PERSONNEL NOTES

Sarah R. Radcliff, a member of the Highland Avenue congregation in Elgin, has been named manager of Brethren Press operations, effective Nov. 17. She will be responsible for the functions of customer service and shipping and will manage the inventory and warehouse. Sarah has more than 13 years of experience in managing projects and processes. She has worked at JPMorgan Chase as business analyst, scheduling coordinator, quality analyst, and customer service advisor. She has also worked as a program analyst and program support for Thermo Fisher Scientific. She has studied at the University of Notre Dame and Judson University. Sarah will work at the General Offices in Elgin.

The Church of the Brethren Northern Plains District has called Greg Davidson Laszakovits to serve as interim district executive minister beginning Jan. 1. Greg resides in Elizabethtown, Pa., and will serve the district on a half-time basis, employing a hybrid working style involving travel to the district as needed. Greg was ordained by the Papago Buttes congregation in the Pacific Southwest District in 2002. He served on the pastoral staff of the Elizabethtown congregation in Atlantic Northeast district for 15 years. He has experience as an interim pastor, having served congregations in Mid-Atlantic and Middle Pennsylvania districts. He brings international mission experience from a term as mission coordinator of Igreja da Irmandade-Brasil (the Church of the Brethren in Brazil). Greg also directed the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy (formerly the Washington Office of the Church of the Brethren) for three years. He currently owns and operates GDL Insight which offers coaching, training, and consulting services for congregations and business organizations.

Bethany Kasten has been hired by the Church of the Brethren as the part-time office assistant for Discipleship and Leadership Formation. Bethany most recently served as a senior paralegal at Bott & Associates, Ltd., in Rolling Meadows, Ill. Bethany began working at the General Offices in Elgin on Nov. 3.

Richard Wehle will transition from serving as program manager for the Part-time Pastor, Full-time Church program to a new role as program manager for the Rural and Small Towns Initiative grant-funded program, a partnership between the Church of the Brethren’s Discipleship and Leadership Formation office and Ashland University. The grant will serve to provide resources to help churches in rural areas and small towns enhance the vitality of their ministries and strengthen the leadership of the pastors and lay leaders who guide them. Richard begins in this new role on Nov. 17.

Ryan Braught has been contracted as an independent contractor to manage the Part-time Pastor, Full-time Church program for 10 hours/week beginning Nov. 17. Ryan has served as a circuit rider for the program since 2003. He is a multi-vocational minister serving as pastor of the Veritas Church of the Brethren in Lancaster, Pa. In addition to pastoral work, Ryan is a snowboarding instructor and a barista in a local coffee shop. Ryan has frequently offered programming at various district conferences and offers clergy coaching for ministers. Contact Ryan, beginning Nov. 17, at rbraught@brethren.org.

Michael Scalzi will retire as program assistant for Children's Disaster Services effective Dec. 31. Michael began his service on November 9, 2022. Michael has made significant contributions to the CDS program, specifically his work connecting with volunteers and diligently maintaining accurate volunteer and program information.