The Reflector - February 2026
Sunday, February 01, 2026
The Village ILWIDIot
Walt Wiltschek
“Don’t plot harm against your neighbor, for those who live nearby trust you.” —Prov. 3:29, NLT
Following this year’s Council of District Executive winter meetings, held in the Miami area, we spent time with some of the Brethren from Atlantic Southeast District. Much of that centered around an intercultural event hosted at Miami Haitian Church of the Brethren, along with visits to other, mostly Haitian, congregations in the region.
It was a delightful weekend of upbeat worship, fellowship, local food, and learning. It was also shadowed by the reality many of the members there were facing: the administration’s ending of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians in the US, which was set to expire Feb. 3. A federal judge’s last-minute stay put off that deadline, at least for now.
The Haitian Brethren showed faith and resilience in the face of that threat—declaring that God would be with them no matter what—but the concern was also palpable. Haiti remains unsafe due to widespread conflict and violence that have led to a humanitarian crisis for the Caribbean nation. Southeast Florida has the largest population of Haitian immigrants in the US, and they are a significant presence among the Brethren in Florida.
The same fears can be felt in Latino communities, such as the Latino-majority high school where I work when I’m not doing church responsibilities. Other Church of the Brethren congregations have also been affected. Tragic events in Minneapolis have cast an added pall on the issue. And while members of this district have not (as far as I know) felt the direct effects of deportation that others have experienced, I’m aware of at least two families with Brethren connections who had relatives caught up in last year’s Chicago-area ICE raids.
I moved to this country when I was a year old, but as a naturalized citizen. I’m also white. I don’t feel like I need to look over my shoulder when I go out. Not everyone is so fortunate. Most of us have challenges of some sort, but few of us have to live with the day-to-day, hour-to-hour fear of having our lives turned upside-down or being whisked away without a goodbye.
A prayer issued by the denomination’s Deportation Defense Response Team amid the uncertainty of the Haitian situation said, “As people of faith, we cannot be silent. To Haitian sisters and brothers, be assured you are not forgotten by your church family. We pray with you.” A similar prayer could be lifted up for all those affected in these times.
I don’t have all the answers for a sustainable immigration policy in our nation. That’s above my pay grade. But I do recognize injustice and evil when I see it so plainly, and when it stands in such stark contrast to the words and example of Jesus that I learned growing up and continue to study. Whatever our politics, however we see current events unfolding, I hope we’re able to look at our sisters and brothers in Christ and see them as our neighbors—the neighbors we’re commanded to love.
DISTRICT EXECUTIVE SCHEDULE
In addition to regular meetings, Walt will be preaching and meeting with Springfield First on Feb. 15, meeting with the York Center search committee in early March, visiting with Canton March 8, preaching and meeting with the search committee at Cerro Gordo March 15, and worshiping at Neighborhood on March 22.
Walt is available to visit your church, do pulpit supply, lead sessions, have conversation times, or otherwise connect with your congregation. Please contact IWDDE@outlook.com to schedule a time. He is half-time and is usually on district duty late afternoons/evenings on weekdays plus weekends.
REMINDER: Please use the new district office address for all mail correspondence: Church of the Brethren IL/WI District, 1S071 Luther Ave., Lombard, IL 60148. As noted previously, please do not send district mail to Canton, as there is no longer a district office there. Thank you!
WHAT WINTER ASKS OF US
by Jocelyn Watkins, 2026 Illinois/Wisconsin District moderator
“Be patient, therefore… until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth.” (James 5:7)
“I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you” (2 Timothy 1:6)
February finds us settled firmly into winter. The ground is frozen. The landscape is sparse. Much of what is alive is hidden from view, held beneath the surface, waiting out the season in quiet restraint.
Scripture speaks to this rhythm of time and waiting. “For everything there is a season,” Ecclesiastes tells us, naming timing itself as part of God’s design. James echoes that wisdom when he writes about the patience of the farmer, who waits for what the earth will yield in its own time.
When Paul writes his second letter to Timothy, he writes to someone living in a season not unlike winter. Timothy carries responsibility at a time when growth feels slow and resistance is strong, when leadership requires endurance more than visibility. Paul himself writes from prison, cut off from movement and momentum, aware that his own days may be drawing to a close. The work of faith continues, but it does so under the weight of cold, confinement, and uncertainty.
In that setting, Paul does not tell Timothy to force what is not ready. He does not urge him to overwater the soil or dig up what has been planted to check for signs of life. Instead, he reminds Timothy that the gift of God is already within him. Rekindling, Paul suggests, comes through care and nearness, through staying close enough for warmth to be shared. What is alive does not need to be rushed into visibility. It needs to be tended through the season it is in.
I wonder if seeds, roots, and bulbs know something about this kind of faith. Buried in dark, frozen ground, they are not idle, even though nothing about their work is visible. Growth takes a different form here. Life holds itself quietly, conserving energy until the season turns.
Across our district, this kind of faithfulness is already being lived. Congregations gather with what they have. People place food on tables, hands on shoulders, prayers into familiar spaces. Stories move quietly between the hands that carried them before us and the hands that will carry them after. These practices may seem ordinary, but they hold warmth. They keep the fire alive through long seasons.
In seasons like this, faith often settles into the work of staying. It shows up in small, repeated acts of care, in the choice to remain present when movement is slow and outcomes are uncertain. Faith, like the land, is shaped by seasons we cannot rush. In living this kind of faith together, we learn a posture for our shared life; a way of standing that honors time, memory, and patience, trusting that what is being tended beneath the surface is not lost simply because it is slow.
February seems to ask for that kind of posture. To stay close. To resist scattering what still gives warmth. Fires endure when embers are drawn near, sharing heat through long nights rather than burning brightly and fast.
If there is something in your congregation that feels tender right now, perhaps it is enough to remain with it. To listen. To tend. To trust that God is at work beneath the surface, shaping life in ways that honor the season we are in.
(2026 logo designed by Madalyn Metzger)
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
Ministry Leadership Development Team, March 19, 6:30 p.m.
Church Revitalization and Development Team, March 21, 9 a.m.
Program and Arrangements Committee, March 23, 6:30 p.m.
Leadership Team, April 7, 6:30 p.m.
Gifts Discernment and Call Committee, April 16, 7 p.m.
District clergy gathering, April 27-28, Bishop Lane Retreat Center, Rockford
Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, June 28-July 2, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Church of the Brethren National Youth Conference, July 18-23, Estes Park, Colo.
2026 Illinois/Wisconsin District conference, Nov. 6-7, Polo (Ill.) Church of the Brethren
[all meetings via Zoom unless otherwise noted]
IN OUR PRAYERS
A district prayer calendar has been created for your use in praying for our district and related programs through the year. We invite you to include the following in your prayers in coming weeks:
Week of Feb. 15: Pray for the Madtown Brethren faith community in Madison, Wisconsin, as they continue their house church gatherings and study. Pray also for the work of Children’s Disaster Services (including director Carolyn Neher, member at York Center), as they respond to natural disasters and other needs.
Week of Feb. 22: Pray for the Lanark congregation and for new pastor Eric Wetzel, and for older adults serving at the FaithX trip taking place at Camp Ithiel in Florida this week.
Week of March 1: Pray for the Chicago First congregation and for all those serving in health care and medical work and ministry in a variety of roles.
Week of March 8: Pray for the Panther Creek congregation in Roanoke, Ill., and for all those who serve through teaching: in Sunday school and Christian education classes, Bible studies, schools, and elsewhere.
Week of March 15: Pray for Brethren Disaster Ministries and its work at various sites, for district disaster coordinator Rick Koch (Lanark), and for all those who serve in the wake of disasters. Lift up prayers for recovery still happening in North Carolina, Kentucky, Washington state, California, Jamaica, and elsewhere.
REMEMBERED
Manchester University Professor of History Emeritus David A. Waas, born February 20, 1926, died mid-morning February 4, 2026, in North Manchester, Ind., days shy of his 100th birthday. David became active in the Church of the Brethren in his teens and spent a year as pastor of the Glendale (Calif.) Church of the Brethren. Deciding that pastoral work was not his calling, he chose to attend Manchester College. There he met and later married Rebecca Brightbill. David and Becky together pursued his higher education, living in student housing in Urbana/ Champaign, where David earned his Masters and PhD at the University of Illinois. David was a lifelong educator and was on faculty of Otterbein, Western State, and Cottey colleges before accepting a position in the history department of his alma mater, Manchester. Services will be held at Manchester Church of the Brethren at a date yet to be determined.
MINISTRY NEWS
Jonathan Shively (Highland Avenue) began as board president of Anabaptist Disabilities Network on Feb. 1. Jonathan joined the board in spring 2025. He serves as executive director of Fox Valley Hands of Hope, a nonprofit providing grief support in north central Illinois, and has a coaching and consulting business, ArtistryLeads. A lifelong member of the Church of the Brethren, Jonathan has a long history of church leadership, but his most rewarding ministry venture was a four-year partnership with Jeanne Davies in Parables, a Chicago-area church community for persons with disabilities and their families. Jonathan is a husband to Kim and a dad to three adult children, including Benjamin, who has Williams Syndrome.
Lynda Willmann, who retired as pastor at Lanark at the end of 2024, will begin serving as part-time interim pastor for Mount Morris in March, with an initial contract of six months. We welcome Lynda back to pastoral ministry in the district!
Several members of the district are exploring calls to ministry. The district’s Ministry Leadership Development Team has connected them with ordained district mentors, and they are meeting with discernment cohorts to continue exploring paths to ministry. Please be in prayer for them as they seek God’s direction for their lives and work.
A grant is now available for church employees who have lost ACA credit for their health insurance plans. The grants is available for active employees of a Church of the Brethren district, camp, or congregation through the Church of the Brethren’s Church Workers Assistance Plan via Eder Financial. For more details or to apply contact Diane at cwgrants@eder.org
Note: The IRS mileage rate for business travel is 72.5 cents per mile for 2026, up 2.5 cents from 2025.
Congregational vacancies/updates:
Cerro Gordo: A search committee has been formed, and a congregational profile is now available. Cerro Gordo is currently using pulpit supply. District executive Walt Wiltschek will be meeting with the search committee again in March.
Highland Avenue (Elgin): Krista Dutt (Chicago First) was commissioned (ordained for term of service) in the Church of the Brethren in October and is serving as interim pastor. The congregation has called a search committee, and a profile is now available.
Mount Morris: The congregation is meeting in the Allure of Pinecrest Grove community building and is using pulpit supply during the winter. Lynda Willmann begins as interim pastor for six months in March. Jonathan Shively also will be doing a consultation process with Mount Morris in the coming months as they discern direction. Conversations about next steps for pastoral ministry are ongoing.
Naperville: A search committee has been formed and is finalizing a profile. Conversations about interim possibilities are under way with the church board. Naperville is using pulpit supply during the winter/early spring. District executive Walt Wiltschek met with church leadership in early February.
Woodland: Local pastor Mathew Thiner and Woodland member Kevin Sager are taking turns filling the pulpit, an arrangement the congregation says is working well for them at this time.
York Center (Lombard): Gay Bouwmeester began as part-time interim pastor Nov. 16. The congregation is working on next steps, and a congregational profile is available. District executive Walt Wiltschek met with the search committee in early February.
DISTRICT CLERGY GATHERING
Don Fitzkee, the 2026 Annual Conference moderator, will be with us to lead Monday's segment with the focus: "So, What’s New?"
The Bible says God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yet Jesus said he came to make all things new and declared we must be born anew. It seems like change is the only thing that’s constant. In our time together we’ll discuss how the world is changing, how the church is changing, how our individual faith understandings have changed or are changing. Maybe we’ll even find time to talk about how artificial intelligence already is shaping our lives, how we are using it in ministry (intentionally or not), and whether we are wrestling with ethical concerns about how we use AI. Annual Conference Moderator Don Fitzkee will bring some discussion starters. Come prepared to talk.
On Tuesday, NOAC Coordinator Christy Waltersdorff and Dan Radcliff of Eder Financial will be with us to talk about how we plan, prepare for, and eventually live into a healthy, sustainable, and fulfilling retirement. Anyone who participates in the full event will receive 0.5 CEU's.
The retreat will begin Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. with an hour to settle in, have fellowship, and enjoy the grounds, followed by worship, dinner, and our opening session. Tuesday will have a mix of sessions, worship, and R&R time. (For any additional nights at Bishop Lane for personal retreat, they might be available by contacting the retreat center directly.)
Cost is $75. The Ministry Leadership Development Team is subsidizing the cost to make it more affordable; if the price is the only thing preventing you from attending, though, please send us a confidential email, and we'll see what we can do to make it possible for you. Everyone will have a private room with bath, but if you prefer to share a room with someone, please let us know. Also let us know if you have any dietary restrictions. After registering, please send payment ($75), payable to the district, to 1S071 Luther Ave., Lombard, IL 60148.
CONGREGATIONAL/LOCAL NEWS
Canton will hold its annual trivia night with questions, food, and fellowship Feb. 18 beginning at 4 p.m. Participants can form teams or come as an individual. Bring a favorite snack and beverage (bottled water provided for all) and prepare for an evening of fun. Monical’s pizza will be provided (donations invited). To participate, contact Robin Henry at robinhenry514@gmail.com or 309-338-0951. … Canton has chosen "And Jesus Said" as its church theme for 2026.
Chicago First on Jan. 18 held its annual special Martin Luther King Jr. Day service via a joint worship time with its building partners. The guest speaker was Sherri Bevel from the Addie Wyatt Center for Nonviolence Training. The worship time was followed by a potluck meal. … The congregation is also planning a special weekend May 9-10 to celebrate its centennial. Watch for more details.
Naperville collected a special offering of more than $200 for Heifer International recently. It will be doing a special offering for One Great Hour of Sharing in March.
Peoria First is assembling snack packs for students at the local Hines Primary School (grades K-4) on Feb. 9. The congregation has committed to doing the snack packs once a month all school year as a community ministry. Each batch contains more than 400 packs with 11-12 items each. Extra snack packs, and boxes of NutriGrain and microwave popcorn are taken to the school office for those children who miss breakfast or are in after-school care. School supplies and other items for Hines are also collected through the year.
For fans of offbeat food product marketing, the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile will be visiting Chatham (12-2 p.m.) and Girard (3-5 p.m.) on Feb. 14, and Springfield (12-5 p.m.) Feb. 15.
Mark your calendars! The 2026 Illinois/Wisconsin District conference will take place Nov. 6-7 at Polo Church of the Brethren. Program & Arrangements Committee has begun working on plans. Watch for more details in the months ahead.
Brethren Press has informed customers with standing orders for the Church of the Brethren Yearbook that it will not be published for 2025, and their standing orders are suspended for the time being. The 2024 edition is still available to purchase from Brethren Press, go to www.brethrenpress.com/product_p/year2053.htm. The Yearbook office was moved from Brethren Press to Mission Advancement. More information about the Yearbook is expected to be made available by the Mission Advancement office.
Ecumenical representative Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford (Highland Avenue) represented the district at Ecumenism Metro Chicago’s prayer service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on Jan. 24 at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church in Chicago. The service’s theme was “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4). At the close of the service, representatives of the church bodies in attendance signed joint statements of actions grounded in the organization’s declaration, “To care, protect, and preserve God’s gift of creation, for all of the earth is the Lord’s” (Psalm 24:1), affirming the Paris Agreement on climate change. The two statements “proclaim our Christian resolve to Protect Children, Grandchildren, Future Generations by Adopting Climate Change Mitigating Strategies and Protect Children, Grandchildren, Future Generations by Providing Clean, Safe Drinking Water…. These statements are a clear public witness of EMC’s Declaration that ‘taking decisive restorative action is a moral and religious imperative.’” Find out more at https://eia.archchicago.org/ecumenical-relations/ecumenism-metro-chicago-emc.
DEPORTATION DEFENSE RESPONSE
A denominational effort, organized by five districts with large numbers of undocumented members in partnership with On Earth Peace and Intercultural Ministries, has been formed to provide support, advocacy, and legal assistance as needed. A Deportation Defense Response (DDR) webpage is now online at www.onearthpeace.org/deportation_defense_response_team. A toolkit of resources is at https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/168SYb-D3cMBO8ORb4sDXMqMbA2yvSGCN. To be added to the DDR newsletter list, to share other helpful resources for the toolkit, to share how a resource from the toolkit benefited your congregation or community, to find out how to get involved with the work, or for other questions, email migrantjustice@onearthpeace.org
The group is inviting local partnerships and offering a process for online donations for the Legal and Mutual Aid Fund at www.onearthpeace.org/legal_mutual_aid_fund_donations. You can also mail checks payable to Atlantic Southeast District with “DDR” in the memo line. Checks can be sent to Atlantic Southeast District, 64954 Orchard Dr., Goshen, IN 46526. For questions contact atlanticsoutheastcob@gmail.com. The fund is described at www.onearthpeace.org/immigrant_legal_mutual_aid_fund. It is seeking a total fundraising goal of $250,000; more than $200,000 has now been raised. Grants are being made regularly. Congregations needing financial help to aid their immigrant church members may apply for grants from the Legal and Mutual Aid Fund by contacting ddrcobcoordinator@gmail.com or 561-647-8981 to receive the application form. The team will distribute funds received to members of the church facing immigration challenges who need legal support.
Biweekly Prayer Gatherings for Immigrant Justice are now held every other Thursday from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Central over Zoom, next on Feb. 19. Find more info and RSVP at Prayer Gathering for Immigrant Justice - On Earth Peace.
The DDR team also is looking for stories of individuals in congregations who have been directly impacted by immigration enforcement and policy changes, and for stories of people practicing “faith in motion” on behalf of immigrant neighbors and siblings in Christ. Contact migrantjustice@onearthpeace.org with a short written story or to schedule a virtual call.
Do you have congregational news: celebrations, milestones, “Jesus in the Neighborhood” stories or other things to share with our district family? Please send them to iwdde@outlook.com.
CAMP NEWS
May 22-25: Memorial Day Family CampEmmanuel has also announced its revised 2026 schedule:
June 12-14: Counselor-in-Training (CIT)
June 13-14: Elementary Camp
June 14-17: Target Sports Camp
July 5-11: Senior High Camp
July 12-18: Survivor Camp
July 19-23: Intermediate Camp
July 24-26: Young Adult/Young at Heart Camp
July 26- Aug. 1: Middle School Camp
August 6-8: Women's Camp
September 4-7: Labor Day Weekend Family Camp Camp
May 29-31: Women's Camp
June 5-7: Pre-Junior Camp
June 7-13: Middle School Camp
June 16-20: Junior Camp
June 25-28: High School Camp
July 10-12: Mommy and Me
July 13-17: Day Camp
August 7-9: Men's Camp
September 4-7: Family Camp
Learn more at www.campem.com.
The 2026 OMA “InsideOut” camp curriculum will be titled “In the Wilderness.” An introduction to the theme notes: “Wilderness is a time or place where we encounter what is new, strange, scary, lonely, unknown or mysterious. The wilderness is a wild and beautiful time and place where we can discover the sacred within each person and all creation. … The wilderness reveals our strengths, growing edges, and potential as God equips us for the unknown still to come. The wilderness awaits us all, and God meets us there.” The annual InsideOut curriculum is a partnership between the Church of the Brethren and a variety of other denominations for use in outdoor ministry. Learn more at https://insideoutcurriculum.com/.
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS
NATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE
In addition, NYC youth participants are invited to create and send in various worship elements built around the NYC theme. The plan is to use these worship elements as part of the worship services during NYC, which gives youth the opportunity to help shape what worship looks like. Find the submission form at https://forms.gle/UP9Y5et17G1FANdz5. Contact Rachel Johnson at rjohnson@brethren.org with questions.
*Currently, five congregations (Canton, Highland Avenue, Naperville, Neighborhood, and Springfield First) have reported that they expect to have youth and advisors attending this year’s NYC. If you have members planning to attend and have not yet informed the district office, please do so as soon as possible. We will not have enough participants to do a bus, so congregations are working on local transportation options, likely flying to Colorado.
FaithX: FaithX will offer six short-term service trips in summer 2026, along with the option for custom-designed trips for families, congregations, or districts. To prioritize senior high participation in National Youth Conference (NYC) this coming July, the program will offer fewer youth trips. Four trips will be available for junior and senior high youth (Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania), an adult international trip to Northern Ireland will be offered in June, and the We Are Able trip will be offered in Michigan in July. Additional information, trip descriptions, and registration links can be found at www.brethren.org/faithx.
DISASTER RESPONSE
Brethren Disaster Ministries is continuing work at a rebuilding site in Letcher County, Ky., with new builds and repairs of homes damaged during the July 2022 flooding event. In 2026, our district’s volunteer week is shifting to the summer, late August/early September.
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), a program of Brethren Disaster Ministries, served on Jan. 29 at the first anniversary American Airlines memorial for the 67 people killed in the mid-air collision of American Airlines Flight 5342 and a military helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., on Jan. 29, 2025. For those interested in volunteering with CDS, several trainings are available in late winter/spring 2026: Feb. 20-21 in Beaufort, S.C., or Bradford, Ohio, or March 14-15 in La Verne, Calif. Registration, including all meals, curriculum, and overnight is $55 for early bird, and $65 if sent less than three weeks before the event. Participants in the 25-hour training, which includes a simulated shelter experience, learn to provide comfort and encouragement to children by offering the healing young children need in traumatic situations. Learn more and register at https://www.brethren.org/cds/training/.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2026
The Annual Conference office recently announced that advance registration for delegates will be $350 and for non-delegates $175. Onsite registration is $425 and $210, respectively. Daily fees are also available for those not attending the full week. A virtual registration option will be available for $220.
The three official conference hotel options will range in cost from $128 to $135 per night plus tax, with a discounted daily parking fee of $8. Annual Conference registration and housing will open to the public on March 4 at 12 p.m. Central. All five daily worship services during the Conference will be available both in person and online free of charge to all registered and non-registered people.
A special discount is being offered for congregations that have not been represented at Annual Conference since 2019. The Program and Arrangements Committee is providing this registration discount for in-person attendees (delegates and nondelegates). The discount will only apply to advance registration for in-person attendance at the full Conference. It will not apply to onsite registration. To take advantage of this discount, contact your district office for more information. The special rates are $75 for non-delegate registration and $150 for delegate registration, plus fees.
Attendance for the virtual portions of the Conference are offered at no charge this year, thanks to generous contributions from Living Stream Church of the Brethren and Pacific Northwest District. This gives people who cannot attend in-person the opportunity to engage in business, a number of Equipping Sessions, and the Wednesday evening concert featuring Brethren musicians—all virtually. Those wishing to participate virtually still need to register to gain access to the streaming platform. Virtual attendees are encouraged to make a donation to the ministry of Annual Conference as an expression of appreciation. Donations can be made at www.brethren.org/giveAC.
Watch for more details at www.brethren.org/ac2026.
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
• The denomination’s Part-Time Pastor/Full-Time Church program this spring will be sponsoring a free four-week online cohort called Practicing the Way: The Sabbath Practice for all multi-vocational pastors. It will use Practicing the Way, a book by John Mark Comer, which describes nine different spiritual practices (Sabbath, Solitude, Scripture, Prayer, Fasting, Generosity, Community, Service, and Witness) that can help followers of Jesus “Be with Jesus, Become like Jesus, Do as He Did.” The cohort will explore and practice the spiritual practice of Sabbath by learning about the practice, practicing the practice (in between sessions), reflecting on the practice, and processing the practice together. Session themes will be “Stop,” “Rest,” “Delight,” and “Worship.” Sessions will be each Monday evening at 6 p.m. Central from April 13 to May 4. Videos last 30 minutes; sessions last anywhere from one hour to one hour and 30 minutes. Register by April 8 at https://forms.gle/fdWzs6P1nnu7YZw5A.
• Plans for the very first NOAC Book Study are coming together. National Older Adult Conference (NOAC) coordinator Christy Waltersdorff and recently retired pastor Dennis Webb will lead the study on Zoom. The group will begin with a book by Dominique Gilliard, who was a keynote speaker at the 2025 NOAC, titled Subversive Witness. The leaders recommend ordering the book from Brethren Press at https://www.brethrenpress.com/product_p/9780310124030.htm or by calling customer service at 800-441-3712. The book study will begin in late February. If you are interested in participating, please send an email to cwaltersdorff@brethren.org.
• Upcoming courses from the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership include “Church of the Brethren History,” online asynchronous, March 16-May 11, led by Craig Gandy (registration deadline Feb. 20); “Introduction to Preaching,” online hybrid with onsite class in Richmond, Ind., May 19-22 (note new dates), and two Zoom sessions before, led by Dava Hensley (registration deadline Apr. 7); and “Multivocational Ministry,” online, Aug. 19-Oct. 13, led by John Fillmore (registration deadline July 22). Register and pay online at Brethren Academy Course Registration/Biannual TRIM Payment | Bethany Theological Seminary (bethanyseminary.edu). Other courses on the schedule for later in 2026 include “Cultivating an Everyday Faith” and “Introduction to the New Testament.”
• McPherson College’s “Ventures in Christian Discipleship” series will offer “The Ecology of Vitality: Mutuality in Pastoral and Congregational Well-Being,” led by John Fillmore, Feb. 21; and “God’s Earth, Our Home: Engaging Creation Care through Faith,” led by David Radcliff, March 28. All sessions are via Zoom. Suggested donation is $25 per course. Learn more and register at https://www.mcpherson.edu/ventures/.
• Lombard Mennonite Peace Center offers a variety of training sessions. Upcoming options include “Conflict Transformation Skills,” Aug. 27 via Zoom; “Restorative Conversations,” March 11 or May 12 via Zoom; “Strengthening the Body of Christ,” Sept. 16 via Zoom; and “Peaceful, Productive Pastor-Parish Partnerships,” March 2 via Zoom. For details and registration information, go to https://www.lmpeacecenter.org/trainings. LMPC has also begun offering free quarterly clergy roundtable events. Watch their website for details on future roundtable opportunities (next on April 16).
• The L.E.A.D. (Listen – Equip – Adapt – Disciple) Conference Planning Team is now offering “Third Thursday” quarterly webinars with the goal of providing congregational leaders with tools to grow in their leadership abilities. The next one will be March 19, on “Discipling Leaders,” led by Lidia Gonzalez. Continuing education credit is available. Learn more at www.brethren.org/thirdthursday.
• Designed particularly for ministers new to the Church of the Brethren denomination, Bethany Theological Seminary’s new certificate of achievement in ministry studies (CAMS) includes six courses that focus on Brethren history and theology, practical experience with the ordinances and preaching of the church, biblical interpretation, and peace studies. The certificate can be completed in two years or even one year, depending on course offerings. Five of the six courses can be completed at a distance. For more information go to https://bethanyseminary.edu.
PERSONNEL NOTES
Traci Rabenstein has resigned as executive director of Mission Advancement for the Church of the Brethren. She will conclude her work on April 3. Traci will complete more than nine years of employment with the Church of the Brethren. In her current role she has overseen education on the financial needs and interpretation of the mission and ministries of the Church of the Brethren, encouraging financial support, engagement, and relationship building with individuals and congregations. Since 2023, a primary task has also been to oversee data management for the organization.
Traci will begin April 6 as district executive minister for the denomination’s Southern Pennsylvania District. Traci resides in Enola, Pa., from where she will serve in this full-time role. Prior to her current denominational employment, she was employed for 18 years in various capacities with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, most recently as Project Manager in the Information Technology Office with the PA Governor’s Office of Administration. She was licensed and ordained through the Mechanicsburg (Pa.) congregation, where she served as youth director and youth pastor for eight years. Traci has also had roles in the district as board chair of Cross Keys Village–The Brethren Home and as district moderator. She holds a 2014 certificate in ministry through the Training in Ministry (TRiM) program of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership.
Marissa Witkovsky-Eldred and Virginia Rendler accepted the positions of Interim Co-Directors for Brethren Volunteer Service as of Jan. 26. Marissa will provide leadership for the administration of BVS and the FaithX portion, while maintaining her current role and responsibilities as the coordinator of short-term service for BVS. Marissa will continue to work remotely from her home in Maryland. Virginia will take leadership of the volunteer and partner relationships portion, while maintaining her current role and responsibilities as the volunteer coordinator for BVS. Virginia will continue to work remotely from her home in Indiana.
Sydney Goldsborough has been hired by On Earth Peace in the new full-time role of director of Administration and Communication. Goldsborough first joined On Earth Peace in 2023 as the Social Media intern. In 2024, she transitioned to the role of Communications fellow. Throughout 2025 she served as Communications coordinator under contract. In this new position she will oversee administrative and human resources work as well as strategic communications and marketing, and will be engaging with the On Earth Peace constituency. In her administrative role, she will be making efforts to strengthen and standardize procedures and protocols to equip staff, board members, interns, facilitators, and volunteers.
Gene Hollenberg has announced his plan to retire as executive director of Camp Alexander Mack in Milford, Ind., at the end of the year. He has served in the position for almost 10 years, since September 2016. He previously gave 40 years of volunteer leadership. The camp is a ministry of the Indiana Camp Board representing the Church of the Brethren districts of Northern Indiana and South Central Indiana.
Preston Killough started on Feb. 4 as the spring 2026 part-time intern in the Brethren Historical Library and Archives in Elgin. Preston is a graduate of Biola University with a Bachelor of Science in Bible, Theology and Apologetics. He currently is a part-time intern at the Lombard Historical Society.
JOB OPENINGS
The Church of the Brethren is seeking to fill a full-time, salaried position of Manager of Accounting and Treasurer Assistant. The Manager of Accounting and Assistant Treasurer is responsible for the functions of handling the general ledger processes and report generation, provides account analysis and reconciliations, provides internal audit processes and carries out other assigned functions. Leads audit preparation for annual CPA audit. Candidates should have accounting skills and knowledge of computerized general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll systems; ability to work and communicate well with others; excellent organizational skills and problem-solving abilities; spreadsheet and word processing software skills; and proficient at 10-key. Candidates also should have at least three years of accounting experience, fund accounting preferred, and at least three years working on a computerized financial accounting software system. Bachelor’s degree in accounting or business and computer training required. Fund accounting classes are preferred. Location is at the Church of the Brethren offices in Elgin. Applications will be received beginning immediately and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Qualified candidates are invited to send a cover letter and resume’ to COBApply@brethren.org.
The Church of the Brethren is seeking to fill a full-time salaried position of Director of Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM). Major responsibilities include providing oversight and administration of Brethren Disaster Ministries with a focus on the home rebuilding program. This includes identifying and opening new home rebuilding sites as necessary, managing long-term and weekly rebuilding volunteers and leading the training of volunteer leaders. Required skills and knowledge include strong interpersonal skills; ability to uphold and support the basic beliefs and practices of the Church of the Brethren as determined by Annual Conference; and ability to act within a multicultural and multigenerational team environment. Training or experience with making effective presentations and providing adult education, especially in conducting skill training workshops; managing staff and volunteers and in house construction and repair is required. Knowledge of International Building Codes is preferred. A bachelor’s degree is required, advanced degree in related field preferred. This position is remote and based at the Brethren Disaster Ministries office, New Windsor, Md. Applications will be received beginning immediately and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Qualified candidates are invited to send a cover letter and resume to COBApply@brethren.org.
The Church of the Brethren is seeking an individual to fill the full-time hourly position of program assistant for Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM) – Children’s Disaster Services (CDS). The major responsibilities of this position are to support programming and administration of CDS. These activities include providing administrative, programming, and clerical support to the associate director of Children’s Disaster Services. This includes support of volunteers, volunteer training and response, and assistance with general administration of BDM. Candidates should have an understanding of child development, excellent communication and organizational skills, experience using computers and technology (especially Microsoft Offices suite; Raisers Edge experience helpful), and ability to work independently. Two years of office experience and previous experience working with children or in child development is preferred. Associate’s degree or equivalent life/work experience is required. Applications will be received beginning immediately and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Qualified candidates may send a cover letter and resume to COBApply@brethren.org.
DENOMINATIONAL NEWS/NEWSLINE
Eder Financial has entered into discussions with Everence to explore how they together, can build on a shared commitment to better serve individuals, organizations, and congregations for years to come. These conversations are exploratory in nature and are being approached with care and discernment. Eder and Everence have come to these discussions grounded in a shared foundation of faith, values, mission, and heritage. For more than 80 years, Everence (formerly known as Mennonite Mutual Aid) and its affiliates, and Eder Financial (previously Church of the Brethren Benefit Trust) and its affiliates, have served Anabaptists and other like-minded communities. Both organizations are shaped by the historic Anabaptist conviction that all we have belongs to God and should be faithfully managed for the good of others (Psalm 24). To this point, Eder Financial and Everence are engaging in exploratory, strategic discussions focused on understanding long-term sustainability, regulatory realities, and how to best serve our members and churches in the future. No determinations have been made regarding organizational structure, governance, products, services, or staffing. Eder said it is committed to communicating clearly and responsibly throughout this process and to sharing information as meaningful clarity emerges.
The 2025 year-end statements from the Church of the Brethren denominational offices will be delayed, reports Mission Advancement staff. The data breach suffered by the denominational offices in late 2024 is still causing some delays in financial reporting for 2025. Direct questions to MA@brethren.org or call 800-323-8039 and follow instructions to connect with Mission Advancement.
Brethren Press and MennoMedia are announcing a new partnership for quarterly Bible study curriculum coming this fall titled “Salt & Light: A Guide for Biblical Studies.” This new adult curriculum blends “A Guide for Biblical Studies,” published by Brethren Press, and “Salt & Light,” published by MennoMedia. Building on decades of partnership between the two publishing houses, it will be written by Church of the Brethren and Mennonite biblical scholars, pastors, and educators. A Spanish-language edition will be available in digital form, expanding access and supporting multilingual congregations. Designed for use in Sunday school classes and small groups, “Salt & Light: A Guide for Biblical Studies” follows the Committee on the Uniform Series Bible outlines and will be released quarterly beginning in fall 2026. It will be available to purchase from Brethren Press at www.brethrenpress.com. Find a FAQ sheet at www.brethren.org/bp/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2026/01/SaltAndLight_FAQ.pdf.
The Church of the Brethren’s Council of District Executives (CODE) held its winter meetings Jan. 28-Feb. 1 in Miami, Fla., combining business sessions with an intercultural continuing education experience that connected with local congregations. CODE members representing most of the denomination’s 23 districts heard reports from the various church agencies and Annual Conference, received updates from the Deportation Defense Response Team (which was begun a year ago by four districts) and from the Annual Conference Review and Evaluation Committee, shared district happenings, and joined in prayer and worship and meals together. After the business meetings, CODE and several agency representatives spent time at Miami Haitian Church of the Brethren and other area Church of the Brethren congregations (Miami First, Tabernacle of the Restoration, and Unify Christian) to engage in an intercultural exchange.
On Thursday, Feb. 5, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington, D.C., heard oral arguments in an appeal for injunctive relief in the “sensitive locations” lawsuit, Mennonite Church USA et al., v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, et al. The Church of the Brethren is a plaintiff in the lawsuit. The suit challenges the Department of Homeland Security’s rescission of its three-decade-old policy restricting immigration enforcement actions at or near houses of worship. Staff from the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy attended the hearing. Read the brief, filed by the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law, at https://mennoniteusa.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=97f16d9c230780d6354d01572&id=c2793e05b1&e=f5433287ae.
The new address for the Church of the Brethren’s Northern Plains District is PO Box 313, St Charles, MN 55972.
Registration for the 2026 Song and Story Fest taking place July 5-11 at Inspiration Hills in Ohio is now open. Access all the information about this event at: On Earth Peace Event Page for Song and Story Fest. The organizers note that they have added more detail to the online registration form about which meals and nights participants will be present for. Also, if any members of a family will have different arrival and departure times and therefore different numbers of meals and/or nights at the camp, please have those individuals register separately.
The deadline to apply for the Church of the Brethren’s Health Care Education Scholarship in 2026 has been changed to May 22. This scholarship, made possible by the Health Education and Research Endowment, is available to members of the Church of the Brethren enrolled in degree programs for nursing, medicine, dentistry, physical and occupational therapy, and other health professions. Scholarships of between $5,000 and $10,000 are awarded to a limited number of applicants each year. For more information and to apply, go to www.brethren.org/healthcarescholarship.
This year’s Lenten devotional, The Wondrous Works of God: 2026 Devotional for Ash Wednesday Through Easter, was written by our own Carol Davis (Canton). Order at www.brethrenpress.com/product_p/lentendev-0001.htm.
The L.E.A.D. Planning Team has scheduled the next in-person denominational L.E.A.D. Conference for May 1-3, again hosted by Ephrata (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. Keynote leader will be Tod Bolsinger of Sloan Leadership Inc. and executive director of Fuller’s De Pree Center Church Leadership Institute. Learn more at The L.E.A.D. Conference – Discipleship and Leadership Formation.
GRANTS AND GIVING
Grants available through the district include the following:
1. Mission and Mortar: Sustaining and developing ministry (mission) within congregations, as well as maintaining property (mortar), is sometimes hindered because of inadequate financial resources. The Illinois/Wisconsin District, whose mission is to support the growth and development of member congregations, desires to financially support congregations that are in good standing with the district and have specific needs. More information can be found here.
2. Being Jesus in the Neighborhood: Congregations can apply for $100 in seed money to start a new outreach project or initiative in their local communities, or to expand an existing one. These should be projects that intentionally engage with the neighborhood immediately around the congregation or, for those in rural locations, with the town or area around the church. Each congregation receiving a grant will be asked to share a little about their project at district conference. More information can be found here.
3. Emerging Missions Fund: To facilitate the growth and establishment of new faith communities, this grant is available for church and ministry planting initiatives. New church and ministry plants are encouraged to apply by contacting the district office and/or the CRDT.
Supporting Your District
The Illinois/Wisconsin District is active in a variety of ministry and mission efforts, both directly and indirectly. Continuing these efforts requires resources in the form of time, tools, knowledge, and especially finances. Consider making a contribution to the district’s general fund or one of its special funds (disaster relief, youth, emerging ministries, etc.). Look for the donate button at iwdcob.org, or send your checks to the district office: 1S071 Luther Ave., Lombard, IL 60148.
