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From time to time, readers send me little curiosities from
Messenger's past. Sometimes it is an issue of The Gospel
Messenger from the 1880s. Sometimes it is an obituary or other
item from an early issue, which someone clipped and tucked
away in a family Bible. Sometimes it is a handwritten note from
the pen of one of my long-gone predecessors.
For several years now. I have had this receipt that
was sent to me by
John Bollinger of
Grabill. Ind. The
subscriber named on
the receipt was
Charles Shiffler.
According to brother
Bollinger, Charles
Shiffler was a member
of a pioneer family of
Naperville, 111. He also
was the grandfather of
John Bollinger's wife. The Shifflers, Erbs, Frys, and others were
among the founders of Naperville congregation (see May 1993,
page 5).
But what really attracted my attention was the amount of
money listed on the receipt. For $1.50, Charles Shiffler received
The Gospel Messenger for one year.
Think for a moment. Nowadays, everything you buy makes a
big jump in price from one year to the next. What you buy for
$10 today likely will cost $15 by this time next year. So it's
rather remarkable that a year of Messenger has risen in cost only
from $1.50 to $12.50 . . . in a century!
Readers back in Grover Cleveland's time. Brethren in Bill
Clinton's time, receiving their denominational publication and
finding out what the Brethren are doing . . . and for such a
bargain. We are pleased that we can continue to offer that
bargain. Our New Year's wish, however, is that more Brethren
would take advantage of that bargain.
Do you know someone who is not taking Messenger? Give a
little encouragement to subscribe. Or subscribe for that person.
The magazine that sold for $1.50 a year in 1893 is still "must
reading" for every Brethren, at $12.50 a year, in 1994.
COMING NEXT MONTH: A look ahead to the 1994
Annual Conference, with a preview highlighted by a profile
of moderator Earl K. Ziegler.
Editor
Kermon Thomasson
Managing Editor
EhcB. Bishop
Editorial Assistants
Paula Sokody. Margaret Woolgrove
Production, Advertising
Paul Stocksdale
Subscriptions
Norma Nieto
Promotion
Kenneth L, Gibble
Publisher
Dale E. Minnich
District Messenger representatives:
Atlantic Northeast. Ron Luiz; Atlantic
Southeast. Ruby Raymer; IllinoisAVisci
Gail Clark; Northern Indiana. Leona
Holderread; South/Central Indiana, Mai
Miller; Michigan. Marie Willoughby;
Mid-Atlantic. Ann Fouts; Missouri/ Ark
Mary McGowan; Northern Plains, Faitt
Strom; Northern Ohio. Sherry Sampson
Southern Ohio, Shirley Petry; Oregon/
Washington. Marguerite Shamberger;
Pacific Southwest, Randy Miller; Middle
Pennsylvania. Ruth Fisher; Southern
Pennsylvania, ElmerQ. Gleim; Wester
Pennsylvania, Jay Christner; Shenando;
Jerry Brunk; Southern Plains. Esther St^|
Virlina. David & Hettie Webster; Wesi i
Plains, Dean Hummer; West Marva.
Winoma Spurgeon.
Messenger is the oJTicial publication o( (
Church of the Brethren. Entered as sect I
class matter Aug. 20. 191 8. under Act c
Congress of Oct. 17. 1917. Filing date.
1 , 1 984. Messenger is a m 1
of the Associated Church 1
and a subscriber to Religic
News Service and Ecumer \
Press Service. Biblical
quotations, unless otherwi
indicated, are from the New Revised
Standard Version.
Subscription rates: $12.50 individu
rate, $ 1 0.50church group plan. $ 10.50 t
subscriptions. Student rate 75C an issu f
you move, clip address label and send I
new address to Messenger Subscriptio
1451 DundeeAve. , Elgin, IL 60120.A \
at least five weeks for address change.
Messenger is owned and published
limes a year by the Genera! Services C i-
mission. Church of the Brethren Genei
Board. Second-class postage paid at El .
III., and at additional mailing office, Ja «
1 994. Copyright 1 994, Church ofthe
Brethren General Board. ISSN0026-0:
POSTMASTER: Sendaddresschai !
Messenger, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin.
60120.
1^
Chicago First and Goshen City:
A day camp deals with diversity 1 1
A conversation in 1988 has led to the development of a joint day
camp between a city church and a rural church. Karen B. Kurtz
describes the ongoing benefits that accrue when Brethren of
different cultural backgrounds explore and celebrate their diversity.
Chicago Brethren captured the dream 14
Margaret Woolgrove tells how Chicago First Church of the
Brethren is capturing Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream and how it
propels their witness against apartheid in South Africa.
n Touch 2
Zlose to Home 4
jiJews 6
Vorldwide 10
'oetry 1 5
tepping Stones 20
'lixed Reviews 23
I rom the
General Secretary
'ontius' Puddle 27
i -etters 30
urning Points 3 1
ditorial 32
25
Dry Run: A river runs through it 16
The creek in Dry Run, Pa., has its ups and downs with full banks in
the spring and a slow trickle in the summer. Don Fitzkee tells how
Dry Run Church of the Brethren, like the creek, has gone from near
death to revitalization.
A summer on the mountain top 1 8
Jeff Carter describes what happened to him when he set out on a
tour of Brethren camps to spread the light of peace.
Meat loaf evangelism: What's your recipe? 21
Frank Ramirez says that sometimes we approach evangelism the
way we approach meat loaf: We want it only the way we grew up
with it.
Healing faith 24
The distinction between sick-making faith (faith healing) and
healthy-minded faith (healing faith) is described by Richard J.
Landrum.
jl redits:
9 )ver: Grant Heilman
■i 11-12: Mark A. Kurtz
" Janet Tubbs
. op: art by John Gelsavage
^ ight: Wendy McFadden
4 eft: Irene ShuU-Reynolds
;« eft, 24: Religious News Service
<S leddSchrock
: Church World Service
jj left, 15 left: Joan Gerig
j( right, 1 5 right: Margaret Woolgrove
H. Armstrong Roberts
David Radcliff
Marqitita Jones of
Chicago (III. I First
Church of the Brethren
playfully shows the
photographer her "dean
hands " as she pauses
during a crafts project at
an innovative day camp.
Turn to page 1 1 for the
stor/.
January 1994 Messenger 1
Taking the plunge
River wading probably
wasn't on John Tubbs'
resume before last summer,
but after three months on a
pastoral exchange in Nigeria,
study, and doing house-to-
house and hospital visits.
Janet participated in the
Garkida women's fellowship
and helped John in his
duties.
John found the Nigerians
A highlight for John
Tubbs during his
Nigeria stay was
assisting Garkida
pastor Abraham Wuta
Tizhe in baptizing
new converts in the
Hawal river. John is
pastor of Rocky Ford
(Colo.) Church of the
Brethren.
"In Touch " profiles Brethren we
would like you to meet. Send
story ideas and photos (black
and white, if possible) to ' In
7"o«f/i. " Messenger. 1451
Dundee Ave.. Elgin. IL 60120.
it most certainly could be. No
baptistries necessary; just
come on down to the water's
edge and step right in.
John, accompanied by his
wife. Janet, was the first US
Church of the Brethren
pastor to visit the Church of
the Brethren in Nigeria (Ek-
klesiyar i'anuwa a Nigeria —
EYN) in the pastoral
exchange program, which
already has brought two
Nigerian pastors to the States.
The exchange was more of
a pastoral intervisitation than
a pastoring stint in one
congregation. In the course
of the Tubbs' three-month
stay in Nigeria, they visited
25 EYN churches.
John took on many
pastoral duties while in
Garkida, including leading
prayer meetings and Bible
very gracious hosts, and
described his assisting a
pastor with a baptismal
service at Ghung as "a
privilege."
Another high point of his
experience was preaching at
the dedication of a church
building for a congregation
that had been started as a
"preaching point" by Stover
Kulpin 1961.
John's participation in this
service gave him the sense of
having a tie with one of the
pioneer Brethren missionar-
ies of EYN's history.
The real purpose of the
pastoral exchange program,
as John sees it, is "building
relationships between the US
church and the Nigerian
church (and of) going and
being among the people."
— Margaret Woolgrove
Seat of learning
You can't beat "hands-on"
learning, so when Janice
Shaw-Morgan was teaching
her fifth-graders about self-
sufficiency in colonial
America, she set each of
them to making a chair.
The children quickly
gained an appreciation of the
colonists making do with
what they had. "Back then,"
said one pupil, "they had no
table saws. And it's not easy
to cut wood without one."
The children designed
their own chairs, first
building a cardboard scale
model. Janice supplied most
of the wood, and parents
helped out in class.
The finished products,
ranging from three-legged
stools to arm chairs, showed
a high degree of creativity.
Explained Janice, "We took
the viewpoint of furniture as
art, so the kids could try
anything they wanted to."
Janice, a member of San
Diego (Calif.) Church of the
Brethren, felt her goal was
met, and some of her pupils
were so pleased with their
work that they decided to use
their new chairs. Rachel
Aquino, who decorated her
high-back chair with
strawberry-patterned seat
cushions, said, "I'm going to
sit on mine the rest of the
year."
Janice's pupils planned to
try soap-making next.
Clearly the pioneer spirit is
alive and well in California.
2 Messenger Januan' 1994
Margaret and Stanley Nowak
You had to be there
Two Who Were There
(Wayne State University
Press, 1989) is the biography
of a man not only deeply
convicted of his beliefs, but
also convicted for them. "He
. . . may not have much in
his feet, but he certainly has
a lot in his head" is how
Margaret Collingwood
(Nowak) described the man
who was soon to become her
husband, after their first
dance together in 1931.
That "horrible dancer" was
Stanley Nowak, a Polish
immigrant who worked
unflinchingly in the 1930s
and '40s as a labor organizer
and later as a 10-year
member of the Michigan
state senate. Stanley's
association with the Ameri-
can Committee for the
Protection of the Foreign
Bom, and other supposedly
"subversive" organizations
led to denaturalization and
deportation proceedings
being filed against him in the
heyday of McCarthyism and
the Walters-McCarren Act.
These proceedings were not
revoked until 1958, when a
US Supreme Court decision
finally cleared the charges.
Margaret, the author of the
book that documents this
struggle, and a member of
the Church of the Brethren
all her life, tells how in the
1930s she became sure that
God was directing her "into a
new pathway of service in
keeping with . . . Brethren
traditions."
She went through a period
of disenchantment with the
church in the 1930s, believ-
ing that ". . . instead of
seeking God in the ceremo-
nies and rituals of the
church, one would find what
we call God in a dynamic
way in the struggle for
human needs and human
dignity, which . . . was the
truest form of worship."
Margaret came back to the
church in the 1940s when
she saw the acts of service
that the Church of the
Brethren was doing all over
the world during and after
the war, and she has been an
active member ever since.
She and Stanley still
attend Trinity Church of
the Brethren in Detroit,
Mich., when their health
permits.
Margaret is now 85 years
old and Stanley is 90. And
although Stanley's dancing
may not have improved, one
suspects that it matters less
these days. — Margaret
WOOLGROVE
Names in the news
Mildred ("Millie")
Eisemann, a member of
Ephrata (Pa.) Church of the
Brethren, has received the
Harry C. Robinson Sr.
Humanitarian Award from
the Lancaster County Human
Relations Council. Among
her many community
services, she has worked in
Brethren Disaster Relief and
Cooperative Disaster Child
Care.
• Wilfred E. Nolen, a
member of Highland Avenue
Church of the Brethren, in
Elgin, 111., has received an
Wilfred E. Nolen
Outstanding Service Award
from Bridgewater College. In
recognizing him, the college
noted his work as executive
secretary of Brethren Benefit
Trust, which oversees the
denomination's pension
plan, and the Brethren
Medical Plan, a self-insur-
ance program.
• Aldene Ecker, a member
of Highland Avenue Church
of the Brethren, in Elgin, 111.,
was presented with the 1993
Maurine Withers Award for
a lifetime of achievement in
the mental Health Field. The
award came from the Elgin-
based Ecker Center for
Mental Health, which the
award recipient founded. He
is retired now, and lives in
Fairfield, Tenn., where he
continues to promote mental
wellness.
• Ron Cox, of Kiawah
Island, S.C, retired from a
career in computer systems,
had an exhibit of his wood
art and crafts creations at
Bridgewater College, the
first half of December. The
late-blooming artist has won
several awards for his work
at South Carolina art shows.
• Galen Young, a member
of Drexel Hill Church of the
Brethren, in Philadelphia,
Pa., has received a Distin-
guished Service certificate
from the American Osteo-
pathic Association, in
recognition of his outstand-
ing service to the profession.
• Cecil Fike, a member of
Faithful Servant Fellowship,
in Atlanta, Ga., and director
of pastoral care at Kenniston
Hospital, in Atlanta, has
been honored as Chaplain of
the Year by the Georgia
Society of Hospital Chap-
lains.
• Kathy Harkins, admin-
istrator of The Palms of
Sebring (Fla.) retirement
home, has been named
Administrator of the Year by
the Florida Dietary Managers
Association.
Remembered
Von Hall, 64, died October
25, in Ames, Iowa. He
served as an agricultural
missionary in Nigeria (1957-
1975) and in Niger (1975-
1976).
January 1994 Messenger 3
Behind the red door
"Come to the white church
with the red door" is the
invitation issued by Stafford
Frederick, pastor of the 49-
member Olathe (Kan.)
Church of the Brethren (see
February 1990, page 3).
Olathe Church of the
It's easy to give
directions for finding
the Church of the
Brethren in Olathe,
Kan. Just tell the
seeker to look for the
church with the
bright red door.
"Close to Home" highlights
nevvs of congregations, districts,
colleges, homes, and other local and
regional life. Send story ideas and
photos fbluck cmd while, if possible)
to ' 'Close to Home. ' ' Messenger,
145 J Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.
Brethren, at the corner of
Elm and Pine, is the only
church in town with a red
red door. It even may be the
only Church of the Brethren
meetinghouse in the denomi-
nation that has a red door.
The frame church was
constructed as a rectangular
building in 1893. For 40
years, entry was made
through two doors on the
Pine Street side. Women
entered through one door and
men through the other. The
sexes were separated inside
as well.
This Brethren tradition,
along with prayer coverings,
lined hymns, and a meal
with old-time recipes, was
observed October 2-3 during
the congregation's centennial
celebration. A woman who
arrived late for the Sunday
service on October 3 un-
knowingly came in through
the men's door and would
have sat in the wrong
section, but the brothers
pointed out the error to her.
In 1954, a vestibule with
two large windows and an
exterior cross was added to
the building, on the Elm
Street side. The old double
doors that had
segregated the sexes
were eliminated, and
a single entrance was
created on the Pine
Street side of the
vestibule.
That door and the
outside cross were
painted brown until
25 years ago, when
then pastor Truman
Reinoehl repainted
them. "After the first
stroke of the brush, I
realized that the color
was more red than I
had expected," recalls
Truman. "But I already had
the paint, so I finished the
door and then painted the
cross."
People liked the effect, so
the door and cross have
remained bright red ever
since. "I can be feeling like
Grumpy the dwarf (from the
movie "Snow White"), but
the sight of that door gives
me a spiritual uplift," says
Lois Williford, a long-time
Olathe member.
In preparation for the
centennial, the church was
repainted white, and a fresh
coat of bright red enamel was
put on the door and cross.
One former member re-
sponded to his invitation to
the celebration by asking, "Is
the door still red?"
Entering its second
century, Olathe is consider-
ing building an addition to
its 100-person-capacity
sanctuary or relocating to
another church building. But
whatever decision it makes,
one thing is understood: The
trademark red door stays
red. — Irene Shull-Reynolds
Irene Shull-Reynolds is a free-
lance writer from Lawrence, Kan.
Companeros en Cristo
Shenandoah Distict has
begun a new global mission
project, "Compafieros en
Cristo" ("Partners in
Christ").
The project has three parts,
the first of which is "Partners
with Puerto Rico." The
district already has begun
giving financial support for
the associate district execu-
tive for the Puerto Rico area
of Atlantic Southeast
District. Visits between
Shenandoah District and
Puerto Rico have begun. In
Shenandoah gives financial
support for Puerto Rico
executive Pedro Brull.
the second part of the new
outreach ("Project Global
Village"), David and Adela
See (members of the fall
1993 Brethren Volunteer
4 Messenger January 1 994
Service unit) are working for
two years in Honduras. The
district provides $12,000 to
support the Sees.
The third part of the
project places emphasis on a
Hispanic ministry in
Shenandoah District, with
there likely being a ministry
begun in the Harrisonburg,
Va., area.
Compafieros en Cristo is
part of Shenandoah District's
Vision for the "90s cam-
paign.
Campus comments
The University of La
Verne's 1993-1994 under-
graduate enrollment
of 1 ,066 on the main campus
is the highest in the school's
102-year history. ULV's total
enrollment is 5,300.
• The world-renowned
AIDS Quilt, an enormous
creation of 1 ,920 panels
sewn together in groups of
eight to create 12-foot
squares, is tentatively
scheduled for display at
Elizabethtown College in
March. The quilt, first
displayed in Washington,
D.C., will feature in an AIDS
Awareness Week at the
college.
• Bridgewater College, at
its October 23 homecoming.
Pleasant Dale Church
of the Brethren, near
Fincastle, Va.,
dedicated a "Peace
Pole" on Peace
Sunday, October 24.
The pole was a gift
from Kermon Carter,
a son of pastor Karen
S. Carter. A guest
speaker was Jeremy
Rhoades (at center, in
white coat), president
of Virlina District
Youth Cabinet.
showcased the publication of
the college's centennial
history, Bridgewater Col-
lege: The First Hundred
Years. 1880-1980. The
history was written by
Francis F. Wayland, a 1930
graduate of the college.
• The University of La
Verne has one of the most
ethnically diverse student
bodies in the nation. The
percentage of minority
students in ULV's under-
graduate program is twice
the average in other colleges
and universities in Califor-
nia, and three times the
national average in higher
education.
• McPherson College
students participated in a
"hunger banquet" November
16, sponsored by the school's
Peace Awareness group. By
random drawing, the
participants were served
meals that represented
different levels of income
around the world, from rich
to poor. Proceeds from the
"banquet" and from students
fasting November 16-17
went to Oxfam America, an
agency that funds self-help
development and disaster
relief in Africa, Asia, the
Americas, and the Carib-
bean. These fundraisers were
part of a larger observance of
events designed to raise
social consciousness about
hunger and the homeless (see
next item).
• Several McPherson
College students took an
"urban plunge" November
20-2 1 , immersing themselves
for 48 hours in the life of
homeless people in Wichita,
Kan. The students dressed in
old clothes, panhandled, ate
out of dumpsters, slept
outside, and talked with
homeless people in order to
experience what it is like to
be without a home.
Let's celebrate
Commission executive Joan
Deeter as guest speaker.
Everett (Pa.) Church of the
• Eden (N.C.) Church of
Brethren celebrated its 100th
the Brethren dedicated its
anniversary November 7,
new education wing October
with former pastor Earl
17. Its present building was
Hostetter as guest speaker.
dedicated in 1949.
• Roanoke (Va.) First
• Oak Grove Church of
Church of the Brethren
the Brethren, Roanoke, Va.,
completed its series of
marked its 85th anniversary
centennial celebrations
October 10 with an "old-
October 16, with former
fashioned Sunday" celebra-
pastor Earl Mitchell as guest
tion. Former pastor
speaker.
Lawrence Rice was the guest
• Poages Mill Church of
speaker.
the Brethren, Roanoke, Va.,
• Olathe (Kan.) Church of
dedicated its renovated
the Brethren celebrated its
sanctuary October 3.
"100-year-plus" anniverary
• Williamson Road
October 2-3.
Church of the Brethren,
• Drexel Hill Church of
Roanoke, Va., celebrated its
the Brethren, Philadelphia,
45th anniversary October 10-
Pa., recently celebrated its
13, with World Ministries
40th anniversary.
January 1994 Messenger 5
i
Because the news pages include news from various
Church of the Brethren organizations and move-
ments, the activities reported on may represent a
variety of viewpoints. These pages also report on
other natioani and international news relevant to
Brethren. Information in news articles does not
necessarily represent the opinions of Messenger or
the Church of the Brethren.
'Jubilee: God's Good News'
introduction, training planned
Jubilee: God's Good News, a new
children's curriculum, will be available
to congregations in September 1994
from Brethren Press. In preparation,
introduction and teacher training events
have been scheduled.
A training event for 50 people
from across the denomina-
tion will be held at the
General Offices in Elgin,
111., next month. These leaders
will train Sunday school teachers
throughout the denomination in
over 80 training sessions held from
February through August. During
the workshops, the leaders will
explain the material and how to
teach it effectively to the children.
The Jubilee curriculum is designed
for children age 2 through grade 8.
Although it is Sunday school mate-
rial, it is also designed to help
parents, teachers, and congregations.
Along with the Church of the Breth-
ren, other denominations participating
in Jubilee include Brethren in Christ,
Mennonite Brethren Church, General
Conference Mennonite Church, Menno-
nite Church, and Friends United
Meeting.
Jubilee promotion includes advertise-
ments in Messenger, and in the publica-
tions of the other sponsoring denomina-
tions.
Jubilee will be available to congrega-
tions in September. September 25 is
declared Jubilee Celebration Sunday.
The training workshops are scheduled
in all of the districts: Atlantic Northeast,
April 30, May 19, June 5; Atlantic
Southeast, March 19, April 30, May 14;
Idaho (including western Montana),
April 23, 24; Illinois and Wisconsin,
April 30, May 14; Northern Indiana,
April 19, May 12, 24; South/Central
Indiana, April 16, 24, May 7; Michigan,
February 26, March 12; Mid- Atlantic,
March 5, 12, April 16, 23; Missouri/
Arkansas, May 21, 22; Northern Plains,
February 19, 26, March 12, April 30;
Northern Ohio, March 5, 26, April 16,
May 14; Southern Ohio, February 26,
27; Oregon and Washington, April 30,
May 1, 21, 22; Pacific Southwest, Feb.
25, 26, March 12, May 13, 14; Middle
Pennsylvania, May 12, 19; Southern
Pennsylvania, March 19, 26, April 30,
June 4; Western Pennsylvania, May 14;
Shenandoah, March 5, 12, 19; South-
eastern, February 27, March 13, April
23, 30, May 21; Southern Plains, April
30, May 1 ; Virlina, March 6, 20, April
24, 30, May 1,15, 22; Western Plains,
March 12, 26, April 16, 24, 30, June 11
18, August 12; West Marva, May 15.
Calendar
Cooperative Disaster Child Care Workshops:
January 2 1 -22, First Presbyterian Church,
Miami, Okla. [For information call Alice
McDowell, (918) 542-3388]; February 25-26,
Rochester, N.Y.[FurtherdetailsfromCDCC,
(410) 635-8734]; March 1 1-12, Lanark, III.
[For information call Marian Patterson; (815)
225-7279].
Church of the Brethren Association of
Christian Educators conference. Camp Bethel,
Fincastle, Va., April 15-17. [Contact Doris
Quarles, P.O. Box 56, Daleville. VA 24083;
(703) 992-2465].
Health Tour of Russia, April 25-May 1 1 [con-
tact Association of Brethren Caregivers, 1 45 1
Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; (800) 323-
8039]. I
I
National Work Camps. Rio Piedras, P.R.,
June 4-12 (young adult); Cherokee, N.C., June
20-26 (senior high/youth); Indianapolis, Ind..
July 6-10 (junior high); Harrisburg, Pa., Aug. :
3-7 (junior high); Dominican Republic, Aug. 4- 1
1 7 (BRF: senior high/youth); New Windsor,
Md., Aug.8- 1 2 (junior high); Tidewater, Va.,
Aug. 17-21 (junior high). [For more informa-
tion and registration forms, contact Wendi
Hutchinson, 1 994 Workcamp Coordinator, I
1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120]. ;
Church Visit to Brazil: South and North Meet i
a "Tunker" Way, July 10-28, sponsored by
Latin America/Carribean Office. [Further
details from Latin America/Carribean Office,
Church of the Brethren General Office, 145 1
Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; (800) 323-
8039].
6 Messenger January 1994
1992 attendance for worship,
church school show increase
An analysis of statistics by congrega-
tions for 1992 showed major gains in
average worship attendance and
average church school attendance in
the Church of the Brethren.
Total membership had a minor
decline for the year.
The compilation of reports of
congregations by Olden Mitchell, a
consultant for the Evangelism office,
shows a net decrease of 1 20 mem-
bers — the smallest decline in about 25
years. Eleven of the 23 districts had net
increases in membership for 1992.
Virlina had the largest gain, with 384
members. Shenadoah had a net gain of
205 members, and Middle Pennsylvania
had 140.
Southern Pennsylvania had the highest
net loss, with 241 members and Mid-
Atlantic had the next highest with 134.
According to the study, the average
worship attendance increased in 16
districts and as a whole grew by nearly
2,400. Only six of the districts saw a
decline in the average church school
attendance, and the average was up
nearly 1,400.
In his remarks, Mitchell said "Many
Brethren are not aware of how many
small churches, and small districts, we
have. It's something to think about when
we're planning curriculums."
The report shows that 26. 2 percent of
Brethren congregations have 25 or less
in Sunday school classes on an average
Sunday, and 14.4 percent of the
congregations average 25 or less in
Sunday worship services.
The report also observed that "10
congregations had net gains in 1992 of
at least 15 in both worship and church
school; 20 more churches had a gain of
at least 15 in worship attendance, and
six others had a gain of at least 15 in
church school attendance."
It also noted that 45 congregations
had a decrease in worship and/or
Sunday school.
Mount Lebanon Fellowship, in
Barboursville, Va., had the largest gain
in membership, with 170, and
Meyersdale (Pa.) showed the greatest
net loss with 213.
ICC General Board approves
fiedia violence paper
'he National Council of Churches
^CC) General Board during its meet-
igs in November in Baltimore, Md.,
pproved a media violence paper by a
ote of 145-0-0. The statement, "Vio-
;nce in Electronic Media and Film," is
n update from the original statement
dopted in 1986.
The paper states that no single
ause is responsible for media violence,
ut that "all of us share the blame."
'he policy also states that all parties
must recognize their responsibility"
nd be committed to control media
iolence.
In adopting the media violence paper,
le originating body of the Education,
'ommunication, and Discipleship Unit
lans to increase its communications
/ith such bodies as the Motion Picture
association of America, the National
association of Theatre Owners, and the
Vhite House, as well as other govem-
lent agencies.
While the statement hopes to control
ledia violence, it respects the First
amendment. "We commit ourselves to
i'ork through government and with
industry to find ways to respect free
expression while abhorring and selec-
tively limiting media violence, the moral
equivalent of a harmful substance."
The Church of the Brethren Communi-
cations Team is offering a resource
packet on media violence. The resources
include Annual Conference statements
and queries regarding violence and the
media, the revised NCC paper, updates
on Brethren activity concerning the
issue, and an issue of Media & Values on
media violence. The packet costs $5 and
is available through the communications
department.
District, General Board, EYN
announce staff changes
Richard M. Hanley begins serving
April 1 as district executive for Western
Plains District. Hanley is currently
serving as executive of West Marva
District. Hanley has previously served
as pastor for the Myersdale and Mon-
roeville congregations in Western
Pennsylvania District. He will take over
this position from Kent Naylor, who is
serving as the interim executive.
Orlando Redekopp begins a two-year
assignment on January 2 as the half-time
director of the Urban Ministry program
with Parish Ministries Commission.
Redekopp, who will continue his
pastorate at Chicago (111.) First Church
of the Brethren on a half-time basis,
comes to this position with experience
both overseas and in underprivileged
parts of the United States. Redekopp
makes his home in Chicago, with his
wife, Joan Gerig, and their daughter,
Tasara.
Joe Schmid began work as an agricul-
tural consultant for the Nigerian church,
Ekklesiyar Yanuwa Nigeria (EYN), in
late October last year. Schmid is from
New Plymouth, Idaho, where he and his
wife, Ilo, operate a multi-family farm.
The Schmids have previously worked
overseas in Tanzania, Guatemala, and
Yemen.
Richard M. Hanley Orlando Redekopp
January 1994 Messenger?
Program of accompaniment
initiated in southern Sudan
Later this month the first group of
persons in the Sudan Accompaniment
Program will begin the initial phase of
training in preparation for a period of
service in Sudan.
The Church of the Brethren is
recruiting persons to work in war-torn
southern Sudan in a new peace minis-
try. This initiative is part of a larger
program in Sudan that includes
strengthening the churches and pro-
viding relief and development assis-
tance to individuals and communities
in southern Sudan. "In relation to our
peace heritage, this program is a logi-
cal next step, which builds on our his-
toric rejection of war and efforts at hu-
manitarian relief," said David Radcliff,
director of denominational peace wit-
ness. The initiative, which is being
jointly coordinated by Radcliff and
Mervin Keeney, representative for Africa
and the Middle East, comes in response
to a call from the New Sudan Council of
Churches (NSCC), and purports to:
1. Be in accompaniment with the
people of southern Sudan in the midst
of a devastating civil war.
2. Provide a visible international
presence in communities.
3. Monitor and report on infractions
of agreements between contending
parties of the conflict.
4. Provide on-site coordination of
relief shipments, English language
lessons, or other services as needed in
the community in which volunteers are
placed.
A commitment of between three
months and one year is being sought
from applicants. The following qualifi-
cations are essential: The ability to live
and work in a different culture; the
ability to deal with conflict construc-
tively; a commitment to Christian non-
violence; good physical health; and
flexibility and adaptability to difficult
circumstances.
Training prior to arrival in Sudan
will include nonviolent responses to
violence and basic mediation; initial
introduction to Sudanese history, cul-
ture and present reality; media skills,
including photography; and working
with groups, including forming support
groups in the face of conflict.
Persons interested in participating,
should contact the office of denomina-
tional peace witness (800) 323-8039.
A Brethren program of accompaniment in southern Sudan will place members
side by side with fellow Sudanese Christians in a proactive peace witness.
Disaster Fund grants issued
to Burundi refugees, Cuba
A grant of $10,000 has been issued by
the Emergency Disaster Fund to assist
Church World Service and the Protestant
Council of Rwanda in the distribution of
medicine, blankets, clothing, food, and
other essentials. More than 200,000
refugees, mainly women, children, and
elderly people have fled from Burundi tc
Rwanda after a military coup overthrew
the country's five-month-old democratic
government on October 20, leaving the
country subject to ethnic fighting. The
refugees, mostly traveling on foot and
without food or possessions, face
starvation or death with the onset of the
rainy season.
A grant of $ 1 2.000 has been allocated
for the provision of medical supplies to
Cuba. The grant was directed toward
requests for medical supplies from the
Cuban Ecumenical Council (via Church
World Service) through the end of 1993,
Flood disaster work in Ottumwa,
Iowa, is scheduled to continue through
April. Over the winter months, volun-
teers are involved mainly in indoor
work. Housing is in Ottumwa Church C|
the Brethren.
I
First Young Adult Travei Team
to visit Brethren congregtions
The Young Adult Travel Team will
begin its first year in the fall of 1994.
The team plans to travel to congrega-
tions from September to mid-December
During its five-day visits with congregc
tions, the team will talk about peace an
Brethren history and culture.
The team was founded by a few
Brethren Volunteer Service workers, ,
three of which are on this year's team.
The team is sponsored by On Earth
Peace, Youth and Young Adult Ministi
Denomination Peace Witness, and the
Brethren Historical Committee.
8 Messenger January 1994
Group announces frustration
with denomination name
At the close of a conference in Minne-
apolis, Minn., in early November, titled
"RE-imagining," 20 women and one
man from the Church of the Brethren
stood before about 2,000 delegates to
tell something of their struggle and
direction regarding the name of the
denomination, and presented what
they called a new name for the
denomination — the "Church of
Reconciliation."
A statement presented at the confer-
ence said in part "This name was
conceived by the Holy Spirit in an
incredible meeting last evening. It
reflects our heritage as one of the
historic peace churches. It speaks of
an ongoing process that is necessary
for justice as well as peace. It
proclaims the vision toward which men
and women have worked in our
denomination since our beginnings in
Germany."
The Re-imagining conference was
designed to celebrate the midpoint of the
World Council of Churches" Decade of
Solidarity with Women. The 1988
Annual Conference voted to support the
WCC movement.
"The group struggled in its desire not
to cause offense and/or alienation," said
Debbie Roberts, coordinator of the
Church of the Brethren program for
women. She made it clear that the
participants were not disassociating
themselves from, or denying their
commitment to, the denomination.
Annual Conference moderator Earl
Ziegler, upon being informed of the
action, observed that the steps taken did
not represent the denomination in any
official capacity, and that it (the action)
departed from the normal procedure of
the query process for initiating business
items. "We encourage members to use
the procedures that are available for
effecting change within the church," he
said.
The group's statement also indicated
that, for 20 years, efforts had been
made to achieve a name change for the
Church of the Brethren that includes
women.
The most recent effort was a request
that had been placed before Standing
Committee in 1992. At the 1993
Annual Conference in Indianapolis, a
subcommittee reported to Standing
Committee a process and timetable for
addressing the matter of a name change
leading up to 2008, the 300th anniver-
sary of the denomination and the 100th
year since the name "Church of the
Brethren" became official.
Standing Committee received the
report, thanked the committee for its
work, and, according to the minutes,
dismissed the committee "with the
knowledge that discussion will con-
tinue."
In its discussion. Standing Commit-
tee struggled with and acknowledged
that the original question had not been
presented through the designated
process.
NCC general board addresses
violence, installs president
^t it's fall meeting, the National Council
of Churches (NCC) general board re-
sponded to media violence, and installed
a new president and president-elect.
! The board passed statements on media
jKiolence (see page 7), and global
communication. The "Global Communi-
';ation for Justice" policy statement is
iesigned to increase the understanding
)f church and secular constituencies
ibout the critical issues of international
':ommunication in today's world, and to
ormulate positions and policies on
ntemational communication from a
rhristian perspective.
Gordon Sommers and Melvin Talbert
vere installed as president and presi-
lent-elect of the NCC, respectively.
Sommers, head of communion of the
Moravian Church in America, will serve
a two-year term as president through
1995. He is the first Moravian to serve in
this NCC post.
Talbert, a United Methodist bishop,
will serve as president-elect through
1995 and as president in 1996-97.
The NCC board also approved a 1994
consolidated planning budget of more
than $49 million; observed the midpoint
of the Ecumenical Decade of the
Churches in Solidarity with Women; and
gave first (preliminary) readings to pol-
icy statements titled "Human Rights: The
Fulfillment of Life in the Social Order,"
and "An Invitation to Evangelism: Jesus
Christ and God's Reign." Member
churches will study the papers and give
feedback prior to next year's meeting.
Church of the Brethren general secre-
tary Donald Miller is a member of the
Executive Coordinating Committee.
Models of hope, inspiration for
rural ministry addressed
A conference on rural ministry led by
Shantilal Bhagat, Church of the Brethren
staff for Eco-Justice and Rural Concerns,
drew 93 participants to discuss models of
rural ministry.
The conference provided models of
hope and inspiration for rural life as well
as community building. Senator Bob
Kerrey (D-Neb.) offered his vision for
rural America in an address.
"This conference provided me with a
better understanding of the demograph-
ics and the social and economic issues
confronting the heartland region," said
Bhagat. "With declining national staffs
as well as increasing needs in rural
areas, collaborative efforts become even
more vital to strengthening rural
ministries."
January 1994 Messenger 9
More than 3,000 Korean Americans have left the Christian
Reformed Church to form a new denomination. The six congregations
have decided to leave the church principally because the denomina-
tion is on the verge of opening the ordained ministry to women, said a
Religious News Service report.
Leonard Hofman, general secretary for the Christian Reformed
Church, acknowledged the congregation's decision to leave, but noted
that 20 congregations composed of mostly Korean Americans have
expressed interest in joining the denomination. These congregations
are located in California, Florida, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, New
York, and the Midwest.
At its synod meeting in June, the Christian Reformed Church
took the first step toward a policy change that would open the
ministry to women. The decision will be finalized by a vote at the
1994 Synod.
An estimated 350,000 Columbians have sought refuge in
Ecuador and Venezuela as a result of violence against civilians as
either a direct action by the government or action sanctioned by it. In
the capital city of Bogota, the Ecumenical Network has provided
transitional shelter, and medical and legal assistance. It has also
helped people leave the country, when necessary.
Within Peru, more than a million people are believed to have been
uprooted, and approximately 10,000 Peruvians have moved to Chile
to escape violence. The war against Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path)
has wiped out many rural towns, forcing the people of the area to flee
to Lima and other cites.
The Network of Fellowship and Solidarity Columbia-Ecuador, a
Church World Service supported initiative, has coordinated efforts
among churches. The network connects people and resources from
Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and beyond.
In a letter to President Clinton, leaders of the National
Council of Churches (NCC) expressed "concern about levels of foreign
aid resources for humanitarian and development assistance for the
world's poor. . . ."
The letter, signed by the heads of 12 denominations, including
Church of the Brethren general secretary Donald Miller, said that the
NCC was "encouraged by signs of commitment within (the Clinton)
administration to reform the Agency for International Development so
that its mission and operations more clearly focus on sustainable
development involving and benefitting the poor." At the same time,
the church leaders warned that major cuts in last year's foreign
humanitarian aid "will undermine seriously any reforms intended to
support self-development of the world's poor" if left unresolved. "We
urge you to take steps to assure adequate funding for development
and humanitarian programs" in the coming fiscal year, the letter
concluded.
According to a recent World Council of Churches
(WCC) report, poverty is a major cause of HIV transmission; women
are especially vulnerable to HIV/AIDS; and "blame, shame, and fear"
are the most common reactions to the disease. The report was the
1 Messenger January 1994
Child refugees from Iran and Afghanistan receive free
primary education from the host government ofAhangaran.
result of a WCC-sponsored research program on AIDS carried out in
communities in Uganda, Tanzania, and Zaire. The report was
discussed in September at an international conference in Uganda that
was attended by 95 health workers and delegates of Christian health
associations, church health care programs, supporting agencies,
regional and national ecumenical bodies, and international organiza-
tions involved in AIDS control. Participants in the conference were
divided on whether condom use or abstinence before marriage and
faithfulness to one partner were the answer to containing the epi-
demic. Data collected by the study indicated that sexual activity
begins early in all three countries, and that women's economic
dependence on and sexual subordination to men makes them
vulnerable to HIV infection.
In a November testimony before the Ways and Means
Committee of the US House of Representatives, a staff executive of
the United Methodist Church's social-action agency called for a $2-a-
pack tax increase on cigarettes.
Calling tobacco "the No. 1 killer" in the United States, Jane Hull
Han/ey declared, 'Tobacco alone kills 419,000 persons in the United
States every year, more than 10 times the number who die from
gunshot wounds."
An assistant secretary of the denomination's Board of Church and
Society, Harvey spoke as co-chaira/oman of the Interreligious
Coalition on Smoking OR Health, a group still in its formative stages.
The coalition is a cooperative effort of 15 religious organizations.
Han/ey accused tobacco interests of targeting the young. She said
90 percent of all new smokers are younger than 20; 50 percent are
younger than 15; and 25 percent are younger than 12.
Using figures compiled under the previous administration, she
said that, of the 3,000 US young people who become regular smokers
each day, "we can expect that 30 will be murdered, 60 will die in traffic
accidents, and 750 will be killed by smoking-related diseases."
The coalition supports the $2-a-pack tax 1o counteract tobacco
advertising aimed at getting children hooked on one of the world's
most addictive drugs," Harvey said.
Chicago First and Goshen City:
A day camp deals with diversity
De.
'enominational, district, and
some congregational leaders
dream and talk about the benefits
that could come from congrega-
tions exchanging visits and
engaging in joint projects.
Often a congregation that is
isolated from contacts with other
parts of the denomination imag-
ines that it is "Brethren " to its
very core, and everything it
practices and all its programs are
what every other congregation is
doing (or is supposed to be doing).
Then, by chance, this smug, self
satisfied congregation hears about
something going .on in another
part of the Brethren world —
something that doesn't fit the
pattern it imagines, in its narrow-
ness, is the true Brethren way —
and it is shocked and outraged.
Those people over there, it
concludes, are way off the mark. If
they don 't or won 't hew to the line,
they are fit only to be drummed out
of the denomination. Everybody
must be like us, or they aren 7
being true Brethren.
So, in their dreaming, the
leaders see congregations getting
to know each other intentionally,
rather than by chance, and
mutually learning that there is
diversity in the ranks, great and
healthy diversity, and no one
congregation represents the essence
of what it is to be Brethren.
With that in mind, read what two
very different Church of the
Brethren congregations are doing
to live out that dream.
by Karen B. Kurtz
It began with a conversation at the 1988
Annual Conference in St. Louis. Lois
Myers, a member of Goshen (Ind.) City
Church of the Brethren, was talking with
Lois Snyder, a member of Chicago (111.)
First Church of the Brethren. Experi-
ences and dreams were tossed back and
forth, and an idea was born. The idea
developed into a joint day camp venture
between the two congregations —
separated physically by only 125 miles,
but separated by seeming light years in
terms of culture and race. Goshen City is
rural and white. Chicago First is an
inner-city church made up mostly of
African Americans. Children ages 8 to
12 would come together in a day camp
experience that celebrated diversity and
enhanced multicultural appreciation and
understanding.
Goshen City's ministers envisioned a
program similar to the "Fresh Air Fund,"
Marcus Fox and Jean Williams, members of Chicago First Church of the Brethren,
provide supervision for children of both congregations in a day camp craft project.
January 1994 Messenger 11
For Lois Myers, chairwoman of Goshen City 's day camp committee, "solving
problems and enjoying successes" are a way of reaching the exchange program 's
goal of developing understanding between people of different cultures.
but with an expanded multicultural and
intergenerational day camp emphasis.
"We were reluctant at first," said
Gloria Williams, minister of outreach
and youth director of Chicago First.
"We wondered how the children would
react — prejudice is still there in the
hearts and minds of many people —
going from an all-black neighborhood to
a white community that no blacks live in.
We worried how the neighbors would
feel."
But Chicago First's witness commis-
sion overcame its hesitancy and unani-
mously endorsed the day camp idea.
During August 1989, 15 children, four
youths, and three adults from Chicago
First attended Goshen City's day camp.
By 1993 the program had swelled to 23
Chicago First children and 23 Goshen
City children, plus numerous junior
leaders who are 13 to 17 years old, and
adults. Most day campers repeat the
program each year.
Goshen City and Chicago First share
the cost of the program.
"As the kids left to return to Chicago
that first year, we knew we wanted to
continue the program," recalls Michelle
Blough, one of the day camp's initial
organizers. "It was our first venture
relating with a sister church, but
Chicago First members felt it was a leap
of faith to bring a busload of energetic
kids down to Goshen. And after learning
to know each person individually that
12 Messenger January 1994
first year, we feel we must continue it."
The day camp committee at Chicago
First operates under the congregation's
witness commission, which has two
members. Goshen City's day camp
committee has eight members and
operates under the nurture commission.
The committee also invites a youth
member to join it.
G
•hicago First children work all year in
the congregation's New Horizons
program to earn the opportunity to go to
Goshen City's day camp, although some
children who are new to New Horizons
get to go just for the cross-cultural
experience. While Chicago First parents
must attend one Sunday worship service
a month, children must attend more
regularly. They work in two community
service projects a month, remain
accountable for their behavior, check in-
with positive report cards from school,
and attend three Sunday school classes a
month.
"The children must be accountable
with their attendance, said Gloria
Williams. "They are eager to participate
in New Horizons, because the church is
our entertainment for both children and
teens after five o'clock."
The dynamic New Horizons clips right
along. Winter and spring evenings bustle
with activity. On Tuesdays parents tutor
children one-to-one in educational
fundamentals. The 40-member New
Horizons children's choir fills Chicago
First church with song on Wednesdays.
The children publish a monthly newslel
ter that is put together on Wednesday
nights and later is distributed in the
community. Thursdays are for youth cli
activities. Both community and church
members teach arts and trades to 60
youths.
"All of our committee members are
strongly interested in developing deepei
understanding between people of other
cultures," says Lois Myers. "They see tl
work of solving problems and enjoying
successes as a way to reach that goal."
"The most rewarding thing for me,"
says Gloria Williams, "is seeing childre
work at their cross-cultural experiences
in a positive way. The children need
experiences being around two cultures.
They need to see that we love people fo:
what they are in the name of the Lord."
There were kinks in the day camp
program to be worked out. "At first, the
parents at Goshen City needed the
confidence to accept the day camp," say
Gloria. "We had to decide which
children would go with us to Goshen. Il
was hard to choose. Some children had
to wait until the second year."
By the end of the first year, Goshen
City's committee was confident and
better organized. For example, Katherii
Longcor, a grandmother with time-teste
family recipes, now organizes the
kitchen staff and provides menus with
appropriate food amounts.
The day camp curriculum contains
subjects such as "Caring for God's
Creation," "Conflict Resolution," and
"Lifestyles of Faithfulness." Activities
vary from year to year.
Two strong components provide
stability in the program. Generally, the
morning schedule follows this order:
After the campers have worship, a Bibli
study follows. Then there is a presenta-
tion or crafts to make and do. Children
also write down thoughts and feelings i
a daily journal.
Goshen City's pastor attends day camp
fevery day. This year pastor John
Tomlonson decorated a cardboard story
^ox, then each evening invited a child to
take it home overnight. At home, the
child put a small surprise inside the box.
Next morning, John told a spur of the
moment Bible story to the group when
^e surprise was revealed.
"Our deacons presented Brethren
traditions of feetwashing and anointing,"
said Michelle Blough. "Afterward, we
held our own anointing and feetwashing
services. Then our pastor anointed each
adult, and we, in turn anointed each
bhild. It was such a powerful experience
that just recalling it gives me goose
bumps."
Lc
ois Myers echoed Michelle's senti-
ments. "As we worked with the elements
of communion, we truly had heaven in
Goshen City classrooms."
Resource people from outside often
nrich the presentations. With the theme
of "Hands and Feet," a chiropractor
showed chicken bones to the campers.
After they observed the intricacies of the
bones, a discussion focused on God's
creation and how people affect it. An
African American postal administrator
led day campers in a discussion about
making wise choices and setting goals,
describing his experiences growing up
black in a white town. A Nigerian
student from Bethany Seminary pre-
sented an overview of the Church of the
Brethren in Nigeria from his cultural
perspective. Other meaningful presenta-
tions have included sessions on Black
history and conflict resolution.
The afternoon component contains
field trips around Elkhart County —
visiting museums, parks, and zoos,
touring Menno-Hof (a Mennonite and
Amish information center), visiting a
dairy farm, and taking wagon rides on an
Amish farm. Other activities include
roller skating, swimming, and bowling.
Day campers have also visited a Brethren
camp — Camp Mack — and hiked its
nature trails.
When day camp week is over, each
church evaluates the program. The
witness commission from Chicago First
and the day camp committee from
Goshen City process an evaluation
during a weekend joint meeting. Al-
though organizers concur that improve-
ments are necessary, both churches
believe that these joint ventures have
enriched the lives of all participants and
leaders and enhanced cross-cultural
friendships.
"The day camp program is beautiful,"
says Gloria Williams. "We're learning
from each other. More children are now
involved. The experiences have brought
families from the west side of Chicago
and Goshen together, just like godpar-
ents. Our children go to each other's
home, they spend weekends together,
and they come together for programs.
It's just wonderful."
"Day camp has matured to the extent
that we don't see so many tears when the
children depart for Chicago," observes
Lois Myers. "The first few years they all
cried a lot. That has lessened now. We
think the children recognize our continu-
ing friendship."
As
LS enthusiasm for day camp built,
spin-offs developed. There is an annual
"May Tea" at Chicago First, similar to a
harvest homecoming event. The congre-
gation hosts a guest speaker, provides
singing groups, and holds a reception for
members and friends around the inner-
city community. Goshen City members
are invited. The funds that are raised go
toward summer programs at Chicago
First.
About 1 5 women from both congrega-
tions have participated in several
women's exchanges. When the group
meets at Goshen City, it arranges
flowers, picnics at Camp Mack, or tours
the Old Bag Factory (a local tourist
attraction). The women have knotted 25
comforters for Chicago First members
and needy families in the community.
While in Chicago, the group has
created Christmas crafts and done other
things. Each event includes devotions
and lunch.
Five pastoral pulpit exchanges have
occurred between the two congregations.
Both pastors usually travel with adult
singers and musicians, who contribute to
an uplifting worship service.
There also are weekend exchanges
between both youth groups. In April,
Goshen City youth travel to Chicago
First, where they stay overnight. They
enjoy a cross-cultural experience in
Chicago visiting Garfield Park Conser-
vatory, riding the El (the subway), seeing
where the homeless sleep, enjoying
musical vendors on city sidewalks, and
eating dinner in Chinatown.
A reciprocal visit comes in July, when
Chicago First youth travel to Goshen and
stay overnight in the church. They have
visited a Fort Wayne zoo, gone swim-
ming, and played miniature golf. Twenty
youth are involved in both programs.
"As children grow up, there is a
definite need to expand our emphasis
into more youth programs," says
Michelle Blough. "The children them-
selves want to continue their friendships
with us. We are developing a joint
camping retreat for families to meet this
need.
"In addition," says Michelle, "Goshen
City's scholarship committee hopes to
establish matching scholarships for
Chicago First students who want to
attend a Brethren college."
A long way from a chance conversa-
tion in St. Louis in 1988, this venture
between Chicago First and Goshen City
demonstrates the ongoing benefits that
accrue when Brethren congregations of
different cultural backgrounds get
together to explore and celebrate
their diversity.
Al.
Karen B. Kurt:., of Goshen. Ind.. is a partner in
Kurtz Lens and Pen. which provides writing,
editing, and photography .senices.
January 1994 Messenger 13
by Margaret Woolgrove
Mention the name Martin Luther King
Jr. in most any circle today, and voices
will hush and heads bow in reverent
homage to a man who is remembered for
his dream of a free, unfettered nation of
Americans.
What is less often remembered today,
is the fact that in the 1960s, at the height
of the movement for civil rights in the
United States, King was viewed by many
as a communistic radical who was
attempting to subvert the "justice" of the
nation; an individual whose voice and
message needed to be silenced at any
cost — even the cost of death.
It has been 25 years since the assassi-
nation of King; 25 years in which we
have become all too complacent about
racism in the world.
On January 17, we celebrate Martin
Luther King Day. This is a day not only
of remembrance and thanksgiving for
what has passed, but also a time of re-
envisioning for the future. Thirty years
ago King had a dream; that dream is as
relevant today as it was then. The
celebration of King's life and legacy is a
way of celebrating the continuing
movement of God in human affairs.
At Chicago (111.) First Church of the
Brethren, the capturing of King's dream
has taken the form of witnessing against
the system of racial apartheid that still
prevails in South Africa. To the mem-
bers of Chicago First, Martin Luther
King Day is a time to take to the streets
with banners and sing out for their lives-
14 Messenger January 1994
Chicago Brethren
captured the dream
and for the lives of their brothers and
sisters in South Africa.
The "Sing Out Against Apartheid"
rally has been taking place for five years.
But what began as a six-hour silent vigil
in 1988 turned into a one-hour
"singathon" by default rather than by
design, according to Joan Gerig, the
organizer of the event and a member of
Chicago First. "We were 'standing for
the truth' in a six-hour silent vigil
outside the South African embassy in
downtown Chicago. An hour or so into
our vigil the youth arrived with banners
and started to sing. As soon as I heard
the singing I began working out a way to
incorporate this witness into future
vigils. So really it was their 'spoiling'
the vigil that began the annual 'Sing
Out'"
This year the day has special signifi-
cance, marking as it does the start of
"Keeping the Watch," a vigil of prayer
that will continue from King's birthday
(observed), January 17, through April
27, the date set for the first ever non-
racial elections in South Africa.
There will be 18 million new South
African voters heading to the polls on
April 27, of whom 65 percent are not
literate. In addition to the estimated
200,000 educators that will be needed,
there is a need for election monitors at
the 8,000 polling stations throughout the
country. There are fears among the black
population that the ballot will not be
secret, that intimidation will be used on
election day, that violence will over-
shadow the election, and that there will
not be neutral monitoring at the polls.
This is obviously a very fragile time,
and "Keeping the Watch" is calling on
churches to choose a week or month in
which individuals sign up for a specific
date to pray for South Africa, so that the
country will be bathed in prayer. Prayer
requests include free and fair elections;
tolerance and understanding for other
points of view; an end to violence;
informed international support; and
abidance by the outcome of the electioii
Praying for South Africa is an initia-
tive that was started by the Brethren la
year at Annual Conference, with
churches signing up on a prayer roster
that continued through April. The neec
for prayerful support and action has
never been greater than now.
In 1965, King called for a 'swift and
unstinting' response to suffering in
South Africa. In calling for freedom ai
justice in the democratic process in
South Africa, the vision of King is
remembered, and the dream gets
one step closer to becoming reality.
Above, left: Chicago First member
Bryan Staffer remembers Martin
Luther King Jr. Below: A plaque behi
Dejuan Riley commemorates King's
1967 sermon at Chicago First church
Opposite: Joseph Esther and Dejuan
Riley witness against apartheid.
Impression
by Luke Azinger
Born slave in 1817,
Forced to work with Trade of Caulking.
In the year of 1838.
With free man's contract, to Massachusetts he
escaped.
Employed by "The Liberator,"
Found that he was an incredible orator.
Away from slave life
Spoke often about unfair strife.
Forced onto blacks unjustifiably
Whites felt they had supremacy.
Nonviolent resistance
Aided cause to his persistence.
Published of life past.
Bondage is unfair, it should not last.
Also fought for
Black enlistment in Civil War.
Douglass" life shows
Great impression on Dr. Martin Luther King goals.
Luke Azinger is a member of Highland Avenue Church
of the Brethren. Elgin. III., and a first-year student at the
University of Iowa. This piece on Frederick Douglass won
first place in a Martin Luther King Jr. writing contest.
m
Church of f/ie
brethren
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Lartia remembers
In 1967 Martin Luther King spoke at
Chicago (111.) First Church of the
Brethren. Lartia Burton, now a great-
great-grandmother, was there, and
recalls the elation of that day. "It was so
exciting to be there," she recalls. "The
street was so busy that cars couldn't get
through. He held two mass meetings at
Chicago First, taping his sermons and
sending them abroad.
"We were a mainly black community
even then. In 1960, when I moved in,
there were only four black families in the
neighborhood. Then when the seminary
(Bethany) moved out in 1963, many of
the students and professors left too. We
didn't really want them to go. We didn't
want the neighborhood to go down, just
like the white folks today, worrying
about the wrong kind of people moving
in next door. But what could we do?
"Things are different now. People are
still working for "civil rights,' but
they're doing it as individuals, not as a
mass movement. The problems have
changed too, and the gang activities are
real bad. There are too many freedoms
and not enough choices. So young people
get into drugs and destroy themselves,
and when you holler, they just tune you
out." — Margaret Woolgrove
January 1 994 Messenger 1 5
Dry Run:
By Don Fitzkee
Dry Run has its ups and downs. During
the spring and winter this little wet-
weather stream in Franklin County's
Path Valley runs bank-full. But during
the long, hot days of summer Dry Run
slows to a trickle, leaving large sections
of exposed creek bed.
Dry Run Church of the Brethren,
founded in 1953 in the sleepy village of
the same name, has gone through some
dry spells of its own over the years. But
these days, thanks to the support of
Southern Pennsylvania District's Church
Development and Revitalization Com-
mission and co-pastors Harold Yeager
and Roy Fahnestock, a river runs
through this revitalized congregation.
Located about six miles north of the
Willow Grove exit of the Pennsylvania
Turnpike, Dry Run sits in the midst of a
sparsely populated valley of about 6,000
people, where good jobs are scarce, and
average income is relatively low.
Just five years ago it looked like the
Dry Run church would have to close its
doors. Attendance at the biweekly
services in a run-down former school-
house had dwindled to around 10, and
few could see any potential for growth in
a village of 350 people, many of whom
were residents on fixed incomes at the
town's three small, privately-owned
personal care homes for the elderly.
The church building itself — the only
one in town — was in danger of collaps-
ing. One long-time member facetiously
comments, "The people who went to
church in the old building must have had
a lot of faith." When representatives
from the district examined the building
in 1988, says Harold, "their advice was
get out of there as fast as possible before
it falls on you."
The Dry Run members heeded that
advice, but instead of closing the church
or relocating outside of town, the church
in consultation with the district, decided
its ministry was in Dry Run. "The 'right'
thing to do would have been to get out of
town," says member Bill Swailes, but the
50 or more residents of the town's homes
would have been left behind. So the
church stayed.
The Revitalization Commission
persuaded Harold, a free minister in a
Brethren congregation about 25 miles
from Dry Run, to join Roy Fahnestock,
who had been caretaker pastor of the
church for more than 20 years. Harold,
who had held various church leadership
'This church has a
purpose. We aren 't
just meeting to meet
and to collect
enough money to give
to the preachers. '
positions in the district and denomina-
tion, agreed to serve for 18 months to
determine what potential existed for
meaningful ministry in Dry Run.
In the spring of 1989, the old building
was demolished, and work began on a
new brick meetinghouse on the same
site, funded by a $52,000 capital grant
from the district. Meanwhile the church
began to grow as it met rent-free for
nearly two years across the street in
Gloria Doyle's Gold 'n' Gray Home.
The congregation moved into its new
building in October 1991 with an
average attendance of 30. By January
1992, that figure had increased to 50.
Three hundred attended the April 1992
building dedication, and the church
continued to grow modestly under the
leadership of pastors Yeager and
Fahnestock. By the fall of 1993, atten-
dance averaged in the 70s, with a high ol
90. "The question now," says Roy, "is
which Sunday are we going to hit a
hundred?"
Roy credits Harold for much of the
1 6 Messenger January 1 994
river runs through it
jrowth. "Harold's been excellent," he
says, "i would say some of the growth —
Tiuch of it — I give Brother Harold credit
For." Music leader Fred Keener, who
attended another church before coming
fo Dry Run, and who directs community
:horal groups, agrees: "Harold is an
ncourager. Put three exclamation points
behind that. He has a knack for finding
what people are good at and making
:hem do it." The first Sunday that Fred
attended, Harold spotted him in the
:ongregation and called him forward to
fead singing. He has been music director
ver since.
Bonnie Goshorn also appreciates
Harold's gift for encouragement. "Harold
|tnakes you feel confident," she says. "He
always has something good to say about
you that makes you feel good about
yourself."
Roy had baptized Bonnie and her
husband, "Hop," years ago, but they had
fallen away from the church during the
growing-up of their five children. After
several visits from Harold, they came
back, and now attend regularly. Since
returning, their daughters, ages 18, 16,
10, have made decisions for Christ and
been baptized, along with the fiances of
the two older daughters. Says Bonnie,
'Going here, you just get a good feeling.
The people are so friendly."
Bill Swailes, a dairy farmer, who
joined the church a year and a half ago,
and who how serves as trustee, agrees.
"It's a difference between getting up and
jhaving to go to church," says Bill, "and
not wanting to leave (to go home)." He
notes that many people hang around
after the service to visit, which he
believes is a sign of a healthy congrega-
tion.
Bill and his wife, Anna, left a church
that suffered a split to come to Dry Run.
"To me, joining this church was like a
homecoming," says Anna, who teaches
Sunday school and serves as church
treasurer. "There's really a sense of
family here."
That sense of family is clearly visible
from the minute the church opens its
doors. Pastor Roy, plain-coated and
bearded, greets Harold with a holy kiss.
Harold gives enthusiastic bear hugs as he
greets his brothers and sisters. During a
short Sunday school opening, superin-
tendent Paul Shearer calls on the
members of the congregation to raise
their Bibles high, and nearly everyone
present has a Bible to wave in the air as
the congregation sings a chorus.
Worship includes time for singing
"Happy Birthday" to people who are
celebrating their special day during the
month. Pastor Harold gives small
birthday cakes to each celebrant as the
congregation sings. When the volunteer
Ladies Choir gathers around the piano,
care is taken to wheel Annie, a resident
of one of the town's homes, up front on
the church's office chair so she can sing
along. The congregation sings "I'm so
glad I'm a part of the family of God,"
and really means it. The last Sunday of
each month, 40 or more people stay after
church for a carry-in dinner and fellow-
ship.
Re
k.oy and Harold have been sharing the
pastoral responsibilities at Dry Run, with
Roy preaching and visiting the first two
weeks of each month, and Harold the last
two. Both work fulltime: Harold is an
elementary school principal, and Roy is a
farmer and general manager for a fuel
distributor. In addition, they receive
modest support from the district, with
the congregation paying their ministry
expenses.
While Harold may be the more
charismatic of the two pastors, he and
Roy balance each other well. Harold says
that while he is brash and tends to act
quickly, Roy is more deliberate and
encourages him to think things through.
"Roy has been a real blessing to me,"
says Harold.
Leadership has been one key to the
church's growth, says district executive
Warren Eshbach. Harold and Roy have
been able to form an effective team. "If
Harold hadn't come, it wouldn't have
happened," says Bill Swailes. "He's
poured every spare moment into the
church." Harold admits, "If I were a
candle, I'd be burning toward the short
end by now." He already has stayed three
years beyond his initial 18-month
commitment.
The church's future depends largely on
new leaders being called and trained.
The congregation recently called a
deacon, and a church board was formed
in April 1992. Groundwork is being laid
to call a minister from within the
congregation to provide additional
leadership.
Harold believes the congregation is
moving toward being self-supporting.
Giving has been good, he says. The
congregation recently gave $500 to the
Church of the Brethren Emergency
Disaster Fund, and this June will send its
first delegate ever to Annual Conference.
While the residents of the personal
care homes in Dry Run have been the
focus of the church's ministry, the
congregation is considering starting a
day care center. The church's choice to
remain in Dry Run, says Bill Swailes,
"makes a statement" that the church is
there to serve the community. "This
church has a purpose," says Bill. "We
have something to do. We aren't just
meeting to meet and to collect enough
money to give to the preachers."
Dry Run — the creek — will probably
run dry again this summer. But the Dry
Run church intends to be there year-
round, offering living water to the
community it serves.
M.
Don Filzkee. ofRheems. Pa., is a licensed
minister in Chiques Church of the Brethren,
Manheim, Pa., where he will be ordained on
February 6. He served as an editorial assistant on
the Messenger staff, 1986-1988. Presently he is a
member of the denomination 's General Board.
January 1994 Messenger 17
A summer on the mountain top
M
Jeff Carter (right) and his friend Andy Brunk atop California's Mount Grayback.
Actually the whole summer was, in a way, spent on a mountain top.
by Jeff Carter
I see myself as a struggler — one who
grapples with life's questions and works
through situations to a finish. I gain new
awareness of who I am through question-
ing and struggling.
I struggled in sixth grade with Mrs.
Marks' science class. I always managed
to add one too many volts of power to
those litde light bulbs, causing them to
bum out. My mind was not into studying
that year, because, at the same time I was
struggling with science class, my closest
friend, my grandfather, was struggling
with cancer . . . and losing. I watched a
big, strong man determined to win the
fight slowly and painfully lose. After he
died, I learned that although my grandfa-
ther was not physically with me, he had
left me a precious gift that would last a
lifetime. He left me the gifts of love,
kindness, and generosity, which he
taught me by example.
I want "to be there" for people, as my
grandfather was for me, empowering
people to believe in themselves and see
their special God-given gifts. My
grandfather provided one of the lights of
hope that guides me on life's journey.
The Church of the Brethren National
Peace Team spent the 1993 summer
spreading the light of peace to six camps
and four states. On Amtrak, we traveled
18 Messenger January 1994
countless miles across the West, and we
made many wonderful new friends. My
goal was to spread peace. In the process I
learned what peace is.
At Camp Mack, in Indiana, during a
junior-high camp, we held a love feast at
a campfire. At first we wondered if the
kids would pick up on the significance of
the service and be interested in the
church heritage, and whether they could
sit still that long. We started the service
by having the kids take off their shoes,
telling them they were walking on holy
ground (Exod. 3:5). Jessica, gifted at
leading guided imagery — a form of
relaxation — lead the group off to have
some quiet meditation. While the kids
were gone. Drew and I took all their
shoes and formed a cross, standing
lighted candles between some of the
shoes. The kids returned to the campfire
quiet and curious. They sat facing the
cross as the sun sank behind the horizon.
The kids then washed each other's hands
while they sang camp songs.
T.
-he intensity of the hand- washing
surprised me. For many participants it
was their first time, so the hand-washing
service was done with an intense
reverence that brought the kids closer
together. They formed a circle around
the cross of shoes. It was great to see the
group turn into family, with kids holding
hands and supporting each other.
I had thought that the time of the
bread and cup could be a time of recom-
mitment of faith. That was my mistake.
Many of the kids had not been baptized,
so this was the beginning for them in
their commitment to their faith. One by
one, campers dipped small pieces of
bread in grape juice and ate it.
I marveled at the maturity and
seriousness they exhibited in their
commitment. By the end of the service,
there were many tears.
As we were praying, a breeze began,
blowing out four candles. Earlier it had
been illustrated that the cross was made
of two beams — the vertical beam
representing God's love coming down to
us, and the horizontal beam representing
our love going to the world. After a
couple of rounds of the song "Sanctuary"
and a lot of hugs, one camper observed
that the wind had blown out the candles
on the horizontal beam of our cross of
shoes, while the vertical beam still
burned brightly. Wow! We closed almost
every camp with this service, and no two
were the same.
While we sat around the campfire one
chilly July night in the mountains of
Idaho, a discussion broke out among the
kids about God and what God thinks of
our actions. What does true discipleship
mean? How can we call ourselves
Christians when we still sin? Although I
was several years older than these kids, I
could relate to the questions of faith. We
talked the night away.
There was a boy with many of the
same struggles I had in high school who
didn't believe in himself. He didn't
believe that he could make a difference.
"I have done so many wrong things, how
could God accept me?" he asked.
We spent the better part of what was
left of the night discussing God's grace,
and how we must work toward disciple-
ship. While I was trying to give insight
from my own life struggles, I suddenly
started to feel as if I were talking to a
mirror. It was I who also needed the
confidence and who needed to believe in
myself. I can be an instrument of Christ
only if I can accept the challenge 100
percent. 1 saw Christ working in that boy
for me. He was my mirror. Now I could
remember that I must be a doer and live
out my faith. Together we can make the
difference.
While we were at camp La Verne, in
California, we took the youth camp on
an overnight hike. We hiked five miles
to Dry Lake in the San Greggomio
Mountains, set up camp and went to bed.
At 3 o'clock the next morning, six of us
started a five-mile hike to the top of
Grayback Mountain. As we approached
the steep slope of the mountain we found
the trail blocked by about six fget of ice.
The area to the left was straight down
hundreds of feet, and the area to the
right was straight up hundreds of feet, so
we went over the ice, venturing up the
mountain without a trail.
A,
Lt one point, we were going straight
up the side of the mountain, holding on
to some mountain laurel so we wouldn't
fall down the face. I felt as if I had been
transplanted into a National Geographic
special. As we crested the mountain, the
sun blazed across the horizon. To the left
was the morning, while on the right
Palm Springs still lay in the night.
The courage and physical strength to
accomplish the climb brought an
overwhelming feeling of satisfaction. We
made it to the top and saw the creation of
a new day. The hike home was exhaust-
ing, but having been 1 1 ,499 feet up that
morning and having hiked 15 miles
before noon, I discovered a determina-
tion and inner strength in both myself
and the other team members that I
hadn't realized we possessed. We
became even more committed to telling
Peace team members Andy Brunk, Jessica Eller, Jennifer Ungemach, and Jeff
Carter spent last summer visiting Brethren camps to "spread the light of peace. "
people that peace begins with our faith in
God and ourselves. If we believe, we can
accomplish anything.
Spiritually, the summer experience
taught me that although I may some-
times stumble in my discipleship, I also
have my moments of success. Each week
since my peace team trip, I have
recommited myself to follow in Christ's
steps. When working with young adults,
I could tell them what I wanted them to
see and believe. But if I wasn't living it,
my words meant nothing. Saying I am a
Christian does not mean that life is a bed
of roses, but I learned that if we live our
life in discipleship, our mistakes and
struggles make us stronger and don't
tear us down. It is important to be honest
about our struggles as Christians. I saw
young and old alike making their faith
real and living, and I am blessed to have
had them a part of my life even for a
short time.
At times, this summer's experience
reminded me of my first bike ride — long
ago and like a dream. And at other
times, when I read of the hatred and
violence in our world, 1 am full of energy
(inspired by the youth) and aware that I
am to make a difference.
The summer was spent working with
three other young people: Andy Brunk of
Weyers Cave, Va.; Jennifer Ungemach of
Palmyra. Pa.; and Jessica Eller of Merritt
Island, Fla. As I look back to the
summer, I appreciate them more and
more. We were very different in our
experiences and theology, yet the ideas
of God's love and peace transcended the
differences and united us.
I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 13:4-
13, a favorite passage of mine: Love is
patient, love is kind. We learned that
God is the love in our lives and we are
called to share that love. We must have
God in every action. In so doing, we
spread the strong message of peace —
God's love. My goal now is to relight
those candles on the cross of
shoes, one by one.
Jeff Carter of Westminster. Md.. who recently
completed a year of Brethren Volunteer Ser\'ice in
the Church of the Brethren Washington Office, has
become associate pastor of Florin Church of the
Brethren. Mount Joy, Pa.
January 1994 Messenger 19
by Robin
Wentworth Mayer
Stepping Stones is a column offering
suggestions, perspectives, and
opinions — snapshots of life — that we
hope are helpful to readers in their
Christian journey. As the writer said
in her first installment. "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. "
STONES
If you want to find out who
your true friends are. send
your Christmas cards out
late.
I am one of those moder-
ately compulsive people who
have their shopping done by
Hallowe'en and their
Christmas cards in the mail
the day after Thanksgiving.
This past year was differ-
ent, however. Because of a
year full of major life
upheavals, Christmas was
only a week away when I
began frantically licking
envelopes. With a little luck,
my cards reached their
respective destinations by
New Year's.
I noticed that I didn't
receive as many cards as in
Christmases past. "Aha!"
said I, "All these years I
thought my old friends
stayed in touch out of loyalty,
when all along it was
apparently just reciprocity."
Social scientists have
advanced what is called the
"social exchange theory,"
which assumes that individu-
als engage in a system of
mental bookkeeping,
continually appraising a
relationship in terms of the
flow of rewards and relative
costs. So in view of my
illustration, the "social
exchange theory" might
translate into behavior as
follows:
"Let's see, we better get a
card out to the Millers; they
sent us one. Don't forget the
Bowmans; they always have
something for us. And Mrs.
Gibble gave us those cookies,
so we need to take her
something."
Sound familiar? My
college friends and distant
cousins aren't the only ones
who allow reciprocity to
regulate their Christmas lists
and relationships. You and I
do too, to some degree, at
least.
So the most constructive
way I know to incorporate
this principle of reciprocity
into our interactions with
others is to be on the
initiating end of it — to be
proactive, rather than
reactive.
When we do this, first of
all we claim our choices free
from the pressure of others'
expectations. On a personal
level, this promotes indepen-
dence, builds self-confidence,
and enhances decision-
making skills — all important
qualities for effective
leadership.
Secondly, we position
ourselves to impact others in
a positive, motivating, way.
For example, in the dynam-
ics of group therapy, we see a
lot of valuable interaction
bom out of reciprocity. As
one person opens up, others
are encouraged to do
likewise. Trust develops,
understanding expands,
intimacy evolves, and growth
results.
You can see how placing
yourself on the initiating end
of reciprocity in relationships
has both individual and
corporate advantages. And
this is nothing new, by the
way. A long time ago, Jesus,
while speaking to a large
crowd on a hillside, advised
his listeners that whatever
we wanted others to do for
us, we should do so for them
(Matt. 7:12).
Traditionally, the church
has distilled this teaching
down to a rule, and has
tended to teach it in a rather
flat, linear, dogmatic
fashion. And while this
principle certainly "works"
as a moral standard for
behavior, that application
limits its impact and dilutes
its power.
Jesus understood reciproc-
ity. He knew that "doing
unto others" would have the
very rich potential of setting
off a chain reaction of love,
joy, peace, patience, kind-
ness, goodness, faithfulness,
and self-control — all the
building blocks for peace on
earth and good will toward
men.
Which brings me back to
Christmas cards.
If reciprocity indeed holds
true, I suspect my long-
distance friends, after
receiving my delinquent
greetings, will reinstate my
name on their Christmas
card lists.
I'll let you know.
M.
Robin Wentworth Mayer, of
Edwardsburg. Mich., is pastor of
Pleasant Valley Church of the
Brethren. Middlebury. Ind. She
operates Stepping Stones Counseling
out of Waterford (Ind.)
Community' church.
20 Messenger January 1994
Meat loaf evangelism:
What's your recipe?
by Frank Ramirez
I grew up loving meat loaf. Some folks
are surprised and assume that, as a
Ramirez, I ate an endless round of tacos,
enchiladas, and burritos. We ate those
all the time, to be sure, and I still look
forward to home and my mother's mole,
menudo. and eggs with chorizo. But we
also ate spaghetti, casseroles, fried
chicken, and (of course) meat loaf.
We weren't poor, mind you. but there
were 10 of us to feed, and every day my
sister Mary Ann would take a look at the
pound of defrosting hamburger, turn to
my mother and say, "Well, what miracle
are we going to work today?"
Meat loaf is like spaghetti. Everyone
makes it differently, and everyone makes
it good. Nevertheless, our meat loaf was
probably like yours. It was more a bread
loaf. I'm not complaining. I like it with
lots of bread. I prefer it with lots of
bread. And eggs. And onions. And
whatever.
But it doesn't have to have lots of
bread to be meat loaf. Read the chapter
on meat loaf in Robert Fulghum's book
Uh-Oh. Anything goes when it comes to
meat loaf. I have never met a meat loaf
at a Brethren potluck that I didn't like.
Just because I grew up eating a dish a
particular way doesn't mean it has to be
made that way forever. But you wouldn't
know that, talking to some people. The
way a dish was cooked in their childhood
is the only way to prepare it.
Now I started talking about food
because I am Brethren and I know we
Brethren think with our stomachs first.
And I want to tell you that the way we
sometimes approach evangelism is the
way we approach meat loaf. We only
want it the way we grew up with it.
One of the primary ways we Brethren
used to accomplish church growth was to
have lots of kids. The advantage to this
method was it meant we didn't have to
knock on any doors, and it guaranteed
we were all related to each other.
Like meat loaf,
evangelism doesn Y
always have
to be done
the same ol ' way.
Moreover, we didn't move around
much. Since families stayed put. their
children ended up going to the same
church they grew up in.
In addition, we were located where all
the people were — in the countryside.
But we don't have lots of kids any-
more. Folks move around a lot more than
they used to, and families get spread
across several states. And all the people
have moved to the cities.
Nevertheless, we expect our churches
to maintain themselves with little effort
over the course of time.
In the movie "Field of Dreams," the
hero, an Iowa com farmer, is told by a
voice, "If you build it, they will come."
Even though there seems no use for it at
the time, he clears a portion of his fields
and builds a baseball diamond, complete
with stands. His faithfulness is rewarded
by the arrival of players, fans, and more.
A church that hopes to grow could do
worse than use this "Field of Dreams"
approach. Nurseries need to be made,
maintained, and staffed even if there are
no children in the church at the moment.
Sunday school teachers and youth
leaders need to be recruited and trained,
ready to go. Teams of greeters must be
prepared so that no visitor goes unno-
ticed.
One congregation not too far from my
own built an elevator for handicapped
people. The next Sunday. God sent
wheelchaired souls to that church. That's
how it works. As Ross Perot says, "It's as
simple as that."
Many churches, however, follow a tail-
swallowing train of logic. We never had
to worry about handicap accessibility (or
nursery, or a youth group) because "No
one has ever attended that needed it."
The flip side of that has to be "No one
has ever attended because there isn't any
handicap accessibility."
You see, God is faithful to us. He
sends visitors to churches. The problem
is, most churches send them right back.
A growing church makes no assump-
tions. The church I currently serve
changes its time of worship in the
summer. One day I lamented aloud that I
had forgotten to include the time change
in the bulletin. "No problem," said one
long-time member. "Everyone knows
the time always changes this time of
year."
The problem is, eveiyone didn't
already know. Some folks lose touch,
newer members never hear of the time
change, and even long-time worshipers
forget. Assumptions are dangerous. Ask
yourself: "What assumptions does my
church make?"
The bulletin must be worded as if this
were the first Sunday it had ever been
produced. Take nothing for granted.
Prayers, responses, choruses that
"everyone" knows make newcomers feel
like outsiders.
How user-friendly is your church? Do
January 1994 Messenger 21
you have the new Hymnal yet? Church
growth expert Bill Eamons, at a recent
Evangelism Leaders Academy, pointed
out that music is the most important
factor in the lives of those groups we
want to reach with the gospel. Music is
everywhere, on the radio, on television in
the form of music videos and commer-
cials, in elevators, at the workplace, and
in restaurants. But when we go to church
we take a time machine back to the 18th
and 19th centuries.
When it comes to church music,
whether you prefer the classical hymns,
the 19th-century gospel hymns, the
liturgical hymns, or the maudlin hymns,
you are likely to hallow your preference
with the phrase "the old hymns of the
church." We need to sing our personal
favorites a little less often, and explore
new sounds and new rhythms. For the
salvation of others, mind you.
Is your congregation still using the
King James Version (KJV) of the
Scriptures? If so, half the sermon time is
spent by the preacher explaining
Shakespearean English.
The King James, or Authorized
Version, was assembled because a
modern English translation was needed
for the people of the early 17th century.
It was one translation among many, a
veritable flurry of scriptures published in
that era. It was not the most popular
version of its era.
Nor is it the best translation. The
translation did not have the benefit of
nearly 400 years of archaeological
discoveries and advances in linguistics
that have allowed modem translators to
present God's Word as it was delivered.
Remember, in order to be authentic,
scripture must be in modem English.
(King James' English was modern in his
time.)
The message of the New Testament
was so important, and the need to spread
it so urgent, that it was revealed in the
Koine Greek, which is the equivalent of
business English, the sort spoken in the
marketplace by those for whom it is often
a second language. It was the world
language of its day, an unadorned tongue
designed above all to communicate.
Use a modem translation in your
22 Messenger January 1994
church, preferably the New Intemational
Version (NIV) or the New Revised
Standard Version (NRSV). After all,
would you rather hear "The noise thereof
sheweth conceming it, the cattle also
conceming the vapour" (Job 36:33 KJV),
or "His thunder announces the coming
storm; even the cattle make known its
approach" (same verse, NIV)?
The hardest thing for a growing
church to build is an open heart. God
sends broken people. He sends divorced
people, emotionally or developmentally
disabled people, single parents, dysfunc-
tional families, wild kids, noisy babies,
disrupters, and dreamers. A growing
church recognizes that God is the judge,
not us, that some of us wear our sins on
the outside, and others hide them behind
whitewashed walls. A growing church
confesses that not one of us is worthy of
the free gift of salvation on our own
merits anyway.
Y,
Let some people dare to ask, "Can you
imagine the nerve of So-and-So coming
to church in her condition?"
The most profound church growth
saying I have read came not from a
Christian book but from a "Dear Abby"
column. Abby once wrote, "A church is a
hospital for sinners, not a museum for
saints." We are all sinners, no matter
how you look at it. We don't look down
our noses at someone else.
Can we reach people where they are?
Growing churches can. When Paul, in
the book of Acts, preaches in Athens, he
proclaims the resurrection to a body of
sophisticated Greeks who knew nothing
of the Old Testament scriptures. He
couldn't count on them to know Moses
from Adam. What did Paul do? He
quoted from a local poet, praised the
Athenians' worship of the unknown god,
and made converts without mentioning
the name of Jesus! But rest assured, as
time went by, those converts came to
know Jesus personally.
Explain things. To my mind,
feetwashing is the essential Brethren rite.
It is also frightening to our young people
and to newcomers. As spring approaches
I preach on feetwashing at least four
times. I explain and describe it. I make
personal phone contacts to encourage
attendance.
Do that, then stand back and watch the
change. Don't be surprised if your love
feast and feetwashing becomes the
Spirit-filled, talky, singy praise-fest it
ought to be.
We are living in an age in which
people do not know Jesus, do not know
the church, and have nothing in common
with those raised in the church. But they
are hurting, and they need God, and us,
badly, whether they know it or not,
whether we want them or not.
In the end we should admit we are,
after all, not gathered to please ourselves
but to praise God, and confess Jesus
Christ as the Risen Lord. We are not
coming to a smorgasbord of our favorite
dainties. This is not a cafeteria. We're
here to serve others, not ourselves.
Newcomers always come first.
How do we leam to act like a growing
church? There are several programs
sponsored by the Church of the Brethren
to help us make meat loaf differently,
taking the tastes of others into account.
One of these is Passing on the Promise,
and an integral part of the program is the
Evangelism Leaders Academy. There are
now six academies each summer,
scattered across the United States, and
people attend from all over, including
some from other denominations.
There is no need to be a user-friendly
church. Use obscure translations. Speak
in code. Avoid greeting newcomers. Do
things the same way. Don't cater to
others.
And you can still grow, provided you
follow this bit of advice: Have lots of
kids.
And don't forget to keep them on a
leash, because they'll start attending
their friends' church as soon as they get
their driver's license.
So what's it going to be? Meat loaf the
way you've always eaten it, or made a
different way at the next big carry-in?
Church the way you've always
known it, or God's church?
Frank Ramirez is pastor of Elkhart Valley
Church of the Brethren. Elkhart, Ind.
Religious
addiction
can be
overcome
by Jay B. Warner
Mixed Reviews critiques books, films,
and other products of the entertain-
ment media that speak to Brethren
living out their faith. The reviews are
not to be taken as Messenger 's
endorsement, necessarily. Rather, we
present them as helpful infontuition
for readers who encounter the
subjects they treat.
REVIEWS
There are a couple of things
that it seems Hke the world
just doesn't need any more
of. One is the identification
of another form of addiction
and abuse. The second is a
12-step recovery program for
that addiction based on the
Alcoholics Anonymous
system. Yet, this is what you
get when you read Leo
Booth's book. When God
becomes a Drug: Breaking
the Chains of Religious
Addiction and Abuse (St.
Martin's Press, 1991; 288
pages; $18.95).
It is tempting to put some
label on this Episcopalian
priest who is a recovering
alcoholic, and dismiss the
entire work as irrelevant. It
is tempting to say that
religion cannot be abused. It
is tempting to claim that this
doesn't happen with Breth-
ren. But we must not.
The disease of addiction is
not a virus or a germ, it is "a
physical, mental, and
emotional reaction that
occurs in response to alcohol,
drugs, co-dependency, or
other compulsive behavior."
Food is essential for life; it is
good. Yet many people suffer
from anorexia, purging, or
some other eating disorder.
Regardless of whether their
problem is one of eating too
much or too little, they suffer
from a food addiction.
Likewise, spirituality
(God) is essential for a
healthy life; it is good. Yet
many people use the acces-
sory items of religion —
rituals, dogma, and scriptural
texts — to reinforce a dys-
functional message. They
suffer from a religious
addiction. And, just as an
anorexic suffers from a food
addiction, so too an atheist
may suffer from a religious
addiction.
I do not know if Leo Booth
ever heard of the Church of
the Brethren. I doubt that he
is familiar with Schwarze-
nau, Germany, in 1708. And
yet his themes sound
amazingly similar to those
expressed by the Brethren
founders. In his book
European Origins of the
Brethren, Donald Durnbaugh
notes that the organized
religions of that day main-
tained the dogmatic crust of
the faith, but had lost all the
"dynamic Christianity"
(spirituality).
When God Becomes a
Drug identifies what abusive
religious addiction looks like
as opposed to healthy
spirituality. A few symptoms
of religious addiction might
include, but are not limited
to: "inability to think, doubt,
or question information and
authority," "magical think-
ing that God will fix you,"
"scrupulosity — rigid obses-
sive adherence to rules, codes
of ethics, or guidelines," and
"uncompromising, judgmen-
tal attitudes."
Religious abuse often may
be accompanied by other
addictions that are more
commonly identified. It may
include the physical abuse of
family members while
quoting scripture; sexual
abuse; emotional abuse; or
transferring rage about one's
self onto another person. It
may include many eating
disorders. Often, the other
problems are treated with
little or no regard given to
the religious addiction. If the
other abuse is really a
symptom of the religious
addiction, people may tend to
relapse into their old
behaviors or simply transfer
their abusive behaviors into a
new addiction.
There is a lot of biblical
support for the ideas of
spirituality and religiosity as
defined in this book. Most
biblical scholars could easily
cite scriptures in defense of
the author. However, since
religious addicts often quote
or proof-text scriptural
passages for justification or
denial of their problems,
there are no references to
specific Bible verses given.
I agree with the vast
majority of the concepts and
ideas presented in this book.
I do have a few theological
differences with Leo Booth.
I am not a religious addict,
yet this book often hit close
to my heart. It is well
written, insightful, and
challenging. When God
Becomes a Drug: Breaking
the Chains of Religious
Addiction and Abuse may be
useful to everyone who is
concerned about spirituality,
whether they are pastors,
therapists, or laity.
Ai.
Jay B. Warner is a member of
Monitor Church of the Brethren,
near McPherson. Kan.
January 1994 Messenger 23
Healing faith
'Healing faith still moves in our hearts and
lives in this alienated and fractured world for
our own wholeness and the healing of all creation.
by Richard J. Landrum
The woman who was healed only
touched the fringe of Jesus" cloak (Matt.
9:20-26). She had been suffering from
hemorrhages for 12 years. How many
times she'd consulted with physicians
and priests, we can only guess. You
think she'd have given up by now, but
she said to herself, "If only I touch his
cloak, I will be made well." And she was
healed. It was nothing Jesus did. He was
on his way somewhere else. Jesus hadn't
even noticed her until she reached out
and touched his cloak. Turning and
seeing her, Jesus said, "Take heart,
daughter; your faith has made you well."
So it was not what Jesus did, but what
she did that made the difference.
Julie did the same thing. She believed
she could be healed. She refused to give
Then suddenly a ^
woman who had
been suffering from
hemorrhages for 12
years came up
behind him and
touched the fringe
of his cloak, for she
said to herself, "If I
only touch his
cloak, I will be
made well, " Jesus
turned, and seeing
her he said, "Take
heart, daughter;
your faith has made
you well." And
instantly the woman
was made well
(Matt. 9:20-22).
up. She was referred to me by a clinical
psychologist. Her therapist believed she
needed pastoral care and that she could
benefit by working with both a man and
woman. Her therapist was female.
In the first session, Julie said, "I am a
spiritually bruised person who needs a
spiritual guide." I soon discovered just
how bruised she was. She was abused as
a child. She married, divorced, and
remarried an abusive man. She was
struggling with depression. She was a
survivor of cancer. And now she was in
an experimental program for an incur-
able disea.se — advanced progressive
scleroderma. The skin gets hard. The
joints and muscles stiffen. Eventually the
loss of body movement and function
makes the person bedfast, waiting for a
slow death.
She had been under treatment for one
year in a three-year program when she
started seeing me. She was very sick and
depressed. We sorted through many
issues having to do with her story of
abuse, illness and recovery, and depres-
sion. What gave her strength to keep
fighting was her faith. She believed that
God had something for her to do other
than suffering and dying. So we talked a
lot about the possible meanings of her
struggle. This was a real live theological
conversation coming out of the pain and
joy of a life reaching out for hope and
healing. It was no sterile creed in a booki
After two years, Julie's chronic disease
went into remission. The symptoms
abated. She thanked me for two years of
support, but it was her faith in God that
kept her fighting, reaching, enduring,
believing in her own healing. It wasn't
even her chemotherapy. A few weeks
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24 Messenger January 1994
p
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IS,
ter closing our sessions, Julie was back
my study confused and amazed by the
iblished results of her chemotherapy.
le had been in the control group taking
placebo. That is, she had no medicine,
St glucose, and yet she went into
mission.
What is even more astounding is that
le had signed a paper with each
jection, saying that she understood the
sks and side affects of treatment. And
ich time she was injected she developed
t symptoms — low energy, nausea, low
ite-cell count, resulting in infections
id frequent use of antibiotics. Julie
veloped the symptoms of a chemical
at she was not taking but believed she
as taking, which is called the "placebo"
feet.
"Placebo" comes from Latin, meaning
please. The patient is pleased by being
ovided what she believes is medica-
3n. Even Julie's physician did not
low who of his patients were on the
acebo and who were on the medication
;ing tested. As it turned out, neither the
acebo nor the medication proved to be
fective in the treatment of scleroderma.
But Julie's taking sugar made herself
1 ck with the side effects because she
j dieved she would get sick. And she got
ell because she believed she would,
th Julie and I believed God was the
aler through her faith to reach out to
lany people and sources for healing.
lie is a miracle story. I get goose
mps when I think of the power of her
ith in God.
Surgeon Bemie Siegel creates quite a
[ir these days with his innovative
atment plan after surgery. "Patients
ho get well when they're not supposed
are not having accidents or miracles
spontaneous remissions," he says.
hey're having self-induced healing."
Well, such belief seems miraculous to
le, depending on one's definition of
liracle. What one believes is what faith
A Brethren business network
Are business people welcome in the Church of the Brethren? As I travel around
the denomination, I find that business people at times do not feel welcome. Our
teaching about simplicity and against the idolatry of money can make business
people feel out of place. Yet when money is needed for a favorite cause, the
church turns to the very people who have been made to feel uncomfortable.
Furthermore, the worship and the fellowship seldom give counsel or support for
the difficult ethical decisions a business person faces day by day. How can we be
true to the gospel without systematically driving a wedge between what happens
on Sunday and what happens on other days of the week?
A significant meeting was held at Bethany Seminary in 1992 to address this
very question. Attended by Brethren business people, college business teachers,
and seminary staff, the consultation asked about the relationship between the
Brethren understanding of the gospel and the practice of business.
Without question, faith radically affects the practice of business. Many
historians credit the birth of modern business to the rise of Protestantism in
16th-century Europe. Historically, Brethren have been known as innovative and
trustworthy business people. A Dunker's word was as good as his bond. A
Dunker never cheated in business. How are Brethren convictions put into
practice today?
The Bethany meeting concluded that business people ought to be encouraged
to meet together to form a Brethren business network. Such a network might
have four functions — local fellowship and discussion, churchwide support,
special projects, and leadership training.
A local fellowship not only allows Brethren business people to know one
another, but also offers an opportunity for discussion of ethical issues faced in
the practice of business today. Such a group is beginning to meet in the
Harrisonburg/Bridgewater, Va., area. At least three other groups are in the
formative stage in other regions.
Churchwide support can come through national meetings. Brethren business
people plan to meet at an Annual Conference insight session this summer. They
also hope to gather at the annual meeting of the Mennonite Economic Develop-
ment Association (MEDA).
Brethren business people might become interested in special projects. In the
1940s, Brethren farmers helped to create Heifer Project, Christian Rural Over-
seas Program (CROP), and Church World Service (CWS). Today rural, urban,
and third-world problems cry out for Brethren business imagination.
Bethany Seminary's interest is primarily in leadership training. Some Breth-
ren are active in the Institute for Servant Leadership headquartered in India-
napolis. They promote a concept of leadership as servant, coupled with shared
authority rather than hierarchy and domination. Servant leadership sounds
familiar to Brethren ears.
A Brethren business network can have a powerful influence in the church. We
have many worthy examples to follow in our history. Not only might business
people feel more welcome, but they may lead us in bringing the gospel to our
age. — Donald E. Miller
Donald E. Miller is general secretary of the Church of the Brethren.
is all about. Comparable to the woman
whose faith made her well in the story
from Matthew's gospel, Julie's faith
made her sick and made her well. All
healing is from God. We only alter the
conditions to make healing more or less
probable.
So what are you and I doing to make
January 1994 Messenger 25
ourselves — sick, or well? William James
raised this question in his book Varieties
of Religious Experience. He observed
that some people's faith is healthy
minded as contrasted to the sick soul or
divided self.
Some faith is a belief in despair,
marked by hopelessness, preoccupation
with evil, anguish, and failure. Some
faith is harsh toward the self, which may
A =^
be projected on others, too. Such faith
often believes in a fierce and vengeful
God. It is a sick-making faith in which
one believes the self and all that sur-
rounds the self into alienation and
sickness, so that what one believes tends
to come true. One refuses to take
responsibility for one's own life, casting
everything on God, either in a kind of
fatalism that God made me this way, or
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in a kind of fantasy that God will fix it.
So the person does not do anything for
one's own healing, or may even resist 1
treatment, or do things that make one
sicker.
Sick-making faith is often seen in the
person who prays and may even go to th(
doctor for medication, but refuses to
exercise or change habits that make one
unhealthy. So it's not a matter of being
religious or not religious. Some very
religious people hold poisonous attitudes
Theirs is toxic faith.
Healthy-minded faith is not toxic. It
invests in love, mercy, and a good God
whose creation is good in spite of the
pain and evil in life. The prayers and
behaviors of people with this faith link
with hope. And hope propels them to
cooperate with whatever and whoever
makes for wholeness in life. What we
believe is a force for being sick or well.
Bemie Siegel's work with cancer
patients confirms that the best medical
treatment is only as effective as the
patient's unconscious mind allows. So hi
uses methods to reinforce positive
feelings such as hope and love to believe
in one's own healing. We know that '
many physical illnesses have emotional
and spiritual dimensions. We also know
that during periods of great stress we are
more susceptible to illness.
Jrayer is a way to bring into conscious-
ness the power of faith, a way of releas-
ing the forces of healing within and
between us, and cooperating fully with
medical and holistic ways that foster the
conditions for God's healing. Like
Julie's determined faith that God has
something better for her than
scleroderma, abuse, and depression, and
like the woman who reached out to touc
the fringe of Jesus' cloak, our faith may'
move us to reach toward wholeness.
Without such faith, we slowly destroy
ourselves.
So James, the brother of our Lord
Jesus, knowing the stories of those who
reached out to Jesus, wrote to the early
church (Jas. 5:13-16): "Are any among
you suffering? They should pray." That
means pray for yourself, but then James
adds, "Are any of you sick? They shouh!
26 Messenger January 1994
;all for the elders . . . and pray over them
. . The prayer of faith will save the
iick." Prayer is not limited to a person in
solation, but recommended as a way to
;ome together with others. James
relieves that such corporate prayer "is
powerful and effective" (see also Matt.
18:20).
When they come together to pray they
io it in a hands-on way. They anoint the
iick person with oil. People were also
inointed for special ministries and
special needs. To be anointed reminded
he early church of the very presence of
he Anointed-One, the Christ, Jesus
limself, present with them and through
hem as they touched one another with
»entle hands of love and faith.
In the service of anointing today, a few
irops of oil are applied on the forehead,
-lands of faithful friends are placed on
he suffering friend. The person to be
inointed has been offered a chance to
mburden anything that might be
:luttering life or blocking healing.
"Confess your sins to one another,"
fames wrote (Jas. 5:16). Let go and let
jod! And then we pray for forgiveness
ind strengthening of faith for healing,
)ecause, James wrote, "The prayer of
"aith will save the sick, and the Lord will
aise them up" (Jas. 5:15). Of course,
;alvation is promised by the cross of
'esus, and the raising up ultimately must
)ecome the resurrection after death.
\nointing does not guarantee complete
ecovery or even any recovery. But
lealing does come in the opening up of
he channels of power through prayer
hat clears up guilt and strengthens faith
br healing.
It is helpful to distinguish between
lealing faith and faith healing. Healing
'aith is a healthy-minded, holistic
eaching out and opening up of one's self
o the power of faith for healing. Faith-
lealing is the practice and/or methods to
ise faith for healing. Sometimes those
who practice are not healthy-minded and
heir methods are questionable. Some-
imes they are sick-minded, operating
Jut of a divided soul and even sick-
Tiaking faith. Sometimes faith-healers
ire no more than con artists.
In the film "Leap of Faith," Steve
Martin plays the role of the con artist
QV-v
Pontius' Puddle
NOTICE: Church and dislrkl newslellers Ihat reprint "Ponlius ' Puddle " from
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Take Hold of Your Future...
...One Step at a Time.
McPherson College
McPherson, Kansas 67460 • (316) 241-0731
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"Th^ size of the McPherson College community is such that people don 't get lost in the
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for the whole person and the value of each person as an individual. "
Chuck and Shirley Boyer
La Verne Church of the Brethren, La Verne, California
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 available for up to four years provided studenis remain eligible.
Some awards are based on financial need and availability- of .funds.
McPherson College welcomes all applicants
regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or physical or emotional disability.
January 1994 Messenger 27
"CHALLENGING AND
PROVOCATIVE."*
'A compelling biblical call for
the unconditional abolition of
pnsons.
MARK OLSON
"A fundamental and compre-
hensive critique of not oruy
prisons but also the ideology
and history undergirding
them.' —HOWARD ZEHR
"There is more than scholar-
ship here. Moving anecdotes
drawn from Griffith's minis-
terial involvement with Chris-
tian communities and his ex-
perience as both a prisoner
and a robbery victim enhance
his arguments.'
— LIBRARY JOURNAL*
Jesus said he had come to
roclaim release to prisoners,
n The Fall of the Prison Lee
Griffith makes what Jesus
meant altogether clear. Now
it is for us who have ears."
— WILL D.CAMPBELL
OF THE
PRISON
Biblical Perspectives
on Prison Abolition
Lee
Griffith
ISBN 0-8028-0670-8
Paper, %\ 9.99
At your bookstore, or
call 800-253-7521
FAX 616-459-6540
,WM. B. EERDMANS
V PUBUSHING Ca
255 JEFFERSON AVE. S,E. / GRAND RAPrDS, MiCH. 49503
c:
who himself comes from an abusive
childhood story, and now is a faith-
healer playing out in his own negative,
hurtful story by exploiting others. Yet
there is in his story a trace of hope, a
search for the wholeness he promises
others. Deep in the faith-healer's heart is
a hope for healing faith for himself and
for the suckers he cons as he rakes in
their money in the revival tent in a little
Kansas town caught in a drought.
Poor farmers and their families cannot
afford to be conned in hard times. The
sheriff exposes the faith healer's abusive
and criminal background. All the lies he
preaches do not turn the crowds away.
The preacher admits to everything, and
wins the crowd again to him as a
repentant sinner. So great is the farmers'
need for healing faith that they believe
the word of the phony preacher, even
though he has conned every dollar he
can out of them in the big show tent.
'What no one counted on was a teenage
boy's faith in God and a place in the con
Word from the moderator
Simultaneous with the "Prayer on the
Plains" Gathering the last weekend of
February at McPherson College (see
December, pages 8, 26), a Brethren "Day
of Prayer" will be observed on Sunday.
February 27, when each church will be
challenged to undergird our denomina-
tional leaders and global ministries in
prayer.
Water has always been primary in our
immersion baptisms and our feetwashing.
The Conference theme, "Come! Drink the
Living Water!" focuses on the continuing
invitation to the source of life in Jesus
Christ. To capture the theme, a waterfall/
stream will be created at Annual Confer-
ence. Conferencegoers are invited to bring
a quart of water from home, preferably
from the baptistry or stream where
baptisms occur. Water also will be brought
from the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee,
the Eder River, and Wissahickon Creek.
Earl K. Ziegler
1994 Annual Conference moderator
artist's heart. Steve Martin's shady
character feels compassion for this boy.
The phony evangelist tries to keep the
boy from coming forward in the tent and
being disillusioned. (Or is part of his
motive to keep from being exposed as a
phony?) But the boy will not be dis-
suaded. His faith is strong. He risks
loosing his grip on the crutches, first one
crutch, but he seizes the railing to keep
from falling as he lets go of the other
crutch. Slowly, he discovers that he can
walk. He trades his crutch for a new
freedom discovered only by faith. The
faith-healer is astonished and is himself
healed of soul with the healing of the boy.
Faith-healing is only a method. It may
be a magic act, a good show, built on
cynical and disappointing faith that
exploits people and offers false hope, but
not necessarily. Faith-healing also may
be people genuinely, but with question
and struggle, reaching out on the
mysterious edge between despair and
hope, brokenness and wholeness, illness
and wellness, death and life, reaching
out for the fringe of Jesus' cloak, trying
to touch one another with love, even
touching the healing hand of God, who
is the power and source of all healing
and wholeness.
So even the faith-healer, who both
cons and hopes for the sick, who doubts
while believing, may discover the
wondrous power of God. Healing faith
still moves in our hearts and lives in this
alienated and fractured world for our
own wholeness and the healing of all
creation.
Do not our hearts long, and our bodies
ache? Does not the whole creation groani
for healing faith? Believe it. Reach for it.
And test faith to see if there is any health
in it. Test it by a careful inventory of our
whole life purpose and practice, by our
souls' sincere desire, by our basic
attitude, and our lifestyle to examine if
there is any health in us. Toxic faith
splinters, breaks, fractures, divides, and
makes us sick. Healing faith asks, "Whai |
are we doing to encourage and FTT.
enhance our own wellness?" llT^
Richard J. Landnim is pastor of Wenatchee
(Wash.) Brethren-Baptist Church United.
28 Messenger January 1994
Serry.
May Be Her Only Hope
This Guatemalan woman weaves beautiful, brightly
colored cotton fabric, a Mayan cultural tradition
passed down from mother to daughter
for centuries. Her only hope of /
retaining this culture and
her livelihood is You.
SeRRV offers more than
2000 Handmade crafts
from 40 developing
countries, all made by
artisans who receive
fair payment for
their labors.
Write or call now for your free
1993/1994 Catalog from Serrv
Handcrafts 1-800-423-0071.
O
Serrv
Self-Help Handcrafts
500 Main Sffeet
P.O. Box 365
New Windsor, MD
21776-0365
SERRV is a non-profit
program of the Church
of the Brethren and a mem-
ber of the International
Federation of
Alternative Trade.
BRF
POWERFUL WITNESSING
One of the things about Pentecost
was the power associated with that
occasion. Jesus told His followers they
would receive power after the Spirit
came upon them (Acts 1:8). There
would be power to witness effectively-
Sometimes well-meaning Christians
drive people away instead of drawing
them to the Christ. They become
preachy, self-elevating, condemnatory,
proof-texting individuals who "turn off"
more prospects than they "turn on."
Being empowered by the Holy Spirit to
witness effectively may require only a
few well-directed sentences to arouse
the interest of a non-believer. Those
few words, coupled with a kindly
approach will go a long way in
conveying the message of Christ's love
arMJ redemption.
-by Paul W. Brubakor (excerpted trom the Bread
Basket page of the BRF Witness, Vol 19 No 5|.
To be included on our mailing list "for free
materials, write to; Brethren Revival Fellowship,
Route 10, Box 201 -N, York, PA 17404.
Stop by the BRF Display at Annual
Conference for tickets to the Friday
evening dinner meeting and/or the
Saturday noon luncheon. There will be
a BRF Insight Session Wednesday of
Conference week at 9 P.M.
A call for poets
I was inspired by Eugene Roop's call for
poets "who free us to cry — to cry about
pernicious sin and persistent pain" and
"who help us not only to cry but to hope
by reaching through the scheming and
violence of the present, to imagine
From the
Office of Human Resources
Volunteer Positions Available:
HEALTH CARE, Castaiier, P.R.
Doctors: Surgeon.s, Internists
6 month minimum.
Nurses: Must speak Spanish.
6 month minimum.
ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT:
Elgin, 111.; Inventory, etc.
Needed January 24-February
18, 1994
PC SUPPORT/PROGRAMMER:
Support person for personal
computers and mid-range computer
users at Brethren Service Center,
New Windsor, Md.
1-year assignment, but will accept
someone to work during summer.
For prompt consideration call
Barbara Greenwald (800) 323-8039
God's future" (see "Bible Helps for
Pastoral Search Committees," Novem-
ber, page 22).
I see the present church in great need
of confession and repentance, turning
back to God to receive his love and
forgiveness, and passing his love and
forgiveness on to others, especially those
who have offended us.
God, through Jesus Christ, is the only
one who can mend our brokenness and
bring us together in unity with all our
brothers and sisters.
Belh Nonemaker
Harrisburg, Pa.
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 respectfifl 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.
CLASSIFIED ADS
ANNOUNCING-1994 Sebring (Fla.) Bible Conference.
Jan. 23, Sunday evening to Jan. 30 Sunday morning.
Speaker Fred Swartz to feature New Testament ttirougti
studies and sermons. Bible study to be held 10 a.m.,
I^/Ionday-Friday. Youth and family night on Wednesday.
Bethany Seminary luncheon at noon, Thursday. If you're
planning to come to Florida, come at this time for an
experience of enrichment and reunion.
H/IEDICAL— Busy family practice available in beautiful
Shenandoah Valley, Va. Strong Brethren/IVlennonite com-
munity. Tel. John T. Click IVID (703) 896-1361 . or William J.
Hotchkiss MD (703) 896-1351 evenings and weekends.
Write Glick-Hotchkiss Clinic, P.O. Box 397, Broadway, VA
22815.
TRAVEL— Tourto Annual Conference includes Shenandoah
Valley; Gatlinburg, Smoky Ivlountains, Nashville, Grand Ole
Opry Park, Heifer Project Farm, and Blue Grass country of
Kentucky. For info, write to: J. Kenneth Kreider, 1300
Sheaffer Rd., Elizabethtown, PA 17022.
TRAVEL-lsrael/Egypt Holiday. Wendell & Joan Bohrer,
Fred & Nancy Swartz host a tour to Israel and Egypt. Aug.
8-1 8, 1 994. 1 1 day tour includes travel to Jerusalem, the old
city, Dead Sea, Megiddo, Galilee, Cana, Mt. Carmel, Ml
Nebo, Cairo, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Tomb of King Tut.
30 Messenger January 1994
For information write: Wendell & Joan Bohrer, 8520 Royal
l^eadow Dr., Indianapolis, IN 4621 7. Tel. (317) 882-5067, or
Fred & Nancy Swartz, 1 0047 Nokesville Rd.. IVIanassas, VA
221 10. Tel. (703)369-3947.
TRAVEL— Photo safari to world-renowned big game parks
of Kenya and Tanzania, July 22-Aug. 7, 1 994. Tour Nairobi,
IVlombasa, Tree Lodge, IVIari Ivlara, Serengetl, and Africa's
"Garden of Eden." For info, write to J. Kenneth Kreider, 1300
Sheaffer Road, Elizabethtown, PA 17022.
TRAVEL— Russia Health Care Tour rescheduled April 25-
May 1 1 . Some openings available. Clyde & Kathy Weaver;
Jay & June Gibble will host this Association of Brethren
Caregivers tour of 6 Russian cities. Visit hospitals, clinics,
alternative medicine centers, and individual homes; tour
museums, cultural centers, art galleries, Kremlin; celebrate
Russian Orthodox Easter. For info, call Jay Gibble (800)
323-8039.
TRAVEL— Greece and Turkey. April 26-l\/lay 7, 1 994. Fly to
Athens; follow steps of Paul; see Acropolis, Parthenon,
IVlars Hill, Corinth. Optional tour to Delphi. 7-day cruise to
spectacularGreek Islands and exoticTurkey. Visit Santorini,
Crete, Rhodes (island of roses), Patmos where John was
inspired, Ephesus renowned for architectural beauty, and
where Paul lived and preached, and Istanbul, where East
meets West. Contact: Dale & Gladys Hylton, 1 1 5Greenawall
Road, Lenhartsville, PA 19534, tel. (215) 756-6109.
WANTED— Suburban Denver, Prince of Peace Church oi
the Brethren seeks experienced pastor with proven recorc
of church growth, renewal, w/ strengths in worship, spiritua
leadership. Capableof providing pastoral care forcongrega
tion. Supportive and financially strong congregation in ecO'
nomically growing community. Great challenge, in a beau '
tiful setting. Beginning two-year contract, excellent $45,00C|
a year, plus package. Send inquiries and profile to IVIr. Lynr
Clannin, 2222 S. Holland St., Lakewood, CO 80227. Tel(
(303) 985-5737. I
WANTED— Camp manager or couple to manage Camp;
Colorado in Pike National Forest. 40 minutes from Denve(
or Colorado Springs. From H/lemorial Day to Labor Da;
1994. Camp located on 85 forested acres. Features swim'
ming pool, hiking trails, 6 dorms, dining hall, recreation bidg
Camp has 4 wks. of Brethren-sponsored camps and ii
rented remainder of season to Brethren churches and famil;
reunion groups. Duties incl. purchasing supplies, cleaning
and repairing camp. Altitude of camp is 7,500 ft. Applicant:
should be in good physical shape. Salary $1,000 a month
Incl. 2-bdrm. cabin, utilities. Interested parties contact Roi
Achilles, Rt. 1 , Box 143, Quintet, KS 67752. Tel, (913) 754
2322.
Ill
ew
embers
Ton, S/C Ind.: Angela Dee
Stapleton
cadia, S/C Ind.: Pat Sherwood
aver Creek, Shen.: Bob, Kim &
Michael Healy. Joviah Morris,
Gail Miller, Adam Pequignol,
Angle Rhodes, Dana Suter,
Emi ly Simmons. Adam & Zach
Wampler
rkey, W. Pa. : Jonathon
Crissman, Berkey & Elva
Knavel, Tom & Twyla Jarvis,
Paco & Paiti Sanchez, Rodger
& Shirley Thomas
thany, Mid-All.: Cordelia &
Norman Legates, Al vin Outten,
Lawrence Reynolds, Michelle
Tucker
thiehem, Virlina: Timothy
Anderson. Katy Flora
le Ridge, Virlina: Sherman &
Velvet Cable
stine, S. Ohio: John Baker,
Brandon Harrison, Sarah Jones,
Beverly & Linda Seidel
dorus, S. Pa.: Jessica Brant,
CarlaOrwick
nnels Creek, S . Ohio: Amy
Bamhart, Jim & Kay Flora,
Dan & Libbie Hastings, Ben.
Betti & Sara Penry. Rick,
Richard & Peggy Stiver, Leona
& Richard Vest
y Run, S. Pa.: Robert & Gloria
Bowles, Juanita Controus.
Henry Donaldson. William
Fertney.Lydia Flora, Timothy
Garland, Heather. Lori & Robin
Goshom, Teresa Huerta.
Chrislina& Doug Johnson.
Virginia Schuchman, Joseph
Swackhammer, Shiela Swailes,
Donna Zeigler
slwood, N. Ohio: Wendell &
Georgia Tobias
"St Chicago, lll.AVis.: Monique
Bates. Mary Britton, Kim
Burkholder, Louie Herrera.
Bemice Howze, Dawn
Kaufman-Frey. China Perry.
DeJuan Riley, Frances Rucker,
Vercena Stewart, LaToya
StotTer, Temetrice Williams,
Sally Willoughby
)wer Hill, Mid-All.: Greg &
Linda Cook, John Duvall
irber's, Shen.: Richard & Teresa
Brown, Erich Gautcher, Jerry &
Mary Lee Heatwole, Brenda &
Randy Moyer^
•eenville.S. Ohio: Mary Hart.
Lois & Toss Henderson.
LucilleO'Neill
illidaysburg, Mid. Pa.: Bonnie
&Jeff!mler, Joseph Robeson
)koino, S/C Ind.: Martha &
Norman Cory
1 Verne, Pac.S.W.: Cliff &
Marian Bmbaker
aple Grove, N. Ind.: Dale &
Phyllis Newcomer
cPherson, W. Plains: Sandra
Eisele. Laura Harding. Ray &
JayneJames. Amber Jauken,
Charla Kingery, Cameron
Mahler, Mia Miller, Jenny
Stover, Miles & Doris Tyler,
John & Deb Wagoner, Shelly
Ware, Trisha Young
Mechanic Grove, Atl. N.E.: Lisa
Holzhauer
Moler Avenue, Mid-Atl.: Margaret
Fink. Jim & Sandy Long.
Janice & Keith Martin, Joyce
Sencindiver. Evelyn Thompson
Mount Joy, W. Pa. : Jonnee, Randy
& Susan Averly, Robert &
Sandy Brown, Flora Bungard,
Ryan Craig, Kelly Harbarger,
David & Melissa Logan, Clara
& Tom McCabe, Christopher
& Jennifer Miller, Kathy
Miner, Jason & John Myers,
Lee Nicholson, Amy Prinkey,
Erin & Heather Pritts, Alisa &
Andrew Scott, Robert Seder,
Stephanie Sheele, Molly &
Nicole Swartz, Laurie
Underwood
Mount Bethel, Shen.: Juanita &
Riley Smith
Nappanee, N. Ind.: Darlene
Childers. Cassie Hart, Jana,
Sam & Marsha Johnson, Hazel
Shepherd
Wedding
Anniversaries
Ankerbrandt, Donald and Janet,
Waynesboro, Pa., 50
Atkins, Charles and Lena,
Johnstown, Pa.. 50
Barkdoll, Edwin and Helen.
Waynesboro, Pa.. 60
Base, Lester and Alene, Akron,
Ohio, 50
Bouder, David and Edna,
Lancaster,Pa.,60
Brandt, Fred and Jeanne. Palmyra,
Pa., 50
Dunkle, Edward and Erma,
Johnstown, Pa., 71
Ekroth, Richard and Helen,
Palmyra, Pa., 50
Evans, Tom and Rose,
Wyomissing, Pa.. 50
Hagaman, Pauline and Perry. Troy.
Ohio, 60
Hanawalt,DwightandImogene,
La Verne, Calif., 50
Hartman,Galen and Dorothy,
Annville, Pa., 60
Kelly,Jamesand Mary. Johnstown,
Pa., 60
Mclntyre, Everett and Mable, East
Freedom, Pa., 50
Ober, Jay and Margaret, Manheim,
Pa.. 50
Over,Ralph and Mary, Lancaster,
Pa., 60
Pedigo, Herman and Mary, Akron,
Ohio, 65
Rieley, John and Lois. Tharton.
Va.,60
Rousselow, Virgil and Mary Helen.
Waterloo, Iowa, 50
Saylor,Eli and Rhoda,
Elizabethtown, Pa., 60
Shank, George and Lillian,
Johnstown, Pa., 73
Snider, Dan and Treva, Nappanee,
Ind., 65
Walter, Clair and Catherine,
Claysburg,Pa.,65
Weaver, Lee and Hazel,
Johnstown, Pa., 50
Deaths
Anderson,Merle, 9 1 , Fullerton,
Calif,Oct, 14, 1993
Babcock, Madaline, 90, Long
Beach, Calif, Sept. 25, 1993
Ballard, Maude, 92, Mount Morris,
111. March 11, 1993
Ballard, Myrtle, 9 1 , Dixon, HI..
Nov. 24, 1993
Barnhart, Janet. 73, Waynesboro,
Pa., Sept. 15,1993
Baugher, Milton, 97, New Oxford,
Pa..Oct. 13, 1993
Beckman,Gerald,78. Morgan-
town. W.Va.. Feb. 5, 1993
Bennett, Webster, 73, Clearville,
Pa., Aug. 15,1993
Bittinger, Ida, 82, Cross Keys, Pa.,
Sept. 2. 1993
Bittinger, Cecil. 80. Cuyahoga
Falls, Ohio.Sept. 21, 1993
Blough, Telford, 88. Hollsopple,
Pa.,Julyl7, 1993
Bollen, Rolland, 86, Byron, 111,,
March 27. 1993
Boots, Marion, La Verne, Calif,
Oct. 16. 1993
Borneman, Augusta, 94. Leaf
River.in..Jan.4. 1993
Bosserman,Quinter, 75, Peace
Valley. Mo., Oct. 12. 1993
Boyd, Henry. 91 . Sebnng. Fla..
Sept. 19. 1993
Boyer, Melvin, 79, New Freedom,
Pa., Oct. 26. 1993
Caracofe,Zola, 85, Bridgewater,
Va.. April 26, 1993
Chapman, Floyd, 79, Flora, Ind.,
Sept. 23, 1993
CIaycomb,Kathryn.72.Claysburg.
Pa., May, 15, 1993
Cline.Paul. 83. Dayton, Va., April
7,1993
Cline, Wilda, 96, Daylon, Va.. Aug.
6.1993
Conner, Charles, 66. Martinsburg.
W.Va., July 20. 1993
Curtis, Minnie. 80, Sinking Spring.
Pa.. Sept. 2 1.1993
Davis, Rozella, 8 1 , Troy, Ohio. Jan.
26,1993
Deaver, Mildred. 80. Cicero, Ind..
Sept. 9, 1993
Dierdorff,Richard, 75. Huntington.
W.Va., Dec. 18. 1993
Domer, Harold. 77. Sugarcreek,
OhicJunel 1.1993
Dunham, Benny. 58. Inwood.
W.Va., Oct' 3 1,1993
Eggleston, Tate, 101. Buena Vista,
Va., Oct. 2 1.1993
Eiler, Ernest, 84, Noblesville. Ind..
Nov. 2, 1993
Elwell, Ancel, 86, Bristol, Ind..
Aug. 16. 1993
Feathers, Orpha, 76, Claysburg,
Pa..Aug. 16, 1993
Forney, Ruth, 90, La Verne, Calif..
Sept. 2 1.1993
Foster.Harry, 77, Rocky Mount.
Va.,June I. 1993
Foulke.Grace, 69, Quakertown,
Pa..July29, 1993
Gainer, Norma, 79, Lebanon, Pa.,
Oct. 14, 1993
Garber, Jacob, 9 1 , Bridgewater,
Va.,Feb. 10. 1993
Garber, Daniel, 85, Polo. 111.. Sept.
2.1993
Geiman, Robert. 76. Chambers-
burg, Pa., April 17, 1993
Getty, John. 77. Covina, Calif..
Oct. 8, 1993
Gibble, Harry, 79, Denver, Pa.,
Oct. 26. 1993
Harman, Leona, 78, Harman,
W.Va..Oct. 10. 1993
Hensley, Sylvia, 75, Dayton, Va..
March 3, 1993
Hess, Pauline, 92, Waynesboro,
Pa.. Sept. 14. 1993
HofTman, May. 90. Windber, Pa..
Oct. 5. 1993
Hoover, Lowell . 64. Wakarusa.
Ind.. Sept, 7. 1993
Huffman, Emery, 83, Mc Veytown,
Pa., Oct. 6. 1993
KaufTman, Hilda, 83, Clarksville,
Mich..Oci. 12. 1993
Keith, John. 59. Curryville. Pa,.
Sept. 17.1993
Kenney, Speed. 8 1 , Spring Grove,
Pa.. Oct. 19, 199.3
King, Violet. 88. Goshen, Ind.,
Oct. 30. 1993
Kipp, Ruth, 78, Neffsville, Pa.,
Dec. 22. 1993
Kline, Lester, 7 1 , Chambersburg,
Pa.. May 22, 1993
Kramer, Alda, 83. Chambersburg.
Pa.. Jan. 3 1.1993
Leasel, Lucille, 84, Sturgis, Mich..
Oct. 5. 199.3
Lehman, Milton, 92, York County,
Pa..Oct. 15, 1993
Lehman, Pauline, 92, Defiance,
Ohio.Sept. 27. 1993
Long, Genevieve. 85. Mount
Morris, 111.. Nov, 24, 1993
Longnecker,Samuel, 77, Bridge-
water, Va„ June 18, 1993
Maggart, Elizabeth, 78, Syracuse,
Ind,, June 3. 1993
Mattix, Maxine. 76. Pasadena,
Calif. Sept. 4, 1993
McCIintock,Clarence, 92, Arcadia,
Ind., Aug. 5, 1993
McCullen, William, 66. Bosweil.
Pa., Feb. 3. 1993
McGill, Eva Marie, 84,
Noblesville. Ind.. Aug. 6. 1993
McKinney, Theodore, 68, Union
Bridge, Md.. Oct. 2 1.1993
McNett, Alice. 85. Mount Morris,
111., April 7, 1993
Mendorff, Mary. 67. Upper
Mariboro.Md„Ocl.28. 1993
Millhouse, Don. 60. Troy, Ohio,
May, 11,1993
Moler, Jane, 79, Martinsburg.
W,Va„Sept. 18. 1993
Moomaw, Edison, 8 1 , Sugarcreek,
Ohio.Aug. 19. 1993
Morgan, Brent, Silver Spring, Md.,
Aug. 1 1 . 1993
Mullins, Tex, 84, Phoenix, Ariz..
Aug. 3. 1993
Myers, Geraldine, 86, Troy, Ohio,
Oct. 1 6. 1 993
Nagle, Mary. 73, Dover, Pa., Oct.
11.1993
Neff, Iva, 87. Milford, Ind.. Au2.
30,1993
Neideigh, Glenn, 74, Prairie City.
Iowa, Aug. 2. 1993
Newcomer, Bemedette, 73, Udell,
Iowa, July 22, 1993
Ogden, Agnes, 80, UnionviUe,
Iowa, Nov. 1,1993
Ogden, Richard, 69, UnionviUe,
Iowa, July 6, 1993
Peterson, Alfred, 65. Hollsopple,
Pa., Aug, 1,1993
Plum, Helen, 87, Mount Morris,
111., March 10, 1993
Powell, Ralph, 8 1 , Troy, Ohio, Jan.
14.1993
Pryor, Devoda, 8 1 , Mont Alto, Pa.,
Sept, 12, 1993
Reber, Christine, 76, Palmyra, Pa.,
Aug. 29, 1993
Reynolds, Guy, 88, Des Moines,
lowa,Oct,25. 1993
Rife, Alice. 84. Greenville. Ohio.
July 18, 1993
Rimmer, Marge. 74. Mount
Morris. III.. April 4, 1993
Ritchey, Delmer. 86, New
Enterprise. Pa., July 6, 1993
Royer,Lester.63. Virden. IlL.Oct,
8,1993
Royer, Elsie May, 86, Virden, 111.,
Sept. 10, 1993
Rush, Cloyd. 78, Ashland, Ohio,
Sept. 24, 1993
Samsel, Ethel, 90. Oregon. 111.,
Sept, 18. 1993
Schildl, Madeline, 85, York, Pa.,
Sept, 26. 1993
Shenk, Sylva, 89, New Oxford, Pa.,
Aug. 2 1. 1993
Simmons, Dora. 101, Bridgewater,
Va. April 25. 1993
Smeltzer, Clyde, 79. Middlebury,
Ind .April 25. 1993
Smith, Iva, 93, Holland, Ohio.
Sept. 9. 1993
Smith, Richard. 66. Milford. Ind..
Oct, 10. 1993
Snowberger, Rosalie, 79, Waynes-
boro, Pa., Aug. 2 1 . 1 993
Stahl, Anna. 83. Hollsopple, Pa.,
July6, 1993
Stambaugh, Sterling, 86, Spring
Grove, Pa, Oct. 13.1993
Stone.Opal. 8 1 , Altoona. Pa,, Oct,
8,1993
Straka, Frank, 93, McPherson,
Kan,. Nov. 3. 1993
Stutzman, Eliza. 86. Hollsopple,
Pa. Feb, 2. 1993
Swank, Letha, Greenville. Ohio,
Sept. 26. 1993
Thompson,Charles.64, Martins-
burg, W.Va.. Aug. 14. 1993
Trent, Llovd, 76, Flora, Ind., Sept.
21.1993
Tune, Ruth, 96, Harrisburg. Pa.,
Aug. 23. 1993
WampIer,Cecil. 56. Mount
Crawford. Va,. Sept. 17.1993
Wampler, Alvin, 68, Dania, Fla..
July 29. 1993
Warden, Earl. 88. Bloomery.
Tenn..Oct, 12. 1993
Weaver, Emmert. 76. Windber,
Pa.. Sept. 10, 1993
Whitmer, Rose. 93, Churchville,
Va..Ocl.23. 1993
Wilfong, Clinton, 52. Weyers
Cave. Va.. Oct. 23, 1993
Ziegler, Rhoda. 87. Manheim, Pa.,
Oct. 1, 1993
Zimmerman, Carl. 83, Blue Ridge,
Va,.July21. 1993
January 1994 Messenger 31
Running away from history
In late November a candidate for president of
Germany discovered how costly it is to forget
history. Steffen Heitmann was forced to withdraw
from the presidential race after he made speeches
implying that Germany had paid enough penance for
World War II. He urged Germans to stop brooding
about the Nazi era and instead to view the Holocaust
and the murder of six million Jews as just one of
numerous horrible events in history.
Here in this country we also have our problems
with forgetting history (assuming that we ever knew
it). In the matter of the struggle of African Ameri-
cans for their rights and for acceptance, for example,
"European Americans" often raise objections to the
actions and attitudes of African Americans as if a
history of wrongs perpetrated upon that community
had never occurred.
Nothing gets my dander up faster than to hear
whites speak of "reverse racism" when they are
grumbling about acts of hostility by blacks against
whites, or are disparaging blacks for claiming
special privileges for themselves. "Isn't what they
are doing now as bad as what we used to do to
them?" the grumblers ask?
Such excuse-makers remind me of the boy who
had been in a fight with another boy and was asked
how the fight began. "It all started," he explained,
"when that bad boy hit me back."
The answer to the grumblers' question is "No."
The "bad" that whites have done to blacks, going
back hundreds of years, was done to the blacks not
for any wrong they had done, but from a desire of
whites to enslave them (with all the wrong that
entails) and more recently to protect the ability of
whites to deprive black citizens of their voting
rights, their access to educational institutions, and
their entry into the economy except at the lowest and
most menial levels. The "bad" that blacks do to
whites is the result of those centuries of oppression
and more recent decades of discrimination. The fight
didn't start "when that boy hit me back."
One has to make a distinction between the
ideological hostility of the oppressors and the
experience-based hostility of the oppressed. Not to
make that distinction is to twist history and to
conveniently forget the wrongs done to African
Americans on this continent for almost 400 years.
To equate the crusade to right the wrongs of those
four centuries with the actions that produced the
wrongs is to twist history even further.
There may be those reading my words who will
counter with "But two wrongs don't make a right; if
it was wrong to treat blacks unfairly, it is wrong to
32 Messenger January 1994
give blacks preference and thereby treat whites
unfairly." That's another way of forgetting and
rewriting history. The catch word here is the word
"unfairly." It wrongly suggests two more or less
equal parties to the quarrel. When the deck has been
stacked against the one party for centuries, it doesn't
equalize things for that party to be told that now he
is free to enter the game and take his chances.
Suppose one does enter the game, take one's
chances, and succeed to the extent that one is
prosperous and isn't adding to the welfare burden of
one's fellow tax-payers? Has equality been achieved?
Can race be a serious disadvantage to those who are
otherwise well positioned in the society? A 1991
broadcast of the ABC-TV program "PrimeTime
Live" demonstrated that it can be and is. A camera
crew followed two young men of equal education,
cultural sophistication, and level of apparent
affluence around a city in which neither man was
known. One man was white, the other black; that
was all the difference between them.
But that small difference meant everything. In
every encounter in the city, the black man was
treated with suspicion, irritation, disrespect, and
contempt ... by salesmen, store employees, rental
agents, landlords, employment agencies, cabbies and
ordinary citizens. In every way possible, he was
made to feel inferior and unwanted.
The young black man concluded from his ordeal
that it didn't matter if he walked down the street
well dressed in suit and tie, "someone will make
determinations about you, determinations that affect
the quality of your life."
Racism is a cultural fact, and although its effects
may to some extent be diminished by socio-economic
variables, those effects still will be great enough to
warrant this nation's attention and thus the continu-
ation of policies that tilt the field in favor of African
Americans, unfairly as that may sound to those who
run away from history.
JT^or Christians, and specifically for those in the
Church of the Brethren who are white, there is a
further responsibility beyond that carried by the
secular world. The 1991 report of the Committee on
Brethren and Black Americans described Brethren
shortcomings by painting what it called "a picture
that is bleak indeed." It is a picture that we as
individuals, as congregations, and as districts can
brighten ... if we have the concern, the conscience,
the will . . . and a good memory of our history
lessons. — K.T.
Youth can
come to the
edge this
summer
with your
help!
Youth groups are selling Messenger subscriptioris to raise
money for the 1994 National Youth Conference. For details
contact your youth advisor or Messenger representative, or
call the Messenger subscription office.
The Simple Life. It's Not Simdiy Black And White.
A blessing to others. A natural leader. A woman of compassion and
wisdom. Anna Mow's contagious laughter, zest for life and unselfish
nature exemplified her life of serving, sharing, giving and receiving
love. She directed others to Christ, she nurtured their souls. Anna
Mow had strong convictions and the courage to live them out. She
served in India from 1923-40, taught at Bethany Biblical Seminary from
1940-58, authored ten books, and provided leadership for several
National Youth Conferences. A 1918 Manchester graduate, Anna
Mow was among the rare and remarkable.
MANCHESTER COLLEGE
TRADITION
Jennifer Terry is another rare and remarkable Manchester student.
She, too, is a natural leader, a woman of compassion with a desire
to serve others. Jennifer, who is a senior biology/chemistry major,
also has strong convictions and the courage to live them out. In
1992, Jennifer worked six weeks at a medical clinic compound on
the coast of Haiti where she reached out to people in nutrition
centers, worked with youth in the church, and helped the medical
team in surgery. Sometime, Jennifer hopes to head back to Haiti,
knowing that when she's serving others, she is the one who is blessed.
VALUES * GLOBAL AWARENESS * FAITH * ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
LEARNING * ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS * COMMUNITY
PEACE & JUSTICE * STEWARDSHIP * SERVICE
Write or call to receive more information on Manchester programs or stewardship opportunities, to refer
prospective students, or to let us know if you are planning a special campus visit.
Manchester College does not discnminate on Ihe basis of marital status, sex. religion, race, color, national or ethnic origin, or
handicap in the administration of its educational policies, recruitment and admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, employment
practices, and athletic or other college sponsored programs.
MANCHESTER , ^ ^
COLLEGE MANCHESTER COLLEGE • North Manchester, IN 46962 • (219) 982- 5000
]
Moderator Earl Ziegler:
Watching things grow
Since we began having Brethren Volunteer Service journahsts
on the Messenger staff in 1974, we have had men and women,
youth and senior citizens, married persons and singles. We have
had not only Brethren journalists, but also Methodists and
Presbyterians. With our most recent recruit, we have still more
variety. Margaret Woolgrove, who began work with us in
October, is a Quaker from Scotland.
She comes from a rural home in an area of
southern Scotland known as the Borders. After
graduating from St. Andrews University, she was
awarded a fellowship to spend a "theological
reflection year" at Earlham School of Religion,
in Richmond. Ind.
Three years ago, while attending a Church
and Peace conference in Paris, Margaret met a
conference participant from Germany who
suggested she check out Brethren Volunteer
Service. That came to mind again in 1993, after
she went to Earlham, met several Church of the
Brethren students, and came across a BVS
promotion packet. Interested in journalism, she noted the
Messenger position in the project booklet, and . . . well . . . you
can guess the rest of the story.
Margaret says, "Don't hold me to it," but after her year with
us, she may go back to school, in England, for her Ph.D.,
leading to a teaching career in the area of history and theology.
Speaking of theology, Margaret, as a Quaker, finds listening
to sermons a novel experience as she gets acquainted with the
Brethren. Facing the Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren
congregation from her position in the choir, she is learning to
effect an appearance of rapt attention to the pastor's theological
discourses.
What she really likes about the Brethren is the feetwashing
tradition. "That has a lot of power," she says.
Read Margaret's articles this month on pages 4, 10, 16, and
18 to see for yourself how rapidly she has become immersed in
the Brethren world.
'^^UA/^^^iS^'^/^^
COMING NEXT MONTH: A cluster of articles describes
development ministries of the Church of the Brethren around the
world.
February 1994
Editor
Kermon Thomasson
Managing Editor
Eric B. Bishop
Editorial assistant
Paula Sokody, Margaret Woolgrove
Production, Advertising
Paul Stocksdale
Subscriptions
Norma Nieto
Promotion
Kenneth L. Gibble
Publisher
Dale E. Minnich
District Messenger representatives:
Atlantic Norttieast. Ron Lutz; Atlantic
Southeast. Ruby Raymer; IllinoisAVisC(
Gail Clark: Northern Indiana. Leon
Holdenread; South/Central Indiana. Mai
Miller: Michigan, Marie Willoughby;
Mid-Atlantic, Ann Fonts: Missouri/Ark
Mary McGowan: Northern Plains, Faith
Strom: Nonhem Ohio. Sherry Sampson
Southern Ohio, Shirley Retry: Oregon/ |
Washington, Marguerite Shamberger:
Pacific Southwest, Randy Miller: Midd'
Pennsylvania. Ruth Fisher: Southern
Pennsylvania, ElmerQ. Gleim: Wester
Pennsylvania. Jay Christner: Shenando.
Jerry Brunk: Southern Plains. Mary Ami
Dell: Virlina, David & Hettie Webster:,
Western Plains, Dean Hummer; West N
Winoma Spurgeon,
Messenger is the official publication ofi
Church of the Brethren. Entered as secc
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Congress of Oct. 17. 1917, Filingdate, I
1 , i 984. Messenger is a mi
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Messenger is owned and published I*
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mission. Church of the Brethren Gener.
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February 1 994. Copyright 1994,Churcl
theBrethren General Board. ISSN0026
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I
)uch 2
; to Home 4
i 6
Idwide 9
ithe
eneral Secretary
ping Stones 26
TS 27
ius' Puddle 27
lions 28
ling Points 3 1
jrial 32
24
ts:
, 1, 12-14: Tim Frye
Eric Bishop
Brethren Historical Library
id Archives
:r right: Scott McAlpine
Carol Stark
t: Art by Kermon Thomasson
Kay Jones
by Rosanna McFadden
: Bishop
: Margaret Woolgrove
lil Grout
m DeForest
hn Tubbs
Spending Thanksgiving building bridges 1
Margaret Woolgrove, in a Special Report on the 1993 Young
Adult Conference, tells how the participants built bridges
between people and cultures.
Earl Ziegler likes to watch things grow 1 2
Whether it's the vegetables in his garden or the congregations
he serves, the farmboy in Earl Ziegler likes to see growth. Don
Fitzkee profiles the 1994 Annual Conference moderator.
Join us for a Journey 1 6
The Accompaniment Program asks Brethren to be in Christian
solidarity with the people of southern Sudan. Margaret
Woolgrove explains how this is the "next logical step for us as
a peace church."
Treasure in an earthen vessel 1 8
Digging a well was the answer in over 3,000 other cases, but
for the Nigerian village of Ganji, something different was
needed. Story by Margaret Woolgrove.
Ode to a working well 20
The well in Zimbabwe is a world away from the one Howard E.
Royer pumped water from as an Ohio farmboy, but he sees both
as contributors to personal wellness.
When the door is closed 22
We use doors to keep people out, or to keep ourselves in.
Kenneth L. Gibble tells how Jesus used the image of doors to
make a point — a point also illustrated by an old Sunday school
song.
Cover story: A man who
plants a third of an acre of
his garden in cauliflower is
serious about growth. Don
Fitzkee ably shows that
Earl Ziegler is as serious
about growth in the Church
of the Brethren as he is
about his garden produce.
Turn to page 12 for the
story.
February 1994 Messenger 1
Inkli
Reviving a tradition
Linda Timmons had no idea
a year ago that she would be
running a gift shop before
the year was out. But last fall
there she was, pairing with
Linda Timmons and
Don Miller cut the
ribbon to reopen the
Elgin gift shop.
"In Touch " profiles Brethren we
would like you to meet. Send
story ideas and photos (black
and white, if possible) to "In
ToHc/i. ■' Messenger, 1 45 1
Dundee Ave.. Elgin. IL 60120.
general secretary Don Miller
to cut the ribbon and open a
gift shop off the lobby of the
Church of the Brethren
General Offices in Elgin, 111.
When the building opened
in 1959, there was a book
and gift shop in this spot, but
it fell on hard times several
years ago. It ambitiously
moved up Dundee Avenue to
a building all to itself, but
didn't make a go of it. After
that, it sporadically operated
in a far corner of the ware-
house section of the General
Offices.
A feeling persisted that a
gift shop still belonged where
it had started out —
in the glass-walled
room off the lobby.
Loyal customers
from better times
» asked for it. Return-
ing visitors to the
headquarters missed
it. Along came
Linda.
Her husband,
Glenn, had taken a
staff position in
,' Elgin, and Linda,
having left her work
' in Dayton, Ohio, as
a reading specialist,
— had found herself,
on short notice, in a
new location with no
job outside the
home. Directors of
program volunteers
Carol and Jon Hoke
recruited her for the
gift shop, and there
she was on October
27, cutting the
■a^ ribbon.
^ "It's a dream in
process," says Linda.
"I want to make it a
warm and inviting
place for visitors to
the building. The
Brethren Press books and
materials and the SERRV
craft items from around the
world give visitors a quick
impression of what Church
of the Brethren ministry is
about."
As she turned from her
interview to engage shoppers
in conversation, it seemed
clear that the dream is on its
way to reality.
"Mr. Excitement"
His Uncle Jim calls him "Mr.
Excitement." As soon as he
gets out of the car on Sunday
morning at English Prairie
Church of the Brethren (near
Brighton, Ind.), Tim Yoder
runs inside to greet whoever
is there.
"I really like church," says
this 31 -year-old church
enthusiast. "And the people
here make me feel good
when I come in. I enjoy the
Bible lessons and Sunday
school, too."
Tim lives at a halfway
house in LaGrange, Ind., and
works nearby at the School
of Opportunity. There he
puts wires in sleeves for
industries outside the school.
Just as he does at church,
Tim makes many friends at
work. Three evenings a
week, he studies goals-
setting at the halfway house.
Then there are the many
sports activities — basketball, '
horseshoes, golf, bowling,
and snowmobiling. And,
back at church, Tim sings
and plays the guitar.
Tim is a very busy person,
which is understandable,
being "Mr. Excitement."
I
This story is adapted from
information supplied by Tim Voder's
uncle. James E. Tomlonson.
Southern Ohio District Executive.
2 Messenger February 1994
A tardy "ordination"
It was worth coming back for
. . . maybe. Sarah Major
(1808-1884) showed up at
last fall's Atlantic Northeast
District meeting, and in the
elation that her appearance
stirred, the district conferred
on her the ordination that
was denied her, as a woman,
in her lifetime.
For the district board
report, Jean Moyer, of
Elizabethtown, Pa., played
the role of the famous 1 9th-
century preacher, coming
back to ask questions about
the state of the church today.
In a burst of inspiration
afterward, Stanley Earhart,
chairman of the district
ministry commis
sion, "asked for
the privi-
lege," called
"Sarah"
back, and
conferred
"posthu-
mous
ordina-
tion" on
her. The
real
Sarah, born
near Phila-
delphia, began
her preaching
ministry in the area
of what is now Atlantic
Northeast District.
In her day, Sarah, while
becoming a preacher so
famous that she addressed a
"standing room only" crowd
at the 1878 Annual Meeting,
was denied ordination by that
body. The rationale? The
1834 Annual Meeting
decreed, "Concerning a
sister's preaching: Not
approved of, (considering)
such sister being in danger,
not only (of) exposing her
own state of grace to tempta-
tion, but also causing
temptations, discord, and
disputes among other
members."
James Quinter, editor of
The Gospel Messenger in the
1880s, remembered of Sarah
that "though she had
considerable prejudice to
contend with . . . such was
her modesty, her humility,
her discretion, and her
exemplary life, that as she
was known, she was loved.
Generally . . . wherever she
went once to preach, she was
invited to repeat her visit."
The question remains
whether Sarah Major would
have been impressed by
her posthumous
honoring. In
1835, she
defended her
right to
preach,
ordained
or not, by
stating,
"God
always
gave his
gifts freely
where they
were willing
to use them,
and I believe in
Christ Jesus male
and female are one. . . .
Everyone should do as much
as they can to glorify God
with the different gifts of the
Spirit of God."
Opined Stanley Earhart,
"Our 'ordination' at the
district meeting probably
would have been more
effective if it had had the
benefit of some forethought."
Some forethought might
have been of benefit back at
the 1834 meeting, as well.
Harry Brubaker created this miniature of the Mock
meetinghouse, the oldest log church in the denomination.
History in miniature
Although the Mock meeting-
house stands near New Paris,
Pa., it also sits in Harry
Brubaker' s basement.
Harry built a miniature
version of the meetinghouse
to commemorate the oldest
known log Church of the
Brethren meetinghouse still
standing. He displayed the
replica at the Middle
Pennsylvania District
Brethren Heritage Fair last
September.
Harry, a member and
retired minister of Roaring
Spring (Pa.) First Church of
the Brethren, recreated the
Mock meetinghouse for a
couple of reasons. He enjoys
building log cabin minia-
tures.
Also, Harry's wife, Velma,
is a descendent of Christian
and Mary Mock, the donors
of the land on which the
Mock meetinghouse is built.
Many of Harry's creations
can be seen in his home —
furniture, toys, and other log
buildings. He has found a
good way to bring talent and
heritage together. — Paula
SOKODY
Names in tlie news
LeRoy Weddle, member of
McPherson (Kan.) Church of
the Brethren, and CEO for
The Cedars, in McPherson,
has been elected to the House
of Delegates of the American
Association of Homes for the
Aging.
• Kay Sponseller, a
member of North Winona
Church of the Brethren, near
Warsaw, Ind., and a teacher
at Manchester High School,
in North Manchester, Ind.,
was named the 1993 Warren
K. and Helen Yeager Garner
Teacher of the Year at
Manchester College.
February 1 994 Messenger 3
Sweet harmony
Give the Ku Klux Klan
credit for one thing: It
motivated a move toward
Christian unity in one
Pennsylvania town.
Ephrata, Pa., in 1988
instituted a Unity Week in
caring and sharing, not ,
condemning and criticism."
So, for six years, Ephrata
Church of the Brethren and
Bright Side Baptist church
have participated in annual
pulpit and choir exchanges.
Bright Side is predomi-
nantly African American and
Dawn Harmon, choir
director for Bright
Side Baptist church
directs the combined
Ephrata and Bright
Side choir on Unity
Sunday.
"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,
J451 Dundee Ave.. Elgin, IL 60120.
response to a need to
demonstrate that the town
stood for more than the Ku
Klux Klan, for which it had
gained some notoriety. "We
were very disappointed that
our community would have
to be represented in such a
way," says Darvin Boyd,
moderator of Ephrata
Church of the Brethren. "We
wanted to show in a positive
way that this wasn't how we
felt. We wanted to show
What a deal!
Now here's a car dealer you
can trust! Jacob B. Hershey,
a member of York (Pa.)
First Church of the Breth-
ren, and president of Penn-
sylvania Auto Dealer's
Exchange (PADE), found a
good way to help flood
victims in the Midwest.
Jacob established his
auctions in 1957, and now
has a business that attracts
urban, whilst Ephrata is still
mainly white and rural. But
despite the differences, the
two groups have enjoyed
their exchange experiences.
Says Darvin, "It has served
a very important role in
helping us appreciate that we
are all brothers and sisters in
Christ, and that the color of
one's skin has nothing to do
with the mind and the
heart." — Margaret
WOOLGROVE
dealers and fleet owners from
45 states and 10 countries.
PADE donated $5 for
every vehicle registered and
another $5 for very vehicle
sold on one of the regular
"dealer only" auctions it
holds. From the fund drive,
$12,305 was raised, which
was donated, through
Southern Pennsylvania
District, to the denom-
ination's Emergency Disaster
Fund.
History at Happy Corner
Grades 3-6 of the Sunday
school at Happy Corner
Church of the Brethren,
Clayton, Ohio, took to heart
the question, "Whatza
Wissahickon?" (That's the
title of the new Brethren
Press curriculum materials.)
The children visited the
Brethren Historical Center in
the old Happy Corner
Meetinghouse as part of their
history series. They learned
about old traditions by filing
in silently and boys sitting on
one side of the room and
girls on the other.
After a lesson on Brethren
service ideals, the children
put their offering in a
traditional "poor box,"
money that would go toward
a service project of their
choosing.
Other reminders of
Brethren heritage were the
The "poor box" was a
fixture in early Church of
the Brethren meetinghouses.
old pews, tum-of-the-century
photos of Annual Meeting,
black bonnets, feetwashing
basins, love feast bowls and
pitchers, and old Bibles.
And whatza Wissahickon?
Whether you know the
answer or not, you're up a
creek.
4 Messenger February 1994
"Caring Friends" are: seated: Emily Kaltenstein, May
McAfee, Ruth Aldrich, Hiram Bower. Standing: Robert
Duncan (chairman), Betty Malenke (associate pastor), Carl
Elliott, Nettie Elliott, Rhea Griffinger, Jane Dotterer,
Virginia Moye, Thelma Strickler, Eleanor Bower.
A satellite out there
It's not a new NASA
spacecraft orbiting the earth,
even though the news was of
a satelhte launching.
Bethany Seminary inaugu-
rated a new model of
theological education
October 3, with the "launch-
ing" of its Susquehanna
Valley satellite on the
campus of Elizabethtown
College, in Pennsylvania.
Pastor Jimmy Ross of
Lititz (Pa.) Church of the
Brethren gave an address
titled "A Treasure and an
Earthen Vessel." Bethany's
president. Gene Roop, and its
dean, Rick Gardner, also
participated. Director of
studies John David Bowman
was installed.
The initial session, with 22
students, was held October 4,
with Dale Brown teaching a
course called "Brethren in
Historical and Theological
Perspectives." Other courses
are offered in the winter and
spring quarters.
What friends are for
The Faith Community of
the Brethren Home, a new
congregation established in
The Brethren Home and
Cross Keys Village, New
Oxford, Pa., sponsors a
ministry called "Caring
Friends." These volunteers
sit with nursing residents
who are dying.
The volunteers are trained
to provide care that is
meaningful and comforting.
Associate pastor Betty
Malenke, coordinator of
"Caring Friends," says that
the ministry has been well
received by the home.
Front: Kyle Helfrich, Mark Hyndman, Ryan Kreider,
Natalie Bowie, Lindsay Burkett, Middle: Christopher
Burkett, Luke Sherman, Kelly Campbell. Back: Zack
VanEmon, Andrew Helfrich, Shiloh Sherman, Melissa
Hyndman, Jane Zumbrun (teacher).
Gifts of the heart
Jane Zumbrun, youth teacher
at Columbia City (Ind.)
Church of the Brethren, got
an idea from reading
stewardship material from
denominational headquarters
and introduced her students
to the gift of giving.
During last summer's
Midwest floods disaster, the
youth practiced that gift.
Each chose a card that
displayed a need on it for
flood victims. The youth
group sent health kits,
bedding kits, food staples,
kitchen utensils, and clean-
up kits to Church World
Service for its "Gifts of the
Heart" program.
This and that
Reversing a tradition, the
Kid's Club of Stone Church
of the Brethren, Buena Vista,
Va., treated instead of
tricked last Hallowe'en. They
raked leaves for homebound
members of the congrega-
tion. On a later visit, they
brought gifts of fruit and
sang hymns. Kid's Club
focuses on Bible study,
service projects, choral
music, and drama.
• The youth of Osage
Church of the Brethren, near
McCune, Kan., held a benefit
auction last November to
help a family that had
numerous medical bills not
covered by insurance.
• Meetinghouse, a
Mennonite life center,
museum, library, and
archives, in Harleysville, Pa.,
is carrying an exhibit on the
Church of the Brethren,
titled "Those of Like Pre-
cious Faith." The exhibit
runs through April 30.
Meetinghouse is located at
565 Yoder Road, in
Harleysville. Hours are 10-5,
Tuesday-Saturday; and 2-5,
Sunday. For information, call
(215) 256-3020.
Let's celebrate
Osage Church of the
Brethren, near McCune,
Kan., celebrated its 1 15th
anniversary November 21.
• Three Springs Church
of the Brethren, near Blain,
Pa., began celebrating its
150th anniversary January
16 with a slide presentation
and ice cream party. On
February 27 the celebration
continues with a "talent
night."
February 1994 Messenger 5
The logo for the 1994 Annual
Conference in Witchita, Kan., was
developed by Rosanna McFadden of
Indianapolis, Ind.
Native American paper heads
Annual Conference business
Among key items on the agenda for the
1994 Annual Conference in Wichita,
Kan., is the unfinished business of the
paper on Native Americans, "Commu-
nity: A Tribe of Many Feathers."
When presented as a study paper in
1993, this item sparked
considerable debate over
what critics saw in the
paper as affirmation of
Native
/ .\/iAr\\£, /j^.^,/^ American
.<-\^\^\l\t\^^ i 1^^ "'^gious
elements that
ncompatible with
the teachings of Christ.
New business includes
two queries from Illinois
and Wisconsin District, on
"Acceptance and Implementation of the
Americans with Disabilities Act" and the
"Simple Life."
Earl Ziegler
David M. Bibbee
1 V ». Lt_- Nai
"^^^- y^ / were incompati
In pre-Conference meetings. Standing
Committee will hear reports from its
subcommittee on Sexuality and Leader-
ship in the Church, and its committee
that is reviewing the 1992 Ethics in
Ministry Relations paper.
The theme of this year's Conference ii
"Come! Drink the Living Water," taken
from John 7:37-38. The logo was desigr
ed by Rosanna McFadden of Indianapo-
lis, Ind. She also has done logos for
Annual Conference in 1987, 1991, and
1992.
Earl Ziegler, Annual Conference
moderator, will preside over the busines
sessions and preach at Tuesday
evening's service.
Other Conference speakers are David
M. Bibbee, pastor of Elkhart (Ind.) City
Church of the Brethren, on Wednesday;
Rebecca Baile Crouse, co-pastor of
Antioch Church of the Brethren near
El decreto sobre los Indigenas Norte Americanos
encabeza los topicos de la Conferencia
Because the news pages include news from various
Church of the Brethren organizations and move-
ments, the activities reported on may represent a
variety' of viewpoints. These pages also report on
other national and international news relevant to
Brethren. Information in news articles does not
necessarily represent the opinions o/ MESSENGER or
the Church of the Brethren.
Entre los puntos importantes en la
agenda de la Conferencia Anual de
1994 que se lie vara a cabo en Wichita,
Kan., esta el decreto sobre los Indig-
enas Norte Americanos: "Comunidad:
Una Tribu de Muchas Plumas" que aun
no ha sido terminado. Cuando este se
presento como un simple papel de
estudio en 1993, se inicio un gran
debate sobre lo que los criticos
consideraban una afirmacion de los
elementos religiosos de los Indigenas
Norte Americanos que no estaban de
acuerdo con las enseiianzas de Cristo.
Los asuntos nuevos incluyen dos
querellas del Distrito IllinoisAViscon-
sin sobre "La Aceptacion e Implemen-
tacion del Acto de Americanos Inca-
pacitados" y "La Vida Simple."
En reuniones preparatorias a la
Conferencia el comite oira reportes del
subcomite sobre la Sexualidad y
Liderazgo en la Iglesia, y del comite qui
esta revisando el documento de 1992
sobre Etica en Relaciones Ministeriales.
El tema de la Conferencia de este aiio
es "Ven y Bebe del Agua Viva" que
viene de Juan 7:37-38. El logo fue
diseiiado por Rosanna McFadden de
Indianapolis, Ind. quien tambien diseiio
el logo para las Conferencias Anuales d
1987, 1991 y 1992.
El Moderador de la Conferencia
Anual, Earl Ziegler, presidira las
sesiones y predicara en el culto del
martes por la noche. '
Otros invitados para hablar son Davie!
M. Bibee, pastor de la Iglesia de los i
Hermanos Elkhart City, Ind., el
miercoles; Rebecca Baile Crouse, co-
pastora de la Iglesia de los Hermanos
Antioch cerca de Rocky Mount, Va., el
6 Messenger February 1 994
tecca Baile Crouse
Tyrone Pitts
;ky Mount, Va., on Thursday; Tyrone
s, general secretary of the Progres-
: National Baptist Convention in
shington, D.C., on Saturday; and S.
n Hershey, a former General Board
irwoman from Florin Church of the
thren in Mount Joy, Pa., on Sunday.
The Gathering," a drama, will be pre-
ted on Friday. The Saturday evening
gram will feature "Acappella," a na-
lally known male quartet. Youth/
Ling Adult Ministries and Annual
iference are sponsoring the concert,
'aul Roth, pastor of Highland Avenue
arch of the Brethren, Elgin, 111., is
sic coordinator for Conference. Wor-
D leaders are Judy Mills Reimer, 1994
derator-elect, on Tuesday; Laura Sew-
a retired India missionary, from
ice Church of the Brethren, Portland,
!., on Wednesday; Milton Garcia,
tor of Castaiier (P.R.) Church of the
ves; Tyrone Pitts, secretario general
la Convencion Nacional Bautista
igresiva en Washington D.C., el
ado; y S. Joan Hershey, pasada
sidenta de la Junta General de la
;sia de los Hermanos Florin en Mount
, Pa., el domingo.
il viemes se presentara el drama "The
thering." El programa del sabado por
loche presentara "Acapella" un
irteto de varones conocidos nacional-
nte. Este concierto es patrocinado por
oficinas de Ministerios Juveniles y la
tiferencia Anual.
'aul Roth, pastor de la Iglesia de los
rmanos Highland Avenue en Elgin,
, sera el coordinador de musica. Otros
:res de culto son Judy Mills Reimer,
deradora electa para 1994 el martes.
ara Sewell, misionera retirada de la
lia, de la Iglesia de los Hermanos
tland. Ore., el miercoles. Milton Gar-
, pastor de la Iglesia de los Hermanos
Castaiier, P.R., el jueves. Gail
Brethren^ on
5. Joan Hershey Thursday; Gail
Erisman Valeta,
pastor of Buckeye Church of the Breth-
ren near Abilene, Kan., on Friday; and
Phyllis Kingery Ruff, Peace Church of
the Brethren, Council Bluffs, Iowa, on
Saturday. Worship leader for Sunday is
Stafford Frederick, pastor of Olathe
(Kan.) Church of the Brethren.
Business sessions, worship services,
exhibits, and age-group activities will be
held at the Century II Convention Cen-
ter. Some meetings will be held across
the street from the convention center at
the Ramada Inn.
Packets of information about regis-
tration, accommodations, transporta-
tion, and special events will be mailed
to all churches and registered delegates
in March. Conference booklets will
be available in May. For these items
and other information, contact the
Annual Conference Office, 1451 Dundee
Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.
Erisman Valeta pastora de la Iglesia de
los Hermanos Buckeye cerca de Abi-
lene, Kan., el viemes. Phyllis Kingery
Ruff de la Iglesia de los Hermanos
Peace en Council Bluffs, Iowa, el
sabado. Stafford Frederick, pastor de la
Iglesia de los Hermanos Olathe en
Kansas, presidira el culto del domingo.
Sesiones, cultos, exhibiciones y acti-
vidades para grupos de diferentes eda-
des se llevaran a cabo en el Centro de
Convencion Century II. Algunas reu-
niones tendran lugar al frente del cen-
tro de convencion, en el Ramada Inn.
Paquetes de Informacion sobre la
registracion, alojamiento, transporta-
cion y eventos especiales seran envia-
dos en Marzo a todas las iglesias y del-
egados registrados. Folletos sobre la
Conferencia estaran disponibles en
Mayo. Para mas informacion comuni-
quese con la Oficina de la Conferencia
Anual, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL
60120.
Emergency aid granted to
Midwest states, Armenia
A grant of $25,000 has been allocated
from the Emergency Disaster Fund to
assist with the ongoing recovery efforts
in Midwest states from earlier flooding.
The funds will be used for volunteer
maintenance, expenses related to
rebuilding projects, small grants to some
of the Interfaith recovery groups, and a
shipment of hay for farmers.
A grant of $20,000 has been given in
response to an appeal from Church
World Service to assist war refugees
and other displaced persons in Ar-
menia. As winter sets in, it will become
increasingly difficult to reach the
refugees, many of whom already are
suffering from disease and frostbite.
The grant will be used to help over-
come shortages of food, clothing,
medicines, and heating fuel.
Calendar
Environment, Development, and Peace:
Exploring Connections in Undergraduate
Education, Bethel College, Kan. .February 1 8-
20. [Contact Karen Klassen Harder, Bethel
College, 300 Ea,st 27th, N. Newton, KS 67 1 1 7,
(316) 283-2500]
Cooperative Disaster Child Care Worksliops:
February 25-26, Rochester, N.Y. [Further
details from CDCC, (410) 635-8734]; March
1 1-12, Lanark, III. [For more information call
Marian Patterson, (815) 225-7279].
"Prayer on tlie Plains" gathering for lay people,
McPherson College campus, February 25-27.
[Contact Gary Flory, McPherson College,
McPherson, KS 67460, (316) 241-0731].
Church of the Brethren Association of
Christian Educators' conference. Camp
Bethel, Fincastle, Va.. April 15-17. [Contact
Doris Quarles, P.O.Box 56, Daleville. VA
24083, (703) 992-2465].
Church Visit to Brazil: South and North Meet in
a Tunker' Way, July 10-28. sponsored by Lat-
in America/Carri bean Office. [Further details
from Latin America/Carri bean Office, Chruch
of the Brethren General Offices, 1451 Dundee
Ave., Elgin, IL 60120: (800) 323-8039].
February 1 994 Messenger 7
Historic Peace Churches
gather, discuss role of UN
Some 32 representatives from the three
Historic Peace Churches, the Church of
the Brethren, Mennonite Churches, and
the Society of Friends (Quakers), and the
Fellowship of Reconciliation met in a
two-day consulta-
tion in December to
reflect on the paci-
fist response to con-
flicts in which mili-
taries are function-
ing as humanitarian
agencies and UN
peacekeeping forces
are becoming more
militarized.
Several questions
served as foci for the
group. Do they
support United
Nations peacekeep-
ing forces, and if so
by what criteria and
methods do they
carry out their
goals? Are embar-
goes and sanctions to be endorsed? How
can diplomacy be more effective? What
has active nonviolence in Europe, South
Africa, and elsewhere taught us about
dealing with conflict and violence?
While no clear statement emerged
from the consultation, the meeting repre-
sented an important beginning as paci-
Benefit Trust board discusses
medical plans, investments
Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) held its
fall board meetings in November at
Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, and made
several investment-related actions.
The BBT board made two decisions
concerning the Brethren Medical Plan.
Premium medical rates were set for the
agencies on the January to December
premium year. On average, this is a 6
percent increase for the 1 1 Brethren
8 Messenger February 1994
fists face new and challenging situations
in the world. There was discussion on the
role of the UN as peacekeepers vs.
peacemakers. It also included working at
conflict resolution as prevention instead
of as a reaction to crisis.
"The heritage of the peace churches is
ready to launch into the mainstream of
Celia Cook Huffman and Robert Johansen were two of the
representatives of the Church of the Brethren at the Historic
Peace Churches conference in December.
Christianity — and the nation depends on
it," said Walter Wink, a professor at
Auburn Theological Seminary.
Representatives from the Church of the
Brethren were Lamar Gibble, Robert
Johansen, Julie Garber, Cliff Kindy, Joan
Deeter, Lauree Hersch Meyer, Tim
McElwee, and Celia Cook Huffman.
Medical Plan groups on this plan. The
groups on the July to June plan will
receive adjusted premiums in July 1994.
The board received an update on the
debate over an alternative medical plan.
Constituents have urged the BBT to pro-
vide a plan in spite of the 1993 Annual
Conference action to the contrary.
The board agreed to rescind its policy
prohibiting investments in companies
doing business in South Africa, and it af-
firmed taking a more proactive role pur-
suing investment options in community
Brethren volunteer joins peac€
team in Balkan region
Vic Ullom, a Brethren Volunteer Service
worker, began training this month to
participate on the Balkan Peace Team.
The team is an international project
that aims to establish a permanent
presence of international volunteers in
crisis areas of the former Yugoslavia,
to work for nonviolent conflict resolutio:
and the protection of human rights.
Ullom, a member of the Wiley (Colo.
Church of the Brethren, is one of four tC|
begin the training. Following the initial
training, the team will go to Zagreb for
language training.
He has been working at Casa del Puel
lo, an Hispanic adult education center ii
Washington, D.C. since completion of
his BVS orientation in October.
The goals of the team, as stated in the
Agreement for Service, are to "seek to |
identify possibilities for dialogue be-
tween the different groups; serve as a
channel of independent and nonpartisai
information from the regions, reflecting
all points of view; contribute team-men
bers" skills for the benefits of all citizer
for instance by offering workshops in
mediation and nonviolent conflict resol
ution, or by giving language classes; arl
act as third-party observers at the scene
of incidents or potential flashpoints."
Teams will be placed in "little pock
ets" where people are being pushed
around because they are a minority.
redevelopment, social justice, preserva-
tion, and reclamation of environment.
In other business, the board approve^
rebidding the Medical Plan Stop Loss
and Life Insurance components of the
current contract with Provident, and
exploring legal possibility and financiii
feasibility of becoming self-insured fon
the life component; and hired a secon
investment manager. Amhold and S.
Bleichroeder Capital was selected as a
additional investment manager for BBi
equities, effective January 1, 1994.
PA announces peace
gram for grandparents
idparents for Peace is the newest
Tarn from On Earth Peace Assembly
PA). It was founded for grandparents
icourage their grandchildren to seek
st's message about peace.
EPA asks that grandparents make a
mitment of $30 a month for three
s to OEPA's Peace Academy. Along
the financial contribution, they are
asked to supply OEPA with the
dchildren's names, addresses, phone
bers, and ages.
return, OEPA and The Peace
lemy will provide a Peace Academy
tend for each grandchild free of
ge. They will also notify the grand-
Iren with an invitation to a Peace
Academy experience, give the sponsors a
Grandparents for Peace sweatshirt, and
place their names on a sponsors' Grand-
parents for Peace plaque in The Peace
Place at the Brethren Service Center.
According to Tom Hurst, OEPA
director, "OEPA is now providing
grandparents in the Church of the
Brethren an opportunity to pass along
the gift of faith — the opportunity for
grandchildren to explore, out of a faith
context, the teaching of Jesus, who
provides to all of us an example of how
to live a peaceful life."
OEPA hopes to invite over 1 ,000
grandchildren through the grandparents'
contributions within the three-year
committment.
For more information, contact On
Earth Peace Assembly, Brethren Service
Center, P.O. Box 188, 500 Main Street,
New Windsor, MD 21776-0188; tel.
(410) 635-8704.
Atlantic Northeast executive
announces resignation
Robert Kettering has announced his
resignation as associate executive of
Atlantic Northeast District, effective
March 1. Ketter-
Rnheri Kettering
ing has served on
the district staff
since 1987. His
future plans are
not certain, but he
and his family will
continue to live in
Manheim, Pa.
ira Nazombe, a public policy advocate, began work
ary 1 as director of world community for tfie National Council of
ches. In her position, she will provide leadership for programs
joiicies related to critical global concerns, such as human rights,
lationa! affairs, and other emerging international issues that the
cil would seek to address. The Office of World Community
)ines the functions of the former International Affairs, Human
ts, and Intermedia offices.
.eaders from six historic African American denomina-
representing 13 million people gathered in December at the
;k Church Environmental Justice Summit." The leaders pressed
loint that long before the ecological movement became a pop-
high-profile issue, environmental injustice was a reality for the US
an American community."
rhe church leaders challenged Vice President Al Gore, who
ided along with Shantilal Bhagat, Church of the Brethren staff for
Justice and Rural concerns, to stand with them "against the
!s that are ripping the heavens and raping the earth ... in the
3 of progress, prosperity, and pride."
Do-convening the summit were six historic black denominations:
Urican Methodist Episcopal Church, African fvlethodist Episcopal
Church, Christian l\^ethodist Episcopal Church, National Baptist
/ention, USA, Inc., National Baptist Convention of America, and
iressive National Baptist Convention.
Some of the summit goals were to explore the bridge issues that
link the black church to environmental issues, e.g., health, poverty,
racism, unemployment; to explore the links between economic and
environmental justice; to establish and provide seed grants to support
a Black Church Network on Environmental Justice that can work
closely with the National Religious Partnership for the Environment;
to sensitize the scientific and environmental communities to environ-
mental justice issues; and to demonstrate the links between global
warming, ozone depletion, deforestation, and justice issues.
Representatives of Guatemala's civil sector, guerrilla
leaders, and diplomatic observers from five countries met late
last year in a historic first encounter arranged by Lutheran World
Federation (LWF).
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Rigoberta f^enchu attended as a
special guest. She stated her conviction that Guatemala's internal
conflict merits the same international attention as was given to the
Israeli-Palestinian accords.
LWF, the National Council of Churches (NCC), Latin American
Council of Churches, and World Council of Churches co-sponsored
the meeting, with participation by the Evangelical Council of Churches
in Guatemala and the Roman Catholic Church in Guatemala.
Civil sector representatives included churches, unions, the
University of San Carlos (the rector), the Widows Association, the
Journalism Association, Maya Indians, and human rights groups.
Diplomatic observers present were from Nonway, Spain, Mexico,
the US, and Venezuela.
Febraary 1994 Messenger 9
spending Thanksgiving building bridges
by Margaret Woolgrove
"In Brazil," said Onaldo Periera, "we
think all Americans are a Madonna or a
Michael Jackson. We see them with their
great wealth, and assume that everybody
has the same. It is only after meeting
ordinary Americans that we realize this
is not true."
The theme of the 1993 Young Aduh
Conference was "Building Bridges . . .
Between People and Cultures," and the
112 young adults who met at Camp
Mack (Milford, Ind.) over Thanksgiving
were given ample opportunities to put
this theme into practice. The group came
from places as far apart as California and
Pennsylvania, Illinois and Texas, El
Salvador and Brazil, with an additional
international flavor added by the
presence of Brethren Volunteer Service
workers from England and Scotland and
a Japanese exchange student from
Manchester College.
In introducing the first session,
Deanna Brown (chaplain at Manchester
College) spoke from the context of her
own failures at bridge-building, person-
ally and within the church, and chal-
lenged the group to look at their modes
of expression and communication with
one another. This was particularly
relevant for a group that included 10
A ceremonial "water
blessing" was part of
the closing worship of
the conference, an
international
gathering of 112
young adult Brethren
who worked at
"building bridges . . .
between people and
cultures. "
participants from El Salvador, Nicara-
gua, and Brazil, who spoke Spanish or
Portuguese as their first language, and
(for some) very little English. Reliance
on a translator, or on an improvised form
of sign language was often the only way
of bridging the language gap between
participants, and the laughter that was
shared — despite the barriers of language
and culture — was rich and life-giving.
On
'naldo Periera spoke movingly of his
sometimes painful transition into North
American culture on his first extended
visit here. He told of the different value
that is given to personal relationships in
the United States. In his first weeks in
the US, when he needed to speak to a
friend, the friend was too busy. Cultural
barriers and their potential bridges were
subjects with which many of the group
identified, having traveled or lived
overseas themselves.
Onaldo told a story about a member of
the Church of the Brethren from the US
who had gone to Brazil to learn more
about the culture and the people there.
"She brought with her lots of dollars, so
we rented a car and set out for our
destination. I had not traveled much
within my country before, and soon we
were lost. At first, she was in control; if
we encountered trouble or hardship,
there were always enough dollars to
rescue us. One day we realized that aU
the dollars were gone, and my friend
broke down and wept. 'What shall we do
now that we have no more dollars? How
can we survive?'
"But something happened that day tha;
changed her. She lost her control, and
we became equals, struggling together
alongside the people of Brazil. Ameri-
cans like to take their comforts, their
small bits of America with them when
they travel, but if you go some place with
medicine and traveler's checks and the
telephone number of the American
Embassy, you are not traveling with the
people; you are watching them from a
position of power and superiority. The
challenge we face is to go to another
country and let go of all of our controls."
Deanna Brown spoke of the need for
inner "grounding." She told of two
friends of hers, Linny and Ron. "Linny ii
always giving things to people. For her
40th birthday she was given a brand-
new, shiny red convertible. It was just
what she'd always wanted. For two days
she drove around town showing it off to
all of her friends. Then one day she
turned up at racquetball practice without
her new car. When we asked what had
happened to it, Linny told us that she
1 Messenger February 1994
d loaned the car to her 18-yeaf-old
ighbor to drive to the beach. We
sped in disbelief, but for Linny, it didn't
itter. She was the kind of person who,
you told her you liked her sweater,
)uld take it off and give it to you.
"Ron, on the other hand, always
smed to be trying to show how worthy
was. When he won a game of racquet-
11, he wouldn't just shake the hands of
5 opponents and wish them better luck
xt time, but instead, he would start
itiquing their game, telling them where
jy had gone wrong, and how to
iprove for next time.
"Now, if I were to show you a picture
two people, one with arms tightly
Ided across the chest, and the other
th arms outspread, you would probably
sume that the one with the folded arms
Ron, and the one with the outstretched
nns, Linny, but in reality it is the other
ly around. Linny' s strength comes
)m within, and is dependent on who
e is and not on what she owns. She
In't mind loaning her shiny red car
cause she knew that her self-worth
isn't dependent on the car staying
iny or new. Ron is the one with the
len arms. He has no faith in himself or
God's love for him, and so he seeks
proval from outside himself."
Onaldo used the analogy of coming
rough a storm to speak of the need for
ounding. "In Brazil one time we had a
g storm. The wind blew and the rain
me down for days and days. It washed
y house and everything we owned
iwn the hillside. It washed the plants
d trees away. All except one. This one
as the smallest, most spindly tree of
em all, and yet it survived. I was so
fiazed by this that I dug the tree up,
id discovered that underneath the roots
as a huge rock. The tree had not been
/ept away because it had grounded
;elf around the rock. We too should be
ce the tree, and be grounded not in
liat we have, but in who we are."
Workshops on areas such as the
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1
Worship was enhanced when participants from Central America provided songs and
music: Jorge Gonzales, from El Salvador, and Nicaraguans Eddy Moncada,
Mendelson Davila (with guitar), Karla Bonilla, and Guilermo Eugarrios.
Church of the Brethren in Brazil,
liberation theology, the political and
economic situation of El Salvador/
Nicaragua, and life transitions enabled
participants to take an in-depth look at
these subjects, in smaller groups. For the
workshops on Brazil, Nicaragua, and El
Salvador, it was the English speakers
who wore the translation equipment, and
not the international visitors. For many
participants, this was a learning experi-
ence in itself, for they became dependent
on the translation of others.
D>
'uring the traditional last-night
"talent show," the participants learned
that jokes can be cross-cultural, that
poetry is virtually impossible to translate,
and that the most universal language of
all is laughter. They laughed together
almost as much as they sang together,
singing in Spanish, Portuguese, Swahili,
and English with enthusiasm and rich
harmony.
The whole weekend was punctuated
with worship — planned and unplanned.
During one morning's worship, Juanita
Guardado and Jorge Gonzalez expressed
their grief over the death of their brother
Alvaro Rivas in a drowning accident last
June, during a workcamp in El Salvador
(August/September, page 25). A candle
was lit for Alvaro and passed from one to
another in remembrance of his life, with
the realization that his death had built a
bridge between the two cultures, binding
the group together in death, but also in
life. Alvaro' s candle will stay in North
America, and a candle from the Young
Adult Conference was sent back with
Jorge and Juanita to demonstrate the ties
of friendship they have with young
adults here.
The candle symbolized the healing
power of the light of God, and water was
used to demonstrate the cleansing and
renewing of the Holy Spirit, especially
during the feetwashing on our last
morning together.
Ai.
February 1 994 Messenger 1 1
Earl Ziegler likes U
By Don Fitzkee
Some years ago Earl Ziegler tended a
third-of-an-acre patch of cauliflower in
addition to tending his flock at the
Mechanic Grove congregations from
Sunday to Sunday. Both grew very well.
He has since scaled down his cauli-
flower patch, but still plants a big garden
each year. His wife, Vivian, who does all
the freezing and canning, says, "It's still
too big. Every year I plead with him to
plant less, but I don't get anywhere."
"That's the farmboy in me," Earl
responds. "I just like to watch things
grow."
Whether it's gardens or churches, the
1994 Annual Conference moderator and
pastor of Lampeter Church of the
Brethren in southern Lancaster County,
Pa., seems to have a knack for growing
things.
"I've seen Earl as one of the most
successful pastors in the denomination in
terms of growing the church and calling
forth leadership," says Bob Kettering,
who served for three years with Earl as
associate executive of Atlantic Northeast
District. It must be the farmboy in him.
Earl Ziegler grew up on a farm in
Lebanon County, Pa., with his six
brothers and sisters. His parents were
deacons in the Richland congregation,
before moving to the nearby Heidelberg
church when Earl was 17.
"I call the Heidelberg church my home
church because I was both licensed and
ordained there," says Earl, "but my
formative, nurturing time was at
Richland."
At age 12, Earl went forward at a
revival meeting to accept Christ as his
Savior. "I still remember my baptism as
a very meaningful moment," says Earl.
"The thing that I remember is that I
really felt a sense of that forgiveness of
sin." Earl also remembers the snow-
covered ground, the January cold, and
his mother carefully stuffing his clothes
1 2 Messenger February 1994
with newspapers to insulate him
against the frigid stream water.
Before long, members of the
church began to notice Earl's gifts.
When Earl was about 16, Richland
elder Michael Kurtz asked him to
teach Sunday school, and a head
chorister invited him to lead congre-
gational singing one evening. "I
dove right in, foolishly," says Earl.
"But somebody saw those gifts."
The congregation also saw gifts for
ministry, and encouraged Earl in
that direction. He recalls, "I was
oscillating between being a medical
doctor and a minister. It was the
influence of my home congregation
that I think tipped the scale."
The lesson on calling wasn't lost
on Earl. He took it with him and has
challenged others ever since. Don
Hollinger, who served as Earl's
associate pastor at Mechanic Grove,
recalls. "He was constantly seeking
out, calling, and challenging people.
And he did that with me in ministry.
He challenged me to enter areas I
never had before."
Sherry Eshelman, a member at the
Lampeter church, also sees in Earl
an ability to call forth gifts. "He has
a real knack for getting people to do
things," she says, "even when they're not
sure they want to do them." Earl chal-
lenged Sherry to tell a children's story
when she didn't think she could, and she
blossomed into a creative storyteller.
Xhere are many pastors in this
district," adds Bob Kettering, "who name
Earl as a key person in their pursuing a
call to ministry." Don Hollinger, who
now pastors the Indian Creek church,
near Harleysville, Pa., remembers Earl as
one who nurtured his call. "Earl has
taught me more of the practicality of
pastoral ministry," says Don, "than any
seminary ever could have taught me."
Although it was more acceptable to
wait for the congregation to call, Earl
volunteered for the ministry at age 18,
was licensed, and began studies in
secondary education at Elizabethtown
College. He met his wife-to-be, Vivian,
there. In 1951, they graduated in the
spring, married in August, and went
directly to Bethany Seminary.
After Earl's graduation in 1954, he
and Vivian spent the next six years
pastoring the Woodbury congregation, i
Middle Pennsylvania. The congregation
grew during Earl's tenure, and in 1960
divided into three churches — Woodbury
Curryville, and Holsinger. In the
transition period. Earl preached three
times a Sunday and looked after a
P
i
B
i
atch things grow
Whether it's cauliflower or congregations,
Earl Ziegler has a knack for making them grow.
imbined membership of about 700.
By then the Black Rock church, in
)uthem Pennsylvania, was ready to hire
i first salaried pastor, and chose Earl,
irtly because he grew up with the free
inistry and understood the dynamics of
congregation moving from a free to a
laried ministry. After a 10-and-a-half
!ar stint at Black Rock, Earl in 1970
cepted the call to Mechanic Grove,
here he pastored until 1983.
All the churches Earl led had two
ings in common: "Every parish I've
id has been terrific people," says Earl,
nd every one grew numerically.
Worship attendance at Mechanic
rove swelled from around 230 to 400
iring Earl's tenure. The story had been
similar at Black Rock.
"I think the key to growth," says
Earl, "was that people knew that I
cared about them." He attributes
much of the growth to building
personal relationships with people.
"I talk with people about
salvation and about their relation-
ship with Christ," says Earl, "but
not in the typical way that you
would think. I've got to learn to
know people first. I don't go into a
house and ask 'Are you saved?' I
want to know people first. Then if
you know people, it seems to me
you earn the right to do that. It's
not saying the right words, or
button-holing or approaching. No,
it's that personal relationship that
brings integrity."
Earl was reluctant to leave
pastoral ministry, but he eventually
accepted the call to become Atlantic
Northeast District executive, a
position he held from 1983 to 1989.
Since then he has pastored
Lampeter, an active congregation
that was planted by the Mechanic
Grove church during his time there.
Lampeter has been very supportive of its
pastor/moderator. Not only has the
congregation freed him for half of the
Sundays this year, but each week a
family lifts the moderator up in prayer.
Whi
'hile the congregation is Earl's first
love, he also has been active in district,
denominational, and ecumenical
ministries. He was district moderator in
each of the three districts where he
pastored, including twice in Middle
Pennsylvania, and was a trustee at
Elizabethtown College for 1 8 years.
Earl served two terms on Annual
Conference Standing Committee, was a
member of the 1964 study committee on
Divorce and Remarriage and the L991
Denominational Structure Committee.
From 1976 to 1980, he was on the
General Board, chairing the Parish
Ministries Commission his final year. He
was pastor-in-residence at Bethany
Seminary in 1982. Most recently Earl
helped denominational staff Paul
Mundey envision the Passing on the
Promise program and was a teacher in
the "Friend to Friend" video series.
"I think you'd have to say he's very
Brethren, but not lacking in ecumenical
interests," says Stanley Earhart, who has
worked with Earl in a number of
capacities over the years and is presently
moderator at Lampeter. Earl has chaired
several local ministeriums, served on the
governing board of the Pennsylvania
Council of Churches, and fulfilled a
three-year appointment to the National
Council of Churches Commission on
Marriage and Family. Currently he is on
the Lancaster Board of the Samaritan
Center, a nationwide Christian counsel-
ing organization.
Several of Earl's ecumenical involve-
ments have grown out of his interest in
family ministry. "Family has always
been important in my background," he
says. "I came from a large family, a
strong family, with loads of cousins."
Over the years. Earl picked up snatches
of training in family ministry, and
eventually earned his Doctor of Ministry
degree from Lancaster Theological
Seminary with a concentration in
marriage enrichment. He and Vivian led
many marriage enrichment weekends
through the years. During his Woodbury
pastorate. Earl wrote the first sex
education curriculum for Northern
Bedford High School and was later
recognized by Elizabethtown College for
this achievement in Christian education.
February 1 994 Messenger 1 3
But family matters have never been
merely an academic or professional
pursuit for Earl and Vivian. In addition
to congregations and cauliflower. Earl
and Vivian have grown a lot of kids.
They are parents of six grown children
and have 10 grandchildren.
"We have four that we say are home-
made," says Earl, and two adopted Asian
daughters. In addition, the Zieglers have
invited several other children into their
homes over the years for periods as long
as three years. All told, a dozen or so
children of various ethnic backgrounds
call Earl and Vivian "Mom" and "Dad."
"We've had a very colorful family and
a family that changed through the
years," says Earl. "And that, I think, has
had a real impact on me."
One way his family shaped Earl was
by sensitizing him to other ethnic
groups. Jan Kensinger, who served six
years as associate district executive with
Earl, recalls, "He had a lot of excitement
and enthusiasm for bringing persons of
different ethnicities into the life of the
district and denomination. He was really
aggressive in pursuing those interests
during his tenure."
On his office wall. Earl displays a
plaque from the Dominican Brethren,
expressing appreciation for his support.
Earl became aware of the church-
planting efforts of the Dominican
Brethren during a 1989 trip to Puerto
Rico. Excited about what he heard. Earl
promised to raise $15,000 to build a
church in Los Toros. He eventually
facilitated the 1990 Annual Conference
query from Atlantic Northeast District
that led the church to support church-
planting in the Dominican Republic.
"That's why I got the plaque," he says. "I
came at a time when they were discour-
aged, and I gave them a boost."
Accompanying his interest in ethnic
ministry and overseas outreach is Earl's
passion for travel. The Zieglers' family
room shelves are stuffed with boxes of
slides from the more than 40 countries
Earl and Vivian have visited, many of
them by organizing and hosting group
trips. Jan Kensinger recalls that Earl
loved to entertain his colleagues in his
home. "Usually it was a set-up," she says
14 Messenger February 1994
Earl's wife, Vivian, gives him a hundred or so sermon illustrations as a Christmai
gift each year. The compilation is handily indexed for his convenience.
with a smile, "so he could show us slides
of his last trip!"
Earl's aggressiveness in supporting
ministry in the Dominican Republic is
indicative of his working style. "One of
the things about Earl," says Don
Hollinger, "and this could be looked on
as a negative, but I look on it as a
positive — when he got a vision in his
mind he was riveted to that vision. He
put his all into it. Some thought that
looked pushy, but I always saw it as a
strength."
Be
►ob Kettering echoes those senti-
ments: "He's a tireless worker and an
assertive leader. His assertive style is not
always appreciated by everybody, but
people with vision know where they're
going and how to get there."
Earl says his life philosophy is
borrowed from Africa explorer and
missionary David Livingstone, who said
"I will go anywhere, provided it be
forward." Earl's pace corroborates his
fidelity to that philosophy, says long-
time friend Joan Hershey. "He has one
gear, and that's forward and fast."
Jan Kensinger recalls that one of the
hazards of working with Earl in a small
district office was "having to hang onto
your papers when he walked by your
desk because he created a big gust of
wind in his enthusiasm to get where he
was going."
Earl says he comes by his frenetic p;
honestly. "If you knew my dad and m>
mother, my dad never walked anywhe
He always ran. And my mother was th
same way; she never quit."
Sherry Eshelman, who once tried
unsuccessfully to follow Earl to a
meeting, testifies that he doesn't slow
down when he gets behind the wheel c
car either. "I used to say to him that I
know God is his co-pilot," says Sherry
"because he flies when he drives!"
Noting that six-time Conference mode
tor Otho Winger also had a reputation
for speed (See "Otho Winger: He Live
'With the Throttle Wide Open,'" Octo
1989), Stanley Earhart deadpans, "Eai
drives pretty fast. I don't know if that'
what it takes to be moderator or not."
Jan recalls that the first trick Earl
taught new district executive Allen
Hansen was how to save time by cuttii
across the Wendy's parking lot to get i
the district office.
Along with Earl's desire to save tim
is a keen interest in saving money. Bol
Kettering describes him as frugal. "Or
thing that stands out in my mind," say
Jan Kensinger, "is his living out of a
simple life. For him it really was a
lifestyle by choice and by practice."
Jan recalls that Earl didn't feel it
necessary to go out for lunch on his
birthday, according to the custom in tl
district office. "He was very serious,"
says Jan. "He said he we didn't need t<
e of Earl's special interests has been the growing church in the Dominican
mblic. He is shown here with Pedro Brull, Santos Mota, and Jorge Toledo.
out to lunch. We could carry lunch
' Earl persuaded his colleagues to
h bring his own lunch, and he
ught a baloney sandwich. "It was just
ypical of Earl," says Jan. "He was
y happy with a baloney sandwich for
birthday."
iarl says one reason he moves so fast
[lat there are so many things he enjoys
ng. "I've always enjoyed everything
: done," says Earl. "I never had a day
; I had to go to work that I felt I
n't want to go. That maybe sounds
; it's not true, but it really is true."
1 addition to gardening and travel, he
Vivian enjoy music together. In
rs past, they often sang together at
Idings. More recently they have
Formed lighthearted musical pro-
ms for senior adults. While at Black
;k. Earl directed an area Brethren
I's chorus, and during his Mechanic
ive pastorate he led an interdenomi-
onal men's group from churches in
them Lancaster County.
1 music, family, gardening, and
listry, Vivian has been Earl's quiet
xiex. "She's not a noisy person," says
1, "but very supportive and creative in
own way. I often ask her, 'What do
think about this idea?' She's the
ing ground to help me not go too far
way or another."
>ne way Vivian has quietly supported
1 over the years is by compiling an
sual card catalog. Vivian, who served
as a school librarian for over 20 years
before retiring last year, has given Earl
an annual Christmas present of four-by-
six cards, covered with topically ar-
ranged quips and clippings that she
gleans from her readings.
"He used to always come on a Sunday
morning when he was ready to go out the
door and say, 'Now what's a good
illustration for this?'" Vivian recalls.
"Well, I didn't have it off the top of my
head." So she began collecting illustra-
tions and gives Earl a hundred or so
cards each year. He calls them "the best
Christmas gift I've gotten for the last 25
years."
X-/arl has emphasized two related
themes in his moderator's travels. The
church needs to deal with its conflicts
and center its life in Jesus Christ. "When
our centering is in Jesus Christ and we
really know what that means," says Earl,
"I think you and I can discuss anything
and not be angry with each other. We
may not agree, but we can be brothers.
That's basically been my theme."
Those themes grew out of Earl's
experience at last year's Annual Confer-
ence. "We all went to Annual Confer-
ence a bit apprehensive, scared, con-
fused, irritated, but we came away again
experiencing the power of prayer and the
Holy Spirit."
Earl hopes to continue an emphasis on
prayer through the "Prayer on the
Plains" gathering that he has called for
the last Sunday in February. The day will
be designated "Brethren Day of Prayer"
so that those who can't be at McPherson
College can still lift up the church.
Earl says he senses hope in the church
as he travels around the Brotherhood. "I
think many people feel that we're
turning a comer as a denomination,
moving more toward outreach, and more
toward being concemed about other
persons out there rather than simply
keeping our own store in operation." The
church, he says, is excited about new
ministries in the Dominican Republic
and South Korea.
But Earl believes the church has a
long way to go in including ethnic
Brethren. "There's a real fmstration in
the Hispanic and Korean communities in
the Church of the Brethren that they're
second-class citizens," he says, "that we
like them as long as they do what we
want them to do. I think that's true. We
haven't empowered them, and I don't
know why. 1 really want this year to lift
up the opportunities for ministry to the
multicultural groups, to invite them to
impact us, because they have a lot to
give us."
Earl believes mission work among
Koreans and Hispanics in the US and
abroad will not only help the church to
grow but will "extend our ministries far
beyond ourselves into other cultures."
Whenever you become ingrown, when
you tum yourself inward. Earl believes,
you are heading for disaster. "A living
organism is out there reproducing itself.
When you stop growing you begin to die,
and I think that's what was happening in
the denomination.
"The whole evangelism bit, the whole
mission thing, is just part of me. We
need to go into all the world."
Whether it be congregations, denomi-
nations, or cauliflower. Earl just
likes to watch things grow.
Ai.
Don Fitzkee. ofRheems. Pa., is a licensed
minister in Chiques Church of the Brethren.
Manheim. Pa., where he is being ordained on
February 6. He ser\ed as an editorial assistant on
the Messenger staff. 1986-1988. Presently he is a
member of the denomination's General Board.
February 1 994 Messenger 1 5
Join us for a journey
by Margaret Woolgrove
For many people in Sudan, the daily diet
consists of one small cup of red beans
cooked in a little oil. The beans are eaten
slowly, picked out one by one and
methodically chewed. It would take too
much energy to eat them faster. Dis-
tended stomachs and emaciated bodies
are the sure indications of the ravages of
famine and starvation among these
people.
In the civil war that has ravaged Sudan
for 28 of the 38 years since independence
was granted, the people of southern
Sudan have lost virtually everything. In
the past 10 years alone, at least 1.3
million Sudanese have died from war-
induced violence or famine. That's the
equivalent of over 350 people dying each
day of the year for those 10 years. That is
15 people an hour, on the hour, every
hour for those 10 years.
The figures are startling, but death is
not the only toll that has been taken on
the people of southern Sudan. As well as
losing family and loved ones, the
Sudanese have lost their homes, their
cattle, and their livelihood. And the
infrastructure of southern Sudan has only
worsened in the years since indepen-
dence. There are no real schools, very few
hospitals, and roads so potholed that in
the rainy seasons they turn into virtually
impassable swamps of mud.
The civil war situation has worsened in
the past two years with the outbreak of
factional fighting among the rebel troops
of the south (the Sudan People's Libera-
tion Army, SPLA). Some of the differ-
ences between the main factions run very
deep, and often have as much to do with
ancient tribal animosity as with current
issues of democracy and leadership.
However, the factional fighting is being
used to the full advantage of the (north-
em) government, which is sitting back
and biding its time, aware that a house
divided against itself cannot stand.
A tentative ceasefire was negotiated
between the SPLA factions in October
1993, a ceasefire which, at the time of
16 Messenger February 1994
writing, was holding. If peace is to be
achieved within Sudan, it is crucial that
the southern Sudanese factions come to a
stable solution for themselves, for until
this happens, they remain vulnerable and
weak.
Terrible atrocities and human rights
violations have occurred on both sides of
the conflict, with the result that the
majority of the population live in daily
fear for their lives and the lives of those
around them.
At least 80 percent of the southern
population has been displaced at least
once over the past 10 years, with current
estimates of at least five million Sudanese
internally displaced, while 300,000 are
refugees in neighboring countries.
vJudan is a bloodbath every bit as bad
as that in Somalia or Bosnia-
Herzegovina, and yet, according to Jim
Kunder, head of the US Agency for
Intemadonal Development's office of
foreign disaster assistance, Sudan is "the
most silent of the major humanitarian
crises around the world today."
"Psycho-sclerosis" is the term that was
coined to describe the condition of a
hardening of the mind and heart that
afflicts each of us at some point after
hearing about a disaster in our
neighbor's backyard. Only in this
instance the "neighbor" is Sudan, and
the backyard happens to be a few
thousand miles away.
"We are suffering here because we are
Christians," Rebekah Lueth told a
Brethren delegation in Sudan last
January. "You have left us here to be
killed during 37 years of fighting. Is it
because we are black people?" (See
"Sudan: We Will Remember," May
1993.)
John Jones, a member of the Church of
the Brethren from Myrtle Point, Ore.,
still speaks of the empowerment he felt
on returning from the January 1993
Brethren visit to Sudan. "Many people
want to do something, but they just feel
so helpless," he says. "My faith has
been strengthened so much by being
there, and just seeing how much faith
and hope these people have in the mid
of their suffering. They have a commi
ment to Christ that involves truly livir
out the gospel, truly living out the
Christ. I have a great faith now, and a
determination to continue to struggle 1
these people. I refuse to let the over-
whelming size of the country's problei
make me powerless any longer. These
people have a story that needs to be
heard."
It is in part the faith of the people
which has led John to his decision to
take part in the Church of the Brethre
"Accompaniment Program," jointly
coodinated by David Radcliff, office o:
denominational peace witness, and M(
Keeney, Africa/Middle East office.
"Two images remain in my mind,"
said John. "Both images are of a moth
and child. The first is of a mother sitti
with her child on the steps of a Cathol
cathedral. Three months previously, b
had been on the verge of death, but no
although the child's hair is still red fn
malnutrition, they are alive and well.
They smile at me.
"The second image is from Aswa, ai
a hospital with 60 beds that serves a
catchment area for 700,000 people. Tl
day we visited, the one doctor and teai
of support staff were caring for 380
patients. In addition, there were hun-
dreds of outpatients who made the dai:
trek to the 'outpatient ward' in an
adjacent dirt field to receive a moment
care and treatment. In that hospital ar(
another mother and child, sitting on tl
floor. The conditions are terrible. In th
next door room we hear the cries of a
man who is being operated on without
anaesthetic. The woman's child is ver
emaciated, with a hugely distended bei
Neither mother nor child has the enerj
to do more than look up at us as we
arrive.
"But this mother is the Madonna, ar
her child is the Christ child. The
difference that has been made for the
first mother by just a little bit of huma
in aid, is the difference between life
death. For me, it was proof that what
io, no matter how small, does count,
world has so much pain that it is
I to see the changes when they
3en. But they do happen, and relief
; get there. Without it, the first
her and child would not be alive
■y-"
It is urgent that we stand by the southern
Sudanese in a time when not only individual
lives but the very existense of a people is at risk.
isplaced Sudanese mother and
dren, needing someone to
nmpany them in their plight.
Iruly I tell you, just as you did it to
least of these . . . you did it to me"
lit. 25:40).
or John Jones, the decision to take
; in the accompaniment program was
dling. "Their struggle is my struggle,
r family is my family. I cannot turn
back on my family when they are in
d."
John is one of a group of Brethren who
have taken up the challenge that has
been laid out by the Accompaniment
Program to go and walk alongside the
Sudanese people in their journey toward
peace.
This journey will be no picnic, a point
that is stressed by David Radcliff and
Merv Keeney. "We have been in accom-
paniment with the people of Sudan since
1980," says David. "But this is a
different phase to that accompaniment. It
is a very direct type of accompaniment,
which places people in communities to
stand by the people of Sudan who are at
risk. There is a heaviness about asking
people to take on this kind of a risk, and
a sense that we are calling people to the
edge.
"This takes more courage than going
into battle fully armed. The only 'arms'
we will take will be those of our Chris-
tian convictions."
Louise and Phil Rieman, Brethren
workers in Sudan, survived a bombing
raid last year. After the initial attack,
Phil found one woman blown apart as
another lay dying. He could do nothing
for her but hold her hand and pray.
The program asks its participants to go
to Sudan in Christian solidarity, and
share the burden of these suffering
people. In the case of the continuance of
a ceasefire between the SPLA factions,
participants in the program will have an
important role to play as an international
presence encouraging the maintenance of
such agreements. The leaders of Sudan
care a great deal about how they are
perceived by the international commu-
nity, so this presence could be crucial.
"We are very clear that an agreement
will have to be made with the rebel
forces before we send anyone into the
South, to ensure that the role and the
person will be respected," stated Merv
Keeney. "We have no guarantees that
these people will be safe, but we cannot
send them unless we know that their
position is respected by the various
factions involved.
"What we do know," continues Merv,
"is that the leaders of the factions have
used international forums before and so
we know that they are open to the idea of
an international presence monitoring the
peace process."
The first accompaniment team was
made up entirely of Brethren applicants,
who will be sent out, when the time is
right, in pairs to monitor the current
ceasefire.
"The work we will be doing is known
as 'interpositioning,'" according to John
Jones. "This means that internationals
are put in positions between the two
factions, to promote the peace. As well
as monitoring the peace, and sending out
reports on the keeping or violating of the
peace agreements, we will be doing
needed things like educating the chil-
dren, and administering simple medical
needs. It is a ministry that looks to all
the needs of the people, and not just at a
clinical monitoring of the peace."
Mary Mason, a nurse from Sebring
(Fla.) Church of the Brethren, left in
February for a two-year period in Sudan
as part of a three-person health care
team. This team is going to the back
country of Sudan to look for the esti-
mated thousands of Sudanese who have
been wandering with nothing but leaves
to eat for months or years, without being
discovered by relief agencies.
"There is an inherent risk for partici-
pants in taking on this ministry of
accompaniment," says David Radcliff,
"and yet it seems like the logical next
step for us as a peace church, to respond
to the needs of our Christian brothers
and sisters. There is a certain readiness
in the denomination, and also in Sudan,
for this type of work to begin. The people
of southern Sudan have placed tremen-
dous hope in the church, and they
trust that together we can make a
difference."
Ai.
February 1994 Messenger 17
Treasure in an earthen vessel
by Margaret Woolgrove
"I find myself in the middle of January
with one village that I hoped would be
motivated to build a dam, not at all really
serious," wrote Nigeria field-worker
Dave Whitten. "We had scheduled an
introductory meeting with them, (but)
only the chief, the pastor of the church,
and a handful of men showed up. A very
small percentage of the total population
of the community. I'm worried that it
might be difficult to find that 'model'
village and have something to show for it
before it rains. I do have a couple more
leads I'm following up on, so we shall
see. As with all community development,
the community needs to come to terms
with its own needs and to address it in a
cooperative way. Somehow the knowl-
edge of our advisory skills needs to
precede our actual coming. . . . I'm
discouraged, but not defeated."
The Church of the Brethren self-help
well-digging project began some 20
years ago to help villages in Nigeria find
better water supplies, (see "Water From a
Thousand Wells," October 1984.) Since
1978 more than 3,000 wells have been
built, but there are still many communi-
ties in the area that suffer because of
inadequate water supplies. The self-help
well-digging project is designed to help
the villages help themselves, according
to Dave, who has been working in
Nigeria at the invitation of Ekklesiyar
Yanuwa a Nigeria (EYN — the Church of
the Brethren in Nigeria) since January
1992. By providing ideas, organization,
and sometimes tools, the program acts
as a catalyst to get the people of the
village working together to find better
drinking water.
The depth of water tables can be a
problem, as can the fact that water tables
around the world are being depleted
faster than they are being renewed.
These two facts have added an interest-
ing conundrum to the problem of
providing renewable water resources to
the people of northern Nigeria. So far the
program has concentrated mainly on
well-digging, but with the input provided
by Dave Whitten, a new emphasis has
been added — the dam.
G
lanji is a village in this region that
already had two hand-dug wells and a
government bore hole, but which could
not get enough water during the dry
season to fill the needs of the village. In
March 1993, the well-digging program
received a request from the village to
assist it in deepening one of its wells.
After analyzing the situation of the
village, Dave suggested that a better
solution to the problem might be an
earthen dam. "At first there was much
skepticism, but after a series of discus-
sions and small models made in the sand
(the villagers) soon understood and
became generally interested."
March 29 was the date set to begin
construction. "We arrived with all our
equipment only to discover (that) no one
(had) shown up for work except the
chief. The chief said for us to be patient,
but after two hours, only a handful was
present. At this it was obvious that
people were not ready, and that we could
not start work until the village was really
supportive of the project. I tried to make
them aware that this was their project,
and only through their efforts could it be
successful."
Later that week, Dave received a lette
from the chief stating that the people
were ready to begin work. "The follow-
ing week we showed up and found 20
men ready for work. We began."
Three weeks later, the dam was near
completion. "Since a dam is in place, I
would say the project has been a suc-
cess," wrote Dave. "In terms of commu-
nity development it has been less
successful. Average daily work atten-
dance has been less than 30 percent of
the male population (and) no women
have showed up for work even when we
have suggested it."
Throughout the work, the presence of
Dave and his team was needed to keep
the work going, even though the people
in the village knew what to do, and had
the tools to do it.
The dam at Ganji is now at full
capacity, with excess water passing
through the spillway. The water is being
used by individual villagers. One of the
advantages of a dam is that the filled
reservoir serves to "charge up" the
surrounding water table, thus enabling
the building of a strategically placed
shallow well nearby to collect clean
water for drinking. This also helps to
minimize the incidence of waterbome
diseases that often are prevalent in
surface collection water, especially when
the source is shared with animals.
The dam-building project was a
success also as a model to encourage
other villages besides Ganji to try the
dam idea. "We have had a lot of people
coming to see the site and have had
requests from villages also seeking
similar projects." Dave and his team
have plans to build further dams at I i*
the start of this year's dry season. I *
1 8 Messenger February 1994
r
Left: David Whitten and Stephen Zoaka survey the
dam site. The presense of the team was an
important impetus for villagers' participation.
Lower left: At the initial meeting, Ganji villagers
voiced much skepticism about the dam proposal.
Below: The project took three weeks. Now Ganji
has a year-round reservoir of fresh water.
'anji's dam was a success not only in ensuring
year-round water supply (including a shallow well
mrbyfor drinking water), but it also was a success
I providing a model to encourage other villages.
February 1 994 Messenger 1 9
Ode to a working well
by Howard E. Royer
One of my earliest love/hate relation-
ships was with an iron pump.
1 loved what it could do — draw water
from a 90-foot depth to refresh the living
creatures and plants on our west-central
Ohio farm. And to endow us with the
best tasting thirst-quencher to be found
anywhere. It was always cool, always
free, always there.
Yet I loathed the old pump. Mainly, I
guess, because the stock tank beside it
always seemed empty, no matter how
often it was filled. I have yet to figure out
where in the Bible or clan tradition it is
ordained that the youngest family
member keep the trough full. What a
waste of one's formative years, going
hand to handle with a pump. Of course
never in my wildest fancy did I foresee
the day when grown-ups would pay big
money to work machines eliciting
essentially the same motion, and the
same boredom, all in the interest of
physical and mental well-being.
Upon reaching my teen years, I was
given a reprieve. With the conniving of a
doting grandmother and a supportive
uncle who felt my time might better be
applied elsewhere, a motor and jack were
wired to the pump, and the handle
disengaged.
Generally my father was not enamored
with time-saving devices, but on this one
he relented. I loved it. A flick of the
switch, and I could be on to other things.
The horses and cows loved it; never
before had the water level in the tank
been maintained so high. But what really
turned the barnyard crowd on was the
times I neglected to turn the switch off —
overflowing the tank and drenching the
terrain around it. Having soft, cool mud
to stand in on a summer day, in the
shade of two enormous maples, was
about as close to cow heaven as four-
legged critters could come on a farm
landlocked without creek or pond.
Xhese were the images my mind
replayed as I traveled in southern Africa
to cover drought conditions. In the
highlands of eastern Zimbabwe, not far
from the Mozambique border, I saw
scores of pumps not unlike that one at
my boyhood home. Sometimes the
pumps were surrounded by long queues
of containers, signaling situations in
which the water table was perilously low
and users would have to check back
hours later. Other places, the water
flowed freely and there were no queues
at all.
Under the aegis of Christian Care, the
service arm of the Zimbabwe churches
and a partner agency of Church World
Service, some 175 wells are being dug or
bored across Zimbabwe's northeastern
highlands, above Nyanga. Available with
the wells, if the villagers are interested,
are "laundromats" — a concrete bulwark
with compartments for soaking and
rubbing clothes at the well site — and
community toilets that utilize the latest
technology in public sanitation.
Most impressive was the "handing
over" ceremony in the village of
Nyamahumba, at which the Christian
Care staff turned over the ownership an(
maintenance of the newly completed
"Manda 2" well to the village water
committee that it had mobilized and
trained. Present for the event, besides th
committee members, were the pump
installation crew, the cementing and
fencing crew, neighborhood children,
and those most impacted by the well —
the mothers of Nyamahumba.
The women were exuberant: No longe
would they need dig into a dry river bed
in search of a pool of muddy water. No
longer would they need transport water
up to three hours a day. No longer woult
they need boil every drop of water their
household consumed. Ecstasy over a
well — their own well.
The singing and dancing at
Nyamahumba prodded me to reassess th
place of a pump in my own experience.
At last it dawned on me how much our
well had contributed to my personal
wellness, and to that of our entire famib
and farm. Would that every home or
village on earth was so blessed.
A working well — an ode to health, FTj
to life, to joy! I —
Howard E. Royer is director of interpretation o
the General Services Commission staff.
20 Messenger February 1994
: / watched the children of Nyamahumba celebrate
eir new well, it dawned on me how much the well at
^ boyhood home in Ohio had contributed to my
rsonal wellness, and to that of our entire family.
Febmaiy 1994 Messenger 21
When
the door
is closed
by Kenneth L. Gibble
We noticed the doors. In the Italian
neighborhood of South Philadelphia,
people live in row houses, many of them
virtual look-alikes in size and exterior
appearance. All except for the doors.
My wife and I were fascinated by these
doors when we took a walk during a visit
to Philadelphia. Some doors were
painted in bright colors. Some boasted
impressive-looking brass knockers.
Other doors were made mostly of glass.
Still others featured elaborate grillwork.
Obviously an expensive door was a status
symbol in this neighborhood.
Doors. Why do they exist? What is
their purpose? To let people enter and
leave a building. Or, to say it another
way, doors exist to let people in and to
keep people out.
Mosdy, I think, to keep them out.
Nowadays. Some of us can remember a
time when doors were kept closed for
other reasons. Living as we did in a rural
area, my family usually didn't bother
locking the doors to our house. There
didn't seem to be a need for it. Only
when we went away on an extended trip
did we lock up.
Doors were meant to be kept closed for
reasons of sanitation and heat conserva-
tion. Doors kept out summer flies and
winter drafts. In fact, my mother had an
expression she used when one of us
children came into the house and left the
back door open. "Were you born in a
sawmill?" she would ask. I often
wondered where that expression came
from. Was it because sawmills have no
doors? Anyway, we got the message: Go
back and close the door.
I haven't heard anyone ask "Were you
bom in a sawmill?" for a long time.
22 Messenger February 1994
Probably because we don't let doors
stand open anymore. Doors are closed
and securely locked these days, not
mostly to keep out the flies or the cold,
but to keep out intruders, strangers who
might come in and do us harm. Or at
least to keep out our fear of such things
happening.
Jesus talked about doors. Luke's
gospel tells us that as Jesus was going to
Jerusalem he stopped at the towns and
villages along the way to teach the
people. On one of those occasions,
someone asked him, "Lord, will only a
few be saved" (Luke 13:22)?
What an interesting question.. What
prompted it, 1 wonder. No doubt it was
an inference the questioner made from
what he had heard Jesus teaching. And,
in fact, a review of what comes just
before this passage in Luke reveals that
Jesus had been making some rather
harsh statements about greed and
hypocrisy and injustice. He had espe-
cially lambasted the Pharisees, who were
held in high regard for their knowledge
and scupulous observance of the law.
Maybe the one who asked Jesus the
question about only a few being saved
was getting worried. If the Pharisees are
in trouble, this person may have thought,
what hope is there for someone like me?
"Lord, will only a few be saved?"
Typically, Jesus gives an indirect
answer to this question. "Strive to enter
through the narrow door," he says, "for
many, I tell you, will try to enter and will
not be able." Why won't they be able to
enter? Jesus doesn't say. Perhaps because
their egos are so inflated they can't
squeeze through or because they have
overindulged their appetites for food, for
wealth, for power.
Jesus asked his listeners how they
would feel if they found themselves
locked outside the house, pounding on
the door, crying, "Lord, open to us," and
the answer came through the closed
door: "I don't know where you come
from." But Lord, they say, "We ate an;
drank with you, and you taught in oui]
streets." And the answer comes back,
"Go away from me, all you evildoers.']
What will you feel like, asked Jesusl
when you see the door opened not onl oj
the revered saints of old, but to people
your own day, people from all over th«
world, people who speak strange
languages and dress in odd-looking
clothes, who don't live in nice neighb
hoods, who don't keep themselves
There are some door
that I cannot open
for myself or for
others. And I have
learned that many
times, when the door
closed, it is firmly
barred from my side
'
washed and combed according to
middle-class standards? How will youn
feel, Jesus asked, when you see peoplei
like that welcomed in and you are
thrown out?
Well, Jesus, we won't feel very gooc
about that, is what his listeners probab;
thought. We won't feel good at all. Bu
why are you saying this to us, Jesus?
They probably wondered. And you anc
also may wonder why Jesus talks abou,
the door being closed.
What closed doors have you known'
Can you remember a teacher locking t
door because you were late to class? A'
door shut against you because of age,
gender, appearance, sexual orientatior
disability? A relationship that ended
because someone locked the door of hi
:
eart against you?
Closed doors often cause great pain.
\nd so naturally we may wonder why
esus talked about the door being closed.
;houldn't the door to God, to the
ingdom, to the church, always be open?
Ideally, yes. But there are times when
'he only thing that can bring us to our
jenses is a door closed against us.
In the movie "The Field," a murder
as been committed in a small, ingrown
(Hsh community. In his desire to own a
ield, a farmer has killed a man, an
utsider, who threatened to take the field
way from him. Sunday comes, and the
eople all gather in the church for mass.
he priest stands up and says to the
-eople:
"Three days ago in this parish a man
k'as murdered. The police have been
sking questions, and everywhere they
o, they are met with silence, silence of a
lightening and evil kind, silence that
Totects a murderer.
"Among you is a murderer, and
lirough your silence you share in his
,;uilt. You're all murderers. Do not defile
Ills church with your shame. Today I
n\\ lock the gates of this church. The
lell will be silent. Confessions will not
'6 heard. And so it will be till justice is
one."
The priest pauses, then steps out from
■ehind the pulpit and raises his arms.
You're all trespassing in the house of
jod. Get out," he shouts. "Get out!"
alently the people leave the church till
11 are outside, and the priest locks the
ate.
As I watched this dramatic scene I
sked myself if the priest had done the
ight thing. And I wondered if I would
iiave had the courage to do what he did
n his place. One thing was clear to me.
lis action accomplished what just
nother sermon about right and wrong
ould never have done. There are times
vhen the only thing that can bring us to
our senses is a door closed against us.
But not closed forever. The priest said
that the church would be closed until
justice was done. When Jesus talked
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February 1994 Messenger 23
Always expecting a disaster
Last September I asked Donna Derr, our director of disaster response, if she
could arrange for my wife and me to take part in the disaster response to the
Midwest floods. She agreed and assigned us to a project in Ottumwa, Iowa.
Our weekend with the Ottumwa project made me keenly aware of the remark-
able service that Brethren give in the disaster response program. The Ottumwa
church had converted Sunday school rooms to provide bedrooms and bath
facilities for volunteer workers. Dozens of volunteers came to this and other
locations in the Midwest. Volunteers are invited by district disaster coordinators,
who are assisted by regional and congregational coordinators.
As of this writing, we have given $80,000 to Midwest flood relief in addition
to the work of the volunteers. When we have our own volunteers, the money
supports their work. In Ottumwa, the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) provided grants, often sufficient to buy building materials. The volun-
teer labor thereby was able to give renewed housing at no cost to the owners.
The Cooperative Disaster Child Care program trains volunteers to be ready to
care for children during the traumatic time of a disaster. Child care can be the
greatest need of a family at such a time.
We Brethren are able to provide immediate service at the time of a disaster
because we maintain a disaster fund with a floating balance of about $600,000.
When the disaster strikes, we can appropriate the funds immediately, even as we
appeal to the churches for contributions, thus avoiding a paralyzing lag time.
The fund is kept up by the response of individuals and churches to appeals at
the time of disaster. Brethren are enormously generous. The major contribution
to the disaster fund comes from a growing number of district disaster relief
auctions, including those in Atlantic Northeast and Southern Pennsylvania, Mid-
Atlantic, and Shenandoah. These auctions contributed a half-million dollars to
the Emergency Disaster Fund in 1993. Almost everything is donated to the
auction and then sold for the benefit of disaster victims. Sometimes the same
item is sold a number of times, with each buyer returning it for resale. One
heifer is reported to have been sold 20 times. A quilt can bring as much as
$10,000. The organizers of these auctions are as important to our disaster
response as are the volunteers, project directors, and district coordinators. The
8,000 or so people who attend the Atlantic Northeast/Southern Pennsylvania
auction make it one of the largest events in the life of the church.
When we cannot send volunteers, we work through Church World Service to
bring relief assistance to victims of disaster around the world. This work of
Church World Service accounts for about 80 percent of the budget of the
National Council of Churches. Brethren were prominent among the founders of
CWS, and we currently furnish about 10 percent of denominational contribution,
an amount well beyond our proportionate size. The worldwide work of Brethren
disaster response could not be carried out without the assistance of Church
World Service and the National Council of Churches.
The disaster response is a remarkable witness to the message of the Church of
the Brethren. By always expecting a disaster, we are ready to assist the victims
when it comes. — Donald E. Miller
Donald E. Miller is general secretary of the Church of the Brethren.
about a closed door, there is no indica-
tion that the door would remain closed.
On another occasion, he told his listen-
ers: "Ask, and it will be given you;
24 Messenger February 1994
search, and you will find; knock, and the
door will be opened for you" (Matt. 7:7).
The door will be opened if it's up to
the Holy One.
But the painful truth is that nearly
every time a closed door separates us
from God, it is you and I who have
closed it. Why do we keep it closed? Lots
of reasons — our pride; our fear of having
to change; our inability to believe that
God can ever accept us, love us. There
are as many reasons for keeping the dooi
closed as there are people who choose to
do it.
One of my Sunday school teachers
showed us children a picture of Jesus
knocking at a big wooden door and told
us that the door was really the door to
our hearts. "Your heart," she said to eacl
of us in the class, "and yours and yours.'
And then she taught us a song, most of
which I don't remember, except for the
chorus:
"You must open the door; you must
open the door.
If Jesus comes in, he will save you
from sin,
But you must open the door."
There was a time, when I got a bit
older, that I was amused as I recalled
that unsophisticated lesson of Sunday
school. Both the song and my teacher's
words seemed much too simplistic.
I've gotten still older since then and, I
hope, a bit wiser. There are some doors
that I cannot open for myself or for
others. I can pray for them to be opened,
and that itself is worth having faith for.
But I've learned that many times, when
the door is closed, it is firmly barred
from my side.
Then my prayer is for the courage, the
grace, to open the door. And from time
to time that song I learned in Sunday
school teases its way into my brain. I
even find myself humming it occasion-
ally.
"If Jesus comes in, he will save you
from sin,
but you must open the door."
It's a good song to sing every now anc
then, a song worth adding to your [Ti,
repertoire. !_-.
Kenneth L. Gibble is co-pastor of Arlington (Va.
Church of the Brethren, a freelance writer, and
promotion consultant for Messenger.
I
FirrURE USHER
Jubilee,
God's Good News.
A children's Sunday school curriculum.
Contact: Brethren Press 1 800 441-3712
by Robin
Wentworth Mayer
Stepping Stones is a column offering
suggestions, perspectives, and
opinions — snapshots of life — that we
hope are helpful to readers in their
Christian journey. As the writer said
in her first installment. "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. "
STONES
It started on Saturday night
... the tightness in my
throat and the congestion in
my head. By Sunday morn-
ing it was agony to swallow.
The chilling in my bones and
the throbbing behind my eyes
told me I had a fever before
the thermometer did.
I wanted to crawl back in
bed. "Ordinary people," I
told myself, '"could crawl
back in bed on Sunday
morning." But not pastors. I
mean, how can church
happen without the
preacher? The show must go
on, right?
So I took some aspirin,
stuffed my purse with throat
lozenges and tissues, picked
up my cross, and set my face
toward the east.
I got through it, of course.
Perhaps with less energy
than usual, but passable. Few
even suspected.
By the time I finished
leading Bible study that
evening, I knew it was strep.
Two days later, the throat
culture confirmed it. "By the
way," my doctor said before I
hung up the phone, "strep is
highly contagious. Stay away
from people until you've
been on the medication for
24 hours."
"Highly contagious. Stay
away from people." The
words rang in my ears like
an indictment as my mind
flooded with images of all
the hands I had shaken
following worship after
coughing into my own hand.
I looked up "strep infec-
tion." There, down at the
bottom of the page, were the
words: "Possible complica-
tions: rheumatic fever . . .
serious effects if left un-
treated . . . permanent heart
damage . . . most susceptible
are children and elderly."
I thought of the dozens of
people I had put at risk
because of my determination
to "minister."
The point here is not to
give a refresher course on
strep throat. The point is
to state a principle that I
have taught to hundreds of
others, but have never had
hit me so squarely between
the eyes:
If I do not take care of
myself, I risk hurting others.
It's true. Run the whole
gamut of behavior choices
and you won't find an
exception.
Take the mother who
deprives herself of sleep,
baking elaborately decorated
cookies in order to impress
her son's fellow pre-
schoolers (who could be just
as happy with Oreos). The
next day, she is inefficient at
work, insensitive to her kids,
and irritable with her
husband. By not taking care
of herself, she winds up
hurting others.
Consider the man who
notices blood in his stool but
fails to get to the doctor to
have it checked out. "I can't
afford to lose the time at
work. The doctor makes you
wait for hours. And besides, I
don't get sick leave, and my
family can't get by without
my paycheck." So by the
time the colon cancer is
diagnosed, it has spread too
far to fight. Looks like his
wife and kids will have to
learn to get by without his
paycheck after all.
He didn't take care of
himself, and others got hurt.
And what about the untold
numbers who ignore emo-
tional and relational need?
"Counseling is expensive!"
they rationalize. "So are
caskets," says my dear friend
who lost her sister to suicide.
"Not as expensive as di-
vorces," say the multitudes
who go on to learn the hard
way.
No matter how strong the
commitment, no matter how
pure the motive, no matter
how noble the call, for
Christians, the bottom line is
that our bodies, our selves,
are not our own. We have
been bought with a price. We
honor God when we take
care of ourselves ( 1 Cor.
7:20).
That's not selfishness;
that's stewardship. Because
if we do not take care of
ourselves, somebody I xf
else is going to get hurt, i '
Robin Wentworth Mayer, of
Edwardsburg, Mich., is pastor of
Pleasant Valley Church of the
Brethren, Middlebury, Ind. She
operates Stepping Stones Counseling
out ofWaterford (Ind.) Community
Church.
26 Messenger February 1994
■or more of Murray
lurray L. Wagner's letter cautioning us
) do more than "preserve ourselves as a
lemorial to our European past" (Letters,
)ecember) is the most relevant statement
have seen in a letter to the editor. I
/ould like to read him more often.
Marianne Michael
Iowa City. Iowa
)on't just stand there
1 the July 1994 editorial ("Power, That
bonder-working Power"), the editor is
oncemed that while serving as a
lissionary in Nigeria, he was a "have"
mong the "have nets."
There is a saying, "Just because we
an't do everything is no reason to do
othing." We cannot take the position
lat we only will take up mission work
mong the disenfranchised if they are
irst empowered equally with us.
As a former political revolutionary, I
nd this difficult to admit. The apostles
f Christ worked in an age when many
eople, including Christians, were
:gally slaves. If we can imagine being a
dtness under those conditions, then
/orking with the impoverished and
isenfranchised should not be so
aunting.
John F. Mortimer
San Diego. Calif.
(I find Onaldo Pereira 's story [page
0, this issue] about his wealthy Ameri-
an friend running out of dollars in
'razil very helpful as I continue to
rapple with the point I apparently
vied to convey to reader John
iortimer. — Ed.)
he opinions expressed here are not necessarily
lose of the magazine. Readers should receive them
I the same spirit with which differing opinions are
xpressed in face-to-face conversations.
Letters should be brief, concise, and respectful of
le opinions of others. Preference is given to letters
lat respond directly to items read in the magazine.
We are willing to withhold the name of a writer
nly when, in our editorial judgment, it is
•arranted. We will not consider any letter that
omes to us unsigned. Whether or not we print the
^tter. the writer's name is kept in strictest
onfidence.
Address letters to Messenger Editor. 1451
Dundee Ave.. Elgin. IL 60120.
Pontius' Puddle
NOTICE: Church and district newsletters that reprint "Pontius' Puddle" from
Messenger must pay $10 for each use to Joel Kauffmann. til Carter Road,
Goshen. IN 46526.
THOSE WrtO WRKC
THIH&-S K*?Pe»l
THOlt WHO CR>TltrXE
WHAT MA?PEM5
THOSE WHO WOMPER
WHAT HAP^EkJEP
THETrtRLE Types OF CMORCH NVEWBERS
I ^ S
Take Hold of Your Future...
...One Step at a Time.
McPherson College
McPherson, Kansas 67460 • (316) 241-0731
Delbert and Ann Ebersole
(with Val. left, and Kimberly. right)
"Hearing about
McPherson College from
older kids at church camp
influenced Kim to come to
McPherson College. She
never really wanted to look
anywhere else. It's a
friendly, safe place wliere
she can learn, and the
Christian orientation gives
us peace of mind, knowing
she 'II be well looked after.
We felt like we were
leaving Kim with family. "
Delbert and Ann Ebersole
First Church of the Brethren,
Wichita, KS
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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 avaitdbte^for up to four years'provi^ed students remain etigWi
Some awards are based on financial need and availability of funds.
McPherson College welcomes all applicants
regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or physical or emotional disability.
February 1 994 Messenger 27
MORIES
[SIGNS
A BETHANY REUNION
All Bethany Bible School, Training School,
Seminary, and Academy alumni(ae) and
former faculty and staff are invited to this
historic event! The Memories and Visions
all-class reunion will be a time of remem-
bering, re-connecting, envisioning, and say-
ing farewell to the Chicago area.
Reserve these dates—
you won't want to miss it!
April 10-12, 1994
on the Oak Brook, Illinois campus.
Registration brochures are available.
J\ For more information contact:
^> Debbie Eisenbise, (708)620-2217.
Bethany Theological Seminary
Butterfield & Meyers Rds.
Oak Broolc, Illinois 60521
On the need to keep searchiE!
Tom Deal
Preach to the
intellectuals
The word "intellectual" conjures up an
image of someone who uses words that
only dictionary-writers understand and
who has a job that doesn't make one's
hands dirty.
For me. however, intellectuals are not
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.
Bridgewater Village, a christian
retirement community serving persons o£
all faiths, offers you: 'OverUO spacious, single-story -cottage"
"^ homes and 28 apartments in Hearthstone
Manor all designed for independent living
• A choice of affordable, refundable
//-'
We think it's
wonderful here...
you zuill too!''
life-lease or monthly rental options
•On-site assisted living and nursing care
• Resident Service Coordinator on staff
• Experienced maintenance staff to
quickly handle the headaches associated
vi\ih homeownership
• Easy access to local services, transportation
scheduled
• Real estate taxes paid by Bridgev^^ater Village
• Planned activities and the opportunity to
take advantage of academic, volunteer, and
cultural activities available in the area ^x^
• And much, much more! 1 ~ [
For detailed information, write to
Bridgewater Village
315 North Second Street, Bridgewater, VA 22812
or call collect 703-828-2550.
Name
VILLAGE RESIDENTS
Address_
City
State
Zip_
I
those people with college and universit
degrees, with diplomas displayed |
prominently on office walls entitling
them to respect. Nor are intellectuals '
those who know by heart the names of
all the great works of literature, art, an(
music of Euro- American culture.
Diplomas and titles of cultural
masterpieces represent education we ca
"throw around" when we want to
impress dinner guests and potential in-
laws. Being an intellectual is quite
different from being an expert at "Trivi
Pursuit" or having a skill that comman
a high social status.
For me, intellectuals are those peopk
of whatever station in life, who have th'
daring to test the boundaries of ideas —
their own and those of society. Church I
intellectuals are people who are always
pushing against the frontier of their
inherited faith in the hope that God wil
widen their horizon of belief. Church '
intellectuals do not believe they can
storm "the gates of heaven" and forcibl
take new spiritual knowledge. But they
live in hope that God is infinite and
always open to new disclosures. The
living Creator is always free to make a
revelation.
A church intellectual is a person whc
sees the Bible and other great spiritual
writings not as final destinations of a
questing trail, to be accepted forever, bi
Child Psychiatry
"Live your life over again"... uix a chance, take
a trip, call us about working in our child and ado-
lescent program. We are a full service psycliiatric
facility with almost 50 years experience. We are
ready to grow and reach into new areas but need
your help.
We are looking for a psychiatrist who has
good clinical credentials, but who doesn't have to
go everywhere with a hot water bottle, a rain
coat and a parachute. We are 70 miles from the
Washington/Baltimore area. We are surrounded
by wide, rich valley farms and cool blue
mountains.
Take a chance and give us a call. The com-
pensation is more than you could possibly
imagine. Minorities and people of differing
physical abilities are encouraged to apply.
Contact David Rutherford, Chief Executive
Officer, Brook Lane Psychiatric Center, P.O.
Box 1945, Hagerstown, Maryland 21742-1945
(1-800-342-2992).
28 Messenger February 1994
; forks in the road, to be mulled over,
"pminders that a faith choice needs to be
1 iiade to move ahead until one reaches
\ inother fork.
oi ; Sometimes, through our historical
)i pagination, we enter into the lives of
iible characters and are stirred by their
Ixperience. We clearly see God at work
jji their day. Do we now think that all of
le reflection and wrestling is done, and
faith can cheaply be handed to us from
ur spiritual ancestors?
No. We are always spiritual immi-
rants. We never get the luxury of being
econd-generation believers.
Church intellectuals are those who see
leing spiritually fed" as only a step
^ord From The Moderator
A hymn stanza challenges our life
igether as the Church of the Brethren:
"Not alone we conquer,
not alone we fall;
In each loss or triumph,
lose or triumph all.
Bound by God's far purpose
in one living whole.
Move we on together
to the shining goal!"
In the midst of conflict and differences,
/e must keep our eyes on the goal,
linistering in the name of Jesus Christ,
,ur Lord and Savior. The current discus-
ions involving human sexuality, name-
hange of the denomination, the
hristology of the Brethren, and other
isues solicit passionate responses.
A respectful and redemptive relation-
hip among the sisters and brothers is
racial to our ability to hear one another
nd the Holy Spirit. Our primary mission
i to be the body of Christ together to a
esperate world. Let's not get out of focus!
As we submit to Christ as Lord and
avior, we can together strain forward "to
le shining goal." Then, as Paul the
postle observes in Acts 15:28, it will have
seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us."
Earl K. Ziegler
1994 Annual Conference Moderator
toward being hungry again. For these
people, paradoxically, having a spiritual
hunger created, in dialog with another, is
a way of being fed.
So, the vital question for our denomi-
nation at this point in history is: Who
will address this constituency in the
patchwork of Brethren? Who has the
ability to stir the longing of these
questing hearts to even deeper longings?
Granted, this is not the only group in our
church; but it is one group that also
needs leadership and nurture.
Preaching to intellectuals involves
THE
• ^ AND i
A determined man. Practical, vigorous, and service
oriented. A 1917 Manchester graduate, Dan West was
highly respected for his leadership roles, youth work,
peace education, and service projects. His trip to Spain
in 1937-38 led to the organization of Heifer Project
International, through which millions of animals have
been sent to help alleviate hunger. Indeed, Dan West
personifies the rare and remarkable.
MANCHESTER COLLEGE
TRADITION
Matt Guynn has the leadership qualities, the spark,
and the commitment of the rare and remarkable.
When Matt sees a need, he works for change. A peace
studies major at Manchester, he worked last summer
for On Earth Peace Assembly in New Windsor, and has
been named to the Youth Peace Travel Team that visits
Brethren camps and churches each summer. Matt plans
to study in Ecuador next fall in preparation for work with
Spanish speaking people.
VALUES * GLOBAL AWARENESS * FAITH * ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
* LEARNING * ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS * COMMUNITY
PEACE & JUSTICE * STEWARDSHIP * SERVICE
Write or call to receive more information on Manchester programs or stewardship opportunities, to
refer prospective students, or to let us know if you are planning a special campus visit.
Manchester College does not discriminate on ttie basis of marital status, sex. religion, race,
color, national or ettinic origin, or tiandicap in ttie administration of its educational policies,
recmitment and admissions policies, sctiolarsfiip and loan programs, employment practices.
and attiletic or ottier college sponsored programs.
MANCHESTER
COLLEGE
• North Manchester, IN 46962 • (219) 982- 5000
Febraary 1994 Messenger 29
Educators and Concerned
Parents, plan to attend:
"Education
of the Public"
a forum at Annual
Conference in Wichita, Kan.
Tuesday, June 28, 1994
9:00 am — 4:00 pm
Registration: $25 (Lunch included)
Keynote Speal<er, discussion,
luncheon workshops.
See your pastor for registration forms.
Sponsored by "Education of the Public"
Committee, Parish Ministries
From the
Office of Human Resources
DIRECTOR, Pastoral Ministry
Full-time position in Elgin.
We are looking for someone:
• ordained in the Church of the Brethren
• with at least a Master of Divinity
• with at least 5 years ministry
• skilled communicator who is able to work
with district executives and nurture a supportive
relationship with districts, congregational leaders,
& ministers.
Position available by July 15, 1994.
COORDINATOR, Consulting/Resourcing
Half-time, fle.xible location, one year.
We are looking for someone:
• with knowledge of evangelism and
congregational growth
• experience in consulting techniques &
organizational planning
• organizational & administrative skills
• business degree or commensurate experience
Position available by Marcli 1. 1994.
For prompt consideration call Barbara
Greenwald (800) 323-8039
Study guide
Did you know that every month
Messenger publishes a study
guide to the magazine? It
contains helpful questions to
guide thinking and discussion,
and suggestions on the guide's
use.
• Use it in Sunday school.
• Use it in discussion groups.
• Use it for your personal
study of issues facing the
church.
• Use it as a bulletin board
item to recruit new subscrib-
ers to Messenger.
Order your free monthly single copy of
Messenger Study Guide by sending
your name, address, and name of
congregation to MESSENGER STUDY
Guide, 1451 Dundee Ave.. Elgin, IL
60120. Your guide will he mailed to
you each month ahead of
Messenger's arrival.
risks and will sometimes bring criticism
upon the preacher's head (we need only
to think of the biblical prophets and our
Master to see what can happen to those
who introduce new ideas), not because
anyone is mean-tempered, but because
all of us are apprehensive about moving
beyond what we thought was settled.
It is tempting for pastors to preach
only comforting sermons that confirm
what we already believe, rather than to
disclose the creative edges they have in
their own thinking, encouraging parish-
ioners to chew on that for a whole week
or more so they can integrate it into thai
own lives.
Who will preach to the intellectuals,
those who are excited more by learning
how to think, and the adventure of
exploring, than by having "FYI" (for
your information) sermons doled out to
them each week?
As the Church of the Brethren
continues to frame its higher educationa
programs and institutions, it must be far
less concerned about pastoral training
and pastoral placement and more
interested in issuing the call for [7/
spiritual courage. ' —
Tom Deal is pastor of York Center Church ofth
Brethren. Lombard, III.
CLASSIFIED ADS
TRAVEL— Israel/Egypt Holiday. Wendell & Joan Bohrer,
Fred & Nancy Swartz host a tour to Israel and Egypt. Aug.
8-1 8, 1 994. 1 1 day tour includes travel to Jerusalem, the old
city, Dead Sea, Megiddo, Galilee, Cana, Mt. Carmel, Mt.
Nebo, Cairo, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Tomb of King Tut.
For information wnte; Wendell & Joan Bohrer, 8520 Royal
Meadow Dr., Indianapolis, IN 4621 7. Tel. (317) 882-5067, or
Fred & Nancy Swartz, 1 0047 Nokesville Rd., Manassas, VA
22110. Tel. (703)369-3947.
TRAVEL— Photo safari to world renowned big game parks
of Kenya and Tanzania, July 22-Aug. 7, '94. Tour Nairobi,
Mombasa, Tree Lodge, Masai Mara, Serengeti, and Africa's
"Garden of Eden." For info, write to J. Kenneth Kreider, 1 300
Sheaffer Road, Elizabethtown, PA 17022.
TRAVEL— Tour to Conference includes Shenandoah
Valley.Gatlinburg, Smoky Mountains, Nashville, Grand Ole
Opry Park, Heifer Project Farm, and Blue Grass country of
Kentucky. For info, write to: J. Kenneth Kreider, 1300
Sheaffer Rd., Elizabethtown, PA 17022.
30 Messenger February 1994
TRAVEL— Greece and Turkey. April 26-May 7, 1994. Fly
to Athens; follow steps of Paul: see Acropolis, Parthenon,
Mars Hill, Corinth. Optional tour to Delphi. 7-day cruise to
spectacularGreek Islands and exotic Turkey. Visit Santorini,
Crete. Rhodes (island of roses), Patmos where John was
inspired, Ephesus renowned for architectural beauty, and
where Paul lived and preached, and Istanbul, where East
meets West. Contact: Dale & Gladys Hylton, 115
Greenawalt Road, Lenhartsville, PA 19534. Tel. (215)
756-6109.
WANTED— Suburban Denver, Prince of Peace Church of
the Brethren seeks experienced pastor with proven record
of church growth, renewal, w/ strengths in worship, spiritual
leadership. Capable of providing pastoral careforcongrega-
tion. Supportive and financially strong congregation in eco-
nomically growing community. Great challenge, in a beau-
tiful setting. Beginning two-year contract, excellent $45,000
a year, plus package. Send inquiries and profile to Mr. Lynn
Clannin, 2222 S. Holland St., Lakewood, CO 80227. Tel.
(303) 985-5737.
WANTED— Camp manager or couple to manage Can
Colorado in Pike National Forest. 40 minutes from Denv
or Colorado Springs. From Memorial Day to Labor D
1 994, Camp located on 85 forested acres. Features swii
ming pool, hiking trails, 6 dorms, dining hall, recreatii
bidg. Camp has 4 wks. of Brethren-sponsored camps ai
is rented remainder of season to Brethren churches a
family reunion groups. Duties incl. purchasing supplie
cleaning, and repairing camp. Altitude of camp is 7,500 1
Applicants should be in good physical shape. Sale
$1,000 a month. Incl. 2-bdrm. cabin, utilities. Interest
parties contact Ron Achilles, Rt. 1, Box 143, Quinter, I
67752. Tel. (913)754-2322. i
WANTED— 'Handyman' couple to buy a 4-apartment co
plex: attractive, furnished. Near lake, library, post offit
banks, stores, hospital. Church of the Brethren across t
street. Reasonably priced. Will finance. Contact: Stor
Apts., 344 Oak Ave, Sebring, FL 33870. Tel. (813) 3('
6863.
ew
lembers
achdalcW. Pa.: Betty Marker.
Edna Otto
ithel, N. Ind.: ArleneCory
andts, S. Pa.: Candace
Gochenauer
'oadwater,Mo./Ark.: Peggy
Hampton
Lsh Creek, Mid-Atl.: Jenny &
Matt Brunk, Alma & Robert
Green, Thelma Halliburton,
Diana Himes
•est Manor, N. Ind.: John Case.
Ken & Vicki Fritz. Mark &
Elaine Shafer. John & Kristi
Summers, Bonnie Swiatkowski
khart Valley, N. Ind.: Megan
Hershberger
(hrata, Atl N.E.: Karen & Rick
Eschenwald, Lisa Pole.
Shannon Steffy
■een Tree, Atl. N.E.: John &
Denise Kittredge. David &
Robin Midgley, Gail Schlachta
'eencastle, S. Pa.: Edward &
Naomi Hundburger. Harold
McKibben. Rodger&
SheenaPoe
ttle Swatara, Atl. N.E. : Nathan
Dombach. Katie Gardner,
Lauren Groff, Dale & Denyse
Haupt. Brenda Sue Hershey.
Michele & Scot Snyder, Emma
Ziegler
iwer Claar, M. Pa.: Daniel
Ebersole
Bck Memorial, S. Ohio: J,
Brooks Walters, Mark & Heidi
Shover
Iddle Creek, Atl. N.E.: Brian
and Laurie Black, Jessica Lapp,
Melissa Nolt, Anna Pelger.
Roger & Sylvia Sweigart
Idland, Mid-Atl. : John &
Maxine Ebersherger
Idway, Atl. N.E.; Timothy
Adams, Jessica Horst. Shawn
Krumbine. Anthony Leffler,
Darol & Tammy Saylor, Amy
& Chad Showers, Grant &
Helen Weber
twFairview,S.Pa.: Eugene
Stremmel
irthview, S/C Ind.: Lori & Scott
Douglas. Nancy Fitzsimons.
Kendra Sousley
lie Creek, S/C Ind.: Toby
Gardner, Ron Gaze, Judy
Gensinger, Fred Halt. Othel &
Ivis Holderread. Rob La wton.
Joyce & William Mason, Carol
Pontius. Ronald & Sheila
Renz. Helen & Richard
Sumpter
neGlen, M. Pa,: Bessie Bonk
easant Hill, S. Ohio: Lee Adams,
Jerry Buckingham. Nancy &
DaieDenman, J.P.
Shellenberger. Nick Swartz
Jin Creek, W. Pa.: Margaret
Berry
itsdam, S. Ohio: Connie
Carpenter, Kay Humphrey, Jim
Kinsey. Jennifer Wright
)anoke, S. Plains: Pam Chaisson,
Rene Daniel, Debbie. Stanley
&Daquari Patrick
>cky Ford, W. Plains: Laura
Brubaker. Kellen & Quinn
Cutsforth, Mike & Teri Jumey,
Don, Michelle. Nick & Shane
Lewis, Marion Portner. Nick &
Russel VanDyk
San Diego, Pac.S.W: Ruth
Jacobsen. Liz & Dan Laughlin.
Meiinda & Roberta Mcintosh,
Stephanie Washburn
Spring Mount, M. Pa.: Anita &
John Heichel. Marjorie Pressler
Syracuse, N. Ind.: RussCramerer.
Amy Dull, Larry & Deb
Peterson
Tire Hill, W. Pa.: Clinton & Sonya
Sabo, Samantha BiMetdeaux
Trinity, S.E.: Janice & Chad Davis,
Tina Halterman. Donald &
Mary Jean Hicks. David
Shelton. Mae Spangler
Tyrone, M. Pa.: Linda Felzer,
Robert & Carol Spicer
Union Center, N. Ind.: Casey,
Billy & Cory Giles. Lucas
Walters
Waynesboro, Shen. : Harold & June
Colvin, Rick & Tammy
McKibben
Weltz, Mid-Atl. : Janice Eckstine.
Dean & Sheila Mouk
Williamson Road, Virlina: Sarah
Rubush, Fred Steffey
Wedding
Anniversaries
Andrews, Edwin and Glenna.
Nappanee,Ind..50
Brown, Samuel and Ethel,
Lewistown,Pa..55
Clapper, Marion and Kathryn,
Hollidaysburg,Pa..50
Croy, Meri and Phyllis, Wakarusa,
Ind.. 50
Flora, Clifford and Louise,
Elkhart. Ind.. 55
Fraley , Harold and Goldie. Kansas
City. Mo.. 55
Kimmel, Edwin and Julia,
Shelocta, Pa., 50
Mellinger, Paul and Ruth. Elkhart,
Ind.. 50
Metzger, LaRue and Ethel,
Mechanicsburg, Pa., 50
Mishler,Everett and Kathryn,
Goshen, Ind., 55
Pippenger, Harold and Irene.
Nappanee. Ind.,60
Smith, Bill and Ava, Bassett.
Va.,60
Uhrig, John and Mary, Greenville,
Ohio. 70
Licensing/
Ordination
Clapper, Darreil Lynn, licensed
Sept.2I, 1993,CloverCreek,
M.Pa.
Cox,Norma. licensed Nov. 6. 1993,
Wiley. W. Plains
Eichelberger, Todd Evans,
licensed Sept.21. 1993,
Bedford. M. Pa.
Hubble, James, licensed Nov. 6,
1993. Bethel Nebraska. W.
Plains
Knepper, Nancy Fike. licensed
Oct. 9, i 993, New Covenant,
Atl. S.E.
Koehn, Elsie, licensed July 16,
1 993, Pleasant Plains. S. Plains
Pagan, Nelson Perez, licensed July.
1992. Rio Prieto, Atl. S.E.
Pagan,Zulma Rivera Cruz,
licensedJuly. 1992, Rio Prieto,
Atl. S.E.
Jones, Phillip Lynn, ordained July,
1992. Antioch, Virlina
Mumma, Emily Jean, ordained
Oct. 9. 1993. St. Petersburg, '
Atl. S.E.
Queener, Richard L., ordination
reaffirmed Oct., 1993, Salem,
N. Plains
Vaught, Terry Lynn, ordained Oct.
23.1993,Logansport/
Pittsburgh. S/C Ind.
Whetzel, Bobby, ordained Oct. 26,
1 993. Community Mission,
Shen.
Hooks, Eric Lee. licensed Nov. 7.
1993, Plum Creek, W. Pa.
Pastoral
Placements
Archer, Alice, from secularto
Mount Pleasant, N. Ind.
Bailey, Daniel, from secularto
Sipesville.W. Pa.
Barragan,Jose Martin, from
student to Dodge City. W.
Plains
Black, David, from Mill Creek.
Shen., to Shrewsbury. S. Pa.
Black, Larry, from Maple Grove.
W. Pa., to Beachdale, W. Pa.
Blow, Albert, from other
denomination to Imperial
Heights. Pac.S.W.
Branson, Merrill C, from Paint
Creek. W. Plains, to Lena/
Yellow Creek, 111,/Wis.
Brumbaugh, Lillian, from secular
to West Branch, lil./Wis.
Bunch, Christopher J , . from student
to Bachelor Run/Flora, S/C Ind.
Cavaness, Ryan, Nocona, S. Plains,
from interim to part-time
Dean, Vernon, Oak Grove. 111./
Wis., to Panther Creek, III./
Wis.
Finney,Ronald, from associate
district executive, N. Ind.,
10 district executive,
S/C Ind.
Finney, Harriet, from Plymouth. N.
Ind, to district executive.
S/C Ind.
Galay,Ken. from secularto
Beaverton.Mich.
Harness, Leah O.. from Nettle
Creek. S/C Ind.. to Sandy
Creek, W.Marva
Hubble, James, from secular to
Bethel Nebraska, W. Plains
Hughes, Robert, Cedar Grove/
Brandywine. Shen., from
interim to part-time
Dyes, Charles, from New Fairview,
S. Pa., to Springfield. Atl. N.E.
Kipp, Judith, from General Board
staff to Ridgeway Community.
Atl. N.E.
Mason, Kenneth R., from Maple
Grove, Ill./Wis., to Maple
Grove/Stanley, Ill./Wis.
McClendon, James, Pasadena. Pac.
S.W., from interim to part-time
McKinney, David, from secularto
Cherry Grove. W. Marva
Rogers, Clifford, from secularto
BeaverCreek/Ewing. S.E.
Schmidt, John. Pampa, S. Plains.
from interim to part-time
Schneiders, Tony, from Salem
Community. W. Plains, to
Walnut. N. Ind.
Shelton, Steven, from secularto
Sunfield. Mich.
Thomas, Rodger J.. Berkey, W.
Pa., from secular to associate
Deaths
Altland, Larry, 29. Spring Grove.
Pa..Nov. 17, 1993
Anderson, Vergie, 93, New
Oxford, Pa.. Sept. 8, 1993
Anderson, Ted, 72, Twin Falls,
Ida.,Aug. 19, 1993
Arnold. Levi. 92, Elldiart, Ind.,
Nov. 16, 1993
Ayers, Samuel, 65, Woodbury. Pa..
Nov. 13, 1993
Baughman, Nora. 95. Bremen,
Ind., Oct. 16.1993
Bell,Elsie, 85. Syracuse. Ind., Feb.
25.1993
Bestwick, Ruth, 79, Sabetha, Kan.,
Sept. 13. 1993
Bicknese, Jennie, 84. Worthington,
Minn., Nov. 26, 1993
Blough,J.Willard.78.
Waynesboro, Pa., Aug. 9, 1993
Bowman, Merlyn, 80. Canton. 111.,
Sept. 20. 1993
Boyd, Eaton. 47. Harrisonburg. Va..
Aug. 17. 1993
Brunk, Homer. 87. McPherson.
Kan., Sept. 4. 1993
Caldwell, Mary Jane. 63, York, Pa.,
Nov. 19, 1993
Carlson, Andrew, 78, Glendora.
Calif., Nov. 8, 1993
Christenson, Richard, 80,
Kingsley. Iowa. Sept. 17. 1993
Cole, Viola. 75, Uniontown, Pa.,
Aug. 30, 1993
Dice, Charles, 67, Saint Thomas.
Pa.. Nov. 7, 1993
Dooms,John, 84, Waynesboro, Pa..
Aug. 29, 1993
Dotterer, Stanley. 78, New Oxford.
Pa., Aug. 20. 1993
Eaton, Helen, 89, Rora. Ind., Sept.
11.1993
Eichelberger, Paul. 77, York. Pa.,
Dec. 5, 1993
Elicker, John, 80, Hanover, Pa.,
Aug. 4. 1993
Freece, Rita. 67. Phoenixville, Pa.,
Oct. 25. 1993
Funderburg, Virginia. 84, New
Cariisle, Ohio. Nov. 20, 1993
Gibbel, Harry, 100. Denver. Pa..
Oct. 25, 1993
Gindlesperger, Clarabelle, 79,
Windber.Pa..Sept.6. 1993
Ginger, Kenneth, 86, Greenville.
Ohio.Oct. 19, 1993
Goon, Rowland, 97. South Bend,
Ind.. Aug. 7, 1993
Gordon, Bonnie. 60. Elkhart, Ind.,
Aug. 17. 1993
Hall, Elmer, 77, Shippensburg, Pa,.
Sept. 10. 1993
Hall, Theodora. 87, Greenville,
Ohio. Oct. 20, 1993
Hamilton, Lucille, 62. Elkhart.
lnd..July3. 1993
Harnley,Mary, 82, Lancaster, Pa.,
Nov. 4. 1993
Harris, Luella, 75, Camp Hill, Pa..
Oct.31,1993
Hawbaker, David. 85. Saint
Thamas,Pa.,Oct.31.1993
Heisey, Andrew. 2 months.
Lancaster. Pa.. Nov. 1 . 1 993
Jewell, Edward, 46, East Freedom.
Pa., Sept. 22. 1993
Kaltenbaugh, Mary. 85,
Davidsville,Pa.,July!7, 1993
Kline, Elva, 85. Manassas, Va.,
Nov. 15, 1993
Lehman, Mable. 82, South Bend,
Ind..Oct.30, 1993
Liskey, Perry, 88, Palmyra, Pa..
Aug. 28. 1993
Marker, Edgar, 84, Waynesboro,
Pa., March 19. 1993
Meyer, Harry. 59, Annville. Pa..
Sept. 12. 1993
Miller, Dale, 56. Spry. Pa.. Nov.
15. 1993
Mishler, Uretha, 93. Wakarusa.
Ind., July 29. 1993
Nickey, Fannie, 85, East Berlin.
Pa..Nov. 18. 1993
Ober,Jane. 78.Lititz. Pa.,Nov. 16,
1993
Peterson,Mabei. 86, Cando, N.D..
Aug. 27. 1993
Ridinger, Ida, 94. Bassetl. Va..
Aug. 8. 1 993
Rigler,Thelma, 92, Wakarusa,
Ind.,July 15.1993
Sallade, Eari. 82, York. Pa., Sept.
7. 1993
Shafer, Wilbur. 79. Otlowa. Ohio.
Sept. 24, 1993
Shellenberger, David, 89,
Harrisburg.Pa-.Oct. 17, 1993
Shockey, Virgie. Smithsburg, Pa..
May 12, 1993
Shronk, Donald, 66. Mont Clare.
Pa., Nov. 7. 1993
Shroyer, Emma, 69. Tire Hill, Pa.,
July9, 1993
Simpson, Fleta. 97, Famham. Va..
Dec. 5, 1993
Smalley, Eva. 84, Beaver. Iowa,
Nov. 10, 1993
Smyser, Willard, 62. York. Pa.,
Nov. 16, 1993
Stambaugh, Mary. 80. Union
Bridge, Md.. Nov. 14.1993
Suttle, Bernard, 79. Renlon, Wash.,
Oct. 15, 1993
Swinger, Myrtle. 75. Dexter, Mo..
Nov. 5, 1993
Swinger, Hubert, 82, Essex, Mo.,
Oct. 2 1,1993
Todd, Walter. 32. Washington.
D.CSepl. 10, 1993
Vaughn, Helen. 89. Vermont, 111.,
Nov. 19, 1993
Voth,Martha, 84, North Newton,
Pa.,Apr. 13, 1993
Wagner, Ivan, 8 1 . Continental,
Ohio.July 1.1993
Weber, Kenneth, 80. McPherson.
Kan.. Sept. 6. 1993
West, Caroline, 88, Uniontown.
Pa.. Aug. 22. 1993
Wetzel, Earl, 77, Westminster,
Md.. Nov. 23, 1993
Whitacre, Howard. 87. Mechanics-
burg. Pa.. Nov. 9. 1 993
Wiles, Leata. 85, Uniontown. Pa..
Aug. 8. 1993
Wise, Martha. 95. Dallas Center.
Iowa, Aug. 25. 1993
Zuver, Martha, 63, Palmyra, Pa..
Sept. 3. 1993
FebiTjary 1994 Messenger 31
iW
Curling up with a catalog
A thoughtful used-book dealer down in Virginia,
knowing that his customer who giddy-headedly
orders all those expensive old books about southern
mountain life and lore is, in real life, a sober-sided
Brethren editor, sent me at Christmastime, "with his
compliments," a 1926 catalog from the Brethren
Publishing House.
If you have ever pored with fascination over one of
those reprints of a tum-of-the-century Sears,
Roebuck catalog, you know the spirit in which I
received this gem from the Brethren past.
And, as I fondled my treasure, I became aware of
what a commentary the catalog provided on the
Church of the Brethren of its day. Much of what it
said about the Brethren of 1926 fits comfortably with
our perception of the Brethren of 1994. And,
uncomfortably, I detected what I believe are signs of
the Brethren being led astray in 1926, signs that
strengthen the case of the breakaway Dunkard
Brethren of about that time.
One sign that the forerunners of today's Brethren
Press were avant-garde is the note on the inside front
cover of the catalog. "That hard day spent shopping
in the city," Publishing House marketing chirped,
"can often be eliminated by ordering from a catalog
in the quiet of your own home." Sounds like 1994,
but wouldn't the folks at 22 South State Street be
astonished to see the plethora of slick catalogs that
spill out of our mailboxes today!
The Brethren Revival Fellowship will be grieved
to learn that in 1926, "Elgin" already had betrayed
its trust in the tried and true King James Version of
the Bible and was touting the virtues of something
called the American Standard Bible. The King
James Version, the catalog points out with the charm
of Eden's serpent, "was made in 1611, and in the
300 years since then words have changed in mean-
ing, and grammatical usage has changed. And in
that period, many of the oldest manuscripts known
have been discovered. Much progress in the study of
oriental languages has been made." See what I
mean about being led astray?
One item in the 1926 catalog has a counterpart in
1994: There was a new hymnal hot off the press!
Created for the ages to come, it contained 742 hymns
and the innovation of 80 pages of responsive
readings. Witnessing to changing times, the Publish-
ing House provided two versions of the new hym-
nal — one with shaped notes and one with round.
Another catalog item would be familiar to today's
Brethren Press customers: That continuing best-
seller of 1994 — the Inglenook Cook Book, with
32 Messenger February 1994
model Anna Evans daintily taste-testing her Dunker
cuisine on the cover — was already a quarter-century
old in 1926.
Former Gospel Messenger editor D.L. Miller
warranted a photograph on page 1 2 of the catalog.
His numerous book titles were still good sellers,
apparently. I have never understood how this
predecessor of mine managed to be editor of the
denominational magazine and still find time for
lengthy world travel, followed up by lengthy books
about that travel — books such as Girdling the Globe,
which stirred so many Brethren to speed away, speed
away on missions of light. It's a sad commentary on
our present time (or the quality of editors today) that
the best I have managed is a wimpish 32-page
booklet about a trip to Nigeria. Ah, to emulate
brother Miller and his girdling of the globe, produc-
ing my own titles such as Corseting the Continents.
But I digress.
Here's a 1926 Brethren Publishing House title that
poses a question just as relevant for 1994 as for
1926: The Simple Life: Will We Maintain It? by
Otho Winger. That Brethren in 1926 already were
looking for a loophole is suggested by the title of a
companion volume: Is Simplicity Consistent With the
Christian Life? by Mary Polk Ellenberger.
What were Brethren notions about peace, nonvio-
lence, and racial equality in 1926? Today's peace
activists and the folks who wrote the 1992 Annual
Conference study paper on Native Americans will be
intrigued by this title from the catalog's selections of
"worthwhile stories" for children: The Patrol of the
Sun Dance Trail. It's about the Northwest Mounted
Police dealing with the threat of an Indian uprising.
Corporal Cameron, the book's hero, helps the
Mounties "in breaking up the plans of the redskins."
If it's any consolation, a little farther on the catalog
lists Prudence of the Parsonage, "a bright, jolly little
story of wholesome family life."
There is a lot of practical stuff in the catalog, mind
you. How about a post card that Sunday school
teachers could send to truants, which carries this
subtle message: "All felt bad when we noticed your
absence from our Sunday school class last Sunday.
Please don't let that happen again."
Or, how about rubber baptismal pants "made high
enough to come up well under the arms." Certainly
they are a sign that Brethren were getting into deep
water in 1926. And if the catalog reflected its
customers and their values, how come Brethren
sociologists aren't studying this telltale data? I
would, myself, but I'd rather girdle the globe. — K.T.
COME TO THE
Claim the call, claim the
blessing as hundreds of
teens gather from around
the nation to celebrate our
joy in Christ! We are out to make
a difference. The exciting speakers
and planned activities will empower us
to achieve our goals. This coming July is
going to be a blast, as we worship and
meet new people, so tell^
your friends and
sign-up. Come join the
action as we dare to
"Come to the Edge."
See you there!
The NYC office is sponsoring a new attendance campaign. We're ciiallenging every
congregation to send more youth to NYC in 1994, 40% more than they sent in 1990.
It is a big challenge, but one we feel involves your church in the NYC theme, "Come
to the Edge, Claim the Call. " Join us in the challenge.
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Please send your registration to: Sliawn Replogle, NYC
Coordinator, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120, (708) 742-5100
Church of the Brethren
^th'ANNUAL CONFERENCE
ME
John 7:37-58
SPEAKERS"
i
Earl K. Zieglei
David M. Bibbee
Rebecca Baile Crouse
Tyron S. Pitt!
S. Joan Hershe\
Drama "Tlie Catliering*
"Acappella'
Saturday night concert
JUNE 28 - JULY 3, 1994
WICHITA, KANSAS
Logo design artist, Rosanna McFadden, Indianapolis, Indiana
^LUNTEER HELPERS
I am volunteering my help with conference tasks, I have marked
telow. I have numbered them In order of preference.
I plan to arrive at Conference on June
-Brethren Press Book Exhibit
-Registration (computer experience required)
-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
Please circle
approximate age
Name
16-22
40-50
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30-40
60-1-
St./RFD .
City
. State -
-Zip.
Telephone No.
Additional volunteers may indicate on a separate sheet their
interest In serving.
PROGRAM BOOKLET
(Available in May)
Please send the following:
-copies at S7.00 each of the 1994 Annual Conference
Booklet (regular binding)
-Copies at S10.50 each of the 1994 Annual Conference
Booklet (spiral binding)
-1994 Annual conference Information packet
(Add $1 .00 for postage and handling)
Name-
St./RFD-
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. State-
.2lp-
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(Delegates sending the delegate authorization form and registra-
tion fee will automatically receive one program booklet without
further cost.)
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
read for today
and tomorrow
Nothing keeps us on our toes like receiving new members to our
Communication Team. And when they are young and energetic,
well, we old-timers alternate between feeling the weight of our
years and the shot in the arm of "new blood."
Paula Sokody has been with us now since last summer, and
two other young people have joined us since she came. So it's
time to introduce this editorial assistant whose
name you have been seeing in our staff box here
to the right.
Paula, who falls in that category of "young and
energetic," didn't have to uproot herself to join
our staff; she is a native Elginite. Reflecting her
youth, she is a 1993 college graduate and is
getting married in May. She got a rather unor-
thodox orientation to her job: Managing editor
Eric Bishop, to whom she reports, was on a
reassignment to the Washington Office last
summer and fall, so it was not until Paula had
attended General Board meeting at New
Windsor, Md., in mid-October and returned that
she had a "boss" in
residence. She made a
good beginning in
spite of that.
Attesting to the
confidence we have in
her abilities, Paula
soon had added to her
news responsibilities
that of producing
"Newsline." Tele-
phone (410) 635-8738
any time of the day or night and you can hear Paula giving an
update of Brethren news.
By now you see that I am using this introduction of Paula
Sokody to once again remind readers of this source of Brethren
news that's as close as your telephone. No need to wait and read
news as "history" in the monthly Messenger when you can
receive today's news as "news" on your phone. Of course you get
a fuller version of news in the magazine, to say nothing of all
the other features. So keep reading . . . and keep phoning in to
hear t>auia.
Newsline
(410) 635-8738
24-hour headline news from the Church of the Brethien.
Messages updated by Thursday morning each week.
For more infonnadon, contact the Communication Team,
1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; (800) 323-8039.
COMING NEXT MONTH: Word about the upcoming National
Youth Conference (NYC) and National Older Adult Conference
(NOAC).
Editor
Kermon Thomasson
Managing Editor
Eric B. Bishop
Editorial assistants
Paula Sokody, Margaret Woolgrove
Production, Advertising
Paul Stocksdale
Subscriptions
Norma Nieto
Promotion
Kenneth L. Gibble
Publisher
Dale E. Minnich
District Messenger representatives:
Atlantic Northeast. Ron Lutz; Atlantic
Southeast. Ruby Raymer; IllinoisAViscoi
Gail Clark; Northern Indiana. Leona
Holderread; South/Central Indiana. Marj
Miller: Michigan, Marie Willoughby;
Mid-Atlantic. Ann Fouls; Missouri/Arka :
Mary McGowan; Northern Plains, Faith |
Strom; Northern Ohio, Sherry Sampson;^
Southern Ohio, Shirley Retry; Oregon/ I
Washington, Marguerite Shamberger; i
Pacific Southwest, Randy Miller; Middii
Pennsylvania. Ruth Fisher; Southern f
Pennsylvania. Elmer Q. Gleim; Western [
Pennsylvania. Jay Christner; Shenandoal )
Jerry Brunk; Southern Plains. Mary Annf
Dell; Virlina, David &Hetiie Webster;
Western Plains, Dean Hummer; West M I
Winoma Spurgeon.
I"
Messenger is the official publication of J
Church of the Brethren. Entered as seco |
class matter Aug. 20, 1918, under Act qI;
Congress of Oct. 17, 1917. Filing date,lj
I, 1984. Messenger is a met
y^ of the Associated Church P R
1^ and a subscriber to Religioi !
— News Service and Ecumen
Press Service. Biblical
quotations, unless otherwis I
indicated, are from the New Revised
Standard Version.
Subscription rates; $I2.50individu2}l
rate, $ I0.50church group plan, $ 10.50 1|
subscriptions. Student rate 75c an issue
you move, clip address label and send v|P
new address to Messenger Subscription \
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at least five weeks for address change.
Messenger is owned and published I
limes a year by the General Services Ct ■
mission. Church of the Brethren Genen
Board. Second-class postage paid at El^ ,
III., and at additional mailing office, M; i
1994. Copyright 1994, Church of the
Brethren General Board. ISSN0026-03.'i
POSTMASTER: Send address chai
Messenger, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin,
60120.
p
I
16
n Touch 2
;^lose to Home
slews 6
iVorldwide 9
Stepping Stones
''rom the
General Secretary
^lixed Reviews 24
.etters 26
'ontius' Puddle
Fuming Points
Editorial 32
22
29
31
>edits:
-over: Phil Grout, John Tubbs
K Wallowitch
i: Kermon Thomasson
I left: George Keeler
'; Pat Wright
I left: Barbara Greenwald
1 right, 15: Alan Boleyn
0: Michael Fryer, Chicago Tribune
1: Merv Keeney
2 top: Phil Grout
2 bottom: John Tubbs
3: H. Lamar Gibble
.7: Wilbur Brumbaugh
19: National Gallery of Art
'A daring and hopeful vision' 10
Approximately 300 Brethren, Mennonites, and Quakers
brought in the new year at a peacemaker congress. A Special
Report by Margaret Woolgrove tells what>they discussed.
Bread for today and tomorrow: Brethren
development ministries around the world 1 1
Through One Great Hour of Sharing, Brethren reach out with
the immediate life-saving bread for the day and the develop-
ment assistance that looks toward tomorrow. A cluster of
articles by Yvonne Dilling, Mervin Keeney, and Lamar Gibble
tell of Brethren development assistance in different areas of the
world. Introduction by Joan Deeter.
Can we have hope for Haiti? 15
Connie Walsh's BVS assignment in Haiti was "tough, at once
both challenging and exciting, and also gruelingly difficult."
Interview by Margaret Woolgrove.
John D. Metzler Sr.: He went into all
the world 17
John D. Metzler Sr. had all the credentials of a full-blown
Brethren hero. Kermon Thomasson pays tribute to the founder
of CROP.
Buy why was he resurrected? 18
The mere fact that Jesus returned is dramatic, and confirming
the fact that it is indeed Jesus is a time-consuming interest of
the disciples. James Benedict wonders that no one asked why
he returned.
What the old Brethren said about
anointing 20
Anointing for healing has a central place in Brethren faith and
practice. Galen R. Hackman researches the Old Brethren's
statements to find relevance for today.
Cover story: Clean water
supplies in Nigeria are just
one facet of the worldwide
program of development
ministries that Brethren
support. Turn to page 1 1
for the story.
March 1994 Messenger 1
Hooked on SOS kits
The wise men from the East
opened their treasure chests
and presented the infant
Jesus with their most
valuable gifts — gold.
Andrew Young's
enthusiasm led Drexel
Hill church to
increase its
production of SOS
kits for Sudan.
"In Touch" profiles Brethren we
would like you lo meet. Send
story ideas and photos (Mack
and white, if possible) to "In
Touch." Messenger, 1451
Dundee Ave.. Elgin. IL 60120.
frankincense, and myrrh.
This past Christmas,
Brethren were asked to give
three very different, but
equally valuable gifts — salt,
soap, and a towel. These
Keen to learn
People trying to avoid the
winter cold of Pennsylvania
usually head south to
Florida, or some such clime,
but not so Travis Frye, of
Martinsburg, Pa., who is now
two months into a six-month
sojourn in Poland.
were bundled into "SOS
kits," to be sent to the needy
in Sudan.
For Andrew Young, a
special needs youth from
Drexel Hill (Pa.) Church of
the Brethren, the pictures
showing how to assemble the
SOS kits (December, page
18) were all it took to get
him motivated in the
congregation.
"Our son has limited
verbal abilities," says
Andrew's dad, David Young,
"but as soon a he saw those
kits, he was hooked. Helping
people in Sudan was his way
of responding to God's love."
Drexel Hill is a small
congregation. "We set
ourselves a target of 20 kits,"
says David. "But the congre-
gation was so moved by
Andrew's involvement and
motivation, that by Christ-
mas Eve, we had closer to
50."
David was as touched by
his son's action as was the
congregation. "I was really
proud of Andrew when I saw
him with his beaming face,
sitting up there with the SOS
kits on Christmas Eve. For
me, going out and buying the
salt, soap, and towels really
made my Christmas. It
brought back what the day is
really about." — Margaret
WOOLGROVE
Seventeen-year-old Travis
is a member of Roaring
Spring Church of the
Brethren and one of six
students from his high school
Future Farmers of America
(FFA) chapter who are
taking part in an exchange
program funded by the
United States Information
Agency (USIA).
Although Travis does not
live on a farm, he has spent
time working on a neighbor-
ing dairy farm near
Martinsburg. He is raising a
steer for the 1994 Blair
County Livestock Show and
Sale.
In school Travis partici-
pates in FFA and the
Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, and is a member of
the school's swim team.
At Roaring Spring church,
he is active in the youth
group, has done hurricane
relief work in Florida, and
has participated in a Breth-
ren youth work camp in West
Virginia.
In Poland, Travis will live
and work with the Stanislaw
Kaczor family on its 43-acre
dairy farm 60 miles south of
Warsaw.
"I am excited about the
exchange, and also am very
Travis Frye
keen to learn about the
religion, government,
customs, and politics of
Poland." said Travis before
embarking on his trip. "I'm
sure the memories will last
me a lifetime." — Margaret
WoOLGROVE
2 Messenger March 1994
Lisa Pierce, of McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren, plays Sunshine the Clown, as
Shombia and Edith Conda make paper crafts at an Alternative Christmas Fair.
lust clowning around
^isa Pierce is a soft-spoken
voman from Minneapolis,
vlinn., but meet her when
;he"s not got her nose in her
)ooks at United Theological
seminary in the Twin Cities,
md she'll probably be
:lowning around.
That's what Lisa was
loing at the Alternative Toy
^air that was organized by
brethren and Mennonite
;hurches with Christian
Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in
^linneapolis last fall.
The fair emphasized the
;ale of toys and games that
incourage nonviolence,
:ooperation, tolerance and
:reativity among children.
'For many people, safety is a
;onsideration in choosing
oys for children," said Jane
Vliller, a staff person with
HPT, "but few shoppers
hink about the risk of
)uying toys that glamorize
/iolence."
Activities throughout the
'air included crafts, puppet
naking, cooperative games
tnd meeting Sunshine the
Z!lown.
"I was introduced to
clowning by the campus
minister at McPherson
College when I was a student
there," says Lisa. "While at
McPherson I clowned at
Church of the Brethren
regional youth conferences,
as well as at worship
services, both at college and
at McPherson Church of the
Brethren.
"Clowning is about
playfulness and being
joyful," says Lisa. "It's a very
different way to experience
being with people and to
relay a message. Children of
all ages relate well to it.
"Being a clown is about
being vulnerable with people.
This allows them to see their
own child within, and so
makes them more open to
hearing a message. To be
childlike is to be joyful; the
irony is that so many toys are
violent and promote killing,
not joyfulness.
"Clowning is the most fun
thing I've ever done. It
seems to give people a spirit
of hopefulness, of looking
toward the future in a very
positive way. It is a joy to be
able to do that." — Margaret
WOOLGROVE
Names in the news
Olga and Mario Serrano,
co-pastors of Principe de Paz
Church of the Brethren, in
Santa Ana, Calif., have
accepted the call to return to
their native Ecuador, to serve
in Quito with World Radio
Missionary Fellowship in a
Bible teaching ministry.
• Jessica Shuman, a
member of Conewago
Church of the Brethren, in
Hershey, Pa., began a term of
service in January with
Youth Evangelism Service, a
program of the Eastern
Mennonite Board of Mis-
sions and Charities. She
serves in France in street and
youth ministries and other
community outreach.
• Alvin Fishburn, a
member of Lone Star (Kan.)
Church of the Brethren,
whose work in soil conserva-
tion was noted in Messenger
(January 1993, page 3), has
been awarded a conservation
medal from the Daughters of
the American Revolution.
• Hiram J. Frysinger,
Palmyra, Pa., a long-time
minister in Big Swatara
Church of the Brethren, has
received an Educate for
Service award from the
Elizabethtown College
Alumni Association.
Remembered
A. Stauffer Curry, 80, died
January 14, in New Oxford,
Pa. He was executive
secretary of the National
Service Board for Religious
Objectors, 1949-1955.
Afterward, he served in
different positions on the
A. Shniffer Ciiriy
national staff of the Church
of the Brethren, including
that of editor of church
school publications.
He was the only person
who served in four different
Annual Conference offices,
and was the last surviving
moderator who served more
than one term (1955, 1965).
Besides the moderatorship,
he served in the Annual
Conference offices of reading
clerk, secretary, and alterate
moderator.
• Rosa Page Welch, 92,
died January 26 in Port
Gibson, Miss. A nationally
known mezzo-soprano, she
was a former member of the
General Board and served as
a missionary in Nigeria,
1961-63.
March 1994 Messenger 3
«
Tales of smokejumping
There was a day when just
about every Brethren knew
what CPS stood for —
Civilian Public Service.
During World War II many
Church of the Brethren
conscientious objectors
Mont., that Asa Mundell
decided to put them into
book form.
Last September, Asa, who
lives in Beaverton, Ore.,
published Static Lines and
Canopies, a collection of 146
stories from CPS Unit 103 as
told by its members.
*71S^* r-<?v»*v.
Artist Tom Summers,
one of the members of
CPS Unit 103,
provided the
illustrations for Asa
MundelVs book.
served in CPS in lieu of
military service.
Now the dwindling
number of former CPSers
keeps alive the memory of
those days through reunions
and the retelling of CPS
adventures. One of the units
that holds reunions is CPS
Unit 103, Missoula, Mon-
tana, whose work was
"smokejumping" — parachut-
ing into remote areas to fight
forest fires.
So many stories have been
told and retold during the
gatherings at Seeley Lake,
Readers of the book
expecting to find accounts of
fighting fire will be disap-
pointed at the few references
to that subject. Obviously
when old smokejumpers get
together, it's more fun to tell
about the misadventures of
parachute training, of
rattlesnakes in sleeping bags,
and grizzly bears met on the
trail.
For copies of Asa's book,
contact him at 5420 S.W.
Erickson Ave., Beaverton,
OR 97005; tel. (503) 646-
2733. The book sells for $13.
"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.
Educating about abuse
"For the sake of the Chil-
dren: A Child Abuse
Workshop," a one-day event
sponsored by Tyrone (Pa.)
Church of the Brethren,
attracted 83 participants.
The workshop was
designed to be primarily
informational, educating
people about the availability
of resources in the commu-
nity such as counseling
services and professionals in
legal help and mental health.
The workshop designers also
hoped to tighten networks
among the social welfare
agencies, schools, law
enforcement bodies, and the
church, so that they can work
together to help children and
their parents in situations of
child abuse.
"Organizing the workshop
was frustrating at the
beginning," says Tyrone's
pastor, John Nalley. "Infor-
mation was hard to get hold
of. Sexual abuse is a big
issue, but one that often is
ignored within the church.
Some pastors told me to
forget about it and the
trouble would go away."
Part of the workshop's
emphasis focused on teach-
ing children about "safe
touch," strangers, and whom
to report "bad things" to.
This focus was provided by a
clowning presentation from
Blair County Children and
Youth Services.
"This subject was taboo in
Tyrone church has people
dealing with child abuse.
schools before," says John,
"but since our workshop, all
four elementary schools in
the area have decided to
incorporate the clowning
presentation into their
curriculum.
With the support of
Middle Pennsylvania
District's nurture commis-
sion chairwoman, Roberta
Coldren, at least three more
workshops are planned.
— M argaretWoolgrove
4 Messenger March 1 994
This and that
Meadow Branch Church of
the Brethren, near
Westminster, Md., has
adopted a local elementary
Nchool as part of its witness
program. Each week a
teacher and a staff person are
recognized by the congrega-
tion. Apples, doughnuts, and
other goodies are presented
to the school teachers and
staff during the year.
Members of the congregation
are asked to pray for these
workers. Last November
Meadow Branch hosted a
potpie "Appreciation
Dinner" for the teachers and
staff on one of their in-
service work days.
Pastor Melvin Fike invites
inquiries from congregations
(that are interested in the
Jj Meadow Branch witness
project as a model. He can be
contacted at 8 1 8 Old
Taneytown Rd., Westmin-
ster. MD 21158; tel. (410)
848-7478 or 848-7263.
• Conestoga Church of the
Brethren, in Leola, Pa.,
began construction in
December on a $ 1 .5 million
expansion and renovation
project, scheduled for
completion in September.
The project includes renova-
tion of the church's educa-
tion wing and the addition of
a sanctuary, fellowship area
and kitchen, administrative
offices, library, and numer-
ous rooms to support the
Conestoga programs.
Organized in 1724,
Conestoga is the third oldest
congregation in the denomi-
nation.
• Twenty people attended
the opening service at Lake
Charles (La.) Community
Church of the Brethren on
December 26. Lake Charles
is mentored by nearby
Roanoke (La.) Church of the
Brethren (see "Crawfish
Brethren," November 1991)
as well as Chiques Church
of the Brethren, in Manheim,
Pa.
Lake Charles pastor
Manny Diaz was encouraged
by the opening turnout,
remaining upbeat about the
fledgling church's prospects
while admitting that "the
work has been slower and
harder than expected."
Campus comments
Juniata College has
launched its biggest funding
campaign in history. The
$30-million effort is called
"Transformations: The
Campaign for Juniata." Said
Juniata's president. Bob
Neff, "We face a challenge to
ensure for future generations
of students access to Juniata
and the kinds of experiences
that prepare them for a world
far different from the world
we faced even five years ago."
• Robert M. McKinney,
upon his death in 1992, left
Bridgewater College
virtually his entire estate.
First estimated at $8 million,
the McKinney bequest has
turned out to total
$10,543,249.15. The money
has been placed in the
Dave Whitten and his crew never lack for requests to help
villages create safe and lasting supplies of drinking water.
More earthen vessels
In last month's Messenger,
we told about a project in
Ekklesiyar Yanuwa a
Nigeria to build a dam and
create a reservoir for the
village of Ganji ("Treasure in
an Earthen Vessel"). From
Nigeria, Brethren worker
Dave Whitten writes, "We
have started work on a
college's endowment fund.
• Elizabethtown College
has received a $50,000 grant
to support a study of the
pressures on Brethren,
Mennonite, and Amish
groups in Pennsylvania's
Lancaster County to modern-
ize between 1880 and 1990.
Don Kraybill, director of the
college's Young Center for
the Study of Anabaptist and
Pietist Groups, will direct the
study, which began in
January and will conclude by
July 1995. Carl Bowman,
chairman of the sociology
department at Bridgewater
College, will collaborate
with Don Kraybill. Their
research will result in a
book-length manuscript.
second dam, and received
requests for dams from six
more villages. Along with
those are requests for
ferrous-cement water storage
tanks to be built. We have
two trained workers to
handle these tanks now.
With countless requests for
cementing village-dug wells,
we expect to continue being
busy."
Let's celebrate
Lone Star Church of the
Brethren, near Lawrence,
Kan., will celebrate its 75th
anniversary June 26. Former
pastor Leland Wilson will be
the guest speaker. Brethren
on their way that weekend to
Annual Conference in
Wichita are invited to attend.
• Salem Church of the
Brethren, in Lenox, Iowa,
celebrated its 90th anniver-
sary this past September 12.
Former pastor Leland Grove
was the guest speaker. John
Colyn, author of Corn Cob
and Skunk Skins, taught the
Sunday school class. A
potluck dinner followed the
worship service.
March 1 994 Messenger 5
1
Bridgewater and Manchester
announce new presidents
Within one month, both Bridgewater and
Manchesler Colleges appointed new
presidents. Phillip Stone will become
president at Bridgewater on August 1.
Parker Marden will enter office at
Manchester on June 1.
Phillip Stone is a Harrisonburg, Va.
attorney and graduate of Bridgewater.
He served as moderator at the 1991
Annual Conference in Portland, Ore.
Currently, Stone is on the Bridgewater
board as vice chairman for educational
The two newest presidents of Brethren
colleges: Phillip Stone (left) will head
Bridgewater (Va.) College, and Parker
Marden (right) will head Manchester
College, North Manchester, Ind.
Because the neM'S pages include news from various
Church of the Brethren organizations and move-
ments, the activities reported on may represent a
variety of viewpoints. These pages also report on
other national and international news relevant to
Brethren. Information in news articles does not
necessarily represent the opinions o/ Messenger or
the Church of the Brethren.
policy and campus life.
Stone is the seventh president since
Bridgewater was founded in 1880. He
succeeds Wayne F. Geisert, who retires
in July after 30 years as president.
"I have accepted the board's offer, fully
recognizing the challenge a new presi-
dent will face in attempting to meet the
standard set by Dr. Geisert," said Stone.
"I appreciate what Bridgewater
College has become through his tireless
efforts and careful management. At the
same time, I am excited to be given the
opportunity to help Bridgewater College
continue to seek its full potential."
Stone graduated from Bridgewater
cum laude in 1965 with a degree in
economics. He attended the University of
Chicago School of Economics and
received his law degree from Virginia
School of Law in 1970. That year, he
also joined the law firm of Wharton,
Aldhizer & Weaver and is remaining a
senior partner until April 30.
Stone is a member of First Church of
the Brethren in Harrisonburg. He was a
general board member, serving as chair
in 1986-87, as well as the first attorney
to serve as Conference moderator.
Stone has been honored with a num-
ber of awards. He was named the Natior
al Churchman of the Year in 1987 by
Religious Heritage of America. In 1982,
Stone was recognized as Bridgewater's
Distinguished Young Alumnus. He also
received an honorary doctorate in
Humane Letters from Bridgewater in
1991 when he gave the commencement
address.
On January 14, Manchester College
announced Parker Marden as its
Calendar
Cooperative Disaster Child Care Workshops:
March 1 1-12, Lanark, III. [For more informa-
tion call Marian Patterson, (815) 225-7279].
Bethanv Alumni Event: "Memories and
Visions," April 1 0- 1 2, Oak Brook, 111. [Contact
Debbie Eisenbise. (708) 620-2217].
Church of the Brethren Association of
Christian Educators' conference. Camp
Bethel. Fincastle. Va., April 15-17. [Contact I
Doris Quarles, P.O.Box 56, Daleville, VA I
24083, (703) 992-2465], ,
1994 Regional Youth Conferences at
Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, Pa..
April 16-17; BridgewaterCollege, Bridgewater.
Va., April 16-17; Manchester College, North
Manchester, Ind., April 22-24; McPherson
College, McPherson, Kan.. April 28-May 1 .
[Contact district youth advisors or the Youth
Ministries Office, (800) 323-8039],
1994 National Youth Conference at Colorado
State University, Fort Collins, Colo., July 26-
3 1 . Final deadline for pre-registrations is May
1 5. [Contact Shawn Replogle, NYC Coordina-
tor, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60 120]
Church Visit to Brazil: "South and North Meet I
in a 'Tunker' Way," July 10-28. sponsored by i
Latin America/Caribbean Office. [Contact Latin
America/Carribean Office, (800) 323-8039].
6 Messenger March 1994
h president. Currently, Marden is the
n of Beloit College. He is also the
2 president for academic affairs at
Wisconsin college, a position he has
i since 1988.
harden is a sociologist with an
lergraduate degree from Bates College
^ewiston, Maine, and a master's and
torate from Brown University in
vidence, R.I.
le has held positions at several uni-
sities before accepting the position at
nchester. Before he worked at Beloit,
rden held a number of positions at St.
vrence University in New York from
'5-1988. He has also taught at
vrence University in Wisconsin and
Tiell University, in New York.
It is Manchester College's long
lition of concern for peace and justice
: is so appealing to me," said Marden.
"Manchester's mission statement clearly
points out its focus on international
consciousness, ethnic and cultural plur-
alism, and a worth of each individual.
"Those are consistent with my own
values and with what I think colleges
need to do these days. That's the reason
I'm so interested in Manchester."
Marden and his wife, Ann, have two
children, ages 28 and 25.
Southern Sudanese church
bombed during mass
The New Sudan Council of Churches
(NSCC) announced that on December
28, 12 bombs were dropped on a church
in southem Sudan by a government of
Sudan bomber.
There were no .serious injuries, but
many of the homes in the village of
Chukudum were destroyed. Bishop
Paride Taban was celebrating mass in
the church when it was attacked. A
second bomber dropped bombs on a
village near Narus where the bishop was
also expected.
Bishop Paride Taban is the bishop of
the Catholic Diocese of Torit and
Chairman of the New Sudan Council of
Churches.
The NSCC stated "Such attacks bear
no relationship to the conduct of the war
and can only have the purpose of
terrorizing and killing innocent civil-
ians." In its protest against the unpro-
voked bombings, the NSCC also stated,
"In particular we are disturbed at what
appears to be a consistent attempt to
murder Bishop Paride Taban."
alifornia earthquake initiates
uick Brethren response
ssponse for aid and assistance came
imediately following the January
irthquake in southem California.
Two congregations near the epicenter
' the 6.6 magnitude earthquake served
shelter for families and people whose
)mes were damaged. The Panorama
ity congregation housed more than 30
milies. Also in Panorama City, the
ang Nam congregation of mostly Kor-
m membership, also provided shelter
T displaced people, and cooked meals
at were served to people in the area.
Within one week of the quake, 31
ooperative Disaster Child Care
orkers were placed in seven disaster
)plication centers. The Disaster Relief
"fice responded with an initial grant of
JO.OOO for material aid.
A 24-hour emergency hotline, (800)
53-3000, was set up to receive
^nations. Items requested include
apers, bottled water in nonglass
mtainers, tents, and flashlights and
itteries.
I
Neighbors of the Panorama City Church of the Brethren and victims of the
earthquake that struck southern California in January camp out in the church's
yard. Following the quake, more than 30 families found shelter at the church.
March 1994 Messenger 7
Initial Standing Committee
ballot ready for Wichita
The Standing Committee ballot for
Annual Conference in Wichita, Kan.,
June 28-July 3, has been selected by the
Nominating Committee.
Candidates for moderator-elect are H.
Fred Bemhard, Arcanum, Ohio: Joel D.
Kline, Fort Wayne, Ind.: J. Benton
Rhoades, Claremont, Calif.; and Albert
Sauls, Harrisburg, Pa.
Nominees for Annual Conference
Program and Arrangements Committee
are Michael L. Hostetter, Richmond,
Va.: J. Wayne Judd, Elizabethtown,
Pa.; Frank Ramirez, Elkhart, Ind.; and
David A. Yingling, Roanoke, Va.
Candidates for an at-large General
Board position, five-year term, are
Phyllis W. Davis, North Liberty, Ind.;
David Fitz, York, Pa.; Sharon
Hutchison, McVeytown, Pa.; Kathryn
Ludwick, Burlington, W.Va.; MaryAnn
Ludwick, Doylestown, Ohio; Terry
Shumaker, Buena Vista, Va.; John
Thomas, Guthrie, Okla.; and Joyce A.
Stoltzfus, Derwood, Md.
Candidates for Atlantic Northeast
District representative to the Board are
Jefferson C. Crosby, Lancaster, Pa.;
Thomas Keller, Newmanstown, Pa.;
Jean Moyer, Elizabethtown, Pa.; and
Tracy Wenger Sadd, Manheim, Pa. For
Northern Plains: Paula Picard Bowser,
District, General Board
announce staff changes
Terry Hatfield has resigned from his
position as executive of Northern Indi-
ana District, effective April 19. after
seven years of service. On May 1 he will
be begin a pastorate with Prince of Peace
church in Denver, Colo.
Guinevere Grier, from Arlington,
Texas, began February 1 as the coordina-
tor, Lafiya Task Group Ministry position
with the General Board in cooperation
8 Messenger March 1994
Ankeny, Iowa; LaDonna Kruschwitz
Brunk, Eldora, Iowa; Ruth Davidson
Clark, Froid, Mont.; and Glennis
Simmons Walker, Reading, Minn.
For OregonAVashington: Patrick
Anderson, Maple Valley, Wash.;
Ernest J. Bolz, Tonasket, Wash.; Shel
Eller, Portland, Ore.; and Robert
McKellip, Pomona, Calif.
Candidates for the Pastoral Compen-
sation and Benefits Advisory Commit-
tee are Ronald D. Beachley,
Davidsville, Pa.; Harriet Finney, North
Manchester. Ind.; Allen T. Hansell,
Harrisburg, Pa.; and Ronald D. Petry,
Ellicott City, Md.
For the Committee on Inter-church
Relations, the candidates are J. Michael
Fike, Morgantown, W.Va.; Don Flora,
La Verne, Calif.; Marianne Rhoades
Pittman, Blacksburg, Va.; and Jane
Marchant Wood, Boones Mill, Va.
Brethren Benefit Trust candidates
are Cheryl Ottemoeller Ingold,
Fresno, Calif.; Carol Bowers, Seattle,
Wash.; Ann Murray Reid, Roanoke,
Va.; and Maria UIIom-Minnich,
Wichita, Kan.
For Bethany Seminary elector
representing the colleges, nominees
are Doris E. Coppock, McPherson,
Kan.; Eldon Eugene Fahs, North
Manchester, Ind.; Judy Georges,
Claremont, Calif.; and Dorothy Keller,
North Manchester, Ind.
with the Association of Brethren Care-
givers (ABC). She comes to this position
with 10 years of pastoral care and coun-
seling experience in a variety of settings.
Terry Hatfield
Guinevere Grier
Emergency grants issued to
California, Florida, Haiti
In the aftermath of the Los Angeles
earthquake in January, a grant of
$20,000 has been approved by the
Emergency Disaster Fund. The monies
will be used to support Cooperative
Disaster Child Care (CDCC) efforts, am
material aid for churches.
A grant of $13,000 has been given by
the Emergency Disaster Fund to cover
final expenses related to Hurricane
Andrew in Louisiana and Florida. This
project, which started over a year ago. ii
in its closing stages.
The Emergency Disaster Fund has
allocated $10,000 for Haiti, in response
to the economic uncertainty created by
increasing political unrest and violence
there. The monies will be divided
between the Haiti Twinning Parish
Program, for its work in providing
humanitarian relief and grassroots
development, and the National Coalitio
for Haitian Refugees to assist with the ,
provision of medical and security needs,
of victims of human rights abuses. i
A grant of $7,000 has been allocated
to cover continuing exigencies in the
former USSR. The money will go towai
food and clothing shipments.
Three Brethren named as
CWS disaster consultants
Among 44 newly trained Disaster
Resource Consultants for Church Worl
Service are three Brethren.
Shirley Norman of Markleysburg is
Pennsylvania representative, and Glen
and Helen Kinsel of Roanoke are the
Virginia representatives.
Disaster Resource Consultants are
appointed for two-year terms and work
year-round to educate communities to
prevent human-caused disasters like ci
disorder and environmental disasters.
They also advocate for measures to les
sen the effect of disasters where possit-'
iller signs on to NCC letter to
esident concerning violence
neral secretary Donald Miller joined
tional Council of Churches general
Tetary Joan Brown Campbell and
;sident-elect Gordon L. Sommers in a
:er to President Clinton concerning the
ilence in America,
rhe letter, which commended the
isident on his speech in Memphis,
nn., concerning violence, was signed
over 40 ecumenical leaders. The letter
o stated several initiatives churches
/e taken to combat violence in the
nmunity including the Congress of
National Black Churches" working at
formulating responses to violence in the
communities, and the NCC's recent
statement condemning graphic media
violence.
"Religious community anti-violence
initiatives revolve around several con-
sistent themes," the letter stated. One of
the themes is "Continuing to proclaim,
teach, and call our people to practice the
ethical value and virtues which provide
the basis for real community and a
morally fulfilling life. The battle against
violence begins in each of our hearts and
lives. Religious faith offers vital moral
resources for replacing fear and violence
with hope and reconciliation in our
homes, communities, and nation."
The letter also stated the goal of
"protecting America's children from the
epidemic of violence by effective, respon-
sive, equitable law enforcement, and
by providing our young people with
options for healthy development through
private action and public policies that
promote ample education, strong social
programs, and real job opportunities."
Other objectives in the letter included
stopping the increasing numbers of
guns, monitoring media violence, and
installing anti-violence coalitions in
communities.
or
innonlte groups in Mexico and North America will
list the Mennonite church in Cuba following the recommendation of
even-member delegation that visited the island nation in November
i December. The delegation was made up of representatives from
Mennonite Church in Mexico, Franconia Mennonite Conference,
nnonite Central Committee (MCC), and Mennonite Board of
;sions.
The groups will provide transportation for a Cuban pastoral couple
they can visit the nine Mennonite groups scattered throughout he
> Villas province. They will also assist with exchanges among
ban and other Latin American Mennonites.
Church Women United (CWU), a national ecumenical
vement of Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and other
ristian women, has been sued for the amount of $2 million by a
rwegian fish processing company based in New Bedford, Mass.
3 suit was brought in reaction to Church Women United's letter-
ting campaign questioning Frionor's unjust treatment of female
ployees. CWU joined with a number of other organizations in
louncing a proposed contract "that would potentially discriminate
jinst Frionor's largely female workforce by allowing older women to
replaced by younger, less expensive workers," said a news
Base.
A campaign to highlight human rights violations in
i United States was initiated in December by the World Council of
urches (WCC) and National Council of Churches (NCC).
The two organizations aim to raise the level of awareness about
:ism and other abuses by looking at the issue in the context of
jrnational human rights law. The campaign's emphasis will initially
be on education— helping the churches and communities to see and
understand the problems. This fall, the WCC will organize interna-
tional ecumenical teams of church leaders and human rights experts
to visit seven US sites (New York, N.Y., Chicago, III., Pine Ridge,
S.D., El Paso, Texas, Birmingham, Ala., and Miami, Fla.) where local
groups will present the human rights violations they have documented
in their communities. From this documentation, a brief will be
prepared for presentation to the UN Human Rights Commission.
Under a new tederal law that took effect January 1 ,
people making lump-sum contributions of $250 or more to a church or
other charity may no longer use a canceled check as a receipt when
filing their federal taxes, according to a Religious News Service news
release.
People must now obtain a detailed receipt from the church or
charity stating the amount and nature of the donation. The Internal
Revenue Service says the law will close a loophole and put a stop to
donor fraud that costs the federal government almost $100 million a
year in lost revenue.
Church World Service (CWS), reported that from
October 1992 through September 1993, nearly 8,000 refugees were
resettled in the United States from five different regions of the world.
East Asia had the highest number of resettled refugees with 2,775
while eastern Europe followed with 2,370. Africa had 1,108, the Near
East 1,102, and Latin America 505. CWS also reported that 1,481
Cubans and 340 Haitians were resettled in the US under the Cuban/
Haitian Primary Secondary Resettlement Program.
CWS is a ministry unit of the Church World Service and Witness
unit of the National Council of Churches.
March 1 994 Messenger 9
'A Daring and Hopeful Vision'
by Margaret Woolgrove
'"Listen to me,' Jesus says, which simply
means to be obedient to the gift that is
within you."" For many of those who
heard Michael Banks" message at the
Peacemaker Congress in Chicago over
the New Year weekend, the gift of which
he spoke was the gift of being a peace-
maker in a troubled and violent world.
And for many people, that troubled and
violent world is not nearly so much "out
there"" as it is right here, in our own
backyards, on our own streets, and even
in our own homes.
In a series of plenaries and 40 work-
shop options, the 300 participants at the
conference were invited to explore
"Christian Alternatives to a Culture of
Violence.""
In the opening session. Banks, a
Mennonite pastor from the Bronx, N.Y.,
called on conference participants to
"dream their dreams and vision their
visions'": to "lift the ceiling and push out
the walls."" Although the conference had
been organized by the three Historic
Peace Churches (Brethren, Quaker, and
Mennonite), in the guises of Christian
Peacemaker Teams (CPT) and New Call
to Peacemaking. Banks told the
conferencegoers not to be bound by the
labels of denominationalism or anything
else. "Peacemaking mustn"t become a
clique. We need to include the meat-
eaters too!" Banks continued, "Denomi-
nations are just a method in the way: the
way is Jesus Christ," with the goal being
justice and freedom from oppression.
In the period of open worship that
followed this talk, Marti Matthews, a
Quaker, spoke of the gentleness that
must be employed when attempting to
determine what justice is for other
peoples. "In peacemaking we need to
listen very hard to what others really
want. If we do not, then our attempts at
being peacemakers can end up doing
violence to others."
Julie Garber, editor for Brethren Press,
picked up on this theme when she
cautioned the group not to see its vision
Church of the Brethren members Tom Wagner (far left) of Muskegon, Mich., and
Dale Brown (far right) of Lombard, III., stand with other participants of the
Peacemaker Congress in a protest of war toys at a Chicago toy store in January.
of human rights necessarily as a univer-
sal vision. She spoke of the need to be
"fully human" in whatever one does for
God. In addressing the "Daring and
Hopeful Vision" of Christian Peace-
maker Teams, Garber said it was by
living into one's own humanity and
thereby enabling others to live into theirs
that the vision of CPT was rooted.
"We have no credibility in the world
out there if we're not working on the
humanization of our own society," she
said, stressing that the humanization of
the First World is only going to happen
with a divestment of power. This starts at,
an individual level by divesting of the
symbols and rhetoric that have been usedj
by one group to gain subjugation over
another, for example, through language
or religious symbols.
"Sometimes the very thing you're
afraid of is the very thing you are being
called to do,"" said Bill Wylie Kellerman
in Sunday"s plenary. "Getting your fears
out into the open frees them to be used in,
the service of the Holy Spirit."'
On New Year's Day, 150 conference
participants put the theory of nonviolent
action into practice in a demonstration
against war toys at a local Toys-R-Us
store in Chicago. This was the first CPT-
initiated public prayer witness to receive
full national and local media coverage.
The witness began with a time of prayer
and continued with singing and
leatleting, both inside and outside the
store. A 20-minute teach-in on the effect
of violent toys on children took place
inside the store while stickers warning olj
the damaging "health" risks of violent
toys were stuck onto the packages
containing them.
The congress ended as it began, with
worship combining the traditions of
Mennonite, Quaker and Brethren. Per-
haps less in keeping with many people's
images of these three "Puritan"
churches, was the spontaneous move-
ment and clapping which broke out with
the singing of the last song, "We shall gc
out with joy, and be led forth
in peace. . . ."
f
I
li
i
a
*
Ail
10 Messenger March 1994
read for today
and tomorrow
Brethren development ministries around the world
ly Joan Deeter
'e Brethren are proud of our history of
itending a cup of cold water to brothers
id sisters in the name of Jesus Christ.
'e believe that our faith is
vealed in the manner of
ir giving. In 1994, we
•lebrate 50 years of
sponse to human need
rough the Brethren
;rvice Center at New
'indsor, Md. And as we
ark this anniversary, we
ijoy recalling the variety
aid that has been
ocessed through that
cility. We remember the
rly years at New Windsor
hen tons of material aid
"re shipped to European
luntries devastated by
orld War II. We rejoice
at the ministry continues
ith recent gifts of love to
|issia and Sudan, and to
btims of floods in the US.
'Brethren quickly
spond to urgent need.
at Brethren have extended
ring beyond the public
!:ention of today's
adline. As Dan West
■ gan Heifer Project to multiply the
ildren fed, so Brethren with others
ve sought to equip persons to carry
>ponsibility for meeting their own
eds. Refugees are resettled and assisted
becoming .self-sufficient in a new
:ation. Wells are dug in Nigeria to
ovide not just a cup of cold water, but
ars of available supply. Months after a
disaster, volunteers will be on the site,
helping to make repairs or replace
destroyed housing.
Around the world there are urgent
needs. There are also men and women
Most of us recognize that were we the
hungry and homeless we would long for
a new start beyond the necessary
immediate aid.
Through One Great Hour of Sharing
Brethren work to turn recipients of our giving into
strengthened partners who can join us in bringing life
to all the world's peoples.
^^^
m
m
•I
1993 Annual Conference moderator Chuck Boyer, Joan Deeter, and then World Ministries
chairwoman Ingrid Rogers discussed development ministries with David Malafa, chairman of
Ekklesiyar Yanuwa a Nigeria (EYN) in a February 1993 meeting in Nigeria.
eager to be partners in finding long-term
solutions to the problems that plague
them. Hebrews 13:3 encourages us to
think of those who suffer desperate
need as though we shared their fate.
"Remember those who are in prison, as
though you were in prison with them;
those who are being tortured, as though
you yourselves were being tortured."
we reach out with the immediate life-
saving bread for the day and the develop
ment assistance that looks toward
tomorrow. We turn recipients into
strengthened partners who can join
us in bringing life to all the
world's peoples.
Joan Deeter is associare general secretary for
the World Ministries Commission.
March 1 994 Messenger 1 1
Ai.
Dread for toda
and tomorrow
latin Aiiierira/iari[
An alternative to 'distorted developmer
by Yvonne K. Dilling
As I walk through a village, an acquain-
tance hails me and invites me in for
coffee. I accept, and enjoy the good
company and strong, sweet coffee. Our
conversation is only marred by the TV/
VCR blaring in the cement living room. A
half-hour into our visit, I ask to use the
bathroom. My host casually replies, "Just
go out back . . . anywhere."
To visit a village in Latin America or
the Caribbean today is to be overwhelmed
by this sort of contradiction — a VCR. but
no toilet, not even a latrine. "'Underdevel-
opment" is not an adequate term to
describe such areas. I prefer the term
"distorted development." The technologi-
cal era has surpassed the industrialized
era, bringing the latest products into sight
of the people least able to afford them. At
the same time these people are not
provided the services North Americans
take for granted, such as indoor plumbing.
Several new Brethren congregations in
the Dominican Republic are located in a
province that is a good example of
(continued on page 14)
Refugees dream of a restaurant
by Mervin Keeney
Jesus" ministry included both preaching
and healing. He multiplied the loaves and
fishes for those who were hungry. And he
directed us to respond to the needs of the
hungry and thirsty, the sick and impris-
oned, as though we were ministering to
Christ himself. The gospel message
weaves together a concern for physical and
spiritual wholeness.
Following Christ's example. Brethren
have built schools, dug wells, and devel-
oped health programs while establishing
churches. We believe our spiritual
wholeness is linked with sharing our
resources, or taking action, to enable
another's physical wholeness. We recog-
nize that the church is not an international
aid organization, and may not have
sufficient resources to meet every need, but
we know that we cannot ignore hunger
and suffering surrounding us and still call
ourselves the body of Christ.
Soon after the first service under the
tamarind tree in Garkida in 1923, a school
was established as a part of the Nigeria
mission program. Over the years, Brethren
12 Messenger March 1994
mission efforts in Nigeria, Sudan, and
elsewhere have emphasized education,
health care, wells and water programs,
and other development activities alongside
evangelism, church planting, and theo-
logical education. We understand this
ministry combination as reflecting the
example of Christ.
Ongoing development ministries in
parmership with the Nigerian church
include the widely recognized rural health
program; the rural development program,
which includes both agriculture and wells
programs (see February, page 1 8, high-
lighting the new dams component); and
the Technical School at Garkida. Middle
East development efforts have included
health services and education.
In the desperate war and drought
context of Sudan, development is espe-
cially difficult because the people have
been forced away from the basic means of
production and self-support — fields and
cattle herds.
Phil and Louise Rieman serve as
community development facilitators in
southern Sudan. One of the tasks of the
Riemans is to nurture and encourage local
initiatives to respond to the needs express
by the community. Despite the war and
destruction in southern Sudan, there are
many able leaders and committed indivic
als whose spirit flourishes amidst the
suffering. Phil tells of one women's grou
"Early in our stay in Kaya, we met
Anglina, an active and outgoing lay won
at the Roman Catholic church just down
hill from our house.
"Later, Louie and I met with Anglina a
the Catholic women's group and Nancy
Hinga, our Kenyan NSCC (New Sudan
Council of Churches) co-worker. I saw thf
enthusiasm they all had meeting together ]
sisters in Christ, brainstorrning, envisionii
and planning what they could do to help
themselves and those around them. What;
heard was a group of women with many
good ideas about how they could, with a li
of support, become more self-reliant.
"Louie and Nancy are dynamic co- J
workers with lots of charisma that draw; i6
best out of jjeople and empowers them tc
creatively and imaginatively act on their
dreams. And it happened that day. The
women discussed their dreams of startin i
guest house/restaurant, of cooperative
've: Youth in the Dominican Republic.
]ht: Father Spiridon (right), the director of
the project at Anosino, stands in front of
the entrance to the monastery.
'ow: Nigerian Stephen Zoaka surveys a
dam project near Ganji .
"dening, of raising funds for education of
ciiildren, and having their own grinding
II to serve the community.
'Within a month and a half the war
ced the evacuation of Kaya, wounding the
;ams but not killing them. Nancy, Louie,
1 1 have met with Anglina now in the
ugee camp. Being refugees has only
wed the women down, not stopped them,
lybe the next time we visit we can
at their little restaurant."
M.
Another 'heifer project'
... in the wilderness
by H. Lamar Gibble
Although it was only November, the
Russian winter had begun. The day was
crisp and clear. Birchwood, field, and
stream were covered with snow and ice.
Ornately trimmed wooden houses formed a
village along the crumbling wall of a
V:!^
Vervin Keeney is Africa and Middle East
resenrarive on the World Ministries Commission
f.
monastery. By the decaying monastery gate
a chapel in the process of restoration was
our first stop for brief prayers. Inside the
walls, even greater deterioration, destruc-
tion, and clutter awaited us. And this was to
be the center for the dairy development
project that has received the blessing of
Patriarch Alexy?
Before the 1917 Russian
Revolution, the Russian Orthodox
Monastery of Saints Boris and
Gleb in the Wildemess of Anosino
was very important to the commu-
nity. It encompassed thousands of
hectares of agricultural land,
forest, and meadow. Its monastic
community was counted in the
hundreds. Central in its walled
compound stood a great church,
surrounded by buildings dedicated
not only to liturgical celebration
and shelter for the religious
community, but also to agriculture,
food storage, education, and
culture. After the Revolution,
especially during the Stalinist
period, the monastic community
was decimated. Bombing during
World War II almost destroyed the
main church and most of the
surrounding buildings. The
monastery compound largely lay in
ruins, and was cluttered with
materials left by its last user, a
state construction company.
But a few years ago, this
monastery, along with many
i I others, was returned to the church
m J by the state. Retumed were the
primary monastery grounds within
the walls and slightly over 100
hectares (250 acres) of the original
thousands. An order of Russian
Orthodox nuns retumed to the
property to begin rebuilding and
cultivating the land for their
sustenance. Their living space and
March 1994 Messenger 13
B
read for today
and tomorrow
the chapel by the gate were restored first.
At my visit there were 22 sisters in the
community.
They had cultivated about five hectares
of vegetables, mostly potatoes, to provide
for their food and to support some of the
needy in their village. Several cows, a
horse, and chickens occupied one of the
large cattle sheds that survived the history
of war and decay. Now the new vision and
hope of the sisters of this convent and of
the Russian Orthodox Church are that this
historic monastery may become a center
for dairy herd development, supplying
pure bred or improved dairy cattle to other
agricultural development projects being
initiated by the church on agricultural
lands returned for their use.
I was convinced that this is a worthy
project. But the needed dairy breeding
stock and agriculture machinery and
equipment will be costly. Development of
this project alone initially will require
$207,700. The Church of the Brethren,
along with the cooperating denominations
of the National Council of Churches, is
committed to this project. Development
funds are pooled by these denominations
along with the money raised for this
purpose through Church World Service
direct appeals and CROP walks.
The project in the Wilderness of
Anosino is one of four major agricultural
development projects supported by US
churches. Two others, one near Smolensk
and one in Siberia, are also projects of the
Russian Orthodox Church. The other one
is sponsored by the Russian Baptists and is
in the Ryazan region, about 400 kilome-
ters south of Moscow. The total estimated
current cost to bring these projects and
dreams to fruition is $657,700. 1 give 20
percent of my time on behalf of the ecu-
menical community relating to these agri-
cultural development projects in Russia.
TTie Church of the Brethren in most of
its history of overseas witness and work
has had food production and agricultural
development as part of its agenda. It was
true in all of its mission programs. It was
reflected in programs such as Heifer
Project. It continues in our agricultural
14 Messenger March 1994
exchange programs with Poland and
China. And it is reflected in a significant
way by our current participation in and
support of these agricultural development
programs in Russia. Food is basic to life.
As Jesus" feeding of the five thousand
illustrates, physical and spiritual needs
cannot be artificially separated. In the face
of food shortages and hunger, emergency
food must be provided. But as quickly as
possible such programs must be supple-
mented and replaced by sustainable food
production programs such as the one
underway in the Wilderness of
Anosino.
Ai
H. Lamar Gihhle is representative for Europe
and Asia/peace and international affairs on the
World Ministries staff.
DILLING. continued fi-om page 12.
distorted development. The development
hopes of the 1960s and '70s died, and as
the global economic system went through
convulsions in the '80s, economic life
became desperate in villages such as the
one I described. In this particular prov-
ince, well-meaning people and agencies
"helped" in erratic ways that lack a
consistent contact and involvement in
these villages. A welfare mentality
developed. People came to expect that if
they waited long enough, "someone else
would come along to help."
Those same persons are most suscep-
tible to the latest products that technology
has produced. So it is commonplace today
to find a VCR in a house with no plumb-
ing, among people who do not understand
why plumbing is necessary for community
health.
Thankfully, not all the villagers are
sitting around waiting. Miguelina Arias is
a member of the Church of the Brethren in
the Dominican Republic, living in
Magueyal, a village that epitomizes
distorted development. Miguelina is a
teacher in the public school there, and a
life-long resident. She only left for a few
years to get her teaching certificate. She is
bright, skilled, and energetic. Many people
ask her why she doesn't apply to teach in
the capital city, where she could earn
much more. Her firm answer is that she
loves the people of her village and wants
to help them better their lives.
Miguelina was the first to ask me last
summer if the church in the US could help
her village construct a community
building that would house a pre-school.
There might be funds, I said. We then
talked about community projects — what
makes them work or fail. In a general way
we came to the topic of philosophy and
criteria for good community projects. I
explained that the Brethren practice
community collaboration. "We do not do
alone what we can do better in collabora-
tion with others," I said.
That was in June. In August,
Miguelina's pastor, Daneri, reported to mi
that they had formed a community
coalition including the farmers associa-
tion, the housewives club of the Catholic
church, the school teachers, and the
Church of the Brethren.
I contacted a grassroots community
education group, GAAPs in Santo
Domingo, and asked it to visit the village
for me, to assess the viability of the group
and project, and explain our application
forms. A month later, a long, positive
report came, confirming there was a core
group representing three or four commu-
nity organizations, all of them weak, but
with good potential as a coalition.
Although the group was in its early
development stages, it had good capabili-
ties ... if provided with the right training
CAAPs offered to provide technical
assistance to the group, whose first step
would be a community workshop on how
to do community projects, including how
to motivate broad participation.
A recent visit to Magueyal gave me
hope for something better than "distorted
development" for the Dominican
Republic, and hope that the Church of thi
Brethren can continue to do its small par
to give lives a sense of dignity for the [Ti!
glory of God and our neighbor's good. I —
Yvonne K. Dilling is Latin AmericalCarihbean
representative on the World Ministries Commissio
Staff.
i
Can we have hope for Haiti?
)y Margaret Woolgrove
There seems to be so little in Haiti to be
opeful about anymore,'" said Connie
Valsh, a Brethren Volunteer Service
/orker who has been on assignment in
laiti for the past year, "but probably the
lost uplifting thing that has happened to
le in my time here was on a visit I took
ut to a small rural community center
ist year. These people had so little, but
efore I left, the leader of the community
ame and gave me two small eggs that
is hens had laid. I think that those two
ggs were the most important gift that
've received in my whole life."
Living and working in the poorest
ountry in the Western Hemisphere,
/here one out of five children die before
le age of five, and life expectancy is 54
ears, is a challenge not everyone is
repared to face. Connie arrived in Haiti
anuary last year, 16 months after the
lilitary coup that ousted Haiti's first
emocratically elected president from
ower. The ensuing 12 months have
een tough, at once both challenging and
xciting, and also gruelingly difficult.
"The hardest thing I have done during
ly year in Haiti," said Connie, "is stand
y and watch Izmery die." Antoine
zmery, the leading financial backer of
'resident Aristide, was shot by the
lilitary in broad daylight in September
ist year (November, page 6). "There
/ere a lot of internationals at the church
ervice that day," Connie continued,
and I can't help but think that if we had
een more organized, we could have
one something to prevent his death."
The memory of that day remains very
irm in Connie's mind.
"Just over a month later, Guy Malary,
le minister for justice from Aristide's
overnment, was shot outside that same
hurch. If the military can get away with
lis type of killing in broad daylight, is it
ny wonder that the people no longer
;el safe in the streets or in their
omes?"
j Connie's first assignment in Haiti was
/ith a hospice in Port-au-Prince, the
apital city. "In the United States, a
;0spice is a place that looks after the
Connie Walsh, Yvonne Dilling {World Ministries staff for Latin America/
Caribbean), and Cinny Poppen plan a February "Emergency Delegation to Haiti."
dying," said Connie, "but the hospice
where I worked in Haiti was more like
an international house of hospitality. It
hosted a lot of delegations as well as
housing a clinic, a water distribution
center for the city, and a school sponsor-
ship program."
Connie worked at the hospice for six
months while she developed her lan-
guage skills. The language spoken in
Haiti is Creole, which draws upon
French, Spanish, and African languages,
a living testimony to the cultural
heritage of these people. Once she had
gained a proficiency in Creole, Connie
began working part-time at the National
Coalition for Haitian Refugees (NCHR),
interviewing Haitians who come to the
center for help. It is to this work that
Connie returned at the end of January.
The Church of the Brethren Emer-
gency Disaster Fund has allocated
$10,000 to be sent to Haiti, half of which
will be put in a victims' fund for needy
political asylum seekers.
Haiti has ties with the Church of the
Brethren that go back more than 25
years. Numerous volunteers have been
placed in Haiti during this time, and in
the late 1970s a "covenant relationship"
was forged with the Eglise Baptiste des
Cities in Port-au-Prince. In 1987, the
Church of the Brethren General Board
passed a resolution calling for "prayerful
support for all the churches of Haiti that
are seeking to be a voice for justice,
morality, and democracy in their
country." The need for prayerful support
for Haiti is as great now as it was then.
"There are so many issues in the world
clamoring for attention that it is hard to
remain focused on just one or two," said
Cinny Poppen, who spent three months
working with the Washington Office on
Haiti before Christmas, and who headed
up a Brethren delegation to Haiti in
February. "But if there was ever a time
when the people of Haiti needed support
from church people, that time is now."
There are a number of things that the
Brethren can do for Haiti, according to
Cinny:
1 ) Pray for justice and peace for the
Haitian people;
2) Keep informed about the political,
economic, and social situation;
3) Write letters to Congress asking for
the imposition and enforcement of strong
sanctions against the military regime,
including the withholding of visas for
military personnel;
4) Visit Haiti, and accompany the
Haitian people in their struggle for
freedom and justice;
5) Send money to the National
Coalition for Haitian Refugees (NCHR)
to be'put toward its Victims' Fund
6) Pray some more.
/ii.
March 1994 Messenger 15
by Robin
Wentworth Mayer
Stepping Stones is a column offering
suggestions, peispectives. and
opinions — snapshots of life — that we
hope are helpful to readers in their
Christian journey. As the writer said
in hei- first installment. "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."
STONiS
At the risk of sounding like a
parent, I have to say that the
fashion philosophy today
leaves me a bit bewildered:
What's old is new; what's
wrong side out is in; what's
torn is together; what's faded
is sharp; and what's frayed is
fine.
The people who market
these things are no dummies.
They know that mom types
take one look at tom, faded
garments on the rack with
premium price tags and say:
"Fifty dollars for that? No
way! It looks like somebody
ruined it in the wash and
returned it!" So they include
a plausible disclaimer, like
this one off my son's new
jeans: "UNEVEN WASH is
a specialized process that is
exclusive to PIGMENT
SHADES. The irregularities
are part of the desired look
creating an individual and
personal garment."
So we fall for it, saying:
"Oh, I get it. It's supposed to
look that way." And, voila!
The imperfections are now a
status symbol.
I wish people came with
such disclaimers:
"The baldness trait on the
Monroe Men creates a
smooth sheen on a head
designed for thinking.
Extraneous hair would be an
unwelcome distraction."
"Hefty thighs are the
female trademark of the
Klonawski Klan. The
additional packaging on this
woman is part of a carefully
cultivated image and
broadens the impact of her
appeal."
"The large nose you see on
the attached person is a
family heirloom that has
been handed down from
generation to generation. It
adds dimension to a face
otherwise monotonous with
unbroken regularity."
"The fact that the men and
women in this age group
wear some of their years
around their middles is a
trademark of 'LATTER
DAYS DESIGNS.' The
deviation of shape is
intentional and designed to
give a look that is uniquely
yours."
I think Michael Jackson is
one of the most pathetic
human beings alive. For all
his undeniable talent, for all
his money, for all his fame,
he obviously cannot come to
grips with what he considers
to be his physical imperfec-
tions. I've lost track of how
many cosmetic surgeries he
has undergone to alter his
appearance. But 12 years ago
he was a handsome young
man. Today he has the
plastic, surrealistic look of a
mannequin.
On the other, healthier,
hand, my hat is off to the
marketing genius of the
Wal-Mart corporation for
using its employees and
families in its advertisements
to display merchandise. I
don't know about you, but I
like opening the newspaper
to see models who look like
people instead of some
adolescent's fantasy-come-
to-life.
With a little clever
marketing that precipitates a
change of perspective,
imperfections in today's top
brand-name clothing are
elevated from flaws to
fashion statements.
So it would stand to reason
that if we would be willing
to change our perspective
regarding the physical
appearance of our fellow
human beings, "imperfec-
tions" would cease to be a
source of shame and rejec-
tion, and could be embraced
for the spice of life that
variety brings.
Maybe what I'm
proposing is a bit ambitious
and un-realistic. But if it's
working for Guess, Bugle
Boy, and Wal-Mart, why
not for real people
as well?
Ai.
Robin Wentworth Mayer, of
Edwardsburg. Mich., is pastor of
Pleasant Valley Church of the
Brethren. Middlebury. Ind. She
operates Stepping Stones Counseling
out ofWateiford (Ind.i Community
Church.
16 Messenger March 1994
J
John D. Metzler Sr.:
He went into all the world
by Kermon Thomas son
\fter the death of 95-year-old John D.
VIetzler Sr. this past December 20, I
jhoned a 70-year-old Brethren minister
ivho, I recollected, had worked with
lohn in the late 1940s. To my surprise,
vvhen 1 mentioned John's death, he
-eplied, "You know, I wasn't aware he
ivas still alive."
I think John Metzler would have been
jmused by that reply, and taken some
satisfaction in the significance of it, for
ivhile he had all the credentials of a full-
Mown Brethren "hero," he was a modest
nan. His name was never the household
tvord that that of his contemporary, Dan
West of Heifer Project, was. And he
ivorked shoulder to shoulder with M.R.
Zigler in establishing the Brethren
Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
But, unlike M.R., John was not, in his
)0s, still before the public, crusading for
lis latest cause. John's heyday was the
1940s, '50s, and early '60s. His most
"ecent years were spent in quiet retire-
ment in the Northwest. (He died in
Beaverton, Ore.)
And, like my minister friend, many,
Tiany people — Brethren and others —
ivho participate in annual CROP walks,
Jo not even know that this now totally
ecumenical organization was begun by a
Church of the Brethren relief worker —
lohn D. Metzler Sr.
Before CROP, John (and his wife,
Margaret) had been busy in service
projects. He opened a service center in
Nappanee, Ind., during World War II, as
an outgrowth of a collection system to
provide food for Civilian Public Service
(CPS) camps. (CPSers were conscien-
tious objectors to war, who performed
public service in lieu of military ser-
vice.) Soon afterward, John worked with
M.R. Zigler to buy for the Brethren
Service Committee the old Blue Ridge
College campus in New Windsor, Md.,
and to begin that center.
Meanwhile, as director of material aid
for the Church of the Brethren, John
worked closely with several organiza-
tions that combined in 1946 to form
Church World Service (CWS), today an
arm of the National Council of
Churches.
In 1947, however, began the organiza-
tion that, more than any other, is
associated with the name of John D.
Metzler Sr. That was CROP (Christian
Rural Overseas Program).
John told about those beginnings in
his own words in a 1977 Messenger
article:
"One of the early requests for food
came from the Netherlands, which had
sent a purchasing commission to the
United States to buy wheat. We asked
the Dutch representative if his company
would be willing to pay the shipping
costs if we were to gather together
carloads of wheat throughout the US. He
was glad to arrange that; so the Church
of the Brethren, along with the Evangeli-
cal and Reformed Church and, in some
cases, Mennonites, began developing
gifts of carloads of wheat for the
Netherlands. Soon their needs were
provided for otherwise, but this experi-
ence was the germ of the idea that later
developed into CROP."
CROP began with a $5,000 grant from
the Brethren Service Committee, and set
up shop in a few rooms at Bethany
Seminary, in Chicago, with a couple of
salaried employees and volunteer help.
In 1952, the offices moved to Elkhart,
Ind., where they have been ever since.
Under John's leadership, CROP col-
lected commodities from Brethren
farmers and others and loaded them onto
Friendship Trains and Friendship Food
Ships. This was in the days before
government subsidies were available to
voluntary agencies. CROP continues
today as the community hunger appeal
of Church World Service.
With CROP firmly established, John
moved on, becoming a staff member of
the World Council of Churches, head-
quartered in Geneva, Switzerland. There
John set up organizations to distribute
surplus commodities in western Europe
and in some eastern European countries.
In 1962, he became secretary for Europe
and the Middle East at the CWS office
in New York.
John's later years were spent in Idaho,
in Church of the Brethren district work
and in ecumenical service.
John saw his work in helping feed the
world's hungry as central to the gospel.
Nearly 20 years ago, he said, "When you
approach the problem of world hunger,
whether it is in local communities or
among food-deficient people in the
famine areas of the world, you also must
work at a whole complex of related
problems. So I see meeting hunger needs
not as an end in itself, but it is the best
handle I know of to work with some of
the basic problems of the world. Far
better for me than theology."
Messenger writer Ken Morse wrote of
John and Margaret Metzler in 1977:
"They are ... in every sense of the
word. Christian world citizens. Wher-
ever they have lived — Nappanee, New
Windsor, New York, Geneva, or
Athens — they have demonstrated the
immediate pragmatic response of
persons who know what it is to take up
great commissions and go into
all the world."
Ai.
March 1994 Messenger 17
But why was he resurrected?
by James Benedict
My wife tells me it's because I'm rapidly
approaching middle age, but I know
better. I've been doing it since . . . since
. . . well, as long as I can remember,
actually. I walk out of a room, then
return in a few moments, only to forget
why I've come back. My wife finds it
very amusing, especially on the morn-
ings when I hurry about to get to the
office, walk halfway over to the church,
stop and come back, only to stand in the
doorway with a puzzled look on my face.
She grins and asks, "You don't have a
clue, do you?"
Unable to confess the truth, I counter
her accusation. "No, no," I say. "It's
coming to me. Just give me a minute."
She knows I'm lying. But fortunately
she is gracious, and when she is aware of
what it is I've come back for (which is
most of the time) she helps me out. She
hands me my cup of coffee, or notes, or
books, or a scrap of paper with a mes-
sage and a telephone number on it, and
she asks, "Is this it?"
There is nothing for me to do but to
say, "Thanks," and hurry to the office,
not only to get to work, but also to get
beyond earshot of her giggling. Not that
I begrudge her the right to giggle; I
recognize the humor in the situation and,
after all, she does help me figure out why
I've returned. When she's not around,
there are times I never figure it out and
have to continue on to my original
destination still wondering why I
backtracked.
I got to thinking about this as I read
the gospel accounts of the resurrection.
Jesus returns from the grave, obviously
for some very important reason. But
within the narratives, nobody asks about
it. Nobody asks, "Why?" The mere fact
that he returns is dramatic, and confirm-
ing the fact that it is indeed Jesus is a
time-consuming interest of the disciples.
Once they are convinced that it (5 their
dearly departed teacher, there is a lot of
fear, joy, and worship, but still no one
asks, "Why?"
To me, that is the most important
18 Messenger March 1994
question to ask about the resurrection —
not if it really happened, or how it
happened, but why. For what purpose?
For what reason did Jesus return? I could
go on and on arguing that Jesus was in
fact raised from the dead, but there
would be no point in trying to convince
people if they were left not knowing the
reason he was raised from the dead. Why
did he come back?
The Bible seems to be more interested
in answering the "why" question than in
proving the historicity of the event or
explaining how it took place. Certainly
there is some concern with the other
issues. The mention of the empty tomb
and descriptions of the conspiracy to
suppress the witness of the guards at the
tomb are attempts to deal with those who
would deny the resurrection. But the
Through the
resurrection, death
is not permitted
to define the
significance of life.
deeper concern of each of the gospel
writers is for us to understand what the
resurrection means.
In Matthew's account, the two Marys
are on their way to the tomb when an
earthquake is prompted by the descent of
an angel. The guards at the tomb faint
from terror, but the women listen as the
angel instructs them. "Do not be afraid,"
he says. "I know you are looking for
Jesus who was crucified. He is not here;
for he has been raised, as he said. Come
see the place where he lay. Then go
quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has
been raised from the dead, and indeed is
going ahead of you to Galilee; there you
will see him"'(Matt. 28:5-7).
The angel invites them to take a quick
look at the fact of the resurrection:
"Come see the place where he lay," but
insists that they not dwell on Jesus'
absence from the tomb. Instead, the
women are given a task, a mission. They
are to carry a message to the disciples.
Jesus has come back to meet with his
disciples in Galilee.
No sooner do the women turn and
begin running to fulfill their mission
than they are met suddenly by the risen
Christ. He greets them, and they fall
before him in worship. But Jesus does
not invite them to continue to cling to
him as a way of verifying that he is
indeed risen. Rather, he reaffirms the
mission they've been given: "Go and tell
my brothers to go to Galilee; there they
will see me" (Matt. 28:10).
In Galilee we find out why Jesus came
back. Jesus came back to gather his
followers, to confirm his authority, to
send them forth to bring others into the
community of disciples, and finally to
promise his presence with them always.
In short, Jesus returns to reign as Lord.
That is what the resurrection means:
Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the one who calls
the shots. Jesus is in charge. Because he
triumphed over all the forces of evil,
even what Paul calls "the final enemy" —
death, he is the one who has the power to
shape our destiny. Our lives are not to be
ordered by the power of death, but by the
will of the One who has overcome death.
By the means of the resurrection,
death is put in its proper place. It ceases
to be a rival lord. The resurrection tells
us to stop exaggerating the significance <
of death, to stop making more of it '.
than it is.
Sometimes we are overly intimidated !
by death. We are like little children,
lying in bed before they go to sleep, who
see a shadow on the wall. And before
very long, with the help of their imagina .
tions, that shadow becomes a make-
believe monster. And then, because of
their childish fears, it becomes a real
monster, able to terrify them to the point
that they leave their beds. They become
so frightened by the shadow monster tha
they go downstairs, in spite of the fact
that they were told not to.
Death is more than a shadow, but it is
not a terror that should cause us to
disobey our God. Death is a reality, but
not the fact; it is true that we all must
'Resurrection." an enj^raving hy Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525'.'-1569)
lie, but that is not the ultimate truth
ibout us. The ultimate truth is that we
)elong to God and may know life in all
ts fullness by trusting in Jesus Christ.
That is why we sing hallelujahs on
laster, because death is circumscribed. It
s as if death marks a line to indicate the
;nd of life, but God, by means of the
resurrection, takes out his marker and
draws a circle around death, making it
only a part of life — only an interruption,
not the end. Death is not allowed to rule.
Death is not permitted to define the
significance of a life.
It is important to remember that truth
as you stand at the side of a grave or a
deathbed. Neither the fact of death or the
circumstances surrounding it are any
indication of the genuine value of the life
lived. When I stand near the body of
someone who has been prematurely
taken, I know because of the resurrection
that this does not mean that person's life
was less valuable or less important than
others. When I witness slow deteriora-
tion and the indignity of the loss of
personality as a prelude to death, the
resurrection assures me that it is not a
reflection of that person's worth in the
eyes of God.
Death must come, and it comes in
many forms, most of which we would not
choose if we were given the privilege of
choice. But over every death, Jesus
Christ reigns as Lord by means of his
resurrection, and by means of God's
promise that we shall someday share in
his resurrection. Jesus Christ reigns —
not death. Jesus Christ determines the
value of a life — not death. And because
Jesus Christ reigns, he is the one from
whom we should take our cues regarding
how life is to be lived.
In the sporting goods department of a
discount store, I saw a T-shirt with the
slogan "Fishing isn't a matter of life and
death — it's more important than that!"
It was supposed to be funny, but it .set
me to thinking. It may not be true of
fishing, but it is true of Jesus Christ as
Lord. The resurrection declares that his
lordship isn't simply a matter of earthly
life and death; it's more important than
that. Death especially pales in signifi-
cance next to the authority of Jesus
Christ. Death's power is negligible by
comparison.
At Easter we celebrate our relationship
with the one who is greater than death, a
relationship of trust and hope. We
celebrate his promise to be with us
always, even when we come face to face
with death, be it that of loved ones or our
own. And we commit ourselves to
ordering our lives by his will in acknowl-
M.
edgment that Jesus Christ is Lord
indeed.
James BeneJic! is paslor of Troy lOliio) Church
oftlie Bretlircn.
March 1994 Messenger 19
What the Old Brethren!
said about anointing
by Galen R. Hackman
Anointing for healing historically has
held a central place in Brethren faith and
practice. Because of its centrality in our
heritage, it also has held special attrac-
tion for me. Part of my interest in the
PROCEEDINGS
—OF THE-
I)
"^y:.-.
^4^4^(r-4^^\^
^
^^^:^
—OF THE—
Brethren
'Great wisdom may
be embodied in
the counsel
of previous
generations/
service is caused by my coming into the
ministry during a time when the neo-
pentecostal movement was spilling over
into the church. I have gained many
insights from my charismatic sisters and
brothers, but also have seen the impor-
tance of being biblical and balanced in
ministry, especially in dealing with the
more supernatural demonstrations of
God's presence, such as healing.
During the course of my 20 years in
ministry, I have worked alongside a
variety of church leaders from different
backgrounds, both in the United States
and Nigeria. At times, I have assisted
others in the anointing service. In such
settings, I usually feel more comfortable
with the others leading and me follow-
ing. And as I follow, I watch and learn.
This has led to some interesting
experiences and observations. I have
noticed differences of practice and belief
regarding anointing, some of which
made me uncomfortable. I often have
worked at the meaning and practice of
anointing from a biblical standpoint,
preaching and teaching from James 5
and other related passages. But recently.
I followed another approach and ex-
plored how the Brethren of the early
1900s and before responded to some of
the situations I experienced while
participating in the anointing service.
In order to get a better sense for when
the Brethren have been on the topic, I
read the Annual Conference minutes,
1778-1909, for every possible reference.
I did not consider the 1963 statement orl
anointing. I wanted to discover the "Olc
Brethren" position and find relevance fc
today. '
First, some Brethren approach the rit«f
of anointing almost as if it were a sort o'
"magic." One time while I was a guest ]
preacher, the minister asked me to assis
in an anointing. I wholeheartedly agreei'
The brother got out his oil, which he
quickly pointed out was mixed with
spices exactly as prescribed by the Old
Testament. I thought that was pretty
neat, and the oil smelled nice. But the
minister also produced a little card on
which was printed a blessing that, he
said, had to be prayed over the oil in
order to consecrate it. Otherwise, the
anointing would not work. Now I was
uncomfortable.
Another angle on the "magic" idea
comes out when we insist that the word
spoken during the anointing follow soir
prescribed formula. I was taught the
"FISH" acronym — Forgiveness of sins,
Increase of faith. Strengthening and
Healing of the body. The acronym is
20 Messenger March 1994
eful in helping one to remember what
pray about when anointing, but should
suggest a fixed formula?
How did the Old Brethren react? S.S.
ough warned against seeing any
ecial power in the oil (Studies in
jctrine and Devotion, page 170) and
hough the Annual Conference minutes
827, 1, and 1860, 6) did set down
ecific words to be used while the oil
IS being applied to the sick person, the
60 minute concludes with "or as the
)rd may give utterance." This suggests
it the Brethren were open regarding
; exact words spoken when the oil is
plied.
Second, the importance of "confessing
lur faults one to another" is a central
;me for the Old Brethren, giving
idence to their understanding of the
dy of Christ as community (Blough,
ge 170; Annual Conference, 1869, 9).
lave at times been uncomfortable,
wever, with the suggestion that if
aling did not occur (at least not as
visioned by the one anointing) then
; person anointed must not have made
'ull confession of sin. Although the
5a is present in Blough (page 170),
It James, by mentioning confession,
s in mind individual, personal sins in
i earlier minutes (1869, 9) the concern
more toward sins against a sister or
other in the church. The emphasis on
nfession then falls on confessing to
e another with a view toward the
:onciliation of relationships horizon-
ly, which ultimately affects one's
rtical relationship with God as well.
lis is very different from the emphasis
)ften have observed, or made myself, in
; anointing service.
Also related to this is Blough 's
mment (page 170) that both the one
ointed and the one anointing need to
ve faith in the service. This moves one
fay from the idea that the faith of one
rson (that is, the elder anointing) can
.4iiciiiiiiig tkr Sick in Ibc IVame of the liord.
Theological Writings on Various Subjects (by Peter Nead, 1850)
carries this somber depiction of Old Brethren anointing the sick.
somehow "force" God to comply. Rather,
the emphasis is on the faith of the
community as the members together
discern God's will. Again, I gave had
some uncomfortable moments when
elders prayed in a commanding tone,
implying that they somehow could move
the hand of God by their own faith.
Certainly, strong faith on the part of one
person can affect positively the outcome
March 1994 Messenger 21
No more of this
Recently, Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders declared that violence is a leading
cause of death in the United States. Then she challenged the churches to do more
than they have been, to be in the streets actively countering the violence of our
time. Similarly the attorney general has spoken against violence, and both have
been joined by President Clinton. Violence has become a primary political issue
in the United States.
The good news of the gospel is that the reign of God is at hand, and the
violence has been overcome, even though it has not disappeared. The angels
announced Jesus' birth to the shepherds with the blessing, "On Earth
peace, "(Luke 2:14). At the time of Jesus' arrest in Gethsemane a disciple struck
off the ear of a servant of the high priest. But Jesus said, "No more of this!" and
healed the man (Luke 22:51).
The early church resisted and overturned many of the violent practices of the
Roman Empire. In the 20th century, hard-won traditions limiting violence have
been shockingly abandoned. Two world wars have destroyed millions of innocent
people. The practice of saturation bombing and the threat of atomic warfare have
overshadowed concern for the innocent. Holocaust and genocide kill everyone
indiscriminately. Far from being considered innocent, children are often the
primary objects of violence. Drive-by shootings share with the shelling of
Sarajevo the killing of anyone. Violence is celebrated in the mass media with
disgusting regularity. We live in a time in which the mythology that "violence is
king" is increasingly accepted.
The proclamation at the center of the church is that the Prince of Peace is
king. The disciples were slow to believe Jesus was not a conquering destroyer, a
terminator. The New Testament teaches that the cause of destroying one another
comes from the human heart. One must be at peace with God and with oneself in
order to be at peace with one's neighbor. Reconciliation to God through Christ is
the beginning of peace. However, in order to be reconciled to God, one must first
go and be reconciled to one's neighbor, (Matt. 5:24). We who are reconciled to
God in Christ carry the ministry of reconciliation, (2 Corin. 5:18).
The violence of our time has many causes and no quick and easy solutions.
Poverty, broken families, drugs, guns, declining morality, pent-up anger,
lawlessness, and media hype join together in a downward spiral. Jesus" words,
"No more of this!" are for us.
We need a discipline of prayer for forgiveness and peace, seeking God's will
for our communities. Even as we pray, we may actively be engaged in reconcilia-
tion, addressing the causes of violence. Our churches can be a resource for
strengthening family life. Churches can work with other churches, community
leaders, and indeed those involved in violence. Churches can act together with
other groups, including schools and police to forge community solidarity where
it is not. We can oppose the easy access to guns, and together we can insist that
the quality of mass media be improved. Prayer and peacemaking belong to one
another. The love of God begins in worship, but worship includes being recon-
ciled to one's neighbor by hearing Jesus" words at Gethsemane, "No more of
this!" — Donald E. Miller
Donald E. Miller is general secretary of the Church of the Brethren.
of a anointing service, but only when
that faith is an encouraging force that
energizes the faith of others, and
together the will of God (as opposed to
22 Messenger March 1994
the will of people) is actively sought.
Third, another disquieting feeling
develops whenever 1 hear persons
making bold promises during the
anointing. Usually this relates to the
specific way in which God is going to
heal the sick person. Most often, the one
making the promise has only one frame
of reference for healing — physical. In
other words, if the person's physical
infirmity does not vanish, then healing
has not occurred.
The Old Brethren were careful not to
make bold promises about God answer-
ing the prayer of faith in the anointing.
In the Brethren tract on this subject (in
the Brethren's Tract and Pamphlets
series) the unidentified writer says,
"While the sick may not know fully the
particular kind of raising up the Lord |
will grant him. yet he can be certain it
will be that kind which will be best for
him" (page 2 of tract no. 276). I really |
like that statement because it helps me
remember that there are many kinds of
healing, the ultimate of which is death
itself. No more sickness; no more
sorrow. What could be better than
that? Blough also is careful to stipulate
that God may answer the prayer in a
variety of ways that includes "delaying,
modifying, or even denying the healing'
(page 171).
Fourth, concerning the use of medicini
after being anointed, although at first thi
Brethren advised against this (Annual i
Conference minutes 1812, 1), presum- |
ably because it implied a lack of faith ini
the anointing, they later reversed that
position (Annual Conference 1860, 5).
By 1919, Blough fully allows for the ust
of medicine, so long as the Lord "does
not definitely direct otherwise," indicat-
ing that such need not "interfere with o
faith in the anointing" (page 172). The
early prohibitions against mixing
medicine with the anointing need also li
be viewed against the backdrop of wher
progress in medical science was during
the time of those pronouncements.
Fifth, the most frequently repeated
query to Annual Meeting related to soni
aspect of the question of who was
authorized to do the anointing. One
might think that today this issue is a
mute question. I know of a colleague,
however, who insists that only ordaine^
rs (in the official sense of the word)
illowed to anoint. Consequently,
being ordained to the ministry, he
refused to officiate in an anointing
ice because he was not yet an elder.
; the congregation called in "elders"
I neighboring congregations to
ially ordain him as an elder.
1 the other hand, in many of our
negations that are served by full-
pastors, the laity (not a good word
brethren to use) believe that only the
jr can lead in an anointing.
1 the point of who can anoint, the
hren were quite clear: It is good for
ilders to lead, but if none is present,
sters of the first or second degree
would be "licensed" or "ordained,"
ual Conference minutes through
') and finally that anyone "duly
Drized by the church" may officiate
1 anointing (1890, 21; 1893). This
IS to allow for deacons and other
3ns. selected by the congregation, to
inister an anointing,
xth, I have been in situations where
n-Christian has requested the
nting. In these situations my
;agues have responded differently —
: in favor and others opposed. The
Brethren seem to be in agreement
the anointing should not be adminis-
1 to nonmembers or to those excom-
icated (Annual Conference minutes
lis topic; J.H. Moore, New Testament
rines. page 153). What is not clear
nether nonmembers would equate
y to non-Christians, or (as I suspect)
Brethren meant non-Brethren. What
5ar, however, is the Brethren
em to use the ordinances carefully,
much holiness, and not to cheapen
1 by indiscriminate use. With our
basis on inclusiveness today, that's a
sage we could stand to hear.
:venth, when word gets out in the
munity of faith that Sally (or Joe) is
g to be anointed, I often have heard
low believer respond with, "Is she
he) that sick?" Too often we have
;loped the idea that the anointing
functions as the Brethren "last rites." On
the other hand, some anoint for things
not much more troubling than the
common cold. Again we turn to the Old
Brethren and discover that they too
worked at this concern. When asked by
query (Annual Conference minutes,
1852, 20) whether a brother or sister
who is "up and about" should be
anointed. Conference counseled that the
anointing should be reserved for "those
who are sick or in a decline of life."
Although we may argue here that there
are sicknesses other than physical that
result in a "decline of life," we still
cannot avoid the counsel to reserve the
anointing for the more serious situations
one faces in life. However, the counsel
still does not necessarily equate to a "last
rites" mentality.
By exploring what the Old Brethren
said about anointing I do not wish to
suggest that these forebears were
unconditionally correct. To even suggest
that flies in the face of the Brethren's
openness to new truth as it breaks forth
from the Word. I would suggest, how-
ever, that great wisdom may be embod-
ied in the counsel of previous genera-
tions, and we are richer when
we listen to that counsel and see
how it may relate and apply to the
present age.
M.
Galen R. Hiickman. a recent Nigeria missionary,
is pastor ofConewago Church of the Brethren.
Hershex. Pa.
Anyone interested in a reading list of Brethren
authors on anointing and a detailed index to
Annual Conference minutes on the subject may
obtain one by writing toMESSENGER. A stamped,
self-addressed envelope will be appreciated.
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March 1994 Messenger 23
REVIEWS
A story of
love, faith,
and doubt
by Kenneth L. Gibble
Mixed Re\ieH-s critiques books. fUms.
and other products of the entertain-
ment media that speak lo Brethren
Irving out their faith. The miens are
not to he taken as Messenger'j
eadonement . necessarily. Rather, ve
present them as helf^ ir^ormation
for readers who encounter the
subjects they treat.
What a rare and wonderful
exf)erience — to go to the
theater and see a movie in
which Chiistianitv is neither
caricatured nor ridiculed, but
treated w ith respect, a movie
that shows mature adults
WTestling w ith faith and
doubt and love. The movie is
"Shadowlands."
Newspaper ads for the film
call it a "tear-jerker."
apparent!} in hopes of luring
to the box office people who
enjoy sappy, sentimental
lo\e stories with haul-out-
the-hankies endings. Nor-
mally you can't drag me to a
tear-jerker. I went to see
"Shadowlands" because the
reviews in the newspaper
said it told the true-life storv
of the relationship between
Joy Gresham and C.S.
Lewis, the British writer
whose books on Christian
themes (the Namia
chronicles. Mere Christian-
ity. The Problem of Pain.
and others ) have left their
impact on countless people.
My acquaintance with
Lewis began back in the
early 1960s when I read an
article about him in Hori-
zons, a publication for
Brethren youth. Not long
afterward. I came across one
of Lewis' books in the
library . At that critical point
in my faith development.
Lewis' clear-headed thinking
on such matters as prayer.
salvation, and suffering
helped me wade through
some murky waters.
So 1 was intrigued to see
how "Shadow lands" showed
Lewis dealing with life
experiences that seriously
challenged his owti faith.
Yes. I was among many in
the crowded theater
(crowded on a weekday
afternoon! » who shed tears at
the conclusion of
"Shadowlands. " But the tears
were not the result of cheap
emotional manipulation by
the movie-makers. The\
came instead as we w atched
a man whose intellectual
understanding of the mean-
ing of suffering w as tested in
the crucible of real love and
real loss.
If all this sounds like a
very heavv' and drearv
movie-going experience. I
can assure you it is not.
There are moments of
delicious humor, especially
as the imf)etuous American.
Joy Gresham (played b>
Debra Winger), skewers the
smffed-shirt professors at
Oxford. There is romance, as
the relationship between
Lewis and Gresham blos-
soms from friendship into
deeply committed love.
There is beauty, as the
counny side and cathedrals of
England are given a promi-
nent place in the film.
What I found particularly
refreshing about
"Shadowlands" was the
respectful attention paid to
themes usualh reserved for
discussion at church. We
hear Lewis (superbly
portrayed by Anthony
Hopkins) say things such as:
"Pain is God's megaphone to
rouse a deaf world": "God
doesn't want us to be happy:
God w ants us to grow up";
and "Prayer doesn't change
God. it changes me." And
we w atch the famous
Christian ajxilogist roar his
disgust at the attempts of
well-meaning friends to
assuage his grief with the
pious cliche: "It's all for the
best." Clearly, this is a
movie that isn't afraid to ask
questions and to offer some
answers about the deepest
concerns of the human heart.
I have a suggestion. If the
movie is still playing in your
local theater, round up some
friends or your discussion
group at church and go see
it. Or. when "Shadowlands "
comes to your video store,
rent it and invite the group to
watch it in your home. I
predict that after you've
laughed together and cried
together, you will have
one of the best discussions
about love and doubt
and faith that you've
ever had.
}
<4^
Kenneth L. Gibble is co-pastor of
Arlington i\'a.l Church of the
Brethren, and promotion consultant
forMESSESOESL.
24 Messenger Maicfa 1994
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I tore out the editorial
I appreciated the January editorial
("Running Away From History") so
much that I tore it out and sent it to the
Southern Poverty Law Center in Mont-
gomery, Ala., which I have supported for
several years.
This center has a team of lawyers that
prosecutes Ku Klux Klan members.
"skinheads," etc., who harass, even
murder, African Americans and mem-
bers of other minorities. It asks people
all over the country to send it articles
from periodicals that have bearing on its
work.
I also sent the center an article from
our Hays (Kan.) Daily News regarding
the demonstration by the Ku Klux Klan
Ifs a combination of the more
reasonable cost and the element
of service that makes MAA
attractive ...
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Middlebury, IN.
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Mutual Aid Association Church of the Brettiren Route 1 Abilene, Kansas 67410
/U
in Topeka on Martin Luther King Jr.
Day, as well as the editorial in the same
issue denouncing the Klan and urging
tolerance on the part of all, for all.
I led devotions for my church circle or
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and used
the Messenger editorial. I also used a
historical pamphlet from Germantown
Brick Church of the Brethren, near
Rocky Mount, Va. The pamphlet tells
about an African American mother and
daughter who were members at Brick
church but were treated very differently
at love feast — put at a table to them-
selves, off to one side. I hope that I
Brethren who feel that way read the i
January editorial.
Maiy Jo Jamiso,
Qidnler. Kar,
No sacl(clotli and ashes
I see no need for getting out the sack-
cloth and ashes with the editor over our I
collective past or future guilt or that of '
our ancestors or contemporaries. (See
January editorial. "Running Away From
History.") !
As long as we aren't presently biased
against our brothers and sisters, black oi
white, or in our dealings, there is no
need to carry guilt about the past or
future injustices. Let's get on, rather,
with peace of mind, behaving in our
daily lives as Christ would have it.
Dale MilU
Hanisburg. Pi'
No preferential treatment
I'm concerned about the statement abouil
African Americans in the January
editorial "When the deck has been
stacked against the one party for centu
ries, it doesn't equalize things for that
party to be told that now he is free to
enter the game and take his chances."
The editor seems to believe that
retribution must be made for all the evil
done against African Americans.
Nothing can "pay back" for the horrors
of slavery. It's like saying that Jews
deserve full restitution for the Holocaus'
26 Messenger March 1994
re, but how do you give back to 6
Uion people their lives?
Preferential treatment of any race is
t the answer. Only when all people
ve the same opportunities will there be
uality. Walking around with a chip on
ur shoulder and a "You-owe-me"
itude only strengthens the existing
rriers.
Teresa Zumhrun
Lawrenceville . III.
long, and would not relieve us from
being asked, "Church of the Whatl"
Let's keep the same initials, with
"Church of the Believers." Maybe that
would inspire the Latter Day Saints and
Presbyterians to get rid of their funny-
sounding names.
Dean Farringer
Denver. Colo.
Take Hold of Your Future...
Speaking for a new century
I speak as one drawn into the denomina-
tion of my ancestors by reading the
great witness of its past. Many of the
great ones recognized and adapted to
the future as it unfolded. But some of
the divisions of the 19th century might
have been avoided by more charity
and less stiff-necked insistence on
...One Step at a Time.
brthy of the name?
ouldn't it be wonderful to be worthy of
: name "Church of the Reconciliation"
inuary, page 9, "Group Announces
ustration With Denomination Name")?
At this time, however, when so many
our Church of the Brethren members
11 ridicule and hate the homosexuals in
jir midst instead of welcoming them as
)d"s sons and daughters, the name
'hurch of Reconciliation" would be
pocritical.
Shirley D. Hamilton
Conifer. Colo.
hurch of the Whatl
!garding a group of sisters "naming"
I denomination the "Church of
iconciliation" (January, page 9),
obably most of us have been asked why
; hold to a denominational name that
me people judge to be out of touch
th the times. I suspect that motivation
r change, rather than coming from
irest over an archaic name, comes from
ibarrassment at being a small, unfa-
iliar denomination, especially in the
est and South.
The present concern about our name
ay be the result of many years of failure
interpret adequately and with convic-
)n what "Brethren" means. (To me, it
an inclusive word meaning brothers
id sisters in Christ, the family of faith.)
the name has become out-of-date, it
ay be so because we failed to keep it
irrent and constantly in public use.
The name the Minneapolis group
lose, "Church of Reconciliation," is too
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March 1994 Messenger 27
procedures.
I grieve for those who feel put down or
left out by people who do not follow
procedures, or who may feel that nothing
good can come from ignoring proce-
dures. I also grieve for those who are so
frustrated or left out that they feel they
cannot follow procedures.
Nevertheless, it was gratifying to read
of the consideration of a name-change
leading up to the denomination's 300th
anniversary (January, page 9, "Group
Announces Frustration With Denomina-
tion Name").
Whatever the correctness of the
procedures, the name "Church of
Reconciliation" is a wonderful one,
speaking for a new century of something
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North Manchester, IN 46962-0365
(219) 982-5238 or 982-5025
S|>oiisofe(l l)y Ihe BCA Consotltutn Bridgewalet
College, VA, Elizahelhlowti College, PA;
Jutiiiil.i t -olleye. PA. Manchester College. IN,
NttPlietsoii College, KS, Uiuuetsily ol
La Verne. CA
that is absolutely central to the Christia
message in the 21st century. (See John
3:17; Gal. 3:28; Matt. 5:23-24; and
1 John 3:18-20.)
Sarah Quinter Malo
State College. F
(Some Brethren, after reading the
January Messenger news item "Group
Announces Frustration With Denomina
tion Name" and accounts of the
Minneapolis conference in other
publications, have inquired if
" something' s coming to Conference
about changing our name." The answei
is no. there is no business item before
Annual Conference regarding a denom
national name-change. — Ed.)
Word From The Moderate
I asked President Gene Roop of Bethan;
Seminary for some thoughts on the
leadership crisis in our denomination.
"Not long ago a junior-high student
phoned me. She wanted to know about
leadership-a class assignment, not just
curiosity.
"Brethren traditionally describe the
ideal leader as a servant. I am not alwaj
sure what we mean by that. At our won
it means the leader will do as I expect.
Sometimes, we recognize, a servant
leader is called to enhance the life of thi
whole community, even when that may
vary from my preferences. At our best,
we recognize that leader as a servant of
Christ, whose will transcends our issue;
and time.
"Bethany Seminary has been commis
sioned to help train leadership for the
next generation. We will do our best. \^
need the church to nurture its leaders a:
carefully as we expect them to nurture
us." I
Pray for our seminary, our leaders, on
pastors.
EarlK. Ziegler
1994 Annual Conference Moderator
28 Messenger March 1994
A^ Pontius' Puddle
NOTICE: Church and district newsletters that reprint "Pontius' Puddle" from
Messenger must pay $10 fnr each use to Joel Kauffhiann, 111 Carter Road,
Goshen. IN 465Jft
Misunderstanding Islam
don't doubt that our Brethren in Sudan
re making a strong witness for peace in
very difficult situation. But I was
roubled by the last sentence of Carolyn
Ichrock's December article, "Experienc-
ig God's Grace in Sudan."
She likely did not intend to imply that
11 Islamic regimes are repressive, but an
ninitiated person might infer that. And,
nfortunately, most people in the US are
ninitiated regarding Islam. For ex-
mple, most Islamic leaders have
ondemned the death threat against
alman Rushdie for his novel Satanic
'erses, but our news media have been
atisfied to leave the impression that the
eath threat is the "voice of Islam."
I hope that Messenger will educate
Irethren about the various faces of
slam. Better understanding of the
slamic world is crucial to world peace.
{Esther Ho
"""
tE-lmagining made me glad!
!\ "The Sound of Music," the mother
uperior sang of novice Maria, "I'd like
3 say a word in her behalf: Maria makes
le laugh!" Regarding the RE-Imagining
onference in Minneapolis last Novem-
er (January, page 9) and paraphrasing
le mother superior's line, I'd like to say
word in it's behalf: RE-Imagining
lade me glad\
RE-Imagining asked us participants to
reatively think anew about issues that
oncem us as Christians. What would
le world be like, for example, if every
t'oman could look in the mirror and love
erself as a person made in God's
mage? How might the Jesus whom some
vfrican Americans imagine become
lore meaningful to people of every
olor? What differences would we
nvision within a church that recognizes
tself as part of an interdependent world
ommunity? RE-Imagining asked people
f faith to renew their faith.
RE-Imagining not only challenged us
O new ways of thinking; it also brought
le back to my Church of the Brethren
THE
' ^ AND t
e^l^^f^^^Mi^^iic
Committed to the church? Definitely. Self-disciplined?
All the way. Compassionate, appreciative, and eager?
Of course. Chris Michael, a 1974 Manchester
graduate, is director ofYouth/Young Adult Ministries
at Elgin's General Offices. Her boundless energy
and insatiable desire to make a tangible difference
in the lives of our young people mark Chris as one
of the rare and remarkable.
MANCHESTER COLLEGE
TRADITION
Lori Pippenger is a go-getter. Respectful and
caring, Lori's optimism evolves from her faith in
God, her recent travels to third world countries,
and her cherished relationships vnth family and
friends. A fifth year senior at Manchester, Lori
models Christ's love as a student, camp counselor.
Peace Choir member, and Campus Ministry Board
leader. She is, indeed, amongthe rare and remarkable.
VALUES * GLOBAL AWARENESS * FAITH * ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
* LEARNING * ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS * COMMUNITY
PEACE & JUSTICE * STEWARDSHIP * SERVICE
Write or call to receive more information on Manchester programs or stewardship
opportunities, to refer prospective students, or to let us know if you are planning a special
campus visit.
Manchester College does not discriminate on ttie basis of marital status, sex,
religion, race, color, national or ettinic origin, or haridicap in the administration of its
educational policies, recruitment and admissions policies, scholarship and loan
programs, employment practices, and athletic or other college sponsored programs.
MANCHESTER
COLLEGE
North Manchester, IN 46962 • (219) 982- 5000
March 1994 Messenger 29
heritage. At the inspiration of present
and former Brethren leaders, I have
picketed on behalf of racial integration. I
BRF
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY
"It was not the intention of our
foreparents, when they decided not to
adopt a formal creed, and spoke about
being open to new light, that the new
light would be receiving revelation
beyond what God gave in the Bible, or
that the new light meant to receive new
understandings that contradicted the
Scriptures. For our Anabaptist
ancestors it was new light that would
breal( forth out of God's holy WordI It
was new insight, new illumination, new
perspective- out of the Scriptures, not
apart from the Scriptures. We have no
creed but the New Testament, but we
do have a creed . The New Testament
is our creed, and as we receive it by
faith and meditate upon it, new light
continues to burst upon us."
--sxcBrpted ffom the BRF Whnass, Vol 14, No 4,
entitled "Misconceptions about the Bible's
inspiration," Readers may receive a free copy, or
may be added to our mailing list, by writing to:
BRETHREN REVIVAL FELLOWSHIP
Route 10, Box 201 -N
York, PA 17404
All readers are welcome to attend a BRF
sponsored Training Day at the Brandt's
Church of the Brethren (near
Mercersburg, PA) on March 26, 1 994.
have witnessed against the Vietnam War
and Desert Storm. I have stood in silent
vigil on the anniverary of Hiroshima. I
To subscribe to
call (800) 323-8039^ Ext. 247.
Ask for Norma
From the
Office of Human Resources
DIRECTOR,
NEW CHURCH DEVELOPMENT
Half-time position.
Eli;iii location preferred.
We are looking for someone who:
• has administrative and management
skills
• has an M. Div. degree or equivalent,
with at least 2 years experience,
preferably in work with new churches
• understands Church of the Brethren
history and polity
• communicates at a professional level
and relates well with people
Po.sition available July J. 1994.
For prompt consideration call
Barbara Greenwald (800) 323-8039
have advocated on behalf of individuals
who are physically challenged. RE-
Imagining reminded me that injustice
still exists in this world, and that part ol
my role as a church leader is to support
the oppressed.
Finally, RE-Imagining was just plain
fun! Four women's choirs surrounded
the huge ballroom in which we met. Tw
artists painted a mural during the
speeches. Colorful quilts and other
fabrics decorated our tables. Simple,
tasteful "dance" movements enhanced
our worship. Old friends and new frienc
graced the crowded halls. In short, like
Maria's uplifting spirit, the spirit of RE
Imagining made me laughl
Jean L. Hendric,
Lawrence. Ka
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily
those of the magazine. Readers should receive thei
in the same spirit with which differing opinions an
expressed in face-to-face conversations.
Letters should he brief concise, and respectful o
the opinions of others. Preference is given to letter
that respond directly to items read in the magazini
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 tlie
letter, the writer's name is kept in strictest
confidence. i
Address letters to Messenger Editor. 1451 I
Dundee Ave.. Elgin. IL 60120. 1
CLASSIFIED ADS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR— Tri-county ecumenical agency.
Administrative, managerial, supervisory experience required.
Masters degree preferred. Strong Christian commitment
required. Ability to work with churches, government and
community agencies. Send resume stating minimum salary
requirement by March 15: Search Committee, Christian
Churches United, 900 S. Arlington Ave.. Room 1 28, Harris-
burg, PA 17109.
MUSIC— Assistant professor of music to teach applied
voice, choral ensembles, sight singing, ear training, and
music education methods. Doctorate required. Apply by
March 1 5, 1 994; position begins August 1 994. McPherson
College is a liberal arts college of 500 related to the Church
of the Brethren. Send application, audition tape, and curricu-
lum vitae to Dr. Dale Goldsmith, Vice President for Aca-
demic Services, McPherson College, P.O. Box 1402,
McPherson, KS 67460. McPherson College is an equal
opportunity employer by choice.
TRAVEL— Israel/Egypt Holiday. Wendell & Joan Bohrer,
Fred & Nancy Swartz host a tour to Israel and Egypt. Aug.
8-18,1 994. 1 1 day tour includes travel to Jerusalem, the old
30 Messenger March 1994
city. Dead Sea, Megiddo, Galilee, Cana, Mt. Carmel, Mt.
Nebo, Cairo, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Tomb of King Tut.
For information write; Wendell & Joan Bohrer, 8520 Royal
Meadow Dr., Indianapolis, IN 4621 7. Tel. (317) 882-5067, or
Fred & Nancy Swartz, 1 0047 Nokesville Rd., Manassas, VA
221 10. Tel. (703)369-3947.
TRAVEL— Tour to Annual Conference includes Shenandoah
Valley.Gallinburg, Smoky Mountains, Nashville, Grand Ole
Opry Park, Heifer Project Farm, and Blue Grass country of
Kentucky. For info, write to; J. Kenneth Kreider, 1300
Sheaffer Rd., Elizabethtown, PA 17022.
TRAVEL— Brethren Service Center's 50th Anniversary
Committee is hosting a European Tour, July 31 -August 1 4,
1994. Glenn & Helen Kinsel, tour leaders. Visit former and
current Church of the Brethren and Heifer Project persons
and sites. Arrangements are being made to include time with
persons involved in Brethren Volunteer Service, the Polish
Agriculture Exchange, and Student Exchange Program.
Geneva, Stuttgart/Miedelsbach, Marburg, Schriesheim,
Schwarzenau, Kassel, Berlin, Skierniewice, Krakow, and
Vienna are all on the list of stopping places. For info, contact
Terri Meushaw, Brethren Service Center, 500 Main Strei
New Windsor, MD 21 776-01 88. Tel. (41 0) 635-871 6,
WANTED— Camp manager or couple to manage Can
Colorado in Pike National Forest. 40 minutes from Denv
or Colorado Springs. From Memorial Day to Labor D.
1994. Camp located on 85 forested acres. Features swii
ming pool, hiking trails, 6 dorms, dining hall, recreation bid
Camp has 4 wks, of Brethren-sponsored camps and
rented remainder of season to Brethren churches and fam
reunion groups. Duties incl. purchasing supplies, cleanin
and repairing camp. Altitude of camp is 7,500 ft. Applicar
should be in good physical shape. Salary $1 ,000 a mom
Incl. 2-bdrm. cabin, utilities. Interested parties contact Ri
Achilles, Rt. 1 , Box 1 43, Quinter, KS 67752, Tel, (913) 7E
2322.
WANTED— "Handyman" couple to buy a4-apartment co
plex; attractive, furnished. Near lake, library, post offic
banks, stores, hospital. Church of the Brethren across t
street. Reasonably priced. Will finance. Contact; Stor
Apts., 344 Oak Ave, Sebring, FL 33870. Tel. (813) 3f
6863.
w
imbers
lelor Run, S/CInd.: Hazel
Coy, Debbie Hood. Joe Slaie.
OliveZehring
lelt, Virlina: Robert Cramer.
Mallie Franklin, Del & Sharon
Mills
alo Valley, S. Pa.: Justin &
Brenda Bobb, Audrey Fiske,
Diane Heintzelman, Rebecca
Keister. Tonya Richard,
faniniy Sholley, Andrea Spaid.
lenniterSlyers
orus,S. Pa: Michael & Lisa
Brenneman. Becky Innerst,
Stuart & Terri Keefer, Suzanne
Keeney.LeoKeim
it Manor, N. Ind.: John Case,
Ken& Vicki Fritz, Mark &
Elaine Shafer. Bonnie
Swiatkowski,John&Kristi
Summers
ibethtown, Atl. N.E.; Manha
Beahm, Howard & Kathy
Ha Idem an. Barbara Moris,
Carol Welsh, David
Willoughby
iartCity,'s/C Ind.: Steve &
Anne Cauble. Mindy Elliot,
BelhLynley.PamWoif
tien, N. Ind.: Charles &
Corabelle Dickison
rnsey, S/C Ind.: Scott & Kim
Lear
over. S. Pa.: Alan. Lona, Alina
&Tara Bridenbaugh,
Krislopher Rusinko, Clair
Hewin
idaysburg, M. Pa.: Raymond
& Mary Boose
tsdale, S, Pa.: Scott Baldwm.
Celeste Sheaffer, Stacy Smith.
Becky & Joseph Thumma
'erne, Pac. S.W.: Greg Emrick,
Ian Gratz, Kathryn Kunz. Ellen
Sherberth, Dena Sjol. Trisha
Fyler
rty Mills, S/C Ind.: Steve
pripe. HeatherGrady, Esta
bullett. Bill & Stacy
-echliiner, Kriss, Darlene,
Donna & Joey Little, Anne
jvlyers, Philip Spann
Ite Vista, Virlina: Jenna
amison
janee, N. Ind.: Jen Mishler,
^gela Riggs
Carlisle, S. Ohio: Orville &
/ema Rose. Richard & Lisa
Ipoits
a, S. Ohio: Sheri Heniser, Jane
liser, Lori Jessee, Lisa & Lori
-avey, Angela & Anthony
■layer, Lee & Ruth Perkins,
irian Putnam, Kern Schneider.
■Iso Vada, LeAnn & William
Valker
:e of Peace, W. Plains: Ben &
ill Clannin. David &
^ilodyne Clapper. Viola
(einy. Ron Laue. Dana Pringle.
eterSamland. Rick Slater.
lary Thedford. Betty Thomas,
osier& Leonard Weiner
meUW. Pa.: Douglas &
snniferChizmar. Michael
Hinton, Elizabeth Homer.
Linda Hubbard, Krystal Jury,
Joshua Moore. Shannon Nihoff,
Sara Stahl, Amanda, Evelyn &
Michael Trachok
Santa Ana, Pac. S.W.: Travis &
Joan McMasters
Scalp Level, W. Pa.: Diane, Jill &
Tracey Deyamiin. Bemie
Kiser. Linda Null, Cristie
Weaver
South Bay, Pac. S.W.: lole Brown,
Patti Levenson, Bill Lusenhop.
Steve. Kelly & Hollie Schatz.
Jason & Judy Stanley. James.
Kelly & Nancy Sierra
University Park, Mid-Atl.: Dan
Garrett. Joe Zigas
Waynesboro, S. Pa, : Richard &
Pauline Carl, Donna Ford, Ada
& Roy Leckron
West Richmond, Virlina: Bonnie
& Kevin Keithly. Jim & Letha
McKinnell. Jane. Warren &
Susan Winterson
West Eel River, S/C Ind,: Michael
& Rhonda Hagg. Charlotte &
Ronald Feller. Linda & Roger
Hamilton, Amber Hariman
Westminster, Mid-All.: Kun
Bowman. Rebecca Davis, Carl
Fruendel, Heather Hope.
MicheleSchaeffer
White Oak,Atl.N.E.: Daniel
Bollinger. Christiana Cater.
Calvin & Timothy Martin,
Nathan Minnich
Wedding
Anniversaries
Baker, Harold and Betty, West
Milton, Ohio, 55
Bewser,Glaird and Violet,
Windber.Pa..50
Cassell, Irving and Elsie, Bassett.
Va.,55
Debsen, Rey and Eva. windber. Pa..
55
Fake, Sylvester and Esther, Bethel,
Pa., 60
Gillespie, William and Salena,
Siver Lake, Ind., 55
Gorrell, Ray and Marjory,
Beavercreek. Ohio. 50
Holderread, Bob and Helen, North
Liberty, Ind.. 50
Jackson, Frank and Charma,
Beavercreek. Ohio. 60
Kirkdorffer,JuniorandMarjorie,
Elkhart, Ind.. 50
Krug, Dodie and Lyie, La Verne,
Calif.. 50
Lulz. Russell and Lucille, West
Milton. Ohio. 60
Manges, George and Florence,
Windber, Pa., 55
Manges, Harold and Arlene,
Windber, Pa.. 55
Pepp, Louis and Olga, Windber.
Pa.. 55
Scritchfield, James and Evelyn.
Bedford. Pa., 50
Shawhan, William and Catherine,
Beavercreek, Ohio, 50
Webster, Walter and Louise.
Springfield, Va., 50
Licensing/ ,
Ordination
Button-Harrison, Mary Jane,
ordained April 24, 1993.
Ankeny.N. Plains
Davis, Grelchen. ordained Sept. 18,
1993. West Richmond, Virlina
Golden, Wilburt, ordination
recognized Sept. 1 1. 1993.
Baltimore First. Mid. All.
Kemerly, Thomas R.. licensed
Nov. 23, 1993, Fall Creek.
S/C Ind.
McClelland, Golda P.. ordination
recognized Nov. 14, 1993,
Myersville. Mid-Atl.
Powell, Douglas Alfred, ordination
recognized Nov. 2, 1993.
Liberty Tabernacle. All. N.E.
Quinn, Jack, licensed Sept. 22,
1993, Trinity.S. Ohio
Thompson, Margaret, ordained July
10. 1993. Messiah. Mo./Ark.
Whalen, Steven D.. licensed
June 12, 1993,Freeburg.
N.Ohio
Pastoral
Placements
Betz, Russell, from other
denomination to Phoenix First,
Pac.S.W.
Carter,JeffreyW., from Brethren
Volunteer Service to Florin,
Atl. N.E.
Christine, Michael, from secularto
Maple Grove, W. Pa.
Cosner, Randy, from Danville. W.
Marva. to Briery Branch. Shen.
Fischer, Wilbur L.. from Walnut.
N.Ind..toClaysburg,M.Pa.
Foster,John, from Forest Chapel.
Shen.. to Bethel. Shen.
Jones, Douglas, from Copper Hill,
Virlina. to Bassett, Virlina
Kemerly, Thomas R.. from other
denomination to Upper Fall
Creek. S/C Ind.
Mosorjak,Gary. from secularto
Montgomery. W. Pa.
Petry, Joyce, from Olivet, S. Ohio,
to Keyser. W. Marva
Pfeiffer,Roben,PainierCreek,S.
Ohio, from interim to pastor
White, Paul W.. from Staunton.
Shen., to Trinity, Virlina
Deaths
Andress, Stella. 72. Columbiana,
Ohio.Sepi, i:, 1993
Arnold, Levi. 92. Elkhan. Ind..
Nov. 16. 199.1
Athey, Howard. 92. Boonesboro,
Md.. April 18.1993
Baum, Golda. 95. La Veme, Calif..
Dec. 3, 1993
Beachley, Donovan. 95, Hagers-
town. Md.. Nov. 23. 1993
Beard, Edna. 88. Smilhsburg. Md..
Jan. 15. 1993
Bostetter, Martin. 92. Hagersiown,
Md..Oct. 11.1993
Bowman. Merlyn. 80, Canton,
Ohio. Sept. 20. 1993
Brandt, Ira, 93, Mc Allisterville,
Pa., Dec. 26, 1993
Brubaker.Chester,83.Virden,Ill..
Nov. 11.1993
Burkett. Jessie. 88. Wilmington.
Del.. Nov. 30, 1993
Burkholder,Harr>.87.
Columbiana, Ohio. Oct. 12,
1993
Callahan. Elroe, 60, Callaway , Va. .
July 12. 1993
Chambers, Julia. 91 . Hagerstown.
Md..Mar. 25, 1993
Davis.Roy. 82, La Veme, Calif.,
Nov. 2 1,1993
Deibert, I rene, 86, Boonesboro,
Md..Mar. 18. 1993
Dzurke. Michael. 8 1 , Windber, Pa..
Jan. 16.1993
Eichelberger, Paul, 66, York, Pa..
Dec, 5. 1993
Eisenhart, Verrion. 83, Dover, Pa..
Dec. 12. 1993
Fuller, Violet. 70. Windber. Pa..
Nov. 5. 1993
Funderburg, Gladys. 90. New
Carlisle.Ohio.Nov. 17. 1993
Graybill, Joseph. 89, Manheim,
Pa.. Oct. 23, 1993
Grove, Mary. 83. Dallas Center.
Iowa. Dec. 24. 1993
Hamilton, Lucille. 62, Elkhart.
Ind. July 3. 1993
Hancock, Mabel. 70. Bassett. Va..
Oct. 25. 1993
Hallowell, Orlena. 95 . San Diego.
Calif.Jan. 13. 1993
Hartman. Russell. 86. Dallastown.
Pa.. Dec. 16,1993
Helsel, Nelson, 8 1 , Windber, Pa..
Oct. 9, 1993
Henly, Vera. 84. Columbiana.
Ohio.Dec. 14. 1993
Hershey, Clayton. 93. Manheim.
Pa..'Sept.29. 1993
Hodges, Ella Mae. 1(W. Vinton.
Va.. April 10.1993
Holt, Elbest. 89, Callaway, Va..
April 14. 1993
Hunter, Audrey. 73. Windber. Pa..
July 24. 1993
Huston, Mariha. 80. Beavercreek.
Ohio. Sept. 14.1993
Joy, Dorothy. 87. South Whitley,
' Ind., Nov. 7. 1993
Kaufman, Mary, 84, Hooversville,
Pa..Dec. 16, 1993
Keith, Leonard. Mansfield, Mo..
Dec. 13. 1993
Kight, David. 38. Baltimore. Md..
Nov. 30. 1993
Kingery. Pauline. 78. Rocky
Mount. Va.. Dec. 25. 1993
Koogler. Jonas, 85, Beavercreek,
Ohio, Dec. 11.1993
Landis, Margaret. 89. Hagersiown.
Md., Mar. 24. 1993
Lindsay, Bertha. 86. Hagerstown.
Md.,Oct. 20. 1993
Marker, Edgar. 84. Waynesboro,
Pa.. March 19.1993
Martin, Edna. 90. Boonesboro.
Md.,May 13, 1993
Martin, Magdalene, 78, Greenville,
Ohio, Dec. 29. 1993
McCoy, Mary. 92. Hagerstown.
Md.. June 18. 1993
Metzler, John D.. 95, Portland.
Ore. Dec. 20. 1993
Miller.Cora. 1 04, Cerro Gordo,
III.. Oct. 29. 1993
MilIer,Richard, 84.Fairbom,Ohio,
Nov. 15. 1993
Morgan, Brent. Silver Spring. Md..
Aug. 11,1993
Morrison, Mildred, 82. Boones-
boro. Md.. Jan. 18.1993
Mundey, Eston. 79. Hagerstown.
Md'. July 23. 1993
Nunley, Lively. 95. Callaway, Va.,
Feb. 12. 1993
Osborne, David. 77. North
Wilkesboro.N.C..Nov.25.
1993
Patterson, Naomi. 84. Oitumwa.
Iowa. Oct. 15.1993
Pearson,Gladys.95. Flora. Ind.,
Dec. 16. 1993
Fenny,Orville.8I.GardenCity,
Mo.. Dec. 6. 1993
Peters, Mary. 89. Hagerstown. Ind.,
Aug. 3 1.1993
Petre, Beulah. 84. Maugansville,
Md.. Oct. 26. 1993
Petticoffer, Amon, 82. Manheim,
Pa.. Dec. 22. 1993
Pfluger, Marjorie. 69. Mariinsville.
Va..May5. 1993
Pommert, Stanley. 8 1 . Nonh
Liberty.Ind..Aug. 13. 1993
Pursell, Arthur. 83. New Oxford,
Pa., Dec. 29. 1993
Rife, Esther. 76. Silver Lake. Ind..
Nov. 19.1993
Royer, Laura. 96. Greenville. Ohio.
Nov.. 1993
Rummel, Edith. 56. Robinson. Pa.,
Nov. 19. 1993
Seese, Theda, 9 1 , Windber. Pa. .
Oct. 23. 1993
Sepesy, Andrew. 66. Virden. III..
Nov. 23. 1993
Shaffer, Harris. 83. Uniontown.
Pa.. Dec. 13.1993
Sheila barger,Jeanneite. 74.
Beavercreek. Ohio. Feb. 10.
1993
Shilling, Richard. 78. Hagerstown,
Md..Sepl. 14. 1993
Shockey, Virgie. Smithsburg, Md.,
May 12.1993
Sloan, Marjory. 79. Columbiana.
Ohio. Oct. 8. 1993
Smith, Rachel. 90. Virden. 111.. Oct.
31.1993
Snowberger, Rhoda. 92, Waynes-
boro, Pa.. Nov. 30. 1993
Spangler, Audrey. 7 1 . Windber.
Pa., June 28, 1993
Stanley, Beulah, 96, San Dimas,
Calif, Nov. 22. 1993
Statler. Herren. 83. Windber. Pa.,
March 3. 1993
Striebig,Raymond. 94. New
Oxford. Pa.. Dec. 2 1.1993
Towne, Phi lip. 92. Laguna Beach.
Calif., Dec. 10,1993
Vincent, Chas, 82, Columbiana.
Ohio.OcI. 14. 1993
Wentz, Levere. 75. York. Pa.. Dec.
21.1993
Whitaker.Paul. 7 1 .Ogleiown, Pa..
Feb. 18. 1993
Young. Velda. 75. La Veme.
Calif., Dec. 9. 1993
March 1994 Messenger 31
Who, me a millionaire?
I became a millionaire the other day. Or so it first
appeared when I opened a fat envelope of material
that broke the news to me. A Post-it note, looking
very personal, was the first thing that caught my
attention. At first glance, the note seemed to make it
a sure thing that I already had won a million dollars.
Usually I throw these letters into the trash without
reading further, but this one looked a little different
from the ones I get from Publishers Clearing House
and Reader' s Digest, so I examined it some more.
The material was an assortment of exciting, breath-
less news, designed to appear as if the sender kept
adding new things each time he started to close the
envelope. Little notes and enclosures were tucked
among larger pieces of paper and fell out like
makeshift bookmarks as I shuffled the packet.
I never could quite figure out what all I needed to
do, nor what the deal was about. But the fine print
that I encountered here and there made the "instant
millionaire" expectation grow dimmer and dimmer.
Actually, hundreds of other folks had gotten a little
Post-it note like mine, my would-be benefactor
finally happened to mention. And, oh, I would be
receiving some sort of "package of material" (the
contents of which were never explained, but I
suspected I was to end up buying something expen-
sive) and respond to it as my next step. And here
was a little thing to fill out, and there was a stamp to
attach in another place. About that time, I threw the
whole thing in the trash, weary with the burden of
being a millionaire even before the first check came
in.
Of course you know and I know that what I had
received was just another gimmick to hook me into
spending money while gambling that I would win
something for nothing.
Gambling. It's everywhere. I can't pay for my gas
at the service station without waiting in line behind
a bunch of people buying lottery tickets. Elgin, 111.,
where I reside and work, is building a riverboat
casino in its moribund downtown area. The town's
leaders and a majority of the voters are confident it
will bring nothing but good.
Americans legally gambled away $30 billion
dollars in 1992, according to a Wall Street Journal
article. Thirty-four states and the District of Colum-
bia have lotteries. State governments take the lead in
deluding citizens into gambling through the lotter-
ies. TV screens are full of their slick commercials
making gambling through lotteries sound like
innocent fun. But what's the difference between
32 Messenger March 1994
States promoting lotteries to bring in revenue and
promoting booze and tobacco for the revenue they
produce?
The really outrageous thing about lotteries is that
their advertising targets poorer areas. A Boston
Globe article called it "Robin Hood in reverse." The
same article stated that more lottery tickets were sold
in poorer communities, in part, because those areas
have more outlets selling tickets.
Poorer communities receive less of the lottery's
profits, the Globe reported. In 1992, some poorer
towns received 14 percent on their ticket sales.
Several well-to-do communities received 160 percent
of their lottery sales.
States are pulling in money from the very people
they are charged to help. And doing it in a way that
wastes the money they make. One public policy
advocate states that it costs one to 1.5 cents to collect
one dollar of revenue from taxes, but it costs 34 cents
to gain one dollar of lottery income.
Realistically, I don't expect any public outrage to
turn the tide of gambling that has flooded us. I do
take small (really small) comfort, as a history
student, in the knowledge that the lottery craze has
swept through the country twice before — during the
Revolution and in the early 1800s. One of my
Virginia heroes, Thomas Jefferson, tainted his
reputation by trying to launch a lottery to save
himself from bankruptcy right at the end of his life.
Aside from the usual fraud and scandals, satura-
tion of the market (no lottery could make a profit)
was the main cause that those two lottery waves
eventually flowed back.
Wi,
lile we are waiting for ebb tide, we can profit-
ably take a look at a position paper on gambling
adopted by the 1986 Annual Conference {1986
Annual Conference Minutes, page 308). The paper
cites numerous biblical passages inveighing against
gambling and gives suggestions for Brethren to
follow in resisting the evil.
We all would do well to endorse the conclusion the
Conference paper makes: "We believe that gambling
violates Christ's teachings regarding stewardship
and mutual responsibility. We believe that for a
government to promote gambling is immoral and
violates its obligation to protect the best interest of
its citizens. Therefore, we oppose the legalization of
and participation in any form of gambling."
Maybe memorize it too. — K.T.
"/ believe it is of
utmost importance
that the Church of
the Brethren have a
denominational
seminary in which
we can train pastors.
Bethany Seminary
offers biblical
instruction^ pastoral
care trainingy and
theological inquiryy
interwoven with
Brethren heritage
and valueSy that are
vital to the ongoing
life of our church"
Chris Michael is staff for
youth/young adult ministiy on
the General Board staff.
I
T«^« JM
If you hear the Cally
give us a call.
Bethany Theological Seminary
Butterfield and Meyers Roads
Oak Brook, IL 60521
708/620-2200
)itter civil war in Bosnia,
md you_bound up my wounds ;
displaced by floe
n the Midwest US
homeless and w-
you rescued me,
helter and foe
ugh Sudan
and Ken]
o care f
go , and
ovided a
ve me hope
- %-• N»X
Matthew 25 revisited. Jesus reminds us in
Matthew 25 that as we help people in need, we are
helping him. In today's world, Jesus may say to us:
/ was caught in the crossfire of a bitter civil war in
far-off Bosnia, and you bound up my wounds;
I was displaced by floods in the Midwest USA,
homeless and without food, and you rescued me;
I was wandering through Sudan and Ethiopia
and Kenya with no one to care for me and no place
to go, and you took me in, provided a home for me
and gave me hope.
These are stories in which Church of the Breth-
ren relief, disaster, development, and reconciliation
ministries are directly engaged. The
stories are told in the 1994 One Great
Hour of Sharing video provided each
congregation.
View and discuss these stories.
Praise God that the spirit of Matthew d/NE
25 is alive in the church today. CtREAT
Continue — in the name and "L-T/^T TT? rW
spirit of Christ— to give help, CtJA T?TlVTr
to give hope, to give life. pJrLri_L\liN v
I
. has been raised;
he is not here. Look, ^ere
is the place they laidnm
Mark 16:6
It is just a coincidence that tliis issue of Messenger highlighting
the upcoming National Youth Conference is coming out in
April, when the very first national youth director, Chauncey
Shamberger. celebrates his 100th birthday.
How did the Church of the Brethren youth movement begin?
Chauncey remembers that it was in 1919 that I.V. Funderberg,
chairman of the Christian Workers Board (this
was in pre-General Board days, when many
boards were headquartered in Elgin, 111.) said to
him, "See what you can do for the youth of the
church." And he did.
"i had no idea what to do," recalls Chauncey,
"other than to give youth recognition and the
feeling that they were part of the church." Given
the title of youth director, he had a rolltop desk
in one corner of a room at 22 South State Street,
in Elgin. His salary was $100 a month, often
paid weeks late.
Chauncey made a good beginning for youth
ministry. Youth fellowship groups were set up in
almost every congregation across the denomination. Chauncey
inspired many youth to develop into leaders. One of his earliest
proteges, Raymond Peters, went on to become the first general
secretary of the General Brotherhood Board, when it was
established in 1947. Chauncey also pioneered the Brethren
camping movement.
As his 100th birthday approaches, Chauncey still lives
independently and writes frequently to Messenger. The letters
always are worth reading, filled with pungent observations about
the present state of the church. We think it would be a fine idea
for each of our readers to send Chauncey a card for his April 27
birthday. His address is 1 130 Allumbaugh St., No. 213, Boise,
ID 83704. Tel. (208)327-1213.
auA/nt<^'^/^^
COMING NEXT MONTH: A final preview of Annual Confer-
ence, highlighting the Native American paper. Note: This will
be a combined May/June issue, mailed in mid-May.
April 1994
Editor
Kermon Thomasson
Managing Editor
Eric B. Bishop
Editorial assistants
Paula Sokody, Margaret Woolgrove
Production, Advertising
Paul Stocksdale
Subscriptions
Norma Nieto
Promotion
Kenneth L. Gibble
Publisher
Dale E. Minnich
District Messenger representatives:
Atlanlic Northeast, Ron Lutz: Atlantic
Southeast. Ruby Raymer: lllinoisAViscoL
Kresion Lipscomb; Northern Indiana. Li
Holderread: South/Central Indiana, Mar
Miller; Michigan. Marie Willoughby:
Mid- Atlantic. Ann Fouts; Missouri/Ark.
Mary McGowan; Northern Plains. Faith
Strom; Northern Ohio. Sherry Sampson
Southern Ohio, Jack Kline; Oregon/
Washington. Marguerite Shamberger;
Pacific Southwest. Randy Miller; Middl
Pennsylvania, Ruth Fisher; Southern
Pennsylvania. ElmerQ.Gleim; Westen
Pennsylvania. Jay Christner; Shenandu.i
Jerry Brunk; Southern Plains. Mary Am
Dell; Virlina. David & Heitie Webster;
Western Plains. Dean Hummer; West N
WinomaSpurgeon. I
Messenger is the official publication ol
Church of the Brethren. Entered asseci
class matter Aug. 20. 191 S. under Act o
Congress of Oct. 17. 1917. Filing date.
I 1 , 1 984. Messenger is a mt
l/^ ofthe Associated Church pl
y^ and a subscriber to Religio
jrj News Service and Ecumen
I ! PressService. Biblical
I quotations, unless olherwi
indicated, are from the New Revised
Standard Version.
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Messenger is owned and published I
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1 994. Copyright 1994,Churchofthe
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Touch 2
jse to Home 4
ws 6
jrldwide 10
;pping Stones 1 1
etry 20
9in the
General Secretary
linions 26
tiers 28
ntius' Puddle 29
rning Points 3 1
itorial 32
22
!dits:
/er. 1,9, 12. 13 right. 14-15,
8-19: Alan Boleyn
/er background: Phil Brodatz
ide front cover: Dorris Murdock
:fl: Art by Christopher Raschka
inter: George Keeler
)p: Barbara Slagenweit
ottom: Karen S. Carter
)ave Sollenberger
Caren Neff
iVorid Council of Churches
far left: Barbara Greenwald
Religious News Service
'The dependable one' 12
A self-confessed "B & BB," Shawn Replogle is hoping that
Brethren youth this year will discover the larger church for
themselves. Margaret Woolgrove profiles the 1994 National
Youth Conference coordinator.
National Youth Conference:
'The most powerful event' 14
Shawn Replogle reports that this summer when over 3,000
youth attend NYC, "it will be life changing. Barriers will fall,
and calls will be given . . . and heard" at what he calls the most
powerful event in the church.
Facing our last enemy 1 6
Jesus expresses the truth that many of us are too afraid to
admit. Ryan Ahlgrim presents a view of the many sides of
death — peaceful, good, and cruel.
A mug of remembrance 1 8
Pete Haynes asks, "Isn't it strange how material objects can
become vessels containing a larger meaning?" The story of his
coffee mugs explains how.
What's the difference? 2 1
Just how much leeway do we have for diversity within our
denomination? And beyond that, what about people whose
religious tradition is outside Christianity? Donald E. Fancher
and Gregg A. Wilhelm present their thinking on these two
questions.
Cover story: Akin
Boleyn 's symbolic photo
of the empty tomb is
stark^ust stones and a
piece of cloth. But on
the Sunday following
Jesus ' death and burial,
that 's all that was
there — that and an
angel. The angel said.
"He has been raised: he
is not here. " And on
that we base our faith.
{See page 16.)
April 1 994 Messenger 1
h
A career takes off
When Christopher Raschka
recently received two
prestigious book awards, it
was just another step up the
Chris Raschka wrote
and illustrated Yo!
Yes?, which carries
colorful pictures and a
sparse text of only
34 words.
"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.
ladder for this fast-moving
author and illustrator. Chris
has received a Caldecott
Honor Award and the
UNICEF Ezra Jack Keats
National Award.
"From the time Chris was
a little boy, he was always
drawing and painting,"
recalls his mother, Hedda
Durnbaugh, of James Creek,
Pa. The writing part appar-
ently comes naturally, since
both mother Hedda and
father Don, are noted
Brethren authors.
But throughout Chris'
college years he pursued a
career in medicine. It took a
few years of working with
children in social services to
change Chris" mind on his
career direction. He discov-
ered his gift for writing and
illustrating books for
children.
After illustrating other
authors" works, he wrote and
illustrated his first book, R
and fl. published by Breth-
ren Press (1990). Since then
he has written and illustrated
another Brethren Press book,
Benjamin Brady's Backyard
Bag (1991).
Chris Raschka
Yo! Yes? (Orchard Books,
1993) is the story of a
budding friendship between
an African American boy
and a white boy who meet by
chance in the street.
Chris lives and works in
Manhattan, where he tries
out his book ideas on school
children, especially those in
the classes taught by his
wife, Lydie, at a local
Montessori school.
Bertha in Bible lands
Viola Whitehead published
a little book a couple of years
ago titled Stories of Days
Long Gone in the Acme
School. The stories in it were
written by Viola" s mother.
Brethren writer Bertha
Miller Neher (August/
September 1992, page 33).
Viola, who now is 93, has
come out with another book
of her mother's stories. My
Biblical Tour. It gives
Bertha" s account of her trip
to Egypt. Palestine, and Italy
in 1927. Readers who have
made recent tours will be
interested not only in this
1927 description of Middle
Eastern lands and people, but
also in the way one traveled
to that area nearly 70 years
ago.
The earlier book com-
prised reprints of stories
from various Brethren
publications. The contents of
this new book, however, have
never been published before.
Copies of My Biblical Tour
may be ordered for $5 from
Viola, Box 501, Timbercrest
Home, North Manchester, IN
46962-0501.
Active in Angel Fire
Nan Nielson, a member of
Onekama (Mich.) Church of
the Brethren, and an
Onekema summer resident.
Nan Nielson
spends the rest of the year in
Angel Fire, N.M., a ski
resort area.
There, four years ago, she
helped to found the United
2 Messenger April 1994
Church of Angel Fire, a
community church of 40
members, from several
denominations. Nan serves
on the church's outreach
committee and her daughter.
Motivated by the kids
New Year is a time when
many people make new
starts, and Greg
Buckwaiter, of Hempfield
Church of the Brethren, in
East Petersburg, Pa., is no
exception. On January 15,
Greg left for Somalia to take
up his new position as the
:ountry director for
International Medical
Corps' (IMC)
emergency medical
relief program.
Greg, who spent his
first years out of
:ollege as a Peace
Corps volunteer in
Liberia, says he enjoys
"the challenge of
international work,"
and that, for him,
'Somalia is the
intense version of that
:hallenge you get
when you work in
developing countries."
The IMC relief project in
Somalia is one of a number
of relief projects coordinated
by the agency in developing
countries to provide health
care and health training
programs. IMC operates
independent of politics. "Its
sole function is to rebuild the
health care system (of a
country) in a self-help kind
of way," says Greg.
In addition to his time in
the Peace Corps, Greg has
worked as a public health
computer specialist with the
Annie, is active in the
children's group.
Through Nan's efforts, the
Angel Fire church has
attracted the attention of
Western Plains District.
US Committee for Scientific
Cooperation with Vietnam at
the National Institute for
Hygiene and Epidemiology
in Hanoi. While working
there he wrote Knowledge.
Attitude, Beliefs, and
Practices on AIDS for the
urban population of Viet-
nam, which is now being
translated into Vietnamese.
Greg Buckwalter works in Somalia
to ensure its children 's future.
As country director for
Somali, Greg will oversee
the IMC's goals of providing
medical training and care.
"One day I might be negoti-
ating with the town elders to
open up a clinic; the next day
I might be sitting in a United
Nations security briefing."
Greg says, "The ones who
always have kept me going
in tough situations are the
little kids. My motivation is
to see that kids have another
day to become something . . .
someday."
Tied up in knots
Everett Detrow, of Welty
Church of the Brethren, in
Smithsburg, Md., doesn't let
his age (80) or ill health keep
him from his favorite
pastime.
Since he retired at age 62,
he has pieced comforters for
Welty's women's fellowship,
and he still turns up at their
Everett Detrow measures his
speed in knots as he works
on comforters at Welty.
monthly meetings to help
knot the group's comforters.
The completed comforters
are donated to the Brethren
Service Center, in New
Windsor, Md.; to the district
disaster auction; and to local
welfare organizations and
needy families.
Everett attributes to his
mother his enjoyment of
knotting comforters. He
often helped her with her
comforter-making, and just
kept on piecing and knotting
on his own.
Names in the news
Two Bridgewater College
officials were recognized
during Black History Month
(February) for their contribu-
tions to the local African
American community. The
awards were presented by
Shenandoah Valley Hit, a
weekly newspaper for the
Valley's African Americans.
Bridgewater' s president,
Wayne Geisert, received a
Community Service Award.
Carlyle Whitelow, assistant
professor of physical educa-
tion and men's tennis coach,
received a Collegiate
Educational Award.
• Ernie Doering, a
member of Parker Ford (Pa.)
Church of the Brethren, has
begun a three-year assign-
ment in Bangladesh, through
Mennonite Central Commit-
tee. He is working as an
appropriate technologist.
Remembered
Clyde E. Weaver, 69, died
March 2, in Elgin, 111. He
served on the General Board
Clyde E. Weaver
Staff, 1969-1986, most of
those years in the position of
Brethren Press marketing
director. In his retirement, he
gave much time to cultural
exchanges between Ameri-
cans and Russians and to
serving as a volunteer
arbitrator with the Better
Business Bureau.
April 1994 Messenger 3
fl
Mack: The musical
Did Maria von Trapp
resemble the portrayal of her
in the musical "The Sound of
Music"? Would Alexander
Mack recognize himself in
"Tunker Tales"?
Probably not. But then.
history, as in
"Oh, Peter Becker's
work is weaving.
Which Conrad Beissel
wants to learn;
If hermit's life he's
achieving.
Some greenbacks he
must earn."
as depicted in "Tunker
Tales," sounds astonishingly
like our Annual Conference
of today:
"Papers, queries, and
reports.
Numerous exhibits.
Insight sessions of all
sorts.
The cast for Beacon
Heights ' performance
of '^Tunker Tales"
wore broadbrims,
bonnets, and other
plain garb from an
uncertain period in
Dunker history.
"Close 10 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.
musicals, by definition, are
intended to entertain and
amuse. And usually this end
is achieved at the consider-
able expense of historical
accuracy.
Lorele Yager, of Beacon
Heights Church of the
Brethren, in Fort Wayne,
Ind., refers to her "Tunker
Tales" as a "lighthearted
retracing of some events in
the lives of the Brethren. . . ."
The musical was written to
be performed by the junior-
high youth of Beacon
Heights, with likely the
ulterior motive of piquing
their interest in more serious
study of the denomination's
history.
Opening last fall at Beacon
Heights, "Tunker Tales"
breezily deals with the
characters of early Brethren
"Tunker Tales" has 1 3
scenes, which cover Brethren
history from Schwarzenau,
Germany, in 1711 to the first
Annual Meeting, in Pennsyl-
vania, in 1742.
That first Annual Meeting,
Sunrise Center
Troy (Ohio) Church of the
Brethren got into adult day
care because its church's
newly installed elevator and
handicapped-accessible
entrance and restrooms made
it an ideal site for a commu-
nity group looking for a
location.
Sunrise Adult Care Center
opened in 1991 and now has
19 clients, providing exer-
cise, music therapy, social
And ice cream without
limits."
Could "Tunker Tales" be J
telling us that it's all right to
take a lighthearted approach
to current Brethren doings,
as well as Brethren history?
time, crafts, games, field
trips, and health checks
among its programs.
Two members of the Troy
congregation serve on the
board, and members serve
the center as volunteers. The
church youth help with
fundraising and socialize
with the clients. Congrega-
tions that are interested in
starting such a ministry are
invited to contact the Troy
church, 1431 West Main St.7
Troy, OH 45373.
4 Messenger April 1994
tave Frederick, Dennie Brumbaugh, and Gregg toor didn 't let a deep snowfall thwart
teir plan to barbecue chicken on outdoor grills for Curryville's Bethany fundraiser.
linistry in miniature
iuring their Children's
.ctivity Time (ChAT), the
lildren of Pleasant Dale
person, a feat made difficult
by snow and ice storm. The
valentine project was an
outgrowth of a challenge to
find creative ways to pass on
auren McClung and Brittney Funderburk hand-delivered
alentines to jail trusty Robert Tolley and deputy Ila Kerns.
'hurch of the Brethren, near God's love.
incastle, Va., made 45
alentines for inmates at
lotetourt (pronounced Botty-
ot) County Jail. They then
elivered their creations in
Considering Jesus'
emphasis on prisoners and
little children, .this project
was a "way" grounded
solidly in scripture.
Barbecue weather
While other people in
Pennsylvania were roasting
their toes before indoor
fireplaces, the members of
Curry ville (Pa.) Church of
the Brethren were braving
the January weather to roast
chicken on an outdoor
barbecue grill.
"It really wasn't all that
cold," said Tammy Hinish,
Let's celebrate
Sugar Run Church of the
Brethren, near Mount Union,
Pa., will celebrate its 120th
anniversary September 18.
The church is requesting
photos depicting Sugar Run
history.
• Maple Grove Church of
the Brethren, near Salix, Pa.,
celebrated its centennial
January 23, with former
pastor Chalmer Dilling as
guest speaker.
• Parker Ford (Pa.)
Church of the Brethren
completed on October 3 1 ,
1993, a month-long celebra-
one of the cooks of the day.
"The temperature had been
below zero all week, so we
were worried about how
things would turn out. But
that day was really nice; it
was like a miracle."
The idea of putting on a
fundraising barbecue grew
from a sermon that was
preached on the need to press
on toward goals, with the
upcoming move of Bethany
Seminary being cited as one
such goal.
"We found out that for
$100 we could buy a brick
for Bethany that would have
our name on it and also help
finance the seminary's move
to Richmond," says Tammy.
During the barbecue day,
340 chicken halves were
sold, as well as applesauce,
rolls, and baked potatoes,
netting over $700.
Curryville, heady with this
year's success, is toying with
the idea of another such
fundraiser in '95 . . . and
hoping for better weather.
— Margaret Woolgrove
tion of its 1 50th anniversary,
with Peter Marshall Jr. as
guest speaker that day. Other
celebration activities in-
cluded the publication of a
cook book and the creation of
an hour-long video on the
congregation's history.
• Washington (DC.) City
Church of the Brethren
burned the mortgage for its
education building December
5, 1993. The congregation
will celebrate its centennial
later this year.
• Paint Creek Church of
the Brethren, near Redfield,
Kan., will celebrate its 125th
anniversary May 1 .
April 1994 Messenger 5
i
Dominican Republic Brethren
hold third annual assembly
January 19-22 saw 148 delegates
gathered for the third annual assembly of
the Church of the Brethren in the
Mendelson Ddvila,
from Nicaragua,
introduced new
music to assembly
participants.
Miguelina Arias
serves the assembly
and board as
secretary, and
Guillermo
Encarnacion is
moderator.
Because the news pages include news from various
Church of the Brethren organizations and move-
ments, the activities reported on may represent a
variety of viewpoints. These pages also report on
other national and international news relevant to
Brethren. Information in news articles does not
necessarily represent the opinions ofMESSENGER or
the Church of the Brethren.
Dominican Republic. The delegates
came from all 10 of the Dominican
congregations, as well as from the
United States.
The assembly was "marked by a
hopeful and energetic spirit," according
to Yvonne Dilling, Latin America and
Caribbean representative on the General
Board staff, with one full day dedicated
to workshops, and a day and a half to
business.
The main business items of the
assembly were proposals to change the
bylaws. After much discussion on the
role of moderator in the church, a
unanimous decision was made to follow
the US pattern of having a moderator-
elect. Guillermo Encarnacion, a Domini-
can native, now pastor of Alfa y Omega
Church of the Brethren in Lancaster, Pa
was elected to serve a further two-year
term as moderator, with Luis M.
Ogando, as moderator-elect. Ogando wil
take on the duties of moderator in 1996.
The church board membership was
decreased in order to save administrativfj
funds, but has maintained lay and I
pastoral input from all 1 congregations
Joan Deeter, executive of the World
Ministries Commission of the General
Board, noted in this, her second year of
participation in the assembly, her "great'
joy in the leadership skills demonstrated*
among these new Brethren, and in their
intense involvement in the business
issues before the assembly."
The workshops were a highlight for
many participants, with Gilbert Romero,
pastor of Bella Vista Church of the
Brethren in Los Angeles, Calif., discuss*
ing pressures faced by a teenager; and
Mendelson Davila of Mision Cristiana,
Nicaragua, teaching worship renewal
and liturgy from the New Song Move-
ment in Latin America.
Evening worships were led by Jorge
Rivera, pastor of Crista Nuestra Paz
(Christ our Peace) Church of the
Brethren, in Yahuecas, P.R.; Luis M.
Ogando, 1993 chairman of the Domini-
can board; and Earl Ziegler, Annual
Conference moderator. Each worship
leader brought a different emphasis to
the assembly theme, "Building in the
Name of the Lord."
Reports showed that major achieve-
ments were made in the Dominican
church's goal of internal strengthening
this year, although membership only
increased by a small margin.
"In many ways," said Dilling, "the
assembly reminded me of our stateside
Annual Conference, with its spirit of
family and the deeply moving worship
services. It was a time of mutual edifica
tion for all involved."
6 Messenger April 1994
'ethren Volunteer Service Unit 210 completed orientation in Orlando, Fla.,
nuary 9-29. Members are (front row) Larry Davis Jr., Paula Bishop, Gretchen
ihner, Staci Toback, Shay Warren, Shawn Kirchner; (second row) Suzanne
hnson, Mary Mason, Chris Brown; (third row) Emily Zielinski (BVS orientation
sistant), Troy Reimer, Deana Gilmore, Krisanne Vaillancourt, Amy Loser, Crystal
sher, Peter Neilson (BVS recruitment assistant); (fourth row) Bob Patalano, May
talano, Lisa Vassady, Tammy Krause Riddle (BVS orientation coordinator), David
irroll, Brenda Retry, Abe Turany, Barbara Zander, Jeff Faus; (fifth row) Jeff
illagher, Brett Murner, Norman Geibler. (See page 31 for project assignments.)
eneral Board hires experts
I discover Brethren image
hat are the common threads that tie
lurch of the Brethren members
gether? What is the mix, the balance,
at makes Brethren beliefs and practices
viting to others?
These are the questions being re-
arched in a General Board media
itreach project. From now until mid-
ay, interviews and focus group
scussions are being conducted in
rious parts of the country by
)mmunicorp, an Atlanta-based
immunications consultants group, to
ovide insight into recommendations to
: shaped later this year.
"In many ways still 'a people apart,'
"ethren habitually advertise their belief
rough 'the manner of their living'
ther than through wholesale evange-
:m," observes Patti Crane, Communi-
>rp vice-president. Recounting the story
Jesus approaching the disciples who
had spent the night fishing without
success. Crane asks, "To people who have
fished all night and caught nothing, what
can the Church of the Brethren offer?"
"Meeting the evangelism challenge of
the '90s means learning how to present
not merely a compelling nationwide
image but an appealing local one,"
Crane advises.
Communicorp's experience in research
and communications activity has focused
primarily on institutions of higher
education, among them Bridgewater,
Hesston, Lebanon Valley, and Calvin
colleges, Shenandoah and Le Sierra
universities, and the School of the Art
Institute of Chicago.
The Church of the Brethren study is
part of the denomination's Goals for the
'90s objective on evangelism and commu-
nication. Once the findings are in,
several months will be given to creating
and testing pilot resources. Materials for
churchwide use are projected for the fall
of 1995. — -Howard Royer
Prayer for renewal focus of
gathering at McPherson
A "Prayer on the Plains" gathering for
lay persons, held at McPherson College
February 25-27, focused on the Goals for
the '90s call for renewal through
scriptures and reflections of the readings.
The weekend was devoted to prayer for
the denomination and the upcoming
Annual Conference in Wichita, Kan.,
June 28-July 3.
Annual Conference Moderator Earl
Ziegler led the gathering. He also invited
congregations unable to attend to use
February 27 as a day of prayer.
Along with Ziegler, Moderator-elect
Judy Mills Reimer, General Board
Chairman David Wine, General Secre-
tary Donald Miller, and approximately
50 Brethren from around the denomina-
tion attended the conference.
Calendar
Bethany Alumni Event: "Memories and
Visions," April 10-12, Oak Brook, 111 [Contact
Debbie Eisenbise, (708) 620-22 1 7],
Peace Seminar: "Rights and the Way of Christ"
with John Alexander, April 12, at Bethany
Seminary, Oak Brook, 111. [Contact Tom
Longenecker, (708) 620-2243).
Church of the Brethren Association of
Christian Educators conference. Camp
Bethel, Finca.stle, Va., April 15-17. [Contact
Doris Quarles, (703) 992-2465].
1994 Regional Youth Conferences at
Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, Pa.,
April 16-17; Bridgewater College, Bridgewater,
Va., April 16-17; Manchester College, North
Manchester, Ind, April 22-24; McPherson
College, McPherson, Kan., April 28-May I ,
[Contact district youth advi.sors or the Youth
Ministry Office, (800) 323-8039).
1994 National Youth Conference at Colorado
State University, Fort Collin.s, Colo.. July 26-
3 1 . Final deadline for preregistralions is May
15. [Contact Shawn Replogle, NYC Coordina-
tor, 1451 DundeeAve, Elgin, IL 60120).
Church Visit to Brazil: "South and North Meet
in a 'Tunker' Way," July 10-28, spon.sored by
Latin America/Carribean Office. [Contact Latin
America/Caribbean Office, (800) 323-8039).
April 1 994 Messenger 7
Violence a stepchild of
apartheid says WCC
"The apartheid monster is about to die,
but it has spawned some hideously
deformed stepchildren, the worst of
which is violence," said M. Stanley
Mogoba, presiding bishop of the Meth-
odist Church in South Africa, concern-
ing racism and violence.
At the World Council of Churches
(WCC) Central Committee's World
Assembly in Johannesburg, South
Africa, January 20-28, Church of the
Brethren General Secretary Donald
Miller and two other committee mem-
bers drafted a proposal for a program to
overcome violence, (see page 22.)
After an improved redraft was com-
pleted, the statement was first adopted by
the Peace, Justice, and Integrity of
Creation unit of the assembly then
unanimously adopted by the total body.
The statement was written to overcome
violence in general, but with a specific
focus on violence against women, said
Miller. This is in collaboration with the
Ecumenical Decade of Churches in
Solidarity with Women. The assembly
was shown a video that focused violence
against women, which Miller described
as "horrifying."
"In recent years, however, the con-
spiracy of silence surrounding (violence
against women) has been broken. The
victims, women, are beginning to
disclose the situations in which they
have struggled for a long time, often
unable to share pain and anger with
anyone," stated WCC General Secretary
Konrad Raiser.
The WCC's Central Committee
welcomed as full members three new
churches to the council — the Episcopal
Church of Burundi, the Episcopal
Church of Rwanda, and the Orthodox
Autocephalous Church of Albania.
Committee members voiced both
concern and acceptance over the possi-
bility of the Roman Catholic Church
joining the WCC. Although the Roman
Catholic Church is not a member of the
WCC, it has worked cooperatively on
many WCC projects in the past. The
Roman Catholic Church has no immedi-
8 Messenger April 1994
Donald E. Miller, ,
Church of the
Brethren general
secretary (second
from right), serves
on the WCC Central
Committee. He and
two other members ;
got a proposal i
accepted to create a
program to
overcome violence.
ate plans to join the WCC, but it did not
rule out the possibility.
The 50th General Assembly will be
held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1998.
Amsterdam, Netherlands, the site of the
first General Assembly in 1948, was also
considered.
After Harare was selected by a sizable
majority of the voting Central Commit-
tee, General Secretary Konrad Raiser
stated that he would look into concerns
voiced by the committee about reports of
substantial human rights violations in
Harare.
"Now Is the Time: Repent and
Rejoice" is the proposed theme for the
1998 conference, under the main theme
of "Jubilee: Now Is the Day of the Lord."
A leader in the Russian Orthodox
Church claimed that his people could not
rejoice in their present situation. After
several proposed themes were offered,
the Executive Committee agreed to bring
a final proposal to the next meeting of
the Central Committee, in Nashville,
Tenn., in September 1995.
This was the first WCC World
Assembly held in South Africa. The site
was chosen to underscore support for this
month's non-racial elections in South
Africa, the first of their kind.
"(The WCC) identified the world's
greatest evil as racism and waged a
relentless campaign against it," stated
Mogoba in the opening service. "As we
approach the first free general elections
in South Africa, we know we could not
have come this far without the program."
The World Council of Churches
consists of 322 member churches from
100 countries. The Central Committee
has 150 representatives. Donald Miller
was one of the 1 50 delegates to attend
the assembly, which is held every seven
years. — Paula Sokody
1994 holds many activities for
Church of the Brethren youth
Brethren youth can become more
involved in their church through the
many events that have been planned for
them for 1994.
Youth newsletter. Bantu is a new
newsletter for Brethren youth. The title
of the newsletter is said to come from ar
African word combining youth and
communication. The purpose of the
newsletter is to encourage communi-
cation among Brethren youth.
Several youth initiated the newsletter
after meeting at the Christian Citizen-
ship Seminar a year ago. Elizabeth
Abraham of the Lenexa (Kan.) Church
of the Brethren is the editor.
Bantu is sponsored by the Youth and
Young Adult Ministry office. Althoughl
the office pays printing and mailing
expenses, the youth design and write thdj
newsletter themselves.
A mailing list is being compiled, andi
inquiries can be made to: Elizabeth
Abraham, 8010 Widmer, Lenexa, KS
66215.
1994 Youth Peace Travel Team. Th
members of the fourth Youth Peace Trav
»
"earn have been announced. The team
ricludes Matt Guynn of Indianapolis,
nd.; Brian Krushwitz of Grundy Center,
owa; Becki Lovett of Troy, Ohio; and
^honda Mellinger of Manheim, Pa.
The training session will be held June
-11 in southern Illinois, where the
■avel team will begin its tour. It will
isit camps in the Midwest and West, as
/ell as stopping at Annual Conference
nd National Youth Conference.
The goals of the team are to teach
ampers about peace and the Brethren
ole in peacekeeping history. The team is
ponsored by the peace consultant,
)utdoor Ministry, On Earth Peace
assembly, and Youth Ministry.
National Youth Sunday. The 1994
Jationai Youth Sunday is set for May 1.
"he theme is "Come to the Edge, Claim
he Call." The theme, taken from
Lphesians 4: 1, is also the theme of this
ear's National Youth Conference,
/laterials from the Youth and Young
Vdult Ministry office were sent to
hurches to prepare for this day.
National Youth Conference. The
late of speakers for the July 26-3 1
National Youth Conference has been
onfirmed. Susan Boyer, pastor of
/lanchester Church of the Brethren in
Jorth Manchester, Ind., is the Tuesday
vening speaker. Shawn Replogle, NYC
oordinator and Brethren Volunteer
iervice worker, speaks on Wednesday
noming; Phill Carlos Archbold,
issociate pastor of Brooklyn (N.Y.)
Ihurch of the Brethren, on Wednesday
:vening; youth speech contest winners,
)n Thursday morning; Paul Mundey,
lenominational director of Evangelism,
m Thursday evening; and Chris
Michael, denominational director of
fouth and Young Adult Ministry, on
^riday morning. A drama with National
fouth Conference participants, will be
)resented on Friday evening. Millard
■'uller, director for Habitat for Humanity
nternational, will speak on Saturday
noming; Christy Waltersdorff, associate
)astor of Westminster (Md.) Church of
he Brethren, on Saturday evening; and
David Radcliff, denominational director
)f Peace Witness and Korean Ministry,
m Sunday morning.
During the week, conference partici-
pants will have the opportunity to help in
a service project with Habitat for
Humanity. This year's service project is
building a house for the Fort Collins.
Colo, community, where the conference
is being held. The house will be built on
jacks and moved to its permanent
location upon completion.
National Workcamps. The National
Youth Workcamps are scheduled from
June through August. The young adult
camp is in Rio Piedras, P.R., June 4-12.
The senior high/youth camps are in
Cherokee, N.C., June 20-26. and
Dominican Republic with Brethren
Revival Fellowship, August 4-17. The
junior-high camps are in Indianapolis,
Ind., July 6-10; Harrisburg, Pa., August
3-7; New Windsor, Md., Augu.st 8-12;
and Tidewater, Va., August 17-21.
For registration, contact the Youth and
Young Adult Ministry office.
Stewardship relationship
forged with Heifer Project
In recognition of the close historical ties
and present close relationship between
the two organizations, the Church of the
Brethren General Board and Heifer
Project International (HPI) are entering a
fundraising partnership for the initial
five-year period, 1994-1998. This
partnership is considered an ongoing
relationship, and is launched during
Heifer Project's 50th anniversary year.
Gifts received through the partnership
project will be shared equally between
the General Board and HPI. Unless
specifically designated, such gifts will
be considered undesignated for the work
of the respective organization.
The initial promotion theme will be
"Fill the Ark." HPI is developing
materials for this theme, which can be
used by participating families and
congregations in the home setting. These
materials will be available for congrega-
tions at Annual Conference this June.
The launch date set for congregational
promotion is October 9, at the start of
HPI's Anniversary Celebration Month.
Shantilal Bhagat compiles
NCC environmental packet
Shantilal Bhagat, Church of the Brethren
director of Eco-justice Concerns, has
compiled a packet of materials that
concentrates on the church's role in
saving the environment. The packet is
called "God's Earth Our Home."
Bhagat hopes that congregations will
take a "local focus." He sees many
communities that call themselves
healthy, but really aren't.
"A community is healthy not only
when the people are healthy, but also
when the environment is healthy," said
Bhagat. "Humans don't consider
themselves as part of nature. Biblically,
we were created from the earth, from
nature."
The packet includes information to
help congregations make a difference in
their community, as well as their church.
Bhagat coordinated the packet on
behalf of the Environmental and Eco-
nomic Justice/Hunger Working Group of
the National Council of Churches.
Besides compiling the packet, Bhagat
edited and authored some of the content.
Bhagat was interested in such a project
for the Church of Brethren for many
Slumtilal BIh
years but lacked funding for it. The NCC
eco-justice task force decided to do the
packet last May, and Bhagat began the
writing in October.
Bhagat' s next step is to select and
encourage 50-100 Church of the Breth-
ren congregations as model eco-justice
congregations. Packets are being sent to
churches this spring.
April 1994 Messenger 9
Robert Kettering
John Cassel
Pedro Bruit
S. Joan Hershey
General Board and Bethany
announce staff changes
Robert Kettering is serving as consult-
ant for the Parish Ministries Commission
of the General Board for the period from
March 1 through August 30, 1994.
Kettering will develop the training and
networking components of the Andrew
Center, which officially opened in
March. He also will be working with
new church development in the denomi-
nation. Kettering is working out of his
home in Manheim, Pa.
John Cassel has resigned as dean of
students and director of field education
for Bethany Theological Seminary.
Cassel, who had served on Bethany's
staff since 1975, ended his term of
service in March. He has accepted a
position with the Illinois Association of
School Boards as field director.
Pedro Brull resigned February 1 1 as
executive minister for Puerto Rico in
Atlantic Southeast District. Brull had
served in this position since June 1993
and served as a volunteer in this position
from 1987 to 1992.
S. Joan Hershey has accepted the
Andrew Center coordinator, consulting/
resourcing position. She previously has
served on the General Board ( 1 986-
1991; chairwoman 1990-1991). the
Korea Advisory Committee, and the
Atlantic Northeast District Reorganiza-
tion task group. She also has served as
administrative director of Passing on the
Promise. She entered this half-time
position on March 1 and is working out
of her home in Mount Joy, Pa.
Redekopp serves as monitor
for South Africa elections
Orlando Redekopp, pastor of Chicago
(111.) First Church of the Brethren and
General Board director of Urban Minis-
try, will serve as a monitor for South
Africa's first non-racial elections on
April 27.
He will be part of the Ecumenical
Monitoring Program for South Africa
(EMPSA), a joint effort by the South
African Council of Churches, the
Southern African Catholic Bishops'
Conference, and the World Council of
Churches. He will serve in South Africa
from April 5-May 6.
Redekopp spent three years working in
southern Africa. He worked with South
Africa refugees in Botswana for two-and-
a-half years, and spent the remaining
time in South Africa doing research and
writing on forced removals. He served as
an officer and board member of Syn-
apses, a grass-roots, interfaith, peace I
action network located in Chicago, for I
six years (1987-1993). \
The Church of the Brethren Southern
Africa Committee disbanded earlier this
year after funding was cut by the Gen-
eral Board as part of its 1994 budget
reduction.
Religious News Service (RNS) has been sold to Newhouse
News Service by the United Methodist Reporter. Newhouse, a
subsidary of Advance Publications, plans to move RNS from New
York to Washington by July 31. Messenger is a regular user of RNS
releases.
South Africa's first non-racial free elections will be held
on April 27. Konrad Raiser, general secretary of the World Council of
Churches, urged the council's Central Committee (see page 8) to
remember South Africa at this time.
"Many will find it hard to accept that the enemy of yesterday
should have become the political partner of today without any clear
acknowledgment of the price to be paid for reconciliation," stated
Raiser.
The Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) national staff
who attended the November 1993 RE-lmagining Conference in
10 Mes.senger April 1994
Minneapolis (January, page 9) drafted a letter stating their position
regarding the controversial event. The 26 staff members who signed
the letter are under attack from Tlie Presbyterian Layman, which
presented their names to the larger church and called for them to bej
released from their positions in the church.
An excerpt from the letter read: "We grieve over the damage
The Presbyterian Layman is doing to this church and to those of us
who are involved by their blatant misrepresentation in their reporting
of this event. We are concerned about the larger implications such an
attack has on all of us as we seek to be faithful in our respective
ministries."
The VISN/ACTS Channel became the Faith & Values Channel
on January 1 . The 5-year-old cable channel changed its name in hope
of being recognized easier by watchers. "We needed a name that is
viewer-friendly, a name that clearly says who we are, what we are
about, and can help viewers find the channel."
by Robin
Wentworth Mayer
Stepping Stones is a column offering
suggestions, perspectives, and
opinions — snapshots of life — thai we
hope are helpful to readers in their
Christian journey. As the writer said
in her first installment. "Remember,
when it comes to managing life 's
difficulties, we don 7 need to walk on
water. We just need to learn where
the stepping stones are, "
STONES
The first spring day (not to
be confused with the first day
of spring) always takes me by
surprise. Just about the time
the winter clouds begin to
feel like a shroud around my
soul, suddenly spring is here,
thumbing it's nose at the
date on the calendar.
Without warning, after
months of damp, gray,
shivery, bone-chilling cold,
crocuses peek through, birds
chirp, joggers molt their
winter skin, and the kids
crawl out of hibernation.
Sometimes I wonder if
kids migrate with the birds to
warmer climates during the
winter. It seems like an
eternity passes without my
seeing them out and about.
But let the mercury creep up
to 60 degrees, and they're
back in full force, complete
with bicycles, kites, jump
ropes, Frisbees, and skate-
boards. They're a bit pale
from being "underground,"
and their eyes haven't quite
lost that glazed look from
marathon sessions of
Nintendo, but by and large
they're healthy.
But different, somehow.
"What is it?" I wondered on
that first warm day, as I
encountered one old young
friend after another. "They're
the same kids, same houses,
same voices, same smiles.
H'mmm, a little bigger
perhaps. . . .
"That's it! They're bigger.
They've grown during the
past few months. They've
changed. And what's more,
they're wearing last year's
clothes."
In the fall, kids are seldom
caught unprepared for the
first cool day, because
autumn is officially ushered
in by the beginning of the
school year. And since most
kids have been outfitted for
it, when the temperature
drops below freezing, they're
ready . . . from color coordi-
nated stocking-capped head
to brand-new booted toe.
But with spring, it's
different. We never know for
sure when it will happen,
and most parents haven't
sufficiently recovered from
Christmas shopping to have
been scavenging stores for
spring clothes. Consequently
that first warm breath of
seasonal promise sends the
kids digging through their
closets for something from
last season to wear.
The only problem is that
last year's clamdiggers are
this year's bermudas, last
year's baggy shorts are this
year's second skin, last year's
T-shirt is this year's crop top,
and last year's swim suit is,
well, too revealing for any-
thing but a hand-me-down!
The kids have grown. And
their clothes don't fit
anymore.
Are you wearing some-
thing you've outgrown? Take
an "attitude inventory" and
see how things fit.
Is that old grudge getting a
bit tight around the collar?
Did you know the length of
that grievance is all wrong
for this season? Has anyone
told you that the color of
prejudice doesn't suit you at
all? Is the pettiness you're
sporting about to split at the
seams?
Those critical comments
are so small they're exposing
far more than modesty
permits. And surely you're
finding last year's snobbery
too constricting for comfort.
Is it time to put on
compassion and understand-
ing? Is the narrowness of
your mind beginning to
restrict your freedom? Are
you still wearing something
you've outgrown?
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul
says: "When I was a child, 1
spoke like a child, I thought
like a child, I reasoned like a
child. When 1 became an
adult, 1 put an end to
childish ways."
Fortunately, most of the
kids wearing last year's
summer wardrobe will have
the good sense to pester their
parents into getting clothes
for them that fit. When
something is too small, it
limits freedom.
What about you? Are there
Ai.
any childish things you
need to lay aside?
Robin Wentw(}rth Mayer, of
Edwardsburg. Mich., is pastor of
Pleasant Valley Church of the
Brethren, Middlehury, Ind. She
operates Stepping Stones Counseling
out ofWalerford (hid.) Community
Church.
April 1994 Messenger 11
#•
X
vJhawn Replogle is a self-confessed "B
& B B," a term that he explains as
standing for being "born and bred
Brethren." Being a Replogle on one side
and an Eller on the other, he has a
confession that is well considered.
Six months after Shawn was bom, his
family moved from North Manchester.
Ind., to Berea, Ky. In the family's eight
years in Kentucky, Shawn "almost became
a Methodist," there being no Church of
the Brethren congregations nearby.
Before this happened, however, the
Replogle family moved on to Elgin, 111.
There, five years later, "on Palm Sunday,
1983," Shawn recalls, he "was
baptized at Highland Avenue Church of
the Brethren."
This memory and
attention for detail is
typical, attests Jeff
Carter, Shawn's best friend from their
days together at Bridgewater College.
(See "A Summer on a Mountain Top,"
by Jeff Carter, January, page 18.) In their
friendship, Jeff calls Shawn "the depend-
able one."
Together they started the Bridgewater
soccer team, which now is accredited by
the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic
Association). "We started playing
together the winter of our sophomore
year," says Jeff. "We kicked ball every
day that winter, through sleet and snow
and sunshine. Shawn has a great
listening ear, and we talked about a lot of
things while we played. We both had the
same dream, and in the spring we began
the work of forming a soccer team."
This was a point at which Shawn's
organizational skills came into play. Jeff
did the up-front work of fundraising
and public speaking, while Shawn
plugged away behind the scenes. "He
was the backbone of the whole enter-
prise," says Jeff.
Behind the scenes. That's where
Shawn Replogle enjoys being. And there
are many scenes to be behind as he
serves this year as coordinator of the
Church of the Brethren National Youth
Conference (see accompanying story).
12 Messenger April 1994
The dependable
Over 3,000 Brethren
youth are depending
on Shawn Replogle to
pull off what he calls
'the most powerful
event in the church. '
by Margaret Woolgrove
Being a "behind the scenes" operator
has its pitfalls. If Shawn became another
year older for every time he has had
"Happy Birthday" sung to him in the
past year, he would look a great many
years older than his actual 24. He
exhibited so much embarrassment at
being serenaded by the National Youth
Cabinet on his 1993 birthday that it
ensured his being sung to at any and all
youth events thereafter. Singing "Happy
Birthday" to Shawn has become a part of
every youth gathering he attends.
Helping bring organized soccer to
Bridgewater was not the only formative
experience Shawn had in college. There
also were his acting, which he did "just
for the fun of it," and his work with the
college newspaper. The Talon.
"I had my own Talon column in my
senior year," says Shawn, "called 'Rep's
Review.' The idea in the beginning was
that 1 would write about an issue from
one perspective, and another columnist
would tackle it from the opposite
viewpoint. But the other guy decided he
wanted to write poetry instead, so I was
left to do basically what I wanted."
As a political science major with peace
studies and economics minors, Shawn
prepared himself for the "real world"
_ after college. But he i
/'^f^ /^A wasn't clear about
1^1 J__£L y where his career
was heading after
graduation came and the "real world"
loomed. So he decided it was a good timei
to spend a year in Brethren Volunteer
Service (BVS).
"Not knowing where I was going after
college was half the reason for going intoi
BVS," Shawn admits, "but the other half
was wanting to serve."
Two years later, he still is not sure
about his career direction, so he hopes
that a year at Bethany Theological
Seminary will help to clarify things.
"I'm really looking forward to getting to
Richmond (Ind.), and being on a school
campus again," he says. Shawn has two
particularly good feelings about going to
Bethany this fall: "One is that I'm just
happy to be going to Bethany, after
thinking about it for quite a while. And
I'm glad I know where I'm going after
National Youth Conference so that I
don't have to think about it right now. I
have enough on my mind in the run-up
to NYC that one less thing to think about
makes a big difference."
Shawn attended National Youth
Conference in 1986 as a participant from
the Bridgewater congregation, his family :
having moved to Virginia in 1984. "That
was when I was a sophomore in high
school, and NYC was still being held at
:stes Park," he says.
Aside from remembering NYC '86 as
iking place "a very long time ago,"
hawn also has memories of the Andy
nd Terry Murray concert, meeting "a lot
f people — especially on the bus ride
ut," and "sitting on (his) pillow."
idividual, personalized pillows are an
lYC tradition. Shawn's pillow was
lade to look like a bunch of bananas,
[though he's not quite sure why, "since
ananas aren't symbolic of Virginia."
For Shawn, that 1986 NYC was his
first encounter with the larger church.
"That was a scene I hadn't been exposed
to before," he points out. "That made a
big impression on me, and 1 hope that
the youth who attend this year's NYC
will, like me, discover the larger church
for themselves."
Shawn is a bit leery of the recognition
that is coming his way in Brethren
circles as the coordinator of NYC. "At
Annual Conference in 1985, 1 shared a
room with Brian Harley, who was
coordinating NYC for 1986. I was really
awed to be staying in the same room
with him. It's funny to remember that
awe, now that I'm in the position Brian
had then."
Shawn is not new to coordinating. He
was the coordinator of Brethren Youth
Workcamps last summer, during his first
year of BVS, so moving on to the
position of NYC coordinator was a
logical step. "I had a lot of fun with the
workcamps," says Shawn, "and traveling
thousands of miles by Greyhound bus
(continued on page 15)
[s a Bridgewater student, Shawn helped organize the
ollege's first soccer team, now accredited by the
/CAA. Organizational skills stand him in good stead
s he coordinates myriad details to ensure a successful
National Youth Conference for the church.
April 1994 Messenger 13
National Youth Conference: The most powerl
by Shawn Replogle
Four years ago, 3,300 youth and advisors
gathered for a power-filled event — the
Church of the Brethren National Youth
Conference (NYC). Among them were
Matt Luker of Hartville (Ohio) Church of
the Brethren and Eddie Edmonds of
Williamson Road Church of the Breth-
ren, in Roanoke, Va.
Before Matt went to NYC, he wasn't
interested in what the conference had to
offer, especially since he thought the
money he was using for the trip would
make a nice down payment on a car.
"My parents didn't like the choices I was
making, and we got into several argu-
ments about it. They said 'You're going
to NYC, even if we have to chain you to
the seat,' and that was it. I was on my
way to Colorado."
Matt spent the early part of NYC in
his room, wishing he weren't there. "I
thought it was all stupid, so I didn't
participate much. Eventually, I went to a
worship or two, and by the end of the
week I realized I was liking it!"
By the time closing worship arrived,
Matt's turn-around at NYC was almost
complete. "On that last evening, with
Deanna Brown's message of healing,
and the anointing service, I realized
the change of heart I had experienced
during the week, and my recommitment
to Christ. I still have the piece of cloth
we were given that symbolized the
brokenness in our lives. It now symbol-
izes the moment that God planted the
seeds in my life for service to him. It's
survived three backpacks and is now on
my briefcase."
At age 18, Matt became the associate
pastor of the Hartville congregation. "I
didn't think I'd be going into ministry.
NYC planted the seeds that really
changed my life."
Eddie and his wife, Alice, were asked
to attend the 1990 NYC as advisors
for their youth group. At that time,
Eddie was working at a Ford dealership,
with no idea that his life would soon
take a turn.
14 Messenger April 1994
"NYC was a deeply, spiritually
moving event in our lives. Soon after-
ward, Alice and I began talking about
the ministry."
Back in his home church following
NYC, Eddie began discussions with his
congregation and district about
being licensed to the ministry.
He also enrolled in the
TRaining In Ministry (TRIM)
program. "I was called into
an interim pastorate because
of the decisions I'd made at
NYC. Soon afterward, I was
released from Ford and had
more time for the pastorate. I
thought it was God freeing
me from my other responsi-
bilities so that I could do what
I had been called to do." It
wasn't long before Eddie had
his own full-time pastorate, in
Moler Avenue Church of the
Brethren, Martinsburg, W. Va.
These are not uncommon
stories about National Youth
Conference. The National
Youth Cabinet designed the
NYC "94 theme "Come to
the Edge, Claim the Call,"
hoping to create the same
kind of atmosphere that
touched Matt and Eddie in
1990. The cabinet had two
particular challenges in mind.
It wanted to challenge youth
to have the faith in God to
push them to their perceived
limits and then be challenged
to go one step farther, to
take their faith so seriously
that they were willing to
risk for it. And it hoped that
they would listen to God's
call in their lives, to discern
what gift or talent they
each possessed, and how it fit into the
body of Christ.
For 1994, the National Youth Cabinet
and I have set a clear challenge before
ourselves to create a National Youth
Conference that is different from
other conferences, but one that also
challenges participants to take their life i
in Christ seriously and actively live their'
faith out in the world.
Participants will be challenged by i.
top-notch speakers. Youth will have
The hallways of the General Offices of the
denomination currently are festooned with a fast-
growing red plastic chain that Shawn uses as his
NYC registration gauge, one link for each NYCer.
the opportunity to speak at worship
services, to sing in the NYC choir, to
play in the NYC band, to perform drama
during worship, to perform clowning
skits, to lead worship throughout the
week, and to exhibit other gifts in the
nt'
iitional NYC talent show,
vdult participants will have the
)ortunity to improve their youth
listry skills. Workshops developed
cifically for advisors will be offered,
luding two workshops led by Thorn
I Joani Schultz, executives of Group
gazine. As workshop leaders,
y will bring a combined 40 years of
ith ministry experience to their
sentations.
'articipants will have Bible study
norning devotions, led by Richard
5rematen, pastor of Germantown
arch of the Brethren, in Philadelphia.
;re also will be biblically based
rkshops and two daily worships.
LS at past National Youth Confer-
es, there will be opportunities for
Ith to serve others. The NYC '94
vice Project will be the construction
1 home right on the campus of
orado State University. Following its
(ipletion at the end of the week, the
ise will be moved to its permanent
ition. Youth and adults will complete
1 project with their time, labor, and
incial support.
rnd all of these, plus many other
nts, take place in just five days,
those who are not convinced that
C is the most power-filled and
verful event in the Church of the
:thren, I have a challenge: Get
olved with your youth group, help its
mbers raise funds to come to Colo-
0, and then come with them. That's
It, join us at NYC and see for
irself. After the week, you will see a
'erence in your youth . . . and in
irself.
'his summer, over 3,000 youth and
eral hundred advisors will "come to
edge" in Colorado. Over 100 NYC
■f will help them on their journey. It
1 be life-changing. Barriers will fall,
I calls will be given . . . and heard. It
1 be the most powerful
nt in the church. Just ask Matt
Eddie.
hawn Replogle is coordinator of the 1994
•oiial Youth Conference.
M.
WOOLGROVE/ from page 13
was certainly a memorable experience."
One story that Shawn enjoys telling
from his workcamp coordinator summer
is about having the van he was driving
stopped and searched at the Mexican
border. "I think we would have been all
right if I hadn't just before then led all
three vans the wrong way up a one-way
street," he says, laughing at the memory.
"That, added to the fact that I hadn't
shaved for a couple of days and had
answered 'SC instead of 'Yes' when
asked if I was an American citizen was
probably what made the border guards
suspicious. My Spanish is virtually
nonexistent, but after
I said 'accidente' and
'iglesia' (church) a
Shawn 's supervisor,
Chris Michael,
praises him for his
"commitment to
doing things well. "
few times, they let us
go. The youth in the
van just laughed at
me."
A friend who was in BVS orientation
with Shawn in 1992 remembers him best
for the devotion he led on the last night
of the experience. Shawn tells what he
did: "I gave everyone in the group a
marble. The marbles were close to
perfect, but each one had an imperfection
in it. The imperfection in each of the
marbles was to remind us that none of us
is perfect, but we need to keep on
striving toward this goal."
"He really has a vision for where NYC
and youth ministry is going," says
another friend about Shawn. "He is
dedicated to exposing the youth to new
experiences, and really wants them to
grow through the event."
Many people who know or work with
Shawn use that word "dedicated" to
describe him. For Chris Michael, who
supervises him in her post as director of
Youth and Young Adult Ministry, the
thing that most impresses her about
Shawn is his "really strong organiza-
tional skills and his commitment to
doing things well.
"I know that NYC had a profound
effect on him in 1986, and he really
wants to make sure that this 1994
generation of Brethren youth has the
same opportunity to be so affected."
"For me," says Shawn, "my two years
in BVS have entailed a sacrifice of time
and money, but I have grown a great
deal through the experience. I just hope
that the youth at NYC can gain some-
thing of that same spirit during the week
in Fort Collins, and that it will change
their lives in some way."
This expressed hope, says Jeff Carter,
is typical of Shawn. "He has a very
pragmatic view of religion. It is some-
thing to be used and lived, not just set
around and talked about. Shawn has a
good sense of tradition and heritage in
Brethren symbols without getting caught
up in the rituals."
For those who believe that BVS is a
launching pad for leadership in the
Church of the Brethren, they might do
well to keep their eyes peeled for
Shawn Replogle' s lift-off.
Ai.
April 1994 Messenger 15
Facing our last enemy
Jesus expresses the truth that many of us are too
afraid to admit: Death is abandonment. And if death
is the end, we Christians should grieve most of all.
by Ryan Ahlgrim
One of the most terrifying verses in the
Bible is Jesus' screamed question from
the cross. "My God, My God, why have
you forsaken me?" According to Mark
15:34, these are the last words Jesus ever
says. His last word is an agony, an
abandonment at the point of death.
Anyone who ever doubted that Jesus was
a human being like the rest of us needs
only to read that one sentence. Or one
can look back to his final evening in the
Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus
cried out in a distressful prayer to God,
"Father, remove this cup from me"
(Mark 14:36). It is clear from Mark's
Gospel that Jesus did not want to die.
Quite frankly, death terrified him just as
it terrifies us.
These words of Jesus from the cross
and in the garden always have been for
me the most poignant words he ever
spoke. I am drawn to him when I hear
him cry to God in the face of death,
because he says what I am afraid to say.
The horror of death is not minimized or
denied. Jesus — both human and God-
filled — honestly grapples with a terror of
death.
But is there not also a peaceful side to
death, a gentle acceptance and embrace?
Yes, and this good side of death is not
too hard to see. For one thing, death
makes life important. Since we are here
for only a short time, it matters what we
do and how we use our days. We set
goals and priorities, and our decisions
have added importance. Also, death is a
part of life. One needs only to look at the
world of nature to see how everything is
in a continuous cycle of death and life.
That which dies becomes the soil for that
which will live. Death makes more life
possible.
16 Messenger April 1994
A member of our congregation died
and was cremated. One evening as the
sun was setting, his family and friends
scattered his ashes in a field at the family
farm. As I walked out to that field,
crickets were jumping and chirping in
the tall grass. I was struck by how alive
creation was, how alive the ground was.
And we were adding our brother's ashes
to that ground.
If it were not for death this would
become an old stale world. We would
stop having children, because if we did
not die, the world would soon be full.
And so we would have no choice but to
cease creating new human life with all
its fresh energy, vision, and hope.
So death does have a good side, and
occasionally people even welcome it. As
a volunteer hospital chaplain, I some-
times met elderly people who truly were
ready to die, not because of pain and
loneliness, but because life had been full
and long, and now they desired rest. To
see this is to see something beautiful.
J3 ut there is another side to death — the
cruel side. Death does not usually come
at the most desired and peaceful time; it
usually is an unwanted invader. One
night I was called to the hospital to be
with a young mother. Her 15-year-old
son was having a heart attack. We
prayed intensely and continuously. And
then the doctor came to us and said the
son was dead. The mother became
hysterical with grief, and well she should
have. Death had been very cruel.
It is true that death makes life impor-
tant, but paradoxically, it also makes life
meaningless. What do any of our actions
or accomplishments matter if death
claims us all? If we just eat, work, love,
and then die, what is the point? As
Ecclesiastes tells us, if death is the last
word, life is meaningless.
And finally, the crudest aspect of
death is that we as individuals cease to
exist. The human race may go on for a
while longer, but it goes on without us.
We may be partially remembered for a
generation or so, but we ourselves have
no memory and no life. Every unique
smile, thought, and act of sharing and
love eventually will die. We will all
cease to exist.
This is the most terrifying face of J
death. No wonder Paul calls it "the last i
enemy" (1 Cor. 15:26). There are many
things that work against God, tearing i
down life and love, but the worst is 1
death. |
So is death good or evil? I suppose it is
both, although its evil side usually and ,
eventually overwhelms the good. It is 1
necessary and it makes new life possible,
but it also is terribly frightening, cruel,
and unfair, robbing us of hope, love, and
meaning.
So Jesus expresses the truth that many
of us are too afraid to admit: Death is
abandonment. And if death is the end,
we Christians should grieve most of all.
The apostle Paul pulls no punches when
he says, "If for this life only we have
hoped in Christ, we are of all people
most to be pitied" (1 Cor. 15:19). Not
just because we are obliterated in
death — that's tragic enough — but
because our faith as Christians would
then be quite wrong. We believe love has
the last word, but if Jesus is rotting away
in a tomb then polifics and power and
execution have the last word. If Jesus is
dead, and if we all likewise simply die,
then our whole life is misguided.
Mark does not end his Gospel with
Jesus" final cry of abandonment. Rather,
he tells us that three women go to Jesus'
omb early on Sunday. With his death,
heir faith is shattered, and all they can
lo now is properly bury him by putting
ipices around his decaying corpse. But
A'hen they arrive at the tomb, the stone is
"died back. They look inside and a
young man says to them, "He has been
raised; he is not here. Look, there is the
place they laid him. But go, tell his
disciples and Peter that he is going ahead
of you to Galilee" (Mark 16:6-7). The
women run out of the tomb and say
nothing to anyone because they are afraid.
That is how Mark ends his Gospel:
Jesus is not seen and Jesus does not
speak, and the women simply run away
afraid. Everything is stark. Even the
message of hope, "He has been raised,"
is merely one word in Greek. Why does
Mark end his story so abruptly? Maybe
because the resurrection of Jesus is too
great and too far beyond our understand-
ing for elaboration. We cannot compre-
hend it or explain it. It just is.
I am drawn to Mark's stark portrait of
Easter morning because it does not brush
away death so easily. Human doubt and
fear remain. The terror of death and the
mystery of resurrection are left in a
trembling half-light, in hope and silence.
The resurrection is never seen or
explained, and maybe not even believed
in.
The Gospel of Mark does not end in
joy like Matthew, Luke, and John. It
ends with hope that is muted by fear and
confusion and the unanswered question:
Will the women break their silence and
find the faith to say, "He is risen"? We
are the women, and only we can answer
that question. As we face our last enemy,
death, we decide whether to break the
terrible silence and say in faith, it I
He IS risen. i 1
Ryan Ahlgrim is pastor of PeoriaNartli
Meimonite Church, in Peoria. III.
{Readers who turn to Mark's Gospel
as they follow Ryan Ahlgrim 's article
will note that there are verses 16:9-20,
describing an appearance of Jesus with
the disciples after his resurrection.
These verses were not part of the
original text of Mark, however. What is
left of the original ends, as writer
Ahlgrim states, with the three women
fleeing the empty tomb in fear. — Ed.)
April 1994 Messenger 17
A mug of remembrance
by Pete Haynes
Xt was just an ordinary coffee mug, a
Christmas gift from my sister, many
years ago. At times it served its intended
purpose. At times it also functioned as a
pencil holder, a paperweight, a paint-
brush dipper, a measuring cup, as well as
a container for whatever needed contain-
ing. Frequently it wasn't used at all —
lost amid the clutter of a desk or shelf.
As 1 grew older, the mug started to carry
meaning. When I drank from it. I
remembered the one who gave it to me. I
thought of my family and my roots. I
appreciated the comfott of unconditional
18 Messenger April 1994
i
ove and support that no one can take
iway.
There was another ordinary coffee
nug, discovered on the shore of a
;lacier-fed lake in the Yukon. Its
liscovery was a part of an adventurous
ummer in Alaska. The previous year
lad been a rough one — a time of
nourning the dead; of dealing with other
etbacks; and, in the process, discovering
I darker side of my personality. Those
wo months in Alaska were for healing,
n the context of a new challenge. Life
legan again. Afterward, whenever I
Irank from this mug. I remembered the
ummer of '84, and was reminded that
lew life can sprout from yesterday's
ishes.
So, two ordinary mugs came to sit on
ny desk — one of roots and comfort, the
ither of beginnings and challenge. They
lecame a barometer of my day. When I
elt insecure, I drank from the one.
Vhen 1 felt adventurous. I drank from
he other. Sometimes I imbibed of risk
vhen I craved comfort, remembering
hat healing comes not by withdrawal but
ly a leap of faith. On other occasions 1
ipped of my roots when in a gung ho
nood, knowing that to fly, one needs a
)lace from which to leap.
Isn't it strange how material objects
:an become vessels containing a larger
neaning? Stranger yet, after my chal-
enge mug fell and broke, I still kept it in
)lain view. It functioned beyond its
:apability as a container.
Then came Mary. She is a member of
he crew that regularly cleans my office,
rhese energetic workers do an excellent
ob. Mary once told me she likes every-
hing about the organization she works
or but its name. She doesn't appreciate
he term "retarded citizens."
One day, when I was away, Mary
iccidentally knocked the challenge mug
the floor. A week later, she handed me
1 new mug she had searched for and
)ought on her own. No amount of
lersuasion could convince her to keep
the mug. She was not responsible for the
other mug breaking, I told her. But one
doesn't return a gift. So Mary's generos-
ity provided me with a new
challenge mug.
In some ways, it signified a
greater risk to me than a trip
to Alaska. You see, Mary is an
adventurer, stepping forth by
faith into this world with
greater gusto than I.
This story does not end
here. When two friends of
mine decided to give three
years of their lives to volunteer
mission work in the Carib-
bean, I gave them my old
comfort mug and my new
challenge mug. "Drink from
them together," I said, "and
remember your roots here, as
well as our encouragement to fly." On a
recent furlough, they gave me a new
challenge mug. with "Ja-
maica" written across the
bottom. I now drink from it
often.
These are just ordinary
coffee mugs. Yet they are so
much more. I need to find one
for my friend Mary, to give as
a gift, not an obligation.
How could I tell her I gave
away what she had first given
me? Isn't that the nature of a
gift, though, to be passed on?
Like comfort, it cannot be held
too closely, otherwise the
healing of life's hurts cannot
happen. Like a challenge, it
risks breakage, but it never
forgets the giver.
And Jesus took a cup ... or was it a
mug? "This is my blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many," he said
to his disciples that fateful evening.
"When you drink from it,
remember. . . ."
Pete Haynes is pastor of Long Green Valley
Church of the Brethren, in Glen Arm, Md.
sL - *-* R' s -' .1 -6
r
Ai.
April 1994 Messenger 19
Cups
by Carol Joy Bowman
Delicate crystal goblets sparkling with light,
polished silver chalices rich in tradition,
handmade earthen vessels,
carved calabashes,
clinking tin bowls,
patched buckets,
rusty dippers,
cupped hands . . .
The people of God drink . . . and remember:
They remember the one at the well — a Gentile — and a woman
whom He accepted without pause.
They remember that in Him there is no Jew, no Gentile;
no male, no female;
no black, no white;
no "us," no "them."
They remember that in Christ
we are all the People of God.
The People of God drink,
and remember,
and their cups are filled.
CarnI Jny Bowman is a member of
Simnyslope Church of the Brethren, in
Wenalchee. Wash., and a former vice-
chairwoman of the Church of the
Brethren General Board. She is
administrative assistant for a regional
office of the United Church of Christ.
20 Messenger April 1994
What's the difference?
Several scriptures
appear to make our
path to salvation
truly a 'narrow way. '
Just how much leeway
do we have for
diversity within our
denomination ? And
beyond that, what
about people whose
religious tradition is
outside Christianity?
Two Brethren writers
present their own
thinking on these
two questions.
by Donald E. Fancher
I come from a strange family. We are not
all alike. My dad was short and slight.
He rarely spoke much. When provoked,
he had a fiery temper.
Mom always had to fight her weight.
She spoke German until she went to
school. Even late in her life, when she
got excited, she used English words, but
German word order.
Mom and Dad did not agree on
politics. One was a die-hard Democrat,
and the other one . . . wasn't.
I have one sibling — a younger brother.
As we get older we look more and more
alike. But we are quite different. I live
comfortably. My brother is, as we used to
say, "well off." Politically, he is some-
where to the right of Barry Goldwater.
He insists I am somewhere to the left of
George McGovern.
I come from a strange family. But we
are a family. We recognize the differ-
ences. These differences sometimes
cause us pain. But. by and large, we take
pleasure in them. We are a family.
When I struggle with the differences I
see within the church, it helps me to use
the analogy of "family." I am sometimes
surprised and pained by the differences I
see. But those with whom I differ I
cannot toss out of the church any more
than I can toss my brother out of the
family.
Certainly the differences we experi-
ence within the church family are real.
Some of the differences are superficial;
but some of the differences are deep.
Sometimes, of course, the differences
result from our inability to hear the faith
expressed in ways that do not correspond
with the ways we articulate it. None of
our words completely encompass or
completely depict God. And words that
could do that would be words about an
idol. I find it helpful to remember that
whenever I talk about God, I have to use
metaphor and analogy.
When I talk about God, I am forced to
(continued on page 22)
by Gregg A. Wilhelm
Last December, On Earth Peace
Assembly organized a day-long
seminar on peacemaking from different
religious perspectives. Representatives
from the Jewish, Buddhist, Islamic,
and Baha'i faiths traveled to the Breth-
ren Service Center in New Windsor,
Md., to present their traditions" views on
peace. The seminar's purpose was for
members of a historic peace church to
learn more about other faiths in hope of
taking a very small step toward harmony
in a religiously pluralistic world. It was
not meant to be an opportunity to
proselytize.
One member of a local Church of the
Brethren congregation requested and was
granted time to speak on behalf of the
Christian faith. Fair enough, although
the point of the day was to introduce us
already familiar with Christianity to
other traditions of peacemaking, perhaps
dispelling some misconceptions along
the way. Unfortunately, the brother's
speech had little to do with Christian
pacifism and love of neighbors who may
not be just like us. His diatribe — gently
and passionately delivered — boiled down
to a proclamation of Jesus Christ as the
sole savior of humankind. Only in
Christianity, he said, did God reach out
to humanity, whereas these other inferior
religions strive to reach out to God. This
fundamental difference bestows upon
Christianity a "truth" apparently
unattainable by other faiths. The problem
with other traditions is that they have not
accepted these facts and real peace will
not be realized until they do so.
I appreciated the speaker's courage
and conviction, but the whole scene was
embarrassing. Four people are invited to
present their deeply rooted beliefs and
then are made to feel uncomfortable for
holding those beliefs. It's like saying
"Thanks for sharing — not!" or "Aren't
these poor misguided religions cute?"
Such entrenched positions are just the
(continued on page 23)
April 1994 Messenger 21
A program to overcome violence
One of my responsibilities as general secretary is to represent the Church of the
Brethren on the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. The
Church of the Brethren was one of the founding churches of the World Council
at the First World Assembly in Amsterdam in 1948. World Assemblies are held
every seven years; the next, and eighth, will be in 1998. Between world assem-
blies the Council is governed by a Central Committee of 150 members. Many
churches cannot be represented since there are nearly 322 member churches with
a collective total of 400 million members. Previously M. R. Zigler, Norman
Baugher, and Robert W. Neff have represented the Brethren on the Central
Committee.
As I write (in January), I am seated in the Eskom Conference Center midway
between Johannesburg and Pretoria, South Africa, where the current Central
Committee meeting is being held. The atmosphere in South Africa is electric
with the anticipation of the elections of April 27. These elections will bring in a
totally new government whose primary task will be to dismantle apartheid. You
can imagine the anticipation with as many as 20 political parties taking part in
the campaign for election. However, there also is the everpresent threat of
violence disrupting the process.
A group of us visited the townships. These are areas around the central cities
such as Johannesburg and Capetown where "African" and "colored" people have
settled by the hundreds of thousands. Squatters come from rural areas seeking
employment and housing. Under apartheid they were restricted to the township
areas. Some of the townships are reasonably livable; others are absolutely
squalid. Moderate to extreme poverty prevails. We soon discovered that after
apartheid it will be very difficult for conditions to change: Economic, social, and
psychological realities will tend to hold old patterns in place.
In a presentation by the South Africa Council of Churches, the Central
Committee learned of the continuing violence in South Africa. The many kinds
of violence include indiscriminate slaughter, village raids, attacks on demonstra-
tors, assassinations, train and taxi murders, drive-by shootings, house-burnings,
kidnappings, and street wars. Following this ominous litany. Bishop Desmond
Tutu addressed us to say that the killing in South Africa would be much greater
without the witness of the churches. Consider the violence that has accompanied
radical change in other places and times, for example the Emancipation Procla-
mation and the accompanying Civil War in the United States.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Central Committee meetings is the
worship. Hymns and prayers in many languages make it a contemporary Pente-
cost. At the opening worship, the preacher thanked the World Council for its
Program to Combat Racism, which helped to mold world opinion in opposition
to apartheid in South Africa. He then called for a program to overcome violence
around the world.
A Program to Overcome Violence! A British Quaker, a Canadian Quaker, and
I were moved to ask the Central Committee for such a program. This is the
message of the Friends and the Brethren at our best. Our proposal was adopted
by unanimous vote. — Donald E. Miller
Donald E. Miller is general secretary of the Church of the Brethren.
i^'.^^.^^>'i^ awiiiii^feiu-i- .%»;vr»
FANCHER/from page 21
use the language of this world — this
space-time continuum. I may say, "God
is a shelter in the storm." That conveys
22 Messenger April 1994
something profoundly true about the
experience of many of us. But, of course,
I do not mean that God is a tent, or a
tree, or a snug harbor. I may say, "Jesus
Christ is the good shepherd." I am not
talking about his ability to keep a bunch
of four-legged woollies from coming to
grief. I am talking about his care for folk
like me, who sometimes seem to have the
intellects and contrariness of merinos.
Even when I confess my faith in "God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," I am, in a
real sense, using the language of
metaphor and analogy.
There are some images — some
metaphors and analogies — that speak
very strongly to some of us. These same
images may sound meaningless to
others.
The fact that language used by another:
does not strike fire in my life and heart
does not make it meaningless language.
It does not mean that the one who uses
language that does not jibe with my
experience is dim-witted. It means that
our life journeys have molded us in ways
that enable us to find meaning, and to
express meaning, in different ways.
The Brethren tradition, which I
increasingly have come to cherish, has
said that no one way of expressing the
faith is held to be normative. No one way
of speaking of God, or of Christ, is the
one acceptable way. We have said that
the New Testament is our only creed.
And immediately I am forced to recog-
nize that this sacred book also speaks of i
God in images, in analogies, and in
metaphors. The words always point
beyond themselves to God, the reality at i
the heart of our existence.
W
re have said that we will not use the
historic creeds as tests of faith. We
may — or may not — find meaning in
those ancient texts. We may — or may
not — find that the imagery captured in
the creeds expresses the reality of God asl
we experience it in the body of Christ. Irii
any case, we will not require of our
brothers and sisters conformity to any
expression of faith — even one that is
precious to us.
We are a family. We are a faith familyil
with wide differences. We cannot read
others out of the family without reading !
ourselves out of it in the same action.
We Brethren who live in Pacific
Southwest District are acutely aware of
the diversity within our faith family.
Some of the diversity has been with us
[
Dr a long time. Some of us are urban
oik, some are from small towns, and
thers have their roots in the soil. Some
if us are very "well off financially,
thers are in very straitened circum-
tances; most of us are somewhere in
etween. Some of us trace our roots in
le Church of the Brethren through
everal generations. Others of us
leasure our roots in the Church of the
Irethren in months or even weeks. Some
f us are labeled "liberal;" others are
tamped "conservative." Many of us
5sist all such labels.
In recent years, our diversity has
ecome more pronounced. One of the
lore visible forms of our diversity is the
thnic variety. In addition to African
American, Korean American, Anglo,
nd Hispanic congregations, we have a
ongregation whose pastor's heritage is
1 the Philippines.
This diversity could lead to hostility
nd schism. It could lead to the religious
quivalent of hate crimes. But pluralism
eed not lead to this. If our diversity is
3cognized as the treasure that it is, it
an lead to the enriching of us all.
Pluralism in the church does not mean
lat we try to put it all into a pot, stir it
agether, and get religious stew. Plural-
im in the church means that we all
2tain the integrity of the faith as we
xperience it, articulate it, and live it out.
African Americans are not required to
•ehave as staid white folk. Folk whose
xperience of Jesus is expressed prima-
ily in terms of a model for human life
leed not feel alienated from folk whose
xperience of Jesus is expressed prima-
ily in terms of Savior and Redeemer,
■oik whose favorite hymns are predomi-
lantly revivalist need not feel they do not
hare the faith with those who delight in
he music of the new Hymnal. We can
sam from each other. We may find
lements in each other that challenge
nd enrich us.
We may even find that out of our
lifferences comes a vitality we all need.
)ut of our diversity we may come to a
espect for each other. Out of our
liversity we may discover that we are
me family — a strange family, to be
ure, but one family of God.
Ai,
WILHELM. from page 21
kind of barriers we Christians should be
trying to scale for a richer understanding
of the things that make for peace.
One audience member did rise to
announce that the views expressed were
not representative of the entire Church of
the Brethren or of Christianity generally.
But I am not concerned about the
impressions of the four panelists. They
all were confident, educated authorities
of their respective faiths with solid
credentials — a rabbi, a learned Zen
instructor and psychotherapist, an imam,
an international scholar. Two teach at an
ecumenical institute where they encoun-
ter the diversity of faith everyday. No, 1
am much more concerned about the
Church of the Brethren.
A
Donald E. Fancher is pastor of Long Beach
Calif.) First Church of the Brethren.
first Step in overcoming what I
believe is a narrowness in our perspec-
tive is accepting the relativity of reli-
gious expression. People have a bound-
less capacity for expressing the mystery
of the divine. The Christian story — and
the Anabaptist story within it — are
chapters and subplots in the universal
narrative of humanity's longing for
communion among ourselves and with
God. We must recognize that, as human
expressions, all religions are incomplete
stories incapable of embodying all that is
God and all that makes for relationship
between God and humanity. As commit-
ted as I am to Jesus Christ as Savior and
as a model for my pacifism, I am not
willing to limit God's own creativity
to Jesus Christ as God's only "point
of contact" with humanity. I am not
secure enough in my understanding of
the human-divine relationship or
egotistical enough to confine God's
agency in and through Jesus Christ alone
to judge non-Christians as somehow less
adequate.
The Church of the Brethren histori-
cally has demonstrated an abundance of
creativity in its pastoral application. If a
pluralistic approach toward peacemaking
is truly desired, perhaps more creativity
should be spent toward explaining it
theologically. In his book The Myth of
Christian Uniqueness, theologian Paul
Knitter writes that "a theological self-
understanding informed by modern
historical consciousness can provide an
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April 1 994 Messenger 23
interpretation of Christian faith that
will — without destroying or undercutting
the fundamental significance of the
central symbols of God and Christ for
the orientation of life — enable Christians
to give other religious traditions their
full integrity and meaning, neither
patronizing nor otherwise demeaning
them."
Christians are afraid that recognizing
other expressions of faith — admitting the
Take Hold of Your Future...
relevance of other religions — somehow
undermines their own convictions. This
is clearly not the case. Unfortunately,
Christians sometimes convert their zeal
into hatred, closed-mindedness, and
exclusivity. Such transformation is a
hypocritical exhibition of the Christian
message of love.
Living in this world and hoping for
any progress toward global peace is a
difficult ambition not without challenges
...One Step at a Time.
McPherson College
McPherson, Kansas 67460 • (316) 241-0731
The Martins
Carolyn '96 (seated),
Dick '68, Marge "67 and Steve
(standing, "left to right)
"We 've always been pleased
that as a 3rd grader Carolyn
announced she wanted to
attend McPherson College.
She never wavered from that
decision, and now, as a sopho-
more, we feel she is receiving
a topnotch education and
establishing lifelong fiiend-
ships while expanding her
Christian faith. "
Dick & Marge Martin
Ottawa Church of the Brethren,
Ottawa, KS
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McPherson College welcomes all applicants
regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or physical or emotional disability
to our own ways of thinking and believ-
ing. I am not suggesting that we dilute
our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior or
alter our confessional language or be
timid in sharing our message with non-
Christians; these are essential elements
of our faith and ministry. I also am not
denying the possibility of God radically
and uniquely breaking into history
through the person of Jesus Christ. But
when venturing out into a religiously
ornate world we need to carry an attitude
of love and compassion, not one of
conversion and condemnation. Even if
we refuse to embrace other religions, we
must nevertheless appreciate them for
their value to their adherents while
communicating graciously with different
believers as cohabitants of this same
God-created earth.
In another book. Knitter suggests the
development of a global systematic
theology that aims to present Christian
beliefs in a coherent way, intelligible
and, to some degree, true and meaning-
ful for persons of other faiths. Likewise,
other theologians — the Jew, the Baha'i,
the Buddhist, the Muslim — must present
their faith claims in a way meaningful
for us. This is the beginning of a
legitimate theological dialog of plural-
ism. Effective dialog must be based on
personal religious experience and firm
truth claims, but while recognizing the
possible truth in all religions. There alsoi
must be an openness to conversion, not
the proselytizing type, but a two-way
conversion among all participants in
dialog toward a better understanding of
God"s truth.
The attitude expressed by the brother
at the New Windsor seminar, however, is
symptomatic of the problems that keep
wounds across the religions from
healing. It is a hindrance to authentic
interfaith dialog. These are the kinds of
wounds that perpetuate war and vio-
lence. We as a community of Christian
believers should be more sensitive to
these tensions and more creative in
our responses to other faiths.
•
Mi
Gregg A. Wilhelm. a member of Woodberry
Church of the Brethren, in Baltimore, Md.. is an
assistant editor at Johns Hopkins University Press,
in Baltimore. He is receiving an M.A. degree from
the Ecumenical Institute at St. Mary's Seminary, in
Baltimore, this spring.
24 Messenger April 1994
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Keep focus on
personal/social
A few phrases in the December 1993
editorial ("What Is It About New
Windsor?") stood out as I read it — "the
identity and mission of the Church of the
Brethren," "the irresistible essence of
what it is to be Brethren," and "tell the
world what being Brethren is all about."
The editorial provided an accurate
picture of the Church of the Brethren for
the past 50 years. The center of the life,
the ministry, the mission of the Brethren
for that period has been New Windsor,
not Elgin. To see in clear perspective
these 50 years in Brethren life, we need
to focus on the previous 50 years.
In the picture of these years — 1890-
1940 — two broad strokes stand out in the
portrait of the life of the church. With a
great vision of reaching the world for
Christ, the Brethren began mission work
in India, China, and Nigeria.
The second broad stroke is reaching
America for Christ, with great evangelis-
tic fervor in almost every congregation.
During these 50 years. Brethren mem-
bership increased from about 61,000 to
177,000 — an increase of about 300
percent. The deep concern for the lost
moved the entire denomination to
prayerful evangelistic concern.
Running through Brethren life from
1890 to 1940 was the primary concern to
"reach the lost" at home and abroad. The
gospel was personal.
During the next 50 years, beginning
around 1940, the mission and life of the
Church of the Brethren was focused on
Brethren Service, with New Windsor as
the center. Brethren concern, time, and
money found many avenues of ministry
to a suffering, needy world. In those
years the gospel was social.
Also, during those 50 years, the world
mission of the Brethren in India, China,
and Nigeria largely came to an end.
Evangelism and church growth ceased to
be on the Brethren agenda. And along
r mission
vith a decline of about 50.000 in church
nembership there was an even greater
lecline in worship and church school
ittendance.
How do we articulate and identify the
nission of the Church of the Brethren?
\s we begin another 50-year period of
)ur history, who and what are the
brethren? What broad strokes will paint
he true portrait of the future of this body
)f Christ's followers?
In the past decade and more, some
;pecial efforts have been made to again
)ut the "personar" back into the Brethren
;xperience of the gospel. Passing on the
'romise has received strong support
icross the Brotherhood. But there does
lot seem to be much excitement in our
:ongregations about evangelism, and
;ven less personal concern to seek, find,
ind restore "the lost."
If we are to capture the "essence of
vhat it is to be Brethren" now and into
he next century, we need to go back to
Brethren beginnings. We need to study
he New Testament in small groups as
ve seek to know and follow the mind of
Christ. We need a new commitment to
'esus as "the way, the truth, and the
ife."
The Lord of the Church calls all
bllowers to "go make disciples." He also
isks, "Why do you call me "Lord. Lord.'
md do not do what I tell you?" (Luke
3:46.) His own ministry was clearly
jummarized in Matthew 9:35-38. For
lim, the gospel, as he taught it, and as
le lived it, was both personal and social,
it the same time, all the time.
This is "what being Brethren is all
ibout," following Jesus in understanding
ind in living the total gospel.
The key concern now, as in the two
previous 50-year periods in the life of the
rhurch of the Brethren, is leadership.
»Vho or where are the leaders of the
-hurch who can inspire the multitude of
Brethren with enthusiasm and excite-
nent, with fire and fervor — so essential
f the Brethren are to fulfill their
nission?
Ai.
Olden D. Mitchell, of Elkhart. Ind., is a retired
?hurch of the Brethren minister.
as we relocate our
main campus to
Richmond, Indiana to
be in affiliation with
Earlham School of
Religion
as we expand to offer courses at our new Susquehanna Valley Satel-
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▲ as we continue to prepare people for Christian ministry and to
educate those called as witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the
cities and communities of the world
j4 Bethany Theological Seminary, the graduate school of theology of the
% Church of the Brethren, invites men and women of all races, nations, and
W confessions to join us. For more information write or call: BTS, Butterfield
\ and Meyers Rds., Oak Brook, IL 60521 • [708>620-2204.
Whither the
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New Directions for a New Century
June 13-16, 1994
Plenary Speakers: Nadine Pence Frantz,
Phyllis Pellman Good, Stanley Hauerwas,
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More than three dozen other presenters including:
Dale Aukerman, Dale W. Brown, Donald F. Dumbaugh,
Donald Fitzkee, and Dale R. Stoffer
For complete program and registration write or call
The Young Center
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
717-361-1470
April 1 994 Messenger 27
BRF not hung up on KJV
Please read pages 8-9, 12-13 of Vol. 24,
No. 1, BRF Witness C'The New Bible
Translations: Are They Necessary?") and
refrain from accusing the Brethren
Revival Fellowship (BRF) of being a
"King James Version-only group, as
implied in the February editorial
("Curling up with a Catalog").
With this reference to the BRF,
Messenger continues to misrepresent the
group to the magazine's readers. Instead
of that, deal with the issues, please.
Craig Alan Myers
Columbia City. Ind.
{On page 8 of the BRF Witness
referred to above, writer Galen R.
Hackman writes: "[T]he need for a new
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^
translation of the Bible into English
becomes clear when the following two
truths are recognized: First, we must
ever remember that language changes.
Second, there have been significant
advances made in the area of biblical
scholarship. "
On pages 12-13, he writes: "The
Living Bible cannot be surpassed for
gaining an overall understanding of a
large section of the Bible. . . . For public
reading and exposition, the New
International Version is my choice,
because of its clarity, accuracy, and
excellent English. When doing critical,
e.xegetical work on a passage, it is hard
to beat the literal nature of the New
American Standard Bible. And if it is
beauty and poetry and cadence that you I
prefer, then the time-honored King
James Version is the best. " — Ed.)
• There is a paragraph in the February
editorial that 1 don't understand. Either I
am misreading the sentence that men-
tions the Brethren Revival Fellowship, oi
else the editor has made a colossal
mistake.
The BRF is not grieved that many
have "betrayed (their) trust in the tried
and true King James Version (KJV) of
the Bible." In fact, we nearly always use
translations other than the KJV in our
publications, and Messenger reprinted
major portions of BRF Witness, Vol. 24,
No. 1, in its August 1989 issue. That
issue of BRF Witness attempted to
explain why the new translations are
necessary.
Our next issue of BRF Witness uses
the New Revised Standard Version
(NRSV) throughout the editorial and the
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily
those of the magazine. Readers should receive then^
in the same spirit with which differing opinions are
expressed in face-to-face conversations.
letters should be brief, concise, and respectful ojl
the opinions of others. Preference is given to letter!
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.
28 Messenger April 1994
k
Jew International Version (NIV) in tiie
najor article. Already in Vol. 14, No. 4
1979), we asserted that it is not the
Cing James Version of the Bible that is
inspired"; we hold strongly to the belief
hat "the Bible is free from error in the
iriginal autographs."
Our view of the Bible is derived from
tie attitude of scripture toward itself, the
sstimony of Jesus regarding the Scrip-
ures, the evidences uncovered by
rcheologists, etc., and not from a belief
hat the KJV has some kind of word-for-
vord magic that makes it the Word of
3od.
Harold S. Martin
York. Pa.
• I was surprised by the February
iditorial's reference to the Brethren
Revival Fellowship and the King James
/ersion of the Bible.
Some Brethren who identify with the
BRF may hold solely to the KJV, but it is
ny impression that many BRFers agree
vith the 1979 "Biblical Inspiration and
Authority" paper of Annual Conference,
vhere it states that the position of one
;roup of Brethren is that the "Bible is
vithout error in the original autographs,
ind any conflicts within the text are only
leeming discrepancies due to our own
ack of understanding. The King James
/ersion is not the only English transla-
ion considered reliable. Scripture
passages are studied in light of their
;ontext, the laws of grammar, and the
"orm of biblical writing they represent.
Fhe total Bible is uniquely inspired and
las the highest authority for life"
Annual Conference Minutes, 1975-
1979. page 560).
! In a June 1985 Messenger interview,
jhen Annual Conference moderator and
BRF vice-chairman Jim Myer said, "I
ike the King James Version. . . . But I
[im not hung up on it. ... I have many of
he new versions of the Bible and I use
hem in my studies."
With so many translations available, it
s important to select a reliable version,
'ersonally, the King James Version is
ny own favorite. But I also like the New
nternational Version, the New Ameri-
an Standard Bible, and the New King
ames Version.
All this notwithstanding, 1 enjoyed the
Qt
Pontius' Puddle
NOTICE: Church and district newsletters titat reprint "Pontius' Puddle" from
Messenger must pay $10 for each use to Joel Kauffmann. Ill Carter Road.
Goshen. IN 46526.
DETECTOR
;
DETEtTOR
I'M josr PACwua-
\r POR PRpTECTloK.
THE
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Communicating good news. That's rare. So is
Dave Sollenberger's style. A 1975 graduate,
Dave creatively writes, records, and narrates
stories with a positive influence. The result?
Videos which encompass our common values.
Dave develops programs for nonprofit
organizations that give hope and spread joy.
In today's world, that's remarkable.
MANCHESTER COLLEGE
TRADITION
Jeanne Eichenaur motivates, communicates,
leads. A senior studying English and
communication, Jeanne embraces Manchester
College values of social justice and peace. What
are her dreams? To travel globally, teach, or
work for the church as an advocate for change. . .to
be a voice for the people. Aspiring? Certainly!
Rare and remarkable? Indeed!
VALUES * GLOBAL AWARENESS * FAITH * ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
* LEARNING * ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS * COMMUNITY
PEACE & JUSTICE * STEWARDSHIP * SERVICE
Write or call to receive more information on Manchester programs or stewardship
opportunities, to refer prospective students, or to let us know if you are planning a special
campus visit.
Manchester College does not discriminate on the basis of marital status, sex.
religion, race, color, national or ethnic origin, or handicap in the administration of Its
educational policies, recruitment and admissions policies, scfiolarship and loan
programs, employment practices, and athletic or other college sponsoreo programs.
MANCHESTER
COLLEGE
• North Manchester, IN 46962 • (219) 982- 5000
April 1994 Messenger 29
L
Word From The Moderator
The family names of Rivera, Garcia, Jo,
Goretzici, Raftovich, Kwan, Espinoza,
Kyerematen on Brethren lists reflect an
expanding multi-cultural tapestry. What
a blessing and challenge!
In January and February, I participated
in church life in the Dominican Republic
and Puerto Rico. Beautiful people,
contagious faith, spirited singing,
growing churches are phrases that
describe Brethren there. The challenge
remains, however, for quality training,
orientation for pastors, understanding
the denominational processes, and
growing faithful disciples. Are we
listening?
We invite, but do we include them,
empower them, and allow them to enrich
our lives with their gifts? Are we able to
say with an open spirit and open arms,
"Come! Drink the Living Water"? Look
around your church. Any additional
color or language? Any new expressions
in your worship services? Any new
names on the roster?
Earl K. Ziegler
1994 Annual Conference Moderator
To subscribe to
call (800) 323-8039WExt.247
Ask for Norma
From the
Office of Human Resources
DISTRICT EXECUTIVE.
WEST IVIARVA DISTRICT
Full time position in Oakland. Md.
Seeking individual with;
• good administrative skills;
• ability to give general oversight of
planning and implementing district
work;
• ability to relate to people of differing
positions and cultures.
Posiliiin avaiicMe (ifler June I. 1994.
COORDINATOR,
BVS ORIENTATION
Full time position in Elgin.
Seeking individual:
• to organizing orientation schedule;
• to counsel volunteers;
• to secure facilities & leaders.
• BVS experience and pastoral
skills preferred.
Position m'tiilable in Auj^ust. 1994.
For prompt consideration call
Barbara Greenwald (800) 323-8039
glimpse at the 1926 Brethren Publishing
House catalog provided by the February
editorial.
Dean Garrett
West Alexandria, Ohio
• As one born and raised in a moderate
to conservative Church of the Brethren
congregation, I heard the teachings of
ministers of both liberal and conservative
persuasions. Bible scholars such as Jim
Myer, Harold Martin, and Olen Landes
(all members of the Brethren Revival
Fellowship) introduced me to the
wonders of the many versions of the
Scriptures. It was exciting to hear these
men quote from several versions in order
to reveal the true meaning of the text.
It saddens me to once again be
reminded that many in our denomination
(some proclaiming themselves to hold
the most loving, caring, and open view
of theology) have yet to understand and
respect those who hold a more conserva-
tive view. One of the BRF's most
important purposes is to bridge the gulf
between liberal and conservative
Brethren. It always has encouraged those
disillusioned with "Elgin" to remain in
the denomination and help make it
strong.
Donita Keister
Mijflinburg, Pa.
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to Fiji. For info, brochure, write: Australia/New Zealand
Tour, c/o Wayne F. Geisert, Bridgewater College,
Bridgewater, VA 22812-1599. Tel. (703) 828-2501, ext.
1300.
TRAVEL— Tour Japan June 12-21 ;AlpineTourin Germany,
Austria & Switzerland June 16-July 1; Spain and Portugal
July 22-Aug. 5; Great Britain Aug. 9-26; China and Hong
Kong Oct. 5-1 8; MusicalTourto Vienna, Austria& Budapest,
Hungary: Christmastime in Switzerland & Germany Nov.
28-Dec. 6; Christmastime in Bavana Dec. 5-13. Hosted
through Juniata College. For further info, contact: Gateway
Travel Center Inc., 606 Mifflin Street, Huntingdon, PA
16652-0595, Tel. (800) 322-5080.
TRAVEL— Join baseball delegation to Nicaragua, June 1 1 -
23, 1994. Play or cheer as we meet with our third-world
brothers and sisters in beautiful Bocana de Paiwas. Tom
30 Messenger April 1994
and Marlene Zerger, former Witness for Peace coordina-
tors, extend this invitation to serve, share, and witness.
Donations of baseball gloves, children's shoes, and money
gratefully accepted. Total cost $1 200. $1 00 deposit. Dead-
line for registration Apnl 15. Call (313) 565-3015, ASAP.
TRAVEL— Israel/Egypt Holiday. Wendell & Joan Bohrer,
Fred & Nancy Swartz host a tour to Israel and Egypt. Aug.
8-1 8, 1 994. 1 1 -day tour includes travel to Jerusalem, the old
city. Dead Sea, Megiddo, Galilee, Cana, Mt. Carmel, Mt.
Nebo, Cairo, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Tomb of King Tut.
For info, write: Wendell & Joan Bohrer, 8520 Royal Meadow
Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46217. Tel. (317) 882-5067, or Fred &
Nancy Swartz, 1 0047 Nokesville Rd., Manassas, VA 221 1 0.
Tel. (703) 369-3947.
TRAVEL— Brethren Service Center's 50th Anniversary
Committee is hosting a European Tour, July 31 -August 1 4,
1994. Glenn & Helen Kinsel, tour leaders. Visit former and
current Church of the Brethren and Heifer Project persons
and sites. Visit persons involved in Brethren Volunteer
Service, the Polish Agriculture Exchange, and Student
Exchange Program. Geneva, Stuttgart/Miedelsbach,
Marburg, Schriesheim, Schwarzenau, Kassel, Berlin,
Skierniewice, Krakow, and Vienna are stopping places. For
info, contact Terri Meushaw, Brethren Service Center, 500
Main Street, New Windsor, MD 21776-01 88. Tel. (41 0) 635-
8716.
WANTED— Applications sought for a quarter-time paid po-
sition as Pacific Southwest District youth coordinator. Send
names or inquiries to: Phyllis Eller, Pac. S. W. District office.
Box 2 1 9, La Verne, CA 91 750, or call (909) 593-2554. Salary
will be negotiated depending on qualifications and experi-
ence. Interviews begin in April. Employment projected to
begin this summer.
WANTED— Camp manager or couple to manage Camp
Colorado in Pike National Forest. 40 min. from Denver oi
Colorado Springs. From Memorial Day to Labor Day 1994
Camp located on 85 forested acres. Features swimminc
pool, hiking trails, 6 dorms, dining hall, recreation bidg
Camp has 4 wks, of Brethren-sponsored camps and i;
rented remainder of season to Brethren churches and family
reunion groups. Duties incl. purchasing supplies, cleaning
and repairing camp. Altitude of camp is 7,500 ft. Applicant!
should be in good physical shape. Salary $1,000 <
month. Incl. 2-bdrm. cabin, utilities. Interested partie;
contact Ron Achilles, Rt. 1, Box 143, Quinter, KS 67752
Tel. (913)754-2322.
embers
nville. All. N.E,: Matthew
Bowers, Dick & Ruth Dielz,
Ashley Ebersolo, Jodi Good.
Ben Hackman, Annie Lefever,
Gary Rosborough.Col!een
Sholly
kersHeld Community, Pac.
S.W.:DianaHale
icon Heights, N. Ind.: Joshua
Snyder
le River, N. !nd.: Darbi
Eamhart, AdamGeiger.Jolene
Gipe. Rex Hartman, Elijuy
Kreider, Deanna Perry, Rick.
Rohin. Emily & Philip
Plasterer, Joel Targgart
)ok$ide, W. Marva: Carl. Sheila
&. Melissa Elliott, Jessica
Shatter, Joyce Simmons
ena Vista, Shen.; LoisColTinan.
Dorothy & Roy Humphries
nkertown, S. Pa.: Herman &
Doris Benner. Justin French.
JelT&, Trudy Hoke, Ben
Weaver
rlisle, S. Pa.: Shannon Stansbury
nter, N. Ohio: Kelly Jones.
Laura Vickers
rist Our Shepherd, S/C Ind.:
Michael Dodge
rryville, M. Pa.: Slacey Beach,
David Benter, Carl Crumrine,
Julie Mellott. Michelle
Sollenberger, HeatherWalter
yton,Shen.: Betty &Manin
Cline, Jessica Crawford. M icah
Reish. Jordan Shirkey
Bxel Hill, All. N.E.: Dawn
Carol an
hrata,Atl. N.E,: Laura &
Matthew Buckwalter. Heidi
Enck. Matthew Eshelman,
Vanessa Gill. Drew Haller.
Seth Schnupp. Matthew
Stradling. David Yohn
eenmount,Shen.: Debbie Dean,
John & Sherry Hagerman.
Michelle. Susan. Shane &
Weldon Layman. Steve &
Vickie Lohr. Ashley Ludholtz,
Brian. Cherie, Harold & Sharon
Smith
e€nsburg,W. Pa.rNadine
Browntleld. James & Grace
D'Amico. Terry Marshall.
Lynn Novitsky. Shanda Parsley,
Sara Shincovich. Kristen
Teacher, Ti tfany Weyandt
rshey/Spring Creek, Atl. N.E.:
Aubrey Greer, Roger Ingold.
JessicaJohnson, Nichole
Poling
lUins Road, Virlina: Mark &
Penny Booth, Levi & Beulah
Craft. Vivian Haymaker. Nick
Bono. Mitzi. Heather, Jessica
& Samantha Newbill. Beniia &
Beth Noffsinger. Ryan Poff.
Willis Wiley
ncaster, Atl. N.E.: Clyde &
Dorothy Cassel. Robert,
Emilie. Jay. Melia& Sean
Dell. Roy Garber. Esther
Gibble. Doris Kant, Violet
Sacra, Russel &: Dora
Shoizberger, Cheryl Smoicer,
DanaStatler
MapleGrove. N. Ohio: Kathy.
Kristy&KimberlyKeillor.
Denise Kettering. Glenn.
Molly, Sara & Erin Smith
Memorial, M. Pa.: ErinChirdon.
Matl Gray. Amanda Hileman.
Virginia& Glenn Holsinger,
Nicole Smith
Middle Creek, Atl. N.E.: Ashley
Bollinger
Monitor, W. Plains: Leah & Linda
Friesen. Travis Hawkinson.
Sarah Hoffman
New Covenant, S. Ohio: Susan
Field. Verne & Kathy
Leininger. Don Schantz.
Jennifer Tolle
Nokesville,Mid-Atl.:Rashad
Bland, Brently&Vicki
Dahmer, Alice Lund, Amanda,
Lynn & Valerie Messenger.
Michael Madill. PauiaTackett
Paradise, N. Ohio: Jessica Hartzler
Pasadena, Pac. S.W.: David &
Calene Williams. Scott Ford
PineGrove, Atl. N.E.: Richard
Hoffman, Shannon Lehman,
Kenneth Wolfe
Pomona, Pac. S,W,: Alice Abbot.
Glen & Florence Crago
Reading, All. N.E.: Felix, Lydia.
Raquel & Enimanual Acevedo.
Pat Gauit. Lynn Geisi. Anna
Hartman. Bertha Hironimus
Salkum Community, Ore. /Wash.:
Kem Eben, Boney & Dayle
Fletcher, Margaret Francy
Trinity, Virlina: J. W., Jeremy &
Suzanne Rhoades, Shirley
Trimbley, Robin Wade
Trinity, W. Plains: Wilda Berry.
JuanitaGermann
Upper Fall Creek, S/C Ind.: Tom
& Maria Kemerly
Wakemans Grove, Shen.: Jennifer
Barb. Catherine & Leroy Cline.
ToddCrowder, Sharon Foltz,
Terry Garrison, Jennifer
Looman,Tom Myrtle, Zachary
Payne, Brett & Justin
Wightman. Adam. Keith. Kevin
& Susan Zircle, Ethel Utiey
Waterford,Pac. S.W.:Tere.sa
Myers
West Alexandria, S. Ohio: Chris
Dull, Julie Fraley. Mandy &
Pat Shockey. Adina Simpson
210th BVS
Orientation Unit
(Orientation completed
January 29, 1994)
Bishop, Paula. Atlanta. Ga.; to
Interfaith Conference of
Metropolitan Washington. D.C.
Brown,Christopher. Roanoke. Va.;
to Lahman/Sollenberger Video.
Annville.Pa.
Carroll, David. Lewistown. Pa.; to
Near Eastside Multi Service
Center. Indianapolis, Ind.
Davis, Larry. Ebensburg, Pa.; toTri
City Homeless Coalition,
Fremont. Calif.
Faus,Jeffrey.Manheim, Pa.;to
Tree.s for Life. Wichita, Kan.
Fisher, Crystal . Cedar Rapids,
Iowa; to Holy Family Service
Binh Center, Weslaco. Tex.
Gallagher, Jeff. Modesto, Cal i i. .
toCanip Harmony.
Hooversville.Pa,
Geibler, Norman. Halberstadt,
Germany; to Washington City
Church of the Brethren,
Washington, D.C.
Gilmore. Deana, Ashland, Ohio;
to The Lehman Center.
York. Pa,
Johnson, Suzanne, Toronto.
Canada:toQueen Louis Home,
St. Croix, Virgin Islands
Kirchner, Shawn. Waterloo, Iowa;
toGould Farm. Monterey.
Mass.
Kuhner,Grelchen, Bremerton,
Wash,;toLARAP.ElPaso.
Tex.
Loser,Amy.Elizabethtown.Pa,;to
Comfort House, McAllen, Tex,
Mason, Mary. Sebring, Fla.; to
New SudanCouncil of
Churches, Nairobi, Kenya
Murner, Brett. Wellington, Ohio;
to Iowa Peace Network, Des
Moines, Iowa
Patalano, Robert. Ashland. Ohio;
to Flat Creek Church of the
Brethren. B ig Creek. Ky.
Patalano, May. Ashland. Ohio; to
Flat Creek Church of the
Brethren. BigCreek.Ky.
Petry, Brenda. Walkerton. Ind.; to
Casa de Esperanza de los
Nifios, Houston, Tex.
Reimer, Troy. Good view. Va.;to
Journey of Hope. Griffin, Ga.
Toback, Staci, Newington. Conn.;
to International Fellowshipof
Reconciliation, Alkmaar.
Netherlands
Turnay, Abraham. Akron. Ohio; to
Woodland Altars. Peebles.
Ohio
Vaillancourt, Krisanne.
Kensington. Conn,; to NW
Treep Ian ters/Farm workers,
Woodbum,Ore.
Vassady, Lisa. Lancaster. Pa.; to
Trees for Life, Wichita, Kan.
Warren, Shay, Encino, Calif.; to
Inspiration Cafe, Chicago, 111.
Zander, Barbara. Westminster,
Md.; to Prodigals House.
Winston-Salem. N.C.
Licensing/
Ordination
Carlson, Melinda. licensed Jan. 8.
l994.Trinity. Virlina
Dixon, Robert H.. ordained Jan. 8,
l994.Kokomo,S/Clnd.
Hostetler, Bruce Alan, ordained
Jan. 19. 1994. Manchester,
S/C Ind.
Ilyes,CharlesL.. ordained Jan. 15.
1994, NewFairview. S.Pa.
Johnson, Anthony Leo. licensed
Jan. 8. 1994,Brick, Virlina
Markey, Dale L., ordained Jan. 15,
1994, NewFairview. S. Pa.
Thacker, Robert W., licensed Sept.
7, 1993,Jennersville.At!.N.E.
Pastoral
Placements
Bartholomew, John, from Peru.
S/Clnd.. to Mohican. N.Ohio
Bowman, Dale, from Covington. S,
Ohi o. to Copper H i 1 1 . V i rl i na
Carl, Edward, from Uniontown,
W.Pa..toGoshenCity,
N. Ind.
Gresh, Ken, trom seminary to
Arcadia. S/C Ind.
Hardenbrook.James. trom other
denommation to Nampa, Idaho
Hatfield, Terry, from district
executive. N. Ind.. to Denver
Pnnceot Peace, W, Plains
Keiper,John, trom Stonerstown.
M. Pa., to LowerClaar, M. Pa.
Keller. Kevin, trom secularto
ColumbiaCity. N. Ind.
Longanecker, Arlan, from Ridge,
S. Pa., to Baltic, N, Ohio
Miller, David, from Manassas,
Mid-Atl.. to Roanoke First,
Virlina
Payne, Russell, from Blissville, N.
Ind-.toCoulson, Virlina
Quintrell, Gregory. Meadow Mills.
Shen., to Ligonier, W. Pa.
Wedding
Anniversaries
Benner, Lawrence and Elsie,
McAlisterville,Pa.,5()
Brubaker, Elberl and Helen,
Gratis, Ohio. 50
Buirley.Clifford and Sarah, Troy.
Ohio. 50
Campbell, Henry and Jeanne.
Kokomo. Ind..50
Clay, Vernon and Josephine.
"Hartville.Ohio.55
Deardorff, Everett and Helen.
Hartville.0hio.60
Espigh, Paul and Catherine.
McVeytown.Pa..65
Gorden, Israel and Edwina,
Goshen. Ind., 65
Hoffer, Victor and Mabel. Palmyra.
Pa., 65
Jordan, Fred and Clara. Salem,
Va.,65
Keenan, Harold and Helen.
Onalaska.Wash..60
Lehigh, Roy and Ruth, Lititz,
Pa., 60
Mackey, Wilbur and Florence,
Chambersburg. Pa.. 50
McCort, Francis and Elizabeth.
HartviIle.Ohio.50
Myers, Roy and Evelyn. Jacobus,
Pa.. 50
Page, Clarence and Betty.
McAlislerville.Pa..50
Slough, Mildred and Carl. Troy.
Ohio, 60
Snyder, Maurice and Lois, North
Canton, Ohio. 55
Sumey, Frances and Lewis.
Uniontown, Pa., 60
Uhrig, John and Mary, Greenville,
Ohio. 70
Wilson, Alexander and Helen,
Melbourne. Fla.. 55
Zumbnim.Milford and Margaret,
ColuTnbiaCiiv.Ind..55
Deaths
Altland. David. 72. York. Pa.. Jan.
1.1,1994
Angelo, Dominic. S9. Fricdens. Pa..
Jan. X. 1994
Bashor,Carolyn. 86.
McAlistervillc.Pa..Scpt.
14.199.^
Beach, Howard. X6. Murtinsburg.
Pa. Oct. 15. 1993
Blickenstaff, Harry, 86, La Verne,
Calit-.Jan. 17. 1994
Bowers, Margaret. 8.3. Lewisiown.
Pa.. Oct. 20. 199.3
Dressier, Edna. 76. Danville, Pa..
Nov. 16. 199.3
Eshelman.Almeda. I I l.Hartville.
Ohio. Dec. 10, 1993
Fiscus. Esther, 85, Birdshoro. Pa.,
Nov. 12. 1993
Flory, Ralph. 90. Oswego, III.,
Nov. 29, 1993
Flory, Lueila. 88. Oswego. 111..
Nov. 14. 1993
Gill, Herbert, S3, Martinsburg, Pa.,
Dec. 10,1993
Hagen. Helen. 64. Parkeshurg. Pa.,
Jan. 6. 1994
Barter, Harold. 74. Purdy. Mo..
Dec. .30. 1993
Hively,Gerald. 68. ColumbiaCity.
lnd..Julyl2. 1993
Hollinger, Allen. 79, Neffsville,
Pa.. Jan. 14. 1994
Hood, Leo. 63. West Lawn. Pa..
Nov. 15,1993
Kimmel, Evelyn, 82. Albion. Ind..
Jan. 12.1994
Kroh, Pearl, 90. New Oxford. Pa..
Jan. 20. 1994
Lee,Josephine. 62, Wilmington,
Del.. Jan. 8. 1994
Lichvar, Elda. 75. Boswell. Pa.,
Oct. 29, 1993
Lozier,Harry,92, Warsaw. Ind.,
Jan. 2, 1994
Martin, Louise. 8 1 , Warsaw, Ind.,
Sept. 24. 1 993
Martin, Furman. 75. Warsaw. Ind.,
Dec. 2. 1993
Merkey, Ernest, 84. York. Pu,.
Dec. 29. 1993
Metzler, L.C.. 72. Martinsburg,
Pa., Nov. .30. 1993
Miller, Ada. 70. York. Pa.. Jan. 1 0.
1994
Minnich, Iva. S3. Greenville, Ohio.
Oct. 23, 1993
More, George. 70. Churuhu.sco.
Ind-.Sept. 1.3. 1993
Myers, Frances. 83. York. Pa.. Jan.
14.1994
Phillips, Marie. 95, Mount Penn.
Pa.. Dec. 7, 1993
Pope, Joanne. 63, Roaring Spring.
Pa.,July 13. 1994
Royer, Freda. 88, Kimmell. Ind..
Dec. 19.1993
Ryan. Larue. 69. Danville. Pa..
June 9. 1993
Sampson, Charies. 80. Lima. Ohio.
Oct. 1.1993
Schlegel, Robert. 69. Thomasville,
Pa.. Dec 31, 1993
Shank, Neva. 74. East Berlin. Pa..
Jan. 8, 1994
Swartz, Hilda, 93, McAlislervilie,
Pa.. Oct. 9, 1993
April 1994 Messenger 31
Considering the scenic route
Probably no other painting has been such a rich
source of inspiration for poHtical cartoonists as
Grant Wood's "American Gothic," that depiction of
the stern farmer, pitchfork in hand, and his forbid-
ding daughter (often mistaken for his wife) standing
before their Gothic-style farmhouse.
I predict that among journalists, the "new infor-
mation superhighway" will provide just as rich a
source of inspiration for allusions to the highway
image. So many possibilities — Sunday drivers, fast
lanes, exit ramps, pot holes, road blocks, detours . . .
on and on.
In case you've lately been traveling only the "back
roads" (See what I mean?), the "new information
superhighway" means that before long, virtually all
the information in the world will be readily and
instantly available to us via personal computers
(PCs), modem-accessed phone lines, and other yet-
to-be perfected items of hardware and software.
Communicating cheaply and efficiently with anyone
in the world will be a snap. Barriers to information
will come tumbling down. Anything you want to
know, anyone you want to reach, will be available to
you.
Remember the time around 20 years ago. when
Citizen Band (CB) radio was all the rage? You were
made to believe that everyone was going to get a CB.
Going to get one because they were not a luxury, but
a necessity of life. Every vehicle needed one. They
were fun to have, too. Just go yak, yak, yak on your
CB to someone else with a CB who was as
enamoured with his new toy as you were with yours.
Think of the fun that old CB users can have out on
the new information superhighway!
Just because we can do something, does that mean
we should do something? One newspaper columnist
writes, "The new information superhighway is likely
to become clogged with Sunday drivers (See what I
mean?) — people with nothing better to do than
cruise around gaping out the window. They'll get on
the highway because they can, but if what . . . (the)
futurists have in mind is some idealized new world,
that vision is likely not to happen. The high-tech
Sunday drivers will access information 24 hours a
day, and yak back and forth as if on tlber-optic
desktop CB radios, and probably have a fine time
doing it. But it will be little more than idle recre-
ation."
I haven't seen the new information superhighway
32 Messenger April 1994
yet, but I have inklings of what it can be like. Every
morning when I come into my office at work, the
first thing I do is turn on my PC, the marvelous
piece of technology that enables me to crank out
editorials and other writings so much more effi-
ciently than I used to produce with pencils, yellow
legal pads, and typewriters.
Just as I was getting used to my PC, and appreciat-
ing it. our office technology advanced a step, and I
was added to the "network." Now I have to type in a
password to get into my PC, and before I am able to
start using it, I must deal with any messages on my
screen that other members of the General Board staff
have put there to engage my attention.
So far 1 have found that to be an annoyance, rather
than a help. It's like not being able to unlock my
front door at home and go in until I stand outside
and read all the junk mail in my mailbox.
A cold chill ran over me the other day when an old
friend asked me if I was on the E-mail ("electronic
mail") network yet; he'd like to begin communicat-
ing with me that way.
What nags at me is the unsettling suspicion that
electronic mail, the new information superhighway,
television, and all the other "newer, better, faster"
ways we have devised for communication are
affecting us in negative ways that we don't perceive.
It's like upsetting the ecology of the world without
being aware of it, while making what we think are
advances, all for the good, in producing more food
and other products.
/\s I
Christians we put much emphasis on the way
we communicate, the way we touch each other's life.
Our Lord taught and communicated through face-to-
face encounters. And even much of that teaching
was done through simple stories. We Brethren make
much of witnessing to our faith through acts of
service, "patient acts of kindness," offering our cup
of cold water . . . reaching out and touching.
What adjustments, what losses, will we encounter
in the coming age of disembodied communication
along the information superhighway?
These questions add to my stress as I see the traffic
signs alerting me to the new information superhigh-
way entrance ramp just ahead. Will it get me where
I'm going faster and more safely? Or would I have
done well to take the scenic route? — K.T.
r~2
V < y • • J. o - :,. .-
[^i: ^Sudian. Tools and eeeSsr
^ j^or those dieplaced. -
United States. Hous/n^
for homeless families.
It's astounding how far 20 goes,
K'orth
given in the name of Christ.
GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS FUND
Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Avenue, Elgui, IL 60120-1694
CoDw celebrate with brothers and sisters
in Christ from around the nation.
I 4
Learn of new and effective resources for
you and your congregation.
1994 EVANGELISM
LEADERS ACADEMY
Practical Mo M Con M
• Open to laity and pastors alike
• Six locations coast to coast
• Conveniently scheduled during the
summer months
• 94 speakers include Amanda Grimmc
John Ortberg, William Easum and
Tim Timmons
Experience wonderftd fellowship and
inspiration.
Coll Today for A free Bmhun
cjrt. m
'de Evangelism
Leaders Acaden
IS a multi-denomM
tional training evm
sponsored by The
Andrew Center a
ministry of the Church'
of the Brethren
.^^. — CR<
WHAT NATIVE AMEJ^ANrBELIEVE
.'v^^lv
^^,
Putting together for this issue the cluster of articles on Native
Americans has been an interesting experience for those of us
selecting the articles and designing the pages. We have con-
tacted numerous persons, pored over books from the public
library, gone through old photos and files in the Brethren
Historical Library and Archives, sent a writer/photographer to
Lybrook Navajo Mission in New Mexico,
and made too many technical decisions,
large and small, to even think about.
When the components finally fell into
place, we had something that only generally
resembled the original concept. We had
more text that we had first envisioned. One
of our writers was not the one we started
with. One article grew out of what had been
intended to be a mere sidebar. We regretted
we had less space for photos than we had
planned, and had to forego using some
great photos we had on hand.
On top of all that, we were using our
computer more than ever in our layout and
design work (work quite beyond the
capacities of the editor, I should add, and so
left to our skilled production assistant, Paul
Stocksdale).
We were pleased with our results, and hope that our readers
are receptive to this pre-Conference highlighting of the paper
"Community: A Tribe of Many Feathers."
But when our Messenger cluster was all ready for the
printer, 1 read through the Conference paper again and realized
that none of what we had done could substitute for Brethren
reading that paper itself It is our hope that everyone heading for
Wichita, especially the delegates, will thoroughly digest the
paper found in the Conference booklet. It's good reading, and we
should have a meaningfiil debate.
a^ll^i^^'n<shJ^^/^^
COMING NEXT MONTH: A look at Haiti, where Brethren
workers witness the oppression wracking that country.
Editor
Kermon Thomasson
Managing Editor
Eric B. Bishop
Editorial assistants
Paula Sokody, Margaret Woolgrove
Production, Advertising
Paul Stocksdale
Subscriptions
Norma Nieto
Promotion
Kenneth L Gibble
Publisher
Dale E. Minnich
District Messenger representatives:
Atlantic Northeast. Ron Lutz; Atlantic
Southeast. Ruby Raymer; Illinois/Wiscons
Kreston Lipscomb; Northern Indiana, Leoi
Holderread; South'Central Indiana. Maijoi
Miller: Michigan, Marie Willoughby;
Mid-Atlantic. Ann Fouts; Missouri/ Arkam
Mary McGowan; Northern Plains. Faith
Strom: Northern Ohio. Sherry Sampson;
Southern Ohio. Jack Kline: Oregon/
Washington. Marguerite Shamberger:
Pacific Southwest. Randy Miller; Middle '
Pennsylvania, Ruth Fisher; Southern
Pennsylvania, ElmerQ. Gleim; Western
Pennsylvania. Jay Christner; Shenandoah, '
Jerry Brunk; Southern Plains. Mary Ann
Dell; Virlina. David & Hetlie Webster;
Western Plains. Dean Hummer; West Maj
Winoma Spurgeon.
Messenger is the official publication of th
Church of the Brethren. Entered as secom
class matter Aug. 20. 191 8. under .Act of
Congress of Oct 17. 1917. Filing date. N(l
1 . 1 984. Messenger is a mem
A^ ' of the Associated Church Pre
't^ and a subscriber to Religious
News Ser\ice and Ecumenic
Press Ser\ ice. Biblical
quotations, unless otherwise
indicated, are from the New Revised
Standard Version.
Subscription rates: SI 2.50 individual '■
rate. S 1 0.50 church group plan. S 1 0.50 gi.
subscriptions- Student rate 75^ an issue. 1:
you move, clip address label and send wii,
new address to Messenger Subscriptions,
145 1 Dundee Ave.. Elgin, IL 60 120. Allc
at least five weeks for address change.
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. May
June 1 994. Copyright 1994. Church of th
Brethren General Board. ISSN 0026-0355
POSTMASTER: Send address change
Messenger, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, II
60120.
P
1
«
Touch 2
ose to Home 4
;ws 6
orldwide 1
lecial Report 1 1
om the
General Secretarj'
epping Stones 36
mtius' Puddle 41
!tters 42
irning Points 47
iitorial 48
34
edits:
ver. 1. 2 right. 14. 16-26: George
eeler
iide front cover: An by Frederic
emington
ight: Zink Photography
R. Douglas Jones
op right: Lois Baldwin
lottom: Wilbur Brumbaugh
33: Eric B. Bishop
right: Kenneth A. MacLord
: H. .Armstrong Roberts
: Phyllis H. Grain
: Canadian Government Travel
Bureau
Annual Conference Preview 12
We give highlights of the upcoming week ^n Wichita.
Sacred Ground: What
Native Americans believe 16
Ron Pazola compares and contrasts the beliefs of Native
Americans with what the missionaries told them. Sidebar by
David Radcliff: "Community: A tribe of many feathers."
Lybrook and its changing roles 20
George Keeler describes changes at Lybrook Navajo Mission
since its 1953 opening. Sidebar: A Lybrook chronology.
The health care cure: An ethical dilemma 26
Joel K. Thompson paints a shocking picture of health care in
the United States. Sidebar by Robert E. Faus: "Bringing
health care ethics home."
Tithing: A response to grace 29
Wayne J. Eberly puts tithing into a context that removes it from
the status of a religious tax.
Responding to a blue-light special 30
Phyllis H. Grain knew she was in for trouble when she saw the
state trooper's brake lights come on.
Growing old: Is the best yet to be? 32
Paul M. Robinson tells how to make the best of it, even if the
best has abeady passed. Sidebar by Hubert R. Newcomer:
"Applying 'Oil of 01" Age."'
The voice of the mountains 37
Harold S. Martin lifts up our eyes unto the hills.
Cover story: Since
Annual Conference has
on Us agenda the paper
on Native Americans
"Community: A Tribe of
Many Feathers. " we
thought it timely to
present a cluster of
articles on the subject
(page 16). The winsome
face of Navajo child
Wendiline Begay (in an
Easter 1994 photo at
Tok 'ahookaadij and
church elder Frank
Chavez (cover) are the
work of photographer/
writer George Keeler.
May June 1 994 Messenger 1
Ill
rr
The good doctor
"I may be a doctor, but I'm
not one who's good for
anything," says Jesse Ziegler
in mock despair. "My
mother-in-law always
wondered how she ended up
When Jesse Ziegler
was a faculty
member at Bethany
Seminary, he never
thought he 'd wind
up teaching at a
school of medicine.
"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.
having three sons-in-law
with doctorates and none of
them in medicine. No doubt
she would have been pleased
that one of us eventually
ended up in medical school."
That one is Jesse, who has
been working at Wright State
University Medical School,
in Dayton, Ohio, since his
retirement in 1980.
The field of community
health may seem like a
radical shift for an ordained
minister to have taken at age
68, but Jesse is quick to
explain the logic behind it.
"My masters and doctorate
were in psychology and
psychotherapy, and it was
psychopathology and mental
hygiene that I taught, both at
Bethany Theological
Seminary and Yale Divinity
School."
Jesse worked for 21 years
as an administrator with the
Association of Theological
Schools (the accrediting
agency of theological schools
in the US and Canada), right
up to his official retirement
in 1980.
"It was at this point," says
Jesse, "that Wright State
University approached me
about coming on board with
its medical faculty in the
department of community
health, and a year later that
United Theological Seminary
asked me to join its faculty as
an interprofessional educa-
tor.
"I started at Wright State
on a half-time salary, and
since then I've worked my
way down to a dollar a year,
to where I am now, as an
unpaid volunteer about five
days a week."
Over the last 14 years,
Jesse has pioneered courses
that bring together caregivers
of all kinds into a common
forum where they address
issues of loss and death.
Recently, Jesse helped to
organize a day-long sympo-
sium on an interprofessional
approach to cancer. "We got
25 clergy, 25 physicians, and
25 nurses together to look at
interprofessional responses to
patients with cancer. The
feedback was very positive."
Jesse takes a broad view of
grief, seeing its relevance in
situations of loss, illness,
accidents, and death. This
makes his input particularly
valuable in the medical
setting, where people are
faced every day with losses
other than, but also includ-
ing, cancer.
"I hadn't thought that I
would end up teaching at a
school of medicine, but it has
been a very rewarding
experience," Jesse says. In
June last year, he received a
citation from Wright State in
honor of the work he has
done in his field.
"I think for a minister of
religion to be acknowledged
for his pastoral work as well
as his academic work by a
state university is remark-
able," says Jesse's daughter,
Harriet, a journalist in
Melbourne, Australia.
"I enjoy teaching," says
Jesse. "It's as simple as that.
Doing this work is what
keeps me alive." — Margaret
WOOLGROVE
Making history popular
History is one of those
subjects that traditionally
gets bad press. For many
people, it is taken for granted I
to be boring.
But Paul Jewell doesn't
think so, and neither do the
PaulJewell
people in Kansas City, Kan.,
who flock to the history class
he founded 20 years ago. His
weekly class on the "History
2 Messenger May/June 1994
and Culture of Wyandotte
County" has grown in
popularity through the years,
outliving Paul's tenure on
the faculty of Kansas City
Kansas Community College.
The retired professor, who
is a member of Kansas City
(Kan.) First Church of the
Brethren, still stays involved.
And for all his passion for
history, he has an eye, as
well, for the future. In the
last session of the 1994
course, May 14, Paul was to
lead the class in a discussion
on "Wyandotte County in the
Year 2000."
Paul, who currently is
writing a history of the
community college, says one
of the secrets of the success
of his course was the
involvement of people from
the county. "We used people
who have either lived the
history of the county or have
expertise in the field. I had
over 200 different speakers."
Names in the news
Hedda Durnbaugh, a
member of Huntingdon (Pa.)
Stone Church of the Breth-
ren, and the author of The
German Hymnody of the
Brethren. 1720-1903, was in
Lillehammer, Norway, for a
worship celebration of the
Lutheran Church of Norway,
just prior to the opening of
the Winter Olympics. Her
English translation of an
Olympic hymn by Norway's
leading hymn-writer, Svein
Ellingsen, was used at the
celebration.
• Donald F. Durnbaugh, a
member of Huntingdon (Pa.)
Stone Church of the Breth-
ren, and the denomination's
Speech! Speech!
A cow-kissing contest may
not have much in common
with speech-writing, but both
are activities in which youth
are involving themselves in
preparation for National
Youth Conference (NYC) in
July.
Mac Bair, of Westminster,
Md., and Kristi Rittle, of
Oswego, 111., are the two
winners of the NYC speech
contest, writing on the topic
"The Role of Youth in the
Life of the Church."
Mac, a high school
sophomore, has had experi-
ence with public speaking
through his 4-H Club
activity, so he is not nervous
about presenting his message
to 3,500 other youth at NYC.
JCristi, a high school
senior, is worried about
whether people will be open
to what she has to say. "It's a
very personal message," she
says, "but it has broader
themes that apply to all the
youth in the church."
At Hanover (Pa.) Church
foremost historian, partici-
pated in the second interna-
tional conference on the
Holocaust, held at Humboldt
University in Berlin, Ger-
many, in March. He pre-
sented a paper titled "The
Suppression of the Rhon-
bruderhof by National
Socialist Authorities on April
14, 1937."
• Todd Wenger, a
member of Mechanic Grove
Church of the Brethren,
Quarryville, Pa., has begun a
three-year assignment in
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso,
through Mennonite Central
Mac Bair
of the Brethren, Mac is
president of his youth group
and involved otherwise in the
congregation. "There are 1 1
youth going to NYC from
Hanover," he says, "and
we've done a lot of different
things to raise travel money."
The "cow-kissing" contest
is the most unusual thing.
Mac explains: "Several
names were put forward as
'candidates,' and then on the
polling day, the person with
the most money in his box
had to kiss a cow. We raised
a lot of money."
Kristi is co-president of
her youth group at Highland
Avenue Church of the
Committee. He is serving as a
young-offender reconciliation
worker. He recently com-
pleted a term of Brethren
Volunteer Service in the
Church of the Brethren
Washington Office.
• Russell Bixler, a
Pittsburgh-based Church of
the Brethren TV preacher,
was featured in a March
Giiideposts magazine story,
"A Place by the Fire."
• David J. Bachman, a
member of Woodberry
Church of the Brethren,
Baltimore, Md., has received
the 1993 Perioperative
Kristi Rittle
Brethren, in Elgin, 111. Also
she directs children's choirs
and occasionally sings solos
at church.
"I like to try new things,"
she says, explaining her
motivation for entering the
speech contest. "I wanted to
do something my parents
could be proud of, as well as
something I believed in."
Kristi graduates from high
school May 28 and will
begin music studies at
Millikan University this fall.
Mac continues to play
baseball and volleyball and
says that he hopes someday
to teach biology and chemis-
try . — Margaret Woolgrove
Clinical Nurse Educator
Award, recognizing his work
in that field. He is a clinical
educator at Union Memorial
Hospital, in Baltimore.
• Melanie May, of
Rochester, N.Y., a former
Church of the Brethren
executive, has received a
First Decade Award from
Harvard Divinity School,
recognizing her as one who
in pursuit of her vocation has
been "an inspiration and
encouragement to all
[Harvard Divinity School]
graduates to rededicate
themselves. . . ."
May /June 1 994 Messenger 3
1)
A cup in remembrance
The stained-glass window
was a bit dated. It depicted
the famous Brethren Service
symbol that appeared on
little wooden offering cups
on many a Brethren family's
eating table in the 1940s.
The church in which the
At Bassett church,
a 50-year-old
symbol has been
imbued with new
meaning for service
in today's world.
"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.
window was installed
became dated too . . . and
inadequate. When the
Bassett (Va.) Church of the
Brethren moved to a new
facility 10 years ago, it left
behind the old church and
the window.
At the urging of Gamett
Phibbs, who was pastor at
the time of the window's
installation, the segment of
window depicting the
Brethren Service cup has
been retrieved, rededicated.
and imbued with new
symbolism. Long-time
Bassett members Bill and
Ava Smith, and Clyde
Carter, a VirUna pastor who
grew up in the Bassett
congregation, also were
instrumental in reacquiring
the treasured piece of
memorabilia.
The window segment has
been framed in wood by
Bassett member and crafts-
man Cecil France. On
February 6, it was rededi-
cated during a service
marking the congregation's
10th year in its new facility.
Gamett Phibbs was on
hand, and related how long-
time Brethren Service
executive W. Harold Row
had told him years ago that,
so far as he knew, the Bassett
window was the only one of
its kind in the denomination.
Virlina District executive
David Shumate, speaker for
the day. challenged the
congregation to "celebrate
[its] rich past, but build a
new vision for the future."
Bassett's witness commission
plans to begin a new out-
reach program by year's end,
employing rather than
retiring the church's living
symbol of Christian love and
service, renewing the
perennnial message of a cup
of cold water given in
Christ's name.
After its dedication, the
framed window segment was
sent for display at the
General Offices in Elgin. 111.,
in recognition of the past
ministry of many people
across the denomination and
to challenge current and
future generations to a life of
service. — R. Douglas Jones
R. Douglas Jones is pastor of
Bassett (Va.) Church of the Brethren.
Singular justice
The man found guilty of
vehicular homicide in the
death of Don Tennis, of
Lititz (Pa.) Church of the
Brethren, was ordered to
donate $5,000 to the Don
Tennis Memorial Fund the
congregation had set up.
During pre-sentence
investigation, Don's widow,
Edith, went to work to see
that the justice meted out was
appropriate. "We tried to
convey what our loss was
and what the impact had
been on the community," she
said.
But the prospect of
successfully persuading the
prosecutor of the case was
not bright. So it was with
much surprise and joy that
the Tennis family heard the
judge's sentence.
The Don Tennis Memorial
Fund, to which thousands of
dollars from other sources
already had been given, will
be used for capital improve-
ment at the church.
Campus comments
Ron Kraybill, who has taught
at the University of Cape
Town (South Africa) since
1989, was a recent visiting
scholar at Elizabethtown
College's Young Center. At
Cape Town, he trains South
Africans in conflict resolu-
tion and peace-keeping.
During his time at the Young
Center, he worked on a
training manual on conflict
resolution skills, based on
South African case studies he
had collected.
• At the University of La
Verne's Fasnacht Chair of
4 Messenger May /June 1 994
Religion 1994 Lectures in
April. Sylvester Laudermill,
director of music at Long
Beach Holy Trinity AME
Church, spoke on "Music
and the African American
Church Experience." A
related concert followed.
• Bridgewater College is
building a 75,000-square-
foot science center, at a cost
of $10 million.
Groundbreaking was April
8, on Founder's Day. Classes
are projected to first be held
in the new center in January
1996.
• McPherson College
used a coffeehouse evening
to kick off a drive to collect ^
Bridgewater College 's new science center
In Jamaica, Manchester College soccer players helped to
build a new dormitory at Maranatha School for the Deaf.
"Sundries for Sudan." For
two weeks salt, soap, and
towels were collected to send
for relief in Sudan, a country
devastated by civil war.
• The Manchester
College soccer team spent 12
Schwarzenau update
The Alexander Mack
Museum in Schwarzenau,
Germany, is attracting
a number of visitors, both
German and American,
according to Brethren
historian Donald F.
Dumbaugh, who recently
visited there.
The museum wants slides
and photos of Schwarzenau
from Brethren visitors to the
village. While many of the
photos likely will be from the
post-Worid War II era,
earlier photos are also of
interest to the museum
curators. They especially
want photos of the Brethren
workcamp that was held in
Schwarzenau around 1948-
1949.
Anyone with slides or
photos to donate should send
them, with detailed identifi-
cation, to Alexander Mack
Museum, Am Kohhuecken
Tlie Talmilhle (i'alley Mill) in Schriesheim, Germany
6, 59317BadBerleburg/
Schwarzenau, GERMANY.
Another Alexander Mack
site, an old mill in
Schriesheim, is also in the
news. The Talmilhle (Valley
Mill), once owned by Mack's
father, is reported to be
available for purchase in a
few years, with the current
owners interested in selling it
to descendants, according to
an item in the April 1994
Mennonite Family History.
The Schriesheim mill is
not to be confused with an
old mill in Schwarzenau that
erroneously has been linked
to Alexander Mack. That
mill, in recent years, has
been remodeled as a resi-
dence.
days in Jamaica this past
winter, helping build a
dormitory at the Maranatha
School for the Deaf. Another
group of Manchester students
spent spring break at a
Habitat for Humanity
workcamp in Morehead City,
N.C., building low-cost
housing for needy people.
Let's celebrate
Cando (N.D.) Church of the
Brethren will observe its
centennial June 11-12.
Gulled by agents of the Great
Northern Railroad, Brethren
began settling in the Cando
area in late 1893. Eventually
there were about 30 congre-
gations in the state. But
agricultural depression and
drought decimated the ranks.
Today Cando is one of only
three North Dakota Church
of the Brethren congrega-
tions.
• Tyrone (Pa.) Church of
the Brethren will mark its
centennial June 17-19.
Brethren historian Don
Dumbaugh will speak on
June 17, and Middle Penn-
sylvania District executive
Randy Yoder will speak on
June 19. A picnic will close
the celebration.
May /June 1994 Messenger 5
I«
Bethany signs agreement
for Oak Brook property
The trustees of Bethany Theological
Seminary authorized President Gene
Roop to sign an agreement leading to the
sale of its Oak Brook property.
The agreement was signed with James
Participants in the Memories and
Visions alumni event in April at
Bethany Theological Seminary view
historical photographs showing all four
Bethany locations and photographs of
former students, faculty, and
administrators.
Because the news pages include news from various
Church of the Brethren organizations and move-
ments, the activities reported on may represent a
variety of viewpoints. These pages also report on
other national and international news relevant to
Brethren. Information in news articles does not
necessarily represent the opinions o/Messenoer or
the Church of the Brethren.
6 Messenger May/June 1994
Aiello, a Pittsburgh, Pa., developer who
anticipates using the property for retail
sales.
"Although a formal agreement has
been signed, closing is still several
months away," said Roop. "Various
matters need to be settled before the
closing date and price can be finalized."
Though the board anticipates that the
negotiations will result in a reasonable
price, that price will be significantly
lower than speculation in the 1980s led
many to expect.
Roop said, "Bethany will always need
to be very careful with its resources and
rely on the church as its primary source
of support."
When the Oak Brook land sale be-
comes final, the money from the transac-
tion will be used to retire Bethany's debt.
The remainder will be placed in endow-
ment.
Among issues still pending that could
affect closing and the final price are
engineering survey results regarding
flood plain and water retention.
Also at its spring meeting the board
approved a budget for the 1 994-95 fiscal
year, approved a graduating class of 28
students, established an endowment fund
for faculty enrichment, and heard reports
on this summer's move of the seminary
to Richmond, Ind.
A total budget of $1,306,266 was
approved by the board for the next fiscal
year, beginning July 1994. A list of 28
students was approved for the June 5
graduation, including six candidates for :
the master of arts in theology degree, 2 1
master of divinity candidates, and one
certificate of achievement in theological ■
studies. This year's graduation marks thi
final ceremony on the Oak Brook, 111.,
campus.
In other business, the Perry Rohrer
Faculty Enrichment Fund was proposed i
by the board to provide annual grants to
faculty for special professional growth
experiences, writing or research projectsi
The board heard a report from Joe
Mason that the physical move to Rich-
mond will take place the first week of
August.
Calendar
Evangelism Leaders Academies: June 13-16,
Warner Southern College, Lake Wales, Fla.;
July 11-14, Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kan.;
July 1 8-2 1 , Manchester College. North Man-
chester, Ind.; July 25-28, Eastern Mennonite
College, Harrisonburg, Va.; August 1 -4, Uni-
versity of La Verne, La Verne, Calif; August
8-11, Warner Pacific College, Portland, Ore.
[For information call the Andrew Center, (800)
774-3360].
National Workcamps: Young adult, June 4-12,
Rio Piedras, P.R.; sr. high, June 20-26, Chero-
kee, N.C.; August 4-17, Dominican Republic;
jr. high. July 6-10, Indianapolis, Ind.; August
3-7, Harrisburg, Pa. ; August 8- 1 2, New Wind-
sor, Md. ; and August 17-21, Tidewater, Va.
General Board spring actions
include Hebron, South Africa
Actions taken by the Church of the
Brethren General Board at its spring
meeting, March 6-7, include a state-
ment on the February 25 massacre in
Hebron, suspension of economic sanc-
tions against South Africa, and amend-
ments for a paper on Native Ameri-
icans.
"We join the world in shock and
grief at the senseless killing of more
than 50 Palestinians and the wounding
of more than 200 others at worship in
the Shrine of Abraham Mosque ... by
one or more Israeli settlers," the
statement says. "As a community of
faith we find the time and place of the
assauh to be particularly appalling.
Such horrific acts prompt us to refocus
on the injustices, the roots of violence,
which exist in the region.
"As US citizens, we feel the weight
of responsibility to press our govem-
Iment to hold Israel accountable for
policies that tend to foment violence
and inadequately protect civilians —
both Palestinian and settler — under its
control. . . . We further call for the US
government to take an active role in the
peace process and to encourage
negotiations about settlements being
made a priority."
The board's action on South Africa
"reaffirms its stand against the injus-
tices of apartheid and earlier encour-
agements to seek peaceful means to
create a representative and humane
system of government in that context;
suspends the economic sanctions,
divestiture, and boycott components of
its previous actions regarding South
Africa; and encourages investment in
South Africa and implementation of the
'Code of Conduct for Business Operat-
ing in South Africa' adopted by the
South African Council of Churches."
The board also recommended that
Annual Conference suspend 1986 and
1 989 Annual Conference policy
statements that call for divestiture.
The board also approved an amended
paper on Native Americans, Communi-
ty: A Tribe of Many Feathers, to send
to Armual Conference., for final
adoption (See page 17).
Community: A Tribe of Many Feath-
ers explains differences in cultural and
spiritual traditions, reviews the history
of Brethren involvement with Native
Americans, and calls the church to
confession and repentance.
An amendment in the paper states as
an affirmation, "We confess Christ as
God's son and as the one who reveals
God and God's will to humankind.
While our confession should not de-
mean or in any way violate others, we
do invite all people to follow Christ in
the way of Christian discipleship." This
comes from a concern over the nature
of the spirituality referred to in the
original paper.
The board approved a study of "Post
Cold War Peacemaking" by allowing
the intercommission Peace Team to
give further discernment to issues that
have arisen since the end of the Cold
War. Issues and questions the team will
study include 1 ) What is the role of the
church in international peacemaking
initiatives? 2) Should the church sup-
port the use of military means in pur-
suit of humanitarian goals? 3) To what
extent should the church support en-
forcement of peacemaking and peace-
keeping norms by the UN, other inter-
national organizations, and national
governments? 4) How can the church
best support ethically responsible forms
of engaging in and resolving conflicts?
In other business, the board approved
a budget parameter of $6,450,000 for
1995; a program review and evaluation
of its Parish Ministries and General
Services Coimnissions; and recommen-
dations for implementation of the
Global Structure Paper passed at the
1993 Aimual Conference.
Professor files law suit against
Chicago Theological Seminary
Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS)
professor and Church of the Brethren
member Graydon Snyder has filed a law
suit against the seminary.
Snyder charges that the seminary and
its student-faculty sexual harassment
task force damaged his good name and
reputation in a memo announcing he had
been placed on probation for his alleged
verbal sexual harassment, according to
an article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Snyder says that although he "still
finds it inappropriate to resolve conflicts
in the courts, in this case [I] found no
other way to bring CTS to the conference
table."
In March 1993, a letter was distributed
to all 250 students, faculty, and staff of
the seminary reporting that Snyder had
been put on probation for engaging in
verbal conduct of a sexual nature.
The incident in question occurred in
1992 when a female student of Snyder's
supposedly became offended by a story
from the Talmud he told to his class
explaining the differences between
biblical intent and action.
Editor receives awards from
RPRC for editorial writing
Kermon Thomasson, editor of Messen-
ger, received two awards from the
Religious Public Relations Council
(RPRC) at its April 7-10 convention in
Birmingham, Ala.
An "Award of Excellence" was given
for Thomasson 's February 1993 edito-
rial, "To the Shores of Mogadishu." In
the editorial, he supported sending US
Marines to help feed starving people in
Somalia.
"When Push Comes to Shove," the
April 1993 editorial, won an "Award of
Merit" from the ecumenical organiza-
tion. This editorial was used to defend
the February editorial.
May /June 1994 Messenger 7
16 participants trained for
accompaniment in Sudan
In response to a call from the New Sudan
Council of Churches (NSCC), the offices
of Africa/Middle East and Denomina-
tional Peace Witness trained 16 people
for the Sudan Accompaniment program,
March 17-22.
The goal of the program is to prepare
people to work with Sudanese Christians
at the grassroots level to bring peace in
their war-torn country.
The unit is made up of 1 6 people.
Twelve members of the team are Breth-
ren. Two of the members. Tammy
Krause Riddle and John Jones, traveled
to Sudan on study tours within the last
year. Brethren staff David Radcliff and
Merv Keeney also have previously
visited Sudan.
The training included sessions on the
history of Sudan, nonviolent response to
conflict, dealing with cultural differ-
ences, background on Islam, survival
skills, communication and media skills,
and dealing with trauma.
David Radcliff, director of Denomina-
tional Peace Witness, stated that the
team spent most of its time on nonvio-
lence training. "We aren't teaching them
to get involved with protests or marches.
We'll teach them how to respond in a
peacefiil way to the violence they may
encounter."
The accompaniment team, if and
when called, will be divided into groups
of three and paired with three NSCC
team members to live in villages to
show their solidarity with the people
of Sudan. The teams will coordinate
relief efforts, teach English, and
monitor cease-fire agreements. Partici-
pants have made a committment to
serve three months to one year. The
date for sending an initial group will
depend on the political and military
situation.
Participants in Sudan Accompaniment training program: (Front row) Tammy
Krause Riddle, Emily Zielinski. (Second row) Carol Hoke (staff), Olive Collier,
Shirley Bowers, Sara Swartz, Jeannette Grove. (Third row) David Radcliff, Harry
Rhoades, Jon Hoke (staff), Anne Penman, Don Collier, David Nancarrow, Buzz
Bowers, Kyle Hall, Cinny Poppen, John Jones, Leland Grove, Merv Keeney (staff).
Emergency grants issued foi
California, Russia, Soutlieas
A grant of $25,000 from the Emergen'
Disaster Fund was allocated to assist t
victims of the California earthquake.
These monies were used for shipping
Gift of the Heart Kits and assisting wi
Cooperative Disaster Child Care Oper
tions, as well as helping families in th
Kang Nam and New Hope congregatic
who experienced damage and loss.
A grant of S20,000 has been given t
the Russian Agricultural Develoment
Projects, earmarked for work in
Smolensk and Siberia and for the
"Patriarchal Farm" project.
An allocation of $10,000 has been
made in response to the tornadoes and
storms that swept through portions of
Southeast at the end of March. Funds
were used to cover the cost of a Coope
tive Disaster Child Care team that wai
sent to Piedmont, Ala., in early April,
well as the cost of a disaster response
assessment team and repair work in th
affected area.
A grant of $10,000 has been allocati
to the National Youth Cabinet fi-om th
Global Food Crisis Fund to facilitate t
building of a Habitat for Humanity hoi
on the campus of Colorado State Univ
sity during the 1994 National Youth
Conference (April, page 14).
An allocation of $2,000 was given fi
rebuilding two homes in the West Bar
and Gaza Strip, and $1,500 in respons
to the March 23 gasline explosion in
New Jersey, which displaced over 100
families. In addition, $500 was given i
response to flooding fi'om winter ice
storms and melting snow in West Vir-
ginia and Kentucky.
An additional $5,000 grant was give
to Haiti in February, in response to the
ongoing struggle there. The money is
used by groups working on human rigl
issues in the countryside and those hel
ing Haitians in the Dominican Republ:
The following was given to close pre
jects: Haiti, $3,378.21; Nicaragua, $7C
Typhoon Flo (Philippines), $544.24.
8 Messenger May /June 1 994
'ethren attend consultation
promote biblical literacy
ere was a touch of irony to the speech
'en by Renita J. Weems, professor of
d Testament at Vanderbilt University,
len she spoke to the Consultation on
blical Literacy, March 1 1, in Nash-
le, Tenn.
fwelve members of the Church of
'. Brethren were in attendance as
legates to the consultation, sponsored
the Bible Translation and Utiliza-
n unit of the National Council of
urches.
Dne hundred and thirty delegates from
denominations in the US and Canada
i come together to explore the ques-
n, "What Happens to the Church, to
urch Members, and to Mission When
) Bible is No Longer Read, Under-
od. Acted Upon?"
^Veems, an economist before she
:ame an ordained elder in the Afri-
1 Methodist Episcopal Church,
5gested that the best way to promote
jlical Literacy might not have any-
ng to do with promoting more Bible
iding.
'Reading and formal study were
vileges and luxuries for the mass of
jple eking out a living," she said,
eligious instruction was an oral event,
ne in community, not in print, and
ne within the context of worship."
Delegates experienced scripture,
ough Bible reading, hearing, acting,
ging, and movement during the three-
Y event. Several different schemes for
iding scripture, including more than
s year-long plan, were presented
ring a resource fair,
rhe Church of the Brethren delegates
irked out preliminary plans to increase
)lical literacy among Brethren
ough existing programs and the
coming Jubilee curriculum to be
iated this fall.
rhe conference was fiinded by profits
im the New Revised Standard Version
the Bible, and by the individual
nominations. — Frank Ramirez
Ear! Hostetter
John Tomlonson Donald R. Michaelsen /j^,. p jjmine:
J. Rogers Fike
David Longenecker
Tammv Krause Riddle
Guinevere Grier
Districts, General Board
announce staff changes
Earl Hostetter and John Tomlonson
have agreed to serve as executives for
Northern Indiana District, each on a
half-time basis. Hostetter is serving as
interim executive for pastoral care, with
duties including the pastoral placement
process and care for pastors and families.
Tomlonson is serving as executive for
administration, and is functioning as pri-
mary executive for the district board and
its program, and as coordinator of the
staff
J. Rogers Fike has been appointed to
serve as interim executive of West Marva
District on a part-time basis. Fike served
as executive in West Marva from 1969 to
1978. In order to take this position, Fike
is taking a leave of absence from his
responsibilities as a member of General
Board. He will resume these responsibili-
ties in October.
David Longeneclier began March 1 5
Basketball player killed at
tournament in California
Sulu Palega, a 2 1 -year-old member of
the San Francisco Brethren basketball
team, was killed March 19 during a
Church of the Brethren basketball
tournament in Modesto, Calif
Palega was walking with friends from
a restaurant to his motel when he was
killed in a drive-by shooting, a victim of
apparent mistaken identity. Three bay-
area men, unrelated to the tournament.
as interim associate executive in Atlantic
Northeast District. He will fill this posi-
tion on a three-fourths time basis until
the end of December. Longenecker has a
family counseling background. He and
his family live in Brownstown, Pa., and
are members of Lititz Church of the
Brethren.
Donald R. Michaelsen has resigned
as director of congregational support,
effective June 14. He begins June 16 with
the division of evangelism of the Board
of Homeland Ministries of the United
Church of Christ.
Roy P. Jiminez resigned April 1 5 as
director of Hispanic Ministry, a position
he has held since 1990.
Tammy Krause Riddle has resigned
as coordinator of Brethren Volunteer
Service Orientation, a position she has
held since July 1992, effective September
6. Her future plans are indefinite.
Guinevere Grier resigned March 1
as coordinator of Lafiya Ministry for
personal and professional reasons.
were later arrested and two were charged
with the killing.
The annual basketball tournament, in
its 2 1 St year, has as its purpose to build
fellowship among the scattered Church
of the Brethren congregations of Pacific
Southwest District.
Palega had played in the tournament
for four years, and was well known
among its Brethren fans. Dealing with
the senseless killing was particularly
difficult for a peace church, said
Modesto pastor Bonnie Kline Smeltzer.
May /June 1994 Messenger 9
The National Council of Churches appealed to the Czech
president and suspended two of its employees following a case of
international fraud connected to a Prague-based bank. The fraud
could cost the NCC $8 million, earmarked for health insurance
premiums for retired employees. The NCC is seeking to recover the
money. According to authorities with the National Council of Churches
(NCC), the investment was made by an employee who did not follow
normal procedures. NCC General Secretary Joan Brown Campbell has
asked the president of the Czech Republic to return the funds since
they were invested without the knowledge or approval of the correct
authorities.
The General Conference Mennonite Church (GCMC)
and the Mennonite Church (MC) are looking toward becoming one
denomination by the year 2003. The General Board of GCMC
unanimously accepted recommendations from the Integration Explora-
tion Committee at its Council of Commissions, March 11-15. The MC
General Board voted on the recommendation in late April.
The Church of England ordained 32 women in a March
12 ceremony. Over 1,200 women are expected to be ordained as
priests this year. The bishop who ordained the women in the historic
ceremony, Barry Rogerson, is also a member of the World Council of
Churches' central committee. The ordination of women has been under
formal debate in England's state church for over 20 years.
A statement presented by women in the United Methodist
Church stated that they believe critics of last fall's ecumenical RE-
Imagining conference in Minneapolis are "creating a climate of witch-
hunting." The women involved with the conference believe critics are
giving a negative impression of the conference and ignoring the
positive aspects. The highly criticized issue of lesbianism was
mentioned in the statement, reading, "engaging in verbal violence
against lesbians reveals the homophobia in the church, and denigrates
the rich contributions that homosexual persons have made to the
church through the centuries."
According to Ecumenical Press Service, eight women presented
the statement, with 800 women endorsing it. The women made this
statement at a press conference concerning International Women's
Day on March 8.
The Presbyterian General Assembly Council's staff
revised its 1995 budget downward by $1 .9 million to allocate for the
member donations they believe will be withheld in protest of the RE-
Imagining conference. The controversial conference was fueled by a
letter sent to the denomination by the 26 staff members involved with
last fall's conference in Minneapolis. The Presbyterians donated
$66,000 of the $400,000 conference budget. The funds came from the
Presbyterian Bicentennial Fund.
As of the end of March, 1 85 of the 1 1 ,500 Presbyterian congrega-
tions have announced a possible protest move. According to available
budget figures, the 185 churches gave large sums of money to the
PCUSA in the last few years. James D. Brown, executive director of
the General Assembly Council's staff leadership team, stated about the
possible boycott, "I am not convinced that a boycott of every ministry
carried out at the denominational level can be justified either biblically
or theologically. After all, we are a family and families stick together
through thick and thin — "
Although the Presbyterian church plans its General Assembly tc
focus on new "mission initiatives," the backlash against the RE-
Imagining conference looks to surround the 206th meeting. The
General Assembly is planned for June 10-17 in Wichita, Kan. Many
letters are prompting the Assembly to investigate the controversial
conference that 400 Presbyterians, including more than 20 staff
members, attended.
The General Assembly also will cover such areas as missions ir
Africa, racial violence, intercity ministry, church development and
redevelopment, volunteers, and spiritual renewal. Over 40 missionai
will be commissioned at the General Assembly.
Thousands of people, including priests and nuns
were killed in April in fighting in Rwanda after the African country's
president was killed in a plane crash, along with the president of
Burundi, in the Rwandan capital of Kigali.
Following the deaths, according to reports from Ecumenical Pre
Service, Kigali descended into chaos with presidential guards and tf
police killing the Rwandan prime minister. United Nations personnel
and thousands of civilians.
The Anglican Church in Nigeria has declared "null and
void" the ordination of three women by Herbert Haruna, the Anglicar
Bishop of Kwara. Disciplinary action is being taken against Haruna,
who has rejected the annulment as unwarranted, and said that he n'
protest to the Church of England.
An invitation for US Surgeon General Joyceiyn Eiders
address the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Chu
June 3 in Lakeland has been withdrawn.
Mike Russell, press secretary for the surgeon general, told Unitf
Methodist News Service the invitation had been accepted in Octobe
but was rescinded in March.
He said United Methodist Bishop H. Hasbrouck Hughes of
Lakeland, Fla., expressed concern to Elders that a group of individu
had threatened to walk out or disrupt the annual conference if she
spoke. Russell said Elders, who "isn't afraid to confront controversy
didn't want to "embarrass" the bishop.
Elders, a United Methodist, has drawn sharp criticism from aero
the country, particularly because of her outspoken views about birth
control and the legalization of drugs.
She said the media have failed to report that she is a strong
proponent of abstinence as a preferred method of birth control,
especially among youth. "I always talk about abstinence," she said.
In December she created a stir when a group of journalists in
Washington asked her if the government should study whether
legalizing drugs would reduce crime. 'They asked if it should be
studied and I said yes. I still feel that way," Elders said.
She said she believes drug use would decline, although not
immediately, if drugs were legalized. "But I think we would get rid o
some crime" related to drugs, she said.
"And we could help treat many of the hard-core users, and
eventually the use would go down," she added. She stressed that n
method of controlling abuse should be left out of consideration.
10 Messenger May /June 1994
Hispanic leaders explore new directions
y Eric B. Bishop
ley came together not knowing what to
pact — Hispanic leaders and represen-
ives of Hispanic Churches of the
ethren — at a consultation April 18-20
Indianapolis, Ind.
What they found in their time together
is a meeting with a
ry "spiritual tone
d the ability to come
'ay with a sense of
ity," said Guillermo
camacion, one of
; participants, and
stor of Alpha and
nega Fellowship in
ncaster. Pa.
\bout 30 people
ended the consultation, including
enn Timmons, associate general
;retary for the Parish Ministries
immission, Berwyn Oltman,
^cutive of Atlantic Southeast District,
d retired minister Phyllis Carter,
10 served as facilitator for the meet-
;s.
[n one of two actions of the group,
camacion, who is also moderator of
! Church of the Brethren in the
•minican Republic, was asked to
■ve as Hispanic consultant, on an
erim basis for two years, replacing
ly Jimenez, who resigned in March,
rhe other action of the group was to
me a Hispanic Steering Committee,
e committee, which hopes to meet
ee times a year, will work over the
xt two years with a Hispanic consult-
t at developing a working plan for
Jological education, raising financial
Dport from Hispanic congregations,
d networking Hispanic churches.
(Another assignment of the committee
to create a fimctional structure for the
spanic movement. In 1996, it will
ve a Hispanic Assembly to revise its
bylaws and present possible new direc-
tions for Hispanic ministries.
Members of the newly chosen
steering committee are Vincent Rivera,
pastor, Iglesia Evangelica La Nueva
Jerusalen, Summit, 111.; Olga Serrano,
co-pastor, Principe De Paz, Santa
Ana, Calif; Gustavo Jimenez, member.
'7/ (the resignations) created some
kind of emptiness among the Hispanics,
and everyone came to the meeting with a
lot of expectations, not knowing if they
were good or bad."
Alpha and Omega, Lancaster, Pa.;
Milton Garcia, pastor, Castaiier, P.R.;
and Gilbert Romero, pastor, Bella Vista,
Los Angeles, Calif Phyllis Carter will
serve as a spiritual advisor for the
committee.
k3ome of the concerns of the group and
the Hispanic churches (churches whose
first language is Spanish) are the same
as other churches in the denomination —
concerns such as homosexuality and the
Lordship of Jesus Christ.
"Our religious background was with
the Catholic church where everything is
black and white," said Encamacion.
"But in the Church of the Brethren there
are areas of gray."
Late last year, three Church of the
Brethren congregations. La Mision De
Jesiis, McFarland, Calif; a new church
development in Dodge City, Kan.; and
Centro Cristiano Vida Abundante,
Levittown, P.R., withdrew fi"om the
denomination. The reasons for the
withdrawal were the concerns about
homosexuality in the church and
objection to a controversial ordination in
Pacific Southwest District.
According to Encamacion, the last
three months have been difficult for the
Hispanic churches because of resigna-
tions of three key people (Luis Bustillo,
pastor of La Mision De Jesus, Pedro
Brull, executive minister for Atlantic
Southeast District, and
Roy Jimenez) who
were considered to be
among the key
leadership. "It (the
resignations) created
some kind of empti-
ness among the
Hispanics, and
everyone came to the
meeting with a lot of
expectations, not knowing if they were
good or bad.
"We were afraid if we didn't do
something, the rumors (e.g., homosexu-
ality) would be harmfiil to the Hispanic
community," Encamacion said. "This
gathering was good because we had the
majority of Hispanic pastors here."
The consultation included, among
other things, a presentation on "The
Brethren Views on the Humanity and
Divinity of Jesus," a session on "Breth-
ren Polity and Policies," a "History of the
Hispanic Ministry in the Church of the
Brethren," an assessment of current
situation and needs, and time for prayer
and worship.
According to Timmons, a lot of
healing took place at the consultation,
and it provided an opportunity for the
participants to come together and talk
among themselves.
The group asked Encamacion to
immediately begin visiting Hispanic
churches to "talk to pastors and congre-
gations explaining the good feeling at
the meeting, and to explore the \tt I
possibilities" for the future. I J
May /June 1 994 Messenger 1 1
Wichita
Brethren will experience a week of
worship, work, and reunion when they
meet June 28-July 3 in Wichita, Kan. for
the 208th Annual Conference.
"Come! Drink the Living Water" is
the theme for the 1 994 Conference, led
by Moderator Earl K. Ziegler, pastor of
Lampeter (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.
Business sessions and worship will be
held in the Century U Convention
Center.
Conferencegoers will be able to
experience a wide array of offerings —
from music and speakers, to exhibits and
meals. This preview presents highlights
of the week's events. More information
is available from the Annual Conference
Office, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL
60120; (800) 323-8039. Information
packets have been distributed to all
congregations.
New business
Two queries from IllinoisAVisconsin
district and a recommendation from the
General Board are the new business
items.
Acceptance and Implementation of
the Americans with Disabilities Act
originated with the Highland Avenue
congregation, Elgin, 111., asking Confer
ence to accept the guidelines of the
Americans with Disabilities Act to alio'
persons with disabilities to participate
fully in the life of the denomination.
Simple Life originated with the
Springfield (111.) First Church and asks
Conference to name a committee to stu(
ways to reemphasize the Brethren
fradition of the simple life and to discei
its full meaning for our time.
The third item of new business come
24-hour reporting of
Conference news
From June 26-July 3, the
Church of the Brethren
telephone Newsline, (410)
635-8738. will feature
daily updates on Annual
Conference events and
business.
Newsline currently
provides weekly updates on
Brethren news, with new
messages posted Thursday
mornings. Newsline 's
recorded message can be
reached 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
1 2 Messenger May /June 1 994
Worship
Tuesday evening: Annual Conference
Moderator Earl K. Ziegler's topic will be
"Come to the River of Life," based on
Thursday evening: Rebecca Baile I
Crouse's sermon will be "Breaking the'
Rules — for Christ's Sake," based on
John 4. She is co-pastor of Antioch
Church of the Brethren, Rocky Mount,
Va.
Friday evening: Western Plains
District will present the drama "Tl
Gathering," based on Matthew
Vj+h£' / '- ^ 27:24 and John 13.
\^0^
John 7:37-38 and Revelation 22:17.
Wednesday evening: David Bibbee, pas-
tor of Elkhart (Ind.) City Church of the
Brethren will preach on "Dear Me,"
based on Matthew 3:13-17 and Mark
1:9-11.
Saturday evening:
Tyrone Pitts, general
secretary of the Progressi-i
National Baptist Convention, will
preach on "Providing Living
Waters to a Dying World," based
on Mark 9:41.
Sunday Morning: S. Joan Hershey's
sermon is on "Abundant Water . . . But
Many are Still Thirsty," based on Isaial
58:1 lb (NIV). She is coordinator of
consulting and resourcing for the
Andrew Center.
Annual Conference Preview
■om the General Board, asking Confer-
tice to suspend 1986 and 1989 Annual
Conference policy statements calling for
ivestiture in South Africa.
Jnfinished business
^Community: A Tribe of Many Feath-
rs tops the business agenda this year,
"he paper explains differences in
ultural and spiritual traditions, reviews
le history of Brethren involvement with
Jative Americans, and calls the church
3 confession and repentance.
/leal Events
breakfasts: Tickets are $7.50. Wednes-
ay: On Earth Peace Assembly. Thurs-
ay: Brethren Press. Friday: People of
le Covenant, Evangelical Prayer,
Washington Office Network. Saturday:
In Earth Peace Assembly,
Luncheons: Tickets are $9.25.
Wednesday: Discipleship and Reconcili-
tion Committee ($5), Ecumenical,
association of Brethren Caregivers
ecognition. Outdoor Ministries Asso-
iation. Program for Women/Global
/omen's Project. Thursday: Older
.dult, HIV/AIDS Network, Brethren
Dumal Association, CoBace, Associa-
on for the Arts lunch and guided tour
f the Wichita Art Museum (cost for the
)ur and transportation is $6, and lunch
n your own will be available in the
luseum cafeteria.). Urban Ministries.
'riday: AACB, Church and persons
'ith Disabilities, Congregational
leacons. Brethren Volunteer Service
;ack lunch), Andrew Center, Womaen's
'aucus. Youth Advisors. Saturday:
iridgewater College, Elizabethtown
■oUege, Juniata College, University of
a Verne, Manchester College,
H. Fred Bemhard
Joel D. Kline
J. Benton Rhoades
Albert Sauls
Candidates for moderator-elect
H. Fred Bernhard, of Arcanum, Ohio (Southern Ohio), is currently pastor of Oak-
land Church of the Brethren, district TRIM coordinator, and a member of the Brethren
Benefit Trust board. Bemhard has served as district moderator, a member of the
district board. Annual Conference Standing Committee (including chairman of
Nominating Committee), Annual Conference head teller and messenger, speaker,
devotions leader, AIM design team, and as a member of the General Board.
His vision is "that Brethren be so excited about God's love for us in Christ that we
rally ourselves in unity to share the gospel with all." Yiis priority is "that Brethren
affirm the primary task of sharing the Good News by being a people who welcome
others as God in Christ welcomed us."
Joel D. Kline, of Fort Wayne, Ind. (Northern Indiana), is pastor of Beacon Heights
Church of the Brethren. He is currently on the district board and ethics committee, and
serves as Brethren Journal Association secretary. He has served as district moderator
and commission chair. Annual Conference worship leader, study committee chairman,
minister's association chairman, AIM trainer, community ministerium chairman,
homeless shelter board secretary, and chairman of the church and society division of
the Associated Churches of Fort Wayne, Ind.
His vision is "that the church be called to take seriously being the body of Christ."
His priority is "to celebrate the varied callings of the church, embracing both evange-
lism and justice making, spiritual growth and church planting, personal healing and
reconciliation."
J. Benton Rhoades, of Claremont, Calif (Pacific Southwest), is a member of La
Verne Church of the Brethren. He is a retired church executive and former pastor, and
has served as sanctuary committee chairman, district work camp director, small group
staff, a missionary. Mission 12 staff, evangelist, ecumenical youth movement of North
America chairman, and Agricultural Missions executive director. He has served on
Aimual Conference study committees, and the Committee on Interchurch Relations.
His vision is "that our church be an inclusive Bible-centered community." His
priority is "that our focus be justice and peacemaking."
Albert Sauls of Manheim, Pa. (Atlantic Northeast), is pastor of East Fairview
Church of the Brethren. He has served as district moderator and board chair. Annual
Conference speaker. Ministers' Association past president, and as area representative
to other denominations. He has also served on the ministry commission, evangelism
committee, youth services board. Vision for the 90s, hymnal feasibility committee,
community service club, and mental health board.
His vision is "to bring truth and justice to the present age." His priority is "to set
clear goals for the Church of the Brethren and work in harmony with one another in
light of differing points of view."
McPherson College, Deaf Ministry,
African American Brethren.
Dinners: Tickets are $11. Wednesday:
Church Growth and Evangelism.
Thursday: Messenger, Outdoor Minis-
tries Association (dinner and campfire).
Friday: Committee on Higher Education,
Hispanic Ministries, World Ministries.
May /June 1 994 Messenger 13
Wichita
Pre-Conference
meetings
The Association of Brethren Caregivers
(ABC) meetings begin with a fellowship
dinner in McPherson, Kan., on Saturday
evening, June 25. This is part of the
Brethren Home's Retreat which takes
place Saturday through Monday, and
includes sessions on Lafiya ministry and
Health Care Reform.
ABC-planned events continue on
Monday afternoon in Wichita with the
start of the Brethren Benefit Trust/
Ministers/Caregivers Conference. The
theme of this year's conference will be,
"From Ethics to Action: Making
Healthcare Choices." Five different
speakers will address the issues sur-
rounding this topic in sessions that
continue through Tuesday afternoon.
ABC holds its annual business lun-
cheon Tuesday.
Paul Boll and Lana Norris will preside
over the breakfast meeting of the
Association of Brethren/Mennonite
Older Adult Ministry.
The Health/Caregiving Festival
rounds off the ABC pre-conference
events, offering a healthy food menu,
entertainment and family fun for all
conferencegoers.
Richard D. Doll will be the keynote
speaker for the Forum on Public
Education on Tuesday, looking at
"Crises in Public Education" and how
The "Tree of Life" that
displayed 3,650 new mem-
bers in the Church of the
Brethren at the 1993
Conference in Indianapo-
lis, Ind, will also be plant-
ed in Wichita for churches
to place leaves to show new
members.
the Church of the Brethren should
respond. Workshops on conflict resolu-
tion, the role of the local church in
public education, cultural diversity and
the role of television in changing famil
values will also be offered.
Two training workshops are being
jointly offered by Ministry of Recon-
ciliation and On Earth Peace Assem-
bly. The first will be led by Margo E.
Maris on "Attending and Healing the
Whole System when Abuse of Power
Happens," and the second will have the
leadership of Jim and Susan Vogt in
examining "Families Making Peace:
What are the Ingredients?" Both
workshops take place over Monday and
Tuesday.
Wendy Wright, a writer who teaches
at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb
will be the guest speaker at the Womer
in Ministry brunch on Monday.
On Tuesday morning the Association
of Brethren/Mennonite Older
Adult Ministry will hold a breakfast
meeting.
Standing Committee will meet
Saturday through Tuesday afternoon.
Standing Committee will hear reports
from the review committee of the 1992
Ethics in Ministry paper and the sub-
committee on sexuality and leadership
concerns. The members will also be
looking at a process for developing a
congregational ethics paper.
The General Board meets Tuesday
afternoon at 1.
Music
"Acappella," a nationally known male
quartet, headlines Annual Conference
with a Saturday evening performance.
The concert, co-sponsored by the Youth/
Young Adult Ministries program and
Annual Conference, will begin at 9 p.m.
following worship.
1 4 Messenger May/June 1994
Annual Conference Preview
The Conference choir will sing in
'orship on Wednesday, Thursday, Sat-
rday, and Sunday. Donald R. Frederick
f McPherson, Kan., is choir director.
Irace Groff of Palmyra, Pa., is the Con-
;rence organist, and Karen Cakerice of
Idora, Iowa, is the Conference pianist.
Congregational singing will precede
ich worship session, beginning at 7
ich evening Tuesday through Thursday.
will begin at 6:50 p.m. on Friday, and
:45 p.m. on Saturday with a children's
Dncert. This years music coordinator
Paul Roth, pastor of Highland Avenue
hurch of the Brethren, Elgin, 111.
Four early evening concerts are
offered during Conference week. All
concerts are at 6:00-6:45 p.m. at the
Century II Theater. Hyun Joo Yun, a
vocal soloist from Seoul, South Korea,
will perform on Wednesday. Califomias:
Classical and Contemporary will
perform Thursday. Judy Chadwick and
Jean Hendricks will perform on duo
Steinway pianos on Friday. The
McPherson College Chamber Singers
will perform on Saturday.
A one-hour recital featuring the
WurliTzer theater pipe organ is arranged
for Thursday at noon in the exhibit hall.
This is one of five WurliTzers still
operating in the country.
Conference tidbits. . .
Volunteers are needed in program areas and activities
planned for Conference participants. Contact the
Annual Conference office for further information.
• McPherson College will host an afternoon open
house on Sunday, July 3. The college will provide tours of the campus and visits
with students, faculty, and staff.
• Joan Brown Campbell, general secretary of the National Council of Churches
(NCC) will be the featured speaker at the Ecumenical Luncheon. She will speak on
"The Urban Crisis and the Churches' response." Campbell will also speak at a
Wednesday insight session titled "The Plight of the City."
• A hearing will be held on Tuesday evening at 9 on the "Community: A Tribe of
Many Feathers" paper prior to the opening business session. Also, the Pastoral
Compensation and Benefits Committee, and Ministerial Leadership Committee will
hold forums Tuesday night.
• A series of Bible study electives will be held each morning from 7:30 to 8:30,
Wednesday through Saturday, and each evening from 9 to 10, Tuesday through
Friday.
• There will be approximately 54 insight sessions held Wednesday, Thursday, and
Friday nights.
• The worship leaders for Conference are: Judy Mills Reimer, 1994 moderator-
elect on Tuesday evening; Laura Sewell, a retired India missionary, from Peace
Church of the Brethren, Portland, Ore., on Wednesday evening; Milton Garcia,
pastor of Castaner (P.R.) Church of the Brethren, on Thursday evening; Gail
Erisman Valeta, pastor of Buckeye Church of the Brethren near Abilene, Kan., on
Friday evening; Phyllis Kingery Ruff, Peace Church of the Brethren, Council
Bluffs, Iowa, on Saturday evening; and Stafford Frederick, pastor of Olathe (Kan.)
Church of the Brethren, on Sunday.
Housing, food, & travel
There are 1 1 hotels in the Wichita area
arranged for Conference housing. The
Ramada at Broadview is the official
Conference hotel. There will be free
shuttle service between the convention
center. Friends University, and hotels not
in walking distance. Prices begin at $41
per night (one person, one bed).
Arrangements can also be made for
housing at Friends University, and at two
campgrounds near Wichita.
Food service will be available daily at
concession stands in the convention
center, and Wednesday through Saturday
through cash buffets for lunch and
dinner.
Airfare discounts have been arranged
with United Airlines and TWA. To make
arrangements with United, call (800)
521-4041 and refer to i.d. number
543NP. For the TWA discount, call
(800) 325-4933 and refer to profile
number VI 3661.
There is access to limousines and
taxis for travel between the airport and
hotels.
May/June 1994 Messenger 15
SACRED CROUND: WH
by Ron Pazola
As many modem indigenous people try to get in touch
with their traditional ways, so many non-Native
^ Americans are beginning to discover the social,
spiritual, environmental, and educational contributions that
Native Americans have made. As magic and mystery continue
to be lost in a culture that becomes exceedingly objectified,
computerized, specialized, and compartment-
alized; as organized religion continues to lose
its hold over many of its followers; as people
continue to become disassociated from God,
nature, community, and themselves; and as
Native American prophecies about the de-
struction of the environment seem on the
brink of becoming reality. Native American
spirituality takes on added importance.
But what can non-Native American
Christians learn from Native Americans? Is
the spirituality of Native Americans that
different from the spirituality of Western
Christians? Can indigenous people teach
Westerners anything that they don't already
know from the teachings of the church and
the readings of scripture?
Part of the problem in Western culture is
that it is riddled with dualities. Good
versus evil, body versus spirit, sacred versus
profane are some of the common distinc-
tions that have dominated Western thought
for centuries.
But for the early indigenous people of
North America and many modem Native Americans there are
no dualities. All of life is one. There is a unity to all creation.
All life is interconnected like the web of a spider: To hurt one
living creature is to hurt all living creatures, and to pluck a
flower is to frouble a star. As Joseph Epes Brown points out in
his book The Spiritual Legacy of the American Native Ameri-
can, there is no Native American word for religion because
they do not view religion as a category divorced from society.
Their entire world is a sacred place fdled with wonder and
awe. The mystery of God is everywhere — in the rising sun and
beyond the early morning mist, on the vast plains and in the
dense forests, under a star-filled sky and beneath the light of a
constantly changing moon.
Although every Native American nation has a distinct
spirituality, there are some common threads in all Native
American spiritualities. Referring to the world as Grandmother
Earth, most Native Americans look at their physical surround-
ings as a living being. All things are alive, and spirituality
16 Messenger May/June 1994
There is no Native
American word for
religion because they
DO not view relicion
as a category
divorced from society.
Their entire world is a
sacred place filled
with wonder and awe.
^^v*^^
is sought through intimate communion with the natural wor
Unlike many who look at the world as either a sophisticated
machine or a commodity to be used and thrown away,
traditional Native Americans experience the earth as a
moving, breathing entity that is holy and life-giving. They sha
a notion of cosmic harmony, in which humans, animals,
plants, and the physical earth cooperate wi
the supematural to bring about a balanced
harmonious universe.
As Paula Gunn Allen emphasizes in The
Sacred Hoop, "The notion that nature is son
where over there while humanity is over he
or that a great hierarchical ladder of being
exists on which ground and trees occupy a
very low mng, animals a slightly higher or
and man [never woman] — especially 'civi-
lized' man — a very high one indeed is
antithetical to tribal thought." And, she
continues, "The American Native America
sees all creatures as relatives [and in fribal
systems relationships are central], as offspi
of the Great Mystery, as co-creators, as
children of the mother, and as necessary pe
of an ordered, balanced and living whole."
Animals are especially revered by fradi-
tional Native Americans. (Just as there was
sharp differentiation between divinity and
humans for early Native Americans, so, too
there was no clear distinction between hum
and animals.) Because animals were create(
before humans, animals are looked upon as guides and teachi
of human beings, and in a sense as their superiors because
animals frequently act in the role of agent for the Creator.
Cmcial to understanding Native American spirituality is
the realization that traditionally Native Americans view spac
as spherical and time as cyclical, while Westemers perceive
space as linear and time as sequential. Westem time has a
beginning and an end; Native Americans understand time as
an etemally recurring cycle of events and years.
As Native Americans communicate with the four direc-
tions, they travel around a circle and eventually come back t(
where they started, benefiting from the knowledge and feelir
received on the joumey. The process then begins anew like t
day, the seasons, and the cycles of the moon.
That is why the circle is an especially powerfiil symbol
for Native Americans. At the center of the circle is the hum
person. To lose sight of this sacred center is to lose sight of
one's humanness. In his classic book Black Elk Speaks,
^TIVE AMERICANS BELIEVE
hn G. Neihardt quotes Black Elk, the famous Sioux medi-
le man, who is lamenting the fact that his people must now
e in square houses:
Everything the Power of the World does is done in a
circle. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is
round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its
greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for
theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun
comes forth and goes down again in a circle.
The moon does the same, and both are round.
Even the seasons form a great circle in their
changing, and always come back to where they
were. The life of a man is a circle from
childhood to childhood, and so it is in every-
thing where power moves. Our teepees were
round like the nest of birds, and these were
always set in a circle, the nation's hoop, a nest
for many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for
us to hatch our children.
Although differences exist between Native American and
estem spirituality, there are many similarities.
"It's important to remember that Native American and
n-Native Christians worship the same God," says Father
m Hascall, O.F.M., Cap., pastor
the Keweenaw Reservation and
! West Central Diocese of
irquette in the Upper Peninsula of
ichigan and an Ojibwa
hippewa) medicine man and
est. "We can teach [non-Native
nericans] to pray from the
irituality of the land based on the
spels, which can't change."
For Hascall and his Ojibwa
Dple, spirituality is based on
ationship with the family, which
strengthened through sacrifice,
/hen I take cedar and sage and use
;m in my ceremony, they're my
nily. They sacrifice themselves to
Ip me to pray," he says. As Christ
ide every sin his own when he
:rificed himself on the cross,
iscall explains, the Ojibwa make
:rifices so that the entire family
ti benefit. The strengths of the
nily thus allow each person to deal
th hardships that Native Am-
ericans have had to grapple with for thousands of years, he says.
Sacrifice manifests itself in such ceremonies as the sun
dance, the main ritual of Plains Native Americans such as the
Sioux, the Cheyenne, and the Shoshone.
A sacred event offered each year in midsummer, the sun
dance is a prayer of thanksgiving, petition, regeneration, and
restoration. It has nothing to do with the worship of the sun as
some critics have erroneously observed. A
large, circular open-frame lodge is ritually
constructed in imitation of the world's
creation with a sacred cottonwood tree in the
center that links sky and earth. There are
four days of intense dancing, together with
flesh offerings and piercings of some of the
dancers' chest and back muscles with
wooden skewers.
Although outsiders may cringe at these
rites. Native Americans do not regard the
piercings as self-inflicted torture but as the
offering of one's self to the Creator — much like Christ on the
cross. Many compare the sacrifices of the sun dance to the
sacrifice of the Catholic Mass, which ritualistically repeats
Christ's death on the cross. Just as all of humankind was saved
i
ATRIBE
OF MANY FEATHERS
by David Radcliff
A'
lone, white wolf crossed the road,
caught in the headlights of our car.
We were in New Mexico in December
1 992 for the first meeting of the commit-
tee selected to write a paper on the
church and Native Americans. Snow was
in the air and on the ground as our group
went out by car for supper one night
during those meetings. That was when
we glimpsed this beautiful ephemeral
creature. According to Indian lore,
Yahola Simms told us, seeing a white
wolf is a good sign. Aware of the
challenge that lay ahead of us in writing
our paper, we were happy for any
indication that our work might succeed.
The stimulus for writing a paper such
as this came from several quarters.
Youth in attendance at the 1 992
Christian Citizenship Seminar, spon-
sored by the Washington Office and
Youth and Young Adult Ministry office,
were brought to a new awareness of the
historical and current situation of
Native Americans. They concluded their
experience by calling on the denomina-
tion to develop a new, updated statement
related to the concerns of Native
I
May /June 1994 Messenger 1 7
, by Christ's sacrificial act, so the larger community benefits
from the rigors and sacrificial elements of the sun dance.
The traditional ritual of the vision quest also involves
sacrifice. For three of four days, a person goes off to a secluded
place to communicate with the spirits to gain direction and
purpose. Through fasting, praying, enduring the elements, and
experiencing solitude, the person has an opportunity for direct
contact with the supernatural.
During the vision quest, someone may experience a dream
or vision from which is received spiritual knowledge and
power that can later be used to help the larger community.
(Although Christians don't profess that Christ went on a vision
quest per se, the gospels tell of Christ's fasting for 40 days and
nights in the desert before he began his public life. From his
desert experience, Christ was able to overcome the devil's
temptations and to gain the strength necessary to begin his
public ministry.)
Unlike the typical Western thought that views suffering as
a problem that has to be explained and justified, traditional
Native American thought sees hardship and pain as the norma
part of the cycle of life. For Native Americans, life is best whei
things are difficult because people learn humility and depen-
dence upon God. Most Native Americans believe that when lif
is too good, people become complacent, think too highly of
themselves, and stop trying to improve.
Thus, traditional Native Americans rarely view death as a
punishment or something to be feared. For them, it is a natural
process that all living things must encounter to begin life anew
As Old Testament Hebrews called their God Yahweh — often
translated as "I am who I am" — tribes such as the Lakota Siou
call God Wakan-Tanka — the "Great Mysterious" or the "Holies
of Everything." According to Sioux beliefs, Wakan-Tanka,
Tunkashila — or Grandfather — and the spirit powers form a
trinity similar to the Christian Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Tunkashila is only slightly less "powerfial" than Wakan-Tanka
The creation myths of the Plains Native Americans are
amazingly similar to the creation accounts found in Genesis.
One Sioux creation myth parallels the Adam and Eve story.
Americans. Later that
summer, Ethelene Wilson
and her son Ben, who had
attended the seminar along
with six other Native
Americans from the Navajo
community of Lybrook, in
New Mexico, took part in
the General Board's "live
report" at Annual Confer-
ence. They reiterated the call
for a new statement.
The General Board took
up the challenge at its
October meeting, naming a
committee to draft a state-
ment for eventual consider-
ation by Annual Conference.
These calls came, of
course, in 1992, the 500th anniversary
of Columbus' arrival in the western
hemisphere. The last two words of
that sentence tell us something about
the impact of the series of events that
began to unfold in the year 1492. This
is the "western" hemisphere because
it is to the west of Europe, seen then
and now as a kind of global reference
point by which other parts of the
globe are named. What words might
one substitute for "western hemi-
sphere?" "New World?" New to whom?
"The Americas?" named thus by the
The Native American Study Committee — (front) Erin
Anspaugh, Ben Wilson, Ethelene Wilson; (back) Yahola
Simms, David Hendricks, David Radcliff (staff liason).
Europeans. So, simply to pass this anni-
versary was itself an occasion to pause
and reflect on the profound changes
ushered in by that seaman's voyage.
Our committee of six faced several
challenges. We were a "mixed" group of
people of European and Native Ameri-
can background. My own tendencies are
to be optimistic about the possibilities for
human community in any situation.
Here, however, we needed to quickly
learn about each other and to work with
each other's distinctive characteristics
and perspectives. What are our reasons
for being here? What do periods
of silence mean to different one!
of us? Why are some more
comfortable with eye contact?
What are the often unspoken bu
always present influences on oui
deliberation of our own persona
histories and history of our
respective peoples? What do we
do with words such as "Indian?'
The challenge of relating to one
another with respect and
compassion was the first one we
needed to face.
We knew that the paper
needed to speak for both groups
and, even more, for the whole
church. The "we" of the paper
needed to represent all the color;
and voices of the church. We knew that
there would be some in the church who
would analyze the paper in great detail,
on the lookout for hints of "New Age"
influence or for some other belittling of
the Christian witness. Several of the
responses we received from congrega-
tions and individuals in the fall of 1 993
made us feel that we had not been clear
enough and had left room for such
accusations at several points in the
paper. In revisions presented to the
March 1 994 meeting of the General
Board, we sfrove for greater clarity; the
18 Messenger May/June 1994
According to the Sioux, at one time people dwelled beneath the
earth. Like Adam and Eve, who wanted to be like God by
partaking from the fruit of the tree of knowledge, Wazi, the
chief of these underground people, and Kanka,
his wife, wanted to obtain the power of the gods.
A spirit by the name of Inktomi promised to give
them the power if they would help him make
humans look foolish.
Once Wazi and Kanka had this much desired
power they knew they would no longer need
Inktomi, so they asked for the power first. Inktomi
knew what was in their hearts and forced them to
live in the world above where they and all their descendants
would live in shame, while Inktomi continued to make fools of
humankind.
And flood stories are found in both the Old Testament and
Sioux mythology. As creation was bom anew in the story of
Noah and the ark, the Sioux people, according to one version,
were bom from a great flood, which visited the Western Plains
and drowned the original people there. A bald eagle flew by
and a beautiful woman grabbed onto its feet. The eagle carried
the woman to a great tree on a cliff above the water. Upon the
cliff the woman gave birth to twins. And it was these
twins who would eventually form the Sioux Nation.
Native Americans have left a legacy for the
peoples of the world. Respect for life, awe and
wonder for God's creation, stewardship for the
environment, appreciation for sacred time and
sacred place, acknowledgment of the unity and
interconnectedness of the earth and earth's crea-
tures are values that Native Americans
have practiced for thousands of years.
Ai.
Ron Pazola is a freelance writer living in Chicago. III.
This article is an excerpt from a longer one by Ron Pazola that appeared in
US Catholic, Februaiy 1994. It is printed here with permission.
The accompanying photographs of scenes near the Lybrook Mission in New
Mexico were taken by George Keeler.
board told us we had achieved this.
We also felt a special obligation to
represent the feelings and Christian
convictions of the members of Tok'a-
hookaadi fellowship in New Mexico,
as this is the only congregation within
the denomination of primarily Native
American (Navajo) membership. We
didn't want to say things to misrepre-
sent them, while taking care to
address whatever concems they might
wish to bring before the church.
Reports from Tok'ahookaadi are that
the group has grown in recent months,
at least in part due to the feeling that,
in the writing of this paper, the
denomination once more has turned
its attention to them. (See page 20)
We hope that the paper has achieved
several goals. While its primary
purpose is not to be a statement on the
nature or purpose of Christ, we hope
that throughout the paper there rings
an affirmation of the power of Christ
in human history. It is through Christ
that we can reach out to one another
across any human boundary; it is be-
cause of Christ's passion for justice
and peace that the paper calls for these
to be expressed in human relationships.
We hope that the paper likewise
affirms human life in all its God-
given diversity. Religious fervor too
often has been the mask behind which
have hidden the evils of racism, imperi-
alism, greed, and plain hatred. We have
tried to say clearly that God loves all
people, and would have us love, respect,
and work alongside them for justice,
regardless of their religious loyalties or
racial origins.
The paper names the church as a com-
munity of disciples who share a common
salvation, who worship a common God,
and who make a common commitment to
Jesus. Yet the members of this commu-
nity have many different ways of
expressing their Christian faith, based on
cultural and personal differences.
While there is not a section titled
"repentance," the committee believes
that a call to recognifion of past and
present injustices and thus to a spirit of
confrition is implicit in the paper. The
feelings of the Native American mem-
bers of the committee come through in
the telling of history and the recollection
of the mistrust built up over the past 500
years. The committee believes that to
read and ponder this history is itself
something of an act of repentance.
Our committee also hopes that the
paper can lay the basis for a new
beginning in the relationships of people
within the Church of the Brethren, as
well as with others beyond our denomi-
nation. Among the "Recommendations"
is a series of suggestions for improving
communication and in general for
building a deeper fellowship with one
another. We hope that the paper as a
whole points us in this same direction, as
we believe that this is the most important
result that could come of the lengthy
process of studying and adopting this as
a statement of our denomination.
At many points during the work of our
committee, we experienced what we
hope the church as a whole may experi-
ence in the days ahead. We came
together from different worlds, as it
were, to walk on a common joumey. We
leamed to appreciate one another's
peculiarities as valuable assets in the
quest to write a statement that might be
of service to the church. We laughed at
and with one another, and together felt
the pain of listening to voices who
challenged or even condemned our
efforts. We enter this last stage of our
work together feeling love for one
another and for the church, and a
burning desire that, in the words
of Jesus, "we may all be one."
M.
W
David Radcliffis director of Denominational
Peace Witness on the World Ministries Commission
staff. He sen'es as staff liaison to the committee that
drafted the paper "Community: A Tribe of Many
Feathers. "
May/June 1 994 Messenger 1 9
LYBIi<
• !•
K AND n
by George Keeler
Lybrook, the Church of the Brethren's
witness in Navajoland, is just 100 miles
northwest of Albuquerque, the largest
city in New Mexico. But the area seems as remote
as if the journey were only possible by time travel.
At 7,200 feet. Lybrook is centered on a stretch of
North America's highest landscape. It is a starkly
beautiful land of sage, canyons, rainbow-colored
mesas, and towering wind-shaped monuments. It
is home, also, to the largest Native American
tribe in the United States, the Navajo. Getting to
Lybrook, situated on the edge of the reservation,
means stepping into the culture of another nation.
And it is a nation beset with challenges that set it
apart in late 20th-century society.
The Church of the Brethren Lybrook Navajo
Mission opened in 1953 under the leadership
of Ernest and Olivia Ikenberry. Quickly, the
two organized a high-quality private school, a
medical clinic that saw an average of 100
patients a month, an Alcoholics Anonymous
program (which proved to be one of the most
active in Navajoland), regular Christian
worship services, and a Sunday school.
Four years later, there was a regular atten-
dance of 70 persons in church services, in
addition to Navajo reading
classes to translate the Bible,
many baptisms, vacation Bible
school for children, organized
child care, overnight camp-
outs for the youth groups,
summer camp activities for
children, fellowship groups
for women and young adults,
and outpost work for
teaching reading in the
home. By then, the mission
land had grown to 59 acres.
The private school grew,
but mission directors
pushed to have the education of children taken
over by Rio Arriba County and the state of New
Mexico. In 1963, a public school opened its
doors to Navajo children. A preschool program
took up residence in the old school building,
and the mission continued to bustle with
activity. Children were constantly on the grounds,
playing basketball — the favorite sport of the
Navajo — long into the evening hours, aided by
powerful court lights.
In the late 1970s and '80s, the mission focus
changed. The government, which once pushed
social services to the churches, reversed its policy.
The medical clinic was taken over by the govern-
ment and moved. Other programs were lost as
both the govenmient and the Church of the
Brethren General Board faced budget problems in
the 1980s. Nevertheless, one bright spot in the
mid-1980s was the construction of the long-awaited
chapel. The Navajo renamed their new church
Tok'ahookaadi, after an ever-flowing spring on
the property (Messenger, January 1985, page 9).
Then the lights of the mission went out,
literally, in 1991 and it was dark for six months
before Leola Allen and her husband, Ernie Conry..
took up residence as a pastoral couple, unlocked
the chain across the driveway and turned the
lights back on December 1 that year.
Leola is tough and persevering, with wisdom
that comes from getting your hands dirty and
feeling sweat bead on your brow from hard work
and making things happen. Ernie is no stranger
to tough challenges either, having served as a
policeman for 1 years in Iowa. During the schoo
year, he teaches fifth grade at an Indian school in
Gallup, and with the support of a Peace Corps
Fellowship, works on his master's degree through
the University of New Mexico. He makes the 1 14-
mile drive back to Lybrook on weekends.
Upon graduation from seminary, Leola served
a 7-year stint at Kingsley (Iowa) United Church |
of Christ/Church of the Brethren congregation, j
Following were two years in the Peace Corps in
!J
i
20 Messenger May /June 1994
HANGING ROLES
the Dominican Republic. Then Western Plains
■District contacted the couple about heading
iLybrook. They accepted. Together, with the
help of a Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS)
married couple from New York, Tom
Cunningham and June Bayard, this team has
restarted the engine of the mission.
But should it still be called a mission? The
road sign was changed before Leola's
tenure as pastor to read Lybrook Community
Ministries. "Mission is an all-inclusive term,"
says Leola. "At the moment, we are the
Tok'ahookaadi Fellowship of the Church of the
Brethren. We'll build from there."
And she is, indeed, remaking Lybrook into
what it can be, rather than what it is. The old
'dilapidated church/school/cafeteria house has
ibeen razed; so has the dirt and log hogan that
visiting youth groups once slept in. The other
old school/social hall building is scheduled to
be razed, too. The new metal one-room church
building serves now as the worship area,
Sunday school room, meeting hall, and social
'hall. An adjacent building is undergoing
complete renovation and will open soon as a
fellowship hall, kitchen, and meeting area.
Lybrook is reshaping its physical plant and its
mission focus.
"I've spent two years 'dejunking' the
physical plant," says Leola. "There was junk
and trash everywhere when we arrived." When
the hanta virus scare started last year in the
four-comers area, where the church is located.
JTl ■■ — 1 <W.y
Lybrook t
CHURCH
iof 'fhe BRETHREN!
Leola sped up the timetable. "We had bags of
ancient grain and other perishable goods,
which should have been distributed to the
people, stored in the old buildings. They
attracted rodents and were disposed of immedi-
ately." Other items that were remotely salvage-
able were given away.
Fortunately, the entire area escaped harm
from the virus, thought to be spread by the deer
mouse. One case was reported last year in
Cuba, 40 miles away, and another in
Farmington, 60 miles away. "We have im-
proved the sanitation conditions here so that the
virus is not a threat," says Ernie.
Maintaining a positive public-relations
image is important for the mission management
team because it relies heavily on volunteer
support for this church in Western Plains
District. "Quinter Church of the Brethren, our
'sister church,' has been very supportive," says
Leola. "We need the help. People with open
hearts are welcomed. I take Christian help
wherever I can get it."
The main volunteer project now is the
renovation of the fellowship hall/kitchen. The
BVS couple has been diligently working on the
project, but it is almost overwhelming for one
or two people. Drywall still needs to be installed
in spots, and wiring and plumbing work re-
mains. When it is finished, it will be the largest
such building in the area. The church building
holds that distinction, too, and is often utilized
for funerals and other community events.
With the physical plant improvements
underway, Leola is implementing an ever-
expanding offering of summer programs.
Besides regular church services every Sunday,
and children's Sunday school, she plans to re-
establish an alcohol support group, conduct
vacation Bible school, contract SERRV Self-
Help Handcrafts to sell Navajo crafts, and start
a summer junior-high recreation program. In
order to do the last, the basketball court is high
on her repair list. The concrete has crumbled to
the consistency of gravel, and the hoops are
missing. "When you let a place go down, it is
unbelievable how much you have to do to bring
j^*^«*-
ag Q g ^ In November,
mw^^ the General
Brotherhood Board
approved a ministry to the
Navajo and authorized the
purchase of a mission at
Lybrook, in New Mexico,
on the edge of the Navajo
reservation.
1953
In September,
Lybrook
Navajo Mission opened,
under the leadership of
Ernest and Olivia Ikenberry.
Regular church worship and
Sunday school were started,
and a one-room school
opened.
1954
Thirty-four
Navajos
enrolled in the first annual
vacation Bible school. A
244-foot well was drilled at a
cost of$l,200. When no
water was found, an even
costlier 1 ,000-foot well was
drilled.
By now. four
Brethren
1955
Volunteer Service workers
augmented the Lybrook
staff There were club pro-
grams for children, young
adults, and women.
1956
The mission
added 55 acres
of land to its four-acre site.
Two houses were purchsed
for use as a clinic and a
residence. William Hayes
began as business manager
and supervisor of volunteers.
His wife, Bemice, a
registered nurse, supervised
medical work.
1957
Mabel Hesuse
began trans-
lating church sermons into
Navajo, Jackson Yazzie
became the first Navajo staff
leader, teaching Sunday
school, leading Bible study,
and conducting worship in
Navajo. In September, Galen
and Ruth Snell succeeded the
Ikenberrys as mission
directors.
May/June 1 994 Messenger 21
1958
The education
program ex-
panded to a two-room
school, with classes through
sixth grade, taught by Mary
Miller and Mildred Myer.
^ Q ^ Q Ten Navajo
m^^W Christians and
the mission staff participated
in love feast. The mission
purchased two four-room
cottages from government
surplus for use as staff
residences.
(g f% > ^^ Edith Merkey
IVOWjoinedthe
teaching staff An Alcoholics
Anonymous chapter was
formed, with Navajo leader-
ship. It quickly became well
known throughout
Navajoland.
'tQJL't Two Navajo
i W^9 I young women
from the mission attended
college, one at McPherson
and one at La Verne. Ruth
Dibert, a registered nurse,
took over the clinic and
health program.
^Q> ^ Jerry and
■ W%9M Berkley Davis
succeeded the Snells as
directors. Two Navajo staff
members. Andrew Hesuse
and Frank Chavez, took
schooling in preparation for
service at Lybrook. Five
Navajos were part-time staff
members.
<g n JL ) ^^^ county be-
' ▼w^ gan providing
elementary education for all
children in the mission area.
The two mission teachers
fransferred to the new county
system. The mission con-
tinued "pre-first" classes, to
help teach Navajo children
English.
ag Q > jt The mission
' <r 0*W continued a 4-H
Club program and Christian
education classes with the
public school children.
22 Messenger May/June 1994
it back," Leola sighs.
Outreach programs in place include general
education equivalency tutoring, performed by
Tom and June; and a Navajo drop-in center,
located in their BVS house. Tom and June play
on the Church basketball team and are popular
with the youth, who visit them at all hours.
"We're having a great time here," says Tom.
"For the Navajo, it is a tough existence. This is
a culture rich in time and poor in resources."
It was the memory of the mission and its
positive impact on the Navajo community that
drove Mary Thompson, a Navajo, to petition
Western Plains District in person for its
reopening. Mary, mother to six children and
four foster children, holds great power in the
community. "In this matriarchal society," says
Leola, "Mary is one of the members who is the
glue. She is the spiritual head of the church."
The Church of the Brethren presence in
Lybrook is important for community members.
"There is a great sense of tradition. The Navajc
went to school and church here. The medical
clinic was here. They have also lived with
Church of the Brethren families around the
country as foster children."
"This church belongs to us," says Frank
Chavez, a long-time member with memories oi
the glory days of the mission. "Something was
broken here, but now we are fixing it."
In the late 1960s, Frank was the only full-
time Navajo staff member, assisting in visita-
tion, services, and maintenance. "I pray every
morning, every day for the future of this
church," he says clutching Diyin God Bizaad
(the Holy Bible in Navajo) close to his chest.
"We need to make our children understand the
importance of going to church," he quietly
adds, his finger resting on 2 Timothy:3.
Indeed, the church's future lies in its
children. And children are everywhere. On
Easter morning 1 994, more than 20 cut out
Easter symbols from construction paper while
'This church belongs to
us/' SAYS Frank Chavez, a
lon<;time member with
memories of the clory da
of the mission. ''somethih
was broken here, but nov
we are fixinc it."
listening to the hymns and sermons of Leola's
service. The church atmosphere is relaxed — the
doors open for the children to come and go.
Coming to Tok'ahookaadi is flm — a chance to
be with friends and participate in a Sunday
school lesson led by Ernie.
After church, sports equipment — in-line
skates, basketballs — come out. The Church of
the Brethren compound provides a substance
not found on the reservation — concrete. Pent-
up energy is released on the concrete sidewalks
and even in the church building itself, as
children bring to church their toys that can onlj
be used on hardtop. Younger children play on
the merry-go-round, swings, and teeter-totters
left from the private school days of the mission.
Leola takes in stride all the children racing
around her. "This church belongs to God and
The Church of the
Brethren compound
provides a substance
not found on the
reservation —concrete.
*ent"up enercy is released
on the concrete side-
walks and in the church
fildinc itself, as children
(rinc their toys that can
3nly be used on hardtop.
le people," she comments, adding, "When the
illowship hall is finished, it will help."
The key to working with the older youth has
een basketball. For the youth, their free time
;volves around the sport. The Church of the
rethren team is in the middle of its league
'ith three wins and three loses. Bleachers are
lied at basketball games in the local school
ym. But no one seems to care what the score
. This is non-competitive basketball. Youth
id adult mixed teams are playing for the sheer
»y of it. "You see differences," says Tom. "It's
ke being in another country."
For the youth, there is not much to do out
here. Bowling and movies are 60 miles
ivay. The Church is sponsoring a Softball team
lis spring. Video nights are planned. Some of
le youth will attend National Youth Confer-
ice in July. Last year, Ernie took a youth
roup to the Church of the Brethren Christian
itizenship Seminar.
Leola and her congregation have put
Dnsiderable energy into softening the starkness
f the steel church building. "I want the inside
I look like the people who worship here," she
lys. "I want people who worship here to feel
imfortable. This is a Navajo Church of the
rethren." Genuine Navajo rugs, woven by
lary Thompson, adorn the pulpit. Scripture is
;ad in both English and Navajo. Melodies of
ymns are familiar, even if the words are not.
'dazing Grace," "What a Friend We Have in
jsus," and "Sweet Hour of Prayer" are all sung
I Navajo. Most of the congregation is bilingual
1965
Jerry Davis
was suc-
ceeded by Myrl Weyant as
mission director.
in Navajo and English. Mary Thompson
usually serves as song leader on the piano.
Sometimes her husband accompanies hymns on
the electric bass guitar, while a daughter leads
the singing.
The people who worship here are relaxed,
comfortable, and subdued. Many of the young
women come in sweats; young boys and old
men wear baseball caps. A few of the older
women come in more traditional Navajo
dresses. Leona dresses up for the occasion and
wears turquoise and silver jewelry — a gift from
the women of the congregation. That is a
symbolic act for her; Tok'ahookaadi women
often wear similar jewelry, and the presentation
of the gift was an invitation to join them. Leola
explains her jewelry: "The Navajo have a
saying, 'Walk in beauty, the beauty way. Beauty
is above me and beauty is below me.' The
Navajo decorate everything. I am told that the
Lord created turquoise and silver to appreciate
and to enjoy."
Navajo baskets are used to collect the
offering, which on Easter Sunday totals $6.37
from the 40-plus people in attendance, some of
1966
The Office of
Navajo Econ-
omic Opportunity took
over the "pre-first" school
program, using the mission
facihties. The mission pur-
chased a government surplus
building to use as a shop.
The Student Intercultural
Program (SIP) was begun,
with Navajo students hving
with Anglo families across
the country while attending
school.
1968
Total church
membership
was 48, excluding staff. The
Navajo Christian Association
and the four missions of the
area were holding joint
evangelisic meetings.
^ Q > Q Navajo Henry
1 w ^9 w Hesuse was
licensed to the ministry and
became full-time pastor of
the Lybrook Navajo Church
Fellowship. Alvin Blough
succeeded Myrl Weyant as
mission director.
a|Qw^^ Elmer Fike
^wt ^^ became
mission director, but was
non-resident, living in
Flagstaff Ariz. He also was
coordinator of Brethren
American Indian Ministries.
Having a non-resident
director was designed to
encourage Lybrook Navajos
to develop and depend on
their own leadership.
<g A7<# Henry Hesuse
1 V • ^ left the Lybrook
pastorate and was succeeded
by Billy Lewis. Land was
secured by lease at Nageezi
for building a new church
facility.
<g079 In response to
tWm^a petition from
Lybrook, the Lybrook-
Nageezi Church of the
Brethren Fellowship was
recognized.
May /June 1994 Messenger 23
h^W
For the larger
community, the church
possesses a vital life"
CiViNC ELEMENT— WATER.
Running; water is
nonexistent on the
reservation. . . . purinc
THE DAY, Navajo drive
many miles in their
dusty pickup trucks to
purchase the delicious,
naturally soft water
(500 <;allons for $1.35).
Life for H
nature an
try to fit i
to conqui
^ ^ w jt The Lybrook
■ <r #"■' Mission pro-
gram, except for evangelism,
worship. Christian nurture,
and Christian service, was
made a separate ministry
under the SHARE program
of the World Ministries
Commission. The function of
Lybrook Community
Ministries, as the mission
was renamed, was to assist
the Navajo people develop
self-help projects that would
uplift and benefit them. The
mission buildings were used
for crafts classes, adult
education, and mechanics
training.
'tQ^C In a painful
mW 9 ^ period of tran-
sition, aggravated by mis-
understandings over the
intent and pace of indigeniz-
ation, Russell Kiester was
called to be interim
development pastor of the
Lybrook fellowship. He also
served as administrator of
community SHARE grants.
m
M
1981
The SHARE
program term-
inated, and Russell Kiester's
role changed to place more
emphasis on pastoral tasks.
Management of the Lybrook
property and direction of its
program was transferred to
Western Plains District.
24 Messenger May/June 1994
m
M
whom drove 30 miles on dirt roads to reach the
church. "That money, most in change, repre-
sents as much to my congregation as families
that put in $100 bills," says Leola. "Many of
our families are very poor. Tok'ahookaadi
Church is not self-sufficient."
The unemployment rate is high. "There are
not a lot of jobs around here," notes Ernie. "The
unemployment rate hovers around 40 percent."
Many members of the congregation are em-
ployed, though, working as auto mechanics,
mechanics for oil and gas companies, and as
nurses and artists. Some are sheep herders.
Navajo culture does not encourage the
accumulation of wealth. "They don't want to be
rich, just survive," says June.
On her first Thanksgiving at the church,
Leola plaimed a traditional all-church dinner.
"One person volunteered to bring the turkey.
But the turkey didn't show up." Leola retreated
to her kitchen. The only meat she found was in
leftover sloppy-joe mix, which she quickly
heated up.
"I apologized to the congregation," says
Leola, and "they answered, 'But nobody is
leaving here hungry.'"
"They don't blame or pass judgment here,"
adds June. "What is, is. There is no judgment
or assessment, just open honesty."
Leola's second Thanksgiving, with a "grand
and glorious feast," went more smoothly. "I
now know things about who is responsible and
who is not," she nods, laughing at the Pilgrim
Thanksgiving symbolism of her congregation
joining with Anglos at the dinner table.
The Tok'ahookaadi
congregation looks
forward to Leola's
seasonal celebrations —
Easter, May Day, back-
to-school hot dog roast,
Octoberfest (non-
alcoholic), love feast,
and Christmas. A
potluck dinner is held
after every church
service. Food baskets are distributed every
Sunday to needy families, with the four staff
members providing the bulk of the food.
The Navajo made all the ornaments for las
year's Christmas tree. Church artists already
are working on a life-size nativity scene that
will be displayed at the Highway 44 entrance
next Christmas. Baby Jesus will be in a cradl
board, with Navajo-dressed figures sporting
traditional hair styles. The wise men will be
cowboys on horseback — two Hispanics
and an Anglo.
"We are on oiu" way to being fully alive
without the formal organization of a church.
We are a living part of the Church of Jesus
Christ," says Leola. "My motto around here i
'The difficult we do immediately. The impos
sible takes longer.'
"The people who worship here are serious
about their relationship with Jesus Christ. I
know it in my heart. They know it in their
hearts. I see it in their selection of gospel
hymns. I hear it in their prayers and commui
cation with me. It is, 'Jesus who saves; Jesus
JCANS IS ONE OF HARMONY WITH
CS THAT SURROUND THEM. ThEY
nJRE AND TO UNDERSTAND^ NOT
ULE.
A'hom we rely on; Jesus who will protect us.'
We are a Christ-centered church."
For the larger community, the church
Dossesses a vital life-giving element — water.
Running water is nonexistent on the reserva-
;ion. So are electricity and phones. The Church
Df the Brethren, which is blessed with electric-
ity and phones, also has one of the few working
wells in the area. During the day, Navajo drive
Visit Tok'ahookaadi
Brethren are invited to visit Tok'ahookaadi and the
Lybrook ministry the week after Annual Conference,
July 5-10.
Special activities, July 5-6, are a Navajo craft
exhibit and sale featuring items made by
Tok'ahookaadi members; tours/hikes featuring
geological formations and ancient Native American
ruins; and Native American/Southwest meals. Also,
there is an Anasazi Pageant in Farmington, July 7.
Camper and motor-home hookups are available,
plus motel rooms and Lybrook housing.
For more information call David Radcliff at (800)
323-8039.
many miles in their dusty
pickup trucks to purchase the
delicious, naturally soft water
(500 gallons for $1.35). The
transaction is done on the honor
system: Money is deposited in
a slotted coffee can that sits on
the parsonage's porch wall.
Other challenges persist for
the Navajo. They are a people
caught between two cultures,
and the frustration erupts with
alcoholism and early deaths. As
Ernie walks through the fresh
graves in the Church of the
Brethren cemetery, he notes
that more than half of the
people died of alcohol-related
accidents or illnesses.
"Families will say, 'We wish
the alcohol was not there,'"
says Tom. "The school drop-
out rate also is high. Many
people just don't make it. Look
at the ages on the gravestones."
The government doesn't
seem to be effective in easing
the pain of the Navajo, either.
A new hospital was opened in
Shiprock, 90 miles away; then
the government ran out of
money to staff it.
Back at Lybrook, meanwhile, they finally got
the basketball hoop up Sunday, April 1 7, and
the church basketball team is practicing late into
the night on its own broken concrete court for
the upcoming championship tournament. The
ball bounces erratically on the concrete, but it
does so equally for both teams.
Leola promised that on her next trip into
Bloomfield, 50 miles distant, she would buy the
group a ball pump. "Now we need a volleyball
net. Then they reminded me the tetherball is
missing. I'll get one of those, too. We are
coming. In the words of St. Paul, we're running
the good race over here. We're in process at
Lybrook, My goal is to be the Church of Jesus
Christ, to follow Matthew 25. My ultimate goal
is to become unemployed, with Navajo as
directors, or to at least have a partnership with
Navajo leaders. We are moving in that direc-
tion, but it will not happen overnight.
We need to bring this place alive."
M.
m
M
m
M
m
M
I^OI" Plains District
granted fellowship status to
Lybrook. chartering it as
Tok'ahookaadi on October
28. The General Board
designated an 1 1 -acre
section of the mission land
for the building of a new
church facility.
HQOJL In a budget
I *^00 crisis, the
General Board discontinued
funding that cared for property
upkeep and pastoral support.
Pastor Russell Kiester
terminated. The fellowship
ceased meeting regularly.
Two Navajo couples. Mary
and James Thompson and
Arlene and Eugene Arviso.
worked at keeping the group
firnctioning.
1987
Catherine Dell,
a Wesleyan
Holiness minister, began
work in August as pastor at
Tok'ahookaadi, serving imtil
June 1991.
<g A Q A Quinter ( Kan. )
■<^OT Church of the
Brethren entered into a
"sister church" relationship
with Tok'ahookaadi. Quinter
helped with summer youth
programs and other
ministries. The district
named a Lybrook Support
Committee.
1991
George Keeler. associate professor of journalism at the
University of La Verne, is a member of La Verne (Calif.)
Church of the Brethren.
Leola Allen and
her husband,
Ernie Conry, came to Tok'a-
hookaadi in December as a
pastoral couple.
«g A A >| Tok'ahookaadi
I ▼ W*9 has a one-
room church building that
serves as sanctuary, Sunday
school room, and fellowship
hall. An adjacent building is
being renovated for use as
fellowship hall and kitchen.
A BVS couple. Tom Cun-
ningham and June Bayard,
also serves the ministry at
Lybrook. Pastor Leola Allen
continues to expand the
Lybrook ministry and to
rejuvenate old programs.
— Keeimon Thomasson
May/June 1994 Messenger 25
Scan the first 10 chapters of the
book of Mark. It's amazing.
Immediately following the
baptism of Jesus, the
ministry of healing
begins. An unclean
spirit is subdued in
the synagogue;
Peter's mother-in-
law is healed of
fever; Peter's house
becomes a clinic
for healing both
chronic and
communicable
diseases; and syn-
agogues in Galilee
see quieting of
demons.
Then the leper, a paralytic, a withered
hand, the sick by the seaside, the
demonic Legion, Janus' daughter, the
woman with a 12-year blood-flow
problem, those too sick to walk carried
on pallets, the Greek woman's child, the
deaf and speech-impaired man in the
Decapolis. the blind man at Bethsaida,
epilepsy, and a blind beggar named
Bartimaeus.
Jesus came healing, Mark says,
because his was a new teaching, a new
authority. But it wasn't just Jesus. The
disciples also anointed with oil and
healed many as they traveled from one
village to another.
The ministry of Jesus, the new
teaching, the new authority, was directly
linked to wholeness of mind and body.
The early church understood and never
questioned the ministry of healing.
Through the years, the church assumed it
must create an atmosphere of hospitality
if there was to be wholeness. It was in
the nature of things that the church
would create hospitals. Health care is not
simply to be left to government, nor is it
a political issue outside the concern of
the church. It is at the heart of faith. It is
to be valued. It is a ministry into which
we are baptized.
So individual Christians and the
community of faith (the church) should
be very much concerned when the health
care system we have created in this
26 Messenger May /June 1994
The
health
care
cure:
An ethical dilemma
by Joel K. Thompson
If health care is not at
a point of trauma, it
does seem to be
experiencing stress.
And whatever the cure,
we will be required to
make tough choices.
country is itself afflicted with a chronic
illness, or as some would suggest, a
catastrophic terminal one.
Health care in this country now
consumes over 1 6 percent of state and
local tax revenues. Since 1986, private
businesses have spent as much on health
care as they earned in after-tax profits. In
all, we are spending over 14 percent of
our gross national product on health,
over S817 billion. Among the 24
industrialized nations making up the
Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development, the United States
spends over two times more on health
care per capita than any other member,
yet it ranks 2 1 st in infant mortality and
16th in female life expectancy of those
24 nations.
A man living in Harlem, N.Y., has a
life expectancy shorter than one bom in
Bangladesh — one of the four poorest
countries of the world. Our infant
mortality rate is equal to a third- world
Caribbean country. Thirty-five million
members of our community are not
insured for health
care. Thousands
more are
underinsured.
Each year, $70 to
$80 billion of our
health care cost
can be attributed
to fraud — that is,
such things as
shaping the diag-
nosis or treatment
to fit reimburse-
ment provisions,
ordering unneces-
sary tests, and
billing for services not provided.
The Rand Corporation in Santa
Monica, Calif, believes it has clear
evidence that nearly a third of carotid
artery operations are inappropriate and
that 14 percent of by-pass operations are
unnecessary. A San Diego study indi-
cates that 40 percent of angiograms were
done on patients not needing such a
procedure. A Value Health Science study
found unnecessary usage of certain
procedures — hysterectomy (27 percent),
carpal tunnel syndrome ( 1 7 percent),
tonsillectomy (16 percent), laminectomy
(14 percent), upper gastrointestinal X-
ray studies (30 percent), pre-operative
lab tests (60 percent), and cesarean
births (50 percent).
Speaking of cesarean births, 30 |
percent of the births in our country are ,
now by C-section. In some states, these |
"scheduled births" are now at 43.7 |
percent; in other states they are as low as
12.7 percent. Does this mean there are
differences in the women of these states,
or is it the way medicine is practiced?
John Weimberg's studies show it is the
latter. He found that the probability of a
child living in Stowe, Vt., having a
tonsillectomy by age 15 was 70 percent.
If the child lived in Waterbury, it was
about 1 percent. He then discovered
that 50 percent of the men in Portland,
Maine, had prostate surgery by age 85,
in Bangor, it was 10 percent. In Iowa,
J.
f
1
i studies showed, heart surgery was
times as high in Des Moines as in
kva City.
The bill for unnecessary operations,
;imated at 25 percent, is $135 billion
nually. Twenty-five percent of all
rgeries are done to correct problems of
jvious surgeries.
A study out of Seattle reveals that 53
rcent of all hospitals stays are not
cessary. Twenty-four percent of
tients shouldn't have been admitted,
hat is most significant about this last
:ure is that 1.3 million of us suffer
expected, disabling injuries in
spitals each year. These are called
rogenic injuries (adverse events). They
ppen to one of every 25 admissions,
d result in 198,000 deaths annually,
at is four times the number who die
our highways. The number is so large
;re is a Journal of the International
idy for the Prevention of Iatrogenic
implications. These numbers do not
;lude hospital infections, which, by the
ly, are the biggest epidemic in the US
lay. Not AIDS, not hepatitis, not TB,
t hospital infections.
An Auburn University pharmacist
imates that hospitals make two-or
ee-percent medication errors. In a
0-bed hospital, if we could assume full
cupancy, that would be 60 to 90 drug
ors a day. Some hospitals are thought
have as high as an 11 -percent medica-
n error rate.
All these statistics are just the tip of
; iceberg. We have no really good
stem to insure long-term care for those
our community who need it. And
:e pharmaceutical costs: It's a crazy
5tem. Ativan, an anti-anxiety drug
ide by Wyeth, costs 702 percent more
re than in Canada; Reglan. a gas-
intestinal drug by A. H. Robins is 545
rcent more expensive here; Tylenol
th codeine from McNeil Pharmaceuti-
1 is 484 percent more; Valium, a
>che Biomedical Labs product, is 434
rcent more.
If health care is not at a point of
uma, it does seem to be experiencing
ess. And whatever the cure, we will be
quired to make tough choices that are
influenced by values. And that implies
that we have some difficult ethics issues
awaiting us.
The way professional
health care services are provided
is clearly a value issue.
Our routine practices give us away. In
Joliet, 111., there is an institution that
takes people's clothes when they are
admitted. Each person is then assigned a
number, turns over all valuables, is
assigned a stranger as a roommate, has
family visits restricted, and is forced to
live according to the institution's
schedule designated for eating, sleeping,
and exercising. What have I described?
The state prison? Or St. Joseph Hospital?
A Chicago hospital with 876 beds, a
teaching institution, still has in its nurs-
ing performance standards the phrase
"no more that three medication errors
per year." That, of course, is for each
nurse. Strange. I often wanted to ask
"What is the accepted baby-drop rate in
the nursery?" Isn't it time we expect as
much from our health care providers as
we do from those who make our cars?
Anything less than zero defects is
unacceptable.
Even our language gives us away. We
have "waiting rooms" for patients —
those who should be patient with us, the
providers.
And when a ventilator patient meets
the cardiovascular and brain-wave
protocols for death, a family should not
be held hostage for another day while a
physician demands a second EEG, for
which he will receive a reading fee.
An institution should not allow a solo
OB/GYNE practitioner to run a 47-
percent cesarean birth rate in order to
schedule births at three separate hospi-
tals in an orderly manner.
Determining to whom we will
provide services is a value issue.
We are very much a pick-and-choose
society. We are afraid to provide access
to everyone because we say we will then
have to ration our resources. We prefer
to ration them as we do now — to those
able to pay. We are still trying to dis-
tinguish between deserving and unde-
serving. We simply do not think of us all
being in anything together. I would
think, however, that the church would be
the first to say that everyone should have
the right to basic health care.
But after basic access, there are still
value questions. Who determines that the
governor of Pennsylvania receives a
heart/lung transplant within hours of
going on the transplant waiting list,
while others are by-passed? Does a
family have the right or responsibility to
insist on doing everything possible to
preserve the life of a comatose teenager?
At whose expense? On what basis does a
state legislature cut its support for pre-
natal care while continuing to provide
dollars for a liver transplant for post-65-
year-old alcoholics?
The way we make health care
decisions is a value issue.
The Church of the Brethren has always
understood this issue. It is one of creative
tension between the beliefs held by the
community of faith and an individual's
choice made in the awesome presence of
God. As a health care practitioner, is it
permissible to force upon our patients
our beliefs and practices? When I was a
hospital administrator, I had to deal with
patients and their families when their
wishes were not honored by employees.
An example is a man with terminal
cancer who had filed all the appropriate
documents with the hospital regarding
his wishes on the use of heroic measures.
His chart had a valid DNR (Do Not
Resuscitate) protocol in it, and yet when
he coded in the radiology department, a
doctor and nurse "brought him back."
Another example: A young medical
intern was present when his wife
delivered an infant with major congeni-
tal disabilities that required numerous
technological support systems to main-
tain survivability. He requested that no
support be started, but was overruled by
the official team in attendance. Over the
next week it was the hospital ethics
committee, along with the medical team,
the family, and its parish priest who
resolved the issue.
May /June 1994 Messenger 27
Bringing health care ethics home
Health and health care are hot topics for everyone these days, from the White
House to White Branch, from Washington to Wenatchee. As the debate over a
national health plan grows more intense, some very real ethical issues are often
overlooked or underplayed, especially within the church.
Health care ethics can be brought home by raising a few simple questions:
Would it be possible to find a congregation anywhere whose members,
whether individual or families, do not find themselves confronting hard choices
on health-related matters almost routinely?
What portion of a pastor's time is spent providing pastoral care in times of
illness or personal need?
How much of a small congregation's budget does it take (if it can afford it at
all) to provide insurance for the pastor and family?
If life can be extended well into the 80s and 90s through advancements in
medicine and drugs, what are the benefits and costs of such prolonged life?
How many tough ethical decisions does a retirement home adminisfrator and
board have to make in a year's time?
What dilemmas does a trauma unit chaplain of a community hospital face in
just one night shift?
Questions such as these led representatives of the Association of Brethren
Caregivers, Brethren Benefit Trust, and the Ministers Association to plan a joint
conference on the theme "From Ethics to Action: Making Health Care Choices
for You, Your Family, and Your Church."
The ministers/caregivers conference is set for June 27-28 in Wichita, Kan.
Sessions will begin on Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. and continue through
Tuesday afternoon, concluding before the Annual Conference worship service on
Tuesday evening.
The keynote speaker for the conference, David Hilton, a former missionary
doctor with the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, and now serving as a church
health consultant in Atlanta, Ga., will address "Critical Health/Caregiving Issues
Needing our Attention."
Margaret R. McLean, adjunct lecturer in the department of religious studies
and an associate for applied ethics at Santa Clara University, in California, will
focus on "Critical Caring: The Church and Health/Caregiving Ethics."
The article by Joel K. Thompson in this Messenger is a brief version of his
address at the conference "The Health Care Cure: An Ethical Dilemma." He is
director of benefits for Brethren Benefit Trust and a former hospital adminisfra-
tor and church executive.
Laurence J. O'Connell, president of Park Ridge Center, a center for the study
of health, faith, and ethics, in Chicago, will speak about "The Challenge of the
Church in Health/Caregiving Ethics."
Another feature of the conference will be a roundtable discussion on represen-
tative cases dealing with difficult decisions. The moderator for the roundtable
will be Tana Dumbaugh, nurse educator at the College of Lake County, in
Illinois, and past president of the Association of Brethren Caregivers.
The conference is billed for ministers and caregivers. With that description,
everyone should be included and welcome . . . just as surely as everyone is
included in facing difficult health care choices. — Robert E. Faus
Robert E. Faus is director of Pastoral Ministry on the Parish Ministries Commission staff.
What if I demand continued treat-
ment, even if useless? Should the
physician give a $3,500-injection of yet
another chemotherapy miracle drug just
two hours before I die? Should I be told
28 Messenger May /June 1994
"no" by the community? Can a person
choose "passive" euthanasia and then
seek comfort from family and friends
and the church? When does "passive"
become "assisted"? Who will decide
these issues? If not the church,
others will.
The way we determine what is
health care's proper share of the
resource pie is also an ethical issue,
a value decision.
As was mentioned earlier, during the
1980s, health care spending increased
1 1 1 percent; more than 14 percent of the
GNP is for health care. There are other
issues in our society — such as education,
a crumbling infrastructure, a fragile
environment, housing, and the homeless.
And the irony is that resources not spent
on these issues can cause an increase in
the use of resources for health care.
If good health is, as defined by the
World Health Organization, "not simply
the absence of illness, but rather the pre-
sence of well being," then there are other
demons in our society that are Legion.
At least 7.7 million Americans live in
poverty, and we know that those in
poverty usually do not seek out medical
treatment except as a last resort. And
there is usually a correlation between
poverty and poor pre-natal care. Low-
weight babies have increased in the
1980s by three percent and neo-natal
intensive care costs have skyrocketed.
Guns are killing our children at a
murderous rate. There has been an 11-
percent increase from 1984 to 1992 in
such deaths. If guns were polio, we
would not tolerate them in our midst.
Guns are a public health care issue
according to the American Academy of I
Pediatrics, along with drugs, alcohol,
AIDS, pregnancy, and car crashes. ^
The health care issue (for the church, i!
it's proper to say the health care minis-
t?y) is our calling, our ministry. We musi
provide the leadership in our society to
reorder our priorities, Such reordering iS
going to gore everyone's ox, at least a
little. But it will be less painful if we
dust off what was once a key American I
value, and is still the Christian ethic, ant
accept that it is a good thing to give to
the less fortunate, to aid those in need,
especially if you have a whole lot
more than they do.
Joel K. Thompson is director of benefits for
Brethren Benefit Trust.
iTithing: A response to grace
by Wayne J. Eberly
iLoving, someone has observed, is easy in
(the abstract, but hard in the concrete.
(Unfortunately, only the latter kind of
'love is worth anything. How would you
feel upon receiving this note:
f'My own true love,
i Words cannot describe my love for
'ou! I would climb the highest mountain
look into your eyes so blue. I would
jswim the swiftest river for one word
from your divine lips.
iP.S. I'll be over Saturday night
idoesn't rain."
if it
What, you may ask, does this have to
Jo with tithing: Perhaps nothing,
Derhaps everything. It all depends
pn how concretely we under-
stand the love of God to be.
■ It's all too easy to say that
God is a spirit whose nature
s love. This can be a quick
"oute to practical atheism, this
llih characterization of an
ibstract concept. It is also contrary to
he biblical picture of God. In both
-lebrew and Christian scripture, the love
bf God reveals itself in concrete experi-
;nces and invites visible responses from
hose who have eyes to see and ears to
iiear.
The first expression of God's love is
;reation. The whole of creation is the
result of God's reaching out, speaking
lis Word and letting that Word take
jnaterial form. The biblical faith is that
)ur lives and all that surrounds us are
xpressions of God's love that we can
eel, see, hear, taste, and smell.
A second expression of the divine love
s a call to relationship that we name the
fovenant. It is a declaration that God
!:ontinues to be involved in the affairs of
lis creation. It is an invitation to become
reative partners with God.
This covenant was understood in
' jlifferent ways by God's people. Some-
imes it appeared simply as a statement
of God's unmerited grace, as ih the
promise to Noah following the flood, or
in Jesus 's teaching that the rain blesses
the just and unjust equally. At other
times the covenant is seen as a condi-
tional relationship, defining the kind of
response that will bring God's people
into the fulfillment of the promises of
creation.
The New Testament or New Covenant
carries the story a step further. God's
Word to all of creation is good news. The
point of it all is life, abundant life, life
heaped up and overflowing with God's
gifts. The new covenant is not a way to
get a greater share of God's gifts,
because those already have been given.
The new covenant is an invitation to find
fiillness of life by helping God fulfill the
God who gives. Giving is always tied to
our receiving. Hilbert Berger, a steward-
ship consultant, reminds us, "God never
asks us to give anything that God has not
already given us." This applies to time,
abilities, and the material world. All of
these are necessary to life.
Some persons feel uncomfortable when
the talk about giving turns to specifics.
The nature of giving, however, is such
that we not only need to form the
intention to give but deliberate on the
size and meaning of our gift. It is true
that Jesus did not, in so many words,
advocate or dismiss the tithe. In the only
specific reference, he seemed to place it
in the context of one's total response to
God — part of the covenant commitment.
Thinking of the tithe in this way
removes it from the status of
a religious tax and makes
it part of our ongoing
discussion of
vision
of creation —
a world in which love
controls the lives of the descen-
dants of Adam and Eve.
And so we come to what it means to
love God. There are many places
in scripture where love is mentioned. For
our present purpose, however, John 3:16
is sufficient. "For God so loved
the world . . . ," we read, "that he gave
his only son." In this one concrete
human/divine life there is both action on
our behalf and example for our response.
Loving and giving are virtually synony-
mous.
This is the point at which we too often
get sidetracked. If we think of loving in
abstract terms we tend also to see giving
abstractly. So we need continually to go
to the roots of our faith which lie in the
how much God has blessed us
and how much we can pass on
to continue the work of love that
God's grace has begun in us. In
this kind of consideration, tithing
becomes a part of our continuing
efforts to grow into the fullness of
the stature of Christ. Tithing takes its
place alongside other spiritual
disciplines that are part of our
response to God's call.
Ai.
Wayne J. Eberly is director of Stewardship
Education on the General Services Commission
staff.
May/June 1994 Messenger 29
Responding to
a blue-light special
The blue lights flashing behind
me were announcing to the world:
'Another so-called Supermom
bites the dust. '
I
by Phyllis H. Grain
quailed when I saw
the state trooper in the oncom-
ing traffic lane. I didn't have to look at
my speedometer to know that I was
driving more than 25 miles over the
speed limit. I checked my rearview
mirror, praying not to see brake lights.
Rats! No such luck!
I already was having "that kind of
morning." I had hit the "snooze" button
on the alarm clock two times too many. I
couldn't get my hair dry enough to style.
There wasn't enough time to cook
pancakes for the family, and there wasn't
any milk for cold cereal. The clothes I
had laid out for my five-year-
old son weren't the
clothes he wanted to wear to
school. My 15-year-old daughter needed
money for a field trip, but I had forgotter
to stop by the bank and cash a check the
day before. I was running late for a
meeting in Greenville. S.C, which was
45 miles away, and I had 30 minutes to
get there. And now the blue lights
flashing behind me were announcing to i
the world: "Another so-called Supermon
bites the dust."
I pulled into a restaurant parking lot.
To my surprise, the trooper did not pull
up behind me in the usual "speeding
ticket" position. Instead, he pulled
around me to the right . . . very slowly
. . . and then parked on my left with his
window even with mine.
I lowered my window and, in my mos'
30 Messenger May /June 1994
essed-are-the-meek voice, said, "Good
oming, sir." I forced a smile and
mmented on the beautiful morning,
le trooper did not smile. He did not
knowledge that it even was morning,
uch less a beautiful one. He wrote on a
d in his hand what I prayed was not a
ceding ticket.
Finally, he made eye contact with me
d gruffly asked, "What does your tag
san?"
"My . . . my tog?" I asked, forgetting
amentarily that I had a vanity license
ate that reads "BRETHREN." Watch-
g the flashing blue lights reflect off my
ndshield, I thought, "This had better
good."
Should I speak of Schwarzenau and
jrmantown. Pietists and Anabaptists,
exander Mack and M.R. Zigler? The
tual seconds seemed like long minutes
fore I began my answer to the waiting
)oper.
"The Brethren ... the Church of the
ethren ... is my denomination. It
gan in Germany nearly 300 years ago.
lere is only one Church of the Brethren
ngregation here in South Carolina . . .
small church in Travelers Rest, about
1 minutes from here. Have you ever
ard of our denomination . . . ?"
The trooper answered sharply, "No."
I considered switching to the tack "We
; kind of like the Baptists," but went
1 in my original direction: "My
ngregation is back near Tryon (just
er the border in North Carolina). It is
small congregation of about 100
smbers. We Brethren are Protestants
d one of the historic peace churches
nscientiously opposing war."
I caught myself. "Just great, Phyllis," I
ought, "This guy probably is a Viet-
m vet." The trooper appeared to be
growing impatient, so I hurried on to
finish my capsulizing of Brethren beliefs
in layman terms.
"We Brethren consider the New
Testament to be our creed. The word
'brethren' is used in the New Testament
as an affectionate way of referring to one
another as brothers and sisters in
Christ." I had a feeling that this hadn't
come out just right, but maybe it sounded
good to the trooper, so I went on. "We
are into service and living out Christ's
teachings on human relationships. For
example, our Brethren Disaster Relief
team spent a year in Charleston helping
clean up and rebuild after Hurricane
Hugo came through. Maybe you are
familiar with the Matthew passage "As
you did it to one of the least of these . . .
you did it to me?"
Tt
he trooper nodded, and I continued.
"1 put 'BRETHREN' on my license plate
for two reasons. I believe the Church of
the Brethren is one of the best kept
secrets in the world and I want people to
see my license plate and wonder 'What
does that mean?" Maybe they will ask me
or take the time to find out. And I want
everyone who sees my plate to know that
in a time when we focus on our differ-
ences more than on our similarities, we
need a reminder that we are all God's
children . . . brothers and sisters . . .
Brethren."
The trooper got out of his car, walked
to the rear of mine, and looked at my
license plate again. He came back to my
window and asked, "Y'all think y'all
gonna be the first up at the rapture?"
I didn't catch his joke. I said, "Well,
no. We haven't ever concerned ourselves
with how many or in what order folks
will be beamed up."
I thought grimly, "Well, we haven 't.
We're too busy writing letters to Messen-
ger fussing among ourselves about
whether our name is inclusive enough."
Then the trooper pointed out that at
the top of my license plate is the North
Carolina boast "First in Flight," with a
silhouette of the Wright brothers'
airplane. "Oh! 'First in Flight: Breth-
ren.' Now I get it!" Well, that's a secure
retirement thought. 1 laughed weakly.
A hint of a smile appeared on the
trooper's face. He said, "I didn't have my
radar on."
"Oh! You didn Y?" I gasped audibly,
whispering inaudibly, "Thank you, God."
The trooper went on. "I turned around
and followed you because you looked so
incredibly guilty."
I thought, "That wasn't guilt. It was
sheer, unadulterated fear — fear of a
speeding ticket and higher insurance
rates."
The trooper's final comment was more
of a rhetorical question: "How about
slowing down so none of us meets our
Maker prematurely?"
As the blue lights finally stopped
flashing, and the trooper pulled away, I
responded, "Yes, sir. I will try to do
that," hedging with "try" instead of
"promise."
Driving on to my meeting ... a bit
more slowly than before ... I pondered
that word "Brethren." In response to
another rhetorial question posed years
ago, "Would a rose by any other name
smell as sweet?" Somehow, I
don't think so.
Phyllis H. Grain is a member of Mill Creek
Church of the Brethren, near Tryon. N. C. She is
coordinator of instruction for a school district in
Spartanburg. S.C.
May/June 1 994 Messenger 31
Growing old: Is the best yet to be?
/ don 't know of I am getting old, but I am aging. In spite of this, I want
my life to be meaningful and useful as long as God gives me breath.
by Paul M. Robinson
When does a person become old?
Popular opinion regards anyone who has
lived the biblical fourscore years as being
old. I recently celebrated my 80th
birthday, but I don't feel old. I know that
I have lived a long time, but that does
not make me feel really different from
the way I felt at 60.
I have known people who seemed old
at 25, and others who seemed remark-
ably young at 95. We are coming to
realize that old age is not just a matter of
years, but of attitudes and perspectives
that help to determine what life will be
like for that ever increasing group of
citizens whom we euphemistically refer
to as "older adults."
Unfortunately, too many of us are
launched into this inevitable process
with very little preparation or reflection.
We just grow older day by day with little
thought for the direction in which our
older years are leading us. Some of our
churches, including my own, have
developed significantly helpful programs
for older adults, providing counsel and
support for the aging process. Because
growing old graceftilly is such a chal-
lenging and potentially rewarding
experience, I am offering a few sugges-
tions for meeting the challenge and
enhancing the potential for rewards.
Plan for the future
This seems so obvious. Yet it is amazing
to discover how many people are totally
unprepared for the changes that develop
in the aging process. We are taught to be
economically provident in younger years
so that we will be financially secure in
old age. But too often little thought is
given to the emotional and psychological
security that is important in changing
life situations.
Retirement from employment can be a
great blessing. It provides freedom from
32 Messenger May/June 1994
a work commitment schedule that has
dominated most of our life. It allows us
to pursue hobbies and special interests
for which there was little time in
working years. But for some people,
retirement is a traumatic and devastating
experience. They no longer feel sup-
ported by the significant relationships
that their employment provided. They
begin to lose their sense of identity as
they see others doing the work that was
once so significant for them. In retire-
Applying 'Oil (
by Hubert R. Newcomer
There is a commercial product called
"Oil of Olay." If you don't know about it,
you don't see magazine ads or watch TV
commercials. Oil of Olay claims to work
wonders for you in retaining your youth.
This lotion will keep your skin soft and
smooth and supple; it will wipe away the
wrinkles. After all, who doesn't want to
stay young? So much for those claims.
A learning from the Church of the
Brethren first National Older Adult
Conference (NO AC) in 1992 revealed
that most older adults are quite satisfied,
thank you, to be the age they are. The
more than 600 people who shared in that
Lake Junaluska experience were a living
example of what Betty Friedan in her
book The Fountain of Age refers to as
"vital aging."
They had no need for "Oil of Olay" to
keep them young. The "Oil of OF Age"
kept them vital as the years passed.
And NO AC at Lake Jxmaluska in the
foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains
was an exciting application of that
vitalizing "oil."
"Oil of or Age" is an attitude, an
attitude that can honestly say "yes" to
our years as we grow older. While
society in general, and too often the
medical community in particular, tends to
see our years after 50 as a degenerative
"disease" plunging us downhill to-ward
death, that was not evident among those
first NOACers. Rather, there was an air
of gratitude and anticipation about God's
gift of life in older years.
In some ways, it was like "old home
week." People whose paths had crossed
in various ways over the years, and
others whose paths were crossing for the
first time, found joy in being together.
Greetings and embraces were epidemic
that week. The readiness to think deep
thoughts, an eagerness for new learn-
ings, and laughter and play were
stimulated by the plaimed and unplannec
activities of those four days. From i
meeting each new morning in ways j
special to the spiritual yearnings of each '
person, to the evening time of total groujj
worship and late evening activities and
conversation, the days were filled with
options for study/discussion groups,
recreation activities, lectures, crafts,
visiting and resting as needed. Oh yes,
and don't forget those times of breaking;
bread together buffet-style, morning,
noon, and evening.
c
'crtainly most older adults enjoy
being in intergenerational settings. The^
delight especially in children. But at
NOAC there was expressed appreciatioi
for being together that week with peers,,
testifying to common experiences, joys,
concerns, dreams, and hopes. Hearing
;nt years, filling our free time with
tivities that may take on new meaning
r us, such as volunteer service in
mmunity agencies or church, the
rsuit of creative hobbies, or learning
w skills becomes not only desirable.
['Age'
i insights and absorbing the feelings of
jsenters, many of whom were of their
m age group, was not only challenging
NOACers but also inspiring and
art-warming. Listening to Paul M.
)binson say, "There have been times
len I have felt like a has-been, but
rtainly not this week," struck a chord
understanding for many. Or to hear
)ward Uhrig comment, "This has been
I greatest experience of my life,"
cumented something of the depth of
iritual and emotional involvement
ared by others. Or to listen to presenter
izabeth Welch, author of Learning to
■ 85 and a member of a jazz band back
me, pound out on the piano "When the
)11 is Called Up Yonder" was to put
ver the hill" out of one's vocabulary.
That first NO AC was a venture into
; unknown. The planners needed to
termine what would be an appropriate
:ation/setting for that kind of gather-
l- They needed to guess at how many
ople would respond to an event that
d never happened before in the Church
the Brethren. They needed to plan a
[ledule and a program that would make
ople want to be there. They needed to
list leadership that would meet the
:erests of those they hoped would
end. And it was a venture into the yet-
■be for those 62 1 brave souls who
iistered for that first NO AC. They had
' one to ask what such a conference
"Oil ofOl'Age" seems to have been applied heavily on these dance-
floor participants at NOAC 1. Enthusiasm for the conference was so
great that NOAC 2 was scheduled for only two years later.
was like or if it would be worth their
time and money.
But the planners planned, the regis-
trants registered, and they came together
by car, by bus, by train, by plane for a
week not soon to be forgotten. It was
observed there that if the average age of
those attending was 70, NOAC had
brought together more than 43,000 years
of wisdom and experience, to say
nothing of the years of such obvious
older adult vitality.
Wh
hile most of us find some consider-
able satisfaction in having someone say
to us, "You surely don't look that old,"
and we may have second thoughts about
being referred to as "the elderly," still
the "Oil ofOl'Age" keeps us happy with
and grateful for the years that we are
being given. The hundreds of evaluations
that were turned in at the end of the first
NOAC were not without some helpfiil
suggestions and concerns, but they were
overwhelmingly positive about what had
happened that week. When responding
to the question of how often NOAC
should be held, with some structured
hint of every four years, many evalua-
tive comments were "I want to come to
the next one and I may not be able to
wait four years." So the next one is
coming this year, 1 994, two years after
the first one.
What to expect of NOAC 2? Ask
someone who attended NOAC 1 .
Obviously, there will be some differ-
ences in terms of program, leadership,
and schedule, but there will be more of
the same in terms of motivation,
values, renewal, challenge, interest,
and vitality. As was true with the first
NOAC, it will be true also with NOAC
2 that the atmosphere and beauty of
Lake Junaluska will greatly enhance
the experience.
What of the "Oil ofOl'Age"? ft
works! ft is an attitude about growing
older, ft is helpfiil to start using \it
it when you are young. I
Hubert R. Newcomer, who with his wife, Alice,
co-directed NOAC I, is a member of Manchester
Church of the Brethren, North Manchester, Ind.
He retired in 19S8 as executive director of The
Palms ofSebring (Fla.) retirement community.
May /June 1994 Messenger 33
Unified or not?
People sometimes ask me if Brethren Vision for the '90s (BV'90s) is part of the
unified budget of the General Board. If you answer this question "Yes" or "No,"
the answer is misleading. Brethren Vision for the '90s includes a broad group of
new program initiatives called for by our people and affirmed by Annual
Conference as the denominational goals for the 1990s. Money given to Brethren
Vision for the '90s goes only to those new program initiatives. In this sense,
BV'90s is not a part of the unified budget.
On the other hand, a number of BV'90s money goes directly into the unified
budget. In this sense, BV'90s is a part of the unified budget. Put it this way:
Brethren Vision for the '90s is a broad group of new initiatives that support and
expand the ongoing programs of the church, that is, the unified budget. Those
who give to BV'90s know that they are supporting the new initiatives called for
by Annual Conference, but they also know that they are supporting and strength-
ening ongoing programs of the church.
Let me illustrate: Annual Conference has called for an emphasis on evange-
lism and mission. We already had an evangelism program, but BV'90s added
$900,000 over a five-year period from 1991 through 1996. We already had
programs in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. BV'90s enables us to add
$450,000 to new work on those three continents.
Annual Conference called for a stronger focus on youth and family life. We
had an existing youth program, but we were able to add $372,000 to it over a
five-year period. The enthusiastic response to this year's National Youth Confer-
ence is one result of our expanded youth program. We also were able to start a
new program in family ministry, which we did not have before.
Annual Conference asked for more emphasis on Bible and heritage. We
already produce church school curriculum and other heritage materials, but over
five years we have been able to add $109,000 to that effort. One result is the new
Jubilee curriculum for children. We have been able to add $96,000 to congrega-
tional resourcing, and $ 1 09,000 to support of the Germantown church in
Philadelphia as a heritage center.
Ministry training has received $ 1 76,000 it would not have had already. We
have been able to re-establish Urban Ministry with $108,000, a program that had
been dropped from the unified budget.
These illustrations show how Brethren Vision for the '90s has supported and
expanded the existing programs of the unified budget. Readers may be aware
that the General Board needed to reduce existing programs by some $400,000 in
1994. This is not caused by BV'90s, for without it the reductions would have
been greater. These reductions result from flat giving from the congregations to
the General Board over the past seven years while insurance and other costs have
been increasing about $200,000 a year. The result is reduction in programs
supported by the unified budget.
BV'90s overlaps the unified budget, supporting it while bringing new initia-
tives called for by the denomination. Is BV'90s a designated fund and therefore
separate from the unified budget? Yes it is. Does Brethren Vision for the '90s
support the unified budget? Indeed it does. — Donald E. Miller
Donald E. Miller is general secretary of the Church of the Brethren.
but necessary as life takes on new shapes
and directions.
My wife, Mary, and I have found it
helpfiil to have both short-range and
long-range plans for our fiiture. When I
34 Messenger May/June 1994
retired from the presidency of Bethany
Theological Seminary, it seemed right to
accept the pastorate of a congregation.
Again upon retirement, the next step was
a brief interim pastorate. When health
became a factor in our plarming, we
moved to a climate more friendly to our I
needs and disabilities. The next step wil]|
be a move to a retirement home. But
each decision was made in the light of
current needs, leaving open future
choices as our changing situation would \
determine. f
Expect and accept changes
Life is a succession of changing experi-
ences that are bound to continue as we
grow older. It is natural for us to becoms
comfortable in what we have adjusted to
so that we would like everything to
remain as it is as the years go by. But,
realistically, we know that aging brings
with it new and different circumstances n
with which we must cope. Sometimes,
these are related to diminishing good
health or even serious illness. We often
must face the death of a spouse or close
friends. We may find it necessary to
move from familiar and friendly sur
roundings to a new and strange enviroi
ment. Older age most certainly brings
with it lessened energy and the inabilitji
to perform ordinary tasks in a manner t
which we are accustomed.
This sometimes creates frustration anl
even depression. Personality changes
may be noted by family and friends, for
as we grow older, little idiosyncrasies
that characterize our behavior become
more pronounced, and sometimes creat, ^
problems for those around us.
Moreover, we must learn to cope wit
unanticipated changes that will com-
pletely alter our expectations for the
fiiture. When a serious infection in myj f|i ■
foot became life-threatening, and I was
told that it would be necessary to
amputate my leg, I thought of somethii
I had recently read, "Life is what happe
while you are making other plans." Fo
years, I had been saying from the pulp
"You cannot always choose the circum
stances that will affect your life, but yc
can control your response to them." N(
I was forced to practice what I preache
I could easily have given in to my
disability, and been confined to a whef
chair, or I could determine to live my i
iSi|
tw
:«i
for
lie
, tenders oJWOAC 1 enjoyed "being together . . . with peers, testifying to common experiences,
\ IS, concerns, dreams, and hopes. " NOAC 2 promises to be just as rewarding an experience.
1 normally as possible in spite of my
J ability. Without becoming either stoic
3'whimpering, it is possible to face
lexpected and challenging circum-
mces with Christian grace and
>titude, in the assurance that God's
I ce will be sufficient for us, whatever
3 needs may be. To claim the divine
3 mise for strength and guidance is to
I ;t our future, whatever it may hold, to
-is loving care.
Be grateful for life, and use your
maining years in productive ways.
V first prayer in the morning is one of
ptitude for the gift of another day. So
eg as we are given life, we should use
)i days in ways that will fulfill God's
"pose for us. Gratitude is always an
1) ropriate response to every age of
kelopment. But in older years it
« omes even more important, not just as
cognition of God's sustaining
II cies, but as a cathartic renewal of our
own energies. If in old age, some parts of
our bodies do not work as well as when
they were younger, we should be gratefiil
for the ones that do.
Age brings with it an accumulation of
wisdom and experience too often
overlooked in the life of the church. On
the other hand, older people sometimes
feel that they have spent their lives in
activities that should now be taken over
by younger people. To overlook the
contribution that older people can make
within the church is a serious mistake.
But it is equally wrong for those of us in
our "golden years" to feel that age has
made us exempt from the claims of
Christ upon our lives. There is no age
limit for Christian service.
Accept the next great
adventure in life — death
Death is a natural consequence of life.
Yet, we rarely talk about it, much less
prepare ourselves for it. As we grow
older, most of us have less fear of death.
It may be God's way of preparing us for
this final change in our earthly pilgrim-
age. It should not be difficult for Chris-
tians to trust this last unknown frontier
to a loving God. Whatever heaven will
be like, we know that God is there with
the Savior we have served for a lifetime
and we will be with them in a glad
eternity.
So when do we get old? I really don't
know. I do know that I am aging. In
spite of this, I want my life to be mean-
ingful and useful as long as God gives
me breath. With poet Robert Browning,
would say, "Grow old along with me."
And if "the best is yet to be" sounds
unrealistic, let us, together
make it the best that it can be.
/it
Paul M. Robinson ser\'ed as president of Bethany
Theological Seminary 1952-1975. Afterward he
ser\'ed in the pastorate until complete retirement.
He is a member ofSebring (Fla.) Church of the
Brethren.
May/June 1994 Messenger 35
by Robin
Wentworth Mayer
Stepping Stones is a column offering
suggestions, perspecthes. and
opinions — snapshots of life — that we
hope are helpful to readers in their
Christian journey . As the writer said
in her first installment, "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. "
STONES
I gave the doctor my most
convincing "You've got to be
craz)!" look and said:
"You're going to break the
bone in my foot, put me in a
cast to my knee, and make
me walk on crutches for sLx
weeks for the sake of a toe
that's a little crooked?!"
So he ran through it again.
He showed me the X-ray,
explained how the toe had
healed wrong from a
previous surgery, told me
horror stories of how neglect
could lead to crippling
arthritis, and warned me that
if I put any weight on that
foot I'd have the same
problem again. He called in
his partner, who glanced at
the X-ray and said all the
same things.
So I put my affairs in order
and went imder the knife.
I thought I was prepared. I
had the idea that my Ufe
would be just "business as
usual," except that I'd be on
crutches. No big deal, right?
Wrong!
I didn't know what a cast
could do to one's balance. I
didn't know the maddening
frustration of not being able
to carry even the smallest
item. I didn't know the sheer
terror of staring at a stretch
of slippery sidewalk between
me and the door.
After just one day on
crutches I began hurting in
places where I didn't even
know I had places! My
biceps, triceps, and just-let-
me-die-ceps all groaned in
protest from the unfamiliar
work.
As I struggled with the
crutches, literally counting
the days imtil I would be rid
of them, I realized that my
situation was a living
allegory for the broader
spectrum of any recovery
process.
Some things have to be
broken in order to heal.
From the alcoholic who
"bottoms out," to the
womanizer whose wife
finally says "no more," and
leaves, to the cut-throat
executive who loses every-
thing, to the sinner who
prostrates himself before God
crying "Wretched man that I
am!"(Rom. 1:24) — some
things have to be broken in
order to heal.
For different reasons, all of
us have learned to cope in
less than perfect ways. And
we have crooked places.
Sometimes those crooked
places do not interfere with
our day-to-day fimctioning.
And some of them become a
center of dysfunction
requiring that a whole
lifestyle revolve around
them.
Some things have to be
broken in order to heal.
And in the recovery
process, we fmd, as I foimd
with my crutches, the second-
ary effects of recovery can be
just as difficult, if not more
so, than the primary problem.
Take, for example, the
workaholic dad who realizes
he has neglected his family
too long and rejoins them.
That is a good thing.
However, he is likely to
discover a wife and children
who have developed a
routine that works fine
without him and that is
disrupted by his involvement.
Or consider the woman
who pursues some personal
goals that have long been
"on hold." Again, it's a good
thing. But the side effect may
be a husband who feels
neglected that his shirts
aren't always ironed and
resentfiil that supper's not
always on the table on time.
Growth, recovery, and
healing are all good things,
and are always good things.
But just as the crutches,
although necessary to protect
my foot, brought pain to my
arms and shoulders, so the
process of recovery can stress
and stretch relationships.
But you know what? After
I made it through the initial
adjustment period, my arms
were strong enough to
support me ache-free.
Which you'll find holds
true in other healing
processes as well.
/HJ
Robin Wentworth Mayer, of
Edwardsburg, Mich., is pastor of
Pleasant Valley Church of the
Brethren. Middlebury. Ind. She
operates Stepping Stones Counseling J)
out ofWaterford (Ind.) Community
Church.
36 Messenger May/June 1994
The voice of
the mountains
by Harold S. Martin
-."i^ ''
n
r rom spring to early fall, many
families spend some time in the moun-
tains, enjojing the cool air and admiring
the surrounding beauty. From the earliest
days, believers have said along with the
psalmist David. "I will lift up my eyes
unto the hills." There is something about
hills and mountains that fascinate us.
Jesus seems to have liked the moimtains:
Jesus grew up in the hill coimtry of
Galilee.
It was to a mountain that he some-
times went to pray.
It was on a hillside that he preached
the Sermon on the Mount.
It was on "a high mountain" that he
was transfigured.
It was on the hill of Mount Calvary
that Jesus died.
Mountains have a prominent place in
the accounts gi\en in the Bible. Great
events of Bible times are often associated
with moimtains.
On a mountain, the ark rested after the
flood.
On Mount Moriah. Abraham prepared
to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice.
On Mount Sinai, the Ten Command-
ments were gi\en to Moses.
On Moimt Carmel. Elijah overcame
the prophets of Baal.
On Mount Gilboa. Saul and Jonathan
fell in battle.
On Moimt Nebo, Moses looked out
■^1
ft^WC^F'^'.
..^;k
over the Promised Land.
On Mount Calvary, Jesus died for our
sins.
From the Mount of Olives, Jesus
ascended to heaven.
The psalmist says, "As the mountains
surround Jerusalem, so the Lord sur-
Take Hold of Your Future...
roimds his people" (Psa. 125:2). There is
a minor distinction between hills and
mountains. Geologists define a moun-
tainous area as one that lies at least
2,000 feet above its surroundings. The
land surface has steep slopes and deep
valleys, and usually a variety of plant
...One Step at a Time.
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McPherson, Kansas 67460 • (316) 241-0731
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her college experience has taught
her a lot about independence, and
it's been a good blend ofenjoytnent
and cliallenges. "
Pastor Roger and Mildred Hai'ding
Cherry Grove
Church of the Brethren.
Lanark, IL
Mildred and Roger Harding
(with Lara '97)
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*Awards are available for up to four years provided students remain eligible.
Some awards are based on financial need and availability of funds.
McPherson College welcomes all applicants
regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or physical or emotional disability.
38 Messenger May/June 1994
life. Hills generally are elevations less
than 2,000 feet high. Mountains have
some significant lessons to teach us.
Mountains become
beneficial servants of humanity
Mountains influence rainfall. As the air
rises, it cools and expands, and fi-e-
quently rain falls. Thus mountains are
related to climate and crop productivity.
Mountains become the source of
rivers, and rivers are a source of beauty
and refreshment. Every river and stream
from the tiniest brook to the mighty
:
Amazon owes its movement to the
mountains and the higher elevations of
earth. The mountains cause the air
currents to rise and cool. The excess
moisture drops as rain, and then the rair'
water and melting snow form streams
that rush into the valleys below. There-
fore we can say that the mountain is at
work in the valley below where the
people live, and where little homesteads
cluster about the countryside with its
green pastures and its quiet waters. If
there were no mountains, and if all the
earth were a flat surface, the land areas
would become a dull, marshy wilderness"
Mountains are simply a part of God's
good creation, and one more evidence oil
the wisdom of the Creator.
Mountains call forth lofty aspirations'
The voice of the mountains is a constant^
invitation to climb. We were driving
along one of the highways just northwes'
of Harrisburg, Pa., one Sunday morning,
on the way to a church service, and I sai
to our 1 0-year-old daughter, "Look at
that high mountain over there." And
almost before I had finished the sen-
(!
nee, she said, "Let's climb it!" There is
imething about the strength and
ajesty of mountains that makes us want
aspire to greater things. The very
mosphere of the Alpine heights is like
tonic that makes us yearn to rise higher,
le tremendous mountains are a reminder
"God's strength and stability, and these
lalities overwhelm the soul, and make
1 want to display the same characteristics.
The strength and stability and height
"the mountains should challenge us to
; strong, and to reach for new heights.
le hymnwriter says, "I'm pressing on
e upward way, new heights I'm
lining every day; still praying as I
iward bound, 'Lord plant my feet on
gher ground.'" It should be the aim of
ch of us to live above the world and to
ale new heights as we continue on in
ejoumey of life.
Mountains are a place
to extend one's vision
OSes climbed Mount Nebo and God
ive him a vision of the Promised Land,
euteronomy 34: 1 says, "Then Moses
ent up fi^om the plains of Moab to
ount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which
opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed
m the whole land." From a mountain,
OSes was given a vision of the land of
maan.
No one will ever accomplish much
ithout a vision. The book of Proverbs
minds us that "Where there is no
sion, the people perish" (Prov. 29:18,
JV). Many people who read the
issage in Proverbs think that "the
sion" means one must look into the
ture and plan big things. But the
ebrew word translated as "vision" in
overbs 29 is primarily a reference to
he will of God" as expressed in his
'ord. The vision about which the
overb speaks is the act of getting a
)od clear look at God's Word. If God's
'ord is not kept constantly in view (if
ir vision of Bible truth is limited), we
ion break loose from allegiance to it,
id spiritually we perish.
When we get to the top of a high
ountain, we can really see around —
id just so, when we get into the study of
At the Messenger Dinner, we aren't
promising a rose garden . . .
. . . just the author who made
that line famous.
Joanne Greenberg, author of
I Never Promised Youa Rose
GardeniNAL-Dutton, 1989),
and other novels and stories, is
the speaker for our annual
Messenger dinner. Hear how
JoanneGreenberg'sfaithis
reflected in her writings.
CINN
June 30, 1994
Wichita, Kan.
Tickets available at Annual
Conference ticket sales in Wichita
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May/June 1994 Messenger 39
the Word of God, our vision becomes
enlarged, and we are able to probe more
of the wonders of God's truth. Getting up
into the mountains and looking around
should remind us of the need to get into
the Word of God and enlarge our vision
of heavenly truth. Where there is no
vision (no frequent viewing of the Word
of God) — people become indifferent.
soft, pleasure-seeking, and self-centered.
Where there is no vision there is no
accomplishment.
Mountains are symbols of
calamities of life's journey
Jesus spoke of obstacles and difficulties
in life as "mountains" which can only be
removed by faith. He said, "If you have
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faith the size of a grain of mustard seed,-
you will say to this mountain, 'Move
from here to there,' and it will move"
(Matt. 17:20).
According to a magazine advertisement,:
the United States Steel Company manu-
factures giant machines called "earth
movers." It has produced a huge vehicle
"The Big Dipper," which stands 20 stories
high, has the world's longest shovel, and
can scoop up huge quantities of dirt and ■
shale (and even solid rock) in a relatively,
short time. The company claim to be able
to move mountains with it.
There are physical mountains such as
we see in the Rockies and in the Appala-i
chians, but there are also spiritual
mountains. There is, for example, the
mountain of disappointment. We are
moving ahead with plans for the fiiture,
when suddenly there is a death in the
family, strife in the home, or a lingering
illness that forces a change in plans.
There is also the mountain of defeat.
Sometimes when faced with the chal-
lenge to move ahead in some new
venture, we have dreams of being
successfiil, but things don't turn out the
way we had hoped. All of us face
mountains frequently in our experience
of life. Jesus says that his followers are t(|
face them with a grain of faith, believing
that God is working things for our
welfare. We are to be convinced that he
sincerely cares for us. Absolutely nothinji
can overtake us apart from the Lord's
permission. God has everything under
control. Nothing can harm us beyond
God's plan. We are constantly under tha
shadow of the Almighty.
Mountains bring us face to
face with the great beyond
The mountain rises above the bounds
and limits of the inhabited areas of eartb|
and in a sense, brings us face to face
with the great beyond. We can't see whaj
is on the other side of the mountain. We
either have to accept what someone who
has been there tells us, or wait until we
get there ourselves.
Our family has several times stayed in
a small cabin at the 1 0,000-foot level om
the west side of the Continental Divide
in central Colorado. To see the towns or
40 Messenger May /June 1994
e east side of the Divide we had to
imb another few thousand feet. The
St year we were there, some of our sons
imbed to the top of the Divide and saw
s beautiful town of St. Elmo on the
her side. Several years later, I made it
the top of the Divide and saw St. Elmo
ith my own eyes. Standing on the top
that mountain and looking at the other
ie, was one of the high points of my
e. I no longer had to rely on what
meone told me; I saw the beauty of it
ith my own eyes. From the top of that
Duntain the mind began to wonder
lat it must be like in the eternal world,
irely the half has not been told us.
From the top of a mountain one can
e things that can never be seen in the
lley. That is why we have often heard
2 phrase "a mountain top experi-
ce" — perhaps in connection with some
me Bible study sessions, a revival
;eting, or a weekend Bible conference,
lese are times when we get new
impses of God's creative power and a
w zeal for being more carefiil about
ir daily Christian walk.
There is an awe about the massive
ountains that brings deep emotion to
s human spirit. How puny each of us
ems beside the everlasting hills. How
lall we are when compared to the
eatness of God's creation. The Creator
nply spoke the word and all the
liverse came into being, and Revelation
14-16 says that some day God is going
speak the word again (this time in
dgment), and mountains and islands
ill be moved out of their places. People
ill become terrified and will cry to the
ountains, and say "Fall on us and hide
from the face of the one seated on the
rone and from the wrath of the Lamb."
irely it is the part of wisdom to prepare
)w for that great day. We learn in
jhesians 2:12-13 that, by virtue of the
oning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the
oss, all believers have access to the
)ly presence of Almighty God — the one
ho made the mountains and who
eated humans in his own image.
Ai.
Harold S. Martin is a free minister sending
easant Hill Church of the Brethren, near Spring
■ove. Pa., and is editor ofBKF Witness, a
blication of Brethren Revival Fellowship.
Qt
Pontius' Puddle
NOTICE: Church and district newsletters that reprint "Pontius ' Puddle " from
Messenger must pay $10 for each use to Joel Kaufftnann, 111 Carter Road.
Goshen. IN 46526.
I've &OT MOTHlMfr A&■^^^isr
THE B>9.UCftU COMtEPTS OP
WELLNESS ANO UOLlSTit
HEfcLTu. I'^^ josr
^FR^lC> TtAEY'Ll-
CONVE BETWEEN ^Ae
AMP THE PEOPLE
r SPEND WOSTOP
^AV TifAC With--
\^^
tAV DOCTOR I therapist;
^LlERItVST, TWe (JU^iSE-S
f>.TTHE (iuvsllC., W
CrtlROP^fktTOB. ,
TrtE STAPF OP
THE UOtM-
THE
IRan^
John
ttartso«g^
^"'^yEberly
AND
Combine an analytical, curious mind with a love
to learn. Add sensitivity and commitment to
basic values of church and family traditions.
The mixture's of a rare and remarkable man
like John Hartsough, '69 MC physics graduate,
veterinarian, BVSer, and fourth generation on
the family farm. His driving force? Motivating,
educating, and sustaining roots and wings for
the next generation.
MANCHESTER COLLEGE
TRADITION
Andy Eberly is quiet but effective. Sensitive
but rational. His appreciation of family
support and Biblical teachings makes him
among the rare and remarkable. A senior
physics major, track co-captain, and Campus
Ministry Board co-chair, Andy's leadership roles
and problem solving skills point to purpose and
direction. His plans? Law school and
opportunities to help the less fortunate.
VALUES * GLOBAL AWARENESS * FAITH * ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
* LEARNING * ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS * COMMUNITY
PEACE & JUSTICE * STEWARDSHIP * SERVICE
Write or call to receive more information on Manchester programs or stewardship
opportunities, to refer prospective students, or to let us know^ if you are planning a special
Manchester College does not discriminate on the basis of marital status, sex,
religion, race, color, national or ethnic origin, or handicap in the administration of its
educational policies, recruitment and admissions policies, scholarship and loan
programs, employment practices, and athletic or other college sponsored programs.
campus visit.
MANCHESTER
COLLEGE
• North Manchester, IN 46962 • (219) 982- 5000
May/June 1994 Messenger 41
Juniata
COLLEGE
Chaplain
Juniata College, a co-educational, lib-
eral arts college in beautiful central
Pennsylvania, invites applications
and nominations for the position of
chaplain. This is a full-time, ten-
month position reporting to the presi-
dent and working closely with the
student services staff.
The successful candidate should
be ordained in a Protestant denomi-
nation and be able to communicate
effectively on intellectual, spiritual,
and emotional levels to the college
community. Ecumenical and inter-
faith work experience, preferably on
a college campus, is strongly de-
sired.
Responsibilities include coordinat-
ing all campus worship and religious
programming; assuring regular pro-
gramming of faith development for
students, including Bible study, dis-
cussion groups, etc.; supervising the
campus ministry staff, advising the
campus ministry board in coopera-
tion with the Catholic campus
minster; and assuring staff support
for all other religious clubs and orga-
nizations on campus. The chaplain
will provide pastoral care and be an
advocate for ethics, justice, and
peace. The chaplain will continue to
enhance and maintain Juniata's rela-
tionships with the Church of the
Brethren at all levels, the Huntingdon
area churches, and the Coalition for
Christian Outreach, and assume pri-
mary responsibility for the Church-
College Relations Council.
Nominations and applications with
resume and three references should
be submitted to Mrs. Barbara M.
Rowe, Director of Personnel Ser-
vices, Juniata College, Huntingdon,
PA 1 6652, no later than June 1 , 1 994.
Juniata College is an Equal Oppor-
tunity Employer and encourages ap-
plications from women and ethnic mi-
norities.
Wilhelm and pluralism
Gregg Wilhelm, in "What's the Differ-
ence?" (April, page 21), seemed greatly
concerned about and ashamed of the
brother whose message "boiled down to a
proclamation of Jesus Christ as the sole
savior of humankind." The thrust of the
article seemed to be the embracing of all
religions.
Ecumenism, in many instances, is a
good thing. But when it comes to
salvation, we cannot be compromising
and pluralistic.
We reach a point where there must be
absolutes. Jesus said, "No one comes to
the father except through me" (John 14:6).
We should live at peace with all
people, but our first responsibility is to
live at peace with God. To do so, we
cannot compromise God's standards as
given in his Word.
Teresa Zumbrum
Lawrenceville. III.
• It should be noted that Gregg
Wilhelm, writing about pluralism in the
April Messenger, uses no scriptural
references in his arguments against the
uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the Savior
of the world.
His words are a strange mixture of
human philosophy and religious imagi-
nation, but they are without biblical
basis. John 14:6 and Acts 4:12 clearly
tell why we must be narrow on the point
of Jesus' imiqueness.
Being narrow on this point, however,
still does not give us the right to be ugly
toward those in other religions.
James F. Myer
Lititz. Pa.
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.
• I appreciated Gregg Wilhelm's
response to the On Earth Peace Assem-
bly (OEPA) seminar held last December.
Every OEPA meeting I have attended
has been excellent. The one on peace-
making from different religious perspec-
tives was no exception.
For many Brethren, knowledge of
our peace position is like a foreign
language. We don't understand it and
we don't care.
Wilhelm's observation that
Christians sometimes convert their zeal t
into hatred is accurate. In our progress
toward global peace, we need all the
help we can get.
David B. Knige
Lebanon, Pc
Ministry in a mine field
I was heartened by General Secretary
Don Miller's column, "No More of This
(March, page 22). I was overjoyed when
he said that churches can oppose easy
access to guns. Excuse me. Someone's a
my door.
Thanks for your patience. That was
our flower chairwoman, threatening '
to leave the church because someone
left some wedding flowers for the
communion table last Sunday without
first checking with her to see if it was
all right.
Where was I? Oh, yes, I was over-
joyed. And, of course, Don Miller made
a really cogent point when he suggestec
that we can insist that the quality of
mass media be . . . Excuse me again.
There's the phone.
I really am sorry. A choir member isi
upset by the "stupidity" of the choir
director search committee. It seems tha
one of his children had an adolescent
bout of jealousy over the new choir
director. It's either ax the new choir
director or several members of his famj
will leave. Take your pick.
The colimin speaks of the senseless
violence represented in our society witj
"disgusting regularity." It may be just
he says: "Hard-won traditions limiting
violence have been shockingly aban
doned." This is embarrassing. Would
k
!(
42 Messenger May/June 1 994
I
Serry.
May Be Her Only Hope
rhis Guatemalan woman weaves beautiful, brightly
colored cotton fabric, a Mayan cultural tradition
issed down from mother to daughter
)r centuries. Her only hope of
:taining this culture and
:r livelihood is You.
ERRV offers more than
900 Handmade crafts
cm 40 developing
juntries, all made by
lisans who receive
lir payment for
leir labors.
Please call Sheila Buttner at
1-800-723-3712 now
to see how your congregation
can become involved in this
important part of our World
Ministries Program.
SERRV Handcrafts
500 Main Street
New Windsor, MD
21776-0365
SERRV is a
non-profit program
of the Church of the
Brethren and a
member of the
International
Federation of
Alternative Trade.
The 21st
NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE
ON
CHRISTIAN PHILANTHROPY
Building the
Church Yet to Be—
Stewardship for the
2 1 St Century
U
September 21-24, 1994
Adam's Mark Hotel
Indianapolis, Indiana
Robert Wuthnow Eunice Poethig
Keynote Speaker Bible Study Leader
Robert Wood Lynn
Plenary Session
Biblical/theological presentations
and practical seminars.
Contact your denominational
stewardship office or
Ecumenical Center for Stewardship Studies
1100 W. 42nd Street, Suite 225
Indianapolis, IN 46208
Phone: 317-926-3525
you excuse me just one more time?
Someone's at my door again.
Thanks. The church board chairperson
really let me have it. How dare I write a
letter to the newspaper supporting a
peace rally in the town square? I am
supposed to be the pastor of this church,
not misrepresent it like that. This will be
dealt with at the next church board
meeting.
So, I couldn't agree more with the
general secretary. 'Violence is celebrated
in our time. As I leave the pastoral
ministry, however. I have a lingering
question: Afiter denying easy access to
guns and challenging the violence of the
media, will someone then have the
courage to look at the mine field we call
the church?
Jesus has spoken. And his words "No
more of this" maybe are especially for
the church.
Michael Morra
Lafayette. Im
Jesus didn't dread death
How sad that Ryan Ahlgrim, in "Facing
Our Last Enemy" (April, page 16),
presents death as "terribly frightening,
cruel, and unfair, robbing us of hope,
love, and meaning."
To one who believes in God's prom-
ises, death is a blessed relief, the
entrance to heaven. The "cup" that Jesu
dreaded was not death, but the pro-
longed, agonizing pain of crucifixion.
As believers, let us have no fear of
death, but center our interest on serving!
In ^eautlfuCCentrdJ^[orida
lmk'pm(knt Living •!Assisied Living'
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Social and Recreational Programs
Laundry Service
Barber/Beautician on Premises
Guest Meals
Cable Ready
Special Outings
Religious Services
Rehabilitative
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Library
Affiliated with Florida Brethren Homes, Inc.
*The Assisted Living Facility does not provide complex 24-hour nursing care.
A home where you have friends.
Come live with us!
1-800-248-2681 (in FL)
813-385-0161 or 813-382-4440
The Palms of Sebring,
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I'm interested in
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□ Assisted LivingQ Independent Living
Name
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Phone
44 Messenger May /June 1994
Word From The Moderator
Lord each day that is given to us
e, before we are called to be with him
;r there.
Viola N. Whitehead
North Manchester, Ind
eading not guilty
garding the January editorial on
ism, how long must we feel the guilt
a wrong that was committed by our
efathers 400 years ago?
4any of our Christian brothers own
1 enjoy the wealth of the land that was
en from Native Americans by force
1 without compensation. The bottom
; is that we Christians took the land
^ood faith and homesteaded it. We
;d the blacks and enslaved the redmen
reservations. Fifty years ago we
ght the Germans and Japanese to
keep the world free. That our nations are
friendly today does not mean that we
forgot history. Rather, we forgot the
hatred and held out a hand of friendship.
If the editor is sincere in wanting to
tilt the field in favor of African Ameri-
cans, I challenge him to step down and
elevate an African American to his
position. That would tilt the field and
make history that is not easy to run away
from.
Words come easy to a word merchant,
but where is the sacrifice?
James Denlinger
Kettering, Ohio
We depended on Shawn
The article "The Dependable One"
(April, page 12) so aptly describes
Shawn Replogle and confirms what
The Wichita Annual Conference is
rapidly approaching. Brethren will
gather from around the world. Delegates
from churches will grapple with issues.
Families, some on vacation, will partici-
pate in the Big Meeting.
Controversies rage among us, often
sidetracking us from the priority mission
of the church. While our differences may
be borne out of theological and cultural
diversities, the call to harmony in Christ
always must be clear. The rallying focus
should be as the Portland Annual
Conference paper expresses, "that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God, Savior of the
world, and head of the church."
Jurgen Moltmann stated it thus: "The
nearer we come to Christ, the nearer we
come together." Let us approach Wichita
prayerfully resolved to share the love,
respect, and Christlikeness with all of
God's children.
Earl K. Ziegler
1994 Annual Conference Moderator
(?:
c
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The Brethren Hom.
^^ffordable m etirement Uhoices
S
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Secure, comfortable retirement in a not for
profit Christian community. Accredited by the
Continuing Care Accreditation Commission of the
American Association of Homes for the Aging. A
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(717) 624-2161
2990 Carlisle Pike
P.O. Box 128
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Please send information:
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M 5/94
May /June 1994 Messenger 45
BRF
A BRF CORNER
Brethren Revival Fellowship is a
loyal conservative concern movement
within the Church of the Brethren. The
goal is to encourage faithfulness to the
simple biblicism expoused by our
Anabaptist forebears.
BRF's Articles of Incorporation say
that the Fellowship "shall bear witness
to the truth as set forth in the Bible (as
historically Interpreted by the Church of
the Brethren) with unswerving loyalty to
Jesus Christ and the trustworthiness of
Scripture."
The BRF Articles of Incorporation
continue by stressing that
"Uncompromising integrity and love for
the brethren (expressed through respect
for those who may differ) shall be
maintained in the witness of BRF. It
shall always be recognized however,
that love and respect for those who
may differ, does not preclude vigorous
challenge to viewpoints represented."
BRF plans to purchase space in
Messenger five or six times each year
and furnish a "BRF Corner." For more
information about BRF, write to:
BRETHREN REVIVAL FELLOWSHIP
Route 10, Box 201 -N
York, PA 17404
many of us in Bridgewater already knew
about this talented young man.
Shawn was involved in the life of the
church and college and was a summer
From the
Office of Human Resources
Officer, Planned Giving (Far Southeast)
Quarter-time position working in Atlantic
Southeast District.
Officer, Planned Giving (Far West)
Half-time position working with Oregon/
Washington. Idaho, and Pacific Southwest
Districts.
• It would be helpful to live in the
general geographical area for either
postion;
• Requires someone who can relate
well to people, develop deferred and
special gifts support for General Board
programs, and assist donors with their
financial gift planning.
Positions available on July 1. 1994.
For prompt consideration call
Barbara Greenwald (800) 323-8039
employee of mine in the college book
store in his student days. We could
depend on him to perform his duties
superbly.
It is gratifying to know that Shawn
will enter seminary this fall. The church
will benefit fi"om his training, dedication
and commitment to his faith.
Leon W. Rhode.
Bridgewater, Va
"Yow!"forRaschka
"Yow!" As a volunteer in the local
public library, I had the pleasure to put
Christopher Raschka's Yo! Yes? (April,)
page 2) on the shelf for our children to
enjoy.
The children at Hope Church of the
Brethren in Freeport, Mich., also have
heard the stories R andMand Benjamin
Brody 's Backyard Bag. We like Chris
Raschka's work.
Sarah Anne Milk
Lake Odessa, Mid
CLASSIFIED ADS
ARTISTS— if you are interested in any media or area (art,
music, drama, dance, film, etc.), AACB (Association for the
Arts in the Church of the Brethren) would appreciate receiv-
ing your application before or during Annual Conference in
Wichita. For further info, write: Joyce Parker, Secretary of
AACB, 1293 Laurel Drive, West Salem, OH 44287
FOR SALE— Private, licensed residential care home in
McPherson, Kan. Nice income potential for caring people.
The clean home has private rooms for four residents and
separate living suite for the caregivers. All-brick home
features newer roof, garden area, and mature trees. All
surrounded by a quiet neighborhood with a view of the lake
and nearby park. The home is located near the Church of the
Brethren and McPherson College. For more info, write:
Kathy Ball, Sheets/Adams Realtors, 1020 North Main,
McPherson, KS 67460. Tel.: (316) 241-3648.
FOR SALE— "Our Family Books" by Mason. John Mason &
Man/ Ann Millet of Virginia— ^ 986; Ziegler Family Record
(Revised)— 1990; Shank Family Recorcl-^B92■, Michael
Miller Family Record— ]993; John Wampler & Magdalena
Garber-m progress; John H. Gather Family Record— m
progress; Nicholas Garber Family Record— m progress.
Please write for prices and more information. Send long
SASE. Floyd R. Mason, 11 5 E. Rainbow Drive, Bridgewater,
VA22812.
TOUR— Australia and New Zealand with Bridgewater Col-
lege President WayneF.Geisert.17-daytourCairns, Sydney,
Canberra, Melbourne, Christchurch, Queenstown , Mt. Cook,
46 Messenger May/June 1994
Auckland, and Rotooia. Leaves September 17. Returns
October 3. Cost (roundtrip airfare frow west coast, first-
class accommodations, 23 meals, and entertainment) $3,295
per person, double occupancy. Optional excursion available
to Fiji. For info, brochure, write: Australia/New Zealand
Tour, c/o Wayne F. Geisert, Bridgewater College,
Bridgewater, VA 22812-1599. Tel. (703) 828-2501, ext.
1300.
TRAVEL— Tour Japan June 12-21; Alpine Tour in Germany,
Austria & Switzerland June 16-July 1; Spain and Portugal
July 22-Aug. 5; Great Britain Aug. 9-26; China and Hong
Kong Oct. 5-18; Musical Tourto Vienna, Austria & Budapest,
Hungary Nov. 7-16; Christmastime in Switzerland & Ger-
many Nov. 28-Dec. 6; Christmastime in Bavaria Dec. 5-13.
Hosted through Juniata College. For further info, contact:
Gateway Travel Center Inc., 606 Mifflin Street, Huntingdon,
PA 16652-0595. Tel. (800) 322-5080.
TRAVEL— Israel/Egypt Holiday. Wendell & Joan Bohrer,
Fred & Nancy Swartz host a tour to Israel and Egypt. Aug.
8-1 8, 1 994. 1 1 -day tour includes travel to Jerusalem, the old
city. Dead Sea, Megiddo, Galilee, Cana, Mt. Carmel, Mt.
Nebo, Cairo, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Tomb of King Tut.
For info, write: Wendell & Joan Bohrer, 8520 Royal Meadow
Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46217. Tel. (317) 882-5067, or Fred &
Nancy Swartz, 1 0047 Nokesville Rd., Manassas, VA221 1 0.
Tel. (703) 369-3947.
TRAVEL— Spain, Portugal & Morocco with Becky and David
Waas. Sixteen days of memorable & rich experiences; visit
cultural centers in one of the most fascinating areas of tH
worid with a merging of Islamic, Christian & Jewish Iraq
tions. Visit the Alhambra in Granada, the Great Cathedrali
Seville, Medinas of Fez & Rabat; also Madrid, Lisba
Tangier, and others. October 5-20, 1994. For informatio
contact Becky and David Waas, 207 Damron Drive, Nop
Manchester, IN 46962. Tel. (219) 982-4687.
WANTED— Applications sought for a quarter-time paid pi
sition as Pacific Southwest District youth coordinator. Seij
names or inquiries to: Phyllis Eller, Pac. S.W. District offic
Box21 9, La Verne, CA 91 750, orcall (909) 593-2554. Salai
will be negotiated depending on qualifications and expaj
ence. Interviews begin in April. Employment projectedi
begin this summer.
WANTED— Poems for a tribute to poet Bill Stafford, Al
prose, short reflections, or stories. Also photos of poei
writers with Stafford. Need by Aug. 31. Contact Mc
Mitchell, 5650 Abbey Dr., Apt. 4-A, Lisle, IL 60532
WANTED— Mature married couple as full-time manage;
of an 8-bed emergency shelter (vacated 9-4 daily), li
cated 20 minutes northeast of US Capital in suburb;
liflaryland. No alcohol permitted. References requiri
Must be sensitive to needs of the homeless and be able
exert proper control. Benefits: free housing (entire fi
floor, including 2 bedrooms), utilities, and one moii
vacation. Send resumes and references to: Help-by-Phoii
Ltd., Box 324, Riverdale, MP 20738, or call the hotlinal
5 EST (301) 699-9009.
iw Members
elope V^alley, S. Plains:
Charles, Dorothy & Denise
Durkee. Lu & John Germer
crsneld.Pac.S.W.: Polly
Fenwick
r Creek, S. Ohio: Jonathan
Adams, Kelly Sizemore, Vicki
Ullery
^'erton, Mich . : Marlin Yager
ilehem, Virlina: Kim Webster
Creek, S. Plains: Travis
Beason, Laresa Pick, David
Gaut, Lawrence & Patricia
Harmon, Rormie Hickman,
Lonnie & Dorothy Howard. Jon
Mutschelknaus
li Creek, Mid-Atl.: Matthew &
Jenny Brunk, Alma& Robert
Green, Thelma Halliburton,
Diana Himes, Miriam Moore
ool, Mo./Ark.: Stephanie&
Timothy Sanders
mbersburg. S. Pa.: Andrew
Bard, Tricia Daugherty, Laura
Deardorff, Bryan Graham,
Robin Hambright, Alan
Meyers, Marah Ritchey, Todd
Shreiner. Brian Stoner, Alice
Snyder, Erick Wenger
jues, Atl.N.E.: Jason
Binder. Michelle Ebersole,
Lindsey Geib
1st Our Shepherd. S/C Ind.:
Kay Plasterer, Andrew Fry
orus, S.Pa.: RickPitzer
iville, Viriina: Dan & Cindy
Bamum-Steggerda. Karen
Shelton. David & Dorothy
Shumate
: Cocalico, Atl. N.E.: James
Adkins. Glenn & Marie
Eidemiller. Dayna Long. Faye
& Shawn Martin, Scott &
Kelly Weaver
m, S, Ohio: Roger& Barbara
Curry. Steve & Pam George,
Penny GifJin, Melissa Harper,
Lisa Heim, Max Howard.
Robert & Helen Jones, Richard
& Jean Lewis, Deb Lottes,
David Maddox, Tammy Miller,
David, Kris & Sara Preston,
Jerry Price, Jessica Reed,
Penny Rich
ibethtown, Atl.N.E: Martha
Beahm. Arl Haas, Howards
Kathy Haldeman, Carol Welsh,
David Willoughby
lart Valley, N Ind.:
ChnstopherCharlwood
mantown Brick, Virlina:
Justin & Karen Altice,
Matthew Angle. Beth Bowman,
Kyle & Taimer Spencer
ricane Creek, III. AVis.:
Matthew, Sara, Erin & Rachel
Dooly
'erne. Pac.S.W.: Don &
Esther Wickert
caster. Atl. N.E.: Jerry Brown,
Donna Buckwalter, Clyde &
Dorothy Cassel, Robert &
Emilie Dell, Curtis & Anna
Dubble, Emily Fuchs, Roy
Garber, EstherGibble, Audrey
Groff, David, Donna &
Michelle Hernandez, Joseph &
Ethel Howe, Richard &
PriscillaHurter, George Illig,
Dorothy Kaetz, Doris Kant.
Scott Keebler, Grace Leath,
Jeff & Sue Miley, Loren &
Eleanor Nedrow, Daryl & Ruth
Parmer. Violet Sacra. Leslie &
Lois Shallenberger, Doug
Shank, Russell & Dora
Shotzberger, Gregg
Shulenberger, Cheryl Smoker,
Mike, Brian & Mary Snyder,
Dana Statler. Linda & Andy
Zubko
Lima (Elm Street). N. Ohio: Erica
Rumer
Lincoln. W. Plains: Brian Christy
Lititz, Atl. N.E.: Thomas Badorf.
Michael & Nicholas Blose,
Nathan Brumbach. Kirsten
Crosby. Robert & Wendy
Diller. Nancy Ervvin. Berk
Gerdes. Ethan Gibbel. Kevin &
Betty Kelly. Karl Krieg. Marian
Leister, David & Karen
Longenecker, Sonya Martin,
Kendra Renn, Nicholas Rowe,
Dean & Jeanne Small. Mark &
Mary Stuckey, Heather Tennis,
Joshua Walton, Rebecca
WilliatTTS
Maple Grove, N. Ind.: Virgil &
Linda Gingerich, Jack &
John da Scheffers
Deaths
Andrews, Michelle, 27, Shippens-
burg.Pa..Jan.21.1994
Arnold, Robin. 38. Kaleva. Mich..
Feb. 4. 1994
Aungst, Charles. 9 1 , Leamersville.
Pa..Oct. 15, 1993
Bankus, Miriam. 77, Lancaster,
Pa..Feb. 13. 1994
Barnhart, Enmia, 99, Lafayette,
Ind., July 2. 1993
Boerner, Robert, 95, Waynesboro,
Pa.,Jan. 16. 1994
Boettler, Gladys. Massillon, Ohio,
Feb. 2, 1994
Book, Margaret. 83. La Verne.
Calif.Marchl 1.1994
Bower, Harry. 86. Harrisburg, Pa..
Dec. 18. 1993
Brandt, Katie. 94. Lancaster, Pa.,
Dec. 23, 1993
Bright, Clara, 70, Ashland. Ohio,
Jan. 24. 1994
Brown, Trent. 88, Lexington, Va.,
Jan. 5. 1994
Brown, Susie. 89. Fincastle. Va.,
May 26, 1993
Brubaker, Harold, 86, Pomona,
Calif, Nov. 2. 1993
Brumbaugh, Ruth, Saxton, Pa..
Jan. 26. 1994
Chittick, Ethel. 89, Rossville, Ind.,
Jan. 18. 1994
Cline, Dorothy. 90. Roanoke. Va..
Jan. 29. 1994
Cline. William, 54. Palmyra, Pa.,
Feb. 11.1994
CofTman, Eva. 88. Kalona. Iowa,
Jan. 9, 1994
Collins, Mary. Harrisonburg, Va..
Jan. 2, 1993
Collins, Ada, 75, Elizabethtown,
Pa.. Aug. 13,1993
Cottrell, Evelyn, 89, Long Beach,
Calif, Nov.20. 1993
Craun, Merrill. 73. Linville. Va.,
Feb. 1,1993
Daughtry, Bertha, 76. Reading.
Pa. Feb, 1.1994
Diehl, Robert. 78, Greensburg, Pa.,
Aug. 22, 1993
Ditterline. Mae. 80. Quakertown.
Pa..Jan. 13. 1994
Eash. Wilbur. 89. McPherson.
Kan, Jan. 1.1994
Edris,Paul.64.York.Pa.,
Jan. 5. 1994
Eisele, Bertha, 86, Lincoln, Neb..
Nov. 14. 1993
Eisenbise, Viola. 96, Palmyra, Pa.,
June 1, 1993
Eller, Fannie, 94, Bridgewater, Va.,
Jan. 5. 1994
Fahrney, Joann. 60, Chambersburg,
Pa.. Sept. 4. 1993
Feathers, Warren. 8 1 . Claysburg.
Pa.,Feb. 24. 1994
Fenninger, Milton. 8 1 . Ephrata.
Pa, Dec. 29. 1993
Fike, Dorothy, 75 , E I izabethtown,
Pa.,Sept. 15. 1993
Firebaugh, Joe. SO. Troutville,
Va.. Sept. 1.1993
Fisher, Lena. 89. West Alexandria.
Ohio, Sept. 20, 1993
Flora, Bemadine. 7 1 , Quinter,
Kan., Jan. 28. 1994
Forbes, Le Roy. 8 1 , Custer. Mich.,
Jan 23, 1994
Forney, Hulda, 9 1 , Elizabethtown.
Pa., July 9, 1993
Foster. Charies. 60. Boones Mill.
Va..Feb. 14. 1994
Fruitt. Floyd. 89, North
Manchester, Ind.. Jan. 1 1 , 1 994
Fyack. Clarence. 83. Golden City,
Mo.. Jan. 28. 1994
Gallagher, Howard, 82,
Uniontown, Pa..Jan. 7, 1994
Givler. Esther. 8 1 . Ephrata. Pa.,
Aug. 17.1993
Graybill, Edna. 94, Binghamton,
N.Y..Feb.2. 1994
Green. Ethel. 97. Thuimont, Md..
Jan. 3. 1994
Greeting. Estella, 90, Greenville,
Ohio, Jan. 3 1, 1994
Grubb. Sara. 9 1 , Pahnyia, Pa,,
Feb. 3. 1994
Hamilton. Wayne, 77, Oakland,
Md.,Jan. 15, 1994
Harman. Catherine, 85,
Fredericksburg, Va.. Jan. 16,
1994
Harrington, Charles, 76,
Wakanisa, Ind.. Dec. 30. 1993
Harris, Charlotte. 83. Fallbrook,
Calif, Sept. 9. 1993
Harvey, Lucy. 82. Somerset. Pa..
Jan. 11.1994
Helser, Carl. 74. Rushville. Ohio.
Dec. 23, 1993
Herder, Richard. 70, Bakersfield,
Calif.Nov. 11,1993
Hochstetler, Viola. 82. Ashland,
Ohio, Jan. 30. 1994
Hochstetler, Pauline. 78.
Smithville, Ohio, May 22, 1 993
Hocking, Mary, 65, Ephrata, Pa..
Nov. 2 1.1993
Hoffer, Arlin. 74, Palmyra. Pa..
Nov. 28. 1993
Holderread. Andrew. 89. Dover.
Pa, Feb. 3, 1994
Hollinger, Robert, 64, Adamstown,
Pa.,Apr. 15, 1993
Hoover, Ethel, 89, Chambersburg,
Pa., Jan. 8, 1994
Horn, Eva, 98, Danville, Ohio.
Feb. 2. 1994
Horner. Charles, 9 1 , La Verne,
Calif,Ocl. 15, 1993
Howe. Anna, 66, Ephrata, Pa.. Sept.
28.1993
Huffman. Sophia. 66. Lewistown.
Pa.. Jan. 3. 1994
Irvin, Paul. 84, Lititz, Pa., Jan. 27,
1994
Jacobsen. Ruth. 85. San Diego.
Calif, Dec. 1,1993
Jarhoe. Norman, 66, Phoenix,
Ariz.. Jan. 16.1994
Johnson. William. Bridgewater,
Va..Sept. 13.1993
Kettering, Mable. 95. Palmyra,
Pa.. Dec. 6. 1993
Kindred, Marvel. 88, La Verne,
Calif, Feb.21, 1994
King, Jennie, 83, East Canton,
Ohio, Dec. 24, 1993
Kintzel, Paul. 82. Pine Grove. Pa..
Dec. 17. 1993
Kinzie, Genevieve. 95, Troutville,
Va.. July 11. 1993
Lambert, Doris. 69. Wakarusa.
Ind., Jan. 11,1994
Lav7, Orian, 69, Louisville, Ohio,
Nov. 5. 1993
Leight, Jay, 78, Chambersburg, Pa..
Jan. 4, 1994
Lerew, Almeda. 9 1 . New Oxford.
Pa.. Jan. 2 1.1994
Lohrer, John. 25. Palmyra. Pa.. Jan.
18,1994
Lolling, Neva, 57, McPherson,
Kan.Jan. 10. 1994
Lynn, Delia, 75, Williamsburg, Pa.,
Jan. 24. 1994
Lyon, Ruth. 66. La Verne, Calif,
Feb. 14. 1994
Marshall, Joyce. 45. Uniontown,
Pa. Dec. 28. 1993
McNallv, Wilfred. 67, Denver, Pa..
Sept. 28, 1993
Meckley, Ada, 89, Elizabethtown,
Pa..'May20,1993
Meloy, Ernest, 96, Goshen, Ind.,
Jan. 15, 1994
Meredith, Betty, 67, Akron, Ind..
Dec. 10. 1993
Meyer, Gladys. 93, Mount Morris,
Ill..Jan. 14, 1994
Miller, Lillie, 87, St. John. Kan..
Jan. 15. 1994
Miller. William. 8 1 . Claremont.
Calif. Dec. 30, 1 993
Miller. Lucy. 74. Phoenix, Ariz..
Feb. 15. 1994
Nevin, Mary, 85, Heath, Ohio, Dec.
10.1993
Nies. Joseph. 83, Rienholds, Pa.,
Nov.20. 1993
Nuckols, Herbert. 82. Buena Vista.
Va.. Jan. 2 1.1994
Orr, Bryan. 73. Thomville, Ohio,
Sept 2 1,1993
Osborne. Virgin! a. 86, Troutville,
Va.. Dec. 5. 1993
Parson. Robert. 74, Reading. Pa.,
Jan. 3. 1994
Pifer. Irene. 95. New Oxford. Pa..
Jan.21.1994
Rader. Roland, 9 1 , Fincastle, Va..
Sept. 13. 1993
Riegel, Beulah, 86, West
Alexandria, Ohio, Nov. 1. 1993
Robinson. Robert. 59, Harrison-
burg, Va.. Jan. 22, 1 994
Root. E.W.. 96. La Verne. Calif,
July 19, 1993
Roth, Agnes, 96, Rossville, Ind,,
Feb. 6. 1994
Roth, Kenneth, 6 1 , Boiling Springs,
Pa.,Jan. 13. 1994
Schlegel, Robert. 69, New Oxford,
Pa., Dec. 31. 1993
Schrantz, Elizabeth, 92, Hartville,
Ohio, Oct. 3 1.1993
Schrock, June. 77. York. Pa.. Jan.
21,1994
Schwenk,Anna, 100,Carlisle.Pa.,
Dec. 7. 1993
Sensebaugh, Ada. 93. Mineral
Point. Pa.. Dec. 13. 1993
Shank, Russell. 78. Lancaster. Pa..
Sept. 29. 1993
Shaver. Lucille. 83. Somerset. Pa.,
Jan. 13. 1994
Shawver.Nevin. 74. Lewistown,
Pa..Jan.5, 1994
Shearer, Ralph. 78. Waynesboro,
Pa.. Jan. 25. 1994
Shoenfelt, Janet, 65, Hollidaysburg,
Pa.. Jan. 30. 1994
Simmons, Bob. 78. West
Alexandria, Ohio, Oct. 2. 1993
Slabach. Lottie. 92. McPherson.
Kan.,Julyl3, 1993
Slater. Miriam, 81, North
Manchester, Ind.. Jan. 18, 1994
Smiley. Charles, Bridgewater. Va.,
Sept, 12. 1993
Smith, Vera, 94, La Verne, Calif,
Nov. 13. 1993
Sollenberger, Jacob. 70.
Curryville,Pa.,Jan.24, 1994
Spaw. Etta. 9 1 . Uniontown. Pa.,
Jan. 17. 1994
Stanley. Beulah. 96. San Dimas,
Calif. Nov.22, 1993
Strapel, James, 80, Windber, Pa.,
Jan, 16.1994
Studebaker, Mabel, 85, Green-
ville, Ohio, Aug. 20, 1993
Stump. Edith, 93, Goshen, Ind.,
Jan. 16. 1994
Sutherland, Truett. 76. Long
Beach.Calif.Jan. 14. 1994
Troutman, Herman. 7 1 . West
Carrollton. Ohio. Nov. 1 1. 1993
Turner. Leila. Bridgewater, Va..
Apr. 28. 1993
Waggoner, Paul. 82. Winona Lake,
lnd..Jan.8. 1994
Walford, Irene. 9 1 . Palmyra, Pa. ,
Jan. 27. 1994
Walker, James. 76. West
Alexandria. Ohio. Apr, 8. 1 993
Warner. Delbert. Columbia City,
Ind,, Jan. 20. 1994
Waybright, Bob. 7 1 . Weyers Cave.
Va.. Jan. 30. 1994
Weaver, Gladys. 83. Martinsburg,
Pa.. Nov. 8. 1993
Welch, Ernie. 90, Long Beach,
Calif, Sept, 30, 1993
Werner, Henry, 74, New Oxford.
Pa.. Dec. 25. 1993
Whitacre. Effie. 92. Lancaster. Pa.,
June 11. 1993
Wickersham, Eugene. 7 1 , Newark,
Del., Nov. 23, 1993
Wilhelm. Myrtle, 92, McPherson,
Kan..Nov.9, 1993
Williams, Ann. 82, La Verne,
Calif,Julyl2,1993
Wine, Mollie, 99, Harrisonburg,
Va..JulylI.1993
Winter, Amy, 87, York, Pa.. Jan.
19.1994
Withaar, Mildred. 59, Montgom-
ery, 111.. Dec. 29. 1993
Yopp, Cora. 85, Boones Mill, Va,,
Feb.21. 1994
May/June 1994 Messenger 47
irial
Who'll write the book on followership?
I reallv must have needed that $100 I was offered for
serving as leader of my congregation's Boy Scout
troop for two weeks of summer camping. Otherwise,
I would have backed out of the deal long before
leaving for Camp Powhatan. "You're really going to
earn your money, boy" was the theme of all the
remarks 1 heard after 1 agreed to the deal. Appar-
ently the Scouts had made life miserable for the
leaders of previous summers. 1 got the idea that
turning to me, a fresh college graduate, had been
done in desperation.
But off we went, and, in my innocence as a leader,
I simply played it by ear. To my pleasant surprise,
everything went well. Swimmingly, in fact. 1 never
had a prank played on me. My Scouts had a great
two weeks, and so did I. At the boys insistence,
which wasn't necessary, 1 accompanied them again
the following summer. Same resuhs.
That was over 35 years ago, and I have often
reminisced about the experience, analyzed it, and
tried to figure out the secret of my leadership of
those rambunctious boys. I have never succeeded. If I
could figure it out, I'd get me a patent on it. Thou-
sands of Scout leaders, maybe even church camp
leaders, would pay me big bucks to use my formula.
I thought about my leadership experience again
recently, as 1 read an April 1994 Atlantic Monthly
essay by Garry Wills, "What Makes a Good Leader?"
I recommend it for reading by our Annual Confer-
ence Committee on Ministerial Leadership. Even
though the committee is about ready, I hear, to hand
around a tentative report for feedback, it may not be
too late to study one more item of input.
Garry Wills describes two unacceptable forms of
leadership and assures the reader that we don't have
to be stuck with either of them. The two forms are
"the leader who dictates to others and the one who
truckles to them." He goes on to say why neither is
an acceptable alternative: "If leaders dictate, by what
authority do they take away people's right to direct
their own lives? If they truckle, who needs or
respects such weathervanes?"
The successftil leader. Wills says, "is one who
mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leader and
followers." By the time he reached this point of
definition, he had completed his list of the three
essential elements in leadership. "Most literature on
leadership," Wills says, "is unitarian, but life is
trinitarian. One-legged and two-legged chairs do
not, of themselves, stand. Leaders, followers, and
goals make up the three equally necessary supports
of leadership."
Now Wills is talking about political leadership, of
48 Messenger May /June 1 994
course, citing Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D.
Roosevelt as prime examples of leaders who really
understood how to lead. They did not "just vaguely
affect others," but took "others toward the object of
their joint quest."
But couldn't the things Wills says about political
leadership also apply to leadership in the church? In
1990, Annual Conference formed this "blue ribbon"
Committee on Ministerial Leadership, and every-
where I hear the cry that what the Church of the
Brethren needs is good leadership.
And for the last two decades we have had estab-
lished goals . . . Goals for the '80s, Goals for the
'90s. I have some doubts about the extent to which
the individual Brethren member feels personal
ownership of the goals, but I can't easily fault the
process by which the goals were determined: Each
congregation across the denomination had a chance
to discuss goal options and give input. Technically,
the goals truly are denominationwide ones.
B,
>ut Garry Wills makes a point that leads me to
wonder if we don't need something besides Goals for
the '90s and a Committee on Ministerial Leadership.
He writes, "We have thousands of books on leader-
ship, none on followership. I have heard college
presidents tell their student bodies that schools are
meant to train leaders. I have never heard anyone
profess to train followers. The idea seems to be a
world in which everyone is a leader — but who would
be left for them to be leading?"
Good question.
Wills goes on to say, "We have long lists of the
leader's requisites — determination, focus, a clear
goal, a sense of priorities, and so on. We easily
forget the first and all-encompassing need —
followers."
I see I'm painting my way into a comer here,
occupied by me, a chicken, and an egg. But if, as
Wills says, you can't have leaders without followers
(and shared goals), hadn't we better be naming a
"blue ribbon" Committee on Denominational
Followers?
Which came first, the dearth of ministerial
leaders, or the sad state of a denominational mem-
bership which, by and large, has very little under-
standing of what the denomination is, what it stands
for, what its Anabaptist heritage is . . . what it means
to be Brethren?
I don't know the answer, but if that first book on
followership ever gets printed, it should be "must"
reading for all Brethren. — K.T.
FUTURE MODERATOR
>•
Jubilee,
God's Good News.
A children's Sunday school curriculvun.
Contact: Brethren Press 1 800 441-3712
Church of the Brethren
mth ANNUAL CONFERENCE
ME
CONFERENCE SPEAKERS?
Earl K. Ziegler
David M. Bibbee
Rebecca Baile Grouse
Tyrone Pitts
S. Joan Hershey
Drama "The Gathering"
Gwen Bobb
handles
genealogy
inquiries at
the Brethren
Historical
Library and
Archives.
It was Gwendolyn Bobb who put me onto the Henry Adolph
story (page 12). Being a history and genealogy buff, I don't
need much of an excuse to visit the Brethren Historical Library
and Archives (BHLA). It was there that Gwen, a long-time
volunteer in the library who does genealogy searches for
inquirers, tipped me off that "'Henry Adolph; Coverlet Weaver"
was a good story needing to be told. From there
it was just a short step to assigning it to Irene S.
Reynolds, a frequent Messenger writer, who
lives in Lawrence, Kan., right in Henry Adolph
territory.
Before beginning her work in the library,
Gwen served on the General Board staff for 20
years (1959-1979). For many years she has
served as executive director of the Fellowship of
Brethren Genealogists. BHLA has a large
collection of files and books on Brethren
genealogy, and for a fee inquirers can obtain
infoiTTiation from the collection, researched by
Gwen. Call (800) 323-8039 or write to BHLA,
1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. Send a stamped, self-
addressed envelope to receive a helpful 16-page booklet. Guide
to Research in Brethren Family Histoiy.
The 500-member Fellowship of Brethren Genealogists is
always looking for new members. One advantage of member-
ship is the privilege of free answers to inquiries sent to Gwen!
{Uncomplicated inquiries, that is!) At Annual Conference in
Wichita, interested people should visit the fellowship's exhibit
booth and attend its annual meeting on Thursday, at 9 p.m. (see
Conference booklet, page 20).
On another note, the May/June Messenger marked two
innovations in its production: We began transmitting the
camera-ready pages to George Printing in Aurora, 111., via
computer disk, by-passing the process of pasting up camera-
ready boards here in Elgin. And, after a long period of feasibil-
ity study (and waiting for the price to be right), we now are
printing Messenger on 100-percent recycled paper. Brethren
environmentalists, take note!
^iM^f9t^py^^^^/n'^^^aya'^My
Printed on
100-percent
recycled paper.
®
COMING NEXT MONTH: An expanded issue of Messenger,
reporting on Annual Conference in Wichita.
Editor
Kermon Thomasson
Managing Editor
Eric B- Bishop
Editorial assistants
Paula Wilding, Margaret Woolgrove
Production, Advertising
Paul Stocksdale
Subscriptions
Norma Nieto
Promotion
Kenneth L. Gibble
Publisher
Dale E, Minnich
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Ohio. Sherry Sampson; Southern Ohio,
Jack Kline; Oregon/Washington, Margueritfl IKtO
Shamberger; Pacific Southwest. Randy
Miller; Middle Pennsylvania, Ruth Fisher;
Southern Pennsylvania. Elmer Q. Gleim;
Western Pennsylvania. Jay Christner;
Shenandoah. Jerry Brunk; Southern Plains
Mary Ann Dell; Virlina. David & Hettie
Webster; Western Plains. Dean Hummer;
West Marva, Winoma Spurgeon.
Messenger is the official publication of the
Church of the Brethren. Entered as secondl ffiDS'f
class matter Aug. 20. 1918. under Act of t ■ .
Congress of Oct. 17, 1917. Filmg date. *'
brjaj
Congress ot Oct. 17, 1917. Filmg
Nov. 1. 1984. Messenger is a '
member of the Associated
Church Press and a subscriber i
to Religious News Service andl
Ecumenical Press Service.
Biblical quotations, unless
otherwise indicated, are from the New
Revised Standard Version.
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Messenger is owned and published 1 1
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1994. Copyright 1994. Church of the
Brethren General Board. ISSN 0026-0355.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes
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kch
ik\(
NDlbe
f.\Ddrft
*«n»
1 Touch 2
lose to Home 4
ews 6
Worldwide 9
pecial Report 10
rem the
General Secretary
tepping Stones 27
etters 28
ontius' Puddle 30
urning Points 3 1
ditorial 32
16
redits:
)ver: Andrew Holbrooke
side front cover: Barbara Greenwald
;22-24: Karen S. Carter
'bottom: Susan Lind
Diane Schmachtenberger
^30ttom: Shenandoah Journal
I John Minnich
I Synapses
!-ll: Eric B. Bishop
Judy Sweets
15: Brethren Historical Library &
^chives
-18, 19 right: Photo Oikoumene
left: Margaret Woolgrove
Henry Adolph: Master weaver 12
With her story of immigrant coverlet weaver Henry Adolph,
Irene S. Reynolds highlights an era of history when the
Brethren were joining other Americans in moving to the
Midwest and Great Plains.
Remembering the exchange 14
George Dolnikowski recalls the bridge of understanding built
between a Christian church in America and a Christian church
in Russia in 1963 with the Russian Orthodox-Church of the
Brethren exchange.
Overwhelmed by injustice 17
For Haitians, their country has become a prison. They are not
welcomed anywhere as refugees and have nowhere to go to
start a new life. Margaret Woolgrove chronicles a Brethren
visit to Haiti and tells of the injustices Haitians must endure.
Sidebars by Woolgrove and Yvonne K. Dilling.
Eglise des Freres Haitiens: The church
of contagious joy 22
Karen S. Carter finds in the Miami (Fla.) Haitian Brethren
not a despairing group of refugees, but a joyous, dynamic
congregation that could well serve as a role model for the
denomination.
Cover story: Raynald, an
1 1-year-old member of
Miami 's Eglise des
Freres Haitiens. captures
the essence of his
congregation when he
says the thing he likes
best about his church is
"the way people love
each other. " Read about
that unique Church of
the Brethren
congregation and the
country from which its
members came in our
special cluster of articles
on Haiti, beginning on
page 17.
July 1994 Messenger 1
uTo
Previewing a career
For Melissa Bollinger, of
Lewiston (Minn.) Church of
the Brethren, a high school
Youth Service Class gave
Melissa Bollinger
hopes that her work
as a high school
student in a health
care center will
lead to a career
helping people with
disabilities.
"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.
her the opportunity to work
at a local health care center
on school time.
For her efforts there and
throughout her rural Minne-
sota community, Melissa, a
high school senior, was
awarded the top community
service award by the
Winona area Chamber of
Commerce.
Melissa, who has long
been interested in working
with the mentally handi-
capped, hopes to spend this
summer as she did the last,
working in Rochester,
Minn., as an adaptive
recreational assistant in a
park and recreation program
for people with handicaps.
"I hadn't worked with the
elderly much before taking
this class," said Melissa,
"and I really enjoyed the
opportunity." Melissa and a
number of other students
spent time four days a week
with residents of Whitewater
Health Care Center.
"We did different things
with them. Wednesday was
Bingo, Thursday was crafts,
and Friday was manicures.
The ladies really enjoyed
getting manicures. It made
them feel pampered."
In addition to her work in
the local community,
Melissa is involved with the
Lewistown church. The
church is not a large one, but
there are about 1 5 youth in
the youth group, of which
Melissa currently is vice-
president.
Like youth groups
throughout the denomina-
tion, the youth at Lewiston
are gearing up for National
Youth Conference later this
month. After that, Melissa
will be going to Bethel
College in St. Paul with hope
of eventually working in a
group home for adults with
disabilities. — Margaret
WOOLGROVE
Names in tlie news
Norman N. Glick, a
member of Empire (Calif.)
Church of the Brethren, has
had a local school named
for him, honoring his 10
years as a school district
trustee and his 38 years on
the Stanislaus County Board
of Education.
• Margaret Lininger, a
member of La Verne (Calif.)
Church of the Brethren, has
received the annual
Women's History Month
Award from her local Beta
Mu chapter of Delta Kappa
Gamma, an international
society of women educators.
The award cited her contri-
butions to education and
community volunteer work.
She is a retired elementary
school teacher.
• Chester Fisher, pastor
of Mount Hermon Church
of the Brethren, near
Bassett, Va., spent time
recently in the Dominican
Republic as a building
consultant, visiting six of the
eight Church of the Brethren
groups there and checking
the condition of their church
buildings. He has had
experience building
churches in Haiti (June
1993, page 4; August/
September 1993, page 4).
• Dwayne Yost, director
of Kentucky Mountain
Housing and a member of
Flat Creek Church of the
Brethren, near Manchester,
Ky., has received the 1993
Dorothy J. Williams Life-
time Achievement Award
from the Kentucky Housing
Corporation.
• Ed Poling, pastor of
Carlisle (Pa.) Church of the
Brethren, ran 40 miles on
April 30, from his home in
Carlisle to Camp Eder near
Fairfield, Pa., raising $3,200
from supporters. The money
was given to Camp Eder. He
has been a runner since the
early 1980s, most recently
raising $3,500 for new-
church development while
running the JFK ultra-
marathon in Maryland
(March 1993, page 2).
• Donald B. Kraybill has
been named the Carl W.
2 Messenger July 1994
These ecumenical friends reunited on Crete: Tiny Apostolov
(Netherlands), Athanasis Anagnostov (Australia), Janet and
Galen Heckman (USA), and Martin Gross (Germany).
Celebrating on Crete
Last summer, two Church of
the Brethren members from
Richmond, Va., traveled to
Greece's island of Crete for
a special anniverary reunion.
It had been 25 years since
their World Council of
Churches (WCC) ecumeni-
cal team was gathered on
Crete to work at various
service projects.
Galen and Janet
Heckman, of West Rich-
Zeigler professor of religion
and history at Elizabethtown
College. He has taught at
Elizabethtown since 1971,
and is the author of numer-
ous books, including The
Upside-down Kingdom,
which won the National
Religious Book Award in
1979.
• Carmen Brubaker. a
member of Chiques Church
of the Brethren, Manheim,
Pa., is touring the Southeast
for four weeks this summer
with the Young Continentals,
a Cliristian musical group.
Members of the group are
youth from 1 2 to 16 years
old.
mond Church of the Breth-
ren, Brethren Volunteer
Service workers seconded to
the 1960s WCC team, were
reunited with the other team
members to reminisce,
update each other, visit
project sites, discover the
impact of their work of a
quarter-century ago, and
greet church leaders of the
island. Among the officials
who met with them was the
Archbishop of Crete,
Timothious.
A mission for the deaf
"I want to help other deaf
young adults have the
confidence and opportunity
to know that there is a
mission for each of them,"
says Jan Eisemann Hoffer,
who, with her husband, Jeff
Hoffer, will be establishing
the Lancaster Service
Adventure unit at their home
in Millersville, Pa., in
August.
Service Adventure is a 10-
and-a-half-month program
for young adults aged 18-20.
The Lancaster Service
Adventure Unit is designed
specifically for deaf young
adults, and is sponsored by
First Deaf Mennonite
Church of Lancaster, Pa.
"All young adults need a
nurturing environment to
deal with the many issues of
their lives," says Jeff, "but
deaf young persons rarely
live in a setting where they
can communicate freely and
openly. We hope Service
Adventure will provide just
such a setting."
Jan and Jeff have
struggled in order to ftilfill
their sense of mission and
purpose in life. "We have
experienced frustration and
pain in the hearing world
because of inadequate
accessibility and communi-
cation," says Jan. "We want
Jan Eisemann
Hoffer (shown here
with daughter
Laura) will begin
working with deaf
young adults in a
special ministry in
Millersville, Pa.
She and her
husband, Jeff, will
operate the
Lancaster Service
Adventure unit.
to find ways to break
through the isolation, to
provide resources, and to
help others develop pride
and delight in the deaf
culture."
Jan grew up in Ephrata
(Pa.) Church of the Breth-
ren. "Lots of kids there
volunteered for service. I
asked God, 'How can I serve
you?' When I realized how
many deaf people there are,
I wanted very much to work
with deaf people. I had a
strong sense of mission for
the deaf, but also a real
vision to be a missionary
overseas."
Jan was on the verge of
deciding that there was no
place for her to serve that
matched her vision, when
she heard of an opening with
Brethren Volunteer Service
(BVS) to teach deaf children
in Haiti, a position which
she held for two years.
"My work since then,"
she says, "has grown out
of my sense of mission,
which received such
affirmation when God led
me to that BVS assignment
in Haiti. Now I want to help
other deaf young adults
have the confidence and
opportunity to know that
there is a mission for each
of them."
Remembered
Harold D. Fasnacht, 86,
died May 1 7 in La Verne,
Calif He was president of
the University of La Verne
(then La Verne College),
1948-1968. After his
retirement he served the
school as director of planned
giving.
July 1994 Messengers
A church reaches out
"For everything there is a
season" (Eccl. 3:1), and for
Northern Colorado Church
of the Brethren, in Windsor,
this past winter season was
a time to hold conflict
resolution workshops. Over
was "The Family as Team."
The 24 participants used
intergenerational play
techniques as an analogy for
successful relationship-
building, gaining skills for
improving family relation-
ships.
A weekend-long "Conflict
David Miller, Mary
Faulhaber, Ruth
Amor, and Michael
Faulhaber were
participants in the
"Family as a
Team" workshop.
"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.
the first three months of
1994, this 62-member
congregation organized and
ran a series of workshops
covering aspects from
internal conflict and family
relationships to mediation
training and commimication
skills.
The workshops were
inspired by a presentation
Diane Schmachtenberger
gave on conflict resolution
training she had attended at
the 1994 Annual Confer-
ence. "Three members of the
congregation approached me
independently expressing
interest in training," says
Diane. "The four of us soon
became a steering commit-
tee for offering workshops to
our church and corrmiunity."
The workshop that
attracted the most people
Resolution Training" was
led by Gary Flory of
McPherson College, who
used role play to teach the
mediation skills.
The steering committee
was pleased that the work-
shops brought the church
together in a new way. "I've
been attending this church
for four years," says Diane,
"and it was the first time
since I've been here that we
really reached out to the
whole community. We have
been greatly strengthened
through working together."
Thus encouraged, the
committee is planning
follow-up practical applica-
tion of the mediation
training skills, as well as
marriage encounter and
reconciliation training.
— Margaret Woolgrove
Campus comments
McPherson College had as
its May 22 commencement
speaker Wayne Geisert,
president of Bridgewater
College. Before beginning
his 30-year career at
Bridgewater, Geisert had
been dean of McPherson. He
retires from the Bridgewater
presidency at the end of
July.
• Juniata College cel-
ebrated Earth Day April 22
with the announcement of a
new academic program in
environmental studies. The
new, interdisciplinary
program will complement
existing programs in
Juniata's core strengths in
the social sciences, humani-
ties, and natural sciences.
• The Amish and the State
(Johns Hopkins University
Press), a reference book
edited by Elizabethtown
College professor Don
Kraybill, has been selected
as one of the "outstanding
academic books of 1993" by
Choice, a monthly review
service published by the
Association of College and
Research Libraries.
• A Helping Hands Day,
May 7, was sponsored by
Manchester College
students to raise money for
bringing two Bosnian
students to the US. For a
donation, students did house
and yard work. The college
is working with the National
Fellowship of Reconciliation
(FOR) in its Bosnian
outreach.
• A 3 -day display of The
Names Project AIDS
Memorial Quilt was held at
Elizabethtown College
March 25-27. The 520
panels on display were part
4 Messenger July 1 994
r
Elizabethtown students read personal tributes featured on
the 520 quilts displayed during AIDS Awareness Week.
of more than 26,240 units
that make up the entire
AIDS Memorial Quilt. The
display was part of AIDS
Awareness Week observed
by the college.
• Bridgewater College
celebrated the 40th anniver-
sary of its Reuel B. Pritchett
Museum May 26. Pritchett
(1884-1974) was a colorful
Brethren minister from
Tennessee, noted for his
flowing beard, Dunker garb,
and pithy language. He also
was a well-known raconteur
and collector. The museum
he established at Bridge-
water reflects his eclectic
approach to collecting.
This and that
Wakemans Grove Church
of the Brethren, near
Edinburg, Va., calls its
youth club the "mid-week
miracle" because it provides
the congregation so many
opportunities for service. It
is credited with attracting
new members and Sunday
school participants. The
youth group has a four-part
program of Bible study,
activities/recreation.
fellowship/supper, and
service/choir or worship
training. The club, in
operation since 1980, has an
attendance of about 35 to 50.
• "Close to Home" scans
the district newsletters and
reports new trends in the
denomination. A recent
Southern Plains newsletter
noted that Frogville Church
of the Brethren in Fort
Towson, Okla., and Waka
(Texas) Church of the
Brethren had held their
annual Groundhog Supper.
In our November 1991 issue
we reported on another
trend-setting Southern Plains
congregation — Roanoke
(La.), which hosted a church
supper featuring as its piece
de resistance that Cajun
delicacy, crawfish.
• The aimual beef-canning
project of Southern Penn-
sylvania and Mid-Atlantic
districts was held in April,
yielding 4,272 cans of broth
and 15,611 cans of meat
chunks. About 390 volun-
teers were involved.
• The April issue of
Pennsylvania Mennonite
Heritage highlights Brethren
and Mennonite hymnology.
It contains four reviews of
the new Hymnal, introduced
to the Church of the Breth-
ren in 1992, and available
from Brethren Press.
• Bridgewater (Va.)
Church of the Brethren
sponsored members Joan
Mangum and Esther
Bittinger on a Heifer Project
International (HPI) tour to
Honduras in January. The
tour covered the work of
HPI in Honduras, taking the
60 visitors to several
development projects. The
Bridgewater pair, represent-
ing the children of their
congregation, presented the
community of El Sitio with
a goat named "CoB."
• A new history of
Southern Ohio District is
Sanctuary denied
Dayton (Va.) Church of the
Brethren closed its doors
against this refugee seeking
sanctuary from a nearby
turkey processing plant.
Presumably the bird lacked
a convincing story of
oppression.
being prepared, with 1995 as
the target date for publica-
tion, 200 years after the first
congregation of the Church
of the Brethren in southern
Ohio was organized. The
district maintains a histori-
cal center at Happy Corner
Church of the Brethren,
Clayton, Ohio, which is
open to visitors by appoint-
ment (see February, page 4).
• Providence Church of
the Brethren, in Royersford,
Pa., is the new congregation
combining the members of
Mingo and Royersford
congregations. Kenneth
Bomberger is the coordinat-
ing pastor.
Let's celebrate
Hanover (Pa.) Church of the
Brethren will celebrate the
25th anniversary of the
dedication of its meeting-
house November 13. Don
Miller, general secretary of
the Church of the Brethren,
will be the guest speaker.
• Mount Union Church of
the Brethren, Bent Moun-
tain, Va., marked its 100th
anniversary June 12 with
worship, dinner, singing,
and a dedication service.
Rocks with paintings on
them depicting the church in
1894 and 1994 were on sale
to mark the occasion.
• East Fairview Church of
the Brethren, Manheim, Pa.,
observed its 100th anniver-
sary March 13, with Kenneth
L. Gibble as speaker. A new
fellowship hall and gym
were dedicated.
• Pampa (Texas) Church
of the Brethren celebrated
its centennial June 12.
July 1 994 Messenger 5
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Children from Atlantic
Northeast and Southern
Pennsylvania Districts pour
water into a basin to symbolize
the centrality of water for
cleansing, new birth, renewal,
and empowerment during
a jointly sponsored Pentecost
service in Hershey Arena
in May.
Because the news pages include news from
various Church of the Brethren organizations and
move-ments. the activities reported on may
represent a variety of viewpoints. These pages also
report on other national and international news
relevant to Brethren. Information in news articles
does not necessarily represent the opinions of
Messenger or the Church of the Brethren.
Augsburger, 400-voice choir
inspire thousands in Hershey
About 4,000 Brethren from Atlantic
Northeast and Southern Pennsylvania
Districts experienced a taste of Pente-
cost at a May 1 5 renewal service at the
Hershey Park Arena.
Jointly sponsored by the two districts,
the event was conceived by the Atlantic
Northeast District
Spiritual Renewal
Team, which has
planned renewal
services around a
Pentecost theme for
the past four years.
The evening
worship featured
Washington D.C.-
based Mennonite
pastor and evange-
list Myron Augs-
burger, who serves
as president of the
Christian College
Coalition; a 440-
voice choir direct-
ed by Bethany
Seminary's Nancy
Faus; and a 45-
piece orchestra led
by Southern Pennsylvania District
executive Warren Eshbach.
Christian composer Ken Medema
provided a pre-service concert and dur-
ing the service led a children's choir in
"Lord, Listen to Your Children." Child-
ren from the two districts poured pints
of water from their churches' baptismal
pools into a basin to symbolize the
centrality of water for cleansing, new
birth, renewal, and empowerment.
Included among the children was
Holly Bell, a member of the Mohler
congregation, near Ephrata, Pa., who
brought some of the water in which she
was baptized earlier in the day.
The Lebanon (Pa.) congregation's
Kerry Hurst, who gave her testimony
during the service, was inspired by the
number attending. "Just looking out, I
couldn't believe there were that many
people there," she said. "And the
music — it was breath-taking when the
choir got up. It felt heavenly."
While the worship itself was emotion
ally uplifting, Augsburger refiised to
define spirituality as mere emotional
experience. "Spirituality in the New
Testament," he said, "means you and I
live and walk with the Master."
Augsburger called on the church to
affirm God's purposes, appropriate
God's power, and acknowledge God's
presence in individual lives.
"The greatest movement in the world
is the kingdom of God," he said. "And
church is part of that kingdom." |
Following Augsburger' s invitation
to renew commitments to Christ,
i
Atlantic Northeast District's associate
executive Jan Kensinger led a short
commissioning service for 300 or
more youth and adults from the two
districts who will attend National Youf
Conference.
The evening offering of $9,386.39 i
supported the Susqueharma Valley |
Satellite of Bethany Theological
Seminary and the Bethany Academy,
based in Elizabethtown and jointly
sponsored by Atlantic Northeast and '
Southern Pennsylvania Districts. The
considerable cost of the event was
underwritten by 79 Brethren businesses
and individuals. — Don Fitzkee i
Calendar
National Older Adult Conference (NOAC II):
September 12-16, Lake Junaluska, N.C. [For
information contact Association of Brethren
Caregivers, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL
60120; (800) 323-8039].
Annual Brethren Disaster Relief Auction:
September 23-24, Lebanon (Pa.) Fair-
grounds.
By the Manner of Their Living: Reflections
on Brethren Lifestyles: 1994 Young Adult
Conference, November 24-26, Camp Eder,
Fairfield, Pa. [For information contact Young
Adult Conference, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin,
IL 60120; (800) 323-8039].
6 Messenger July 1 994
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Irethren Volunteer Service Unit 211 completed orientation in La Feria,
exas, April 24. Members are (front row) Maria Lehner, Jeni Fabian, Kathleen
chang, Eric Goubeaux, Gerhard Hoffmann; (back row) Emily Zielinski (orientation
ssistant), Denise Rohrer, Yolanda Jansen, Katherine Kennedy, Laura Austin,
'hristian Rimsche, Tammy Krause Riddle (orientation coordinator), Tilmann Rave.
See page 31 for project assignments.)
)istrict, Board, Benefit Trust
nnounce staff changes
!ene F. Hipskind has been appointed
3 executive of Pacific Southwest
•istrict, effective September 1 . Hips-
ind is presently serving as pastor of
!ew Carlisle (Ohio) Church in Southern
ihio District. He will replace Glenn
tanford who is serving as interim
^ecutive.
Peter J. Leddy Sr., will begin as
<ecutive for West Marva District on
(Sptember 1 . He has pastored Faith
id Milledgeville congregations in
linoisAVisconsin District and Red
ill and Troutville congregations in
iirlina District. Leddy will replace
interim executive J. Rogers Fike.
Sara Speicher began as associate
director, health and caregiving with the
Association of Brethren Caregivers on
June 9. Speicher has spent time in BVS
and worked in the various offices of the
World Ministries Commission in Elgin,
111. She also worked on the "God's
Earth Our Home" packet prepared by
the Eco- Justice office.
Jerry Rodeffer, has resigned as
treasurer of Brethren Benefit Trust and
director of the Brethren Foundation
effective July 8. He and his family
will be moving to Seattle, Wash. Rodef-
fer' s professional plans include pursuing
opportunities in both investment
management and dairying.
Gene F. Hipskind
Peter J. Leddv Sr.
Sara Speicher
Jerry Rodeffer
Study anaylzes 1992 Brethren
congregational giving
A study conducted by Olden Mitchell
analyzes 1992 giving to congregations
by church members.
Total reported giving for 1 992 was
$67,049,809.
A total of 954 congregations/fellow-
ships reported their giving. Of those
reporting, 3 1 churches gave less than
$100 per member and six gave less than
$25 per member. Thirty-five churches
gave more than $ 1 ,000 per member.
Five of these were in Michigan District,
five in Pacific Southwest, and four in
Atlantic Northeast. Three gave more
than $3,000 per member. The break-
down showed the highest range was
$300-399 with 185 churches listed.
Districts with the largest per-member
giving were Michigan, $667; Pacific
Southwest, $655; Atlantic Northeast,
$651; and Northern Indiana, $639.
The four districts with the smallest
per member giving for the year were
West Marva, $248; Missouri/Arkansas,
$297; Southeastern, $318; and Western
Permsylvania, $326.
"It is likely that factors other than the
economy and size of the church account
for the level of giving per member,"
said Mitchell in his report. "It could be
helpful to discover these factors in
lifting the level of giving for the entire
Church of the Brethren."
The majority of churches with the
highest per-member giving were under
100 members each. But others were in
the 200-member range, and some with
over 400 members gave above $ 1 ,000
per member.
Mitchell observed that the economy
may account for some of the difference
between the districts with the highest
and lowest per-member giving.
In one district, one church's giving
per-member was 236 times that of
another in that district. In another dis-
trict, of two rural churches in the same
area, the per-member giving of one was
about 1 00 times that of the other.
July 1994 Messenger?
Consultants complete initial
review of the Brethren
The initial review and reflection paper
on a study of the Church of the *
Brethren has been completed by
Communicorp, an Atlanta-based
communications consultants group
(see April, page 7).
Communicorp conducted focus
group meetings with eight congrega-
tions in Illinois, California, North
Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania,
the General Offices, and Illinois/
Wisconsin District. It will continue to
hold focus groups, and were to meet
with individuals and district executives
at Annual Conference.
"We believe the Brethren are doing
a great many things right. . . . But the
Church of the Brethren — like any
organization — also has its frailties,"
the paper said.
The focus groups discussed a variety
of areas, including heritage, plain
dress, rituals such as love feast and
feet washing, programs, including
overseas and domestic, leadership, and
growth of the denomination.
"We wholeheartedly commend the
Church of the Brethren for its service
ministry, a crucial distinguishing
Brethren respond to SOS kit
request for southern Sudan
About 12,700 SOS kits for Sudan were
received in New Windsor, Md., by early
May from Brethren responding to the
campaign. (See "SOS for Sudan,"
December 1993, page 18.)
The kits, packed in 577 boxes, filled
two 20-foot sea containers and were
shipped by sea to Kenya. From there
they were trucked into Sudan or north-
em Uganda. The first shipment was
distributed to Sudanese in June.
"We believe the blessings of giving
are already being felt among many who
8 Messenger July 1 994
feature of the denomination," the
report said. "But as the church contin-
ues its valuable work with outreach,
both nationally and worldwide, admin-
istrators must redouble their efforts to
bolster the delicate but essential net-
work of Brethren congregations."
The study is part of the Goals for the
'90s objective on evangelism and
communication. Recommendations
from the findings are to be shaped
later this year. Once final findings are
in, pilot resources will be created and
tested with churchwide use projected
for the fall of 1995.
The 66-page report concluded with
four positioning points: The Church of
the Brethren, "continuing its centuries-
old tradition, stands in clear contrast
to — not in competition with — other
Protestant denominations; distin-
guishes itself not as an abstract way of
believing, but as a way of living,
conveyed fi^om one person to another;
patterns its daily living after the life of
Jesus — a life of humble service and
unconditional love; and as a compas-
sionate alternative in a world of
increasing violence, complexity, and
alienation, the Brethren way of living
incorporates peace, simplicity, and
togetherness."
participated, and before long these
packages, expressing our caring and
concern, will be in the hands of those
who need them," said Merv Keeney,
Africa/Middle East representative, in a
May letter to participants.
About two dozen kits were handed out
to Sudanese in a symbolic gesture
during the February Hunger for Peace
Tour.
The SOS kit project was selected to
be among the service options for this
month's National Youth Conference in
Colorado.
The SOS kit campaign will continue
through the end of August.
Brethren participate in trip to
IVIiddle East on peace missioi
From May 11 to 23 Brethren traveled
the Middle East with Christian Peace-
maker Teams (CPT), a project of Men
nonite and Church of the Brethren cor
gregations. The purpose was to "learn
about the present state of the peace pr
cess in the Middle East, and to explor
how a church connected international
nonviolent presence could support anc
hasten that process."
The trip was timed so that the grouf
was in Palestinian areas of the West
Bank and Gaza during the transfer of
power from Israel to the Palestinian
Liberation Organization. The develop
ment of these autonomous regions in 1
occupied territories "represents a new
era for the Holy Lands," said CPT, bu
with it comes the worry "that autonon
will result in new forms of excessive
control or intervention from Israel."
The team's first major dialog in the
region was in Hebron at the Ibrahim
Mosque, where more than 40 Palestin-
ians were massacred by an American-
bom Jewish settler in Febmary. Since
then the mosque has been closed to be
Muslims and Jews, who share it as a
common place of worship. According
team members, "Israeli Defense Force
soldiers are posted on all the streets
leading up to the mosque, as well as o
some rooftops of adjacent buildings."
The peacemaker team had a chance
encounter with members of TIPH (Tei
porary Intemational Presence in Heb-
ron), official intemational observers
who have been appointed to Hebron ir
the wake of a worldwide call for im-
proved security for Palestinians. The
TIPH representative urged the group t
"tell the world what's going on in
Hebron. The military presence is
everywhere."
The team also spent time exploring
the possibility of rebuilding homes in
the occupied territories. Many of these
homes were destroyed during the
military occupation of the territories.
lergency disaster funds
>ued to Midwest, Haiti, Cuba
>25,000 grant from the Emergency
;aster Fund has been allocated to as-
with ongoing flood recovery in the
Jwest. The money will support work
Richmond, Mo., and facilitate the re-
nse in areas with renewed flooding,
in allocation of $20,000 has been
de for Haiti. The money will be used
for medicines, blankets and layettes for
persons in poor communities, to provide
legal assistance for those incarcerated in
Haiti, as well as transportation and
financing for small businesses and legal
assistance for Haitians who have fled to
the Dominican Republic.
A grant of $15,000 has been allocated
to Cuba in response to an ongoing
need for medicines in that country.
The money will be used to cover costs
of medicines that will go directly to
churches with whom the Brethren have
partnerships, and for shipping costs.
An allocation of $10,000 has been
given in response to the plight of
displaced persons from Rwanda who
have fled to neighboring Tanzania,
Zaire, Uganda, and Burundi. The fiinds
will be used for emergency relief
assistance such as blankets and medi-
cines.
)C-6 cargo plane carried nearly 30,000 pounds of food,
jicines, hospital sheets, soap, school and health kits to Cuba on
il 28, completing a two-year Church World Service comprehensive
^ram of humanitarian aid.
CWS had a license from the US Commerce Department to send
0,000 worth of aid during the two-year period that ended April 30.
/lay, the Commerce Department granted a two-year extension of
license.
The April shipment brought the two-year cumulative total to
,356 pounds (97.68 tons) with a declared value of nearly $4.5
ion. Goods were sent in a total of 27 shipments.
The aid program is in response to specific needs identified by the
)an Ecumenical Council. All shipments were sent directly to the
)an Ecumenical Council, which was responsible for the receipt and
ribution within the context of the license.
The April shipment included 1 ,417 pounds of medicines donated
he Church of the Brethren, and 100 cartons (4,940 pounds) of
ned meat donated by the t^ennonite Central Committee.
Church World Service further donated 230 pounds of medicines,
30 pounds of hospital sheets, 100 cartons (3,900 pounds) of baby
ittes, 75 cartons (5,700 pounds) of school kits, 150 cartons (9,450
nds) of health kits and 20 cartons (1,620 pounds) of soap.
The declared value of the shipment was $127,526.95.
The full membership of the committee charged to raise
I million for the lakovos Endowment for Faith and Order has been
ned. Melanie May is the Church of the Brethren's representative on
committee.
The fund, a joint project of the National Council of Churches and
World Council of Churches, was named in honor of Archbishop
)vos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South
erica, known for his longstanding commitment to the goals of
menism and the work of Faith and Order.
Three former US Presidents serve as honorary co-cfiairs of the
imittee: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Reflecting
Mary Scott, a member of Chicago (III.) First Church of the
Brethren was among the Americans joining with South Af-
ricans in celebrating the country's first democratic election.
the ecumenical mission of the Faith and Order movement, the lakovos
Endowment Committee is composed of laypersons and clergy from a
broad spectrum of confessions and professions. Eighteen commun-
ions are represented on the committee.
Three members of Congress — Senator Paul S. Sarbanes and
Representatives Lee H. Hamilton and Olympia J. Snowe — have been
named to the lakovos Endowment Committee.
Income from the endowment will be used in equal proportions to
support the Faith and Order work of the two councils. While Christians
in large numbers believe in and seek Christian unity, the churches
remain divided over tenets of faith and forms of structure and worship.
The goal of Faith and Order is to promote a deeper understanding of
those elements that bind all Christians in a common faith while working
to resolve the issues that divide them, including issues of race, class,
gender, nationality, and culture.
The endowment will be used to convene theologians and church
leaders around unity issues; train younger theologians for ecumenical
leadership; bring theologians into direct engagement with church life;
encourage studies around church-uniting and church-dividing social
issues, peace and justice; and insure adequate staffing for Faith and
Order work in both councils.
July 1 994 Messenger 9
Among the suffering is joy
The challenges of war — death, starvation, displacement —
have not shaken the southern Sudanese s faith in God.
by Eric B. Bishop
On the Hunger for Peace Tour in Febru-
ary, I, along with the seven other
members of the tour, witnessed the
suffering and pain as a result of the
current 1 1-year civil war. But what I
had heard about and not seen before the
trip was the joy people can find in life
and the strength of the faith they put in
God and Christ.
In some places, Sudanese begin wor-
ship as early as 6 a.m. and the churches
are so crowded that people have to sit
outside. These early services are held to
avoid the bombing raids of the Sudanese
government — and to show their commit-
Even the children in southern Sudan
openly express their belief in Christ.
ment to the faith they have accepted.
I accepted what I saw as a chal-
lenge — a challenge to a stronger faith.
How do I stand by and watch as people
die needlessly? What is the answer? My
prayers are not only for the Sudanese,
but for myself I pray for an answer on
how I or we can provide a tangible end
to the war. One of the hardest things to
grapple with is that there is no quick
and easy way to end this conflict. It's
going to take time and reconciliation
and healing. Not our normal North
American/European way of wanting to
snap our fingers and end the conflict.
Over and over again we heard from
Sudanese we visited with that there is
no desire for the US military to inter-
vene. There are those, of course, who
would like to receive arms assistance,
and honestly, watching the life people
live and seeing the struggle they're
going through made my mind wonder
and ask "What if . . .?" The reality is
that if we do something, people are
going to die, and if we do nothing,
people are going to die.
While the church struggles in south-
em Sudan, it struggles with its mem-
bers, displaced and on the move.
However, unlike that of her counterpa
in the US, the emphasis of the church,
instead of being put on ends of the
political spectrum or denominational
competition, is on being one in Christ-
the body with Christ as the head.
The Sudanese are a biblical people.
Those we met talked about their faith
and the references to Sudan in the Bib
"Woe to the land of whirring wings
along the rivers of Cush. which sends
envoys by sea in papyrus boats over tl
water. Go, swift messengers, to a peof
tall and smooth-skinned, to a people
feared far and wide, an aggressive
nation of strange speech, whose land i
divided by rivers" (Isa. 18:1-2, NIV).
More than once, when we visited w
displaced Sudanese or Sudanese refu-
gees in Uganda, the same question,
"What keeps you going?" received tht
same answer, "God."
The war in Sudan seems simplistic (
the surface, Muslims versus Christian:'
but in reality it is multifaceted and
extremely complex. Many of the
Sudanese we visited with, ate with, ar
worshiped with told us they could live
Despite the suffering, the Sudanese are capable of finding joy in their lives, and
these children sing for members of the Hunger for Peace tour.
*l ^,^|.1%#.
10 Messenger July 1994
longside their Muslim brothers and
isters. The war is also about economics
nd power. But to make peace a reality,
le southern Sudanese feel there needs
) be "true peace" in Sudan — peace
ith justice.
While there are the obvious results of
'ar — death, starvation, displacement —
iere is also joy among the Sudanese — a
ly in Christ. They display it in their
orship and their music, and their
iDspitality to guests from halfway
|ound the world.
I The beat of the drums and the music
jf songs resounded right through the
J3dy, the bones, and into the soul. As
le sat in the village of Longu, groups of
jiildren and youth paraded through,
jnging and dancing. It was during this
ine of celebration that Roger Schrock
aned over and said, "This is the joy."
\ It was unimaginable prior to the trip
Sudan that there could be such joy
among the suffering of
Sudanese. Yet, as we went to
churches, and villages and
camps, the Sudanese constantly
provided us with warmth and
hospitality.
There is joy in seeing the
hope and sacrifice of people in
a country where there's war
and death, violence and
oppression. A place where,
despite the lack of a monetary
economy or jobs as we know
them, the people gather to
worship Christ and to offer
what little they have. My eyes
widened not only to see the
congregation we worshiped
with in Nimule not only take
up an offering, but to see the
small baskets and bags stuffed
nearly beyond capacity. I had
to ask myself, "Where did these
The horrors of the current civil war will leave not
only physical scars, as on this young boy, but
also mental and emotional scars.
ducation is very important to the Sudanese. These children from a refugee camp
irticipate in building their school by carrying bricks to the building site.
people get their money?"
No matter the amount of joy. there's
still a war going on, and the people
there are doing their best to survive.
There's another realization for me
that in the US the vast majority of us
usually don't need to put our faith to the
ultimate test on a daily basis — the test
of life or death, of survival. The church
in southern Sudan is "the church."
There are different denominations, but
together they work as the body of Christ.
One of the most frustrating parts of
the trip was being asked by the Sudan-
ese why they were forgotten and why
the world would not come to their aid.
As the archdeacon of the Episcopal
church in Nimule surmised, "Maybe the
white man has decided to see that the
black man must go out of this world. If
we are all in Christ and we are people of
God all, we must share this world
together."
M.
July 1994 Messenger 1 1
Henry Adolph: Master weaver
by Irene S. Reynolds
His name sounds Germanic enough to
be Brethren, and his occupation of
weaver puts him in good company, too.
After all, early Brethren leader Peter
Becker and many other immigrants from
Europe were weavers, an honorable
Dunker trade. But that land of origin —
France — has an off-Brethren ring to it.
Ah, but Henry Adolph was from Alsace,
a region of France on the German
border, an area that has been the object
of a tug-of-war between France and
Germany through the centuries. France
possessed Alsace in Henry's time, but
has lost and regained it since.
The hands of Henry Adolph were
skilled at the loom, and he had an
artist's eye for design and color. But he
struggled with the English language all
the years he lived in America. That
language problem did not, however,
prevent him — and his brothers George
and Charles — from producing a legacy
of woven coverlets that are treasured by
today's historians, artists, and craft-
workers.
In 1835, at the age of 20, Henry, son
of Alsatian German parents Peter and
Elizabeth Ruch Adolph, immigrated to
America.
Pauline Montgomery, in her article
"The Weavers," {Indiana Coverlet
Weavers and Their Coverlets, Hoosier
Press, Indianapolis, 1974), speculates
that Henry may have taken up weaving
in Germantown, Ohio, a way-station for
a number of Indiana-bound weavers and
a center of weaving activity.
Most professional weavers in the mid-
1800s were men. Coverlet styles include
jacquard and overshot patterns. The
jacquard coverlets Adolph wove were
made on a loom with a special attach-
ment named for automatic-pattern loom-
maker Joseph Jacquard. Most jacquard
coverlets have a border design and a
"signature block" that includes the
maker's name, date, and location, and
often the client's name.
The 1 840 records show that Henry
Adolph satisfied the Wayne County,
1 2 Messenger July 1 994
Ind., court to the facts: "He had been a
resident of the United States more than
five years, of the state of Indiana more
than one year, and had behaved himself
as a man of good moral character." He
swore to "support the Constitution of
the United States and forever renounce
all allegiance to Louis Philippe, King of
France."
Other records confirm that on January
28, 1841, Benjamin Bowman, minister
of Nettle Creek Church of the Brethren,
south of Hagerstown, Ind., performed
the marriage ceremony of Henry Adolph
and Elizabeth Klein (or Cline) in Wayne
County. Adolph was also baptized into
the Dunker faith in the Nettle Creek
congregation.
B,
►y the time Henry and Elizabeth were
married, Henry was a master of the craft
of weaving. His marriage gave him
another very valuable asset — a
Lancaster County, Pa. -bom wife who
could assist him over the language
barrier that hampered many immigrants
from Germany.
Soon after his marriage, Henry moved
to the eastern Indiana village of Cam-
bridge City, located at the intersection
of the National Road and the projected
Whitewater Canal. There, for a time, he
wove with John Wissler, who was
already established in nearby Milton.
And in 1843, Henry's brothers,
Charles and George, came by ship to
New Orleans and went directly to
Wayne County, Ind.
While most weavers produced eithe
single or double jacquards, the eviden
indicates Adolph was proficient in bol
A Wissler coverlet of 1 840, woven
while Henry was still working with
Wissler, is a double jacquard identical
in pattern and border to one marked, "
Adolph, Douglas County, Kansas,
1866." After Adolph and Wissler split
Wissler's offerings were usually only
single jacquard.
In 1 844 Wissler moved from a farm
south of Milton into the village. Henr
set up his own weaving shop in Cam-
bridge City, two miles north. His
brother George worked with him, whi
brother Charles set up his loom in
nearby Williamsburg.
Henry's coverlets show craftsmansh
in weaving and magnificent sensitivity
to design and color. His double jac-
quards are often colored blue and whil
in patterns and borders customarily
produced by Scottish weavers.
Most of Henry's coverlets are wovei
in broad stripes of color, using sunburi
medallions or variations of the "Four
Roses" pattern. His borders most ofter
use designs of bird and shrub, shrub
rose, or the swag and tassel.
The Adolph dye-pot was important i
\m
Henry Adolph '$
coverlets carry
traditional patten
such as the
sunburst medallio
His borders featui
birds, shrubs, and
buildings. The
signature block oi
this coverlet readi
"Made by H.
Adolph, Walnut
Grove, Mo., 1881.
try sat for this photo portrait in
>5. He died in 1907, at age 92.
ducing attractive coverlets, and
labeth may have been Henry's dyer.
; shades of turkey and scarlet red,
re blue, and sage green were splen-
, but many of the roses were in a soft
;nder pink few other weavers were
; to produce.
>ne of the Adolph's neighbors
arted, "The Adolphs talked very
chy." Henry signed his signature in
Itch" (German) when he sold his
abridge City lots in 1847. He
ears to have mastered writing his
le in English five years later when
iold the remaining two lots,
iut his struggle with the vagaries of
English language continued,
ntgomery's article reports Hamilton
inty was woven into his coverlets as
imildon," "Hamelton," and even
imeldon." He modified the past tense
he verb "weave" to "wov."
1 the 1 850s, Henry moved his family
owa, and on to Missouri. Elmer
toy Craik, in his book The History of
Church of the Brethren in Kansas
es the Henry Adolph expelled from
le County, Mo., drove through with
an ox team to Douglas County. Many
Church of the Brethren families left
Missouri for Kansas over the slavery
question. Marie Adolph Pemberton says
that Henry was a close friend of Dunker
Jacob Ulrich, also from Wayne County,
Ind., who settled south of Lawrence in
1856. In those troubled days before the
Civil War, Ulrich knew John Brown, the
abolitionist of later Harpers Ferry fame.
In 1863, during the war, Ulrich's house
and farm were burned by the notorious
Quantrill's raiders.
The August 16, 1866, issue of The
Lawrence Daily Tribune, Lawrence,
Kan., reports: "H. Adolph of Clinton,
called in to our office yesterday, to
exhibit a most beautiful specimen of his
handiwork, a bedspread or coverlet . . .
and will be exhibiting several specimens
of his manufactures at the approaching
State Fair."
A two-story frame house in Clinton,
Kan., a small town west of the anti-
slavery border town of Lawrence, was
home for the Adolphs after they left
Missouri, where Henry's first wife,
Elizabeth, died in 1859. In 1860 Adolph
married Nancy Studdard of Dade
County, Mo.
He
Lenry lived and worked in Clinton,
Kan., for 20 years. According to Judy
Sweets of the Elizabeth M. Watkins
Community Museum in Lawrence,
Henry Adolph was one of only a half
dozen weavers who produced the
jacquard coverlets west of the Missis-
sippi River.
"He could weave one a day and he
usually charged from five to ten
dollars," says Sweets, "but I noticed he
also would trade. In exchange for at
least one coverlet, records show he
received a yearling calf."
The last known coverlet woven by
Henry is dated 1885. Sweets says that
his Douglas County coverlets are
important because they represent the
last days of a handweaving industry that
began in the eastern US in the 1830s.
Today's Adolph family believes the
industrialized manufacture of coverlets
caused both Henry and Charles, who
had moved to Franklin County, Kan., to
switch to weaving carpets. Brother
George and a nephew were attacked and
killed by bushwhackers in 1866. While
on a trip from Lawrence to Missouri for
supplies, their bodies, team of horses,
and wagon were burned.
Henry and Nancy Adolph moved back
to Missouri and lived in Walnut Grove
for 26 years before Henry's death from
pneumonia on February 14, 1907, only
four days before his 92nd birthday.
His obituary in the Walnut Grove
Tribune, on Wednesday, February 20,
1907, reported that "Uncle Henry" was
survived by his wife, Nancy; one
daughter fi-om among his nine children,
Mary Ann Winters of Lone Star, Kan.;
and a brother Charles, who had come
from Centropolis, Kan., a week before
his brother died. Charles died in 1913.
Adolph coverlets are in museums
throughout the Midwest. The Indianapo-
lis Children's Museum has two made by
each of the brothers. The Kansas
History Museum has four Henry Adolph
coverlets and one woven by a brother-
in-law, John Klein. Henry Adolph
coverlets are included in an exhibit,
"Rare and Historic Coverlets" at the
Elizabeth M. Watkins Community
Museum in Lawrence, Kan., that runs
through October this year.
Adolph coverlets are displayed by
family members at their annual reunion
the first Sunday in August. Descendants
gather in the red schoolhouse on the left
side of the road four miles north of
Council Grove, Kan., some 90 miles
northeast of Wichita.
Today when Brethren think of
coverlets, they likely picture the
colorfijl quilts made at Annual Confer-
ence, mainly by women. But 150 years
ago Brethren coverlets were woven on
looms, mainly by men. And proud is the
museum that has one on exhibit, parti-
cularly if woven into a signature
block is the name "H. Adolph."
M.
Irene S. Reynolds is a freelance writer from
Lawrence, Kan.
July 1994 Messenger 13
Remembering
the exchange
Lydia Popandopulo,
personal secretary to the
supreme head of the Russian
Orthodox church, made
warm friends with Roderick
Miller at the Miller farm
near Bridgewater, Va. The
Millers were among many
Brethren families who
helped give the visiting
Soviets a cross section of life
in the denomination.
By George Dolnikowski
George Dolnikowski was one of thou-
sands of "displaced persons" resettled
in the United States after World War II
by the Brethren Service Commission. A
new book by Brethren Press, This I
Remember, documents the unusual
encounter after 1949 of this Russian
intellectual — buffeted by personal
tragedies following the Bolshevik
Revolution and painful existence for
vears as a prisoner-of-war in Nazi
Germany — with faculty and students on
the campus of Juniata College.
The following is an excerpt from
that book, describing the author 's
experience as interpreter during the
Church of the Brethren/Russian
Orthodox exchange of 1963.
* ♦ • »
The purposes of the Russian Orthodox-
Brethren exchange in 1963 were: "To
establish a bridge of understanding
between a Christian church in America
and a Christian church in Russia. To
provide opportunity for the Church of
the Brethren and the Orthodox Church
of Russia to informally express concerns
and viewpoints on reconciliation and
international peace on the basis of
Christian brotherhood and with a
nonpolitical emphasis. To emphasize a
people-to-people program in contrast to
an exchange of high level officials." I
served as the official interpreter for this
program and very much enjoyed being
in the position where 1 could help others
arrive at an understanding.
Many things impressed the Russian
priests. They began to realize how
strong American religious life is, not
only on its own, but also as recognized
by the government. When they first
came, the Russians were allowed only
25 miles of free movement. But when
the Church of the Brethren promised
Washington that it would be responsibli
for the group, the State Department
gave them permission to go anywhere.
The Russians were impressed by
actions of the Church of the Brethren
against war, as I had been when I
arrived in the United States.
They discovered differences in our
religious services, especially when it
came to singing. In Russia only the
choir sings, but here the entire congre-
gation sings.
They were inspired by the vesper
service by the lake at Camp Alexander
Mack. There was preaching, singing,
and a mutual feeling of peace. One of
the priests said, "Wouldn't it be nice to
live like we are here in this camp?"
The Russians were surprised that the
Brethren knew each other no matter
where they were. One priest even asked
me if it was prearranged to make them
believe that the Brethren are very
friendly to each other. But when I told
him about the history of the Brethren,
when I told him that often 10 percent oi
the membership attends Annual Confer-
ence, he began to understand.
The Russians were impressed with
Bethany Seminary and with the General
Offices in Elgin. They were impressed
with the fiiendliness and the genuine
concern for the well-being of the priests
and the Russian Orthodox Church.
The staff of Millersville (Pa.) College
tried to impress the Russians with their
technology. They showed off their
electronics, and the Russians just said,
"Oh, we have that." But on the way
back fi"om the physics lab, one priest
spotted something on the wall and aske(
what it was. I told him it was a pencil
sharpener. The priest called the other
priests over to look at it. I pulled out a
pencil and sharpened it. We spent 30
14 Messenger July 1994
Top: Archpriest Eugen
Ambartzumov, dean of a
Leningrad (now St.
Petersburg) cathedral, had
ice cream cones explained
to him by Church of the
Brethren member Roy
Forney.
Far left: Church of the
Brethren general secretary
Norman Baugher presented a
1 763 Sauer Bible to Father
Juvenali, head of the
delegation from the Russian
Orthodox Church.
Left: The Russian Orthodox
Church, on a 1967 visit,
presented the Brethren
with an icon. The Brethren,
in exchange, gave the visitors
a large Brethren Service
cup.
Below: The Russian Orthodox
visitors appreciated the
peaceful scene on the shores
of Lake Waubee, at Indiana's
Camp Alexander Mack.
July 1994 Messenger 15
Call leaders and support them
The call for leadership often is heard in the church. Different kinds of things
likely are being asked for by different persons. Many are aware of our need for
pastoral leadership. At any given time, 70 to 80 congregations are seeking
pastors. We have not been able to train enough pastors to fill current pastoral
vacancies.
But the call for leadership may refer to the fact that church school teachers
often are hard to find. For that matter, church board positions and other congre-
gational assignments often are difficult to fill. Our institutions complain about
not having enough Brethren to choose fi^om for executive and other positions.
Or the call for leadership may refer to the need to have accepted leadership
positions be more visionary and assertive. Perhaps people feel that there is no
single authority or no single place where complaints can be lodged. We
remember with nostalgia the visionaries of a previous time.
We in our day, however, are different from previous generations. We have
different expectations of leaders. For one thing, we don't want any one person
to have too much authority, and so positions are clearly limited. Too often we
withhold support fi-om leaders because of a variety of personal expectations.
Gone is the simple devotion we gave to leaders of another generation.
We also want everyone to have an opportunity to serve. This results in brief
terms, however, and in frequent replacement by new people. Church board
members rotate frequently. We now have limited terms for deacons. Lengthy
pastorates are the exception rather than the rule. None of us is ready to return to
the pattern of a previous generation. We value our democratic procedures.
However we must recognize that there is a price to pay. We no longer have the
long-term positions that gave us a sense of leadership.
We also distribute leadership. There are various committees with defined
responsibilities. No one person can speak for all. The resuh is a pattern of
distributed leadership.
An important step toward strengthening leadership is to broaden our use of
calling. We traditionally called leaders from our midst by laying hands upon
them. More recently we have depended upon a person's itmer sense of God's
call or upon the election process. Our practice of discerning the leaders in our
midst and then calling them out has served us well in the past. A few of our
congregations are "calling congregations," and they give us many of our
leaders. All of our congregation should be "calling congregations."
Calling out leadership depends upon discernment of God's will. And, in turn,
discernment comes as we worship together, study the Scriptures together, pray
together, converse together, and fellowship together in the spirit and power of
Jesus Christ. In such discernment, God leads us to call out leadership. In the
same manner, we will become more evangelistic in calling others to join with us.
Such discernment converts a contemporary attitude that will not permit
strong leadership. All of us, rather, are to pray for and support the leaders we
have chosen, even though we don't always agree with them. When we call out
and support leadership we will have it. — Donald E. Miller
Donald E. Miller is general secretary of the Church of the Brethren.
minutes looking at and talking about the
pencil sharpener! Before the delegation
left the country, every priest received,
in addition to all kinds of other presents,
16 Messenger July 1994
a pencil sharpener.
Throughout the encounter many
people asked the Russian visitors, "Are
you communists? Are you spies? Are
you trying to undermine our security
here? Are you really Christians?"
The best answer was given by one
priest: "In 1935, my church was
destroyed and I was sent to Siberia.
After 14 years of hard labor, I returned
to rebuild my church. I am in charge of
it now. What do you think?" Answers
like that were helpful to Americans in
understanding what it means to be a
member of the Orthodox Church in
Russia. Americans take freedom, civil
or religious, for granted. The Russians «
had to fight for them. \
After the exchange was over, while
flying home, I wrote the following lines
A Russian priest
while touring the United States
was asked
After his after-diimer speech:
"How do you like America
and how do you find our food?"
Pondering for a moment,
the priest began
with a quiver in his voice:
"I lived through nine hundred days,
each day a year,
in the besieged city of Leningrad.
Eight hundred thousand died
of sheer starvation.
In order to survive
we ate free roots, cats, dogs,
and rats . . .
And now,
beholding the richness and variety of
sustenance
upon this table.
What can I say?
And still, I must confess
I am hungry for a bowl of borsch
and a piece of real Russian rye
bread."
In our times, experiences such as
these should be supported. It is through
efforts like these that people can bring
themselves to understanding,
working through the conflicts.
M.
George Dolnikowski is professor emeritus of
Russian and German studies at Juniata College,
and a founding member of Juniata 's Peace and
Conflict Studies Committee.
1ISSI0N 1994
ANNUAL REPORT CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN GENERAL BOARD
/ chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear
fruit and that your fruit should abide.— John 15:16 RSV
Phil Grout
What is it to which God caiis the Church of the Brethren? Par-
ticularly in the years remaining in this decade and in this
miilenium?
As I reflect on the Brethren understanding of the Gospel over al-
most three centuries, I sense that at this time God is calling our
denomination to fruit-bearing In quite specific ways:
□ to grow In membership. In disclpleship. In diversity,
□ to widen participation In ministry and leadership,
Q to address violence and injustice at every level of society,
□ to become better stewards of all God's creation.
Our churchwide Goals for the '90s support us In these tasks.
Together we seek to embrace mission and evangelism, to apply
biblical faith and heritage, to undergird family and youth, to
pursue peace and service, to cultivate leadership and renewal. It
Is around these goals that we in the Church of the
Brethren center our labors to "go and bear fruit."
And as we go, we recognize that It Is as we come
to know Christ's love that we become a people for
others. It Is as we take on Christ's suffering and
peace that our mission Is given vitality. It Is as we
enter into Christ's joy that our witness endures.
Cheap grace receives the love of God and reveals
no consequence. Costly grace brings the fruit of
love to bear In relationships with one another and
with those beyond our own. Cheap grace pro-
duces fruit that is worthless. Costly grace bears fruit
that abides.
I offer this report with thanks that we are partners In frult-bearing
and partners In the grace of God.
Donald E. Miller
General Secretary, Church of the Brethren
«
Cover photo. Haiti: Praying in a most
beleaguered land. © J 994 Andrew Holbrooke
Mission is
reiationstnip.
Belnind service
projects, ex-
change pro-
grams, and
materiai aid
sinipments are
persons affirming
persons in tlie
name of Clirist.
Ricl< Traugliber,
center, of Oal<-
iey, iii., witt^
new friends at
Reynosa, Mexi-
co, worl<camp.
Shawn Replogle
Mission is disci-
pieship. Despite
ttnreots and pres-
sures. Pastor Onaido
Pereira and tine
young church in Rio
Verde, Brazil, have
conducted fre-
quent baptisms,
erected their first
meetinghouse, co-
ordinated a city-
wide campaign
against hunger, and
licensed five mem-
bers to the ministry.
Derich Rodriguez
MISSION BREAKTHROUGHS
IT IS A THING OF WONDER'
A mission understanding
of the gospel regards new
life, new birtti, new be-
ginnings, "a new heaven
and a new earth," hope,
joy, even surprise, as
watchwords. These
themes and images affirm
God's unconditional will to
gather up and renew all
things in Christ.
The church in Nigeria uses
the wonderful Hausa ex-
pression Abin mamaki: "It
is a thing of wonder." For
Brethren, wonder may be
found in introducing a new
curriculum for children or
receiving new members; in
risking acts of mission or
service; in striving together
toward wholeness; in
managing and performing
tasks well.
To live in mission is to live
with buoyant expectancy
that God will do wonders
To prepare for the September 1994 lau
of thie new curriculum Jubilee: God's
Good News, more than 90 training eve
were conducted by the Church of the
Brethren. The broadly graded materia
for age two through grade eight, inclu
sets of story figures. The curriculum wo
produced by four denominations roote
the believer's church perspective.
First Church Chicago is one of several
congregations hosting the new Lafiya
whole-person ministry. A handbook and
two videotapes help guide the program,
which was tested in 10 congregations be-
fore being offered to the church at large.
1 993 was a big year for short-term
volunteers. More than 1,400
Brethren Disaster Response workers
served on projects in eight states.
Almost 300 junior highs, senior
highs, and young adults partici-
pated in eight worl<camps. Seen
here is Alan Edwards, Tryon, N.C.,
at a Miami, Flo., workcomp.
Shawn Replogle
Signaling the beginnings of the Andrew
Center for evangelism and congregational
growth, Rosanna McFadden and Pat
Helman created a Tree of Life for the
Indianapolis Annual Conference. By
week's end the tree bore 3,650 leaves,
each with the name of a person reached
for Christ by a Brethren congregation.
Howard Rnyer
In a nationwide study of financial
management practices by reli-
gious organizations, the Church
of the Brethren General Board
was rated No. 1 . Financial
managers shown here are, from
the left, Brenda Reish, Judy
Keyser, Darryl Deardorff, and Ken
Shisler. The extensive study was
funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.
Groundwork continues to be laid in
Korea for the launching of the
Church of the Brethren. Field
director Dan Kim is cultivating new
ministries through education,
service, and church development.
David Radclijf
MISSION MILESTONES
MARKERS ALONG THE BRETHREN WAY
In a church almost three
centuries old, anniver-
saries abound. One of the
most significant in 1994 is
the centennial of an An-
nual Conference action
authorizing the sending of
a mission team to India.
This decision officially
marked the opening of
foreign missions in the
Church of the Brethren.
Fifty years later, the
advent of the Brethren
Service Center made visi-
ble aspects of mission that
Brethren had long prac-
ticed: relief, development,
service, and reconciliation.
Still older milestones pre-
vail: in 1993, 250 years
since the printing at Ger-
mantown of the first
foreign-language Bible in
the colonies, and in 1994,
250 years since the pub-
lishing of the first Brethren
hymnal in America.
50 years. The Brethren Service Center at New
Windsor, Md., began in 1944 as a relief operation in
response to the devastation of Worid War il. In
hosting a broad range of peace and service minis-
tries through the decades, the center has come to
symbolize a way of life in which service and self-
giving are central. Beyond camera range in the
aerial view below are mammoth warehouse facilities
where medicines, clothing, and equipment are
stored for emergency shipment around the world.
100 years. In a spring 1994 visit
honoring the centennial of Breth-
ren work in India, Church of the
Brethren leaders officiated at
dedications in several Church of
North India congregations.
Moderator Earl Ziegler lays the
cornerstone for a new home for
the Vagalkhod church, whose
members are gathered beside
the old structure.
250 years. Two
years into Hymnal:
A Worship Book, the
denomination
marks the 250th
anniversary of the
first Brethren hymnal
in America— Das
kleine Davidische
Psalterspiel.
Published at
Germantown, Pa.,
in 1 744, the work
appeared in
numerous editions
for more than a
century.
Phil Grout
MISSION PARTNERS
JUST DO IT — COOPER ATI VELY
Whether training for
evangelism, digging wells,
publishing Bible studies,
championing the environ-
ment, marketing hand-
crafts, or extending the
church. Brethren approach
mission by working across
denominational boundaries
as well as within.
Some 1,100 congrega-
tions, 23 districts, sister
churches in several lands,
task groups, and inter-
church coalitions engage
in mission collaboratively.
Each act of mission is
carried out on behalf of the
whole body of Christ.
The slogan of a much-
advertised athletic
corporation is "Just do
it." The motto also
befits Brethren, given
the Brethren impulse
for creative, hands-on
action. Only the
Brethren version
reads: "Just do
it— cooperatively, if
you can."
Ayuba Jalaba Ulea is
general secretary of
one of fhe fastest
growing churct^es in
the world, Ekklesiyar
Yan'uwa a Nigeria.
The Nigerian Brethren
now number nnore
than 85,000 mennbers
in 215 congregations.
Gearing up for a year of
racial justice hearings and
human rights advocacy in
the US are the National
Council of Churches' Joseph
Agne, the Church of the
Brethren's Orlando Rede-
kopp, and the World Council
of Churches' Deborah
Robinson.
Alan Boleyn
Ludovic St. Fleur, a Haitian boat
person, pastors a fast-growing
congregation in Miami composed
largely of boat people and thieir
families. Thie pastor received his
thieological training ttirougti
Education for a Shiared Ministry.
The first woman pastor in the
Dominican Republic is
Diomira Beriguete, a former
street preacher and mother
of three. She is past vice
choir of the Dominican Re-
public church board.
A basketmoker in India is among artisans in
40 countries who through SERRV find a
global market for their handcrafts. Key
also to the SERRV operation ore 3,000 con-
gregations that handle SERRV sales.
Buzz Bowers
MISSION PRIORITIES
GOALS FOR THE '90s
We, the Church of the
Brethren, seek to lead a
life worthy of the calling to
which we have been called
(Eph. 4:1),
. . . going into all the world
to make disciples (Matt.
28:19),
. . . teaching all that is
commanded (Matt. 28:20),
. . . maintaining the unity
of the spirit in the bond of
peace (Eph. 4:3),
. . . letting the oppressed
go free and breaking every
yoke (Isa. 58:6),
. . . calling one another
according to the measure
of Christ's gift (Eph 4:7),
... for the equipping of
the saints for the work of
ministry, for building up the
body of Christ (Eph. 4:12).
—1989 Annual Conference
Service and Peace
Sudan, after 1 2 yei
of civil war and l.J
million deaths, is a
focal point of Bretf
presence and adv
cy. Phil and Louise
Rieman confer wit!
Sudanese friend.
Scripture and Heritage.
Children at Annual Con
ference experienced tb
traditions of distinct gort
and the feetw/ashing sei
vice. The activities are
port of a children's cur-
riculum titled Whatza
Wissahickon?
dn
Phil Grout
Evangelism and Wit-
ness. Paul Mundey
and associates in the
Andrew Center assist
local churches in re-
sponding to the 1992
Annual Conference
"Call to Evangelistic
Outreach."
Phil Croul
Renewal and
Ministry. Over-
tures in this area
include colls to
a disciplined
prayer life, re-
cognition of the
spiritual gifts of
sisters and
brothers, and
the calling of
candidates to
the pastoral
ministry.
Shawn Rephgle
Family and Youth.
Developments include
restaffing of the Family
Ministry portfolio,
seminars on dealing
with charges of sexual
abuse, and expansion
of the network of bi-
lingual Disaster Child-
care givers.
Phd Grout
MISSION PRAYER
GRANT ME THE GRACE OF A TREE
"••nrii -itfiTimiMiiiii—
JL
Church of the Brethren
General Board
1451 Dundee 'enue
Elgin, IL 60120
GOD
Grant me the grace of a tree
Who ber^ds in the storm but does not break
Who seeks deeply for its source of strength
Who stretches out its arms for light
Who shelters the homeless
feeds the hungry
comforts the laborer
preserves the land
Who stands silent through the night
And is first to hear the songs of the morning,
—Wilbur E. Brumbaugh
David RadcHjf
.±±z
Overwhelmed by injustice
How can Brethren witness as peacemakers in a
land where speaking out is not tolerated?
by Margaret Woolgrove
We had been told to expect the worst.
Haiti would be hot and uncomfortable,
there would be few opportunities to
wash or do laundry, running water
would be infrequent, and we would
probably be without electricity for most
of our trip. •>
So we were surprised when we
walked into the low-lying one-story
concrete building that was to be our
home for our 1 0-day stay in Port-au-
Prince. The first thing I noticed upon
crossing the threshold was how bless-
edly cool it was after the rush of tropical
heat that had swept over me as I stepped
off the plane. The house was filled with
an atmosphere of calm serenity. In
Haiti, finding such an atmosphere is as
rare as it is treasured.
The call to travel to Haiti in February
as part of a 1 0-member Brethren
delegation came in the words of the
Gospel of Matthew, "I was in prison and
you came to me" (Matt. 25:36). "Unlike
the Europeans who came to this land
fleeing repression," said Yvonne
Dilling, representative for Latin
America and the Caribbean, "the
Haitian people have nowhere else to go
to start a new life. They are not even
welcomed as refugees. For them, their
country has become a prison. We went
to visit them in the spirit of the gospel,
and of the Savior we all follow."
To those of us fi^om the so-called First
World, the inconveniences of living in
July 1 994 Messenger 1 7
4
countries less economically advantaged
than our own can seem burdensome and
time-wasting. The women (and often the
children) in such a culture spend the
majority of their time finding food and
carrying water, from a standpipe or well
if they can afford it, or from ditches and
rivers. Time in Haiti is measured not by
weeks or months, but by how many days
it has been since it has rained. When
we arrived, Haiti had been without rain
for 58 days. When the rains finally
came, four days into our stay, the
sounds of rejoicing in the street contin-
ued into the night.
When there had been electricity the
night before, we usually had enough
water in the tank on the roof to take
short, cold showers at least once a day.
In a country with daytime temperatures
between 90 and 100 degrees, and streets
filled with dust, we felt lucky to have
this privilege.
Our privileges were in fact numerous,
although many of them were things that
we normally would have taken for
(continued on page 20)
La Gonave:
Haiti in
microcosm
In Haiti the early hours of dawn are
often the most pleasant, with the sun
just creeping over the horizon and
temperatures that are warm but not
suffocating. At 6 a.m., five days into
our stay, six members of our group, plus
a translator, a driver and a cameraman,
piled into a pick-up truck for the ride to
Montrouis, some 40 miles up the coast
from Port-au-Prince. Not exactly the
tap-tap experience, but then, tap-taps
don't tend to hit speeds of 80 miles per
hour while dodging potholes in the
roads. (Tap-taps are the brightly colored
public taxi-cabs that fill the streets of
Port-au-Prince, often carrying 20 or
more passengers in a space which we in
the US would deem suitable for perhaps
18 Messenger July 1994
six or eight people.)
We arrived in Montrouis, an hour
later, amid the bustle of a market day. A
boat from La Gonave (the small island
to which we were heading) had just
arrived, and goats, their legs bound
together to prevent them from strug-
gling, were being slung onto the roof of
a tap-tap for the ride into town. We
were carried through the surf on the
shoulders of young men to a small,
wooden boat. A two-hour voyage took
us to our island destination.
La Gonave is small and mountainous,
with a population of 10,000. There are
14 vehicles on the island, most owned
by Christian mission projects. For the
majority of the population, the only
modes of fransportation are mules or
walking.
La Gonave is a microcosm of every-
thing that goes on in mainland Haiti,
only usually to a greater extreme. Food
and materials are all more expensive,
because of transportation costs.
Charcoal is the primary source of fuel
for cooking in Haiti. The ecological
effects of charcoal-burning have been
devastating to the country, a point
attested to by the barrermess of the
mountains. Haiti, like many places in
the world, was once a lush, and densely;
forested land. On La Gonave, we
probably could have counted on two
hands the number of trees we saw that
were larger than a scrub bush. One of
the leaders with whom we met said that
even 20 years ago the island was
covered with mango trees. "Then the
American government came in and
ordered that we slaughter all of our pigs
because of swine fever. We have a
proverb about the cat that eats his own
paws to survive; this is how it was here
Creole pigs were our livelihood, and
without them, people started cutting
down trees to make charcoal to sell. In
20 more years it will be a desert."
We met with community organizers
and farmer groups in three different
i-«*t ;■ !Xi (t
vposite page: More and more Haitians are going hungry as
e international embargo makes life almost unbearable for the
'untry's poor while hardly affecting the ruling elite.
bove: Yvonne Billing and Don Linden discuss the benefits of
eifer Project with a community organizer on the island of La
onave (see story below).
ght: Haiti's poor champion their exiled president. The poster
'lis for people to mobilize for President Aristide's return.
llages up in the mountains, and I was
ruck by the truism of the Haitian
overb "What the eye doesn't see
>esn't move the heart." Up in these
ountains, a two-hour, pothole-filled
le from Anse-a-Galet, the island's
apital village," we met with ordinary
iople, eking out ordinary existences in
r from ordinary circumstances.
Wh,
hen you are one voice and you
ill, people don't hear you," Pierre
essal, a village leader, explained. "But
hen you are many, people listen. This
why we organized." Community
ganizing began on the island in the
id- 1980s. "We were called commu-
sts," Pierre recalled. "The government
sumed that because we were working
ith the poor we wanted to get rid of
e rich. Eventually it started to believe
our work, and stopped thinking that
e were communists."
The islanders have organized with the
help of Sen'ice Chretien, the Haitian
offshoot of Church World Service. The
community organizers (animators) on
La Gonave are part of a group called
APLAG (peasant animators on La
Gonave), which meets in general
assembly four times a year and in five
local committees once a month. "When
we see a problem in the community, we
come together to try to solve it," said
Pierre.
The ecological crisis in Haiti has been
created by deforestation combined with
overpopulation and high-intensity
farming methods. The reality of this
crisis is readily apparent in rural areas,
where dependence on the land is high.
"When the field gives nothing, then
cattle (animals) are the only hope," said
a village leader we visited. La Gonave
is the only place in Haiti where Heifer
Project is operating, and the importance
of its presence in the communities that
we visited was obvious. "The Bible says
that we must not live only in the spirit,
but also in action. This is what Heifer
Project is doing."
We asked how things had been since
the coup of September 1991. The
country doesn't produce enough, we
were told. "It is a strain on the commu-
nity, and malnutrition is a big problem.
If God doesn't do something, we will
die. We don't have any leaders who are
helping. Only God can. Before the coup,
we used to gather together, now FRAPH
(the paramilitary presence) is every-
where, and people are scared to take
part. None have been killed yet in our
village, but that is only because God is
present here with us.
"In the United States you have the
Statue of Liberty, which guarantees
freedom from persecution for all. Here
in Haiti we have the neg marron
blowing on the conch shell to call the
Haitians to freedom. The neg marron
now calls on the rest of the world to
hear Haiti's cry for fi-eedom."
— Margaret Woolgrove
July 1994 Messenger 19
Brethren in Haiti: A long story
Many different individuals and personalities played a part in the early involve-
ment of the Brethren in Haiti. What follows is an attempt to clarify this history
while recognizing the limitations of doing so in such a short article.
Brethren have had ties with the Haitian people for more than 30 years,
mostly through individuals supporting various independent mission groups, but
also through the denominational placement of volunteers in Haiti since the
early 1960s.
In 1 964 Aide-Aux-Enfants was founded by Luc Neree, a Protestant pastor
in Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince. Aide-Aux-Enfants began as a feeding
program for malnourished children, and eventually expanded to include an
outpatient clinic and the Ecole Pasteur Neree, a primary school which
opened in 1972 (see "Haiti's Theological Warrior . . . and the Brethren,"
September 1982).
The Brethren came to know Pastor Neree through John Barwick, a Church of
the Brethren member who worked for Church World Service in Haiti, 1 962-
1964. The General Board supported Aide-Aux-Enfants from 1969 until the end
of 1990, and in 1980 a covenantal relationship was established with Neree 's
church, Eglise Baptiste des Cites and Aide-Aux-Enfants. From the mid-1980s,
the Board worked closely in cooperation with Child Rescue Services (Ohio)
and the Children's Aid Society (Pa.), to support Aide-Aux-Enfants. Some
Brethren individuals and congregations continued to support Aides-Aux-
Enfants independently after General Board funding ended in 1991.
The decision to stop fiinding Aide-Aux-Enfants came after several years of
continued requests from the Latin America/Caribbean Office for financial
statements, with no financial accountability being offered.
In 1990. Pastor Neree's health declined, and his son took over the ministries.
Shortly afterward, word came through the Neree's newsletter that the Aide-
Aux-Enfants ministry was shutting down.
The October 1 990 newsletter stated that a decision had been made to "close
down Aide-Aux-Enfants' ministry to street children." It went on to say that "we
are faced with our inability to help those in need. We dare not nourish criminal
elements, and there is real danger for our staff ... in refusing to feed them as
well as the small and the weak."
In February 1 992 Luc Neree died. Mona Lou Teeter, who spent a number of
years as a Brethren worker at Aides-Aux-Enfants, said that Luc Neree's
memorial service was attended by "7,000 to 8,000 persons or more ... a
disciplined and structured pageant . . . beginning at 6 a.m. and lasting until
noon. ... He was one of a kind, that is for sure." — Margaret Woolgrove
(continued from page 18)
granted, such as eating three meals a
day. Everywhere we went we were met
by people with outstretched hands,
telling us in Creole and broken English
that they had not eaten for two days,
and asking for a few gourdes for bread.
A Haitian dollar (five gourdes) is about
equal to 37 US cents; a gourde about
seven cents.
Officially, apart from a short break
last year, Haiti has been embargoed by
20 Messenger July 1994
the international community since the
September 1991 military coup d'etat
that overthrew Jean-Bertrand Aristide,
the democratically elected president.
Realistically, the embargo has never
been fully enforced, and while the
people with whom we spoke reiterated
their willingness to suffer the effects of
the embargo in order to win back
democracy in their country, it is the
poorest sector of Haiti's society, the 85
percent living in desperate poverty, that
is being hit the hardest by it.
People told us that it was as if the
embargo had been put through a strainer
to ensure that only the poorest people
were affected by it. "It is a game," a
women's group told us, "to help the
elite get back the money they lost in
supporting the coup."
By the time we arrived, it officially
had been 58 days since there had been
gasoline in the country. But the number
of cars on the road increased rapidly
after a tanker of humanitarian aid gas
came in, with the price dropping from
30 to 17 Haitian dollars almost over-
night. During the 10 days that we were
in Haiti, road traffic virtually doubled.
On a 10-minute drive through Port-au-
Prince we counted 30 places selling
black-market gas on the street. The
Dominican Republic turns a blind eye to
Ten Brethren visited Haiti this past
February to study its deplorable
political situation firsthand. Front:
Robin Dessalines, Ludovic St. Fleur,
Margaret Woolgrove, Emily Zielinski,
Brian Stevens. Back: Yvonne Dilling,
Josette Perard (translator), Cinny
Poppen, David Webster, Sharon
Helbert, Don Linden, Haitian driver.
jntraband flowing across its border to
id from Haiti, and there are million-
res being made through black-market
afficking on both sides of the border.
The children of the oligarchy living in
;cluded villas in Petion-Ville have no
;ea of the poverty and turmoil of their
mntry. They are driven to their private
;hools each morning in air-conditioned
irs, returning at night to their homes
1 the hill. From the roof of the house
here our group was staying we got a
)od view of the city, and we saw that
;tion-Ville had electricity every night,
id at regular hours. Where we were
aying, we never knew if the electricity
ould come on at 3 a.m., 6 a.m., 3 p.m.,
• at all.
We met with many of the leaders of
e popular movement in Haiti, and over
id over were told stories of the
pression of Lavalas (the popular
ovement that is seeking the return of
esident Aristide to the country)
ipporters. We heard of a man who now
called "115 Lashes," in reference to
e beating he received from FRAPH
le neo-fascist paramilitary supporters
' the de facto government) after
;ing accused of making pro-Aristide
(continued on page 25)
Haiti's freedom: What it would take
r
by Yvonne K. Dilling
To say "President Aristide," or "Lavalas party" (supporters of Aristide) on the
streets of Haiti today is to commit suicide, because the old Duvalier regime has
again extended its tentacles to every neighborhood and work place. The
gestapo-like organization FRAPH and military attaches (Haiti's version of the
Central American paramilitary death squads) control the innocent civilian
population through brute force. One Protestant pastor said, "If I say something
in my sermon as bland as the Christian duty is to not cheat or coerce others, I
spend the next week hiding from the FRAPH people in our neighborhood, so,
no, I can't take the risk to speak to your group." Power today is the rule of a
mob by terrorism.
In the post Cold War era, one would expect other democracies to see this
easily and speak and act prophetically, realizing that one democracy threatened
is all democracies threatened. One would expect the churches to speak on
behalf of the God of life against the forces of death.
But the statements and actions by the US administration have been lukewarm
at best, deceitflil at worst. US trade increased 50 percent during the embargo
last year, according to the US Department of Commerce statistics. And 62 US
companies are directly benefiting from the embargo. And the majority of
conservative Protestant missions can't see the forest for the trees. They justify
not speaking out on behalf of democracy and a return of Haiti's president,
saying Aristide is Catholic, and soft on voodoo.
The shame of the US policy is revealed every time a statement is produced
that omits reference to President Aristide's return, or determination to enforce
the embargo. Do we truly want the seemingly endless refugee flotilla stopped?
It's quite easy. Haitians don't want to come to the US, or go to nearby coun-
tries; they want their president back. Our own Brethren pastor in the Dominican
Republic (DR) who, along with his congregation, has suffered abominations by
being of mixed Haitian-Dominican descent, told me last December, "My
congregation is going to stay in the DR until our president returns, because
without him, there is no hope for the poor."
As Christians, we are susceptible to the pain of the poverty, destitution, and
violence, and we want to help in some way. I am reminded of Jesus' lament to
the good religious people of his day, "You know how to interpret the appear-
ance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the time" (Matt. 16:3).
It's not the prevailing situation that should overwhelm us, it's the fact that it
need not be so, and is worsening as we read this, by weak, misguided, ill-
advised steps that governments and international organizations have taken.
Only a simple word need be spoken to Dominican authorities — saying their US
aid will be cut if they don't enforce the embargo — and the border will be
sealed. That's all it took to get Mexico and Venezuela to cease trading with
Cuba. A simple word to the thugs who overthrew the Aristide government —
that power sharing is not an option, and that US trade will be fully cut until
they leave — and the thugs would understand.
Haiti does not need a military invasion; it needs some honest, straightforward
treatment in the arena of democratic nations. Short of that, we as Christians are
called upon to offer a civilian invasion, and stand by the victims, bear
witness to their testimony, read the signs of the times, and act.
Ai.
Yvonne K. Dilling is representative for Latin America and the Caribbean on the General Board
staff.
July 1 994 Messenger 21
Eglise des Freres Haitiens:
The church of contagious joy
by Karen S. Carter
He came by boat. It is a painful
memory — riding a sailboat crowded
with over 70 passengers, tossed on the
waves at the beginning of the hurricane
season, going without drinking water for
five of the 20 days of the voyage. All
those on the boat had left behind family
and friends, home
and possessions, life
as they knew it.
Without visas or
knowledge of
English, most
without marketable
skills, they came in
search of survival.
That was during
the Carter presi-
dency, and the
Haitian refiigee
situation was not
nearly as tough then
as now. Even then,
however, illegal
immigrants were
detained by immigra-
tion authorities.
Through the diligent
assistance of a police
official, Ludovic St.
Fleur, one of the boat
people, was released
from prison after
only 10 days. Three
months later he
found work. The year
was 1979.
In 1980, the
Church of the
Brethren Annual
Conference adopted
the "World Mission
Philosophy and
Program" statement.
It called on congre-
gations to be inten-
tional about their
mission, train and
22 Messenger July 1994
send out lay leaders, and increase their
efforts in working with minorities —
Hispanics, African Americans, Native
Americans. Social justice and mutuality
in mission were high on the church's
agenda in those days.
Members of Miami (Fla.) First
Church of the Brethren, already a multi-
ethnic congregation, decided to concen-
The Haitian Church of the Brethren congregation in Miami radiates such
contagious joy that its biggest problem is how to handle the overflow crowd.
E.GLI5E0E5
HAITIENS
trate on the Haitian refugee community
and were looking for a Haitian person to(
train and work with them. When they
met Ludovic St. Fleur, one man's call to^
ministry through a personal vision
connected with a church's search and
hope for a leader. A few months later,
Ludovic was called as pastor to a
fledgling Haitian church that had been
left in a state of
confusion and
disintegration by its
earlier leader. Under
Ludovic's self-giving
shepherding and
engaging witness, thei
church rapidly grew,
It was recognized by ,
the Church of the
Brethren as a
fellowship in 1983
and as a congregatior
of over 100 members
in October of last
year.
Ludovic was first i!
attracted to the
Miami Brethren
because of their
outgoing concern fori
the poorest of the
poor. Their ministry I
to the whole of life
made infinite sense
to him and confirmee*
his own vision. He
began to worship
with them. The love
feast with its feet-
washing service left i
deep impression on
him. "Jesus took a
towel," he reflects,
"and he girded
himself and he knelt
and washed the
disciples' feet. This
is my model for
Christian ministry."
Ludovic St. FleuTr
:
i
ne of the few ethnic minority
sons whom the Brethren have invited
lecome pastor and then trained
ipletely through Education for a
red Ministry (EFSM). Eagerly he
lied Brethren history and theology
1 Everett Fasnacht, a retired India
sionary. "Brother Everett put all his
; and energy into my preparation for
istry and taught me the Church of
Brethren story." Ludovic identified
1 the 1 8th-century Brethren boat
pie who came to Pennsylvania from
ope to find freedom. He understands
present suffering of his flock, Eglise
Freres Haitiens, whose refugee
erience he shares,
he neighborhood in which the
tian Brethren have their place of
ship is not the kind a tourist would
z out. Their meeting house is part of
rpet shop that has been converted
a sanctuary. They have no Sunday
)ol materials, no chalk boards, not
1 walls or dividers around their class
ns on which to post pictures or
sages. Yet the life that is exuded by
group of believers is so conta-
isly joyous, their love so genuine,
visitors readily feel accepted and
uded as part of the church family,
wonder their Sunday worship
idance is almost double that of their
nbership. Between 150 and 190
pie occupy all the pews from front to
, sit on extra chairs moved into the
:er aisle after Sunday school, listen
[1 the adjacent room through the
n doorway, and stand in the back
mse there are no more seats,
rhe Church of the Brethren has so
;h to offer," the pastor observes. "It
ainful to realize that we are almost
le point where we just cannot invite
more people."
xploration is under way with
intic Southeast District to purchase a
rch building vacated because of the
lie changes in the community. It
lid allow the Haitian Brethren to
Ludovic identifies with 18th-century Brethren pioneers, who, like him, were boat
people, seeking freedom. Antoinette, a newly arrived refugee, has been taken into
the St. Fleur home. Christian hospitality is a hallmark of the Haitian Brethren.
grow and to have facilities for Sunday
school. No longer would the children
have to carry their chairs outside and
hold their classes in the inhospitable
atmosphere of an open entrance porch
with an abandoned car as a backdrop. In
this new church, fellowship meals and
love feast could be prepared in a real
kitchen, instead of in a makeshift
fashion in the cemented back yard or the
pastor's apartment above the sanctuary.
Wedding receptions would no longer
have to move to rented space in a
Baptist church.
B.
►ut how can a congregation of
refiigees come up with $700,000? Some
members work for minimum wages.
Others are unemployed. Many still are
undocumented and cannot legally obtain
work. The problem requires a solution
beyond the resources of Eglise des
Freres Haitiens.
The Brethren Revival Fellowship has
been helpful to its Haitian brothers and
sisters. It paid the pastor's transporta-
tion to attend the Brethren Bible
Institute in Pennsylvania three different
years, provided a large van for picking
up people who could not otherwise
attend church meetings, and has
promised large sums toward an adequate
building for the congregation.
Being with the Haitian Brethren and
living among them, even for only a
short period, is an experience that is
bound to expand one's understanding,
shuffle one's priorities, and challenge
one's preconceived ideas. Traditionally,
in Haitian history, leadership means
personal power. The Haitian pastor,
immaculately dressed, expecting to be
waited on and deferred to is as far from
Ludovic St. Fleur as one can get. With
the Suffering Servant as his model for
ministry, Ludovic is unassuming,
always in the background, slipping into
a meeting unnoticed, encouraging and
enabling leadership, giving attention to
others' comfort, being infinitely
available to those in need.
And the needs are not only physical.
"Everybody in this congregation is
suffering," Ludovic explains, "because
everybody has someone who got killed
in Haiti or is in hiding, someone who is
the victim of the violence there.
Because we are one family in Christ, we
are all victims."
He hopes that the Brethren will
continue to sponsor awareness raising
trips to Haiti to learn first hand what life
is like, tell others, write to legislators in
Washington, do the work of advocacy.
"We have to!" he urges. "It is a matter
of justice. We have to work for change.
My people are more than a slave nation!
As Christians, we cannot take political
sides, but we have an obligation to state
what is right and wrong, and support the
'weaker parts' of the family, those who
are suffering."
Some Haitian Brethren who have the
July 1994 Messenger 23
Space is a such a premium in the church facility that three Sunday school classes
meet simultaneously in the sanctuary. Most of the sisters wear head coverings.
green card have traveled back to visit
family members. "Don't mention
anything political when you are there,"
Delouse warns. (His 19-year-old cousin
was shot recently.) "Don't use any buzz
words (such as justice, education,
hunger, human rights). Open your eyes!
See everything, hear everything, and
keep your mouth shut until you get
back."
Ludovic's style of mutual ministry,
his willingness to serve, and the joy that
he radiates are contagious. Therefore his
congregation has no lack of leadership.
Women and men and youth share the
load of teaching, and do it gladly.
Myma, a 1 7-year-old who was baptized
two years ago, explains it this way:
"There is so much love. That's why we
learn so much." Three persons with
some biblical training (one through
EFSM) serve as assistants to the pastor
and preach in his absence. Every
disciple is called to be a minister.
During the Friday evening Bible
studies, about half the time is spent in
presenting the text by the pastor, the
other half in questions and discussion.
"That's my favorite part," 1 1-year-old
24 Messenger July 1994
Raynald says, listening with interest. "I
like it when people ask questions, or
even joke sometimes in their discussion.
That's how we all learn."
"We search for the answers together,"
the pastor commented. "When we
cannot resolve a question, I encourage
everyone to think about it and study it at
home, and we share our findings next
time."
Oharing is the key to Ludovic's
ministry. From a young age, all mem-
bers of the congregation participate.
During weekly prayer meetings, persons
are encouraged to talk about their need
or hurt with their faith community. "It's
not for you to just sit there and not do
anything and cry," Raynald stresses
emphatically. Mature for his age, he has
been allowed to participate in the youth
activities. "On Mondays, the pastor
picks us up and we visit the homes with
special needs," Raynald continues.
"When we arrive we sing a song or two,
then we ask about the concern, and we
pray together." What Raynald likes best
about his church is "the way people love
each other."
For Roselanne, an 1 8-year-old high
school graduate, love feast holds a
special place: "The deacons visit and
admonish people to be reconciled to one
another, to talk through their misgivings
and hurts. On the evening of love feast
the opportunity for reconciliation is
given again. I have seen a lot of recon-
ciling going on before love feast as
brothers and sisters confessed to one
another and asked forgiveness." It is an
important model for her.
To others, the secret to their enthusi
astic growth is hospitality. "Hospitality
and beyond," Ludovic calls it. The
pastor's family keeps an open door for
anyone who does not have a place to
stay. Little Stephen and his mother
came to them directly from the hospital
shortly after his birth because they
could not return to the refugee camp.
Soon thereafter, his mother disappearec
and abandoned the child. Now Stephen
is four and growing up in the pastor's
home; Ludovic's daughter considers
him her brother.
Antoinette arrived at the St. Fleur
home straight from the refiigee camp.
She had met Elisabeth St. Fleur before
Elisabeth had left Haiti about a dozen
years ago. When she gave Elisabeth's
name to the agency seeking sponsors,
Elisabeth was contacted. "We signed fo
her, of course. What can you do?"
Undocumented, 27 years old, illiterate
(62 percent of Haitians are illiterate),
speaking only Creole, without any
marketable skills! This sort of hospitaln
ity is a big risk for the church.
It is also the secret to survival. One
family makes the way for the next.
There is a strong network of support,
often based on distant family ties, but
not limited to that. The church helps oi
with food and clothing, contacting
social agencies and trying to find a
place to stay.
Hard to describe in a few words,
impossible to capture in short vignettes
one has to experience it first hand, this
joyful community. "That's my church,"
Elisabeth says with obvious pride.
"See how they love one another."
i
Karen S. Carter, an ordained minister, is a I
member ofDaleville (Va.) Church of the Brethrei
M
(continued from page 21)
mments to the police.
The repression in Haiti is subtle. On
I surface, except for the nighttime
nfire in many parts of the city, life
peared to be going on as normal,
iing the poorest country in the western
misphere, Haiti has definite economic
d social problems, but only after
ilding up some level of trust with
tsiders can Haitian people speak of
; repression that they are enduring,
'ou cannot use diabolic means to gain
wer and then turn around and try to
blessings with it," we were told at
; Organization for Peace and Justice.
The de facto government has success-
lly carried out a campaign of terror in
liti, and the murder of two of
istide's most prominent supporters
it year has compounded the fear of the
ople. If people as well known and
iportant as these can be murdered,
lat protection is there for leaders of
I popular resistance?
At a peace and justice agency in Port-
-Prince we heard how people are
bject to arrest at any time, and for any
ison, although more likely for a
litical than a criminal offense. "You
n be arrested at home, at work, at
|ht or in the day, with no principles
d no law. As soon as you're arrested
;n you are tortured. In reality we are a
untry occupied by its own army."
This organization does work to help
ilitical prisoners, and we asked how
sy it was to get into the prisons. "Oh,
; can get in any time," we were told,
ith obvious sarcasm. "In most coun-
es," he said, "prisons are made to
ntain criminals. Here, the prisons are
r the people who want to stop vio-
ice, while the criminals run free."
This helps to explain why 400,000 of
liti's 1.5 million population are in
ding. The people we met with were
ger to tell their stories and to enlist
ir support in the struggle to restore
mocracy to Haiti, but virtually
erywhere we went, people asked us
>t to use their names. The man who
oke to us from the platform for the
)pular movement introduced himself
"Mr. A." It is hard to imagine what it
ust be like to live in daily fear for
one's life. "We don't wake up with any
expectations for the day," said a human-
rights worker in Port-au-Prince, "but
each day that we survive, we thank God."
One of our group members, Don
Linden, of Genesis Fellowship in
Putney, Vt., described his cultural shock
upon returning to the United States.
"One of the hardest things," he said,
"was having half a dozen people ask me
if I had a 'good trip.' A good trip
implies something different from what
we experienced. I was overwhelmed by
the huge disparities between the US and
Haiti, not just in terms of wealth, but
also in terms of freedom and safety."
For many of the delegates, the fiill
impact of the visit is only being felt now
THE
AN D #
^edStudebaWet
Jon Scb
rock
To live a life with purpose, that was Ted
Studebaker's goal, a '67 graduate of Manchester
College. Gentle, humble, sincere, determined,
Ted followed Jesus' example. He loved all people,
even his enemies. He returned good for evil.
Alternative service in Vietnam, his love of its
culture and land, his mission in life and
untimely death symbolize this rare and
remarkable man of peace. .^''"
MANCHESTER COLLEGE
TRADITION
Having lived in Nigeria and Sudan, Jon
Schrock, a senior at Manchester, exhibits
global perspective. He respects cultural
differences and values the need to resolve
conflicts nonviolently. Open to direction, Jon
plans to work with BVS, perhaps in Cairo.
Fluent in Arabic, Jon's absorbing mind, his
reflective nature, and his devotion to peace may
be his calling among the rare and remarkable.
VALUES * GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE * FAITH * ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
* LEARNING * ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS * COMMUNFTY
PEACE & JUSTICE * STEWARDSHIP * SERVICE
Write or call to receive more information on Manchester programs or stewardship
opportunities, to refer prospective students, or to let us know If you are planning a special
campus visit.
Manchester College does not discriminate on the basis of marital status, sex.
religion, race, color, national or ethnic origin, or handicap in the administration of its
educational policies, recruitment and admissions policies, scholarship and loan
■»«■ A "Vr/^T-TT^^TT^U programs, employment practices, and athletic or other college sponsored programs.
coSge • North Manchester, IN 46962 • (2 19) 982-5000
July 1994 Messenger 25
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that they have returned to their "ordi-
nary" lives. "It's like being at a crash
site," Don said. "When you get to the
site of the accident you just do what has
to be done. It's only when it's all over
that you realize the horror of the tragedy
you've just witnessed."
Yvonne Dilling said that for her, the
difference was in actually visiting a
place rather than just reading about it.
"It was important for us to visit, to
make personal contact, and to have the
Haitian people touch our hearts. This
was the most important thing, because
it's only after being changed on the
inside that we are motivated to work for
change on the outside."
A few hours spent one afternoon
feeding and holding babies at an
orphanage run by the Sisters of Charity
gave added impact to the message we
heard from religious and political
leaders. For each of us there was an
event or a moment that will be long
remembered, encouraging us to act.
For David Webster of Monte Vista
Church of the Brethren in Calloway,
Va., it was the pregnant woman outside
the cathedral on our first Sunday in
Port-au-Prince, balancing a child on one
hip and begging for money for food
with her free hand.
One of the most important things for
Yvonne Dilling was the presence in our
delegation of two members of the
Haitian congregation, Eglise des Freres
Haitiens, in Miami. "Having two Haitian
Brethren with us gave us a deeper
understanding of the situation. It meant
a great deal to their home congregation
to know that the church cares about the
struggle for democracy in Haiti."
We spoke with a priest in a rural area
who had been told by the police that his
homilies were too political. In reply,
Pere Jean told them that they obviously
weren't reading the same Bible as he
was. "I have a place (the church) where
I can talk to the people, and where the
people listen," he told us. "This gives
me an advantage in raising critical
consciousness, which is vital in our
struggle. If you don't speak out then
you are supporting what is happening.
You have to speak out, in the
name of God."
M.
26 Messenger July 1 994
mm
jy Robin
/Ventworth Mayer
itepping Stones is a column offer-
ng suggestions, perspectives, and
'pinions — snapshots of life — that we
tope are helpful to readers in their
Christian journey. As the writer said
n her first installment. "Remember.
I'hen it comes to managing life 's
Hfficulties. we don V need to walk on
voter. We just need to learn where
he stepping stones are. "
My son burst in from school
one day and exclaimed,
"Mom! I got sent to the
principal's office!"
My heart expanded to my
throat and my knees turned
to water. The principal's
office? In an instant the
years rolled back as I relived
my own transgressions.
Second grade: My little
boyfi-iend and I learned that
the older kids had nick-
named the sixth-grade
teacher, an obese man,
"Gorgeous George." Since
we thought that was hysteri-
cally fiinny, one day at
recess we stood a ways
behind him and chanted:
"Gorgeous George sittin' in
a tree . . . ."
He was amazingly agile
for a man of his girth. In no
time, Randy and I were
apprehended and taken
inside, where we found
ourselves sitting in the
principal's office, scared
silly.
Seventh grade math class:
None of us liked Miss
Walters. She was very pretty
and very mean tempered.
She also spoke with an
affected southern accent,
which the parents found
charming but which we kids
used as another reason not to
take her seriously.
I entered class one day, sat
down, pulled out my comb,
and began repairing the
damage from phys. ed. class.
Hair-combing in class was
taboo, and I knew it. But
since the bell had not yet
rung, I believed a little
primping was "legal." Miss
Walters felt otherwise.
"Rahbin, come up heah
and put tha'at in the
tra'ash."
Basically I was a coopera-
tive kid. 1 made decent
grades. I usually obeyed
rules. I got along well with
my peers. It's just that my
mouth occasionally got me
into trouble. So 1 said to
Miss Walters: "I'll put it up,
but I won't throw it away."
"Go to the principal's
office ri'ight no'ow!"
Eighth grade English
class: I always thought that
Mrs. Schwartz didn't like
me. Looking back now, I
still think she didn't like me.
The entire class was in the
library. Permy Hill and I
were talking . . . along with
the other 30 students. Mrs.
Schwartz appeared from
nowhere and flicked me on
the cheek with her pencil:
"You two apologize right
now for talking!" Penny
immediately said "I'm sorry."
/said, "I'll apologize if you
make everybody else here
apologize too." (See what I
mean about my mouth?)
Mrs. Schwartz ripped off a
pass and hissed through
clenched teeth: "Take this to
the principal's office!"
Senior year: My high
school band was on it's way
to becoming a real power-
house in state competition. I
was in the Flag Corps and
we had a junior captain who
was very talented, very
perfectionistic, and a little
abusive with her authority.
One cold, damp, autumn
day — when the pressure was
on for homecoming — the
"pep talk" of the captain of
the corps consisted of her
screaming: "You're just not
working hard enough. If we
don't place first it will be
your fault!" In the room that
grew silent as a tomb the pin
that dropped was my voice
saying: "Trisha, go to hell."
I'm not proud of that. It's
the only time in my life I've
actually said those words to
another.
Anyway, you guessed it:
The principal's office.
So upon hearing my son's
news of being sent to the
principal's office, 1 sat down
and drew him closer: "Tell
me about it. Honey."
And Jameson, his face
bursting with pride, held up
a crumpled certificate signed
by his principal: "Because of
you, our school is a better
place. You have proven that
one student can make a
difference. I applaud your
actions and look forward to
even more great things from
you in the future."
I guess things change
after all.
And sometimes, even
for the better.
Ai\
Robin Wentworlh Mayer, of
Edwardsburg. Mich., is pastor of
Pleasant Valley Church of the
Brethren, Middlebuiy, Ind. She
operates Stepping Stones Counsel-
ing out of Waterford (Ind.)
Community' Church.
July 1994 Messenger 27
Name-change suggestions
I have mixed feelings about changing
the name of the denomination (see
"Group Announces Frustration with
Denomination Name," January, page 9).
We are known historically as the
Church of the Brethren. Along with the
Quakers and Mennonites, Brethren are
known as one of the Historic Peace
Churches. To drop the name "Brethren"
would cause the loss of our historical
identity.
The suggested name "Church of
Reconciliation" might associate us with
a group having a similar name.
Could we compromise and be the
"Church of the Brothers and Sisters?"
tr
Ifs a combination of the more
reasonable cost and the element
of service that makes MAA
attractive ...
Donald Munn, MAA Member
Middlebury, IN.
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There are groups with longer names
than that, such as the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Yvonne S. Jame
Elgin, B.
• I like "Church of Reconciliation" as a
new name for our denomination to
consider. It certainly does not remind
me of the exclusiveness my gender feel
when hearing "Church of the Brethren.'
"Brethren" no longer is an inclusive
word. Af^er reading Paul's charge to tht
church in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, 1
recommend that we make name-changaj
our priority. The year 2008 is too long ,
to wait for a new name.
Ginny Whittt
Bridgewater, Vi
Raising an issue
The April letters have an almost
apologetic tone regarding the use of the
King James Version (KJV) of the Bible
The Bible verse from the New
Revised Standard Version (NRSV) on
that issue's cover demonstrates the nee'
to stand by the KJV as an accurate
translation of God's holy Word.
"He has been raised" suggests that
someone, maybe God, maybe Satan,
raised Jesus; maybe Jesus raised
himself. John 10:18 has Jesus saying h'
has the power to lay down his life andi
the power to take it up again.
"He has been raised" leaves one
wondering whether Jesus really had tb
power or was merely spouting empty
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily |
those of the magazine. Readers should receive th
in the same spirit with which differing opinions
expressed in face-to-face conversations. .
Letters should be brief, concise, and respect/Ul l\
the opinions of others. Preference is given to lettt'
that respond directly to items read in the magaziii
We are willing to withhold the name of a writer-
only when, in our editorial judgment, it is
warranted. We wilt not consider any letter that
comes to us unsigned. Whether or not we print th
letter, the writer 's name is kept in strictest
confidence.
Address letters to MESSENGER £</iror. 1451
Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.
:
28 Messenger July 1994
e to his followers.
he KJV leaves no doubt in my mind
ch was the case. He is risen, indeed.
James Hankinson
Hampton. N.J.
ing the wrong metaphor
en I read the April "Stepping
nes," I was offended in the first
igraph by Robin Mayer's use of a
ie term to describe spring defying
calendar.
laybe I am too thin-skinned, too
sitive, but I felt the same way 30
rs ago when a pretty, fresh-scrubbed
d used a crude term to protest racial
cks on civil rights marchers,
layer could have had spring "make a
:" at the calendar date, "stick its
gue out," or, with childlike exuber-
e, say "Nyah! Nyah! Nyah!"
Jobie E. Riley
Elizabethtown, Pa.
iristianity is no 'subplot'
;reat deal of what's wrong within the
irch of the Brethren is that few
iple know, understand, believe, and
ctice the ideals of early Brethren. We
e watered down our witness (walk-
in the way of Christ) until we are
; like everybody else.
Mostly we have what Donald E.
icher (April, page 21) calls a "reli-
us stew." Yet it is the Brethren's
que beliefs and practices that have
acted other ethnic groups,
agree with Fancher that cultural
ersity can be a treasure enriching our
ristian life, but I reject Gregg A.
Ihelm's concepts (April, page 21).
J Christian story is not a "subplot."
be Christian is to believe that Jesus
s God incarnate, the total revelation
God's nature. Jesus is the way, the
th, and the life. "No one comes to the
her except through me" (John 14:6).
do not accept that my religion is
led on a "human expression." If I
ieve that, then I deny that the Bible
he inspired Word of God and the
authority for my life. To deny either of
these does "dilute" my Christian belief
until it is worthless. These are two basic
beliefs I cannot compromise.
Rosella J. Combs
Tipp City, Ohio
• Gregg Wilhelm criticized a Brethren
member who spoke about the unique-
ness of Jesus Christ at a seminar on
peacemaking from different religous
perspectives. Wilhelm said that "the
brother's speech had little to do with
Christian pacifism and love of neighbors
who may not be just like us."
On the contrary, the speech has
everything to do with those issues. Jesus
proclaimed, "I am the way and the truth
ICAL STUDIES
The Bible
A timeless
story
told in a
timely way
featuring Brethren writers
talking about the Bible in Brethren life
Group and individual subscriptions $1. 75 per quarter.
plus shipping and handling.
Brethren Press
1451 Dundee Avenue • Elgin, IL 60120-1694
800-441-3712
July 1994 Messenger 29
To subscribe to
call (800) 323-8039^Ext. 247.
Ask for Norma
From the
Office of Human Resources
STEWARDSHIP EDUCATION
This position has been expanded to full-
time with an Elgin location.
This position assistscongregations with
stewardship teaching and enlisting re-
sources of time, talent and financial sup-
port for congregational ministries.
The preferred individual will:
• communicate at a professional level,
be an effective motivator, relate well
with people.
• have administrative & management
skills.
• have an M.Div degree or equivalent.
Prefer two years experience with con-
gregational teaching and practice.
Positions available on July 1, 1994.
For prompt consideration call Barbara
Greenwald (800) 323-8039
and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me" (John 14:6, NIV).
We can dialog with people from other
religious perspectives about peacemak-
ing all we want, but the only way there
will ever be any true and lasting peace
on earth is for followers of Christ to
proclaim that the only way to peace
goes right through Jesus.
Jesus is much more than simply a
Pontius' Puddle
THE B^^ Mt\^S IS TK^T
IS SATOR^TE^.Ts WITH
A^TEW-dLOCrCrlUGr PAT
TMAT CAN CAUSE HEART
ATT^ttCS. ^\^Z G-OOD MEWS
IS, frlVEK THE RlS\MfrT\C>e
OC ViOi-EMte IM PILI^,
rt'? ST|l-l_Tl4E SAPESTi
THiMGr \MTKE: THEAXev.-
model for peacemaking. "He himself is ■
our peace" (Eph. 2:14, NIV).
Jamie Baker
Bridgewater. Va.
Handling our 'birthright'
We haven't lost the "birthright" in
Bethany Seminary's moving to Rich-
mond, Ind., we are affirming it.
Sure, it felt like loss at the "last
reunion" at Bethany in Oak Brook, 111.,
in April (May/June, page 6). But the
assumption that we know, in our brief
span, what the birthright really is must
be abandoned.
The heart of the church's leadership '
training, like the ancient God-of-the-
Mountain, must not be limited to my
perception or that of my generation. All
history is on the move; God is in the
vanguard, and the faithful people will
be on the move too, even as of old, fron
Abraham to A.C. Wieand, to the
successive generation, even to a strange
land, where the wind of God's spirit
leads — to build a new temple and lead
the people forward.
Alan Kieffabt
Denton, Mi
CLASSIFIED ADS
FOR SALE— "Our Family Books" by Mason. John Mason
& Mary Ann Miller ot Wrg/n/a— 1986; Ziegler Family
Record (Revised)— 1990: Shank Family flecorcf— 1992;
Michael Miller Family flecorcf— 1993; John Wampler &
Magdalena Garter— m progress; John H. Garber Family
Record— m progress; Nicholas Garber Family Record— \n
progress. Please write for prices and more information.
Send long SASE. Floyd R. Mason, 1 1 5 E. Rainbow Drive,
Bridgewater, VA 22812.
TRAVEL— Australia and New Zealand with Bridgewater
College President Wayne F. Geisert. 17-day tour Cairns,
Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Christchurcfi, Queenstown,
Mt. Cook, Auckland, and Rotorua. Leaves September 17.
Returns October 3. Cost (roundtrip airfare from west
coast, first-class accommodations, 23 meals, and enter-
tainment) $3,295 per person, double occupancy. Optional
excursion available to Fiji, For info, brochure, write; Aus-
tralia/l\lew Zealand Tour, c/o Wayne F. Geisert, Bridgewater
College, Bridgewater, VA 22812-1599, Tel. (703) 828-
2501, ext, 1300.
TRAVEL— Rome/Athens, Jan. 18-25, 1995 with hosts
Herb and Jeanne Smith of McPherson College. Tour
includes; Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Cata-
combs, Forum, Pompeii & Naples (optional), Parthenon,
Corinth, 3-Greek island cruise. Cost; $1,810 includes
transportation, breakfasts/table d'hotedinners, first class
hotels. For information; Herb/Jeanne Smith, McPherson
30 Messenger July 1994
College, McPherson, KS 67460, Phone; (316) 241-
0742, ext. 1 244, or (316) 241 -71 28. Summer address;
26 Mount Lebanon Dr., Lebanon, PA 17042. Phone;
(717)273-9503.
TRAVEL— Tour Japan, June 12-21; Alpine Tour in Ger-
many, Austria & Switzerland, June 16-July 1; Spain and
Portugal, July 22-Aug. 5; Great Britain, Aug. 9-26; China
and Hong Kong, Oct. 5-18; MusicalTourto Vienna, Austria
& Budapest, Hungary, Nov, 7-16; Christmastime in Swit-
zerland & Germany, Nov. 28-Dec. 6; Christmastime in
Bavaria, Dec. 5-13. Hosted through Juniata College. For
further info, contact; Gateway Travel Center Inc., 606
Mifflin Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652-0595. Tel. (800) 322-
5080.
WANTED— Poems for a tribute to poet Bill Stafford. Also
prose, short reflections, or stories. Also photos of poets/
writers with Stafford. Need by Aug. 31. Contact Mark
Mitchell, 5650 Abbey Dr., Apt. 4-A, Lisle, IL 60532
WANTED— Mature married couple as full-time managers
of an 8-bed emergency shelter (vacated 9-4 daily). Lo-
cated 20 minutes northeast of US Capital in suburban
Maryland. No alcohol permitted. References required.
Must be sensitive to needs of the homeless and be able
to exert propercontrol. Benefits; free housing (entire first
floor, including 2 bedrooms), utilities, and one month
vacation. Send resumes and references to; Help-by-
Phone, Ltd., Box 324, Riverdale, MD 20738, or call tl'
hotline 9-5 EST (301) 699-9009.
WANTED— Addresses ortips for locating these BVSersi
Unit 47, June 1960; Virginia Campbell, Judy HawkiP
Linda Tweddell, Barbara Summy Milam, Richard Ay(i
Richard Ernst, Lester Miley, Terry J. Snider. Need t*
planning 35th anniversary newsletter/reunion. Responrf
Glen Draper, R. 2, Box 299, Eldora, lA 50627,
WANTED— Volunteer Camp Managers. Camp Ithjel, (,
lando (Fla.) seeks volunteer couple to assist camp diteC'
with management of year-round outdoor ministry prograi
Responsibilities vary from office work to food servicel
general maintenance. Stipend and housing in furnish:
cottage (kitchen & laundry provided). Three Church oft
Brethren congregations within 20 minutes. Come try-<
the Florida setting. For information contact Mike Ni
Camp Ithiel, P.O, Box 165, Gotha, FL 34734. Tel. (4(
293-3481.
WANTED— RV volunteers. Do you have a camper,
wheel, or RV and want to serve the church? Camp Itt
needs seasonal volunteers to lend talents and skills to
year-round camping ministry. Hookups provided at
charge. Twenty minutes from Orlando. Weekly bible sti
and worship services on site. Come try the warm wif'
climate. For more information write to; P.O. Box 1
Gotha, FL 34734.
w Members
och, Virlina; Leanne
Bowman. Debbie Brubaker,
lamie & Deanna Knox.
Vlartha Stilton
gewfller, Shen.: Eliza
\uckerman. David & Grace
5rightbill, Margaret Dean,
(ennie Draper, Josh Eye.
lolene Flory, Katie Grove,
Cen Klamut, Shannon
^cNett, John Metzler, Andy
vliracle. Beth Murray, Blake
'ennington. Gary & Cheryl
latliff. Myron & Jackie
lummei. Matt & Scott
itevens, Emily Wampler
la Vista. Shen.: Susan Wyant
rata, Atl. N.E.: Cindy Boyd.
^eide Ellmaker. Bridgett
^eckman. Lanie & Jamie
hosier, Shannah Maimer,
Elizabeth White
sole, S. Ohio: Leighanne
!)inlinger. Debbie Jones
over, S. Pa.: Sharon Slothour
pfield, Atl. N.E.: Ross
Boxlan, Elizabeth Bradley.
Jean Connelly, Paul Dum,
Cerri Eshleman. Randy Zurin
idaysburg, M. Pa.: Brent &
^'endy Faust, Rita Murphy
;er, W. Plains: Gair Bridges,
Daniel Butler. Bonnie Hogle,
■ames Pieschke. Galen Smith.
*4atthew Tobias
ison City, S.E.: Mary Kinnick
omo, S/C Ind.: Thomas &
A/^innie Davis, Keith & Chris
Cirtley, Marilyn Moore,
Crystal Ringeisen, Mary Walls
Jrte, N. Ind.: Shirley Beam,
vlelissa & Ron BonDurant.
Michael Johnson, Natasha
'axson, Chris & Walter
Sims. Joyce Stephens, Ethel
A^ayland
assas, Mid-Atl.: Jamie &
'atty Baisden. Heather &
Michael Byrne, Shawna Carl,
!^arla, Jason & Michael
Cline, Jamie Murphy.
Vndrea Parilak. Diane &
'erry Patterson
or, Mid-Atl.: Cheryl & Lori
Baker. Holly & Gary
Durboraw
le Spring, W. Pa.: Norma
Bothwell
herson, W. Plains: Clarence
Brown. Lyllis Frantz, Wilmer
-ehman
dow Branch, Mid-Atl.:
David & Paula Poling
lorial, M. Pa.: Vesta Furry,
Stephen & Suzanne McNally.
Cathleen & Floyd Mitchell,
'eggy Ritchey
die Creek, Atl. N.E.: Ashley
Bollinger. Derrick Frank,
lobert McClellan, Drew
Vlinnich, James Nolt
rstown, Atl. N.E.: Paul
Brugger. Lori Harvey. Joel
Coffer, Bonnie Lackey,
Sherry Rhoads. Carey
Seldomridge. Rose & Wally
iValmer. Shawn Weiler
Carlisle, S. Ohio; Justin
Ooggett. Charlene Flora,
Molly Schock, Kent Stamper
Nokesville, Mid-Atl.: Benjamin
Bear, Byron Clark, Carolyn
Hill. Heather & Matthew
Nelson
North Winona, N. Ind.: Ben &
Curt Barkey, Jennifer
Dilling. Brian Rogers, Jason
Torrence
Northview, S/C Ind.: Walt
Fitzsimons. Bob Moore
Oakland, S. Ohio: Micah
Coblentz, Claudia & Linn
Conway. Sam & Toni Custer.
Valliejo Deeter. Debra & Jeff
Hittle. C.W. Johnston, Leah
Jones, Chris Kolb, Randy &
Terri Kress, Ryan Lutz, Kristi
Simon, Jeffery, Jeremy &
Joshua Swabb
Palmyra. Atl. N.E.: Robert &
Joelie Dudley. Charlotte
Hughes, Paul & Edith
Hunsicker, Carol Kettering
Parker Ford, Atl N.E.: Bryan
Haydt, Nathan Hess, Lyrm
Huzard, Donald Trauger,
Cynthia. James & Jennifer
Valerio. Elisa Wiherin, Julie
& Tammy Yeager
Peru, S/C Ind.: Cari, Sandra &
Tiffany Calfee. Wanda Duncan,
Sidey Hall, Lucy & Mac
Martin, Charles Miller, Jayme
Saylor. Kristi Shaffer, Bonnie
Sullivan, Margaret Wiese
Plumcreek, W. Pa.: Dale
Longwell. Scott & Dermis Orr
Plymouth, N. Ind.: Kari & Julia
King, James & Shonna Lyon
Pomona Fellowship, Pac. S.W.:
Candace & Crystal Cook,
Rob McKellip. Stan &
Phyllis Wright
Prairie City, N. Plains: Andrew
Elrod. Jill Hopkins, Adam
Jones. Andrew Power,
Amanda Smith
Prince of Peace, W. Plains:
Thomas Champion. Albert &
Hazel Guyer. Gladys Holbeach
Roanoke, S. Plains: Steven &
Carol Blanchard, Ken Daniel.
Wade & Melissa Le Gros.
Daquari & Daphne Patrick,
Katie Wenzel
Sebring, Atl. S.E.: Irene Bopp,
Phyllis Frisbie. Wilbur
Gump. Prince Mack, James
& Judy Marine, Arthur &
Frances McDaniel, Virgil &
Ann Sisk
Spring Run, M. Pa.: Scott
Bollinger, Brenda Fike,
Sarah Ort, Karen Rhodes,
Henry & Esther Sechrist.
John & Meloney Specht
Stevens Hill, Atl. N.E.: James
KJlbum
Stone, Shen.: Shiriey & W.T.
Bruffey, Barry. Kathy, Nikki
& Travis Wyant
Stone, M. Pa.: Sharon Benson,
Joseph Cofftnan, Adam Furry,
Scott & Pamela Grugan. Sam
& Katy Reist, Christine
Shuck, Joanne Thurston-
Griswold. Jonathan Wyrick
Trinity, S.E.: Billy, Brandy.
Bryon & Lorri Goebel. Ben
& Judy Johnson, Christopher
Shaver
Trotwood. S. Ohio: Nathan
Chambers. Kimberly Eblin.
Christopher Fitze, Christina.
Dennis & Melissa Hawley,
Shellie Heller. Matthew
McLaughlin. Mark Medlar.
Carl Schaeffer, Scott Snyder
(Jniontown, W. Pa.: Nicole
Hyjurick
Waynesboro, S. Pa.: Ronald
Bower
Welty, Mid-Atl.: Kathy. Nelson,
Rachel, Allen & Jason
Eckstine, Heather Gifft
West Goshen, N. Ind.: Jeffery
Fackler
Westminster, Mid-Atl.: Jordan
Blevins. Michael & Laura
Cleveland, Rachel Lindsay.
Bridget & Ester Marchio.
Rachel Rinehart, Lauren Scott
Wilmington, Atl. N.E.: Heather
& Randal Fisher. Matthew
Hershberger, Aaron Kinsey.
Melissa McLeod, Edward
Olkowski
Yellow Creek, N. Ind.: Cathy &
Dave Fox. Paul Grosse.
Angie McCramer. Melissa
Mitchel. Edd Shepherd
York, S. Pa.: Penny Kohler,
Rachelle & Tiffany Minehart
211th BVS
Orientation Unit
(orientation completed April 23)
Austin, Laura, Tucson. Ariz.; to
be placed
Fabian, Jennifer, Leesport, Pa.; to
Deborah's Place, Chicago, III.
Goubeaux. Eric. Dayton, Ohio;
to Catholic Worker House,
San Antonio, Texas
Hoffman, Gerhard. Pfullendori,
Germany; to Catholic Worker
House. San Antonio, Texas
Jansen, Yolanda, Amsterdam.
Netherlands; to Inspiration
Cafe, Chicago. 111.
Kennedy, Katherine, Winston-
Salem, N.C.; to Casa de
Esperanza de los Ninos,
Houston, Texas
Lehner. Maria. Neuss. Germany;
to Casa de Modesto,
Modesto. Calif
Rave, Tilmann, Munchen,
Germany; to Bread and
Roses, Olympia. Wash.
Rimsche, Christian, Werl,
Germany; to Pesticide Action
Network. San Francisco. CaUf.
Rohrer, Denise, North
Manchester, Ind.; to be placed
Smith, Gordon, Asheville. N.C.;
to Streetbeat Youth Project,
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Tchang, Kathleen. Saskatoon,
Canada; to Pakrac
Reconstruction Project,
Pakrac, Croatia
Wedding
Anniversaries
Anglemyer, Paul and Marilynn.
Forest, Ohio, 55
Benedict, Harold and Edith.
Vermontville, Mich.. 60
Brinkmeier, Reuben and Arlene,
Pead City, III.. 55
Brubaker, Daniel and Amy.
Ephrata. Pa., 60
Butzer, David and Mary, Akron,
Pa.. 60
Carper, Jerry and Eva,
Coopersburg. Pa., 50
Carr, Wayne and Jane. Sebring,
Fla., 60
Coffey, Jim and Ivy. Weyers
Cave, Va., 50
Cramer, Leland and Ruth,
Bridgewater, Va., 50
Davis, Thomas and Winnie,
Kokomo. Ind.. 70
Dixon, Fred and Martha, Akron,
Ohio, 50
Dohner. Ward and Miriam. West
Alexander, Ohio, 60
Filbrun, George and Virginia,
Brookville. Ohio. 50
Flory, Glen and Esther.
Mcpherson, Kan., 65
Funkhouser, Alvin and Maxine,
Bridgewater, Va., 50
Geiger, Mabel and Emanuel.
Churubusco. Ind., 65
Godfrey, Sterling and Katie,
Dallastown, Pa.. 71
Graffis, Lucile and Homer.
North Manchester. Ind., 60
Harshbarger, John and Alma,
Weyers Cave, Va.. 60
Hartleroad, Robert and Betty,
Peru, Ind., 50
Haworth, Paul and Virginia.
Lorida. Fla., 55
Hollen, Francis and Vera.
Bridgewater, Va., 50
Houff, James and Mary,
Champaign, ill.. 50
Kinzie, Galen and Clarice, North
Manchester, Ind., 60
Kissell, Dale and Miriam,
Troutwood, Ohio, 50
Landes, Gerald and Evagene.
Arcadia, Ind.. 60
Lehigh, Roy and Ruth, Lititz.
Pa.. 60
McFrey, William and Joyce,
Moreno Valley, Calif, 50
Miller, Thomas and Naomi,
Huntingdon, Pa., 50
Miller, Dan and Liza, Greenville.
Ohio. 65
Neterer, George and Frances,
Hollidaysburg. Pa., 50
Nicholas, Carlyle and Winifred.
Bridgewater, Va.. 50
Perrill, Louis and Ruth,
Beavercreek, Ohio. 50
Pullin. Harold and Irma,
Waterloo. Iowa, 60
Royer, Jerry and Ruth, Virden,
111.. 55
Seltzer, Harry and Claudia,
Reading, Pa., 50
Sbank, Elery and Ruth. Polo.
III.. 60
Shifflett, Sam and Geraldine.
Weyers Cave, Va.. 50
Sites, Virgil and Celesta, North
Manchester, Ind., 55
Stauffer, Robert and Hazel, Polo,
III., 55
Stover. Glenn and Catharine,
Waynesboro, Pa., 60
Targgart, Glenn and June,
Albion. Ind.. 50
Taylor, Harry and Erma,
Copemish. Mich.. 55
Tritt, Wayne and Esther. York,
Pa.. 50
Vance, Balford and Helen,
Dayton. Ohio. 50
Wheeler, Wayne and Ellen, New
Philadelphia, Ohio. 50
Deaths
Arner, Myrtle. 85. Sebring. Fla.,
Mar. 16, 1^94
Bagshaw, Anna, 88. Bridge-
water. Va.. Jan. 21, 1994
Baker, James. 75, Martinsburg,
Pa., Mar. 9, 1994
Brandt, Amos, 92, Palmyra. Pa.,
Mar. 19. 1994
Callihan, Clark. 84. Martinsburg,
Pa.. Jan, 25, 1994
Claypool, Mary, 78. Sebring.
Via., Oct. 15. 1993
Coiner, Esther, 77, Bridgewater,
Va., Jan. 4. 1994
Frederick. Gene, 62. Dola, Ohio.
July 13. 1993
Galle-Williams, Opal, 80.
Houston, Tex,. Mar. 24, 1994
Hamman, Ruth. 88, East Lansing.
Mich. Dec, 27. 1993
Keiser. Ruth, 88, Lakeville, Ind.,
Apr. 3. 1994
Kensinger. Leon, 82. Martins-
burg. Pa.. Mar. 9. 1994
Kipe, Lester. 66. Waynesboro.
Pa.. Apr. 12. 1994
Knop, Kenneth. 81. Denver,
Colo., Jan. 4, 1994
Leuenberger, Pauline, 86. Lima,
Ohio, Mar. 31, 1994
Lineweaver. Gary, 49. Harrison-
burg. Va.. Dec. IS, 1993
McKimmy, Ottamar. 95. Gladwin,
Mich." Mar, 23. 1994
Middlekauff, Hilda. 79. Sebring,
Fla., April 16. 1994
Miller, Ray. 89. Martinsburg,
Pa.. Feb. 2, 1994
Mishler, Rowina, 94, Greenville.
Ohio. Mar. 26, 1994
Moon, Iva, 99. South Bend. Ind.,
Mar. 6, 1994
Naff, Ruth, 86, Roanoke, Va..
Mar. 25, 1994
Parrish, Roy, 89. Denver. Colo..
Jan. 13. 1994
Pitsenbarger, Alice, 84. Harrison-
burg. Va.. Mar. 13, 1994
Pore, Verne, 69, Sarasota, Fla..
Aug. 3. 1993
Racop. Shirley. 50. Kjiox, Ind..
Feb. IS. 1994
Reeves, Bruce, 39. Bridgewater.
Va.. Feb. 18, 1994
Rhodes, Leonard. 84, Martins-
burg, Pa., Feb. 17. 1994
Snyder, Victor, 81. Sebring, Fla.,
Mar. 5. 1994
Stevens, William. 73. Vinton.
Va., Mar. 9. 1994
Stuart, Viola, 85. Sebring, Fla.,
Apr. 7, 1994
Wagner. Mary, 78, Martinsburg,
Pa., Jan. 25, 1994
Werdenhoff. Ursula. 94,
Sebring. Fla.. Nov. 1. 1993
Working, Ruth. 92. Hagerstown,
Md., Apr. 11. 1994
July 1994 Messenger 31
No unsaved Harrys need apply
I had heard good things about Miami's Eglise des
Freres Haitiens (Haitian Church of the Brethren)
before I assigned an article on it (see page 22). My
rationale for including its story in the cluster of
articles related to Haiti was to demonstrate to the
Brethren that Haiti is not just another country, "out
there somewhere," making political headlines, but
one to which we claim a special tie, through having
a Haitian congregation in our midst.
I had substantiated for me all the good things 1
had heard when I talked with the article's author by
phone upon her return and later received her
manuscript. Karen Carter was enthusiastic about
Eglise des Freres Haitiens and its pastor, Ludovic
St. Fleur.
In her article. Carter speaks of the pastor's "self-
giving shepherding and engaging witness," and
quotes his explanation of his ministry: "Jesus took a
towel and he girded himself and he knelt and
washed the disciples' feet. This is my model for
Christian ministry."
Says Carter, "With the Suffering Servant as his
model for ministry, Ludovic is unassuming, always
in the background, slipping into a meeting urmo-
ticed, encouraging and enabling leadership, giving
attention to others' comfort, being infinitely
available to those in need."
"Everybody in this congregation is suffering," the
pastor explained to Carter, "because everybody has
someone who got killed in Haiti or is in hiding,
someone who is the victim of the violence there."
Everybody is suffering. "Yet," writes Carter, "the
life that is exuded by this group of believers is so
contagiously joyous, their love so geniune. . . ."
"Joy" was the buzzword for Eric Bishop, also, in
describing the southern Sudanese Christians,
wracked by violence, oppression, displacement,
hunger, and disease (see page 10). Joy? If they ain't
suffering, ain't nobody suffering. As with the
Haitians, "everybody is suffering," yet Bishop
writes that, surprisingly, joy marks the life of the
Christians he visited in Sudan.
While these stories were being processed for
Messenger, I read a newspaper article that fasci-
nated me, titled "True Believer." It told about a
Wheaton, 111., man who "is very rich and very
religious."
Because in Wheaton "there's an environment
that's basically hostile to [his] values," Robert Van
32 Messenger July 1994
Kampen is moving to western Michigan, overlook-
ing the lake. There he is building a $3.3 million
house. Under a tennis court he is building a 7,200-
square-foot vault to protect his collection of rare
biblical manuscripts, books, and Bibles, including a
Gutenberg.
Van Kampen is so gripped by the biblical
prophecies about "last days" that he spends most of
his time poring over the Scriptures and has written a
522-page book, The Sign (Crossway Books, 1992),
stating his interpretation of them. (Among his
learnings: Adolph Hitler is most likely the person to
be resurrected as the Antichrist, signaling the
beginning of the end.) Says the author of his 8-year
writing project, "There are so many nuts running
around, crazies predicting when the end of the
world will be, [that] I decided the Bible had to have
an understandable view."
The Sign is a best-seller. About 65,000 copies
have been sold so far. Says Alan Johnson, a
Wheaton College professor, of the book, "It
fits squarely into the context of conservative
evangelical thought shared by 13 to 15 million
Christians. . . ."
Van Kampen had started his own church in
Illinois. To be happy in Michigan, he is building
another church there, Grace Church, a $1.5-million
project. He had buih the Illinois church "so family
members could practice their faith exactly as they
believed it." The same holds true for the church in
Michigan. "We already have the constitution for the
church, which I wrote," he says.
kJo, who will fill the pews of Grace Church? Van
Kampen clarifies that matter, saying, "We're not
trying to bring in the unsaved Harry and then beat
him in the head with the Bible. We're trying to
build churches with people who have a profound
love of the Word of God."
I had Robert Van Kampen figured out as soon as I
read where he was building his new house. For all
his claims to mastery of the Bible, he is building his
house on a sand dune. Apparently he overlooked
Matthew 7:26 in his scrutiny of the Scriptures.
I don't know about you, but when Der Fiihrer
comes marching back, swastika-emblazoned flags
aflutter, I'm putting my money not on Grace
Church but on Eglise des Freres Haitiens. — K.T.
FUTURE PASTOR
Jubilee,
God's Good News.
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As I write this column, I am adding the last element to this
issue before it goes to press. The August issue, except for
Annual Conference coverage, was put together before we left
for Wichita. Since the day we returned, we have been busy
writing our summary of Annual Conference, selecting photos,
and laying out pages 1 1-27.
I had my worst moment at the Wichita airport as I left from
Conference. I was carrying 34 rolls of exposed film home by
hand. As I approached airport security, I suddenly noticed that
the bag of film wasn't in my hand anymore. Resisting panic, I
retraced my steps to the airport's news/gift shop, where I had
laid down the bag while paying for my purchases. All the time
I had the troubling vision of 17 pages of Conference coverage
all dreary, gray text ... no photos! My knees are still weak.
Because the issue had to wait for the Conference summary, it
comes to you later than other issues of the year. Because of
that, the September issue is stepping on August's heels. We
have to have September done two weeks from today. Mean-
while four members of our Communication Team will be gone
to National Youth Conference (NYC) over one of those weeks.
And, speaking of NYC, while I am trying to concentrate on
putting August to bed today, the first contingent of N YC-bound
youth (three church groups from Western Pennysylvania) has
arrived in Elgin, and is spending the morning touring the
offices. So it's a matter of working at my PC a few minutes,
then stopping to speak about Messenger to a tour cluster, back
to my PC, back to the next tour cluster, and so on. It's not too
good for concentration.
That's why this column is what it is — just a glimpse into life
and work here at the General Offices. The work never stops;
the events of the church's life march on; we scramble to keep
up. And it's good for our denomination's youth to see what
really goes on in "Elgin." We are caught with our sleeves
rolled up and our hands busy. We hope the glimpse that
NYCers catch of us is complementary to their experience at
Fort Collins. Who knows what inspiration individuals among
them may gain? 1 recall my own first visit to Elgin as a youth
and the insights and inspiration it provided. So I must put my
best foot forward ... if I can get it out from under my PC.
Printed on
100-percent
recycled paper.
COMING NEXT MONTH: An expanded, four-color Messen-
ger — a special issue devoted to the concerns to be addressed at
the United Nation's International Conference on Population
and Development (September 5-13, in Cairo).
Editor
Kermon Thomasson
Managing Editor
Eric B. Bishop
Editorial assistants
Paula Wilding, Margaret Woolgrove
Production, Advertising
Paul Stocksdale
Subscriptions
Vicki Roche
Promotion
Kenneth L. Gibble
Publisher
Dale E. Minnich
District Messenger representatives:
Atlantic Northeast. Ron Lutz; Atlantic
Southeast. Ruby Raymer; Illinois/
Wisconsin, Kreston Lipscomb; Northern
Indiana. Leona Holderread; South/Central
Indiana, Marjorie Miller; Michigan. Mariei
Willoughby; Mid-Atlantic, Ann Fouts;
Missouri/Arkansas. Mary McGowan;
Northern Plains. Faith Strom; Northern
Ohio, Sherry Sampson; Southern Ohio.
Jack Kline; OregonAVashington, Marguerit*'
Shamberger; Pacific Southwest. Randy
Miller; Middle Pennsylvania, Ruth Fisher;i
Southern Pennsylvania. Elmer Q. Gleim;
Western Pennsylvania, Jay Christner;
Shenandoah. Jerry Brunk; Southern Plains'
Mary Ann Dell; Virlina. David & Hettie
Webster; Western Plains. Dean Hummer;
West Marva, Winoma Spurgeon.
Messenger is the official publication of tb'
Church of the Brethren. Entered as second
class matter Aug. 20, 1918, under Act of ;
Congress of Oct. 17, 1917. Filing date,
Nov. 1 , 1984. Messenger is a ■
member of the Associated
Church Press and a subscribeif
to Religious News Service ani)
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 gl
subscriptions. Student rate 15i an issue,
you move, clip address label and send wij
new address to Messenger Subscriptions,)
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at least five weeks for address change.
Messenger is owned and published 11 ;
times a year by the General Ser\'ices Cor'
mission. Church of the Brethren General!
Board. Second-class postage paid at Elgil
III., and at additional mailing office. Au^
gust 1994. Copyright 1994, Church of tKl
Brethren General Board. ISSN 0026-035;'r
POSTMASTER: Send address chang((|
to Messenger. 1451 Dundee Ave., ElginjI
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s
Touch 2
lose to Home 4
jws 6
orldwide 9
)ecial Report 10
litorial 27
epping Stones 28
•om the
General Secretary
pinions 34
jtters 37
mtius' Puddle 37
[irning Points 39
30
'edits:
iver, 1,4 bottom, 1 1-26: George
Ceeler
op: David Radcliff
jottom left: Suellen Shively
3ottom second from left: Eric Bishop
5ottom right, 10: Margaret Woolgrove
Joyce Smit
top, 26 top: Paul Stocksdale
; Wallowitch
The Lord's supper: Not just a memorial 10
Margaret Woolgrove's Special Report highlights the 11th
Believer's Church conference, where 115 participants dis-
cussed "Believer's Church Perspectives of the Lord's Supper.'
Living water at Wichita '94 1 1
A complete summary of Annual Conference business, high-
lights, and the presence of living water. Photographs by
George Keeler.
Seek the peace of the city 29
The peace of the city seems so distant in our age of increasing
tribalism, nationalism, and sectarian violence. Scott Holland
takes issue with theologians who advocate a retreat from the
public square into separate, so-called faithful communities.
Cover story: A child
pouring her bottle of
water into the fountain
symbolizing "living
water " speaks to the
need to involve our
children early on in the
life of the church.
Participation in Annual
Conference is one of the
great opportunities for
nurturing our children 's
spiritual life . . . and for
nurturing our own. See
pages 11-27 for how
nurturing took place at
Wichita '94.
August 1994 Messenger 1
Ill
rr
White House greetings
Not many people can say, "I
got my White House job
through an ad in my church
newsletter." But, honestly,
that's how Carolyn Yates
Seidel did it.
She read in the newslettter
of Oakton Church of the
Carolyn Seidel is
friends with Socks,
the First Kitty of the
land, one of the
relationships she
enjoys in her White
House job.
"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.
Brethren, in Vienna, Va.,
that church groups were
needed to volunteer in the
White House Greetings
Office. Oakton didn't have a
group to volunteer, but
Carolyn called anyway,
offering her services as an
individual. The office was
eager for help, and wel-
comed her.
Since July 1993, Carolyn
has worked one day a week
at the White House, prima-
rily addressing birthday
cards to people 80 or older,
and wedding anniversary
cards to couples married 50
years or longer.
Because the White
House's immense volume of
mail (four times that of the
Bush years) requires so
much personal attention,
about 50 volunteers work
daily to open and address
mail. Another 15 volunteers
answer the White House
"Comment Line" telephone.
The mail typically consists
of requests to send greetings
for occasions such as
birthdays, anniversaries,
births, weddings, retire-
ments, and Eagle Scout
accomplishments.
Carolyn enjoys numerous
perks in her job — a White
House Christmas tour
separate from the general
public, occasional Saturday
tours of the West Wing,
watching on the lawn as the
president boards his helicop-
ter, and occasional good-will
visits from Socks, the First
Kitty. "I take my camera
every week," Carolyn says.
"You never know what's
going to happen."
The best perk for Carolyn,
however, is the enjoyment
she gets from her work. "I
especially love the card
requests we get from people
for their parents," she says.
"It's neat to read all the
wonderful things they say
about them. People are
surprised and excited to
receive a greeting from the
White House, and I feel that
I have brightened someone's
day." — Lisa Houff
Lisa Houff is a member of
Oakton Church of the Brethren,
Vienna, Va.
Keeping count
Summarizing a person's
career carmot be done with
numbers alone. But in
Warren Kissinger's case,
numbers do help tell the
story of the 25 years he
spent cataloging religious
books at the Library of
Congress. Traveling to work
from his home in
Hyattsville, Md., Warren
logged 30,000 miles on his
bicycle, the equivalent of 10
trips across the United
States. Recently retired,
Warren is a member of
University Park Church of
the Brethren, in Hyattsville.
His work as a cataloger
primarily was assigning
subject headings and Library
of Congress numbers to
125,000 titles. Warren sees a
trend in religious publication
away from heavy theological
writing. "The big names —
Tillich, Barth, Niebuhr — are
gone. These days, most
Warren Kissinger
religious writing is aimed at
the general reader, espe-
cially in the field of spiritu-
ality." What he finds
2 Messenger August 1994
distressing about many
recent religious books is an
emphasis on financial and
personal success. "So much
of the current approach to
religious faith is 'What's in
it for me'?'" he observes.
More than a cataloger of
books, Warren also has been
an editor and a writer. Three
of his four books are
companions to research on
the life and teachings of
Jesus. His fourth. The
Buggies Still Run, is a fond
tribute to his native
Lancaster County, Pa. In his
1 years as editor of the
quarterly journal Brethren
Life and Thought. Warren
kept up with historical and
contemporary writings about
the Church of the Brethren.
Warren is planning some
personal history exploration.
During a forthcoming visit
to France he hopes to retrace
the footsteps his father took
as an American soldier in
World War I. A Lutheran
who joined the Church of
the Brethren late in life,
Warren's father left his son
a legacy of trying to under-
stand the tension felt by
those who love their coun-
try, but are committed as
Christ's followers to the way
of peace. Warren has begun
research for a book that will
include personal testimonies
of soldiers repelled by the
horrors of warfare.
More books to be studied,
more miles to be traveled,
more words to be written.
The numbers continue to
add up for Warren
Kissinger. — Kenneth L.
GiBBLE
Kenneth L. Gibble is co-pastor of
Arlington (Va.) Church of the
Brethren, and promotion consultant
for Messenger.
Harry Diehl claims he cured himself of arthritis.
Doctor cures himself
It could be said that Harry
W. Diehl was just following
the proverb that Jesus
quoted in Luke 4:23:
"Doctor, cure yourself"
After studying the crippling
disease of arthritis for 60
years, first at the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), in
Bethesda, Md., and then at
his own laboratory in
Rockville, Md., Harry
believes he, himself, is proof
that a cure has been found.
Harry, who is 84, had the
results of his work published
in the March 1994 issue of
the Journal of Pharmaceuti-
cal Sciences.
The Swiss albino mice
used at NIH are immune to
arthritis. Harry isolated the
substance in their bodies that
keeps them immune, Cetyl
Myristoleate. After treating
and curing non-immune rats
of the disease, he bathed his
own arthritis-wracked joints
with the substance in 1 99 1 .
"I could hardly walk,"
Harry says, "so I said, 'I'm
going to try it.' And in about
three months my arthritis
was all gone."
He hasn't had joint pain
since then, and the treatment
Names in the news
Ed Cable, of Landisville,
Pa., becomes vice president
and treasurer of Manchester
Ed Cable
College this month. He is
vice chairman of the
Brethren Benefit Trust board
and also chairman of its
seems also to have cleared
up his life-long bronchitis
and headaches, with no
apparent side effects.
Harry's wife, Charlyn,
also was treated with the
substance. "It hurt so bad, I
could hardly sew," she
testifies, "and now I hardly
notice it."
A Brethren originally
from the Shenandoah Valley
community of McGay-
heysville, Harry has been a
member of Flower Hill
Church of the Brethren,
Gaithersburg, Md., since 1952.
He hopes that publication
of his work will lead to
ftirther research and to more
widespread use of his
curative. "It's my gift to
humanity," he says. — Karen
DiNSENBACHER
Karen Dinsenbacher. of
DerH'Ood, Md. . is a staff writer for
The Journal & Express newspapers
in Fairfax. Va.
Investment Committee.
• Christina Furry, a
member of Mount Olivet
Church of the Brethren, near
Newport, Pa., is serving in
Australia this surruner as a
People to People Ambassa-
dor.
• The family of Mark and
Jane Flora Swick went
from three members to
seven on April 27, when
Jane gave birth to quadru-
plets Rachel Ellen,
Rebekah Joy, Elizabeth
Marie, and Hannah Jane.
Mark is pastor of Liberty
Mills (Ind.) Church of the
Brethren, and Jane formerly
pastored the Eel River
congregation, near Silver
Lake, Ind. The quads have
an older brother, Micah.
August 1994 Messenger 3
to
Partners with Caimito
For two years Bremen (Ind.)
Church of the Brethren has
been raising money to help
the Christian Community
Center in Caimito, P.R.
(see "Cristo Vive en
"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.
Bremen Brethren lay tile in
Caimito 's community center.
Energizing encounters
At the 1991 Annual Confer-
ence, the Committee on
Interchurch Relations (CIR)
encouraged congregations to
build relationships with
African American churches.
West Milton (Ohio) Church
of the Brethren responded
by creating ties with
Richard's Chapel church, in
nearby Troy.
The first shared experi-
ence was a 1992 Bible
school. Each congregation
has gone to the other's
church for Sunday worship.
On special occasions each
congregation has invited the
other over. Richard's Chapel
Puerto Rico," October 1992,
page 20).
Bremen set a goal of
$9,400 to give to the
General Board fiind,
designated for Puerto Rico.
In addition, $2,000 in
Christmas offerings was
personally delivered to the
Caimito center by six
Bremen members. The
group also took along
playground equipment,
bedding, kitchen items, toys,
and books. While in Caimito
for two weeks, the Bremen
visitors built a handicapped-
accessible entrance for the
center.
Now Bremen has estab-
lished a Small Animal
Project, purchasing chick-
ens, rabbits, and goats to
give to needy families in the
Caimito area.
"Working together on our
mission project brings us
renewal, unity, peace, and
purpose," says Bremen
pastor Tom Hostetler.
came to West Milton for
1993 Thanksgiving love
feast; West Milton paid a
return call for Richard's
Chapel's "Christmas Around
the World," last December.
Blanl(ets and hiay bales
Church World Service
(CWS) has recognized
Bunkertown Church of the
Brethren, in McAlisterville,
Pa., as the leading congrega-
tion in the CWS Blanket
Program since 1984.
Since that year, total
donations of $37,522 to the
blanket fund have made
Bunkertown the champion
blanket-donating church in
CWS's Eastern and Central
Pennsylvania Region.
Bunkertovra was the highest
donor church in the US for
1993, with $5,969 given for
blankets.
Bunkertown designates
each November as Blanket
Fund Month, and encourages
its members to reach and
surpass a challenge goal
approved in a congrega-
tional business meeting.
Bunkertown doesn't
concentrate on just blankets
for the needy. In two
shipments last winter,
Bunkertown, along with
Faith Community Church
of the Brethren in New
Oxford, Pa., donated three
railroad carloads of hay
(over 2,700 bales — 52 tons)
to Iowa farmers who had
lost hay to last summer's
flood.
Can't we tall(?
A long-running dispute
between Caterpillar, Inc.,
and the United Auto Work-
Chris Bowman
ers (UAW) union has led
Peoria (111.) Church of the
Brethren to offer the two
parties reconciliation
services.
4 Messenger August 1994
Peoria pastor Chris
Bowman emphasizes that
the church is not taking
sides in the dispute, nor is
the offer focused on getting
a contract.
Rather, he says, the goal is
to get both sides to talk and
to treat each other as
Christians, getting them to
"step back and say, 'How
can I work toward reconcili-
ation in this process, even
with people I'm diametri-
cally opposed to?'"
Chris believes that
whether or not Caterpillar
ind the UAW achieve a
contract, the way they are
dealing with their dispute is
tiarmful to employees and
Ihe community. "People are
torn up," he says.
"We're asking Christians
:o ground their actions in
:heir faith. Christians often
Drofess Christianity, but they
ground their actions in either
economics or politics."
At press time, neither
[Caterpillar nor the UAW
lad done more than express
;autious interest in the
Peoria proposal, which
ncludes engaging reconcili-
ition experts from either the
Baker Institute in Pennsylva-
lia or the Lombard (111.)
VIennonite Peace Center.
Dampus comments
Dne of Bridgewater
College's oldest traditions,
he annual Spiritual Life
Institute, was held March
15-17, led by Evanston, 111.,
Presbyterian pastor David S.
Handley. Guest speakers
ilso included Church of the
Brethren members Merle
Crouse, Miller Davis, Beth
Marc Rittle (seated), Pat Crowdis, and Jenny Stover are
serving as McPherson College's summer camp interns.
Sollenberger-Morphew. and
Rick Gardner.
• Manchester College
celebrated Black History
Month (February) with a
series of events focusing on
"A Heritage of Excellence."
Activities included a gospel
music concert featuring a
240-voice choir, story-
telling, speakers, a soul-food
fest, and a diversity work-
shop.
• Three McPherson
College students now are
serving as summer camp
interns, visiting Church of
the Brethren camps in 10
states, from Colorado to
Virginia. Each intern serves
as a resource person for a
week at each camp, makes
presentations about the
college, and leads activities
and Bible study. This
summer's interns are Marc
Rittle, from Highland
Avenue Church of the
Brethren, Elgin, III.; Jenny
Stover, Quinter (Kan.)
Church of the Brethren; and
Pat Crowdis, Bethany
Brethren in Christ congrega-
tion, Thomas, Okla.
• Elizabethtown College
and the State Museum of
Pennsylvania are holding an
8-week field school in
historical archaeology this
summer at the Ephrata (Pa.)
Cloister. Students are
training in excavation
techniques, record-keeping,
mapping, informant inter-
view, artifact identification,
processing, cataloging, and
classiiying. The Ephrata
Community — the builder of
the Cloister complex — was a
religious society that broke
away from the Brethren in
1732. The multi-year
research project at the
Cloister is designed to
discover and mark the
location of original struc-
tures, determine their age
and function, and interpret
lifestyles of the community
members.
Let's celebrate
Burkittsville, Md., celebrated
its 80th anniversary April 24,
Carlisle (Pa.) Church of the
evoking the 1914 scene as
Brethren celebrated the 80th
much as possible in the day's
anniversary of its chartering
activities. Noted historian
June 12. Former pastor
and former pastor Austin
Warren Kissinger and
Cooper helped with his
Brethren historian Don
recollections to enhance the
Dumbaugh were speakers.
illusionof old times.
• Richland Valley Church
• Four Mile Church of the
of the Brethren, near
Brethren, near Richmond,
Mossyrock, Wash., is
Ind., will celebrate 185
marking its 75th anniversary
years of fellowship Septem-
August 12. In connection
ber 25.
with the event. Rose McGee,
• Bradford (Ohio) Church
of the congregation, wants
of the Brethren held a
copies of the book Shepherd
groundbreaking April 10 for
of the Cowlitz (Brethren
its new building project.
Press, 1957), which covers
• Cedar Grove Church of
the founding of Richland
the Brethren, New Paris,
Valley. Contact her at 487
Ohio, as part of its year-long
Mossyrock Road E,
100th anniversary obser-
Mossyrock, WA 98564.
vance, celebrated the
• Pleasant View Church
completion of its building
of the Brethren, near
construction June 26.
August 1994 Messenger 5
BIBLE STUDIES
Because the news pages include news from
various Church of the Brethren organizations and
movements, the activities reported on may
represent a variety of viewpoints. These pages also
report on other national and international news
relevant to Brethren. Information in news articles
does not necessarily represent the opinions of
Messenger or the Church of the Brethren.
New youth curriculum
planned for fall 1995
A new youth curriculum will be
launched in the fall of 1 995 by Brethren
Press and Faith & Life Press (of the
General Conference Mennonite Church).
This decision follows the withdrawal
last May of Mennonite Publishing
House (MPH; affiliated with the
Mennonite Church) from the Anabaptist
Curriculum Publishing Council (ACPC).
ACPC has published the Foundation
Series Youth curriculum for 15 years.
MPH, which represents some 60
percent of the current market, cited
financial
losses and
announced
plans to produce its
own youth curriculum.
"We were disap-
pointed that MPH withdrew from
the partnership," said Wendy
McFadden, director of Brethren Press.
"But we felt we had to work out
another way to provide Anabaptist
curriculum for Brethren youth, so we
have developed a new partnership with
Faith & Life Press.
"Both of our publishing houses are
sensing that the time is right for a new
emphasis here. Throughout the training
events for Jubilee: God 's Good News,
the number-one question has been, 'Now
when will there be something new for
the youth?' "
The 1995 curriculum will see the
elimination of separate student work-
books or leaflets; teachers' guides will
include reproducible sheets. While two
electives will be produced each quarter,
the material will be undated and earlier
electives will be available to choose from
as well.
"The design of this new curriculimi
responds to concerns and suggestions
voiced by youth ministers and teachers,"
says Chris Michael, director of Youth
and Young Adult Ministries for the
General Board. "Today's churches
want shorter units, more active material.
a strong Bible focus, relevant topics —
and definitely no student pieces."
In addition to the new curriculum, the
package of youth materials will include
YouthGidde, a quarterly resource for
youth leaders and teachers that will be
produced as a newsletter; and With, an
Anabaptist magazine for youth. Informa-
tion was introduced at National Youth
Conference, where Brethren Press held a
series of focus groups to receive input.
Seven denominations are currently in
conversation with the publishers regard-
ing the new materials, including Friends
United Meeting, and General Conferenci|
of Mennonite Brethren Churches in
Canada and the US.
McFadden noted that Foundation
Series Youth (now called Youth Bible
Studies and Electives) will continue
through summer 1995. The publishing
partners for that curriculum have been
Mennonite Publishing House, Faith
& Life Press, Evangel Press, and
Brethren Press. Evangel Press,
affiliated with the Brethren in Christ
Church, shifted last spring from coop-
erative publisher to cooperative user
status.
Calendar
Evangelism Leaders Academy: August 8-11,
Warner Pacific College, Portland, Ore. [For
information call the Andrew Center; (800)
774-3360].
(
S
Bethany Opening Convocation: 7:30 p.m
September 8. Nicarry Chapel, Bethany
Center, National Road West, Richmond, Ind-i
ii
^
National Older Adult Conference (NOAC II)
September 12-16. Lake Junaluska, N.C. [For
information contact Association of Brethren '
Caregivers, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL
60120; (800) 323-8039].
Annual Brethren Disaster Relief Auction:
September 23-24, Lebanon County (Pa.)
Fairgrounds.
Dedication of the Bethany Center: 2 p.m.,
October 30, Bethany Center, National Road j
West, Richmond, Ind.
6 Messenger August 1994
S8
is
ingress, President opt to
iep draft registration system
May, an amendment in the US House
Representatives to end the Selective
rvice System was voted down after
jsident CHnton sent a letter support-
;it.
rhe amendment, introduced by Ron
;llums, D-Calif, would have ended
; requirement for 1 8-year-old males to
;ister with the system. The same day
; amendment was introduced, Clinton
It the letter citing three reasons for
ntinuing registration, "It is a low-cost
lurance policy against unforeseen
eats; ending it would send the wrong
paal to potential enemies; and it links
! all-volunteer military with society at
ge."
Both patriotism and Clinton's position
Te highlighted during the debate in
; House. Five of the six floor speeches
posing the amendment cited Clinton's
ter.
'It seemed the prospects in 1 994 for
ding the draft and Selective Service
;re quite promising," said Tim
;Elwee, director of the Church of
; Brethren Washington Office. "But
! were shocked and disappointed
len, after having initially commended
! Pentagon report. President Clinton
^ed the continuation of the draft
jistration and selective service."
In a related vote, a resolution passed
the House, which, if adopted by the
nate, would recommend that National
ience Foundation grants not be
jvided to colleges and universities
It do not allow military recruiters on
tnpus. This would affect many relig-
is colleges, including several of the
ethren-affiliated colleges, and all 34
iw York state universities along with
out 94 other colleges and universities.
■'We are convinced that, if not for
isons of sheer logic perhaps out of
ipect for religious and conscientious
jection to war, military conscription
d its bureaucracies will one day come
an end," said McElwee.
PV: 't^t/^\
7
Members of the 1994 Youth Peace Travel Team Brian Kruschwitz, Grundy Center,
Iowa; Rhonda Mellinger, Manheim, Pa.; Matt Guynn, Indianapolis, Ind.; and
Becki Lovett, Troy, Ohio, traveled this summer doing peace education and
empowerment with youth and junior highs for two weeks at Camp Emmanuel,
Camp Colorado, and Camp Pine Lake, and one week at Ivester Church of the
Brethren, Grundy Center, Iowa.
General Board announces
staff appointments, changes
Eric Bishop has resigned as managing
editor of Messenger and director of
News Services, effective August 12.
Bishop will be moving to California in
the fall to begin his work as assistant
professor of journalism at the University
of La Verne in La Verne, Calif.
Jan Eller and Jim Kinsey began as
co-directors of Pastoral Ministry on July
1 1 . This is an interim placement, and
both Eller and Kinsey will continue to
be employed as district executives on a
part-time basis.
Todd Reish began as coordinator of
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS)
Orientation on July 12. Previously
employed as a case worker with Big
Brothers/Big Sisters of the Fox Valley
in Elgin, 111., Reish has a B.S. in
psychology from Manchester College
and former experience in BVS.
Guillermo Encarnacion is the
interim director of Hispanic Ministry for
a two-year period. Encarnacion is pastor
of Alpha and Omega Fellowship in
Lancaster, Pa., and is moderator of the
Church of the Brethren in the Domini-
can Republic. He will work from his
office in Lancaster.
Helen Constable has taken on a staff-
level volunteer position as coordinator
of Congregational Resourcing. Con-
stable will provide resourcing for
congregations and districts, plan follow-
up to Jubilee Time, work with Brethren
Press exhibits at district conferences,
provide a liaison to Church of the
Brethren Association of Christian
Educators (CoBACE), and carry out
other resourcing responsibilities.
Helen Constable
Guillermo Encarnacion
Eric Bishop
Jan Eller
Jim Kinsey
Todd Reish
Messenger August 1 994 7
Bethany graduates 27 in final
Oak Brool( campus ceremony
In June, 27 students graduated from
Bethany Theological Seminary. The
commencement was the last ceremony
held on its Oak Brook, 111., campus.
Four students received Master of Arts
in Theology degrees:
Samuel Dante Dali, Kulp Bible
College, Mubi, Nigeria, will complete
his undergraduate education at
McPherson College and return to
Nigeria upon assignment.
Paul Daniel Dominguez attends York
Center Church of the Brethren,
Lombard, 111.
Deborah Wuerfel Eggum,
Evangelican Covenant Church, Hins-
dale, 111., will enter older adult ministry.
Samuel G. Spire is a member of
French Broad Church of the Brethren,
Dandridge, Tenn.
One student received a Certificate of
Achievement in Theological Studies:
John Crumley, Beaver Creek Church
of the Brethren, Knoxville, Tenn., will
enter lay ministry at Douglas Park
Church of the Brethren, Chicago, 111.
Twenty-two students earned Master of
Divinity degrees:
Gregory Beach will pastor Dunnings
Creek Church of the Brethren, New
Paris, Pa.
Joan Butler Carlson, St. Isaac
Jogues Catholic Church, Hinsdale, 111.,
will enter a hospital chaplaincy.
Cesar M. Cortez, York Center
Church of the Brethren, Lombard, 111.,
will work with World Radio Mission
Fellowship, in Ecuador.
Young Pil Chang, Love Church of
Chicago, 111., will enter the pastoral
ministry.
Dena Eileen Gilbert is a member of
the La Verne (Calif.) Church of the
Brethren.
Dale Gish is lay pastor with Reba
Place Church of the Brethren, Evanston,
111.
Nancy Bess Waters Griffy, is associ-
8 Messenger August 1994
The 1994 Bethany Theological Seminary graduates are (front row) John Crumley, .
Paul Dominguez, Dena Eileen Gilbert, Mark D. Jargstorf, Festus E. Oke; (second
row) Greg Beach, Jae II Suh, Judy Mills Reimer, Samuel Dante Dali, Marilyn
Lerch Scott, Jean Keith, Lori Powell; (third row) Cesar M. Cortez, Young Pil
Chang, Karen J. Lease, Michelle L.B. Grimm, Ratnawati Hadiwirawan, Thomas
Longenecker; (fourth row) Samuel G. Spire, Earl Stovall, Deborah Eggum, Carol
L. Mayernick, Sara Marie Shields-Priddy, Joan Butler Carlson.
ate pastor of Grace United Methodist
Church, Decatur, 111.
Michelle L.B. Grimm is a member of
Indian Creek Church of the Brethren,
Harleysville, Pa.
Ranta Hadiwirawan is a member of
Franklin Grove (111.) Church of the
Brethren.
Mark D. Jargstorf is a member of
First United Church of Christ, Forest
Park, 111.
Jean Keith will co-pastor Douglas
Park Church of the Brethren, Chicago,
111.
Karen J. Lease, of both Union Bridge
(Md.) Church of the Brethren and York
Center Church of the Brethren,
Lombard, 111., will continue ministry in
occupational therapy.
Thomas Longenecker, Florin Church
of the Brethren, Mount Joy, Pa., will
work with Hillcrest Homes, La Verne,
Calif
Carol L. Mayernick will become a
chaplain at Saint Joseph's Hospital,
Bloomington, 111.
Festus E. Oke, is a member of
North Liberty (Ind.) Church of the
Brethren.
Lori Annette Powell will be associ-
ate pastor First Congregational
Church, United Church of Christ,
Naperville, 111.
Judy Mills Reimer, Williamson
Road Church of the Brethren, Roanoke
Va., is the 1994-95 Church of the
Brethren Annual Conference moderator
Marilyn Lerch Scott, First Church o
the Brethren, Harrisonburg, Va., is
pastor of Naperville (111.) Church of th(
Brethren.
Sara Marie Shields-Priddy is a
member of Lombard (111.) Mennonite
Church.
Earl F. Stovall will pastor New
Enterprise (Pa.) Church of the Brethren
Jae II Suh, Korean World Mission
Church, Reseda, Calif, will pastor Fuli
Gospel Las Vegas (Nev.) Church.
John "Woody" G. Woodford is a
member of Outlook (Wash.) Church oii
the Brethren.
tewardship, Baltimore First
stablish Hayes memorial
altimore (Md.) First Church of the
rethren, in cooperation with the
ewardship Office of the Church of the
rethren General Board, has initiated
e William A. Hayes Memorial Fund.
Hayes was elected as the first African
merican moderator for the 1988 Ann-
il Conference, and was pastor at Balti-
ore First church prior to his death.
The fund, to be administered by the
Ministry Endowment Fund, will be used
for scholarships for "African American
students who seek to be equipped for
the work of ministry." Its establishment
was announced at the Urban Ministries
Luncheon at Annual Conference.
Contributions should be sent to the
Stewardship Office, 1451 Dundee Ave.,
Elgin, IL 60120. Checks should contain
the notation "William A. Hayes Memo-
rial Fund."
Emergency Disaster Fund
grant issued for Rwanda
An allocation of $25,000 has been given
from the Emergency Disaster Fund in
response to continuing violence in
Rwanda. The money will be used for
food, clothing, blankets, medical sup-
plies, agricultural tools and seeds, water
development, and crisis intervention,
including an attempt to facilitate a
peace and reconciliation program.
an attempt to end debate, Pope John Paul ll said the priestly
jination of women is not a topic for discussion. The pontiff relied on
i teachings of Pope Paul VI and other predecessors in explaining
ly the church cannot allow women priests.
"In order that ail doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great
portance, I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to
nfer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be
finitively held by all the Church's faithful."
The pope also rejected complaints of sexism in the church's
iching pointing out that Christ did not choose the virgin Mary for
nisterial priesthood. That fact, he said, "shows that the non-admis-
in of women to priestly ordination cannot mean that women are of
!ser dignity, nor can it be construed as discrimination against them."
The World Council of Churches (wcc) intends to sponsor
; participation of 100 women— 50 of them Chinese— at Forum 95, a
nference to discuss progress on conditions for women, to be held in
ijing in late August next year.
Forum 95 will bring together thousands of women from women's
)ups linked to non-governmental organizations around the world, and
I overlap with the fourth United Nations Conference on Women, also
ting place in Beijing.
The forum will discuss advances for women in UN member states
)und the world in the decade since 1985 when the third UN Confer-
ee on Women drew up its report.
Frank Winnermark of Lexington, Ky., began June i as
ector of the National Council of Churches' (NCC) Office of Finance
d Administration.
making the appointment, Joan Brown Campbell, NCC general
cretary, said Winnermark will bring "coherent and decisive leadership
the management of the Council's financial and human resources."
nnermark will serve during the interim until the new Quadrennium
gins on January 1, 1996. He succeeds Robert Soong, who resigned
following a troubled investment in the Bank of Bohemia in Prague.
Winnermark faces the financial and administrative issues of the
NCC, which is seeking the return of $8 million from the investment.
He comes to the NCC at a time when the organization is moving to
an important stage of a two-year Transformation Process. As a
specialist in human resource development and management, he is
expected to lead in the preparation of new position descriptions for all
staff based on clearly defined policies. "Performance reviews need to
be conducted at stated inten/als and need to be directly related to
approved position descriptions," he said.
American Baptist youth will read the entire Bible
during their Aug. 8-14 national gathering in Estes Park, Colo. They will
use four large-print New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bibles
donated by the Committee on Bible Translation and Utilization of the
National Council of Churches (NCC).
The NCC committee also promised financial support to provide
free NRSV New Testaments to the expected 2,500 participants in the
youth gathering, which is meeting under the theme "VENTURE:
Traveling With the Lord by Our Side."
Young people will use the four large-print NRSV Bibles in a large-
scale reading of the entire Bible at morning devotions and mealtimes,
and during meetings. Representatives from every youth group
attending the conference will be invited to participate, with readers
signing their names and the dates in the Bibles.
Using a large banner, they will mark their progress each evening,
and the whole gathering will celebrate this affirmation of the Bible as
the conference concludes.
After the youth gathering, one Bible will be donated to the
American Baptist Historical Society for its archives. Another will be
given to the American Baptist Assembly at Green Lake, Wis. The two
remaining Bibles will circulate through American Baptist regions, to be
used, signed, and dated at rallies, camps, retreats, and regional youth
conventions.
Messenger August 1994 9
The Lord's supper: Not just a memorial
by Margaret Woolgrove
"I don't know how to speak for a mob,"
said Bill Brackney, in trying to give a
Canadian Baptist view of the Lord's
supper, "but that's what I've been asked
to do."
In putting together a conference on
"Believer's Church Perspectives of the
Lord's Supper," it was inevitable that
the crowd would be mob-like.
From discussions on the "real presence"
(and the "surreal" absence), sacraments
and ordinances, the seeming substantiality
of transubstantiation versus
consubstantiation, some group
consensus emerged, but there were
always those who disagreed.
This was the 1 1th Believer's
Church conference, and the first
one to take on the huge and
potentially divisive subject of the
Lord's supper.
The term "Believer's Church"
was coined by Max Weber who,
according to Brethren historian
Donald Dumbaugh, "wanted a
descriptive term to identify radical
Protestants who had distanced
themselves from state-sponsored
church establishments or other
socially dominant ecclesiastical
bodies" (Ser-vants of the Word,
Brethren Press, 1990, page xvii).
The 115 participants at this confer-
ence, held on the campus of Ashland
Theological Seminary in Ohio, came
from more than 25 different denomina-
tional groupings. They included Breth-
ren (Church of the Brethren, Brethren
Church, Grace Brethren, Dunkard
Brethren, and Old German Baptist
Brethren), Mennonites (General Confer-
ence, Mennonite Church, and Menno-
nite-Brethren), Methodists (Wesleyan
ones, Free ones, and even United ones).
Baptists, Southern Baptists, Presbyteri-
ans, Catholics, Quakers, Moravians,
Seventh-day Adventists, Christian
Church, Church of God, and African
Methodist Episcopals.
On the whole. Believer's Churches
10 Messenger August 1994
Stress adult, or believer's, baptism. This
is seen as an outward sign of an inward
and voluntary commitment. This means
that the Religious Society of Friends
(Quakers) — who do not baptize — are
also included in the designation. It was
at Earlham School of Religion (the
Quaker seminary in Richmond, Ind.)
that the groundwork for the first
Believer's Church conference, held in
1967, was laid.
The Believer's Church "title" is an
umbrella that covers a broad scope of
churches, diverse not only in theology, but
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Jeff Bach, a Bethany Seminary professor, and Linda
Fry, of the Juniata College library staff, were among the
115 participants at the Believer's Church conference.
also in culture and geographical location.
There is no guiding body and no support-
ing bureaucracy to the organization, and
the conferences, which happen roughly
every two years, are locally organized.
From the foundational 1967 gathering
on the "Concept of the Believer's
Church," a list of affumations was drawn
up. These included the Lordship of
Christ, the authority of the Word, church
membership regenerated by the Spirit, the
covenant of believers, a need for perpetual
restitution of the church, the necessity
for a separation from the world, procla-
mation and service to the world, and a
non-organizational view of church unity.
With the large numbers of Anabap-
tists at this most recent gathering,
considerable time was spent examining
the Anabaptist tradition of feetwashing.
The biblical precedent for this ritual act
is found in John 13:5-14, and the
mandate for its continued practice is
more obvious than those given for watei
baptism or eucharist (the Lord's supper),
In the context of John's Gospel,
according to J.C. Thomas, who spoke on
the subject of feetwashing, baptism
"would designate initial belief and
fellowship with Jesus, while feetwashing
would signify the continuance of that
belief and fellowship." Thus, feetwashing
"signifies the removal of sin that
might accumulate as a result of
life in this sinful world."
For Brethren, both past
and present, the issue has not
been whether Christ is present
in the elements, but whether
Christ is present in the body of
believers that makes up the
church. Hence the importance of •
Matthew 18:15 and the resolvingi
of interpersonal disputes before
the church body can come
together for commmunion.
Mennonite Myron
Augsburger spoke on the "Imme- j
diacy of Grace" in Friday J
evening's opening worship. "The
sacraments," he said, "represent
the death of one's self, and new
life in Christ. We Mennonites tend to
think that when God got hold of us he
got a bargain. All he had to do was dust
us off and polish us up. But sin isn't jusi
doing wrong things, it's having wrong
attitudes, such as self-centeredness . . .
God is overcoming evil not through
exercising superior power, but through
exercising the superior qualities of love,
mercy, holiness, and grace . . . We are
not our own. We are God's."
For Believer's Churches, the Lord's
supper is not just a memorial of a past
event, but a powerfiil and evocative
reminder of the imminence of Christ in
the body of believers. It is a reminder
not only to remember the past,
but to live out of it.
M^
Karagama Gadzama pours water from Nigeria's Hawal
River into the fountain of unity that flanl<ed the stage
and flowed throughout Conference weel<. For the
third time since 1976, the Church of the Brethren
gathered in Wichita's Century II convention center.
4
Living water
at Wichita '94
What was the Conference
logo saying? Were we to
find refreshment and
renewal at Wichita, or were
we to go out from Wichita
inviting others to drink the
living water? Or was it
both? Ultimately, it was a
question each of the 4,000
participants at the 208th
recorded Annual Conference
had to answer alone. Here
to consider in forming the
answer, is what we witnessed
said and done in Wichita,
Kan.,June28-July3, 1994.
—the Messenger staff
photos by George Keeler
Messenger August 1 994 1 1
Leola Allen, pastor of
Tok'ahookadi Church of
the Brethren, and her
husband, Ernie Conry,
direct Lybrook Commu-
nity Ministries, near
Cuba, N.M. Lybrook is,
at present, the only
Native American project
of General Board
program. The project is
supported by Western
Plains District. (See
IVIay/June, page 20,
"Lybrook and Its
Changing Role.")
Yahola Simms, one of
the Native American
members of the study
committee, defended
the "Native American
Justice" paper in a
Tuesday evening hear-
ing, referring often to
learnings from his
97-year-old grandmother.
Said Simms, "To Indian
people such as I, words
are built on the air that
sustains our life. We
breathe In the air and
we form words, and
those words remain
sacred to us."
NATIVE AMERICANS
Dealing with relationships
Critics doubted paper was really
referring to Jesus Christ
"Community: A Tribe of Many Feathers," the
statement relating the Church of the Brethren to
Native Americans, was overwhelmingly
adopted by Conference although the language
of the paper, in several instances, still did not
please the statement's critics.
Prior to floor discussion, delegates accepted
the substitute paper sent to Conference by the
General Board. Based on feedback received
during the past year, the committee that wrote
the original paper, which was adopted in 1993
as a study paper, submitted it as the proposed
statement for adoption, with numerous changes
calculated to ease its passage. The revised
paper included a section with recommendations
for families and individuals.
More than a dozen people expressed con-
cerns about and affirmations for the paper, and
many more were in line at the microphones
when a motion was made to move the previous
question. Most of the paper's critics raised
concerns regarding Christology and the relation
of Native American traditions and Christian
faith.
General Board chairman David Wine
introduced the paper as dealing primarily with
relationships and justice, rather than formulat-
ing a theological stance. "It notes our diversity
and affirms our unity as a people of the ancient
land we call America," said Wine. "This paper
challenges the church to address the continuing
injustice and misunderstandings that cause
division."
During a Tuesday evening hearing, and again
on the floor of Conference, critics challenged
the committee's assertion that the paper was
not meant to be theological. "I heard the
committee make claims not in line with
reality," said Jamie Baker, pastor of Summit
Church of the Brethren, near Bridgewater, Va.
"The paper is shot through with Christology,
and it is misleading and confusing."
One of four attempts to amend the paper
succeeded. That amendment, moved by Esther
Moeller Ho, of Fellowship in Christ Church of
the Brethren, Fremont, Calif., changed phrases
such as "people of God" and "people of faith"
to "Christian."
Ethelene Wilson, a Native American
(Navajo) committee member from the
Tok'ahookadi Church of the Brethren, near
Cuba, N.M., commented prior to floor discus-
sion, "I hope what the paper accomplishes is
that we will see a Native American pastor,
leaders for our youth group, and Sunday school
leaders."
She added, "I pray that we will have good
spiritual growth, and that one day we will have
more of my people here (at Conference).
"When you come to Lybrook (Lybrook
Community Ministries, of which the
Tok'ahookadi congregation is a part)," Wilson
said, "come to worship God; don't come to
study us. Come and respect us; don't prejudge
us." — Eric B. Bishop
12 Messenger August 1994
live Report' youth-focused
The General Board "Live Report" (which complements the
written report in the Conference Booklet) had a clear focus on
youth, with a singing quartet introducing various aspects of
General Board program. The highlight of the report was a
group of youth assembling on stage a symbolic house;
during National Youth Conference in late July they would
construct the real thing. The members of the quartet, JOYA
(pronounced "Hoya") or Journey of Young Adults, are Brian
Kruschwitz, LuAnne Harley, Barbara Sayler, and Shawn
Kirschner. Accompanying them on drums in their "Live
Report" performance, was Alan Boleyn, currently serving as a
volunteer with the General Board's Communication Team.
Messenger August 1 994 1 3
Andy McKinnell,
of Glen Rock, Pa.,
was just one of
many dads at
Wichita providing
their l<ids with
an early Annual
Conference
experience and
(in this case), on
the side, a lesson
in first steps. Son
Ian seemed to be
catching on fast.
SOUTH AFRICA
Time for a new stance
The South African people had
asked for removal of sanctions
Reflecting the recent peaceful dismantling of
apartheid in South Africa and that country's
free election in April, Annual Conference acted
favorably on a new business item coming from
the General Board, voting overwhelmingly to
affirm the board's suspension of economic
sanctions, divestiture, and boycott components
previously enacted regarding South Africa, and
to suspend previous Conference action regard-
ing divestiture (1986) and its 1989 recommen-
dations regarding boycott and economic
sanctions.
Merv Keeney, General Board staff for Africa
and the Middle East, reminded Conference that
the economic sanctions had been put in place at
the request of the South African people and
now were being removed also at their request.
Statements remain in place that call for
Brethren to work toward eliminating all forms
of apartheid in South Africa, recognizing that
the path toward a truly equal society will be a
long one. — Margaret Woolgrove
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
Following the guidelines
Delegates added a little punch to
Standing Committee's suggestion
The clock was running out on Saturday after-
noon and delegates were getting restless when
"Americans with Disabilities Act" reached the
floor. The query (or, more accurately, the
petition), from the Highland Avenue (Elgin,
111.) congregation in IllinoisAVisconsin District,
called on Conference "to consider accepting
the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines
for the Church of the Brethren and to urge our
churches and institutions to begin study and
implementation thereof. . . ."
Standing Committee member Don Flory,
Paris, 111., in presenting the query, noted that "if
people aren't able (physically) to get into the
church, they cannot worship or participate."
Delegates were not satisified with the
recommended answer from Standing Commit-
tee, which would have had Conference merelv
appreciating the concern and asking congrega
tions to "ac? within the spirit of the Americans
with Disabilities Act. . . ." Acting on a motion
from the floor, delegates approved a substitute
answer that was more forceful: "Annual
Conference responds favorably to the petition
and urges appropriate follow-through by . .
congregations and institutions in behalf of
persons with special needs. . . ."
The Association of Brethren Caregivers
(ABC) offers helpfiil information for congregi
tions wanting to making their facilities more
accessible to the physically disabled. — Paula
S. Wilding
SIMPLE LIVING
Updating simple life rulej
Why must the Brethren simple lif(
be such a complex Issue for us?
"Simple living is not simple," delegates
were told in the discussion of the query
"Simple Life." The query was adopted, with
the goal of enabling Brethren "to discuss and
encounter the Brethren testimony concerning
the simple life."
The query, in the form of a petition, was
brought by the Springfield (111.) congregation,
of Illinois/Wisconsin District, recognizing tl
"cultural pressures against simple living are
different for every generation, and the conte:
porary age of competition, media proliferatioi
and rapid technological change presents uniqi
challenges to Christian simplicity."
As the answer to the query instructed, a
committee of three people, one from Bethany]
Seminary (not yet named) and two appointed
by Annual Conference (Fletcher Farrar Jr. and]
Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm), was formed. It will
examine how the church can witness to its
testimony of simplicity in the current world,
recognizing that while there is "not much
emphasis on simple living in the church today
the church can teach us much." An initial
report, proposing program objectives, processj|
and budget, will be presented to Conference ii
1995. In 1996, Standing Committee will
recommend future direction for the program, j
— Margaret Woolgrove !
14 Messenger August 1994
J
Wichita
wasn't all
'business'
Much of what happens
at Conference is found
beyond the business
sessions. Just as
conferencegoers pick
and choose what to
participate in, our
photographers have to
scramble to record a
sampling of the many
activites.
Top: Dave Fouts and
Sonja Johansen were
among many young
adults who joined in a
work project, picking
up trash in a Wichita
park.
Center: Rhoda Tarfa
and Herkawa Malgwi
came from Nigeria to
represent Zumantar
Matan Ekklesiyar
Yanuwa a Nigeria
(Womens's Fellowship
of the Church of the
Brethren in Nigeria).
Guests of Global
Women's Project, the
pair spoke at insight
sessions and a lun-
cheon, as well as
mixing informally with
conferencegoers.
Bottom: A hastily
planned candlelight
vigil was held
Thursday night to
call attention to the
deteriorating situation
in Haiti.
Messenger August 1 994 1 5
Wichita '94 offered
a richi variety of
"early evening
concerts," that
musical luxury that
Brethren agonize
over indulging in,
competing as it
does with the
supper hour. Among
this year's artists
was vocalist Hyun
Joo Yun, a former
exchange student
who lived with the
family of moderator
Earl Ziegler, and
who now teaches
vocal music at
Seoul (South
Korea) University.
Other early evening
concerts included
a duo piano recital
and a vocal
ensemble.
VIOLENCE
Treat violence Jesus' way
One proposed amendment would
have excused self-defense
Annual Conference adopted a "Statement on
Violence in North America," added by Stand-
ing Committee to the business agenda at
Wichita. The statement deplores the increasing
level of violence in North American communi-
ties and countries.
"Faithful disciples of the nonviolent ways of
Jesus have acted as leaven in the society
against the violent trends of every age," read
the statement after it was amended to reflect
the reality that the Christian church has not
always been the witness it should have been
against the use of violence in settling disputes.
Brethren congregations and agencies are
encouraged "to work with other Christians to
find dramatic and effective ways to witness to
the peace and reconciliation offered through
Jesus Christ."
The statement, noted presenter Paul
Wampler, Manassas, Va., is similar to one
released by the Council of Moderators and
Secretaries of Anabaptist groups in early June,
which was signed by Annual Conference
moderator Earl Ziegler and general secretary
Donald Miller.
Delegates rejected two amendments proposed
from the floor. The first, by Harold Bamett,
pastor of the Mathias (W.Va.) congregation,
which would have excused violence resorted to
in "justifiable self-defense" went down to
defeat amid cries of outrage ft'om defenders of
the traditional nonviolence stance of the
denomination. The second, by Tony
Schneiders, Argos, Ind., would have inserted
the words "abortion" and "assisted suicide" to
the list of violent acts specifically condemned
by the paper. — Eric B. Bishop
ETHICS IN MINISTRY
The committee assigned to review the 1 992
"Ethics in Ministry Relations" statement
brought a report to Standing Committee in
Wichita. Committee members Donna Ritchey
Martin, Pamela T. Leinauer, and Karen P.
Miller have considered only section IV of the
statement, the process for dealing with allega-
tions of ministerial misconduct. Approval was
given by Standing Committee for the review
committee to continue its work and give its
final report in 1995. Turned down was a
recommendation fi^om the review committee
that Standing Committee develop its own
process to handle the appeal of cases of
misconduct. — Paula S. Wilding
MINISTERIAL LEADERSHIP
The Aimual Conference Committee on Ministe-
rial Leadership reported to Standing Committee
that it will be ready to present the findings of
its five-year study next year in Charlotte. A
preliminary study report is being offered to
various groups and individuals for feedback to
help shape the final report.
The committee, formed in 1990, is studying
the calling of not only pastors, but the calling
of congregational members to ministry training
as well. The committee also is focusing on the
mentoring system within the clergy. — Paula S. '
Wilding i
CODE OF ETHICS
As called for by the "Ethics in Ministry Rela-
tions" statement adopted by Conference in
1992, delegates at Wichita approved the
formation of a study committee to develop a
congregational code of ethics "whereby congre-
gations may be called into accountability for
unethical behavior." The elected committee —
Phillip Stone, Fred Swartz, Carroll ("Kaydo")
Petry, Paula Eikenberry Langdon, and Leah
Oxley Harness — will make a progress report to
Conference in 1995 and a final report in
1996. — Margaret Woolgrove
BIENNIAL CONSULTATION
Conference approved a Standing Committee
recommendation that the biennial consultation
of denominational agencies and institutions
initiated in 1 992 be changed to an every-five- '
years meeting. The consultation was called for
by the Denominational Structure Corrmiittee
paper of 1991, with the purpose of promoting
greater cooperation among the agencies and
institutions and of serving as a clearing house '
for scheduling, programming, and fund-raising
16 Messenger August 1994
Jl
le change to meeting every five years reflects
mcem for cutting travel expenses. Also, it
as noted that the Brethren Benefit Trust
ready holds a breakfast meeting each year at
Dnference that includes representatives of the
me agencies and institutions involved in the
insultation and meets part of the need the
insultation serves. — Kermon Thomasson
HOMOSEXUALITY
le 1994 round in the ongoing controversy
'er homosexuality was shaped by two fac-
rs — a report from Standing Committee to the
:legate body and an outcry over the luncheon
ogram of the Womaen's Caucus.
Standing Committee last year established a
ocess to hear concerns about homosexuality
Dm the denomination. The learnings were
ported on Wednesday, the first day of
isiness. A poll of last year's Conference
legates showed that 85 percent of that body
vored the position on homosexuality taken by
e 1983 Conference paper "Human Sexuality
om a Christian Perspective." A majority of
sponses received during the year since
bstantiate the poll's findings.
Standing Committee pointed out that "a
:ong vocal minority (calls) for unconditional
ceptance of homosexuality as a valid
"estyle," while "an equally strong vocal
inority (calls) for the conversion/transforma-
m of homosexuals as the only acceptable
response to homosexuals."
Another finding was that many Brethren
believe other pressing matters are being
neglected while the denomination labors over
the issue of homosexuality. Standing Commit-
tee reported a "strong expression that it is time
for the church to 'move on.'"
The conclusion of Standing Committe was to
reaffirm the 1983 paper, as it had last year. In
addition, the committee urged congregations
"to refrain from requesting additional policy
statements at Annual Conference for the next
five years." Meanwhile, a subcommittee will
design and implement a plan that will facilitate
ongoing dialog across the denomination, "with
the greatest effort put into the district and
congregational levels."
The report of Standing Committee was
accepted after several speeches from the floor.
The speeches reflected more the polarized
positions on homosexuality than the merits of
the five-year moratorium on queries.
At various points on the business agenda,
speakers voiced outrage at Womaen's Caucus
inviting Martin Rock, founder of Brethren/
Mennonite Council for Lesbian and Gay
Concerns, to speak at its Conference luncheon.
Most took the position that the caucus had
violated Conference guidelines. After confer-
ring, Standing Committee and Program and
Arrangements Committee declared that
Womaen's Caucus had not violated any
guidelines. Rock spoke at the luncheon as
scheduled. — Kermon Thomasson
Left: Jamie Baker,
pastor of Summit
Church of
the Brethren, near
Bridgewater, Va., aired
his grievance that a
query on homosexuality
from his congregation
had failed to make it to
Conference. His attempt
to add it to the business
agenda failed, as did
others' attempts to have
this Conference address
the issue.
Above: As a controver-
sial book swells sales
for its publisher, so
does a controversial
speaker reap promo-
tional benefits for the
host group. Womaen's
Caucus enjoyed both a
sell-out crowd for its
Friday luncheon and the
satisfaction of having
Standing Committee and
Program and Arrange-
ments Committee
declare the caucus was
in bounds when it
invited Martin Rock to
speak. Rock, of Wash-
ington, D.C., is the
founder of Brethren/
Mennonite Council for
Lesbian and Gay
Concerns (BMC) and
serves as the bete
noire of those who
oppose acceptance of
homosexuals into the
denomination. In his
luncheon speech, he
recounted his personal
journey, involving
rejection by family,
employers, and the
church.
Messenger August 1 994 1 7
Each moderator makes a
mark one way or
another — by adroit
handling of controversy,
careful application of
rules of order, enthusi-
astic playing out of a
theme, or sometimes
just letting Brethren be
Brethren. Earl Ziegler
may be best remem-
bered for a well-orches-
trated theme — living
water — and for a stress
on unity, supported by a
strategy for playing the
game with no end runs
allowed. As the gavel
was passed to Judy
Mills Reimer, Brethren
waited to see what
would happen with next
year's Conference held
in Dixie and led by a
moderator noted for her
southern charm.
1 8 Messenger August 1 994
GENERAL BOARD
The deteriorating situation in Haiti dominated
General Board discussion and action at its
Wichita meeting. The outcome was a resolution
against US military intervention in Haiti.
"We fear that a decision in favor of US
military intervention may be imminent," the
resolution says. "The gospel of Jesus Christ
compels us as a historic peace church to oppose
the use of any kind of military assault on Haiti
and to urge the US and the United Nations to
apply nonviolent, diplomatic, and judicial
initiatives rather than attempt to restore
democracy and human rights in Haiti through
violent means."
In another action, the board gave approval
for the construction of a 30-unit retirement
complex in New Windsor, Md. Construction on
the independent-living facility will begin after
the sale of 75 percent of the units. The complex
will consist of four one-bedroom units and 26
two-bedroom units. — Eric B. Bishop
ELECTIONS
Fred Bemhard, pastor of Oakland Church of the
Brethren, near Gettysburg, Ohio, was elected
moderator of the 1 996 Aimual Conference,
which will meet in Cincinnati, in Bemhard's
Southern Ohio District. Bemhard will serve
until next July 2 as moderator-elect.
He is a former member of the General Board,
serving at one time as the board's vice-
chairman. He is familiar to conferencegoers as
the head messenger, a post he has held for
many years.
Judy Mills Reimer, the new moderator, has
served as a General Board member, and for two
years as its chairwoman. She has been a
National Youth Cabinet advisor and a member
of several study committees. An ordained
minister, Reimer is a member of Williamson
Road Church of the Brethren, in Roanoke, Va.
She and her husband, George, operate Harris
Office Furniture, in Roanoke.
Newly elected to the General Board as at-
large members are Phyllis Davis, North
Liberty, Ind., and Terry Shumaker, Buena
Vista, Va. Other new members represent
districts — Tracy Sadd, Manheim, Pa. (Atlantic
Northeast); Ruth Clark, Froid, Mont. (Northern
Plains); and Ernest Bolz, Tonasket, Wash.
(Oregon/Washington).
The General Board underwent its annual
reorganization at Wichita:
New chairman is Ernest Barr, and new vice-
chairwoman is Sandra Bosserman. Barr and
Bosserman, along with the chairs of the three
commissions and two at-large members —
Donald Fitzkee and Roger Forry — make up the
board's Executive Committee.
Bosserman is chairwoman of the board's
Goals and Budget Committee, which includes
members of the Executive Committee and
several ex officio members.
General Services Commission: Katherine
Hess (chairwoman), Sandra Bosserman,
I
Christopher Bowman, Phyllis Davis, Donald
Fitzkee, Beth Middleton, Carl Myers, and
Colleen Smith.
Parish Ministries Commission: Phyllis
Crain (chairwoman), Juan Figueroa. Roger
Forry, Dorothy Gall, John Huffaker, Terry
shumaker, Tracy Sadd, and Craig Smith.
World Ministries Commission: Bonnie
Smeltzer (chairwoman), Ernest Bolz, Ruth
Clark, Rogers Fike, Wendell Flory, Lori
•Cnepp, Steve Petcher, and Brian Rise.
Other election results: Frank Ramirez,
ilkhart, Ind., to the Annual Conference
^rogram and Arrangements Committee; Ronald
'etry, Ellicott City, Md., as district executive
nember on the Pastoral Compensation and
Benefits Advisory Committee; Jane Wood,
Boones Mill, Va., to the Committee on Inter-
;hurch Relations; Cheryl Ingold, Fresno, Calif,
the Brethren Benefit Trust Board; and Eldon
'ahs. North Manchester, Ind., to the Bethany
Seminary Board.
The four new members of Standing
Committee's Nominating Committee are Scott
3uffey, Westminster, Md.; Judy Epps,
lunnells, Iowa; Richard Landrum, Wenatchee,
^'ash.; and Linda McMurray, Damascus, Va.
—Paula S. Wilding
Fred Bernhard, pastor
of Oakland Church of
the Brethren,
Gettysburg, Ohio, will
serve as moderator of
the 1996 Annual Confer-
ence, in Cincinnati.
General Board mem-
bers serving on its
Executive Committee
are (front) Phyllis Crain
(Parish Ministries
chairwoman), Sandy
Bosserman (General
Board vice-chair-
woman), Bonnie
Smeltzer (World Minis-
tries chairwoman), and
(back) Ernie Barr
(General Board chair-
man), Don Fitzkee
(member-at-large),
Roger Forry (member-
at-large), Kathy Hess
(General Services
chairwoman).
Opposite page: General
Board tapped for
leadership positions
Ernie Barr, Carmel, Ind.
(chairman) and Sandy
Bosserman, Peace
Valley, Mo. (vice-
chairwoman).
I
Messenger August 1994 19
The Conference theme
was highlighted In
several ways during the
week at Wichita. On
opening night, basins of
water were brought
forward and poured into
a fountain (see photo on
page 11.) At week's end
conferencegoers were
invited to take a sample
of the fountain's water
back to their home
congregations.
CONFERENCE THEME
The Annual Conference theme, "Come, Drink
the Living Water" seemed especially fitting in
the dry 100-degree Wichita weather. Even
before the first worship service, the refreshing
and life-giving qualities of water were evident
as parched conferencegoers sought relief in
pitchers of cool water. Participants were
refreshed spiritually as they worshiped
together, studied the Bible, and worked
through issues of diversity.
During the opening worship service,
conferencegoers were given a cup of water and
invited to partake of the symbol of the living
water. Moderator Earl Ziegler challenged each
one to drink Jesus' living water: "Possess his
spirit of love and respect, enable yourselves to
drink freely from the life-giving, life-changing
and life-sustaining water, and be filled."
At the conclusion of that first service,
representatives from congregations came
forward and poured containers of water into a
fountain near the fi^ont of the stage. Hundreds
of congregations brought water from their
churches and communities. Also added was
water from projects where Brethren workers
have served.
Symbolic of the growing diversity of the
church, water fi-om five continents flowed
together in the fountain. Water from places of
Brethren mission work included India, South
Korea, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, and Brazil. Also
there was water from rivers and seas of Bible
lands — the Red Sea, the Nile River, the Jordan
River, and the Sea of Galilee.
A vial of water from the Eder River in
Germany was brought by Bob Roller, pastor of
Fraternity Church of the Brethren, Winston-
Salem, N.C. The Eder River is the location of
the first Brethren baptisms, in 1708. The water
was sent with greetings from Paul Lenz of
Wedemark, Germany, who had served with
Brethren Service workers after World War II.
Brenda Wilkerson of Germantown Church of
the Brethren, Philadelphia, Pa., brought water
from Wissahickon Creek where the Brethren
first baptized in America, in 1723.
Judy Mills Reimer, moderator-elect, brought
water from the Nile River, which she collected
during the Hunger for Peace Tour to Sudan last
winter.
Throughout the week, activities centered
around the Conference theme. Junior-high
youth experienced the gift of water through
watermelon-eating, and studied the symbol of
water in the Brethren traditions of feetwashing
and baptism. Morning and evening Bible
studies led by various people also focused on
water as a symbol of purity, life, witness, and
renewal.
As Brethren struggled with the challenges of
diversity throughout the week, the fountain
became a symbol of unity for the denomina-
tion.
Earl Ziegler noted that the water that was
poured into the fountain was not all the same.
"Some is salt. Some is well. Some is cisterfi.
Some is from fresh springs." he said. "How-
ever, all water is H^O. It may be different in
many ways, but it is still all water."
Brethren struggled with diversity of lan-
guage, tradition, and theology in various ways
during the week. By the end of Conference,
however. Brethren affirmed those differences
within the foundation of the love and faith of
God.
This unity within diversity was celebrated
and refreshed throughout the week. On Sunday,
participants took water from the fountain back
to their home congregations — a tangible
reminder of the living water that Jesus offers to
all people. — Paul Stocksdale
.
20 Messenger August 1 994
ftj
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This year's Saturday
night concert was
performed by
"Acapella," a male
vocal quartet. The
group proved popular
with conference-
goers, especially
youth. Youth/Young
Adult Ministries and
Annual Conference
co-sponsored the
performance.
IS ',
■ y
With fast-food
restaurants blocks away
in blistering heat, the
convention center's
concession stands did a
booming business.
These conferencegoers
used the balcony railing
as a makeshift table. It
was a table with a view,
however, providing a
vantage point for
watching the long line
below snaking its way
through the exhibit hall
to food service, another
booming business.
Messenger August 1994 21
Upper right: David
Bibbee explored what
happens when we "get
down off the bank and
into the water."
Lower right: Earl Ziegler
invited worshipers to
"come to the river of
life."
Far right: Becky Crouse
urged the showing of
love to all of God's
children, regardless of
race or ethnicity.
More than one worship
service was marked by
the congregation
participating in symbolic
acts. Darlene and
Gordon Bucher of
Hartville, Ohio, inflated
their balloons in an
exercise Becky Crouse
used to illustrate the
percentages of different
color groups of the
world's population.
WORSHIP SERVICES
Speakers at worship services during Conference
week focused on the theme of "Come! Drink
the Living Water." Declaring that "the closer
we get to Christ, the closer we get to one
another," moderator Earl Ziegler invited
worshipers to "come to the river of life."
Ziegler, pastor of Lampeter (Pa.) Church of the
Brethren, illustrated how Christ as living water
gives, sustains, and changes life. Commenting
that "there is a well within each of us, a well
from which we need to draw and share with
others," he encouraged outreach near and far.
Describing baptism as a "bath of
belovedness," David Bibbee, pastor of Elkhart
(Ind. ) City Church of the Brethren, in his
Wednesday evening sermon, explored what
happens when we "get down off the bank and
into the water." Retelling the accounts of Jesus'
baptism from Matthew and Mark, Bibbee
pointed to baptism as the believer's "yes" to
the most basic truth of our lives — that we are
the beloved sons and daughters of God. This
truth frees men and women from living lives
marked by guilt and alienation.
Jesus' encounter with the woman of Samarifl
from Mark 4:4-24 provided the foundation for
Rebecca Bade Crouse 's sermon on Thursday I
evening. "Breaking the Rules ... for Christ's i
Sake" explored how Jesus' behavior challenge'
the religious traditions, racial prejudices, and '
social conventions of his time. Crouse, co-
pastor of Antioch Church of the Brethren, nea'l
Rocky Mount, Va., urged the telling of the
good news of salvation to strangers, showing
love to all of God's children regardless of racd
or ethnicity, and welcoming into the family ol
faith those whose spiritual journeys have beefil
marked by failure.
"The Gathering," was presented on Friday
evening by members of the Hutchinson (Kan.)
Church of the Brethren. This play powerfully
illustrated in modem idiom the last supper
scene in the upper room. The "Teacher,"
5
ii
22 Messenger August 1 994
5
traying Jesus, remained mute as his follow-
told why they should be left in charge
ing his impending absence. Gospel stories
ivided content and character for each
)stle's soliloquy.
Tyrone Pitts, general secretary of the Pro-
ssive National Baptist Convention, Inc.,
ike on the theme of "Providing Living
iter to a Dying World." Drawing on the
ount in Mark 9 of the disciples" inability to
t out particularly difficult demons, he
sned this to modem Christianity's impotence
h the demons of today. Comparing the
irch of today to stagnant water rather than
ng water, Pitts declared that "our world
fers from a crisis of faith" and "a schizo-
enia of the soul." Contrasting the capacities
t science and technology give us to cure
'ironmental destruction, poverty, and urban
lence with the reality of the world, Pitts
illenged Brethren to formulate new values,
urday evening worshipers were urged to
tinguish between culture and Christ as a
prelude to transforming and changing today's
society.
On Sunday morning, Joan Hershey, General
Board staff in evangelism, illustrated the theme
"Abundant Water . . . but Many Are Still
Thirsty," tracing many scriptural references to
water. Stating that "Jesus placed an incredible
value on the lost; do you?" Hershey pressed for
a church that offers the living water to others.
No longer can our congregations depend on the
old ways of growth, in which the birth rate
filled church buildings, society created a
supportive environment for church activities,
and people stayed in one area for a lifetime.
Reminding her hearers that "structure and
organization can't give life," Hershey urged
Brethren to move boldly into the ftiture.
Receiving the water is not enough; we must not
have "sat, soaked, and soured," but, rather,
have "sat, sipped, and (been) sent (forth)."
— David Shumate
David Shumate is the executive of Virlina District.
Top left "The Gathering, "
was performed by men
from the Hutchinson
(Kan.) congregation.
Lower left: Tyrone Pitts
challenged Brethren to
form new values.
Above: Joan Hershey
pressed for a church
that offers living water
to others.
Messenger August 1 994 23
i
r
f
I
1
t
■
- .._.> --.
i
'^^^Hi
Brethren practi-
cality was demon-
strated by this
conferencegoer
seen pulling her
two sleeping
youngsters in a
wagon. No need for
Conference child-
care services here!
Joel Thompson, director
of benefits for Brethren
Benefit Trust, and
Laurence J. O'Connell
held a panel discussion
during the joint meeting
of the Ministers Asso-
ciation and Assocation
of Brethren Caregivers.
ABC/MINISTERS ASSOCIATION
"Critical health and caregiving issues" was the
focus of a joint Association of Brethren
Caregivers and Ministers Association pre-
Conference gathering. "Ethics is not opinion —
not what I like or don't like — but ethics is
making rationally defendable judgments about
who we are and how we behave." Margaret R.
McLean, teacher at the Center for Applied
Ethics at Santa Clara (Calif) University,
presented an overview of two ways of ap-
proaching ethics.
Ethics can be based on fixed, universal rules
and principles that guide persons in making
decisions. Ethics based on virtue places
emphasis on "What kind of person should I be"
rather than "What should I do?"
"As Christians, we are called to critical
caring," said McLean. Sickness and death are
not the final word, not the worst things. Our
failure to care is a greater vice than to permit
and accept sickness and death.
Church health consultant David Hilton
challenged pastors and health care providers to
be prophetic about "neglected ethical issues" in
the health care debate. "As long as the market
system and technology replace God on the
throne as the supreme values of health in
society, there will not be a just medical
system." Hilton encouraged congregations to
begin a Lafiya program, call members of
Congress, write letters, and become informed
about health-care issues.
"In six or seven years, health care will be
different for good or ill," according to
Laurence J. O'Connell, president of Park Ridge ,
(111.) Center for the study of Health, Faith and
Ethics. "The current discussion will be a
defining moment of our national character and
destiny. We are flirting with a colossal failure
of nerve on health care, due to moral confii-
sion."
O'Connell, who served on President
Clinton's Health Care Task Force, believes the \
church's role is to address the systemic crisis im
values underlying the health-care debate.
"Health care bought and sold contrasts greatly
with the freely given ministrations of Jesus and
his disciples."
The church has a "platform for social
engagement in values discussions," and the
health care debate should be framed within
values of "community individualism, compas-
sion and justice vs. commercially driven
system, and openness to pursue spiritual
dimension of individuals within community."
Each presentation was followed by a panel oi
responders and complicated case studies
discussed at length by persons representing the
fields of ethics, medicine, psychology, pastoral i
care, nursing, and law.
McLean added, "If you feel paralyzed by thei
complexity of these issues, take heart. Jesus
heals paralytics!" — ^Ronald E. H. Faus
Ronald E. H. Faus is pastor of Charlottesville (Va.)
Church of the Brethren.
24 Messenger August 1994
NEWS BRIEFS
leven new fellowships were welcomed into
be Church of the Brethren at Wichita: Rogers
Ark. ) Mennonite Church of the Brethren,
jeorge Engle, pastor; Iglesia Evangelica
.a Neuva Jerusalen, Summit, 111., Vincent
[.ivera, pastor; Dover (Del.), Leland Wilson,
lastor; Moreno Valley (Calif), David
4cKellip, pastor; Principe de Paz, Santa Ana,
^alif., Olga and Mario Serrano, co-pastors;
Togville, Fort Towson, Okla., Bryce Hubbard,
lastor; and Whitehouse (Texas), James
Vashington, pastor.
• The Outdoor Ministries Association (OMA)
-kilometer RunAValk sounded almost like a
epeat of 1993, with the same number of
larticipants (38) and some of the same wirmers.
'irst place went to Frances Bourne and Jerry
>ouse, second to Karen Crouse and David
Jrunk, and third to Rosanna McFadden and
Iteve Middleton. More than $600 was raised,
be divided between OMA and Trees for Life.
• Chauncey Shamberger, 100, of Boise, Idaho,
bunder of the Church of the Brethren camping
irogram, was honored at Wichita as the first
ecipient of the Four Horsemen for Leadership
)evelopment Award, given by the Outdoor
/linistries Association. The name "The Four
lorsemen" was used by the four young men
vho organized the first camps in the denomina-
ion — Shamberger, Al Brightbill, Perry Rohrer,
nd Dan West.
• Usually the biggest crowds at Conference
lock in for Saturday and Sunday, but that was
lot the case for Wichita, which counted its
lighest attendance the first evening (Tuesday),
vith 3,225 at worship. Average attendance for
he week was 2,938. Registration totaled 4,089,
ncluding 939 delegates. That compared well
vith 1982, when 4,234 Brethren registered for
hat year's Conference in Wichita.
• Conferencegoers donated 323 pints of
)Iood in the annual blood drive. The blood was
;iven to the Central Plains region Blood
services of the American Red Cross.
• Total worship service offerings at Wichita
vere $48,064. Offerings last year were
564,360, and the year before totaled $101,349.
We worry about membership dropping, but this
suggests the money will run out before the
members do. . ^
• SERRV sales at Conference totaled
$27,207 for the week. Brethren Press sales
totaled over $66,000. One of its hottest items
was a coffee mug bearing the Conference logo.
• Esther Norris, co-pastor of Garden City
(Kan.) Church of the Brethren, was elected to a
three-year term as an officer of the Ministers
Association. Paul Roth, pastor of Highland
Avenue Church of the Brethren, Elgin, 111.,
heads the association.
• Westminster (Md.) Church of the Brethren
received the 15th annual Ecumenical Award at
the Committee on Interchurch Relations
Terrie Swartz,
Manassas, Va., took time
out from her work as a
teller to be one of 323
Brethren who donated
blood for an area Red
Cross blood bank during
Conference week.
Nancy Knepper,
director of Outdoor
Ministry presented the
first "Four Horsemen"
Award to 100-year-old
Chauncey Shamberger,
Boise, Idaho, founder of
the Brethren camping
program and the first
director of Brethren
youth ministry. Asked
the secret for reaching
the century mark,
the still youthful
Shamberger quipped,
"You have to have been
born a hundred years
ago."
Messenger August 1994 25
Photo by Paul Stocksdale
Photographer George
Keeler stays on top of
things at Conference,
whether it's the quilt
auction or any other
activity. At the Univer-
sity of La Verne he is Dr.
Keeler and teaches
journalism. Wichita is
George's fifth consecu-
tive Conference at which
he has served Messenger
as photographer. His
work as photographer
and writer with the
magazine dates back to
Richmond '77, when he
served as a summer
intern. His most recent
article appeared in the
May/June issue — "Lybrook
and Its Changing Roles."
George volunteers his
service as Conference
photographer.
Conference depends
heavily on volunteers.
Quick work was made of
stuffing delegate
packets by a good
turnout of them, includ-
ing Ralph Royer (right),
former Brethren worker
in Nigeria (his birth-
place), Niger, and
Liberia.
26 Messenger August 1994
luncheon at Wichita. The congregation was
cited for "compassionate service . . . sensitivity
to needs of children . . . responsive concern
for issues of peace and justice" and "an
ecumenical spirit by being active in interchurch
cooperation."
• The Association for the Arts quilt auction
raised $9,900 this year. Three quilts and three
wall hangings were sold. One of the hangings
was made especially to mark the 50th anniver-
sary of Heifer Project. The highest quilt bid
was $2,100.
• Dale T. Ziegler, associate pastor of Union
Center Church of the Brethren, Nappanee, Ind.,
was killed on his way to Wichita, when his
motorcycle was hit by a car. During the week,
conferencegoers were in touch with Ziegler' s
widow. Dawn, offering sympathy.
• Ruth E. Tulley, of North Manchester, Ind.,
makes a claim that likely will have few
challengers: As a three-year-old, she attended
Annual Conference in Wichita in 1917, and has
made it to the three Wichita Conferences since
then— 1976, 1982, and 1994.
• It would have been good to see Anna
Warstler among the former India missionaries
garlanded at Wichita as Conference marked the
1 00th anniversary of the beginning of Church
of the Brethren mission work in India. But the
92-year-old church worker, who served 1931-
1954 in India, died June 27 in Elkhart, Ind. In
addition to India service, she also served on the
General Board staff, in Christian education,
1955-1966.
»
• 1 knew Wichita had an ambience all its own
when, upon my arrival at the airport, the
Ramada Hotel shuttle service came for me in a
pickup truck (Honest!). But I thought it best no
to murmur about that or the shabbiness of the
hotel itself, when the location was so choice —
just across the street from the convention
center. Most Brethren commuted from hotels
six miles out. Maybe it was that hotel situation
Maybe it was the moribund downtown condi-
tions and the dearth of good restaurants. Maybel
it was the 1 00-degree-plus weather or that
freakish thunderstorm Wednesday night. But,
frankly, Toto, I don't think we'll be in Kansas
anymore. Well, at least not before 2000, our
next time to meet somewhere between the
Mississippi and the Rockies. Meanwhile, we
have these Conference locations to anticipate:
Charlotte, N.C., in 1995 (June 27-July 2);
Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1996 (July 2-7); Long
Beach, Calif, in 1997 (July 1-6); Orlando, Fla.
in 1998 (June 30-July 5); and Milwaukee, Wis.
in 1999 (June 29-July 4). — Kermon ThoMASsoN
Find that gift to be simple
Grandma Thomasson, who lived into her 90s, was
given to contrasting the times of her youth with the
times of the present. Particularly, she railed against
"all these here modem convinces (conveniences)"
we were pampering ourselves with. In the instance I
recall, our transgression was that of tardily aban-
doning the era of kerosene lamps and wood stoves
for that of electricity and its attendant applications.
For Grandma, who remembered dipping wax
candles as a household chore rather than an artsy-
craftsy hobby, we were spending our money like
drunken sailors on frivolous luxuries. And it was
more than that; it was a family values matter.
Families that huddled around the kitchen table
doing evening chores by the light of a candle
somehow were purer minded than families that
could scatter through the house, flipping light
switches as they went. Grandma's rose-tinted
descriptions of life in the good oV days sounded
like they were based on Currier and Ives prints.
At Annual Conference I thought of Grandma
when the delegates approved a petition to name a
committee to figure out how to revive "the Brethren
tradition of the simple life." I agree with the
petition writers that simplicity is complex, but 1
wondered if asking a committee to "discern the fiill
meaning (of the simple life) for our time" was the
answer. Really, was it delving deep enough? Looks
to me like, if we went deep enough in our study, we
might recognize a set of principles that underlie
simple living in all ages. Then, if we had those
principles graven on our hearts, we wouldn't keep
forgetting the simple life and having to refresh our
memories from time to time.
But as I sat at the press table during Armual
Conference business sessions, it did occur to me
that while we are simplifying things, it might not
hurt to take a hard look at the way we do business
at Conference. Maybe we should petition Confer-
ence to name a study committee.
Lest our officers conclude that my thoughts are
triggered just by this year's Conference, and take
offense, let me hasten to clarify that almost any
Armual Conference of recent memory could serve
as the triggering device.
A few observations:
Asking a 1,000-member delegate body to
deal with the issues of the day may not be the best
way to do the business of the church. My hunch
is that a lot of delegates are chosen for reasons
other than their being the wisest heads in their
congregation. That "elders body" of earlier.
simpler times still has a certain appeal.
It appears to be hard to give proportionate 
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