iddress and offer some wording for a
:oncluding paragraph.

"Where is the passion of the church
oday?" "Where has our energy and
inthusiasm gone?" are two questions
hat Nevin H. Zuck (1962) would pose
i" ^^^^ to the denomina-

^^PHN^ tion, in an address

^M^ \ titled "Authentic

^1 j^ ^ Passion." He

defines passion as
"living so intense-
ly in some area of
life that it hurts."
lis theme for Conference would be
The Reformation Radicals Ride
\gain."

"The Church Doing What Nobody
ilse Can Do" is the theme proposal of
flarold Z. Bomberger (1971). He

asserts that the church needs "to be the
revolutionary
force portrayed in
the book of Acts,
when the church
was young" and
not fail to "make
known the love of
God, the grace of
Jesus Christ, and the dynamic and
fellowship of the Holy Spirit."
Another call to faithfulness comes
from A. Blair
Helman(1976)
through the theme
"God's Call to the
Brethren to Be
Faithful." He
suggests that "the
Christian faith
does not lead us to arrogance but to
humility, not to bondage but to freedom,
not to hatred but to love, not to division
but to unity, not to inaction but to
commitment, not to selfishness but to
service." Says this former moderator,
"We cannot be certain that we will
succeed in our mission in our time. We
are not required, however, to succeed,
but our Lord commands us to be
faithful."
Immediate past moderator Curtis W.
Dubble(1990)
would continue to
challenge the
Church of the
Brethren to live in
obedience and
faithfulness to
God's call, using
the theme "Faithful to Christ in These
Times." He counsels, "Sisters and
brothers, there is always a time in
history that calls for faithfulness. For
you and me, that time is now.''
Paul M. Robinson (1956) would

Desmond W. Bittinger (right). 1958
moderator of Annual Conference, passes
the gavel to his successor. William
Beahm. The 1958 Conference marked
Bittinger' s second stint as moderator. He
had served in that post at the 1951
Conference, in San Jose, Calif. At age
85, and living in La Verne, Calif,
Desmond Bittinger shares with
A. Stauffer Curry (1955. 1965), New
Oxford, Pa., the distinction of being the
last surviving moderators who have
served more than one term.

remind Brethren of their "glorious
tradition of mission and service" and
then ask "What do we yet lack?" In
response to that question, he says, "We

May 1991 Messenger 21

must try to discern the leading of God's
spirit for tiie
ministry of the
church in this
decade. We must
be prepared for
new, adventurous
patterns of
ministry, not
bound by the past but using our heritage
as a launching pad for future areas of
witness and service."

"Can the Church of the Brethren be
saved?" would be the question at issue
for Dale W. Brown (1972). He ex-
presses "genuine
empathy" for both
the present con-
cerns for the
church and the
"Messianic
temptations to
devise strategies to
save the Church of the Brethren." He
then turns to the "increasingly hopeful
signs and manifestations of the very
message and incarnations of the things
for which the Brethren were called out to
be and to practice."

Former moderator Brown adds, "Since
there are growing signs that those things
for which God called out the Brethren in
the stream of human history will survive
until the end, I no longer need to save
the Church of the Brethren. ... I am free
to enthusiastically call all of us to
participate in the wonderful manifesta-
tions of the kingdom coming, which we
can both inspire and join. Maybe God
will save us if we lose our life and lives
for Christ."
In an address titled "Let the Church of
the Brethren Come
to Life," William
R. Eberly(1980)
would say, "The
church is the
physical embodi-
ment of Christ. . . .
Today, as in 1980,
the call comes for us to 'build up the
church.' . . . The church, like the fabled

22 Messenger May 1991

rider who rode his horse off in all
directions at once, seems to be going in
all directions at once and, as a result, is
going nowhere. Just as we believe that
Christ lives in and among us, so the
church will live if we let it. Let the
Church of the Brethren live again!"

Earle W. Fike Jr. (1982) puts
forward "Behold! I Make All Things
New" as a Conference theme. "Who
Really Wants to
Be New?" would
be his Conference
address title. Some
thoughts on that
^^ ^Ka^T question: "New

HH 9|^^^B requires change —
HB I In^^^H individually and
corporately. That's risky. That's a faith
adventure. We may not recognize our-
selves after the new look. When God
does the changing through Christ, the
new is real and good. ... If we are truly
Christ's, then there are things in store for
us that we wouldn't be caught alive
doing. Unless we are alive in the Spirit
of One who makes all things new."

James F. Myer (1985) would focus
on the theme "Living in the Resurrec-
tion." He reflects, "The validation of the
Christian faith
continues by virtue
of a 1,900-year-
old fact — the
resurrection of
Jesus Christ. It is
the day in history
that the real and
only Messiah of God stood tall. It is
because of the living Christ that our past
has unique richness, our present has
inexhaustible fulfillment, and our future
has unequaled hope. It is this Christ
whom we pro-
claim."

With the theme
"Back to the
Basics, " M. Guy
West (1968)
would call the
denomination to
strive for spiritual renewal: "Let these

words from the Book speak to moti
vate and guide us into the future: 'If ^
my people who are called by my name
humble themselves, pray, seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways, then
I will hear from heaven, and will for-
give their sin and heal their land' "
(2Chr. 7:14).
Long-time advocate for and partici-
pant in ecumenical
endeavors DeWitt
L.Miller (1964)
proposes the
theme "Whose
World Is This,
Anyhow?" He
emphasizes the
point that "now is the time for the
ecumenical movement to articulate its
vision for all people living on the earth
and caring for creation as a family where
each member has the same right to
wholeness of life. . . . This vision is
spiritual, but it must be expressed in
concrete action."

GuyE.
Wampler(1987)
projects this
Conference
theme — "Care-
takers of God's
Creation." His
challenge is to "let
Brethren who have applied the kingdom
ethic to peacemaking now apply it also
to the care of the earth. Let farmers
protect the earth for long-term produc-
tivity. Let Brethren engineers design
machinery that operates cleanly and
efficiently. Let scientists among us
search for alternative sources of energy.
Let musicians bring harmony to this
planet. Let artists create beautiful shapes
and colors. Let all
of us, where we
live and work and
play, preserve and
enhance the beauty
and hospitality of
God's good
earth."
Donald E. Rowe (1975) sums up his

iii

houghts this way: "The basic concern I
lave is that we confront our members
A'ith what it means to be Christian/
Brethren in a nuclear world. We have
aecome so acculturated that basic
Christian principles seem to make little
difference in our everyday life."

"Enlarging the Circle of Peace" is the
heme that Donald F. Durnbaugh
;1986) selected. He stresses that "Chris-
tian churches are
open to the gospel
as never before in
history. . . . It's
incumbent on the
Historic Peace
Churches to
revitalize the
:estimony of peace. . . . Brethren must
seize the kairos moment to do whatever
we can to enlarge the circle of peace."

With mission in mind, Charles M.
Bieber (1977) would title his Confer-
ence address
'Even So Send I
You." He says, "It
is for us in the

present age to ^ll.«„^*&*

discover afresh the
many ways in
kvhich Jesus Christ
was present in the world — in revelation,
in proclamation, in healing, in redeem-
ing, in teaching, in strengthening, in
loving — the many ways in which God
sends us to be Christ's presence in the
world."

Charles E. Zunkle (1961) also

would emphasize
mission, specifi-
cally mission in
Korea. "We need
to be in mission
again. Korea is
asking us to
come. . . . Now is
not the time to delay. Now is God's time
for us to act."

Dean M. Miller (1973) would
remind the denomination that "we can
hold on to the anchor of hope because
this is a world where Christmas comes

out of a stable, and the Son of God
comes out of a
place such as
Nazareth, and 20
centuries of
Christianity came
from a graveyard.
Let's close our
ears to the
soothsayers of optimism and the prog-
nosticators of doom. Instead, let us listen
for the stone that God can move, for in a
world where carpenters are resurrected,
anything can happen." He would use the
theme "Anchoring Our Lives on Hope."

If Warren F. Groff (1979) were to
prepare a mod-
erator's address
again, the title
would be "That
the Lord's Name
Be One." A major
point of emphasis:
"Unity is central,
not peripheral, to the church's life and
mission. It is an essential part of what
God intends for creation as revealed in
Jesus Christ."

For Paul H. Fike (1984), Christian
■P' .mS^^H ^<luc^tion should

get the emphasis,
using the theme
"Prepare Ye the
Way of the Lord."
He would stress
the importance of
our discovering
"that the Lord is forever willing and
capable to take us from where we are to
where he would have us be . . . accord-
ing to our ability to become."

Two-time
moderator
Desmond W.
Bittinger (1951,
1958) would urge
the Brethren to
acquire "more
knowledge about
the world and its

people, about economics, world hun-
ger . . . about our responsibilities to one

another," as well as "sharing knowledge
and services." Churches around the
world need to "sow the seed for sharing
and growing together as brothers and
sisters of one Lord."

All the former moderators maintain an
interest in the larger church and expect
the church to continue making a differ-
ence in the world. Harper S. Will

(1950) reflects,
"I think that
Advent — God's
Way' would make
an excellent
Conference theme.
I can see God, a
long time ago —
some 20 centuries, looking down upon
our planet Earth and seeing strife and
loneliness and hunger and cruelty. And,
like us, not liking what he saw, he
decided something ought to be done.
Help was needed.

"There followed what we call Advent.
Advent was bom — a baby was laid in a
manger. A life was lived, some parables
and other teachings were given on what
life — life eternal — is ail about. A cross
and a resurrection and a magnificent
outlook followed.

"I see no adequate answer to our
human needs, our earth dilemmas, other
than the truth wrapped up in the Advent
happenings. When will we learn to hold
high the Advent banner, take God's way
— forgiving, sharing, loving, being kind?
They are all so well spelled out in the
life of Jesus, the Christ, our Savior."

We hold Conference only once a year,
and occasionally we toy with the idea of
holding it even less often. But if we were
inclined to hold Conference more
frequently. Central Committee would
not need to look far for speakers. Some
of these former moderators could bring
messages from which we all
might benefit.

Ai.

Elaine Sollenherger is a member of the Everell
(Pa.) Church of the Brethren. She is a former
chairwoman of the denomination' s General Board
and. like the subjects of her survey, a former Annual
Conference moderator (1989).

May 1991 Messenger 23

In Canberra:

Sparks from
the Holy Spirit

Korean theologian Chung Hyun Kyung
hums a list of victims — the holocaust,
freedom fighters, spirits of struggling
Korean women and the poor, and those
who were in Japan's "prostitution
army" during World War II. "Without
hearing the cries of these spirits," she
declared, "we cannot hear the voice of
the Holy Spirit (at the Canberra WCC
assembly)."

by Howard Royer

Stretch and strain are essential compo-
nents of an international gathering such
as the Seventh Assembly of the World
Council of Churches. Inevitably, when
300-plus churches tackle a theme such as
"Come, Holy Spirit, Renew the Whole
Creation," the theological and cultural
sensitivities of participants are both
affirmed and assaulted.

From the kaleidoscope of events at the
February 7-20 assembly in Canberra,
Australia, for this observer three central
impressions or lessons remain fixed.

Lesson No. 1. In the praise of God,
creation is at times an exuberant ally.

Early on in the assembly, 10,000
locals and guests spread out on blankets
across Commonwealth Park for an
evening festival. Billed as the Gathering
Under the Southern Cross, this welcom-
ing event of the Australian churches was
a mix of worship, pageantry, and story-
telling. Taking center stage were an
orchestra and a 500-voice choir amassed
from churches in three cities, a pageant
with a cast of hundreds, and a giant
video screen that displayed building-size
images. But standing like sentinels
behind the platform and screen was a
row of gum trees, mute but not immo-
bile. As the evening breezes swept
through the park, the eucalyptus seem-
ingly swayed in rhythm, making vivid
the Isaiah 55:12 text: "And the trees of
the field shall clap their hands."

Some days later, when inevitable
differences arose internally on what
prophetic words to utter on public issues,
which priorities to rank foremost in light
of diminishing resources, and how to

arrive at just representation on commit-
tees, a rare afternoon shower was
followed by a resplendent rainbow. In
fact, by a double rainbow. The biblical
reminder of covenant and hope broke
through with uncanny timing.

Creation was not to be stilled. On the
second Sunday in Canberra, Charles
Adams, a dynamic preacher and presi-
dent of the Progressive National Baptist
Convention, led the late afternoon
"black church service." His text was on
Pentecost. As if his lilt and fervor were
not enough to move the throng of
worshipers and the massive worship tent,
surprise gusts pounded the canvas and
shook the steel rafters. "The rush of a
mighty wind" was felt neither before or
after the Adams sermon, but intermit-
tently throughout.

For a theme that delved into the Holy
Spirit and creation, what could be more
appropriate than having unfold before
your eyes Psalm 148 — the psalm that
calls on the sun and moon and stars and
storms and creatures and mountains and
trees to praise God.

In the Land of the Spirit, the cosmic
and the divine played hand in hand.

Lesson No. 2. When it comes to per-
ceiving matters of the Spirit, indigenous
people have a lot to offer the church.

At the opening ceremony worshipers
walked through smoke to enter the
worship tent. This cleansing rite is
common among Australia's aborigines
and other peoples of the Pacific. The
baleful but captivating sound of the
didgeridoo in calls to worship, and
invitations to guests "to speak gently and
walk softly, for you are on aboriginal
land," tended to remind assemblygoers

24 Messenger May 1991

hat spirituality is no recent invention.

Foremost the testimony of the aborigi-
les was to cherish the land, remember-
ng that it is not ours but the Spirit's, and
hat it figures prominently in the history
ind the holiness of many traditions.

In the opening address Paul Reeves,
brmer governor-general of New
?!ealand, a former archbishop, and now
\nglican representative to the United
'"lations, shared insights about the land
Tom his own Maori heritage. The Maori
;ee the land as mother, loving it as a
nother is loved. To work the land is to
ake part in the sacred act of bringing
ife to birth.

"Food is the source of a person's
)odily strength. The land is the source of
heir spiritual strength," Reeves quoted
in old Maori saying.

Christians cannot separate God's
)romise of redemption from the human
esponsibility to cherish the land. Reeves
idded. "The land remains forever, but
people pass on."

Indigenous people may be adept at
lemonstrating not only a oneness with
he land and a harmony with creation,
3ut at sharing insights bom of "thou-
iands of years of spirituality," declared
5outh Korean theologian Chung Hyun-
iCyung, "You have to understand where
persons are coming from and the place
rf pain, the place of the heart," she said.
'When you get to that place, then dialog
;an begin."

In the most arresting presentation in
Canberra, one that opened with a
Iramatic farmers' dance by white-clad
/oung Koreans and one that invoked and
nemorialized the spirit of martyrs
hrough the ages, the 34-year-old

Top: Canberra attenders
walked through smoke to
enter the worship tent at the
opening ceremony. This
cleansing rite is a familiar
one among Australia's
aborigines and other peoples
of the South Pacific.

Left: Charles Adams,
president of the Progressive
National Baptist Convention,
was a dynamic speaker,
speaking on the topic of
Pentecost.

Below: John Guli was
present in Canberra,

representing a recently
accepted member of the
WCC — Ekklesiyar ' Yanuwa a
Nigeria (the Church of the
Brethren in Nigeria).

May 1991 Messenger 25

y., ^•^♦-

'liT-

':%

7op; Brethren participant Ingrid Rogers plants eucalyptus and acacia trees on a
barren hill near Canberra. The tree-planting project highlighted an assenibly sub-
theme, "Renewing the Whole Creation." Above left: WCC general secretary Emilio
Castro pleaded that by the ne.xt assembly WCC members would come together in
common communion. Above right: A new WCC member is the 5.5 million-member
China Christian Council, represented in Canberra by its president. Bishop K. H. Ting.
Below: Ecleri Querevara and Sereana Bese,from Fiji, called assembly participants to
worship, playing a traditional Fijian instrument.

systematic theologian called for three
changes.

One was for "our generation to learn
how to live with the earth, promoting
harmony, sustainability, and diversity."

The second was a shift from "dualism'
to "interconnection," overcoming
polarities of body and spirit, emotion
and mind, immanence and transcen-
dence, women and men, black and
white, poor and rich.

The third change was to move from a
"culture of death" to a "culture of life."
War, in which winning is deemed more
important than saving lives, exemplifies
the culture of death.

"Creation theology, feminist theology,
liberation theology, syncretism are not
the issues of the day. Power is," Chung
asserted.

"For 2,000 years we have been
listening to you, the patriarchs, the
bishops and the archbishops, the privi-
leged class. Take 200 years, or at least
the next 20, to listen to our voices — the
women, the simple people of the church,'
the land. We are the new paradigm. We
are the new wine."

Lesson No. 3. Churches need to work ■
intentionally and persistently at common
understanding and common witness.

The celebration and dialog that occur
among WCC member churches at an
every-seven-years-or-so assembly are
important, but perhaps even more
strategic are the special study confer- -i
ences and convocations that the WCC
convenes between assemblies. It is in
these encounters that such themes as
mission and evangelization; justice,
peace and the integrity of creation; and
faith and order are probed in depth.

On the matter of peace and war, there
were countless individual voices at
Canberra denouncing the just war
theory, declaring it as no longer theo-
logically viable. One amendment to the
assembly's gulf war statement that
would have effectively put the WCC on
record as a pacifist organization held for
about four hours — until the final vote oni
the statement was nearing. The amend-
ment was reconsidered and defeated by i
ratio of two to one. But the signal was
sounded that an increasing number of

26 Messenger May 1991

ihurch leaders from across a broad spec-
rum of traditions are openly questioning
eligion's sanctioning of war.

A second area where the churches
leed sustained dialog and prayer is in
he celebration of holy communion.

Once again at Canberra Protestants

and Orthodox held separate eucharists,
quite to the dismay of the majority.
WCC general secretary Emilio Castro
was almost strident in his plea that by
the time the next assembly is convened,
WCC member churches come together
in common communion. Further, he

Joel Meyer (left), a Brethren steward at Canberra, takes communion.

Dunkers down under

The Church of the Brethren was represented at the WCC Seventh Assembly by
three delegates — general secretary Donald E. Miller, Elgin, 111.; former General
Board member Peggy Reiff Miller, Sharpsburg, Md.; and Judith Georges,
University of La Verne (Calif.) campus minister. Ekklesiyar " Yanuwa a Nigeria
(Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) was represented by its general secretary,
John Guli.

Three Brethren young adults were stewards — Alicia Calderon, Brethren
Volunteer Service worker from Denver, Colo., serving in Geneva, Switzerland;
Joel Meyer, Juniata College student, from Lombard, 111.; and Rhonda Pittman,
Brethren Volunteer Service worker from Blacksburg, Va., serving in Elgin, 111.

Shantilal Bhagat, World Ministries staff for economic justice/rural crises,
was a program panelist. Howard Royer, director of interpretation on the General
Services communication team, assisted with assembly media coverage. Others
present from the General Board were two Parish Ministries staff members —
Chris Michael, youth and young adult ministries; and Paul Mundey, evangelism;
and General Board member Ingrid Rogers, North Manchester, Ind.

Other Brethren present at Canberra were Warren Eshbach, Southern Penn-
sylvania District executive, his wife, Theresa, and his son, Rob; Fumitaka
Matsuoka, dean of Bethany Theological Seminary; Phyllis Miller, wife of
general secretary Donald Miller; E. Paul Weaver, Everett, Pa.; and Bonnie and
Ken Kline-Smeltzer, co-pastors of Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren, and
their son, Jesse.

Happy to welcome Brethren and former colleagues to Canberra was Harriet
Ziegler, Victoria, Australia, former managing editor of Messenger and director
of news services on the General Board staff.

questioned, how can the churches with
integrity call on world leaders such as
George Bush and Saddam Hussein to
come to the negotiating table when
Christians cannot unite around the
Lord's table?

Ongoing discussion is needed as well
on the role of women and youth in the
decision-making of the World Council
but perhaps even more, in the member
churches themselves. Were those
concerns resolved among the member
churches, the WCC scramble for a more
balanced representation would be aided
immeasurably.

Six new churches were admitted at the
outset of the Canberra Assembly, and
about a dozen others recognized that had
come into membership since the 1983
assembly. Among the latter was
Ekklesiyar 'Yanuwa a Nigeria, the
Church of the Brethren in Nigeria,
represented in Canberra by John Guli, its
general secretary. Of special note was
the admission of still another church late
in the assembly proceedings, the 5.5-
million-member China Christian
Council, represented by its president.
Bishop K. H. Ting.

As any single denomination can attest,
the task of achieving and sustaining a
cohesive theological base among diverse
followers today is a challenge indeed. To
accomplish this with 300 churches
reveals the formidable undertaking the
World Council of Churches faces. No
wonder, as first-time delegate Judith
Georges, of the Church of the Brethren
observed, the World Council appears
"surprisingly fragile."

But paired with the fragility is the
possibility of stirring new sensitivities
and new commitment throughout
Protestant and Orthodox communions.

And stirring as well something very
ancient in Christian belief — the presence
and leading of the Holy Spirit. If what
was sparked in the worship and the
plenaries in Canberra takes hold
throughout the churches, therein the
Seventh Assembly will have made HZF'
its most far-reaching contribution. I 1

Howard Royer is director of imerprerarion on
the General Board staff.

May 1991 Messenger 27

Planting ^^
new churches

Rediscovering

church

extension

'A denomination that came out of the 1960s

with a secular mindset and much discomfort

with spiritual talk and evangelism

is now doing a turnaround.'

by Merle Grouse

What happened to us?

If someone would sit down with NCD/
COB (New Church Development/
Church of the Brethren) and ask: "What
happened to us in the 1980s?" one
response would be: "We rediscovered
church extension, our calling to give
birth to new churches."

A denomination that came out of the
1 960s with a secular mindset and much
discomfort with spiritual talk and
evangelism is now doing a turnaround, if
new church development is any indi-
cation. During the last half of the 1970s,
five new Church of the Brethren
congregations were started. In the first
half of the 1980s, there were 25 new-
church projects. In the last half of the
1980s, there were 33 more. A total of 63
new-church projects were started in the
15 years that ended with the 1980s. The
denominational objective for the 1990s
is 1 10 new church starts. We are into a
movement that is now a priority.
Twenty-three of the 24 districts have
something going in new church develop-
ment. Atlantic Southeast started 15
projects in Florida, Georgia, and Puerto

28 Messenger May 199 1

Rico. Pacific Southwest started 10 in
California and Arizona. Atlantic North-
east was involved with seven in Pennsyl-
vania and Maine. Two other districts had
four projects each. A regular feature of
Annual Conference for the past five
years has been the welcoming of new
fellowships and congregations.

What effect is this having on the
Church of the Brethren?

The new church movement is acceler-
ating the ethnic and cultural diversity in
the denomination. It is the vehicle for
expanding the church into new geo-
graphical areas. It is introducing new
leaders to the Church of the Brethren. It
is providing an edge of growth in the
church during a time of membership
decline. The new Brethren are saying
that the Church of the Brethren has a
wonderful message and a mission that
are much needed in this world.

We are learning some things: Brethren
response to human need should address
spiritual disaster, broken relationships
with God and neighbor, the need for
community, and hunger for worship that
touches the depth of our emotions and
lifts up the fullness of God's love and

power. We are rediscovering that we
have a deep ecumenical spirit, but that
we are not mainline American Christian-
ity, that radical discipleship is in our
genes and makes us different. That
difference is attractive to many people in
a general population. For them it can
represent spiritual rebirth.

We are thinking some creative
thoughts about church buildings and
property. We are feeling more at home
in the city. The denomination's grand-
parents may have spoken Pennsylvania
Dutch, but the grandchildren are speak-
ing Spanish, Korean, French, Creole,
Navajo, and Pilipino, as well as English.i|
There are times when we wonder if the
old gray mare church might not become
a frisky young filly again.

Can you tell us more about the 63
projects?

At the end of the 1980s, 54 (86 percent)
of the 63 projects were functioning as
Church of the Brethren congregations,
one had become a community service
project and two were congregations not
incorporated in Church of the Brethren
structures. Four (six percent) had closed.
Two others were inactive, with potential

or re-starting. Of the 54 active congre-
;ations, four had started, lost momen-
um, and stopped. Instead of declaring
hem closed, the sponsors wisely treated
hem as dormant and later started them
vith a different approach, sometimes at
. different location.

Every project has involved motivated
,nd venturesome individuals and
amilies stepping out in faith to reach
ithers with the gospel. Even with the
irojects that have closed, lives were
hanged and God's love touched people
n important ways. Each project has its
iwn unique story of God's people
eeking to be faithful.

Thirty-three percent (21 ) of the 63
)rojects are west of the Mississippi
liver, 54 percent (34) east of the
fclississippi, and 13 percent (8) in Puerto
lico. Before 1980, there were no
kethren congregations in 14 states:
Uaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi,
•Jevada, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming,
ind the six New England states. During
he 1980s, projects were started in
jeorgia, Maine, Vermont, and New
iampshire. There are already two native
*Iew Englanders licensed to the ministry
IS a result. A two-day joint planning
etreat in 1990 projected more growth in

Above left: Pastor Luis Bustillo, of La Mision de JesHs. baptizes a new convert.
Above: Philadelphia First Korean displays new Dunker diversity — chopsticks and
forks, men in consen'ative pinstripes and sisters in prayer coverings, and skins of
different hues — at a fellowship meal during its celebrative opening last November.

New England in coming years.

New church development in Maine is
sponsored by clusters of congregations
through the Brethren Revival Fellowship
(BRF) and is related to Atlantic North-
east District. The projects in Vermont
and New Hampshire have been spon-
sored by Southern Pennsylvania District.
The Faithful Servant Fellowship in
Atlanta, Ga., is related to Atlantic South-
east District. Years ago there had been
Brethren in Georgia who had related to
the Brethren in Florida, but those
Georgia Church of the Brethren congre-
gations had died out by 1924.

The Brethren in Idaho are helping
sponsor an independent, union congre-
gation just across the state line, in
Jackpot, Nev. (See page 16.) That
project will be recognized this summer
at the Portland Annual Conference.
Informal groups have met for a time in
Alaska, Massachusetts, and Utah. The
denomination has not had a formal plan
for establishing work beyond the
boundaries of existing districts.

What about the Brethren ethnic
minority groups?

The group of five congregations that
started in the late 1970s all served white,
Anglo communities. The 58 projects
started in the 1980s included four that
were predominantly African-American,
four Korean, 15 Hispanic, and one each
Khmer Cambodian, Haitian, Navajo,
Filipino, and Asian Indian. Fifty-six
percent of the 63 projects were Anglo
and 44 percent ethnic minority. During
the 1990s, the majority of the projects
probably will be with ethnic minority
persons.

The Annual Conference study on the
Brethren and Black Americans, to be
reported in Portland in July, should
strengthen ministries with African-
Americans. There are Korean ministries
in California, Pennsylvania, and 'Wash-
ington. Hispanic new-church projects
have been started in California, Colo-
rado, Florida, Indiana. Pennsylvania.

(Continued on page 40}

i
May 1991 Messenger 29 |

Planting ^
neiv churches

Why

we're

excited:

Eight new

Brethren

tell what

drew them

into the

denomination

profiles by
Karla Boyers

Shin II Jo

Korean ministry is vital

Shin II Jo thinks the Church of the
Brethren is "as 'Brethren' as it gets. . . .
We are all brothers and sisters in God."

Shin II, pastor of the Philadelphia
(Pa.) First Korean church (see page 34),
was previously a member of the Presby-
terian Church in Korea, but he was not
involved with any denomination in the
US before coming to the Church of the
Brethren.

He learned about the denomination
while in Santa Monica, Calif., where he
was pastor of a non-affiliated church.
The church had been practicing feet-
washing in an "independent sort of
way." and Shin II was interested in
finding other churches with this tradi-
tion. He met and became good friends
with Dan Kim, Church of the Brethren
consultant for Korean ministries.

Shin II is glad to be working within
this denomination and believes the
future of Korean ministry is vital. He
sees Korea as the "brain" for further
mission to China, Vietnam, and the
Soviet Union — "one of the main spots
from which to spread Christianity in
Asia." "Once the two Koreas are
united," says Shin II (who believes they
will be within the next 10 years), "there
will be much need for mission."

'I't

Pedro Brull

Meeting people's needs

Pedro Brull was drawn to the Church of
the Brethren by its "philosophy of social
work." He has a "holistic vision" himsell
for all the churches in Puerto Rico to
become more involved in the needs of its
people.

Pedro owns a travel agency in Vega
Baja and is a self-supporting executive
minister for Brethren in Puerto Rico. He
met members of the Church of the
Brethren seven years ago when his fam-
ily started attending worship services at
the Vega Baja church.

He soon was invited to share in
preaching, which was nothing new for
him. Previously, Pedro was pastor of a
Missionary Alliance church, and
throughout his involvement in secular
work he always has had his hands in free
ministry and evangelism.

One thing Pedro would like to see for
the future of the church is the creation of
a separate district for the Caribbean "so
we can get involved in all the surround-
ing islands."

jil

30 Messenger May 1991

.ydia Cooper

Personal testimony is it

^t the end of a six-week Brethren beliefs
lass offered at the Germantown
ongregation in Philadelphia (see page
18), Lydia Cooper "basically agreed
;vith everything" she had heard. She
:hose to become Brethren because of the
trong peace and service emphasis of the
ienomination. Other attractions for her:
brethren "agree to disagree," and
jecause women "don't have to sit in a
;omer."

Lydia, who works for the Department
)f Public Welfare in Philadelphia, had
lever heard of the Church of the
brethren until an old friend invited her
church at Germantown, five years
igo.

One of Lydia' s concerns is the lack of
emphasis on evangelism and witness
vithin the Church of the Brethren. "No
natter what program or activity is being
performed in the church, there's nothing
hat compares with your personal
estimony," she says. "Whenever Jesus
lealed someone, he always told the
lerson to go and tell somebody else."

Lydia hopes to see the denomination
jrow, but believes it depends on every-
body making a point to invite friends,
neighbors, and relatives to church.
People should be more personally
nvolved with other persons, not just
urograms," she says.

Luis Bustillo

A scandalous gospel

Luis Bustillo believes there is a great
opportunity for Hispanic growth within
the denomination, a tremendous "open
door for ministry." "There are a lot of
Brethren churches already in places
where there are large Hispanic popula-
tions. Now we're just lacking the
workers."

Luis, whose ordination was recognized
by the denomination last December, is
pastor of La Mision de Jesiis in McFar-
land, Calif., the Hispanic "daughter"
congregation of the McFarland congre-
gation (see page 36). He came to know
about the Church of the Brethren
through long-time friend and Brethren
pastor. Jose Jimenez, whose congrega-
tion Luis and his wife began attending in
Los Angeles.

Luis has always believed in and
worked to live a simple life, and he
enjoys the freedom of Brethren to
"embrace other denominations in
Christ." He promotes evangelism as
essential for the church's future: "I
believe in a scandalous gospel. It's not
meant to be quiet. You must do what-
ever you can to get the door open."

Tiffany Rouillard
It's the friendliness

What drew Tiffany Rouillard to the
church of the Brethren was "everyone's
friendliness." She likes the way Brethren
"put an emphasis on youth," and says it
was easy to become involved with the
church because she "knew what they
were doing was right."

Tiffany started attending the Lewiston
(Maine) Fellowship (see page 36) six
years ago. A friend, whose family is
"charter members" of the congregation,
was "always asking me to come to
church," says Tiffany. Although they
have been good friends since grade
school, it wasn't until Tiffany was a
sophomore in high school that she
finally came to youth group, and then to
Sunday morning worship.

One in the large number of French-
Canadians in her area. Tiffany grew up
in Auburn, the twin city of Lewiston.
She graduated from high school in 1 989,
and is now assistant manager of a paper
and party supplies outlet store. Her
fiance, currently in Brethren Volunteer
Service with Habitat for Humanity in
Americus, Ga., is also a member of the
Lewiston Fellowship.

May 1991 Messenger 31

Planting ^
new churches

Carol Scheppard

The sense of community

While growing up in the "industrial belt"
of Connecticut, Carol Scheppard "saw a
tendency to make faith peripheral," and
was drawn to the Church of the Brethren
by its sense of community. Within the
denomination, she believes there is a
"unique (though healthy) tension"
between Brethren Pietistic roots — which
center on questions pertaining to
individual faith — and its Anabaptist
heritage — which focuses on accountabil-
ity to one another.

Five years ago, after she read an
invitation on the wall of the town's post
office, Carol Scheppard came to a
Sunday morning worship at the Genesis
Fellowship in Putney, Vt. She describes
Genesis as "a place where people are
really committed as a community and to
a Christ-centered life that asks a lot of
questions . . . without offering pat
answers."

For 10 years Carol taught learning dis-
abled students in high school and college
residential settings and is currently
halfway into a three-year program at
Princeton Theological Seminary. She
spent last summer as an associate pastor
at the Pleasant Valley Church of the
Brethren at Weyers Cave, Va., a "place
where people were asking 'how can we
love each other in community?' "

32 Messenger May 1991

Guillermo Encarnacion
Minority involvement needed

Coming from a Mennonite background,
Guillermo Encarnacion has found no big
surprises in Church of the Brethren
teachings. He appreciates the denomina-
tion's emphasis on simple living, as well
as its "democratic way of business."
Guillermo does believe the church
should be more involved with minorities,
however, and thinks it may have
difficulty reaching them because there
are so few minority leaders in decision-
making bodies.

And, for many Hispanics, it seems
some Brethren are "living in the past,"
says Guillermo, and such an emphasis on
Brethren heritage may present a "prob-
lem" for them.

While not "new" to the Church of the
Brethren, Guillermo is involved in a new
part of the church's ministry. He is
pastor of the Alfa y Omega Fellowship
in Lancaster, Pa., a Hispanic ministry
that began as prison outreach for the
large population of inmates and their
families in the area.

Previous to Alfa y Omega, Guillermo
was pastor of the Falfurrias (Texas)
congregation for five years — and before
that, spent 10 years at the Castaiier
church in Puerto Rico, where he first
met members of the denomination.

Karen and John Poison

The 'hands-on' approach i

Karen and John Poison first learned
about the Church of the Brethren five
years ago through Don Booz — then
Atlantic Southeast district executive,
who was also doing marriage counsel-
ing. Karen and John became two of the
six "charter members" of the New
Covenant Fellowship in Orlando, Fla.

Karen, who considers her previous
faith tradition (Roman Catholic) to havi
been more of a "spectator" religion, wa
impressed with the "hands on" mission
of Brethren-related outreach programs
such as Heifer Project International. Sh
also was drawn to the denomination
because of its decision-making structun
which "flows out" instead of "down
from the Pope." She would like to see
more emphasis placed on evangelism
program.

For John, the idea of pacifism is
"strong in our minds." Then, too, that
Brethren agree to disagree is "both ,
attractive and a point of tension for the ,
church" and a freedom "quite unusual i
many denominations, because of set-in
doctrines." While John is confident tha
the church is in a new growth mode, he
feels the need to become more "front-
line" in the direction of urban ministrie ,
"We have a lot to offer," says John, "bi
we just haven't exposed ourselves
fully yet."

ttt

Some plantings that rooted

We asked eight new Church of the Brethren groups to tell us what was

the key to their successful planting and nurturing. The answers they

gave us show that there are a variety of strategies that work.

by Karla Boyers and Don Fitzkee

^orth County

Offering a service motif

"en years ago, San Marcos, Calif., was
lasically rural chicken farms 40 miles
lorth of San Diego. Now, through a
oiling urban sprawl, the population has
nultiplied fivefold — from 6,000 to over
iO,000 people — and is home to the
viorth County Church of the Brethren.

Just over a decade ago. Pacific
louthwest District had worked for a year
establish a church in a nearby area,
without success. New church develop-
nent staff then helped the district
restudy" its geography and try again. In
lart, San Marcos was chosen to make a
leace witness. Camp Pendleton, a large
Marine base, is in the area.

In December 1982, Glenn Frazier,
vho was pastoring the Antelope Park
rommunity church in Lincoln, Neb.,
vas asked to come and initiate a new
ongregation. There were no Brethren in
he area when Glenn, his wife, and their
wo daughters made the move. At the
)eginning, the Fraziers traveled 40 miles
worship on Sunday mornings; but in
September 1983, the new church was
itarted.

From a core group of six people, a
lecision was made to set up a SERRV
lift shop in the community. The organiz-
:rs put up their own money to buy initial
nventory. Seven years ago. Loving
iands Gifts International was opened in

a complex adjacent to a grocery store.
"We wanted to make a place where
people would come and visit," says
Glenn, whose church office is in the
back of the store. "It's an excellent place
for shoppers and volunteers to learn

about the Church of the Brethren."

The store, run entirely on volunteer
labor, "employs" about 50 people from
both the church and community, and
"functions as a regular congregation."
explains Glenn. "We can do witnessing

By opening a SERRV gift shop. North County church actually "created two
congregations," says pastor Glenn Frazier. The shop, staffed by volunteers such as
Ma.xine Peed, has provided the church with $40,000 toward its building fund.

May 1991 Messenger 33

Planting^
new churches

because of the store that would never
happen otherwise."

According to Glenn, North County's
thrust is service with a connection to
commitment. "It's as important to be out
there as to be in the pews." Finding
volunteers for the store, many of whom
are retired and of various ethnic groups,
has been easy for Glenn, who sometimes
finds it harder to schedule in everyone
who wants to work.

North County church itself — with a
membership of 32 and average atten-
dance of 50 — rents space in a Bingo hall
that is available three hours each Sunday
morning. Hopes for moving to a meet-
inghouse of its own are targeted for
Christmas 1991, although Glenn notes
that steep developer fees and Califor-
nia's water situation may delay construc-
tion.

"We're at a point where we're really
feeling the need for our own structure
for ministries. A lot of witness to
Christian education programs, especially
for children, has suffered." Another hope
for the future of North County church is
to become a facility day care center for
head injured children and adults, a real
need in the community.

By opening the SERRV shop. North
County has actually "created two
congregations" — a church worship
congregation, and, through its involve-
ment with third-world industries, a
"congregation" of caring community
outreach.

Last year. Loving Hands Gifts
International grossed $142,000, which
translates into yearly income for about
500 to 1,000 families of developing
countries involved in SERRV. Today,
the store not only is self-supporting, but
has provided North County church
$40,000 to put toward its new structure
— a building for which plans include a
warehouse for SERRV store items.

Glenn notes the philosophy behind a
church that has come full circle: Learn
what it means to commit your life to
Christ; learn what it means in terms of
doing; then, do the work. In an area
where "many surrounding churches
show people how to be blessed" with

34 Messenger May 1991

nice homes, expensive cars, and com-
fortable pension plans, Glenn says North
County offers a "service motif where
the opportunities are varied. — Karla

BOYERS

Philadelphia First Korean
Videos on God's Word

Shin II Jo was pastoring a non-affiliated
church in Santa Monica, Calif., when he
was approached by Atlantic Northeast
District to come and serve. The district,
wanting to launch a Korean ministry,
had studied its geography and found the
heaviest Korean population (approxi-
mately 40-50,000) to be in and around
Philadelphia.

The ideal structure — the Philadelphia
First Church — had already been chal-
lenged to provide free office space and
rent for the new venture. Shin II arrived
the first week of September 1 990, and
services began a month later. An
opening celebration, held November 1 1,
drew 150 people who came to support
the new church start.

Presently, seven families are commit-
ted to the congregation, which meets on
Sundays at 1 p.m., after Philadelphia
First's morning service. A potluck meal
at the church follows every worship,
when the families enjoy further fellow-
ship. Members of Philadelphia First
Korean have taken as their motto
"Worship, Education, Fellowship, and
Service."

Part of Shin Il's community outreach
includes a video ministry. He distributes
a series of tapes on different theological
issues to believers and non-believers for
them to "see and listen to God's word."
"Many Korean Christians do not know
much about Christianity and church
history," Shil II explains. The tapes,
made in Korea, feature well-known
Korean theologians.

Shin II is among a group of six
Brethren who will travel to South Korea
this summer to discern prospects for
planting Church of the Brethren congre-
gations in the country. He feels strongly

First Korean s pastor , Shin II Jo,
preaches from the pulpit hut also
spreads the word through video tapes.

that Korea needs to be served by
Brethren.

According to Bob Kettering, associate!
district executive for Atlantic Northeast,
the church has plans for chartering later
this year. And, he says those going to tb
district's annual Brethren Disaster Relie
Auction can expect to see an authentic
Korean food stand among the more
traditional offerings of apple pie and '
funnel cakes. — Karla Boyers

Christ the Servant

Its name is its mission

A generation ago, there was talk among
some concerned Brethren that the
denomination was dying, that while the
church was involved in the social action
of the '60s, no new churches were
opening to minister to the needs of
people and their communities.

In 1976, Christ the Servant congrega
tion in Cape Coral, Fla., was "the first
one out the chute" with a brand-new
vision for church development, says
pastor Don Shank, who left his 14-year
ministry with the Highland Avenue
congregation in Elgin, 111., to begin wor
in the Sunshine State.

Impetus for the church start began
with Atlantic Southeast District, which
conducted a feasibility study exploring
the demographics of several communi-
ties. Cape Coral was found to be "stra-
tegically" located.

The district wanted the church to
"grow upon the existing community ami
not just meet the needs of visiting

Brethren," said Don. "We didn't want a
'winter resort' congregation." Since Don
first arrived 1 5 years ago. Cape Coral,
the "stepchild" of Fort Myers, has
proven its potential for growth, increas-
ing in population from 13,000 to about
75,000 people.

Merle Crouse, staff for new church
development, says that while Don was in
Elgin he used the tactic of forming
relationships with non-Brethren while
working as a "chaplain of sorts" at a
bank in the community. He also had the
experience of organizing the Drexel Hill
^Pa.) congregation during the '50s, and
50 was well versed in the type of "bi-
vocational" outreach needed to start a
new congregation.

i Pastoring seven-eighths time, Don also
jJoes counseling, and says that probably
20 families now in the congregation are
there as a result of such contact. Christ
the Servant, which met in Don's home
its first year, currently has about 128 in
average attendance, and is in the process
of relocating the church from land
Durchased by the denomination's
3eneral Board to another site nearby.
The change will make possible needed
expansion of facilities.

"We have established ourselves as a
:roup of caring people," says Don. In

cooperation with 1 1 other churches,
Christ the Servant has helped form Cape
Coral Caring Center — the "first social
service agency on the Cape," providing
food, rental assistance, and counseling
services.

"We're known in the area almost
exclusively as Christ the Servant," said
Don. "We've wanted our name to be our
mission — servants to the community."

Knowing first hand the difference a
new church can bring to a growing city,
Christ the Servant is committed to
tithing $40,000 to $50,000 back to the
denomination's development program,
securing an opportunity of growth for
the next generation. — Karla Boyers

Medina Fellowship

Doing community surveys

If Plato were alive today, he might
amend his famous line "Know thyself
with "and it helps if you know your
community, too." That's what Medina
(Ohio) Fellowship has set out to do, and
it seems to be doing quite well.

Mel Menker arrived at Medina Fel-
lowship, a church "restart," in August
1989 to begin the work of building a

i^ape Coral's Christ the Servant congregation is "ntovin on," having outgrown its
vicinal location and sought out a new site that provides room for expansion. Pastor
Oon Shank {shown here) has been with the church since its 1976 planting.

base of individuals committed to growth
and meeting the needs of each other and
the larger community. Mel had been
pastor of the Donnels Creek congrega-
tion in Southern Ohio District for 1 1
years, when he was commissioned by
Northern Ohio District to begin the new
development.

By November 1989, two evening
Bible studies and several children's
programs were in action. The group of
25 then agreed that it was time to begin
public services. A service took place
Christmas Eve, and December 31
marked the first regular Sunday morning
worship.

One appealing aspect of the congrega-
tion (now numbering about 60 in
average attendance) is its approach to a
"caregiver ministry," says Mel —
focusing on mental, emotional, and
spiritual support to those outside the
church. How does the Medina Fellow-
ship keep in tune with those needs? It
conducts a survey of every family that
comes through its doors, asking thoughts
and opinions on church, church life,
pastors, needs of the community, and
why people don't go to church.

Demographically, what has been
found about Medina itself — a suburban
sprawl south of Cleveland — is that it's a
highly transient white-collar society
(large corporations in the area keep
people coming and going) with a median
age of 28. The city of 20,000 experi-
ences a population turnover every three
years. And the number-one need to
address is loneliness, says Mel.

"Because of the predominance of the
younger culture, there is often no focus
on the needs of senior citizens." Like-
wise, with a 65-percent divorce rate,
there is a large number of women with
small children, for which the congrega-
tion is in the early stages of developing a
support base. The church just recently
became chartered to M.O.P.S (Mothers
of Pre-Schoolers), a national organiza-
tion providing support and parenting
skills.

"Medina is typical of a true baby-
boomer community," says Mel, in that
it's "very interested, not in the denomi-

May 1991 Messenger 35

Planting^
new churches

nation name, but in what the church is
doing in terms of service to the commu-
nity . . . what kind of ministries you're
doing to care for other people."

As Gordon Bucher, Northern Ohio
district executive, says of Medina, it's
"an enthusiastic, forward-looking
group." In working to understand and
minister to the community beyond itself,
Medina Fellowship is helping to turn a
fast-food town into something with a
warmer ambiance. — Karla Boyers

La Misiort de Jesus

Spanish speaking is essential

McFarland (Calif.) Church of the
Brethren is a largely white congregation
in a farming community nearly 80
percent Hispanic. For several years, the
congregation wanted to begin a Spanish-
speaking ministry, but wasn't quite sure
how to start.

So it contacted Luis Bustillo, who at
the time was assisting Jose Jimenez,
pastor of a Hispanic Brethren congrega-
tion in Los Angeles. A member of the
Southern Baptist church since 1976, Luis
had been ordained in 1982 and was co-
pastor for five years of a church in east
Los Angeles before going on an evangel-
istic circuit with groups in the US,
Mexico, and overseas. In 1987, after
getting married and feeling the need to
settle down, Luis began work as a
supervisor for IBM corporation, but soon
had the desire to return to pastoring.

McFarland sent Luis to Philadelphia,
Pa., for a conference on Spanish-
speaking ministry. When he came back
to report, "things just clicked," he says.

In February 1989, just three days after
arriving at McFarland, Luis began a
Bible study. By the end of the year, the
group was meeting in a separate wing of
the church. But it was soon evident to
both "mother" and "daughter" that at the
rate it was growing, the new ministry
really needed a place of its own.

Across town from the McFarland
congregation, there was an abandoned
Pentecostal church. While they weren't

36 Messenger May 1 99 1

La Mision de Jesus pastor Luis Bustillo sees himself as a catalyst for developing othe,
Spanish-speaking ministers. Bustillo is shown consecrating five men who will be
mentored by him in a three-year reading program Pacific Southwest District created.

even sure at the time whether the owner
was going to sell the building, "We took
a step of faith and came at nights to fix it
up," says Luis.

Although in separate structures now,
McFarland and La Mision de Jesus
continue the familial relationship, often
celebrating love feasts, baptisms, and
other special services together. As Luis
points out, however, "Everyone has his
own culture. If you want to reach
Hispanics, you have to have a Spanish-
speaking ministry."

The burgeoning congregation is now
home to 84 adults and 35 children.
About a year ago, Luis noticed there
were members in the church desiring
training for ministry. Under the direction
of Pacific Southwest District, a Hispanic
curriculum committee was formed that
modeled and approved a three-year
reading program for the seven men who
expressed interest in receiving licensing
and ordination within the denomination.
"My vision is to be a catalyst for
developing other ministers," says Luis,
who is helping to mentor the men.

One of the main thrusts of La Mision
de Jesus is evangelism. After Friday
night services, some go to a local bar to
pass out tracts and talk to the patrons.
One night two boxes of Bibles were
handed out. Groundwork is also under-
way to start an extension of the Hispanic
ministry in Earlimart, 15 miles away.

"I hope our ministry is a light to other
congregations that want to step out in

faith," says Luis. "McFarland had the |
faith and vision to begin a new ministry'
They had to increase their budget by
$30,000 to do it. But God has blessed U!
because of the faith of all of us, not just
because of one special person."
— Karla Boyers

Lewiston Fellowship

Bible teaching is its thing

Lewiston, Maine, is a city of approxi-
mately 40,000 people. Across the river
sits its twin. Auburn, with nearly 35,00(
inhabitants. Together, they form the
second largest urban population in the
state, including a large number of
French-Canadians with roots in the
Catholic faith.

Back in the late 1970s, the Brethren
Revival Fellowship (BRF) was looking '
for a place to begin a volunteer service
project. It knew of some Mennonite
volunteers who had been working in ■
Maine, and began gathering names of ;
housing authorities in the New Englanc.
area where it might establish itself. Of ^
all the possibilities, Lewiston seemed tl.
most receptive, though there was some
"concern that those coming would not i,
proselytizing," says James F. Myer, a ;
BRF leader. j

At the start of the BRF Brethren j
Volunteer Service project (established ;
1979) houseparents and volunteers live

1 and worked for the Lewiston housing
uthority in a 90-unit complex, perform-
ig office work and a number of mainte-
ance tasks. While current BVSers still
ve in the complex, the project has
hanged to the Good Shepherd Food
lank.

Merv Keller, pastor of the Lewiston
ellowship, says that from the beginning
f the BRF project, it was "in the back
f our minds to start a fellowship up
lere." Sure enough, two years after the
irst volunteers arrived, a worshiping
ommunity was established.

According to Jim Myer, the BRF had
;sued a challenge for six families to
;locate to begin a new church in
.ewiston. Eighteen members from the
^hite Oak, Blue Ball, and Upton
ongregations heeded the challenge,
icluding Merv Keller and his family.

The congregation, now with 54
lembers and an average attendance of
0, is known in the area as a church with
strong family ties," says Merv. "Our
imily relationships have spoken loudly"
D the community.

Merv said members have been able to
lake good contact with people over the
ears. Currently, Lewiston is facing an
conomically depressed time, many
eople losing their jobs as industries
love south. But the BRF is there to stay
nd minister to people's needs. "People
/ho come are looking for that tradition

.ewiston Fellowship
astor Merv Keller greets
ladassah Myer in his
hurch narthex. The
.ewiston planting began
s a Brethren Volunteer
ervice project staffed by
lembers of the Brethren
levival Fellowship,
'eople are drawn to the
-ewiston church by its
trong emphasis on Bible
eaching and strong
amily ties. Lewiston now
'as an average
ntendance of about 60.

of strong Bible teaching," says Merv.
"That's one reason we're here. It's sort
of our trademark." — Karla Boyers

ACTS Covenant

Cell groups are its heart

What's in a name? In the case of a new
congregation in Lancaster, Pa., lots.
Understanding the name of ACTS
Covenant Fellowship is a big help to
understanding its growth.

The acronym "ACTS" points to what
the congregation sees as its four-fold
mission — Abiding, Caring, Training, and
Sending.

Begun in June 1986 as a seven-person
Bible study, meeting in the home of
John and Anne Gibbel, ACTS Covenant
in less than five years has mushroomed
to a membership of 1 25 and average
attendance of just under 200 — mostly
younger "baby boomers" from a variety
of cultural and socio-economic back-
grounds. About half of the adult mem-
bers are single. "ACTS is doing the best
job with baby boomers as any congrega-
tion I know of," says Merle Crouse,
General Board staff for new church
development.

"We really emphasize that everything
we do as a congregation should come
out of what God is calling us to do," says

pastor Henry Buckwalter. That convic-
tion shapes the congregation's Sunday
"worship celebration," which includes a
period of singing and silence to "allow
the spirit of God to break in" with a
prophetic word or word of encourage-
ment.

Atlantic Northeast District associate
executive Bob Kettering points out,
"While they are charismatic in their
worship style, they are clearly Anabap-
tist in their theology."

Although Sunday morning worship is
central to the life of the congregation,
much of the caring takes place during
the week in the dozen cell groups. "We
really see our cell groups as the heart of
the congregation," says Henry. "It's a
way of delegating pastoral care." In
addition to caring for those already in
the church, cell groups are geared
toward evangelism and community
outreach.

That's where the training or equipping
comes in. "Our whole emphasis is to
equip the members to do the work of
ministry, rather than having the pastoral
leadership do it all," Henry explains. A
special, six-week Summer Break
Through Discipleship training program
for youth is a new endeavor scheduled
for this summer.

Training is not only for ministry at a
local level, but for sending people out to
engage in worldwide mission. At present
the congregation's focus is mostly local,
but ACTS Covenant views itself ulti-
mately as a mission church. It supports
the programs of the Church of the
Brethren and the Mennonite Church.

The covenant part of ACTS Covenant
points to the commitment the congrega-
tion feels to each other and to God.
Every member signs a congregational
covenant annually as a way of renewing
a commitment to Christ and the church.

While ACTS Covenant Fellowship has
built a vital church, it hasn't built a
building for worship; nor does it intend
to. "We feel our investment should go
more in terms of ministry to the world
rather than creating a big center for
worship," Henry explains. The congre-
gation does own a "Ministry and

May 1991 Messenger 37

Planting ^^
new churches

Training Center" in Lancaster, which is
used for office space, meetings, and
small fellowship gatherings, but Sunday
worship takes place in the Lancaster
Recreation Center.

Both Merle Crouse and Bob Kettering
agree that ACTS Covenant Fellowship
(along with Communion Fellowship of
Goshen, Ind., after which ACTS is
patterned) is providing the Church of the
Brethren with an exciting, new model
for ministry. — DON FiTZKEE

Stevens Hill
Knocking on doors

The Stevens Hill Church of the Brethren
closed its doors early in 1989. But what
looked like the end of a congregation
turned out to be the beginning of the
new Stevens Hill Community church.

With the little meetinghouse closed up
tight, Atlantic Northeast District brought
in Bill Longenecker to serve as "shep-
herd." His task was to guide into new
pastures the remaining members of the
Stevens Hill flock — which had been
plagued by years of internal conflict —
while seeing whether a new flock could
be gathered from the rural area west of
Elizabethtown, Pa.

Bill began leading Bible studies in
homes in February 1989. By October of
that year Sunday services resumed, with
average attendance in the 20s. During
late 1989 and early 1990 the rundown
meetinghouse was spruced up with new
paint, lights, and carpet. By February
1991 average attendance had climbed to
about 60, and close to 100 people had
attended at least three times. "It's al-
most a totally new group," says Bill.

Associate district executive Bob
Kettering attributes much of the growth
to Bill's creative leadership: "Bill has
worked very hard at developing a new

38 Messenger May 1991

style of ministry," says Bob. 'Visiting is a
large part of that style.

"What are you gonna do?" Bill asks.
"We started with nothing. The only
thing I knew to do was start down the
road and knock on doors." Early on, the
congregation drew up a map of all the
homes within a two-mile radius of the
simple meetinghouse. Bill and a core
group of members have visited 400
homes at least once and figure they have
another 200 to do.

Families have been contacted by visit,
phone, and letter up to six times before
they attend church, according to deacon
Tim Shenk, who helps with the visiting.
"People really don't mind (being
contacted so frequently)," he adds.

Once the people do attend, the church
is adept at welcoming and involving new
people. "Anybody who steps in the door.
Bill gets them plugged in," says Tim.

Another part of the church's success
has been occasional special services,
designed to attract new people. Two
Christmas Eve services last year, pre-
ceded by a community mailing, drew
close to 200 people.

While the flock at Stevens Hill
Community has grown steadily, growth
hasn't come by "stealing sheep" from
other churches. "There are a lot of
people out there who don't go to
church," Bill emphasizes. Many of the
new faces at Stevens Hill attended other
churches at one time but eventually
wandered away.

Enough of them have now been
brought back into the fold that farmer
Bill is trying to sell some of his own
sheep — the woolly kind — so he can have
more time to feed the lambs at Stevens
Hill Community church. — Don

FiTZKEE

Don Fitzkee is a member of the Chiqiies Church
of the Brethren, in Manheim. Pa. A freelance writer,
he sen'ed as an editorial assistant with Messenger
1986-1988.

Fror

by Don Fitzkee

Richard Kyerematen is an "African
missionary" who doesn't fit the Breth
missionary mold. For one thing, he is
white. For another, he ministers in th(
United States.

In fact, the path Pastor Richard has
followed from Ghana to Germantowr
Pa., has been anything but typical. "C
thing led to another," he explains, "ai
ended up at the Germantown Church
the Brethren. It was a divine working
that has tended to be good for me and
the congregation."

Bom in Kumasi, Ghana, Richard gi
up in an Anglican home with his five
brothers and sisters. During his senioi
year at the University of Ghana, he
experienced spiritual renewal through
campus evangelistic meeting. "That v
followed," he says, "by a questioning
my life objectives" and an "urgency t
be more involved in ministry."

While completing a post-graduate
degree in journalism and mass comm
ications from 1983 to 1985, Richard
worked with an indigenous, evangelis
para-church organization called Chris
tian Outreach Ministries. He created <
edited a quarterly Christian magazine
and also freelanced articles for some i
Ghana's leading newspapers.

Recognizing his need for theologici
education, Richard departed in 19851
Sweden's Upsala University, where H'
did graduate research. After one year^
decided that the kind of broad-based
education he was looking for could be*
be found elsewhere. He eventually ch
Lancaster (Pa.) Theological Seminary

When he graduated in 1989 with an
impressive academic record and withr
any denominational affiliation, he anc
Brethren leaders in search of a pastor
the historic but down at the heels
"Mother church" at Germantown four
each other through mutual friends. To

jhana to Germantown

frican missionary in America

ate, neither party has regretted it.
"Richard is an outstanding urban
;ader,'" says Merle Crouse, General
loard staff for new church development.

'ho, along with Atlantic Northeast
)istrict's associate district executive,
lob Kettering, interviewed Richard for
le Germantown position. "He's got
pme really great 'people' gifts, a good
bncept of worship, and he appreciates
lie Brethren."

Richard arrived in Germantown in
me 1989 and found a congregation
hose morale and numbers had plunged
I the face of a leadership crisis. "My
lain goal initially," he says, "was to be
1 instrument of healing in the church."
uring a quiet 1989 he worked at mend-

ing relationships and making connec-
tions in the urban community.

"Richard, in his kind of unassuming
but savvy way," says Merle, "was
able to pick up on
where people were
at Germantown and
soon he had that
place humming along
pretty well."

Things began to
hum early in 1990.
Fueled by the
church's feeding
program for home-
less people and
relationships culti-
vated with some area
drug rehabilitation
programs, average
church attendance at
Germantown swelled
from about 20 to
more than 80, with
well over 100 attend-
ing on special Sundays.
The congregation has
outgrown its small
meetinghouse chapel
and now gathers in
the larger fellowship
hall.

While the numerical
growth has been
encouraging, Richard emphasizes "I'm
not into counting. Our focus is what
happens every Sunday. We quantify
our good in terms of lives that have
been changed."

Sunday worship at Germantown is
lively, with ample time for singing
choruses and sharing testimonies and
musical talents, but it doesn't appeal
only to the emotions. "His worship is
very interesting," says Merle, "in that it
is really intellectual, but you don't
notice it." At the same time, "he's got a
knack for not threatening anybody, but

being very direct with an evangelistic
message."

The Brethren at Germantown also
appreciate Richard for his availability.
Jemma Kistow, who leads the Kids
Club, was instantly won over by
Richard's warm smile and friendliness.
"He's the kind of pastor you can reach,"
she says. "He's always there. He's more
like part of the congregation."

"He commands a lot of respect
because he lives what he preaches," adds
Lydia Cooper, who chairs the church's
witness commission. (See page 31.)

Despite such words of praise. Richard
is reluctant to take credit for the
church's turnaround. "We've come this
far by God's grace," he says. "God is
certainly the one who has provided these
opportunities." Richard is also grateful
to the denomination and to the congrega-
tions of Atlantic Northeast District that
have supported the work at German-
town.

At the same time, he believes the
Brethren need to do more. He enjoys
serving in a congregation that is multi-
racial — with blacks, Hispanics, and
whites. But, he asks, "Why are there so
few blacks in the Church of the Breth-
ren, and what is being done to attract
new black people?"

Richard believes that the Church of
the Brethren, with its balanced emphasis
on piety and service, is uniquely
qualified for urban ministry. "The
Church of the Brethren has potential to
blossom in the city," he says.

For now, Richard is doing his part to
nurture the budding Brethren efforts at
Germantown. He is content to remain
there "as long as God wants me there
and I can be useful to the
congregation."

yii.

Don Fitzkee Is a member of the Chiques Church
of the Brethren, in Manheim. Pa. A freelance writer,
he sen-ed as an editorial assistant with MESSENGER
]986-i988.

May 1991 Messenger 39

Planting ^^
new churches

(Continued from page 29)
and Washington, as well as in Puerto
Rico. Before the 1980s, there was one
congregation in Puerto Rico. Now there
are nine.

Leadership training programs have
been started in Korean and Spanish.
Pastor Ludovic St. Fleur, of Miami's

Eglise Des Freres Haitiens, is a graduate
of the Education For Shared Ministry
(EFSM) program. Some Brethren
literature is available in Korean and
Spanish. Support structures at the
national level have been developed with
Hispanics and Koreans. There are
Hispanic support structures in two

districts and for Haitians, in one. Puerto
Rico now has its own board, annual
delegate conference, and associate
district executive — Pedro Brull.

What is the leadership picture?

Leadership is the key element for

Itt

I
I

Keeping the phone busy in Portland

I
I

"After just eight weeks of effort using a method called 'The
Phone's For You!' a handful of volunteers welcomed 261
people to the first service of a brand-new Friends (Quaker)
church in Upland, Calif. Using this same method, five more
new Friends churches soon opened with between 150 and 500
at their first services.

"First-century church
growth is happening in the
20th century! God's Holy
Spirit is reaching out through
people using a common 20th-
century tool — the telephone —
and the 'law of large num-
bers.'

"For every 1 ,000 phone
calls made, approximately 100
people respond positively, and
10 attend the opening church
service. If 20,000 homes are
dialed, attendance at the first
worship service is usually 200
or more. Many are spiritually
ready to respond to Jesus
Christ and to grow through a
new church.

" 'The Phone's For You!'
has been used by over 90
denominations throughout
North America to plant more
than 3,000 new churches and
increase attendance in over 3,100 existing congregations."

That's a quotation from Norman Whan's program bro-
chure. On Monday, July 1, Norman Whan will present training
for "The Phone's For You!" program as resource person for
the New Church Development all-day workshop, a pre-Annual
Conference event in Portland, Ore. The workshop is open to
anyone interested in outreach growth for new-church projects
or long-established congregations.

For years Norman Whan was a successful insurance
executive. To sell much insurance, he learned that he had to be
in touch with many people. Only a certain percentage of
people at any given time want insurance. That means he

40 Messenger May 1991

Norman Whan

needed to reach hundreds and thousands of people with a clea|
simple message so that dozens of people would learn of his
product and buy it.

In the middle 1980s, Norman experienced a religious
awakening and dedicated himself to serve God in a new way.
He discovered that the church, with the most valuable produci
in the world, the Good News of God's love, was not very
effective at getting that message to the people. He asked: "If
the law of large numbers works for insurance, why won't it
work for the message of the church?"

Norman learned that telemarketing was the most effective
method for reaching people in their homes, so he developed ;
telemarketing plan for church outreach, called "The Phone's
For You!" In six years, more than 5,000 churches have used i
his program, a simple plan created especially for new-church
projects, but also useful for long-established congregations.

The plan calls for new-church planters to choose the exact I
community in which the ministry is to be focused. A calendai-i'
of preparation leads to the opening public worship Sunday.
Callers are recruited, trained, and guided through two to four ,|
weeks of calling residents of the ministry area, inviting them |
to the opening service. Calls are supplemented with mailings ';'
to those who respond positively.

Part of the plan in Portland is for Norman Whan to
supervise a calling center in the exhibit area during Confer-
ence week. Volunteers will work at phoning on behalf of a
new-church project either in the host district or elsewhere.
Thousands of calls will go out from the Portland Annual
Conference, and some will be the channel for persons to
become new Brethren and new disciples in the way of Christ.
The goal is 200 volunteers making 100 calls each, resulting iii
the birth of a new congregation.

The program requires careful organization, hard work, andi
a high motivation to reach new people with the church's
ministry. "The Phone's For You!" is not for everyone. But it's'
worth checking out as one of many ways of starting a new
congregation.

For information and registration forms, contact Portland
NCD Workshop, Church Development Office, P. O. Box
700296, St. Cloud, FL 34770-0296.— Merle Crouse

Merle Crouse is Parish Ministries staff for new church development.

isuring effectiveness in planting new
hurches, both in the planter-pastor and
1 the support structure persons.

A survey of 55 of the projects shows
lat 17 started with full-time pastors, 24
'ith part-time, and 14 with non-salaried
laders. Twenty pastors served in teams,
ight of whom were in spouse teams,
he 55 projects involved 1 14 ministers,
ifty-four (47 percent) of them came
cm the pool of Church of the Brethren
!aders, including 10 directly from
ethany Theological Seminary and one
om a Bible school. Twenty-seven (24
ercent) were recruited from other
enominations and 33 (24 percent) were
died out of the projects themselves.

Projects under the care of part-time
astors grew as well during the first five
ears as those with full-time pastors,
.fter five years, the full-time pastors
ave done better. Generally, the projects
ave not grown rapidly. If more aggres-
ve evangelistic patterns were used, it is
kely that full-time pastors and even
lulti-staff teams would be necessary.

The experience of the 1980s suggests
lat planter-pastors should be seasoned,
Ffective pastors, carefully selected and
dequately trained for the special tasks
f new church development.

^hat about facilities and church
roperty?

he basic new-church model in the
950s church extension era and yet
)day for most denominations is the
3mmunity-oriented congregation in a
ew residential area. It is geared for new
isidents just moving in, has a prominent
ite (5-plus acres) with full-service
icilities (sanctuary for 200-plus, fellow-
lip hall, and Christian education
icilities), at least one full-time pastor,
nd a membership of 200 or more.
Fifteen of the 63 new church starts of
le last 15 years followed this model,
ome have done moderately well, none
as done great, some have struggled
lightily, and all have struggled consid-
rably. The large costs of new church
evelopment are for facilities and
;adership. Prime land and the cost of
onstructing new buildings (including
xpensive and highly restricted code

requirements) and slow growth are
making it more difficult to afford new
buildings.

The alternatives are to build and
utilize the facility with another partner
(such as the Good Shepherd Church with
a day care business, in Blacksburg, Va.)
or to purchase and adapt an existing
structure (Lewiston, Maine; Genesis, in
Putney, Vt.; Alfa y Omega, in Lancaster,
Pa.) or plan to always rent facilities for
worship and Christian education needs
(Communion Fellowship, in Goshen,
Ind.; ACTS Covenant, in Lancaster,
Pa.). Another alternative is to grow
faster and bigger. Ninety-four percent of
the 63 projects began in rented or
donated use facilities, but most aspire to
possess their own space some day.

None of the other models being used
by the Brethren stress the need for a new
building on empty prime land. Other
models that have been used are the
Discipleship/Brethren or Anabaptist
identity church (10), the racial/ethnic
identity church (15), and the house
church (5). Only the house churches
tend to desire no property at all. The 14
new churches that have been received
by adoption represent a variety of
congregational styles in terms of
facilities, leadership patterns, and
worship expression.

Is God reshaping the Brethren?

A great variety of people are becoming
new Brethren. In the Anglo churches, 39
percent were already Brethren, but 6 1
percent are new. Ten percent were
Catholic, 24 percent were from other
Protestant groups and 27 percent have no
meaningful Christian experience or
memory. Each of the ethnic minority
churches has a different mix of back-
grounds that reflects its cultural heritage
and place of origin.

The primary purpose of new church
development is to reach people with
God's redeeming love and for them
to participate in the faith community
in life-giving ways. God is doing lit i
amazing things with us and in us. I J

Merle Croiise is Parish Ministries staff for new
church development.

Todd Tijenna

York Center COB

BVS Unit 195

Join over

100 volunteers

who will spend this year

Eugene &

Eloise Lichty

McPherson COB

BVS Unit 194

Kent Leininger

Middle Creek COB

BVS Unit 194

Denise Patcties

Wliite Oak COB

BVS Unit 193

Brenda Willoughby
Manila COB
BVS Unit 192

making peace,
advocating justice,
serving the needs
of humanity and this
earth through Brethren

Volunteer

Service.

Doug Heishman
Manassas COB
BVS Unit 191

Ratna Hadiwirawan

Panttier Creek COB

BVS Unit 190

Alana Switzer
Modesto COB
BVS Unit 189

get

involved

and get into the picture

call Brethren Volunteer

Service at 1 -800-323-8039

or 708-742-5100, or write

us at 1451 Dundee Ave.,

Elgin, IL 601 20.

May 1991 Messenger 41

STONES

by Robin
Wentworth App

You remember the
shoemaker's children, don't
you? The ones who go
barefoot? I often consider
the chilUng implications of
that old adage for the
therapist's son.

Of all the jobs I do, of
all the hats I wear, of all
the roles I play, of all the
people I am, I consider no
task or commission as high
and as holy as mothering
my son. I also consider
nothing else as difficult or
as scary.

Most challenges I'll
meet without flinching.
Have you got sullen,
rebellious teenagers? Send
them my way. A married
couple seething with
hostilities? I can help.
Want me to write a thesis?
Anytime. Organize Annual
Conference? No problem.
Preach before a large
assembly heavily populated
with individuals who
believe women should not
be in the pulpit? I'm ready
when you are.

What's that? I'm
supposed to be gentle, firm,
patient, understanding, and
consistent with my pre-
schooler? Lord, have
mercy!

I suspect that children
are mysteriously programed
with an instinct that drives
them toward the ultimate
goal of making their
parents feel like failures.
During my younger years I
foolishly thought this didn't
surface until adolescence. 1
now know that it begins to
assert itself as soon as chil-
dren are capable of under-
standing what we want.

I don't allow my son to
have toy guns. So what
does Jameson do? He
creates "guns" out of his
toy flute, Lincoln logs, or

anything else with a
"barrel." And when he
"shoots," he usually aims
directly at me.

I have this nightmarish
fantasy that someday he'll
take a semi-automatic on a
wild shooting spree. Then
when he's apprehended and
questioned as to why he
did it, he'll reply: "My
mother never let me play
with guns when I was
little."

So I worry that he's
going barefoot. . . .

I work toward mini-
mizing sex-role stereo-
typing. I change the word-
ing of stories as I read to
Jameson, I employ inclu-
sive language as much as
possible, and we talk about
the things that both boys
and girls can do.

Then one day while he
was yet three years old, I
commented that I needed a
ladder to change a light-
bulb. Jameson informed me
that "wadies don't use
wadders, mens use wad-
ders." Who's been indoc-
trinating my child behind
my back? Bone of my
bone, flesh of my flesh,
fruit of my womb. . . .

And 1 wonder, is he
going barefoot?

I explain consequences
of choices to my son and
reasons for restrictions,
beginning with good inten-
tions of listening through
his objections. But as the
whining and resistance
escalate, my composure
disintegrates and I snap,
"just SHUT UP!" And
immediately I feel the
Sword pierce my soul. For
in that instant, I know he's
going barefoot.

So I ask myself the
question that parents have
asked for generations: Am

I doing anything right?

Yes . . . yes, I think so.
I'm loving Jameson. I
observe him in the labor-
atory of life as he interacts
with people. He expects to
be liked and accepted by
whomever he meets and
has yet to encounter a
stranger he could not
charm into attentiveness
and engage in conversation.

With children he is
considerate, with adults he
is cooperative. He is bright,
winsome, and gregarious.
He is also independent,
strong-willed, and demand-
ing. We have our battles
and we have our moments.

Is this shoemaker's
child going barefoot? I'm
afraid that some days he
does.

But then I comfort
myself with the same pro-
verb, quoted by more than
one New Testament writer,
that I use to encourage
other parents: "Love cov-
ers a multitude of sins." If
"sin" literally means "to
miss the mark," then love
is able to close the gap
between my imperfect aim
and the "bull's eye."

So to all mothers and
fathers facing their up-
coming special days with
guilt, confusion, and
anxiety: Take heart. No-
body has all the answers
— not even the "experts."
Love covers a multitude of
mistakes and is able to
compensate where we lack.
I'm trusting it is more than
adequate to make up for
those barefoot
days.

Ai.

Robin Wentworth App. of
Nappanee, Ind.. is a therapist,
ordained minister, and a member of
the Camp Creek Church of the
Brethren, Etna Green, Ind.

42 Messenger May 199 1

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Looking back at the war

Americans have worked hard at getting
God out of government, getting prayer
out of schools, banning nativity scenes
on court house lawns and crosses on
public buildings. Some people don't like
"one nation, under God" in the Pledge of
Allegiance and "In God we trust" on our
coins.

But once the gulf war started, the
preachers, radio announcers, TV news
reporters, and government officials were
all publicly praying and clamoring for
the rest of us to join them.

But does God listen to such prayers?
On whose "side" is God?

If there is one thing we might learn
from this war it would be to acknow-
ledge God's mercy and blessings and to
match our ways to his way.

Wendell Bohrer
Greenwood, Ind.

In Bill Keim's assessment of the gulf
war situation (March, page 1 1) the
substantial factual information is so
heavily overbalanced with official Iraqi

MESSENGER
Dinner

Thursday, July 4, 1991, 5 p.m.

Annual Conference

Portland, Oregon

Music by '7ust Us," a
lively and original folk
quintet from Seattle.
Songs grounded in
Christian, pacifist
beliefs.

Just Us

(11
i

perspective and post- Vietnam paranoia
that the writer's credibility as prognost
cator and ours as peace witnesses are
seriously jeopardized.

What is missing is any real sense tha
Jesus mandated that we love our enemi
(and, by a little extension, that we not
kill them) even if it is irrational to do s
from the world's perspective.

Wayne and Judi Bish ||
Altadena, Ca.

The March Messenger cover says ".
we reaffirm our conviction that all wari
sinful." How do we reconcile that with
Romans 1 3 : 1 and 4? Or Proverbs 21:1?

In the realm of the "world system,"
law and order is ordained of God, and
the government is the God-appointed
protector. In the "kingdom of God,"
however, the ruler is Jesus Christ. This
the kingdom of peace. It is as the ruler
this kingdom that Christ teaches us to
love our enemies.

We grossly err when we try to con-
form the world to the principles of the
kingdom of God.

Henry S. Smt
Manheim, P

The gulf war has led to a spiritual
depression in our country. Our hopes fc
a better world after the end of the "cold
war" have been dashed. Also, the war
undermined the moral foundations of oi
country. The motives stated by our
president for mounting the war were no
the true motives. Further, the popularit)|
of the war among Americans serves to
repress expressions of doubt about the
Tightness of it.
We need to listen to the still small

The opinions expressed here are not necessarily
those of the magazine. Readers should receive the:
in the same spirit with which differing opinions ar<
expressed in face-to-face conversations.

Letters should be brief, concise, and respectful a
the opinions of others. Preference is given to lettei
that respond directly to items read in the magazim

We are willing to withhold the name of a writer
only when, in our editorial judgment, it is
warranted. We will not consider any letter that
comes to us unsigned. Whether or not we print the'
letter, the writer's name is kept in strictest
confidence.

Address letters to Messenger Editor, 1451
Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

44 Messenger May 1991

oice of conscience and speak out, if we
re to free ourselves from our depres-
lon. Spiritual good health is not pos-
ble until we confess and reaffirm our
onviction that all war is sin.

Curtis Thill
Paoli, Ind.

telling Bethany short

on Teubner, in his March letter ("Sell
eminary and Forget It"), displays
inorance about the Church of the
brethren and its seminary.

Bethany, as stated in its catalog, is
the graduate school of theology of the
:hurch of the Brethren." In that sub-title
f the seminary are implied two facts
^at refute Teubner's remarks:

One, in the tradition of the Church of
le Brethren, being non-creedal and not
sing force in matters of faith have been
n essential part of Brethren identity.
iFhis position is what drew me initially
) the Church of the Brethren.) There-
Dre, a seminary within that tradition has
creed to impose or particular tenets to
nforce as essential to one's faith.

Two, a graduate school is intended
ot so much for indoctrination as for
ssisting students to know what ques-
ons are to be asked and how to
esearch the answers. A graduate school
» not an institute, where the goal is
imply to have students parrot back facts
pnsidered to be important to the
pachers, administration, or the wider
onstituency. Therefore, "giving the
ight answers" is not the criterion for
iethany Seminary graduates. Pastoral
earch committees may reject Bethany
raduates if they don't like their answers
b the committee's questions, but those
nswers may not serve as the basis for
udging the seminary.

I am thankful for Bethany's commit-
lent to academic credibility. Also, I am
ympathetic to the struggles of maintain-
ig that credibility when there are
onstituents who consider this antitheti-
al to their preconceived notion of how
iethany graduates should think and act.
'his goes against the very best in higher
ducation and the Brethren tradition.

Tom Bryant
Lynchburg, Va.

Pontius' Puddle

NOTICE: Church and dislikl newslellers Ihai reprini "Pnntiiis' Puddle" frnm
Messenger must pay $5 ($10 if cinulaiinn is over 500) for each use to Joel
Kuuffmuntr 111 Carter Road. Goshen. IN 4652b.

X'^\ THRILLED TO MOTE THftT HERE,
AS IN MAMYCONGrRE&M-lOMS.T-HE
BA6V BoorAER &EMERW\OM HAS
SEfrOM TO REAPPlRiA \Ts FAlTiA
AND RETURM TO CHORClA. ,
PRWSETHE l_ORol

:^j

A(^EM!

vouvo -

FOOR

AFTER. SOCM AN EXTENDED
ABSENCE, ONE HAS TO ALLOW
SorAE T\N\E FOR REAOJOSTKVEMT

SUV LOv/,
SELLmCrH

tAAKE fMNE
^ LlCrHT -^ •

NtAEN'

Olio -Step at ii

McPherson College

McPherson, Kansas 67460 • (316) 241-0731

Bertie Pfaltzgraif, a sophomore at McPherson College, poses with
her parents, Roy '65 and Kathryn '63.

"We were glad wheti Bertie decided lo attend McPherson, She'll get more than an education there; she'll
get values in the process. We also like the religious emphasis — not overbearing, but ever present. "
"Some may think a private school is too expensive for their child.. But in McPherson's case, that's not
true because of scholarships available."

— Roy '65 and Kathryn '63 Pfaltzgraff
Haxton, Colorado, Church of the Brethren

Scholarships/Grants: *

Church of the Brethren Awards — Up to $1,000 per year

Brethren Volunteer Service Grants — Up to $500 per year

Children of Alumni Grants — Up to $500 per year

Church-Matching Grants — Up to $500 per year

Dependents of Persons in Church Professions — Up to $1,000 per year

X , "■ ' '

Yes, I want to take the next step and find out more about
McPherson College.

Name

* Awards are
renewable for up to
four years provided
that students remain
eligible for the
grants. Some awards
are based on
financial need and
availability of
finds.

Address .

City

Phone t-

. State .

. Zip.

. Year of Graduation .

Clip and send to: Admissions Office, McPherson College,
P.O. Box 1402, McPherson, KS 67460 or
call coUect (316) 241-0731.

May 1991 Messenger 45

Time to clean up our act

I continually read and hear of criticism
of MESSENGER'S transgressions of basic
biblical truths of the Holy Spirit and the
gospel of Jesus Christ.

Messenger, in subtle ways, integrates
the sins of the worid into the Christian
lifestyle. Wise people accept constructive

From the

Office of Human Resources — ^

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS AVAILABLE:

Full-time ot Elgin; Housing available; One year
coinmiTment desirable

BUILDINGS & GROUNDS ASSIStM^

RESPONSIBILITIES;

Groundskeeping & building maintenance

QUALIFICATIONS:

Practical maintenance sl<ills

SHOP MANAGER: SERRV & BRETHREN PRESS SALES

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Organize space, manage consignments, pro-
mote sales

QUALIFICATIONS:

Familiarity witli SERRV. and publications
Sound management practices. Relevant
experience desirable.

OTVHER POSITIONS ALSO AVAILABLE; For furttier Infor-
mation contact Mory & Ned Stowe, directors. Pro-
gram Volunteer Service, 1451 Dundee Avenue,
Elgin, IL 60120

criticism. It's time that Messenger
starts listening to this constructive
criticism from its readers and supporters
and cleans up its act.

Laddie D. Oliver
Douds, Iowa

A need for church renewal

1 agree with David Young's letter in
March: We do need a focus on prayer,
Bible study, fasting and worship.

Margaret Cosner
Boonshoro. Md.

Recalling Lackey country

1 appreciated the February article "Cain
Lackey: A Mountain Legend." It brought
back memories of the years of pastoring
that my husband, Galen Wine, did in the
area that provided the story's setting.

In the late 1950s we were at the
Mount Hermon church, where Wil
Nolen and Phil Stone (great-grandsons

of Cain Lackey and mentioned in the a^
story — Ed.) were young people and ^

active in the congregation. Later we
were at Fairview-Goodwill (now knowr
as New Hope). Goodwill had been
founded by Cain Lackey. Fairview was
at Elamsville, Cain Lackey's home
community.

Reba H. Wii
Roanoke, V.

Guided by the Holy Ghost

I appreciated reading the General
Board's resolution on the Middle East
crisis. (See December 1990, page 6.) I ^
live far away from the denomination's
heartland, but I try to stay informed re-
garding Bible teaching and world event:

Thus isolated, 1 marvel that I can
agree with even my own group so
totally. Some folks have been doing the
homework and have Holy Ghost guid-
ance besides. Salaam!

Roy Whii
Citronelle, AU

WANTED— Interim pastor. Come over into Macedonia and
help us. Today this request could just as well come from
Philadelphia as from Macedonia, Located northwest sub-
urb adjacent to Philadelphia, First Church, as part of
transition from thirty-year pastorate, examining, redefining
its role in proclaiming God's presence in world. Would like to
involve interim pastor in this exciting, sometimes rocky,
quest. Interested people should contact Allen T,
Hansen, Atlantic Northeast District Office, 900 South
Arlington Avenue, Room 213, Harrisburg, PA 17109, Tel,
(717)652-1811,

WANTED— Administrator, New CovenantCfiristian School,
Anabaptist, preschool-8th. Position available July 1 , Quali-
fications-master's degree and/or administrative exp. Con-
tact Bob Baker, 2403 E, King St„ Lebanon, PA 17042, Tel,
(717)272-8985,

RETIREIulENT— A Consumer's Guide to Selecting a
Retirement Park can be yours free. Call now for this free
educational packet. Learn 1 1 secrets of happy, healthy
retirement park; 7 potential drawbacks of retirement parks;
9 mistakes to avoid when choosing retirement park; 26
tough questions to ask before selecting retirement park.
Plus, get full details about The Willows at Camp Verde,
northern Ariz,, unique retirement park in clean, smog-free
setting. It's all free. So call now toll free 1 -800-658-591 6 or
write to Tom & Jan Pobst or Galen & Ruth Snell, The
Willows Retirement f^lobile Park, HC 75, Box 1520, Camp
Verde, AZ 86322,

SINGLES— Are you lonely? l»/laybe Crossroads can help
46 Messenger May 1991

CLASSIFIED ADS

you too. Some of the couples who have met their mates
through us include a nurse and a minister, a teacher and a
carpenter, and a widow and a farmer. Other clients are
meeting friends who share their interests. Some are still
waiting to meet the right one. Perhaps they are looking
for you. How will you find out if you don't join? For infor-
mation write to Crossroads, Box 32, N, Tonawanda, NY
14120,

TRAVEL— Post-Conference family oriented, high-country
adventure in foothills of North Cascade U\.s. 4 days, 3
nights. Gentle 5-mi, walk to base camp at Horseshoe Basin
on US-Canada boundry. Hikers carry personal items, pack
horses carry heavy stuff. Planned activities w/ free time,
Delicious meals prepared by exp, high-country cooks. See
magnificent scenery of 2 nations for price of one; $50/adult,
$25/age 12 and under. Limit 25 persons. Host families
available for night before and after hike, 10 hrs, n, of
Portland, Dates; July 10-13, 1991, Register by June 15,
Contact Whitestone Church of the Brethren, 321 20 Hwy 97
N„ Tonasket, WA 98855, Tel, (509) 486-2629 or Ernie Bolz,
tel, (509) 486-2553,

TRAVEL— Family Camp, Exper, High Sierra tvlts, in North-
ern Calif, by attending Family Camp at Camp Peaceful
Pines on way to Annual Conference, in Portland, Ore,,
June 22-27, 1991 , Paul fvlundey. Church of Brethren evan-
gelism staff person, and wife, Robin, resource leaders. For
info, contact Hazel Hoover, Registrar, 3536 Shoemake
Ave,, fyjodesto, CA 95351 , Tel, (209) 527-7447,

TRAVEL— Alaska, hosted by Dr. and Mrs, Clayton Pheas-

ant '67— July 7-21 , 1991 , China and Hong Kong, hosted H
Rex and Dottle Hershberger '50, '50— Aug, 14-29, 199'
Bermuda, hosted by Bob and Karen Orr '76, '76— Nov, 7-1 i'
1991, Christmas Time in Bavaria— Dec, 8-16, 1991/ Fi
info, and resen/ations contact; Volker K, UoW, Gatew; i
Travel Center, Inc, 606 Mifflin St, Huntingdon, PA 1665 "I
Tel, 1-800-322-5080, '

TRAVEL— Attention Annual Conference Brethren crossirj
Ohio, Overnight lodging with members of Pleasant Vie
(Ohio) Church of Brethren available. Located 1 mile s, of U i
30 at 175 overpass. Contact David Rusmisel, tel, (41 9) 64; (
3775 or Pleasant View church, tel, (419) 643-4495, \ ''

TRAVEL— One e in a lifetime, two springs in one year. Dor
miss this tour of South Pacific— New Zealand and Australii |
Nov, 20-Dec, 7, 1 991 , More than commercial tour, Expei ' \
ence beauty, history, people of New Zealand with Mao
Concert and dinner, Milford Sound, Christchurch, fan
home stay. Visit Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney Australi i
incid, 3 fascinating days on Great Barrier Reef, Experience \
leaders, Mustenroll soon. Write orcall for brochure, Rothroc I
Tours, 502 Charles, McPherson, KS 67460, Tel, (316) 24'
2670. Still room if you hurry for British Isles, Ireland^un
15-June29or July 5,

INVITATION— In Atlanta, Ga„ join Faithful Servant Churc
of the Brethren for 10 a,m, church school and 11 a.n
worship at Shoney's Inn at intersection of Indian Trail an
1-85 North, exit 38, Norcross, Contact John and Debbi
Hammer, 5584 Wilmer Dr„ Norcross, GA 30092, Tel. (40' :
448-9092,

ew
lembers

ntelope Park, W. Plains: Bruce
Blocher, Cora Gallentine,
Dalene Royer Moore
issett, Virlina: David Turner,
Angela Martin. Amy
Coffman. Amanda Martin,
Jerry Martin, Sara Ray,
Mandy Shaver, Smokey
Gilbert, Clearissa Moore.
George Moore
:aver Dam, Mid-Atl: Clarence

J. Stitely
ue Ridge Chapel, Shen.:
Beverly Bowen. Phillip
Bowen, Jennifer Craig, Brian
Ketterer, BeHnda Ross,
Nathan Showalter, Michael
Smiley, Jeremy Worley,
Sandra Worley
irlisle, S. Pa.: Tessie Shrawder
;dar Lake, N. Ind.: Adam
Jordan, Mandy Freebum,
Mike Parker, Jodi Shull
>vington, S. Ohio: Kenneth
Hahn, Gary Lavey, Regina
Looker, Lewis Wills
mville, N. Ohio: Brock Stull
kins, W. Marva: Allen Cosner.
Lynda Cosner, Robert
Fumier, Bette Fumier, Terry
Daman, Darlene Bumside,
Kathy Phares. Chad Phares,
Michelle Woods. D. J.
Yokum, Ruby Bennett
)hrata, Atl. N.E.: James and

Janet Rhen
lirview-Rocky Mount, Virlina:
Pam Moyer, Pette Wethington
rst-Harrisonburg, Shen.: Judy
Craun. Wilson Robinson,
Judie Tullock, Eugene
Wiseman. Reba Wiseman
rst-Phoenix, Pac. S.W.; Phyllis

Gibson, Bill Nichol
rst-San Diego. Pac. S.W.:
Steven Beck, Rocci Hildum,
Alice Hildum, Jim Wade. Dee
Wade, Margaret Manyak
when City, N. Ind.: Mark
Sternberg, Steve Strycker,
Eugene and Mary VanDusen,
Lester and Sherri Otto. Nolan
and Carie Bucher, Mary Beck
iperial Heights, Pac. S.W.:
I Linda Animashaun, Ann
Brown, Jerry Brown, Derrick
Harley, Alice Lowe, David
Hopson, Don Mitchell. Ron-
i aid and Nina Porter, Conrad
I and Devance Thompson.
I Rose, Jamal, and Troy St.
I Thomas, Jamil McClain,
Nonleigh Porter, Danielle
Metcatf, La Tanya, Kenneth,
• and Kedrean Matthews
linark, lll./Wis.: Whittney
j Miller. Steven and Janna

Landgraf. Gary and Martha
, Dean

';wiston, Atl. N.E.: Dawn
Spalding, Dorothy Marston,
Darin Copenhaver
ick Creek, N. Ohio: Lori Bolton,
; Julie Fox, David Hamer, Scott
1 Hamer, Sherry Newman,
, Melissa Shearer. Sandy
I Kimpel, Betty Laub Kyser
laple Grove, N. Ohio: Beau
; Roberts, David and Margaret

Good. Ryan Barr. Doug
Moore

March Creek, S. Pa.: Barry
Arendt. Gayle Ingle, Daniel
Millar. Andy Musselman,
Philip Turner, John D. Poore,
Curtis Rowland, Cheryl
Wisecup

McPherson, W. Plains: Dorsey
and Mildred Rotruck. Jim and
Sharon Stevens. Ken Queen,
Sharon Knechel, Mary
Holloway, Meg Litrell

Ottumwa, N. Plains: Darrell Ware

Pasadena, Pac. S.W.: James

McClendon, Nancey Murphy
McClendon, Ardeth Maung

Peace, N. Plains: Dale, Joan, and
Edgar Brumbaugh

Pine Grove, W. Marva: Jerry.
Cathy, Craig, and Bryan Cal-
houn, Andy, Shirley, Frank,
and La Rue Lewis. Jim
Savage, Mary Jo Savage,
Marshall Woods, Debra
Woods, Donna Bittinger, Tom
Beachy, Laura Harvey, Shan-
non Philippi, Timothy Woods,
Shawn Lewis Christy Reams

Pleasant Chapel, N. Ind.: William
and Kris Fry

Pulaski County, Virlina: Joyce
Taylor, Angela Arehart, Burl
Bowman, Jr., Robin Bowman.
Debbie Smith, Linda Hamrick

Quakertown, Atl. N.E.: Andrea
Adams, Shirley Unangst, Jeff
Titlow, Pat Titlow, Kim Diehl

SIpesville, W. Pa.: Susan Aultz.
Wendy Aultz, Michael Saylor,
Debra Gary, Richard Bittner,
Margaret Bittner. James
Beggs, Marcy Beggs, Bill
Spencer, Dorothy Spencer

South Waterloo, N. Plains: Dor-
tha Parris, Laurie VanDerPol,
Randall VanDerPol

Troy, S. Ohio: Joe and Bethany
Dukehart, Wayne, Susan, and
Katie Hoover

Uniontown, W. Pa.: Jack and
Grace Siebe

Waterloo, N. Plains: Roy Meyers,
Sandra Bennett, Richard
Nielsen. David and Diane
Shindley, Betty Wagner, Iris
and Buck Power, Allen Fecht

Waynesboro, Shen.: Dennis,
Rachel, and Katie Brown.
David Eton, Mary Eton, Kay
Fulk. Mariann Van Buren,
Chris Batman, Tim Batman,
Dana Collins, Andy Wood

Wenatchee Brethren-Baptist,
Oreg./Wash.: Ian Linterman,
Philip Smith

West Green Tree, Atl. N.E.:
Randy, Joy, Kristen, and Ken
Derek, Sarah Kalp

Licensing/
Ordination

Beutler, Kelly J., licensed Feb. 21,

199I,Roann. S/CInd.
Cooke, Richard, licensed Jan. 19,

1991. Winter Park, Atl. S.E.
Fiske, Randall C, ordained Jan.

19, 199l,Buffalo, S. Pa.
Gresh, Kenneth P., licensed Dec.

11, 1990, Lost Creek/Free

Spring, S. Pa.

Jones, Phillip Lynn, licensed Jan.

19, 199I.Amioch, Viriina
Keebaugh, Timothy, ordained

Jan. 19, 199l,Knobsville,

S. Pa.
Myers, Craig Alan, ordained Nov.

17. 1990, Asher Glade. W. Pa.
Myers, Guy L., ordained Nov. 17,

1990. Conemaugh. W. Pa.
Scott, Marilyn L.. licensed Jul. 12,

1990, Mill Creek. Shen.
Smith, Kathleen, licensed Jan. 19,

1991. Winter Park. All. S.E.
Smoot, Mark Roland, licensed

Dec. 5, 1990, Salem, S.Ohio
Wagner, Kenneth, ordained Nov.
10, 1990, Lewiston, M. Pa.

Pastoral
Placements

Baker, Jimmy, from Pipe Creek.

S/C Ind.. to Indiana. W. Pa.
Borgmann, R. Kurt, from

seminary to Sebring, Atl. S.E.
Conn, Barry, from secular to Pike

Run, W. Pa.
Jinks, James, from secular to

Mount Olivet, Shen.
McCiure, Dennis, from other

denomination to Oakley

Brick. III.AVis.
Ritchey, Amy Gall, from

seminary to Florence, N. Ind.
Ritchey, Kurt, from seminary to

Florence, N. Ind.
Ritchey, Arthur W., from Martin

Creek, lll./Wis., to LaMotte

Prairie, Ill./Wis.
Thompson, Wendell, from secular

to Owl Creek, N. Ohio
Wagner, Kenneth, from secular to

Bannersville, M. Pa.
Wagner, Liane, from secular to

Bannersville, M. Pa.
Zumbrun, Melvin J. from Union

Center, N. Ind., to Allison

Prairie. Ill./Wis.

Wedding
Anniversaries

Brandt, Abner and Martha,

Manheim, Pa., 50
Brumbaugh, Raymond and

Berdella, Hartville, Ohio. 65
Dalton, Matthew and Gladys,

Hiwassee, Va., 60
Hartman, Saylor and Nellie,

Palmyra. Pa., 50
Hull, Lowell and Catherine,

Brookville, Ohio, 50
Longenecker, Julia and Paul,

Martinsburg, Pa., 50
Martin, Josephine and Paul,

Troy, Ohio, 50
McCary, Harry and Theresa,

Ariington, Va., 50
McMullen, Richard and Ruth,

Hershey. Pa., 55
Merrifieid, Daniel and Edna,

Champaign, III., 65
Miller, Herbert and Nancy,

Myerstown, Pa., 50
Mummert, Ross and May,

Chamber&burg. Pa., 50
Peters, Harry and Verda Mae,

Hillsboro. Ohio, 50
Phibbs, Arby and Mary Kath-

erine, Pulaski, Va., 50
Randolph, James and Marguerite,

Bridgewaler, Va.. 50
Rhynard, Albert and Naomi.

Troy, Ohio. 55
Townsend, Frank and Wilma.

Lake Odessa. Mich., 50
Whitman, Slim and Jerry.

Middleburg, Fla.. 50

Deaths

Acker, Elizabeth M.. 88, Har-
risonburg, Va., Sep. 23. 1990
Ackley, Dorothea, 98, Ellinwood,

Kan., Feb. I, 1991
Ankeny, Estella K., 98. Windber.

Pa.. Jan. 18. 1991
Ankrom, J. Vernon, Rayland.

Ohio. Dec. 7. 1990
Bartlett, Fay Zinn. 88, New

Cariisle, Ohio. Feb. 12. 1991
Baughman, Herb. 93, Glenford,

Ohio. Jan. 24, 1991
Berkinholz, Gertrude. 87. Prairie

City. Iowa, Jan. 1, 1991
Bowman, Grace, 7 1 . Dayton.

Ohio. Feb. I, 1991
Brandt, Anna, 85, Palmyra. Pa.,

Jan. 26, 1991
Byfield, Raymond A., 85, Mo-
desto, Calif., Dec. 29, 1990
Clark, Jettie S., 85. Bassett, Va.,

Nov. 28, 1990
Conner, Abram, 75, Manassas,

Va., Feb. 19, 199!
Cornett, Roy G., 48, Bassett. Va.,

Oct. 29, 1990
Crawford, Katherine F.. 90,

Bassett, Va.. Oct. 20, 1990
Crowell, Bruce, 89. Dayton. Ohio,

Feb. 6. 1991
Cummins, Ada, 89, Sebring. Fla.,

Feb. 16. 1991
Curry, Susie S., 80. Bassett. Va.,

Sep. 19, 1990
Dell, Miriam, 88. McPherson,

Kan., Jan. 4. 1991
Depoy, Harry, 66, Weyers Cave,

Va.,Sep. 18. 1990
Dine, Harold C, 8 1 . New Paris.

Ohio. Feb. I, 1991
Dull, Brona, 76, Sebring, Fla.,

Jan. 5, 1991
Eckroth, Margaret, 93, Neffsville,

Pa., Jan. 26. 1991
Eisenhour, Martha S., 86.

Palmyra. Pa.. Nov. 11, 1990
Forror, Mackey, 69, La Mesa,

Calif., Sep. 8, 1990
Foster, Charles. 70, Sebring, Fla.,

Dec. 3, 1990
Fourhman, Sadie, 75. York, Pa.,

Feb. 3. 1991
Garber, Ethel C. 93. Weyers

Cave. Va., Jan. 1, 1990
Garst, Vera K.. 94. Mt. Morris,

Hi., Dec. I, 1990
Gerdes, E. Wayne, 98, Dixon, II!..

Feb. 5, 1991
Gilmer, Sherma n. 76, Harrison-
burg, Va., Jan. 28, 1991
Grove, Ruth Arbaugh, 91. West-
minster, Md.. Feb. 4. 1991
Hall, Mary, 87. Sebring, Fla..

Oct. 15, 1990
Helser, Roberta. 61, Thomville,

Ohio. Jan. 11, 1991
Hollenberg, John, 95, Sebring,

Fla.. Dec. 22, 1990
Bollinger, Ada S., 88, Palmyra,

Pa.,Jan. 5, 1991
Hoover, Kermit, 74, Glenford,

Ohio. Dec. 29, 1990

Horton, Daisey M., 97. Williams-
burg, Pa., Feb. 24. 1991
Huffman, Agnes T.. 79, Seffner.

Fla.. Aug. 20, 1990
Jefferis, Raymond H., 78, Green-
ville. Ohio, Feb. 22. 1991
Jump, Ira, 77, Ariington. Va.,

Oct. 1, 1990
Kimmel, Harry, 89, Somerset, Pa..

Feb. II. 1991
Kimmel, Mabel A., 98, Shelocta.

Pa.. Jan. 7, 1991
Kister, Emma, 93, Somerset, Pa.,

Dec. 6. 1990
Kline, Vadah. 85, Oakton, Va.,

Feb. 14. 1991
Lindsey, Samuel. 84, Broadway,

Va., Mar. 2. 1991
Lynds, Marcus, 79. Sebring. Fla.,

Oct. 4. 1990
Martin, Sailie M.. 74, Bassett,

Va.,Jul. 2, 1990
Maust, Ernest. 70. Somerset, Pa..

Dec. 2. 1990
McKimmy, Mary E.. 94. Beaver-
ton. Mich.. Feb. 24, 1991
Moomaw, I. W., 95, Jacksonville.

Fla., Oct. 2, 1990
Neher, Edna. 89, Topeka. Kan..

Jan. 3. 1991
Norris, Helen 1., 84. South

Whitley, ind., Jan. 26, 1991
Oviatt, Marion G.. 84, Bridge-
water. Va.. Jan. 23, 1 99 1
Painter, Paul, 83, Palmyra, Pa..

Jan. 4, 1991
Patrick, Edward. 90, Pyrmont,

Ind., Feb II, 199!
Reinke, Charlotte, 76, Sebring,

Fla.. Jan. 24. 1991
Roberts, Paul W., 89, Ottumwa.

Iowa. Jan. 21, 1991
Rorrer, Klyde, 89. Bassett. Va.,

Feb. 10, 1991
Ruby, Paul, 9 1 , Ottumwa, Iowa,

Feb. 12. 1991
Sauder, Marian. 55. Akron. Pa.,

Jan. 18, 1991
Severns, Dorothy, 85, Glenmont,

Ohio, Jan. 16, 1991
Shafer, Pauline I., 72, Conti-
nental. Ohio. Feb. 3, 1991
Shaffer, Edna, 89. Uniontown.

Pa., Jan. 5, 199!
Shankster, James, 5 1 . Syracuse.

Ind., Mar. 3, 1991
Shickel, Jacob S., 92, Harrison-
burg, Va.. Feb. 14, 1991
Stern, Vernon. 54, Montclair.

Calif.. Jan. 3, 1991
Stitely, Clarence J.. 88, Johnsville.

Md..Jan. 31. 1991
Summy, Katie, 92, Masterson-

viUe, Pa.. Jan. II, 199!
Thompson, Marie M., 105, Dixon.

111., Feb. 12, 1991
Tome, Edna, New Oxford, Pa.,

Jan. 4. 1991
Van Pelt, William Martin. 85.

Portland. Ore., Feb. 3, 1991
Wampler, Virginia P.. 88. Weyers

Cave, Va.. Oct. 30, 1990
Will, Eva C, 83, Lorida, Fla..

Dec. 31. 1990
Williams, Audra, 93, Copemish,

Mich., Feb. 3. 1991
Wine, Ruth E., 86. Falls Church.

Va..Jan. 31, 1991
Wright, I^ta C, 84, Grottoes,

Va., Feb. 26. 1990
Yaney, Josephine D., 90. New

Canaan. Conn.. Mar. I, 1991

May 1991 Messenger 47

til

Pondering the madness of war

I'm out of sorts. Totally. I haven't got a "sort"
left to my name. Totally opposed to the recent
Persian Gulf war — as a Christian and Brethren
should be — I held forth hope as it began and
progressed that the result would be a grim
reckoning of the American people — shock at
war on such a scale being waged on trumped-up
charges by a president seemingly more persuaded
by a need for high political ratings than by
concern for human justice; indignation at the
cruel, heartless reality of mass killings; and a
ground swell of protest that would bring us closer
to saying, "War, never again."

My hopes are unfulfilled, if not dashed ... for
the moment. History has taught me that euphoria
(which our president piously admonishes us to
forgo), over time, gives way to a more balanced
view of things. Perhaps we may yet come to our
senses. But, for the moment, I am discomforted,
yea, dismayed, by the giddy-headed response of
the American public, generally, to the "victory"
over "anti-Christ, Hitler-reincarnated" Saddam
Hussein and his country.

As best I understand this American response,
the war was perfectly justified. America, the land
of the free and the home of the brave, is a land of
altruistic people, always ready to thwart despots
wherever they attempt to do mischief. War is an
acceptable, even the preferred, way of righting
wrongs and settling international disputes. A US
president and his generals, in wartime, can do no
wrong. Whoever questions the rightness of war is
flirting with treason and certainly trampling
patriotism underfoot. In a war it is appropriate to
ignore the killings by the US military, to marvel
at the "small number" of casualities as if we
hadn't murdered thousands of Iraqi soldiers and
civilians. It is appropriate to swell with patriotic
pride, to welcome home the troops as if the world
had just been saved from evil. The thing to say is
that American depression over the Vietnam War
has forever been laid to rest; again we can hold
up our head as a nation.

Frankly, I had appreciated the pause we had
taken at "losing" the Vietnam War. I had been
under the illusion that we had learned some
valuable lessons in that sorry period of American
history — not only that our country is vulnerable
to military defeat, but that war has no place as a
remedy for international misunderstanding.

48 Messenger May 1991

And I am horrified by the perceptions I
mentioned in paragraph three.

I can scarcely believe how completely this
country has succumbed to its darker self, when
egged on by a president who resorts to war on a
whim and whips up support by calling for the
worst form of "patriotism" and the glorification
of war and who offers the most transparent justi-
fication for his action. I am alarmed as never
before at how dangerous television is. Its influ-
ence in creating the conditions I am talking about
makes it hard for me to keep in mind the redeem-
ing qualities of this medium of communication.

Where is the mind of the American people?
How can we so blindly ignore the hypocrisy of
what we have done? How can we be sucked in by
such patriotic hogwash that would have shamed
even the Crusaders? What kind of mentality does
it take to believe that some puffed-up general is
presidential timber? Where have the Christians of
this country mislaid their New Testaments? How
can we rejoice like Viking barbarians returning
from a raid? Where is our sackcloth and ashes? If
we stop to think of the domestic problems here in
the United States begging for resolution and
reckon what the money spent on one day of the
war could have done for that resolving of the
problems of poverty, ignorance, racism, drugs,
crime, and so on, how can we avoid horror,
shame, and remorse?

There. I have laid out my frustration for
display. Weeping Jeremiah has said his piece.
Those I condemn by my questions naturally will
be more gleeful than before, to read of my
discomfort. But, for the moment, it is my reaction
and response to this shameful adventure of the
American military so fully supported by the
civilian population back home.

Ye,

Let, in all my agony and despair, I do not
abandon hope. History lessons take time to sink
in. We may yet come to our senses and — down
the road — take a more sober look at what we
allowed ourselves to do in our drunken revelry,
our light-hearted attempt to amuse ourselves by
playing the deadly game of reenacting World
War II.

But, in the meantime, I hurt as a Christian.
God forgive the collective guilt I share.— K.T.

O To Christian Ministry

O To Congregational Leadership

O To Peacemaking and Service

O To Provide Financial Support

O To Study Scripture

O To Encourage Others

O To Upbuild the Church of the Brethren

Dear Friends,

Recently I completed my 46tli year in
the ministry. Seven were spent in for-
mal preparation, seven in pastoral
ministry and 32 at Bethany Seminary.
While 1 had no idea what was in the
future when I accepted the call of the
church, it has been a constant challenge.
Intense study was only the beginning.
The years in a local parish put those
ideas to work. Then the call to an even
wider ministry expanded my parish to
the whole denomination. What a
privilege!

The church needs leadership today. If you want a rewarding
experience, listen for Christ's call and pray for the wisdom and
strength to respond to that call.

In God*s Love,

Bethany Theological Seminary

MEYERS AND BUTTERFIELD ROADS
OAKBROOK, ILLINOIS 60521

708/620-2200

E. Floyd McDowell

Director of Development

Bethany Theological Seminary

ANNUAL
CONFERENCE

JULY 2-7
1991

PORTLAND, OREGON

^ssarvis^

m\ghi

jav6

Ken
oedema

performer

♦ Opening

Worship

Service:

Tuesday, July 2

7:00 p.m.

♦ Closing

Service:

Sunday, July 7

The site of the 1991 Annual Conference
is the NEW Oregon Convention Center.

Portland, known as the Cit{; of Roses, has
the ambience of a large cit\j and the
friendly atmosphere of a small town. The
beautiful Northwest country; with its
rivers, mountains, and ocean views
provide a refreshing vacation
opportunity;.

Bring the family . . . attend the Annual
Conference and visit the Oregon and
Washington scenic and historical sites all
in one trip!

Participate in the Conference programs:
worship services, business sessions,
children and youth activities, area field
trips, musical and drama programs. Special
concert on Saturday
night by Ken

-^i^^

Medema, christian
composer and performer.

ORDER INFORMATION PACKET FROM ANNUAL CONFERENCE OFFICE

Singled out

Singles in the cliurcli

Rosalita Leonard

When a newcomer to your staff comes directly from employ-
ment with the WCTU, residual stereotypes lead you to expect a
humorless person of dour mien, like the ladies in artist Grant
Wood's painting "Daughters of the American Revolution."
Boy, but we got fooled by Rosalita Leonard, who wrote this
month's cover story on singles in the Church
of the Brethren.

Soon after Rosalita came to the General
Offices as a library technician in the Brethren
Historical Library and Archives, she established
her reputation as our unofficial humorist-in-
residence. For a time she published an "under-
ground" staff newsletter that kept us in stitches
(so long as we were not among the staff mem-
bers who got skewered by its gossip items).
Rosalita has become a regular performer at the
Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren's
coffee house evenings, her witty monologs being
the biggest hit of her repertoire.
Rosalita is capable of adding a flavorful but
healthy dash of humor in places where we soberer sorts would
least expect it. Who but Rosalita, in a report on Annual Confer-
ence, would think to present the Conference Booklet's Robert's
Rules of Order instructions in the guise of a Gregorian chant,
done by a choral group at the back of our office chapel?

As you read "Singled Out" (page 10), you will see evidence
of Rosalita's humor as she describes her own experience as a
Brethren single and chides plurals (with good humor) for their
shortcomings in relating to the singles in their midst.

June 1J

ajjL^i4i^c^^ uA^^

Editor

Kermon Thomasson

Managing editor

Wendy Chamberlain McFadden

Editorial assistants

Cheryl Cayford, Karia Boyers

Production, Advertising

Sue Radcliff

Subscriptions

Norma Nieto. Martha Cupp

Promotion

Kenneth L, Gibble

Publisher

Dale E. Minnich

District Messenger representatives:

Atlantic Northeast. Ron Lutz; Atlantic
Southeast. Ruby Raymer: lllinoisAViscon
Fletcher Farrar Jr.; Northern Indiana. Lee
Holderread; South/Central Indiana, Lois
Michigan. Marie Willoughby; Mid-Atlani
Ann Fonts; Missouri. Mary Greim; Mis^
souri/Southem Arkansas. Mary McGowa
Northern Plains. Pauline Flory: Northern
Ohio, Sherry Sampson; Southern Ohio.
Shirley Petry; OregonAVashington.
Marguerite Shamberger; Pacific Southwe
Randy Miller; Middle Pennsylvania, Pegj
Over; Southern Pennsylvania, Elmer Q.
Gleim; Western Pennsylvania. Jay Christi
Shenandoah. Jerr>' Brunk; Virlina. Mike
Gilmore; Western Plains, Dean Hummer;
West Marva. Winoma Spurgeon.

COMING NEXT MONTH: A salute to the Association for
the Arts in the Church of the Brethren (AACB) and a look
at the peace studies programs at Juniata College and
Manchester College.

Messenger is the official publication of
Church of the Brethren. Entered as secom
class matter Aug. 20, 1918, under Act of
Concres'

of Oct. 17, 1917. Filing date, Ni
1. 1984. Messenger is a
^ member of the Associated

Church Press and a subscribe
to Religious News Service ar
Ecumenical Press Service.
Biblical quotations, unless
otherwise indicated, are from the New
Revised Standard Version.

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you move, clip address label and send wit
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at least five weeks for address change.

Messenger is owned and published 1 1
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mission. Church of the Brethren General
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1 99 1 . Copyright 1 99 1 . Church of the
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n Touch 2

"lose to Home

*Iews 6

.Vorldwide 9

Stepping Stones

^lixed Reviews

.etters 26

^ntius' Puddle

Turning Points

Editorial 36

>edits:

rover, 1: Bakstad Photographies
nside front cover, 4 right: Kermon

Thomasson
'. right: Peter Michael
i left: Stuart Leask
jl right (art): Becky Bowman
;) right, 2 1 : George Keeler
y. Cheryl Cayford
i top, left: Phil Smith
i top, right: Olan Mills
h Religious News Service/Reuters
16: Skjold Photographies
19-20: University of La Verne