NEWSLINE

Brethren Disaster Ministries is monitoring the needs of response partners and mapping out the Church of the Brethren response to the war in Ukraine. European churches and relief agencies already are addressing immediate needs of refugees traveling to surrounding countries. Churches in Poland and Hungary are receiving, feeding, and housing refugees from Ukraine. The Church of the Brethren response will support partners such as Church World Service (CWS), the ACT Alliance, European Baptist Churches, or Mennonite groups. The response will focus on people and locations that are underserved and have the greatest need for aid.

Prayers were also requested for a congregation with Church of the Brethren connections in Chernigov, in north-central Ukraine. And Church of the Brethren general secretary Dave Steele issued a denominational call to prayer for Ukraine.

To support the Ukraine Crisis Response, make an online donation at www.brethren.org/give-ukraine-crisis or mail a check to the Emergency Disaster Fund, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120 and earmark for “Ukraine Crisis.”

The Annual Conference office has announced the ballot to be presented at this summer’s Conference on July 10-14 in Omaha, Neb. Topping the ballot are two candidates for Annual Conference moderator-elect—Marla Bieber Abe and Madalyn Metzger—and two candidates for Annual Conference secretary—Connie R. Burkholder and David K. Shumate. A variety of other committee and board positions are also on the ballot. Complete biographical information is available at www.brethren.org/ac2022/business/ballot. 

Among spring offerings from Brethren Press is the new special edition of A Guide for Biblical Studies in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Committee on the Uniform Series. In addition, the Church of the Brethren publishing house is offering special discount prices on children’s Bible storybooks, through March, and free downloadable children’s resources to accompany the illustrated storybook Maria’s Kit of Comfort. Also now available is the most recent Covenant Bible Study titled The Circle of Paul. Visit www.brethrenpress.com. 

The Church of the Brethren’s Discipleship Ministries and the Part-time Pastor, Full-time Church program are offering two Lent Conversation Groups.

Joshua Brockway, director of spiritual formation, will host a gathering based on A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year W, by Wilda C. Gafney. This gathering will focus on listening to the scriptures and one another. It will be held on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. (Eastern time) / 4 p.m. (Pacific time).

Another group will be hosted by John Fillmore, a circuit rider for Part-time Pastor, Full-time Church, and will meet on Fridays at 7 p.m. (Eastern time) / 4 p.m. (Pacific time). This group will explore the themes in the Brethren Press Lent devotion We Wait for Light by Walt Wiltschek.

The first meetings are taking place this week, with continuing weekly sessions through the season of Lent. Register at https://forms.office.com/r/HBWZ4YGbi9. Participants will receive a Zoom link to join in the conversations. Any questions can be shared with Joshua Brockway by email at jbrockway@brethren.org. 

Elaine Sollenberger, 91, the first woman elected as moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference and who also served as chair of the denomination’s General Board, died on Feb. 14. Sollenberger served as moderator of the 1989 Annual Conference and was called to the position again in 1998 to fill an unexpired term. She also was the first woman to serve as moderator of Middle Pennsylvania District. She served on the General Board (predecessor body to the current Mission and Ministry Board) from 1981 to 1986, chairing the board from 1984 to 1986. A time to remember and celebrate her life will be planned for a later date at Everett (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. 

Regular reports from Chris Elliott and his daughter Grace, who are working for the Church of the Brethren Global Mission in Rwanda, are now being posted online at www.brethren.org/global/africa-great-lakes/#updates. The two are serving in Rwanda from January to May this year. Chris Elliott is helping with farming and also visiting other churches and projects in Rwanda and nearby countries, with Grace teaching in the church’s nursery school. 

Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) 2022 will be held virtually on April 25-27 on the theme “Fierce Urgency: Advancing Civil and Human Rights.” The event will call participants “into solidarity to restore, protect, and expand voting rights in the United States and to realize human rights around the world,” said an announcement. “As people of faith, we know each person to be created in God’s image, imbued with dignity and having a voice that demands to be heard, heeded, and treated justly. We arise in unity, holding up a mirror to leaders of nations, putting injustice on display and tearing down the veil of oppression that obscures the beautiful, God-born light shining from within us all.”

Leadership includes Otis Moss III from Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, who will be preaching, and Liz Theoharis from the Poor People’s Campaign, who will be one of the plenary speakers. Early bird tickets are $50 until April 1. Find out more at www.accelevents.com/e/eadvirtual2022.