Newsline, September 20, 2013

Newsline The Church of the Brethren e-mail news service

Sept. 20, 2013 "They will no longer learn how to make war" (Isaiah 2:4b, CEB). Quote of the week:“I’d like you to put my trauma center out of business.” -- Chief Medical Officer Dr. Janis Orlowski of MedStar Washington Hospital Center during a press briefing after victims of the shootings at the Navy Yard were brought to her hospital. “I may be the chief medical officer of a very large trauma center, but there’s something wrong here when we have these multiple shootings, these multiple injuries, there’s something wrong,” she said. “The only thing I can say is we have to work together to get rid of it.” She was quoted in a story on MSNBC. NEWS 1) Church leaders discuss moving Syria to peace; General Secretary attends with Syria, Russia, US, Europe leaders. 2) Bethany Theological Seminary welcomes new class for 2013-14. 3) Children’s Disaster Services to work in Colorado following floods. 4) United Nations holds second forum on ‘The Culture of Peace.’ 5) Mid-Atlantic District leader preaches at Antietam’s Dunker Church. PERSONNEL 6) William Waugh called to lead S. Pennsylvania District. UPCOMING EVENTS 7) Many Brethren congregations and communities plan to celebrate Peace Day. 8) Brethren bits: Correction, remembering Mary Workman and Mary Stowe and Olden Mitchell, a Brethren connection to the fragment of stained glass from 16th Street Baptist, and much more. Read the full text of this Newsline in one document at www.brethren.org/news/2013/newsline-for-sept-20-2013.html ******************************************** 1) Church leaders discuss moving Syria to peace; general secretary attends with Syrian, Russian, US, and European leaders. Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger was among a handful of American Christians at a World Council of Churches (WCC) meeting with church leaders from Russia, Syria, the United States, and Europe on Sept. 18 in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting addressed the role of the church moving all parties in Syria toward a peace agreement. Kofi Annan, former United Nations secretary-general, and Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint Representative for Syria, joined the group of Christian leaders at the WCC Ecumenical Institute Center. Out of the meeting a communiqué was issued calling churches to continue to raise voices for peace in Syria. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/christian-leaders-meet-about-syria.html 2) Bethany Theological Seminary welcomes new class for 2013-14. On Aug. 26-27, Bethany Theological Seminary welcomed new students for the 2013-14 academic year to orientation on the school’s campus in Richmond, Ind., including Alexandre Gonçalves from Brazil, a pastor and leader in Igreja da Irmandade (the Church of the Brethren in Brazil). Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/bethany-seminary-welcomes-new-class.html 3) Children’s Disaster Services to work in Colorado following floods. Children's Disaster Services (CDS) is actively assembling teams to support Multi-Agency Resource Centers in response to the Colorado floods. “CDS teams will deploy soon,” said a Facebook post this morning. “Please keep CDS and the affected children and their families in your prayers.” Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/childrens-disaster-services-to-work-in-colorado.html 4) United Nations holds second forum on ‘The Culture of Peace.’ Church of the Brethren United Nations representative Doris Abdullah reports on a Sept. 6 “Second High Level Forum on The Culture of Peace” held at the UN. The background for the forum is the passing of, by consensus, Resolution 53/243 on the Declaration and Program of Action on a Culture of Peace, followed by the implementation of the International Decade for Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010). Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/united-nations-holds-second-forum-on-culture-of-peace.html 5) Mid-Atlantic District leader preaches at Antietam’s Dunker Church. Both words and actions were evident and obvious at the 43rd annual Brethren Service at the Dunker Meetinghouse, the landmark and centerpiece of the Civil War battlefield at Antietam National Park. The service is held each year on the Sunday closest to the battle, which took place 151 years ago on Sept. 17, 1862. This year, the service centered on the words that were spoken by many that fateful day, with a sermon given by Gene Hagenberger, district executive of Mid-Atlantic District. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/mid-atlantic-leader-preaches-at-antietam.html PERSONNEL 6) William Waugh called to lead S. Pennsylvania District. William A. (Bill) Waugh will begin as Southern Pennsylvania District executive minister on Jan. 1, 2014. He has 27 years of experience in pastoral ministry serving two congregations, Greensburg Church of the Brethren in Western Pennsylvania District since 1992 and Mohrsville Church of the Brethren in Atlantic Northeast District from 1985-92. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/william-waugh-called-to-lead-s-pa.html UPCOMING EVENTS 7) Many Brethren congregations and communities plan to celebrate Peace Day. Peace Day will be celebrated on Sept. 21, and On Earth Peace and the Church of the Brethren Office of Public Witness have teamed up this year to invite Brethren congregations and groups to plan events on the theme “Who Will You Make Peace With?” On Earth Peace reports that more than 120 communities in 18 countries will be praying for peace this weekend. Also, this weekend marks the end date of the 3,000 Miles for Peace campaign. Read the full story at www.brethren.org/news/2013/many-brethren-churches-celebrating-peace-day.html 8) Brethren bits. In this issue: a correction, remembering Mary Workman and Mary Stowe and Olden Mitchell, and the story of the Brethren connection to the fragment of stained glass from 16th Street Baptist, among much more news about and for Brethren. Read the full Brethren bits at www.brethren.org/news/2013/brethren-bits-for-sept-20.html Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Mary Jo Flory-Steury, Matt Guynn, Michael Leiter, Harold Penner, Glen Phillips, Glen Sargent, John Wall, Christy Waltersdorff, David Young, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren. The next regularly scheduled issue of Newsline is planned for Sept. 27.