The Brethren Evangelist December 2014

Year In Review 2014

...REMEMBERING ALL HE HAS DONE IN 2014!

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Dear Cherished Friends,

What a wonderful season! It is wonderful that we have identified this time in our year to give thanks, to celebrate the gift of God’s Son, and to ponder the coming year with a certainty that we are loved by One who directs our steps!

I’m mindful of God’s instruction to Israel through the prophet Isaiah. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19 NIV). In the preceding verses, God rehearses his mighty acts in delivering Israel out of Egypt. And while God instructs Israel to be witnesses of God’s deliverance, he nonetheless asks them to look to the future and the new things that he is about to do!

And so we find ourselves remembering past blessings, but still challenged to look to the new things that God is doing. What new things is God doing in your midst?

In the following pages of this issue of The Evangelist you’ll see some past reflection. Let’s be sure to celebrate God’s blessing in our worldwide efforts. But in each instance we hope that you are challenged to also look toward the new things that God is about to do in your life, in the life of your congregation, and in the Brethren Church!

Looking forward with you,

Ken Hunn Executive Director

contents

stay connected

524 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805

419.289.1708

www.brethrenchurch.org

[email protected]

BRETHREN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT // Ryan Smith WMS MISSOCHURCH// Bill Ludwig

MOBILIZE // Gary Diehl

GLOBAL PARTNERS

JESUS, THE PRINCE OF WHAT? // Phil Lersch, Brethren Peace Initiative Facilitator

BITS & PIECES

The Brethren Evangelist Year in Review 20142

LOOKING BACK over this past year of ministry, the word which possibly best describes or sums up the last twelve months for Brethren Leadership Development is “focus.” Several events stand out as a highlight of the year and point toward a greater degree of focus for the ministry.

You will recall hearing talk at General Conference 2013 about a book, a Brethren values book, that was being put together and slated for release the first of the following year. Imagine our excitement the day the boxes of freshly printed books arrived from the printers. This may be a bit of a stretch, but seeing box after box of A Brethren Witness for the 21st Century there before us, was akin to the birth of a newborn baby. Hey, I said it may be a stretch. Nonetheless, you can understand the emotion that came with seeing a dream realized. Little did we know at the time the full impact this book would have on us as Brethren. In a little more than six months we found ourselves sold out of the first printing. The feedback we’ve received regarding the

book has been very positive. It’s encouraging and exciting to see so many want to dive in deeper and understand and connect to our values as Brethren. So many of you didn’t buy the book simply out of “good ol’ Brethren duty.” Rather you bought the book as a tool and resource to help you, your church, your friends and family connect to God and his mission through his church called Brethren. I’m pleased to say that because of the initial success of the book, a second printing is being put together as well as a primer to help pull the fullest amount of utility and value from the book. I anticipate celebrating this time next year, the continued success of this great resource and the subsequent resources that have come from it.

About the time we were starting to scrape the bottom of the boxes on the brethren witness book, we concluded our ten month journey through the Brethren Leadership Webinars. This project began in the summer of 2013 and concluded at this year’s General Conference. These

monthly webinars somewhat serve as a companion project to the book, in that they connect our Brethren values to eight core leadership competencies. Thanks to the guidance of our friend Jonathan Reitz from CoachNet Global, participants in the webinars learned how to better develop as leaders; and because we were able to connect the competencies to our values, they learned how to also be more effective Brethren leaders. The beauty of the webinar project is that it is not a tool only for our pastors to utilize. Rather, it’s a tool any of us can take advantage of.

Each one hour webinar video has been recorded and made available for free viewing on our website. Additionally, the Leadership Effectiveness Profile that the webinars are based on is also available if you are interested in discovering your unique leadership profile and learning how to connect to our values and grow as a Brethren leader.

Brethren Leadership Development has worked this past year to develop some practical resources

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTBRETHREN

Focus

Year in Review 2014 The Brethren Evangelist 3

and tools to help people grow as Brethren leaders. One unique tool many people may not know about, unless you are involved in the ordination process through your district, are the Brethren Courses. This past year BLD has worked along side a task force of individuals from the seminary, NOC and the National Office to more easily make these courses available to those seeking ordination. While not completed yet, this project is continuing to gain ground on the goal of making the required ordination courses accessible to all who require them, regardless of location. Many of us quite honestly would have no idea such a project was even necessary. Yet for those in the ordination process, this is welcomed news as it’s helping to streamline their journey toward ordination and continued service in the Brethren church.

A final highlight I’d like to celebrate is that of the B4 Project, or the Bringing Brethren Beards Back Project. Announced at this year’s General Conference, the B4 Project is a BLD fundraiser which tips our hats to the many great, bearded Brethren leaders of the past, while supporting future leaders simply by growing out our beards. The B4 Project will conclude next summer at General Conference, where we’ll get to see the “outgrowth” of those who’ve participated. A small number have made an early commitment to join the project, yet we’d like to see many more have some “skin the game” as it were. Full details of how to participate in the project can be found on our website.

I mentioned that 2014 has been a year of gaining focus for BLD. Through the wins that we’re celebrating I can see, as hopefully you can, that BLD is growing in its work to develop uniquely Brethren leaders who serve the greater mission to advance God’s kingdom wherever they find themselves called to serve. Each of us has some capacity to lead another, and we have a calling to

be partners in God’s redemptive work to restore the world. I eagerly look forward to another year of ministry and service together as Brethren.

BYIC Doing Big Things

The highlight of the year for the BYIC is always Engage Conference. You read several accounts, in our last issue, of the impact that Engage has on those who are there. I very much appreciate that Engage is not only designed to target teens, but it also has an eye on the many youth leaders who serve and minister to the youth of the Brethren church. Engage is many things to those that attend. For some it’s a homecoming, a chance to connect with far away friends that are only seen during this time. For others it’s a chance to worship and connect more deeply with Jesus, to renew commitments and strengthen their faith. Yet, there are some who view it as a chance to get away from the normal stresses of life and relax. Whatever the reason people come to Engage, one thing holds true, they leave better off than when they arrived. We absolutely love hearing the stories of how Jesus meets, impacts, and changes lives. The planning team; YAC as they’re called, are encouraged and motivated by these sort of stories and use that to propel them in their planning for the following year’s conference; working to make it better than the year before.

At the risk of sounding like an overly proud parent, the youth of the Brethren church are some amazing folk. This past year we celebrated with Tiny Hands International raising over $10,000 to directly fight human trafficking in Nepal. It was at Engage 2013 that our youth first were introduced to THI and their work fighting human trafficking. Many, if not all, of the events organized to raise this sum of money were arranged and organized by the youth themselves.

Hearing about the injustices of the girls caught in the sex trade, they took it upon themselves to


say, “Not on our watch!” Our teens found ways, thought creatively, and got the job done to raise awareness and funds. I personally want to say thank you to the leaders, for stepping aside and letting your youth lead in some unique and creative ways. It’s a risk to turn over the reigns of leadership, but it paid off in big ways. It’s amazing what a bit of passion and determination can do, and when coupled to Jesus and his mission: look out!

While it’s true that most of what we do as the BYIC is aimed at teenagers, we do have a heart for and a desire to equip our adult youth leaders as well. This past year, one way we did this was to host several of them at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference. The thing that makes SYMC so special for youth advisors is that everything that happens at the event is designed with them in mind. SYMC is a chance for youth leaders to be spoiled just a bit. Something unique we were able to do this year at SYMC was have an evening with our friend Doug Franklin of LeaderTreks. While we ate together, Doug shared with us a bit about what it means to find our leadership calling and then once found how to answer the call and achieve leadership success. It was an enjoyable evening together where we not only enjoyed one another’s company, we were also equipped and challenged to grow as leaders.

When you look across the landscape of the Brethren youth, you see a group of individuals and local youth groups united under the banner of Jesus’ mission. It’s motivating and challenging to witness the degree and depths our teens are willing to go to in order to participate in that mission.

It’s something to celebrate that we have so many talented and willing leaders who give freely of themselves to serve our youth. Many of our youth leaders do so voluntarily and yet their service is no less professional. The BYIC is blessed and is a blessing and for that I’m glad to be get to be a part of them and have them be a part of the larger family of Brethren.

Ryan Smith is the National Leadership Development Coordinator. Contact Ryan at [email protected].


Dear Friends,

It has been my privilege to serve the Brethren Churches and our Global Partners in the role of Executive Director for the last eleven years. There have been numerous challenges, but we can clearly see a new sense of progress in every area. I am so thankful for the faithful prayers and support of so many throughout our denomination in the pursuit of our vision.

In thinking to the future, the Executive Board and I have mutually agreed that I will conclude my service as Executive Director at the end of my term which ends at General Conference 2015. This was not an easy decision for myself or the Board, but one we mutually embrace.

The board will soon begin a search process for a new Executive Director, to be affirmed at our 2015 General Conference. Please keep them in prayer during this time, and pray too for God’s Spirit to prepare the heart of this servant.

In the coming months I expect to continue my efforts in pursuit of our goals and help facilitate a smooth transition. Nancy and I will likewise be about the many details in relation to our transition into another area of service. Since that direction is uncertain, we ask for your continued prayers that God would provide a place for us to make a significant impact in Christian ministry.

Let’s join together in our hearts and in prayer as we embark on a new journey together.

Ken Hunn Executive Director

G. Emery Hurd Moderator on behalf of The Executive Board of The Brethren Church


C E L E B R AT I O N S I want to celebrate the Indiana District WMS ladies. We are looking for new ideas, new ways of reaching out as we continue to be “Women Meant to Serve”. I can’t speak specifically for all of the societies in the Indiana district but I can for Burlington, which is my WMS group. This group has a great love for the Lord, each other and for the community.

In April, as many of you know, a group of Indiana ladies went to Kentucky to encourage the staff at Riverside Christian Training Center. Because of this experience, women from our group want to go back. As part of our Fall Festival in Burlington, our ladies worked together to do a big yard sale. The purpose of this was to not only raise money for this and other projects like this, but to have a presence in the community and encourage each other as we worked together. We also served with the other churches in town at the Fall Festival Chili supper, all proceeds to go to the Community Food Bank. We are planning a cooking day where we will put together casseroles to put in the freezer and share with those who need them. We meet at the Rescue Mission and wrap presents for one of our meetings, we do shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, send cards of love and encouragement to the sick

and shut-ins, make boxes to send to our college students. We also have a couple of ladies who visit the nursing homes weekly. We are trying to reach out, using the gifts and talents the Lord has given us. We are an older group, like many, but there is still so much we can do for the kingdom.

I was encouraged as I went to the Indiana District Fall Rally in North Manchester to hear the ladies share things they were doing in their groups. I heard “fun things”, creative things, projects that take us out of our building and into the community where we can build relationships. I heard activities like: silent auction, acknowledging Teacher Appreciation Week in the local school system, Fun nights, doing funeral dinners, chili suppers, coffee bar with donations to raise money for mission projects, decorating pumpkins to take to shut-ins, bringing baby gifts for organizations such as Birthright/Crisis Pregnancy Center to the Christmas Party rather than exchanging gifts for one another, providing lunch for public auctions to raise money for missions, prayer walks, sewing projects, camp scholarships and trying a Saturday morning breakfast as an alternative time to meet for working women and older women who do not like to drive after dark. All of these creative ideas are about more than raising money for missions. Our speaker challenged us to start helping the world and stop judging it. She encouraged us to share our stories because that is what attracts

WMSand transforms people. Most of all she challenged us to love extravagantly! As we pray about what projects the Lord would have us undertake, it is my hope that we will do exactly that as we reach out in the community. May our love for each other draw others, new young women desiring to work alongside us and be a part of our mission. Indiana WMS are Women Meant to Serve!

WHAT DOES WMS CELEBRATE?

How do we celebrate? Thanks to the ladies of Oakville, New Paris, Milford, and Oak Hill for sharing their celebrations—celebrations of service, celebrations of each other, celebrations of treasured members, and most importantly, celebrations of our Lord Jesus.

As members of Helping Hands we are celebrating both memories from the past and promises for the future. At each meeting we enjoy some fellowship time sharing a recall of people and events connected to our group &/or the church. This often inspires our thinking during meditation and prayer time. Then too, it’s always fun to look at old photos as we attempt to get the facts straight.

Deeper inspiration falls on us during a review of God’s word and the monthly lesson presentation. Just knowing that Jesus is with us always increases our faith and helps us to look forward to promised

Gloria RadcliffWMS President


opportunity and doors that may open in the future.

Currently we are sewing “Gospel Aprons” for a missionary to distribute on foreign soil. These are pretty little items with Bible verses, in the pockets, written in the language of the country for which they are intended.

Each of our ladies hopes to pass on a blessed legacy by living a life of celebration for being a sinner saved by Grace.

The Milford First Brethren WMS would like to celebrate Inez Beiswanger who has been a member of our WMS for 64 years since 1950. She is our oldest member and still very active in our group. During the years she has been a member of the Milford WMS she has held every office of the group more than once. She enjoys going to the meetings each month and is always ready to lend a helping hand. We love you Inez and we are glad you are in our group!!!

There are many things to celebrate about the Oak Hill WMS. We could celebrate statistics like increased membership or meeting our goals 100%. We could celebrate that we are the largest group in our church that has continued to be “in business” for many years yet still strives to do more each year. Yes, these are things to celebrate, but none of them would be possible without the steadfast women who have been

a part of building the society we have today. These women have been members of our WMS their entire adult lives. These women take to heart what it means to be Women Meant to Serve.

There have been many ladies that have shaped our local society, more than we could list here, but we want to celebrate the ladies who have been members for the last 40 or more years. These ladies are: Virginia Buskus, Amy Crouch, Jean Fox, Ethel Payne, Suzanne Pennington, Lois Hall Robinson, Gene Skeldon, and Janet Vargo. Due to health issues, Virginia, Ethel, and Gene are no longer able to be active in our group, but we know they keep us in their thoughts and prayers. The remainder of these ladies continue to be active participants in every aspect of our local WMS.

We would be amiss if we didn’t take a moment to celebrate our longest standing member, Lois Hall Robinson. Lois has been in WMS for the last 66 years and continues to take part in all our WMS activities. She has held many offices over the years and is currently our corresponding secretary. She continues to volunteer as program leader, hostess, and anywhere else she is needed, like keeping our

WMS

president straight by reminding her of things that that need to be done.

These are the ladies that many of us have looked up to all of our lives. These are the ladies

that we have watch work for the Lord, help when help was encouraged us, kept us mission minded, and kept our society moving forward even during times when it looked like interest and participation was fading. These are the ladies that have never given up and continue to work for the Lord. These ladies give us a reason to celebrate being members of the Oak Hill First Brethren Church Women Missionary Society.

Perhaps the ladies of the Oakville WMS speak for all WMS members when they say, “[we] are celebrating the love, mercy, forgiveness and beauty provided by our Heavenly Father each and every day.”Corky Fisher,Editor


MISSIOCHURCH


IN 2014, WE BRETHREN experienced much of God’s movement to be excited about! You may know that our responsibility is to partner with Jesus to initiate and sustain a North American Brethren church multiplication movement with regional focus. During this year your Brethren Church got closer to seeing actual church multiplication and realized a greater move toward regional focus in some of our regions!

It has been said that shared experiences help to create a shared culture. The Exponential Conference for church planting is one of the highlights of our year! It has become a valuable training and culture building event for us where we get connected to what Jesus is doing through other tribes, and also spend time listening together for what Jesus has in store for us. This year, MissioChurch partnered with the California and SouthEast districts to send four church planting couples and several regional and local leaders to Exponential events in Orlando and Los Angeles. All involved received a fresh clarity and confidence for following Jesus in planting churches!

An expression of the movement that Jesus is building in us is the addition of people whom he is calling to help lead where he wants to take us. This year, we welcomed Wyatt Smith in the Indiana District to our team. Wyatt is the Senior Pastor at

County Line Brethren Church. He has joined Tim Garner in leading the Indiana District towards accomplishing what Jesus wants to do in and through them related to starting new churches. Wyatt also participates in a regional team of leaders working together to help cultivate an atmosphere in Indiana for healthy, on-going church planting.

Another beautiful expression of movement that we are experiencing is the increase in local churches that are feeling led to become parent churches.

This is done by sending out folks to start new churches or by adopting other church plants in their region. From coast to coast, in 2014, at least six local churches began

exploring how to plant a church from themselves. Some of these are actively planting their new church now! Another five local churches are playing some role relationally, spiritually and financially in church plants they have adopted!

When church plants plant churches that plant churches it’s called multiplication. Grace Community Church in Winchester, Virginia was planted more than 16 years ago. Several years ago they daughtered our first church plant in Canada (Muskoka Community Church). This year, they continued to plant the gospel in new communities by starting two new congregations. Called multi-site congregations, these two new faith communities are a part of Grace Community (same DNA and amazing staff!). However, they worship, minister and connect with people in very different locations. Also in 2014, United Community Brethren Church, a church planted several years ago in Dayton, Ohio took significant steps towards launching their first church plant called the Transformed Life Center! Under the leadership of planters Reggie and Julie Harvey, activity has already begun on the east side of the city of Dayton to lay the ground work for this exciting new church that blends the GREAT news of the gospel with job training and opportunities, health care education and transitional


housing in an urban context. Their first community event drew more than 800 people! Grace Community Church, United Community Brethren Church and others like them need your prayers and support to continue following Jesus in obedience to the vision he has given them for multiplication.

As long as there are people culturally or geographically distant from our witness we must plant new churches. Although there is much more to highlight, we wanted to

share with you the excitement of God’s people innovating and

creating new/old ways of connecting people in spiritual community. Radial Church in Canton, Ohio does it with bicycles…riding their way into where people are both physically and spiritually. The Transformed Life Center will be doing it with a salon and

barbershop…giving people a God-sized dose of hope with

their wash and rinse. A growing number of our folks are engaging in

a process of initiating new spiritual communities called the Gatherer-Shepherd-Elder process. Ask Chris

Dull in the Northeast District. They are tracking up to five potential new church starts there! Using this method,

everyone you know can help start a new church. Will you?

God continues to bless The Brethren Church! For every step we take in obedience he takes two in his guidance and provision. May our tribe increase!

For more information or to get started on your church planting journey contact Bill Ludwig, [email protected] or the Regional Movement Coordinator in your area.


We invite you to experience the Well @

Ashland University!

HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENTS:

Students arrive at AU at 7:00pm on Thursday, March 19th, attend the Well at 8:00pm, stay the night with an Ashland University student host, enjoy our award-winning dining hall for breakfast on Friday morning, and end with a campus tour.

GOD IS ON THE MOVE. Jesus is doing awesome things to redeem and restore what sin continually seeks to kill, steal and destroy. The implication of the Scripture quoted above is that the primary strategy Jesus uses to break through the “gates of hell” is his people—the Church—in motion! Brethren ministries all over the country are on the move, joining in the work Jesus is doing, and the MOBILIZE Network is there to assist.

MINISTRY TRANSITIONS The MOBILIZE team provides guidance for congregations moving through a pastoral transition. Whether it is simply helping a church understand the details of the process or orienting them to the benefits and value of an Intentional Interim Pastor, guiding leaders through the journey of pastoral change is a partnership of the local church, their District and the MOBILIZE team.

The last year we saw the New Lebanon, College Corner, South Bend and Bryan congregations move through their transition times and enter new seasons of ministry with their next long-term pastors. Gene Oburn, Billy Hesketh, Fred Youngen and Brent Sloan have taken up their new roles in these congregations.

Other congregations continue to move through a journey of learning from their past, seeing their present reality clearly, and planning for their future season of ministry with a new pastor. Many of those are being guided intentionally by an interim pastor. Those congregations include Jefferson Community, Oakville, Burlington, Garber, Park Street, Windhaven, Masontown, Pleasant View, Wayne Heights and Warsaw.

Our growing partnership with Interim Pastor Ministries is another way guidance is provided for healthy transitions. Connecting their trained and experienced

leaders into specific transition situations can set the stage for what becomes a much healthier next season of fruitful ministry. As an example, Bryan First Brethren recently passed the baton of leadership from IPM’s Intentional Interim Pastor, Wayne Gropp, to their new lead pastor Brent Sloan. In their Sunday worship, Moderator Mike McCann highlighted some of the events of the interim process. Gary Diehl described how their District and the denominational office partnered in the connection with IPM, and then challenged the new pastor and the congregation to enter their new season of ministry together with great anticipation and great amounts of grace. Then Pastor Wayne spoke about the exciting future he believes God wants for the Bryan congregation, and literally passed a relay-race baton to Pastor Brent. That kind of healthy “transfer of the baton” is what the Intentional Interim process is all about, and we congratulate Pastor Wayne and the Bryan leaders for doing it well!

MINISTRY VITALITYHelping local church ministry move toward greater health and fruitfulness is an important role for the MOBILIZE team. Seven Brethren congregations learned more about their individual church environments by engaging a Natural Church Development assessment. Beacon of Hope, Pleasant Hill, Park Street, College Corner, Berlin, Masontown, and Goshen will have all learned more about themselves this year through this helpful diagnostic tool.

As one example, Berlin Brethren recently did a follow-up NCD survey to see if they’ve made progress since the previous one in 2012. They did! Not only have they strengthened the area that needed the most attention in 2012, they have seen marked improvements in almost every other area of their environment. And

MOBILIZE“…This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.” – Jesus (Matthew 16:18b, The Message)


the recently published book A Brethren Witness for the 21st Century. That will help us “reimaging our connections” with our Hispanic brothers and sisters, now and in the future. It is another way to help them learn how “being Brethren” is lived out in this generation.

In all, more than 40 Brethren congregations have engaged in the last year in some direct way with the MOBILIZE Network. The Brethren Church is ON THE MOVE!

In the past God blessed Brethren ministries with wonderful Kingdom fruit. We believe he is inviting us to see and experience that again. Each of us must be ready and willing to MOVE… to follow Jesus Christ into a constantly changing world. No pastor, leader, team or congregation needs to journey alone! Someone from the MOBILIZE Network is willing to guide you as you faithfully remain ON THE MOVE with Jesus!

God continues to bless as new believers are added to their part of his family!

Several of those congregations using the NCD survey did so as part of the “WE” phase of work in their ongoing Transform

One journey of self-awareness. Others did so as part of their intentional interim work, and others used it to help them understand their current reality more clearly. Either way, healthy self-awareness at the congregational level is vital if a ministry is going to keep moving forward.

REIMAGINING CONNECTIONS Helping pastors, leaders, teams and congregations connect with each other is not only nice, it is vital if we are to see the kingdom impact God longs for us to see. Connecting us together in healthy ways is another important task for the MOBILIZE team.

On November 2nd, folks from nine different ministry points in Indiana gathered to share and celebrate the things Jesus has been doing in their ministries. Called together by District Moderator Pastor Dianna Teusch and Pastor Ben Pippen, the group worshiped together, shared a meal, then heard stories of how God is working through Brethren ministry activities in Huntington, Corinth, Mexico, Nappanee, Milford, County Line, South Bend, North Manchester (Bryan, OH) and the Brethren Retreat Center. There was a challenge to have eyes to see how God is working and “reimagine our connections” with each other, exploring what greater things could happen when we share often and do ministry with each other. Their next Celebration gathering is already scheduled for January 25, 2015 at County Line.

Earlier this year Pastors Paul Stanley and Steven Cole of Carson Oaks and Manteca joined MOBILIZE Coordinator Emery Hurd for new conversations with Pastors Ramses Mesa and Justo Flores from Pasadena and Pacoima about reimagining their connections with each other. When Bill Ludwig and a MissioChurch team found themselves in Los Angeles for Exponential West, a top-notch church planting event, they also engaged in that conversation. One exciting result of those conversations is a project in motion that will professionally translate into Spanish our key Brethren Church North America governing and guiding documents, including

“…And I’ll build my church on this rock. The gates of the underworld won’t be able to stand against it.” – Jesus (Matthew 16:18b, Common English Bible)


Gary Diehl is Mobilize National Coordinator. Contact Gary at [email protected].


AS WE LOOK OVER THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS, it is thrilling to see the progress of our partners around the world! Each region is moving forward in unique ways, but all focused on expanding the Kingdom impact of the local church to their neighborhoods and cities.

Today we celebrate the expansion of the Brethren witness in Malaysia, India, the Philippines, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Paraguay, Chile, and Spain. The following is an overview of several notable accomplishments and milestones from among this list.

The past year has seen continued change and growth in our partnership with Jesus Our Firm Foundation ministries. The several churches continue to grow, and preparations for new church plants have been the focus for the past twelve months. This year, we celebrate at least five churches or ministries that make up this exciting and growing partnership. As in other parts of the world, natural disasters have hit hard. Tropical depression Mario brought flood waters to several provinces around Manila, including our partner church in Bulacan. Contributions to Brethren Relief have made it possible for us to send financial aid to assist our churches directly and adding to their own contributions as our churches administer relief to other affected areas.

In addition to all this, we celebrate the marriage of Pastor Gary Castro and his new wife Joy! Together they are growing into a wonderful ministry team, teaching and training many more new young leaders for new churches in the foreseeable future. This past year gives us much for which to be thankful and celebrate the very visible growth that is taking place in the Brethren Church Philippines!

GLOBAL PARTNERS

It seems every new year brings continued progress to this forty-five-year-old partnership, and 2014 is no exception! This year we celebrate the growth of the India mission to over two hundred churches and preaching points, with a total impact to over 20,000 persons. Two areas of change are especially notable…

The Brethren Mission in India, headquartered in Rajahmundry and under the direction of the Kumar family is increasing in the amount of relief, rehabilitation, and development of job skills. This has been made possible through your gifts to Brethren Relief. In addition to the expansion of existing relief activities, our partnership in India has responded to disaster relief needs in the previous year and again this year; just a few months ago. In this way the Brethren churches in India have expanded their witness to bring the love of Christ to those most suffering.

As we look over this past year and look to the future as well, it is easy to see the growth of this mission – especially to children and youth. As the impact of the Brethren Orphanage continues, so also does an expanding ministry to youth and young adults as the future of the church. Addressing immediate relief needs and the development of future leaders have been the highlight activities of the past year. We celebrate a bright future taking shape!

It’s thrilling to see the growth of our partnerships around the world! This year at General Conference we celebrated and commissioned the Godoy family to plant a new church and ministry in Papudo, Chile.

This location will place a second mission point within two hours travel time of our partner in Puente Alto, and both oriented around the capital city of Santiago. This year we celebrate the deployment of Caleb, Tracy, and Oliver Godoy as an extension of our partnership in Chile and a new beginning in a new area of South America!

This new outreach is known as Puertas, meaning “Door.” We believe that this family will help establish an indigenous movement that will provide an open door to the gospel for many people. A multi-faceted ministry, the Godoys will focus on developing leadership, continuing existing relationships and building new ones, and a sustainable business approach focusing on artisan jewelry and other goods that will provide added income for future outreach. We celebrate this exciting new d e v e l o p m e n t in Global Partnerships as we review the past year and look forward with great hope for more in the new year!

AS WE CONCLUDE THIS YEAR and look forward to the new, you can see we have much for which to give thanks. And, many more reasons to remain in fervent prayer for the success of every partnership. And finally, many more reasons to financially support the spreading of the gospel throughout the world through Brethren Global Partnerships. Where will God take us next? For sure, we will be able to answer the call through your faithful support!

INDIACHILE


WHEN THE CHRISTMAS SEASON approaches, we are reminded once again of who it was that arrived for us in that lowly manger in Bethlehem — the One not just known as the Son of God, to be the Savior of the world ...... but also the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of PEACE (Isaiah 9:6). Most of us know those words so well, perhaps too well to give them a second thought.

Well, there are a few resources that may help – primarily to give due emphasis to the Prince of PEACE title – which is the focus of this short article. For example, first, Emmanuel Charles McCarthy (a Catholic priest and scholar) invites us to think differently about Jesus and what he brought to this world of ours. Rev. McCarthy refers repeatedly (I mean, repeatedly) to our nonviolent Jesus and his nonviolent ways — his nonviolent love, and his nonviolent teachings, and his nonviolent relationships, and his nonviolent peacemaking. This means that we must begin thinking, and writing, and feeling, and speaking about our nonviolent Lord’s nonviolent love of friends and enemies, and nonviolent teachings, and nonviolent relationships, and nonviolent ways, and nonviolent peacemaking within us and within our daily activities.

Second, I just bought a 300-page book, entitled “FIGHT – A Christian Case For Nonviolence,” by Preston Sprinkle, published by the David C. Cook company. I’ve only had time to read the front and back covers, plus the Foreword by Shane Claiborne and other introductory affirmations all of which are impressive.

The author himself states: “The more I study, the more I discuss, the more I’ve become convinced: Christians shouldn’t kill or use violence — not even in war.”

Third, another rich resource (pun intended) is Rich Hagopian’s chapter in this year’s book published by the Brethren National Office, called “A Brethren Witness for the 21st CENTURY.” His chapter is entitled “Peace and Reconciliation.”

Rich, a member of our B.P.I. Leadership Team, writes: “We Brethren must bear witness to God’s reconciling work which reunited a divided humanity into one people and gave us the Holy Spirit so that we might live up to what God asks of us. We’re to make peace! ..... Brethren, rise up! Not in arms, but in peace! Not in hostility, but in reconciliation! ..... We Brethren have rejected force as an avenue of change because Jesus rejected it. And so we bear with one another in peace — with humility, forgiveness, gentleness, patience, and love — until this costly conviction that Jesus really meant what he said and our enemies should be loved is shared by all of us. ..... Perhaps submitting ourselves to the rule and grace of the Prince of Peace will return to us that which we have lost. Unless the Brethren Church reclaims this unique, radical, and faithful mandate of Jesus, we will have very little to offer the world that others who seek to be faithful followers of Jesus can’t find elsewhere!”

Jesus, our example, was not just a peacemaker, but a Prince of nonviolent Peacemaking!

Jesus: the Prince of WHAT?Phil Lersch, Facilitator


Dear Friends, What a privilege it has been for us to serve you through the past year! Thank you for everything you do in word and deed to communicate the Gospel in a growing number of communities throughout the United States and in ten countries worldwide. We consider ourselves truly blessed to be in partnership with you!

OnbehalfoftheStaffattheBrethrenChurchNationalOfficewe wish you a wonderful Christmas and exciting New Year, full of the blessing of sharing together in the Gospel of Christ!

Merry Christmas

Your National Office Staff,Gary DiehlStan Gentle

Ken Hunn Bill Ludwig

Tony VanDuyne

Ryan SmithPaula Strickland

Gene Skeldon went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday November 5, 2014. She was 85 years old.

Her passing was due to complications with Alzheimer’s disease.

Gene married Bill Skeldon in Washington, D.C. in 1950. Following Bill’s Navy discharge they moved to Toledo, Ohio. In 1957 they moved to Huntington, Indiana as Bill answered the call to Christian ministry.

inMEMORY

BITS & PIECES

1929- 2014

A PROGRAM HONORING Dr. Harold and Doris Barnett was held at Wayne Heights Brethren Church in September.

The Barnett’s have served in many capacities of Christian leadership for over 60 years. Both graduated from Ashland College. Harold also graduated from Ashland Theological Seminary and the University of Pittsburgh with a PH.D. He served pastorates in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. He was a school administrator in Kentucky (Riverside Christian School), and helped to found Antietam Biblical College and Seminary in Hagerstown, MD, in 1976. He has taught at a number of colleges besides holding over 150 revival services in various denominations.

Harold and Doris retired in 2009. They have seven children: Beth, Stephen, David, Jonathan, Mark, Barbara and the late Bonita. They have 19 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

Wayne Heights presented the Barnett’s with a plaque to commemorate their 60 plus years of service.

They also served churches in Auburn IN, Monroe, MI, Mishawaka, IN and West Alexandria OH and finally over 40 years at Oak Hill Brethren Church in Oak Hill, WV.

Gene is survived by her husband Bill and three sons, Mark and Melanie, John and Joyce, and Matthew and Jane. Son William, died as an infant.

GENE SKELDON



BITS & PIECES

ORDINATION

The Lanark Brethren Church held an ordination service for Rev. Clair Lathrop on November 1st. The service was held as a celebration of Clair's fulfillment of the requirements for ordination and his place of service in the body of Christ. The Lanark church family was honored to ordain Clair and set his wife Marcia apart as the wife of an Elder.

Congratulations to the Lathrops!

The Executive Board of the Brethren Church has announced the search for a new Executive Director, to be hired before the next meeting of the General Conference in July 2015. The successful candidate will be presented to the General Conference delegates for their affirmation at that time. The new Executive Director will succeed Ken Hunn after the conclusion of the July 2015 General Conference session.

The Executive Director joins with the Executive Board in casting a unified vision for the Brethren Church. The Executive Board is seeking an individual who will lead by example, manage the Brethren Church National Office Staff, and rally the larger church in the tangible support and accomplishment of its vision.

The Brethren Church has about 115 congregations throughout the United States and Canada, organized into nine districts, with approximately 9600 members. Global Partners are established in ten countries in Asia, Europe, South America, and Central America. The annual budget is about $1.3 mill ion and the cash and fixed assets of the Church are $1.1 mill ion and $1.0 mill ion, respectively.

MISSION STATEMENTThe vision of the Brethren Church is to embrace a new day of transformed leadership, resulting in transformed congregations, whose mission is the transformation of their communities in the power of the Holy Spirit

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIESLeadLead the Brethren Church in embracing her vision, by managing the National Office Staff and rallying the larger church to accomplish the shared vision

ManageManage the National Office Staff, build and deploy sustainable resources, and encourage denomination-wide collaboration

ResourceIdentify and promote collaborative partnerships to a accomplish mutual goals

RepresentRepresent the Brethren Church among its congregations, her Global Partners, Ashland University and Ashland Theological Seminary, its auxiliaries, outside resource partners, the National Association of Evangelicals, and the broader Christian community

AdministerProvide effective working environment through sound and well-documented administrative and management practices, ensuring the financial integrity and health of the Brethren Church.

QUALIFICATIONSCandidates should have significant, high-level experience in organizational management and leadership, a well-formed and personally embraced Christian Theology, especially as it relates to Brethren values; and a proven record of identifying and securing resources which are necessary to sustain the denomination in the achievement of its vision. A graduate degree in theology and eldership are preferred. The successful candidate must be a member in good standing of a local Brethren congregation.

APPLICATION PROCESSInterested individuals should submit a current resume and narrative describing:

• How their experience, education, and spiritual gifting has prepared them for the position

• Why they want to be the Executive Director

• What they hope to accomplish in the next several years

All application documents should be sent to Board member Joshua Coffee no later than January 15, 2015.The Board anticipates that personal interviews with the top candidates will be scheduled in March 2015. Any questions regarding the position or the application process should be directed to Joshua Coffee.

Joshua Coffee2674 Bernadette Rd. Columbus, OH 43204Email: [email protected]

The Brethren Evangelist (SSN 0747-4288) is published quarterly by The Brethren Church, Inc., 524 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805-3792 (telephone: 419-289-1708; email: [email protected]; fax: 419-281-0450. Authors’ views are not necessarily those of The Brethren Church. Subscription rates: Sent free to Brethren Church members; $15.00 per year to others. Member, Evangelical Press Association. Postage: Paid at Ashland, Ohio or additional mailing office at Mansfield, Ohio. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Brethren Church, 524 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805-3792. Year In Review 2014, Vol. 136, No. 4

Please let us know when you are moving.This will save us much-needed funds for ministry.

The Brethren Church524 College Ave.Ashland, OH 44805

www.brethrenchurch.org

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The Brethren Evangelist December 2014

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