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'^^\  The    Brethren     ^r  ^    *  j 

EvciHgelist 

^.  January    1979 


/  -'- 


The  Brethren  Encyclopedia 

A   joint   project   of   five   Brethren   bodies: 

The   Church   of  the    Brethren,   The    Brethren   Church, 

The   National    Fellowship   of    (Grace)    Brethren   Churches, 

The   Dunkard    Brethren,   and   The   German    Baptist   Brethren. 


The   encyclopedia   will   include: 

— A   list  of   congregations   and    mission    stations   of   all 
Brethren    bodies 

— Statistical   tables 

— Maps   and    charts 

— A   chronology   of   Brethren-related    events 

— An   annotated    bibliography 

— A   statement   and    history   of   doctrine   and   faith 

— Other   useful   data    of   our   general   heritage 

— Plus   much   more;   6,000   items   already   scheduled! 

3  volumes,  to   be   completed   by   1983 

Donald    F.   Durnbaugh,    Editor 

Brethren  representatives  on  the  Editorial  Board: 

Rev.  W.   St.   Clair   Benshoff,    Rev.   Brad   Weidenhamer 

Cost:  $150,000 

($50,000  already  in  the  bank) 

The  Brethren  Church  has  a  financial  obligation 

(The    1978  General  Conference  approved  a  recommendation  that 

the  Brethren  Church  become  a  part  of  the  publication 

of  this   Brethren   Encyclopedia.) 

Send  gifts  to: 

The  Brethren  Encyclopedia,  Inc. 
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The  Brethren  Evangelist 


y    ^  The    Breihren  ^    •  j 

Evangelist 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 
(USPS  064-200) 

Editor: 

Richard  C.  Winfield 

Consulting  Editors: 

John  D.  Rowsey 
Ronald  W.  Waters 

Contributing  Editor: 
Alvin  Shifflett 

Editorial  and 
Business  Office: 

524  College  Ave. 

Ashland,  Ohio     44805 

Phone:    (419)    289-2611 

Published  monthly  for  the  Brethren  Church 
by  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 
One  year  subscription  rates:  $6.00  for 
100%  church  lists;  $6.50  for  church  lists 
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Single-copy  price:  70  cents 
Change  of  address:  Please  notify  us  at 
least  three  weeks  in  advance,  using  the 
form  provided  in  each  issue. 
Authors'  views  are  not  necessarily  those 
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Publishing    Company. 

Queries  and  manuscripts  should  be  ad- 
dressed to  the  editor.  A  writer's  packet 
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Co 


ver 


"He  giveth  snow  like  wool" 
Psalm  147:16.  As  God  covers 
the  earth  with  snow,  so  His  love 
covers  His  people.  Read  of 
God's  unlimited  love  on  page 
27. 


Vol.  101.  No.  1 


January  1979 


4  The  Brethren  Evangelist: 

Beginning  Its  Second  Century 

As  the  Brethren  Evangelist  begins  its  101st  year,  a  new  feature 
is  being  introduced  in  the  magazine. 

Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 

5  The  Signs  of  Our  Times 

According  to  Smith  Rose,  to  be  prepared  for  the  eighties  we 
must  see  and  understand  the  signs  of  our  times. 

7     Four  Priceless  Gifts  You  Can  Give  Your  Church 

Dr.   Win  Am  asks  us  to  consider  what  we  can  do  for  Christ 
and  His  church. 

10     New  Call  to  Peacemaking: 

Statement  of  the  Findings  Committee 

A  distillation  of  the  resolutions  and  recommendations  developed 
at  the  New  Call  to  Peacemaking  conference. 


Ashland  Theological  Seminary 

12     The  Seminary  and  the  Church 

Dr.   Joseph  Shultz  considers  the  mutual  benefits  and  respon- 
sibilities  of   the   seminary /church   relationship. 

14     Why  I  Am  a  Student  at 

Ashland  Theological  Seminary 

Three  seminary  students  tell  how   God  led  them  to  Ashland. 

16     Two  New  Classrooms  Planned 

Because  of  the  significant  growth  of  the  seminary,   two  new 
classrooms  are   needed. 


Departments 

18  The  Salt  Shaker 

19  Update 

26  Books 

27  Finally,  Brethren 


January  1979 


The  Brethren  Evangelist: 


Beginning  Its  Second  Century 


As  the    Brethren   Evangelist  begins   its    lOlst  year,   a   new 
feature  is  being  introduced  in  the  magazine. 


WITH  this  month's  issue  of  the  Brethren 
EvangeUst,  the  magazine  enters  its 
101st  year.  As  the  motto  at  the  top  of  page 
3  states,  the  Brethren  Evangelist  is  ''Be- 
ginning its  second  century  of  ministry  to 
Christ   and  the   Brethren  Church." 

As  the  Brethren  Evangelist  begins  its 
second  century,  we  want  to  remind  our- 
selves and  you  of  the  purpose  of  our 
denominational  magazine.  That  purpose  is 
stated  in  the  editorial  policy  accepted  by 
the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Brethren 
Publishing  Company  in  September  of  1978. 

The  purpose  of  the  Brethren  Evangelist  is 
to  help  our  readers  become  effective  disciples 
of  Jesus  Christ  and  responsible,  active  par- 
ticipants in  the  life,  thought,  and  ministry 
of  the  Brethren  Church. 

To  fulfill  this  purpose,  the  magazine  will: 
1)  present  a  biblically-based  content  that 
motivates  readers  to  make  application  to  their 
daily  lives;  2)  give  updated  information  on 
the  ministries  of  the  Brethren  Church;  and 
3)  provide  a  forum  for  the  interchange  of 
varying  viewpoints  for  the  upbuilding  of  the 
church  as  a  whole  and  of  its  members  as 
individuals. 

In  the  year  that  is  before  us,  we  will 
attempt  to  carry  out  this  policy  to  the  best 
of  our  ability. 

As  the  Evangelist  begins  its  101st  year, 
we  are  also  beginning  a  new  feature  in  the 
magazine.  This  new  feature  is  a  series  of 
articles  under  the  series  title  Prospectives 
for  the  Eighties.  This  series  will  continue 
throughout  1979. 

The  idea  for  this  series  of  articles  came 
from  the  former  Managing  Editor  of  the 
Evangelist,  Ronald  W.  Waters.  The  purpose 
of  the  series  is  to  stimulate  us  to  think 
about  what  faces  us  as  Christians  and  as 
a   Brethren   Church  in  the  decade  ahead. 


What  are  the  problems  and  possibilities 
before  us  in  the  1980s?  What  changes  do 
we  need  to  make  as  individuals  and  as  a 
church  in  order  to  serve  Christ  more 
effectively  in  the  next  ten  years? 

Each  month's  Perspectives  for  the 
Eighties  will  be  written  by  a  different  per- 
son in  the  Brethren  Church.  The  first 
article  in  the  series,  which  begins  on  the 
following  page,  was  written  by  Rev.  Smith 
Rose,  Executive  Secretary  for  the  Brethren 
Church. 

In  order  for  this  series  of  articles  to  be 
of  greatest  benefit,  we  encourage  you  to 
respond  to  them.  If  your  thoughts  are 
stimulated  by  one  of  these  articles — if  you 
have  something  to  add  or  a  different  point 
of  view  to  offer — we  want  to  hear  from 
you.  Or  if  you  have  a  suggestion  for  an 
area  of  church  life  that  you  think  should 
be  explored  in  one  of  the  articles,  we  want 
you  to  tell  us. 

If  you  simply  want  to  comment  on  what 
someone  else  has  written,  then  send  us  a 
letter  to  the  editor.  If,  however,  you  wish 
to  express  your  opinions  more  fully  on  a 
subject  raised  by  one  of  the  articles,  the 
''As  I  See  It"  column  provides  a  forum  for 
the  sharing  of  opinions.  Of  course,  the 
editors  of  the  Evangelist  reserve  the  right 
to  edit  all  contributions  and  to  determine 
those  which  will  be  printed. 

According  to  the  editorial  policy  of  the 
Brethren  Evangelist,  in  order  to  fulfill  its 
purpose  the  magazine  will  "provide  a  forum 
for  the  interchange  of  varying  viewpoints 
for  the  upbuilding  of  the  church  as  a  whole 
and  of  its  members  as  individuals."  It  is 
our  hope  that  Prospectives  for  the  Eighties 
will  stimulate  an  interchange  of  thinking 
which  will  indeed  contribute  to  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  Brethren  Church  and  its  mem- 
bers in  the  1980s.  R.C.W. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


The  Signs  of  Our  Times 


According  to  Smith  Rose,  to  be  prepared  for  the  eighties 
we  must  see  and  understand  the  signs  of  our  times. 


WE  ARE  CALLED  to  live  in  cata- 
strophic but  challenging  times.  The 
eighties  will  require  of  each  of  us  a  vital, 
personal  faith.  We  might  well  ask  ourselves, 
How  prepared  are  we  to  meet  the  challenges 
before  us? 

But  you  may  say,  **We  don't  even  know 
what's  ahead  or  what's  expected  of  us.  How 
can  we  be  prepared?" 

Is  there  no  way  we  can  anticipate  the 
future?  Are  there  no  signs  of  the  times? 

In  Jesus'  day  the  Jewish  leaders  were 
asking  for  a  special  sign  from  heaven.  Is 
our  attitude  similar?  Jesus  said  to  the  Jew- 
ish leaders,  ''O  you  hypocrites,  you  can  dis- 
cern the  face  of  the  sky;  but  can  you  not 
discern  the  signs  of  the  times?"  (Matthew 
16:1-4).  By  observing  the  sky  they  could 
foretell  the  next  day's  weather,  but  they 
were  unable  to  see  the  signs  of  their  times. 
And  yet,  the  Scriptures,  the  ministry  of 
Jesus,  and  the  events  of  their  day  were 
the  only  signs  they  were  going  to  be  given ; 
they  were  the  only  signs  they  needed. 

We  have  the  same  kinds  of  signs  today. 
We  will  deserve  a  similar  rebuke  if  we  do 
not  see  these  signs  and  seek  to  understand 
them.  On  the  other  hand,  if  we  observe 
these  signs,  we  will  gain  an  understanding 
of  our  times  and  will  be  challenged  to  find 
ways  to  minister  for  Christ  in  the  changing 
conditions  we  anticipate. 

The  Scriptures  alert  us  to  some  of  the 
signs  and  trends  that  may  be  expected  in 
any  age.  Paul's  warning  to  Timothy 
(II  Timothy  3:13)  that  evil  men  would  be- 
come worse  and  worse  still  applies.  We  see 
this  happening  today.  It  is  very  evident  in 
the    political    realm — in    such    things    as 


Rev.   Smith  Rose   is  Executive  Secretary  for  the 
Brethren  Church. 


assassinations,  invasions,  and  governmental 
overthrows,  which  are  occurring  with  in- 
creasing frequency.  The  growing  degen- 
eracy of  man  is  statistically  verified  by  the 
increased  numbers  of  crimes,  abortions, 
and  cases  of  abuse  of  children  and  mates. 

In  America,  where  we  have  been  trained 
to  support  the  idea  of  freedom  to  worship, 
we  had  not  thought  of  that  worship  being 
to  anyone  but  God.  But  instead  it  has  been 
turned  to  the  worship  of  almost  everything 
but  God!  One  of  the  most  significant  signs 
of  our  times  is  the  amazing  growth  of  false 
religions — the  cults,  Eastern  religions,  the 
"isms"  (including  atheism  and  demonism), 
astrology,  witchcraft,  etc. 

A  tendency  which  seems  to  be  common 
to  all  of  us  is  that  of  putting  unpleasant 
things  out  of  our  minds  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible. This  makes  it  impossible  for  us  to 
properly  evaluate  or  even  recognize  the 
signs  we  have  and  what  they  may  mean. 
It  is  one  of  God's  blessings  to  man  that  the 
human  spirit  is  able  to  face  all  kinds  of 
difficulties  and  quickly  recover  from  them. 
This  is  certainly  much  more  effective  when 
it  is  based  upon  a  complete  trust  in  God. 
But  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  the  danger 
that  unless  something  affects  us  personally, 
we  will  forget  it  too  soon.  Take  the  tragic 
mass  suicide  in  Guyana,  for  example.  When 
this  article  is  read,  that  tragedy  will  be  but 
a  fading  memory.  Yet  that  episode  had  a 
multiple  significance,  if  we  are  alert  to 
grasp  its  lessons. 

We  should  have  noted,  for  example,  the 
depth  of  this  group's  commitment.  It  was 
a  commitment  to  the  death.  Even  though 
they  were  deceived,  these  people  were 
seeking  something  to  commit  themselves 
to.  How  tragic  that  this  commitment  was 
to  a  man  and  not  to  God. 

(continued  on  next  page) 


January  1979 


''The  eighties  will  be  a  time  when  Satan  accelerates  his 
attacks  upon  the  church  and  upon  Christian  people/' 


We  should  also  have  noted  the  need  these 
people  expressed  to  have  someone  con- 
cerned for  them — someone  to  care  for 
them.  It  mattered  not  that  they  were  some- 
times misused  and  abused.  Then  there  is  the 
lesson  here  that  these  people  not  only  died, 
they  were  lost  eternally.  This  was  the 
greatest  price  they  paid.  Yet  think — they 
could  have  had  commitment,  love,  concern, 
and  salvation  in  the  church. 


Much 


IS   wrong    in   our  wor 


Id 


In  no  area  of  our  lives  do  we  escape  the 
awareness  that  much  is  terribly  wrong  in 
our  world.  We  are  constantly  informed  of 
the  ills  in  our  world  by  television  and  radio 
broadcasts,  newspapers,  magazines,  bill- 
boards, and  other  means  of  mass  commun- 
ication. We  might  say,  "We  don't  know 
what's  coming."  But  if  we  read  the  signs 
of  our  times,  we  can  know!  Let's  look  at 
some  other  signs. 

Economically  the  church  can  expect  to 
get  along  on  far  less  financal  support  in 
the  years  ahead.  This  will  be  due  in  part 
to  the  fact  that  congregations  will  be  re- 
duced to  those  members  for  whom  the 
church  has  first  priority.  Inflation  will  also 
be  a  factor.  In  fact,  inflation  has  already 
begun  to  make  this  condition  evident  in 
many  congregations.  The  church  and  its 
members  will  also  be  forced  into  a  simpler 
lifestyle  in  order  to  conserve  natural 
resources.  This  simpler  lifestyle  will  be  the 
result  of  personal  conviction  as  well  as 
general  necessity. 

Politically,  governments  have  never  been 
more  unstable.  In  the  eighties  increasing 
unrest  will  demand  strong,  dictatorial  type 
governments,  resulting  in  a  loss  of  personal 
and   religious  freedom. 

Church  influence  will  decrease  in  our 
nation  as  ''separation"  movements  erode 
and  attack  the  church's  privileges  and  tax 
exemptions.  The  very  visibility  of  the  evan- 
gelical church  with  the  consequent  influ- 
ence it  now  enjoys  will  but  serve  to  accen- 
tuate more  clearly  its  vulnerability  to 
attacks  from  every  quarter. 

Socially,  the  apathetic  tolerance  the 
church  has  received  is  changing  to  skepti- 
cism and  growing  opposition.  The  general 
moral    heritage    of    America    has    all    but 


leached  out  of  public  life.  Every  contradic- 
tory religious  incident  will  be  blown  out  of 
proportion  and  laid  at  the  door  of  the 
church.  The  Guyana  incident,  for  example, 
was  the  most  reported  newsstory  of  1978. 
I  hope  it  is  obvious  to  each  of  us  that 
some  specific  trends  are  developing  for  the 
eighties.  Certainly  we  cannot  predict  the 
time,  the  exact  form,  the  frequency,  or  the 
severity  of  the  temptations  and  trials  that 
will  come  to  God's  children  in  the  next 
decade.  But  come  they  will,  and  at  an  accel- 
erating tempo.  Satan's  avowed  purpose  is  to 
take  over  all  the  people  in  this  world.  People 
are  his  means  of  getting  his  aims  accom- 
plished. He  even  tried  to  get  Jesus  to  follow 
and  to  worship  him.  How  then  can  any  of  us 
feel  that  he  is  not  out  to  get  us? 

We   must  be   personally  prepared 

With  the  evidence  we  have  of  Satan's 
desire  to  control  and  use  us,  we  must  be 
on  our  guard  and  be  personally  preparing 
for  the  continuing  conflict.  In  John  17, 
Jesus  speaks  of  His  disciples  as  being  '*in 
the  world"  but  ''not  of  the  world."  He  did 
not  pray  that  His  disciples  be  removed 
from  the  world,  but  that  they  be  kept  from 
evil.  His  petition  would  likewise  apply  to 
Christians  today.  It  is  imperative  that  we 
know  what  resources  God  has  provided  for 
us  in  our  struggle  with  Satan  and  the  world, 
and  that  we  put  these  resources  to  use  with 
the  perception  and  wisdom  He  has  given  us. 

These  are  challenging  times  because  they 
demand  that  we  call  upon  resources  greater 
than  our  own  in  order  to  help  those  around 
us.  These  are  challenging  times,  also,  when 
we  remember  that  God  has  placed  us  here 
in  order  to  fulfill  His  plans  for  our  world. 
It  is  a  difficult  time,  but  it  is  also  a  well- 
known  fact  that  people  are  most  reachable 
and  most  capable  of  making  life-changing 
decisions  during  a  time  of  crisis. 

We  can  be  most  effective  when  we  give 
careful  consideration  to  the  signs  we  see 
around  us  and  when  we  interpret  these 
signs  in  the  light  of  God's  Word.  This 
creates  within  us  a  sense  of  calmness  and 
an  awareness  of  God's  movement  in  even 
the  minute  affairs  of  daily  life.  This  puts 

continued  on  page  9 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


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by   Dr.  Win   Arn 


A  GROWING  number  of  people  are 
finding  their  church  to  be  a  spiritual 
reservoir  of  renewal  and  strength,  a  refer- 
ence that  gives  their  lives  focus,  balance, 
direction,  and  hope.  They  look  to  their 
church  as  a  place  that  provides  spiritual 
and  moral  training  for  their  children,  a 
caring  group  of  Christian  friends,  corporate 
worship  experience,  plus  an  opportunity 
for  meaningful  service. 

It  is  also  a  widely  held,  and  generally 
accurate,  belief  that  practicing  Christians 
are  better  able  to  cope  with  personal  prob- 
lems of  life  through  a  strong  faith,  nur- 
tured through  their  church.  Ask  any  in- 
volved and  ''alive"  Christian  what  his 
church  means  to  him  and  he  will  easily 
recite  the  benefits  of  being  an  active  mem- 
ber in  his  congregation. 

During  his  1960  inaugural  address,  John 
Kennedy  struck  a  responsive  chord  in  the 
nation's  conscience  when  he  declared,  '*Ask 
not  what  your  country  can  do  for  you,  but 
ask  what  you  can  do  for  your  country." 
However,  few  Christians  involved  in  their 
local  church  have  seriously  considered  the 
religious  paraphrase  to  that  statement . .  . 
''Ask  not  what  your  church  can  do  for 
you,  but  ask  what  you  can  do  for  Christ 
and  your  church."  Here  are  four  important 
gifts  you  can  give  your  church  in  apprecia- 


Dr.    Win  Arn  is  President  of  The  Institute  for 
American   Church   Growth. 


tion  for  what  Christ  and  your  church  have 
given  to  you. 

1.  Discover  and  use  your  Spiritual  Gifts. 

The  New  Testament  is  clear  in  its  teach- 
ing that  "...  each  of  us  has  been  given 
his  gift,  his  due  portion  of  Christ's  bounty 
.  .  .  'He  gave  gifts  to  men'  ...  to  equip  God's 
people  for  work  in  His  service,  to  build  up 
the  Body  of  Christ"  (Eph.  4:7-13,  NEB). 
Paul  also  says,  "I  would  not  have  you  ig- 
norant of  spiritual  gifts"  (I  Cor.  12:1). 
And  Peter  reiterates  that  every  Christian 
has  received  a  gift  (I  Peter  4:10).  To  take 
seriously  this  biblical  concept  of  each  Chris- 
tian as  a  unique,  contributing  member  of 
the  Body  of  Christ  (Rom.  12:5)  could  set 
in  motion  a  "spiritual  revolution"  in  your 
church  that  would  bring  an  outpouring  of 
God's  blessing  through  new  growth  and 
vitality. 

As  one  who  has  served  as  a  "midwife" 
in  seeing  scores  of  churches  come  alive  in 
new  growth  and  outreach,  I  know  that 
when  those  in  a  congregation  identify  and 
apply  their  gifts,  the  whole  body  grows. 
But  the  opposite  is  also  true,  that  a  con- 
gregation which  allows  its  members  to  be 
"unemployed"  in  using  their  gifts  will 
decline  and  eventually  perish. 

What  is  true  of  the  congregation  is  also 
true  of  the  individual.  A  person  who  has 
found  and  is  using  his  unique  gift  is  pro- 
ductive, fulfilled,  and  contributing  to  body 
growth    and    development.    The    individual 

(continued  on  next  page) 


January  1979 


7 


''It  is  of  little  value  for  a  church  to  reach  out  to  others 
if  those  who  are  won  are  not  integrated  into  the 
congregation/' 


not  using  his  gift  will  be  spiritually  frus- 
trated and  will  seldom  experience  real  per- 
sonal growth  and  development. 

As  more  and  more  individuals  identify 
their  gifts,  have  them  confirmed  by  others 
in  the  congregation,  and  apply  their  unique- 
ness in  service,  the  church  is  immeasurably 
enriched  and  strengthened. 

2.  Influence  your  *'web''  of  friends  and 
relatives. 

Imagine  your  church  being  a  large  water 
tank,  from  the  bottom  of  which  a  one-inch 
pipe  is  always  flowing.  People  leave  through 
this  "pipe"  in  your  church  by  death,  by 
transferring  out,  and  by  reversion  (falling 
away  through  indifference.)  In  some  de- 
nominations the  policy  used  to  be  to  move 
ministers  every  year.  Now  the  ministers 
stay  .  .  .  the  people  are  moving!  In  the 
average  American  congregation  40%  to 
60%  of  the  members  have  changed  resi- 
dence, and  therefore  churches,  in  the  last 
3  years.  To  replace  and  add  to  our  water 
tank  we  must  have  a  2-inch  pipe  flowing 
in  the  top. 

How  do  people  come  into  a  relationship 
with  Christ  and  the  church? 

I  have  asked  that  question  to  over  8,000 
people  throughout  America  in  the  last  2 
years.  The  results  have  been  strikingly 
consistent : 

4-6%  of  those  surveyed  indicated  that 
they  were   'Valk-ins."   One  Sunday 
they  visited,  stayed,  and  are  now  a 
part  of  that  congregation.   (Usually 
in  their  background  there  is  some 
identification  with  the  denomination 
of  the  church  they  walked  into.) 
6-8%  listed  the  ''minister"  as  the  rea- 
son they  are  now  in  Christ  and  that 
church. 
2-4%  listed  the  church  program  as  the 
major  factor  .  .  .  perhaps  a  young 
single  group,  a  recreation  program, 
or  a  special  interest  group. 
1-2%      listed     ''visitation."     Someone 
:.       called  and  because  of  that  they  are 
now  part  of  that  fellowship. 
3-6%   indicated  the  Sunday  school  as 

the  major  reason. 
.0001%    listed   some   evangelistic   cru- 
sade or  television  program. 


70-90%  listed  the  reason  they  came 
to  Christ  and  their  church  as  being 
friends  or  relatives. 

The  fact  is  clear  .  .  .  church  growth  is 
related  to  present  members  influencing 
their  friends  and  relatives.  Since  biblical 
days  the  church  has  grown  most  effectively 
through  natural  "webs"  .  .  .  people  with 
some  social  or  family  ties  to  each  other. 
Within  this  group  of  friends  and  relatives, 
a  person's  ability  to  influence  is  far  greater 
than  outside  the  "web." 

But  why  influence  one's  friends  and 
relatives  for  Christ  and  the  church?  We 
do  it  in  obedience  to  Christ's  command  to 
"go  and  make  disciples,"  and  because  of  a 
loving  concern  that  those  close  to  us  know 
the  joy  and  fullness  of  life  in  Christ  and 
the  Body.  Influencing  your  friends  and 
relatives  for  Christ  is  the  second  precious 
gift  you  can  give  your  church. 

3.  Keep  your  circle  open. 

In  every  church — regardless  of  size — 
visitors  and  new  members  must  be  assim- 
ilated into  the  congregation  if  they  are  to 
become  an  active  and  contributing  part  of 
that  congregation.  This  is  most  effectively 
done  by  incorporating  them  into  a  small 
group  (a  fellowship  circle,  task  group, 
Bible  study,  etc.)  where  they  are  known 
personally,  know  others  personally,  and 
feel  a  sense  of  belonging. 

While  most  Christians  would  agree  in 
theory  to  this  principle,  there  is  a  marked 
tendency  in  practice  for  such  groups  to 
close  themselves  off  to  others,  especially 
"newcomers."  Churches  may  consider 
themselves  to  be  quite  friendly,  but  many 
times  this  friendliness  is  shown  more  to 
one  another  than  to  the  "stranger." 

In  my  own  experience,  I  vividly  recall 
being  an  "X"  in  a  congregation.  An  "X"  is 
one  who  is  a  member  of  the  church,  but  not 
integrated  into  any  small  group.  I  first 
tried  one  group  and  then  another.  While 
I  was  told  I  was  welcome,  I  didn't  feel  that 
I  "fit."  In  this  particular  congregation  of 
people  with  Swedish  backgrounds,  the 
Johnsons,  the  Svensons,  the  Larsons,  the 
Olsons,  all  seemed  to  fit;  but  the  Schmidts, 
the  DiGiulios,  the  Garcias,  and  the  Arns 
were  unable  to  "integrate."  Following  the 


8 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


worship  service  the  Swedes  hugged  each 
other,  greeted  each  other  ...  in  Swedish 
.  .  .  and  went  out  to  eat  smorgasbord  to- 
gether. But  no  one  hugged  me  or  spoke 
Swedish  to  me  or  invited  me  to  the  smor- 
gasbord. Soon,  like  any  **X"  in  a  congre- 
gation, I  drifted  out  the  back  door. 

It  is  of  httle  value  for  a  church  to  reach 
out  to  others  if  those  who  are  won  are  not 
integrated  into  the  congregation.  Give  a 
third  priceless  gift  to  your  church  by  keep- 
ing your  circles  open  and  encouraging 
other  circles  to  be  open  to  these  new 
people. 

4.  Keep  before  you  a  vision  of  the 
possibilities. 

In  a  survey  of  pastors  the  question  was 
asked,  ''What  is  your  greatest  desire  for 
your  church?"  The  answer  that  appeared 
more  than  any  other  was:  *'For  the  lay 
people  to  have  a  vision  for  growth  and  to 
be  involved  in  the  process." 

Perhaps  the  greatest  discouragement  a 
pastor  faces  is  a  congregation  without 
vision:  self-centered,  self-satisfied,  self- 
occupied.  In  board  and  committee  decision 
making,  a  church  group  has  a  natural  ten- 
dency to  take  the  ''safe  way,"  which 
usually  translates  into  little  risk,  little  ven- 
ture, and  little  vision. 

Many  congregations  have  inadvertently 


organized  themselves  on  a  "problem  base." 
"Where  will  we  find  enough  Sunday  school 
teachers?"  "How  will  we  pay  the  bills?" 
"Can  we  keep  the  doors  open  another 
year?"  The  problems  are  endless,  the  solu- 
tions tedious,  and  the  service  often  joyless. 

A  far  stronger  and  more  effective  base 
is  to  organize  the  church  and  its  com- 
ponents around  vision  and  possibilities.  In 
the  ministry  area  of  every  congregation 
there  are  numerous  opportunities  for  effec- 
tive ministry.  These  opportunities  can  be 
seen  and  seized.  One  denomination  encour- 
ages all  of  its  churches  to  have  a  "needs 
committee" — a  group  of  people  actively 
looking  for  needs  to  be  met  in  their  com- 
munity, opportunities  to  be  seized,  and 
ministries  to  be  extended. 

Seeing  possibilities  usually  begins  with 
one  person,  then  spreads  to  others.  Being 
that  person  in  a  congregation  is  the  fourth 
priceless  gift  you  can  give  your  church. 

Jesus  said,  "I  will  build  my  church."  Wc 
become  builders  with  Him  by  giving  our 
gifts.  Not  just  our  material  gifts,  for  there 
are  gifts  more  precious  than  these.  We 
can  give  Christ  and  His  church  four  price- 
less gifts  by  discovering  and  using  our 
spiritual  gifts,  by  influencing  our  web  of 
friends  and  relatives  for  the  church,  by 
keeping  our  circles  open,  and  by  keeping 
before  us  the  possibilities  of  our  church. 


.!,.!-.;^4.^^.4,^4,4..j,^4.^4.4.4.^4.^.j,^^4.4.^^^4.4.^4.4.^^^4.4.^^^^^^^^4,^^4.^^^.^^^^^^.j,4.4,.j,^4,4..!.^^ 


The  Signs  of  our  Times 

(continued  from  page  6) 

US  in  a  position  to  witness  out  of  our  own 
experience  of  the  love  and  trustworthiness 
of  God.  But  for  these  things  to  come  to 
pass  and  for  God  to  be  able  to  use  us 
effectively,  we  must  begin  to  live  out  more 
practically  than  ever  before  our  own  per- 
sonal life  of  faith. 

What  is  really  involved  is  a  complete 
commitment  of  ourselves  to  the  life  that 
God  wants  us  to  live  each  day.  This  means 
that  our  faith  must  be  personal.  One  of 
the  great  weaknesses  of  the  modern-day 
church  is  that  our  faith  is  institutionally 
oriented  rather  than  personally  oriented. 
We  depend  on  the  Sunday  school  and  the 
church  to  teach  us  and  our  children,  and 
we  accept  little  responsibility  ourselves. 
But  institutional  religion  is  not  sufficient. 
Our  faith  must  be  personal. 

God  wants  to  talk  with  you.  He  will  not 
do  it  through  dreams  or  visions,  but 
through  His  Word.  He  can  do  this  only  as 
you  make  it  possible  by  reading  and  study- 
ing the  Bible  regularly.  God  also  wants  you 


to  talk  with  Him.  You  can  do  this  through 
times  of  meditation  and  prayer.  We  need 
to  realize  that  anything  (literally  anythmg) 
that  concerns  us  concerns  our  Heavenly 
Father  as  well.  God  wants  to  use  you  and 
has  prepared  you  by  giving  you  gifts  and 
talents  for  His  service.  Allow  Him  to  gain 
glory  through  their  use.  As  you  use  these 
gifts,  you  will  find  that  the  gifts  of  other 
Christians  complement  your  own. 

The  eighties  will  be  a  time  when  Satan  ac- 
celerates his  attacks  upon  the  church  and 
upon  Christian  people.  Knowing  this,  we 
must  choose  whether  or  not  we  will  prepare 
ourselves,  under  God's  guidance,  to  fulfill 
all  that  He  had  in  mind  for  us  when  He  put 
us  into  the  world  at  this  time. 

We  are  the  only  ones  who  can  set  our 
priorities  straight.  We  cannot  depend  on 
anyone  else  making  our  decision  for  us.  God 
has  given  us  the  wisdom  and  intelligence 
to  know  what  personal  changes  we  need 
to  make.  Only  by  making  these  decisions 
can  we  see  change  and  progress.  To  obey 
God  and  to  serve  Him  during  the  eighties 
should  be  the  solemn  and  complete  commit- 
ment of  each  one  of  us.  □ 


January  1979 


9 


New  Call  to  Peacemaking 
tatement  of  the  Findings  Committee 


Printed  below  is  the  first  part  of  a  Statement  adopted  by 
consensus  at  the  New  Call  to  Peacemaking  conference  held 
October  5-8,  1978,  at  Green  Lake,  Wisconsin.  The  Statement 
represents  a  distillation  of  the  resolutions  and  recommendations 
developed  by  27  small  groups,  each  of  which  met  four  times 
during  the  conference. 

Rev.  Doc  Shank,  Peace  Coordinator  of  the  Brethren  Church, 
was  invited  to  attend  this  historic  peace  conference.  He  says, 
"I  accepted  and  am  grateful  for  the  opportunity  to  share  in 
such  an  assembly." 

Rev.  Shank  submitted  a  copy  of  this  Statement  to  the  Brethren 
Evangelist  for  publication.  The  printing  of  this  Statement  does 
not  mean  that  either  the  Peace  Coordinator  or  the  Brethren  Pub- 
lishing Company  endorses  it  in  its  entirety.  It  is  our  hope  that 
it  will  be  read  carefully  and  with  an  open  mind.  Rev.  Shank 
notes,  "My  correspondence  indicates  a  growing  concern  on  the 
part  of  Brethren  on  the  issues  herewith  presented." 

Your  responses  to  this  "Peacemaking  Statement"  are  welcome. 
You  may  direct  them  either  to  Rev.  Shank  or  to  the  Brethren 
Evangelist. 

The  remaining  sections  of  the  "Peacemaking  Statement"  will 
be  printed  in   upcoming  issues  of  the  Brethren  Evangelist. 


Introduction 


FOR  nearly  300  years,  our  churches, 
Friends,  Mennonites,  Brethren,  have 
worked  together  for  peace.  Though  we 
differ  in  circumstances  of  historical  and 
ethnic  origin  and  have  varied  doctrinal 
emphases,  we  are  united  in  our  conviction 
that  peace  is  the  will  of  God.  This  shared 
conviction  has  led  us  to  a  principled  resis- 
tance to  military  service  and  to  those  insti- 
tutions and  influences  which  make  for 
violence.  The  same  conviction  drives  us 
continually  to  seek  better  ways  of  peace- 
making. 

In  past  periods  of  war  and  civil  conflict 
our   churches   have   drawn  together,   both 


emotionally  and  organizationally.  We  have 
created  agencies  such  as  the  National  Ser- 
vice Board  for  Religious  Objectors  (now 
National  Interreligious  Service  Board  for 
Conscientious  Objectors)  to  aid  young  men 
and  women  caught  in  the  conscription 
network.  Our  service  agencies,  American 
Friends  Service  Committee,  Mennonite  Cen- 
tral Committee,  Brethren  Service  Commis- 
sion, have  often  shared  resources  to  meet 
common  problems. 

We  are  now  confronted  by  a  new  era  of 
danger,  underscored  by  the  increasing 
divergence  of  wealth  and  poverty  and  the 
threat  of  nuclear  destruction.  We  have 
come  to  a  fuller  understanding  that  peace- 
making includes  personal  repentance  and 
participation  in  God's  shalom — salvation, 
wholeness,  righteousness,  and  justice.  Since 


10 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


'This  conference  has  reaffirmed  for  us  .  .  .  our  convic- 
tion that  love  is  the  Christian  response  to  violence  in 
the  world/' 


1977  we  have  been  cooperating  in  New  Call 
to  Peacemaking  to  try  to  do  more  ade- 
quately together  what  none  of  our  churches 
can  do  alone.  We  have  discovered  a  new 
sense  of  community  and  oneness  as  more 
than  1,500  of  us  have  met  in  26  regional 
meetings  across  the  USA.  This  phase  of 
our  common  activity  has  culminated  in  this 
Green  Lake  conference.  We  see  this  not  as 
the  end  of  our  journey  but  as  the  beginning 
stage  of  a  continuing  pilgrimage. 

More  than  300  of  us  have  worked  inten- 
sively here  to  determine  what  we  **can 
affirm,  proclaim,  and  do  together."  We  have 
met  repeatedly  in  27  working  groups  and 
have  experienced  there  unity,  joy,  and  the 
excitement  and  frustration  of  new  ideas. 
The  presence  of  22  fraternal  delegates  and 
observers  has  enriched  our  meeting  as  they 
have  brought  their  testimonies  and  con- 
cerns to  us.  Major  addresses  by  Dale 
Brown,  Ron  Sider,  and  Duncan  Wood  have 
challenged,  enlightened,  and  enhanced  our 
days  together. 

As  a  Findings  Committee  we  have  been 
asked  to  seek  those  areas  of  greatest  con- 
vergence. For  this  reason  many  excellent 
initiatives  and  statements  by  the  small 
groups  are  not  reflected  in  this  statement. 


Findings 


Strengthening   the   Local    Base 

''Blessed  are  the  peacemakers,  for  they 
shall  be  called  the  children  of  God"  (Mat- 
thew 5:9).  This  teaching  of  Jesus  still 
defines  our  task.  Biblical  imperatives  and 
the  Spirit's  presence  are  still  our  guide  in 
human  relationships.  This  conference  has 
reaffirmed  for  us,  through  worship,  lec- 
tures, and  discussion  our  conviction  that 
love  is  the  Christian  response  to  violence 
in  the  world.  Participation  in  and  support 
of  war  totally  contradict  our  understanding 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

We  have  rediscovered  that  this  under- 
standing of  peace  must  first  of  all  be  ex- 
pressed in  our  congregations  and  meetings. 
We  need  actions  that  are  directed  inward 


to  enhance  the  integrity  of  the  peace  wit- 
ness and  outward  to  enlarge  the  visibility 
of  the  peace  witness. 

A.  Peace  Education 

We  urge  a  comprehensive  program  of 
peace  education  in  our  congregations  and 
meetings.  This  will  require: 

1.  A  renewed  openness  to  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

2.  Instruction  in  biblical  foundations 
for  commitment  to  peace  and 
justice. 

3.  A  reaffirmation  of  our  peacemaking 
heritage. 

4.  New  worship  and  study  aids  for 
all  ages. 

5.  A  new  emphasis  on  peace  and 
justice  concerns  in  denominational 
publications. 

B.  Proclamation  of  the  Peace  Witness 
We  live  in  a  nation  which  declares  that 

"In  God  We  Trust."  We  beheve  this  affir- 
mation is  contradicted  by  all  who  claim 
Christian  faith  while  supporting  war- 
making.  Believing  that  changed  interna- 
tional relations  will  grow  out  of  commun- 
ities of  faith  consisting  of  changed  individ- 
uals, we  urge: 

1.  Local  groups  to  engage  in  ecumen- 
ical and  public  dialogue  on  peace 
issues  and  to  promote  the  peace 
witness  among  community  and 
church  groups  through  distribution 
of  New  Call  to  Peacemaking  ma- 
terials, audiovisuals,  mass  media, 
and  other  methods  of  interaction 
and  proclamation. 

2.  All  evangelism  efforts  should  in- 
clude peacemaking  as  an  integral 
component  of  the  Gospel. 

C.  Support  Groups 

We  urge  the  development  of  support 
groups  within  congregations  and  meetings 
for  those  individuals  who  are  working  at 
peace  issues  such  as  war  tax  resistance, 
simple   lifestyles,    and    nonviolent   action. 

D.  Mediation  Teams 

We  recommend  the  development  of 
mediation/reconciliation  teams  who  can 
assist  in  conflict  resolution  in  families, 
churches,  the  community  and  beyond.     □ 


January  1979 


11 


ashland  theological  seminary 
The  Seminary  and  the  Church 


Joseph  Shultz  considers  the  mutual  benefits  and  responsi- 
bilities of  the  senninary/church   relationship. 


THROUGHOUT  history  the  only  success- 
ful seminaries  have  been  those  related 
to  a  church — and  the  only  successful 
churches  have  been  those  associated  with 
a  successful  seminary.  The  relationship  of 
a  church  and  a  center  of  training  is  a  nat- 
ural one.  Christianity  is  a  religion  with 
a  written  document  containing  not  only 
doctrine  but  historical  facts.  Therefore,  it 
requires  a  teaching/learning  context  for 
its  members. 

The  contemporary  existential  society 
ultimately  results  in  cults  which  are 
suicidal.  The  tragedy  in  Guyana  is  an  illus- 
tration of  this.  These  people  had  a  ''sincere 
faith,"  but  one  which  was  not  grounded  in 
historical,  documented,  objective  faith. 
Genuine  subjective  faith  must  have  a  gen- 
uine object.  The  seminary's  role  is  to  teach 
this  real,  objective,  historical  faith — the 
Bible — to  the  leaders  of  the  church. 

Ashland  Theological  Seminary  has  been 
successful  over  the  years  because  of  its 
relationship  to  the  church.  Particularly  in 
recent  years  the  seminary  has  developed 
successfully  because  the  church  and  its 
members  have  shared  in  the  responsibilities 
with  their  resources.  These  resources  fit 
primarily  into  three  categories: 

1)  Students.  This  category  is  placed 
first  because  it  is  the  most  important  and 
most  needful.  Local  churches,  pastors, 
teachers.  Laymen's  organizations,  and 
homes  are  the  ''grass  roots"  where  qual- 
ified men  and  women  are  encouraged  to 
consider  the  ministry.  It  is  at  the  grass- 
roots level  that  young  persons  get  an  image 
of  ministry — good  or  bad.  It  is  also  at  the 
grass  roots  level  that  they  must  be  chal- 


Dr.    Joseph    R.    Shultz    is    Vice    President    of 
Ashland  College  for  the  Seminary. 


lenged  to  consider  giving  their  lives  to  the 
ministry. 

2)  Estate  Plaiiiimg.  Because  of  infla- 
tion in  the  value  of  farm  lands,  homes, 
stocks,  etc.,  and  because  of  the  structure 
of  federal  and  estate  taxes,  it  is  critical 
to  the  life  of  the  church  that  its  members 
make  careful  plans  concerning  their  estates. 
Farms  which  were  once  purchased  for 
$20,000  to  $25,000  are  now  worth  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  dollars.  Houses  have  also 
increased  significantly  in  value.  Inflation 
has  caused  a  strain  on  incomes  and  cash 
flows.  Therefore,  gifts  now  and  in  the 
future  will  need  to  come  through  careful 
estate  planning — life  estates,  trusts,  and 
wills. 

The  seminary  is  thankful  for  the  signifi- 
cant gifts  through  wills,  annuities,  and 
trusts  that  have  endowed  scholarships  and 


Kenn  Goss  (above)  is  student  association  presi- 
dent at  Ashland  Theological  Seminary.  The 
seminary  now  has  an  enrollment  of  272  full-time 
equivalent  students. 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


developed  the  campus.  We  hope  to  continue 
the  whole  program  of  estate  planning  and 
deferred  giving. 

3)  Annual  Fair  Share  Giving.  The  tui- 
tion paid  by  any  student  in  higher  educa- 
tion covers  only  one-third  of  the  actual 
costs  of  his  education.  All  higher  educa- 
tional institutions  need  the  annual  finan- 
cial support  of  constituencies  like  the 
church.  The  church  has  been  very  generous 
and  faithful  in  making  it  possible  for  the 
seminary  to  have  a  balanced  budget  for  the 
past  number  of  years.  The  Fair  Share  Gift 
of  $5  per  member  is  essential  to  a  balanced 
budget.  Ashland  Seminary  is  responsible 
for  its  own  balanced  budget.  Because  of 
the  heavy  indebtedness  of  the  college,  the 
seminary  must  be  totally  responsible  for 
its  financing. 

A  $5  Fair  Share  is  ''fair"!  We  believe 
this  is  a  ''good  bargain."  Please  continue 
your  Fair  Share  Giving  and  check  your 
church's  budget  concerning  this  year's  gift. 
Thank  you  for  your  generosity  and  your 
continued  support.  Q 


Jim  Ray  (foreground)  gave  up  a  career  in  pro- 
fessional baseball  to  come  to  Ashland  Theological 
Seminary   and   prepare   for   Christian   service. 


Men  and  women  of  various  ages  and 
backgrounds   are   studying   at   the   seminary. 
His  family  raised,  Venus  Arnold  (far  left) 
came  to  Ashland  from  a  pastorate  near 
Elkhart,   Ind.,   to   take   theological  training  at 
the    seminary.    Daniel   Dieudonne'    (center) 
is  from  Haiti  and  is  preparing  for  Christian 
service   in   his  country.  David   Vandenburg 
(at  right  of  photo)  taught  classics  at  Houghton 
College,  Houghton,  N.Y.,  before  becoming 
a  student  at  ATS.  Mr.   Vandenburg  also 
serves  as  a  student  assistant  in  Greek. 


I,  i 


li  'i 


The  seminary  student  body  includes  48  full-  and 
part-time  women  students.  Sue  White  (above),  a 
member  of  the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church,  will 
receive  her  master  of  divinity  degree  tliis  year.  She 
plans  further  training  in  preparation  for  a  teacJiing 
ministry. 


January  1979 


Why  I  am  a  Student  at 


Joe  Kposowa 


MY  name  is  Joe  Konia  Kposowa,  aged 
twenty-five.     I     am     originally     from 
Sierra  Leone,  West  Africa. 

Sierra  Leone  is  a  small  country  on  the 
west  coast  of  Africa  with  a  population  of 
three  and  one-half  million  people.  The 
country  has  a  democratic  form  of  govern- 
ment with  a  president  as  head  of  state. 

When  I  was  in  Sierra  Leone,  I  attended 
the  United  Brethren  in  Christ  Mission 
School  from  the  first  to  the  twelfth  grade. 
This  school  was  located  in  my  village, 
where  my  father  served  as  a  tribal  or  para- 
mount chief  from  1942-1973,  when  he  died 
at  the  age  of  83. 

I  came  to  the  United  States  on  July  14, 
1974.  I  attended  Salem  College  in  Salem, 
West  Virginia,  and  graduated  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1978  with  a  bachelor  of  arts  degree 
in  psychology,  religion,  and  philosophy. 
From  May  to  August  1978,  I  also  served  as 
an  intern  pastor  at  Iron  Springs  Brethren 
in  Christ  Church  in  Pennsylvania  as  a  part 
of  my  degree  requirement. 

It  has  always  been  my  aim  to  help  in  the 
mission  schools  in  my  country,  so  I  decided 
to  come  to  Ashland  Theological  Seminary 
to  earn  a  master  of  arts  degree  in  religious 
studies.  I  am  planning  to  return  home  after 
my  seminary  training  and  to  work  with 
the  United  Brethren  Mission. 

I  like  Ashland  Theological  Seminary. 
Ashland  Seminary  is  not  only  concerned 
with  classroom  education,  but  also  with 
the  spiritual  well-being  of  the  students. 
Even  though  there  is  no  place  like  home, 
I  have  always  felt  at  home  since  I  came 
to  the  seminary.  People  have  been  so  good 
to  me. 

— Joe  Kposowa 


DECEMBER  30,  1977,  on  a  cold,  stormy 
night,  Pat  and  I  took  our  eternal  vows 
and  were  pronounced  man  and  wife.  The 
same  night  we  left  the  western  borders 
of  North  Dakota  to  seek  out  a  place  called 
Ashland,   Ohio. 

Before  this  time  Pat  and  I  had  been 
active  in  ministry — Pat  had  worked  in  a 
Teen  Challenge  center  and  I  had  been  a 
youth  pastor  for  two  years  in  Michigan. 
Our  lives  came  together  in  Minneapolis, 
Minn.,  where  we  were  finishing  our  under- 
graduate study. 

Both  of  us  felt  a  desire  to  attend  sem- 
inary, so  we  decided  that  we  would  try  to 
do  it  together.  We  found  it  difficult  to  find 
a  school  to  meet  both  our  needs.  Hearing 
a  good  report  of  Ashland  Theological  Sem- 
inary, we  came  to  see  for  ourselves.  We  cer- 
tainly weren't  disappointed. 

We  found  at  Ashland  Theological  Sem- 
inary a  good,  practical  counseling  program 
for  Pat  and  an  impressive  biblical  studies 
program  for  me.  The  spirit  of  love  and 
friendliness  with  which  we  were  greeted 
impressed  us  too.  We  felt  this  was  the 
school  for  us. 

At  times  we  have  struggled  because  we 
are  both  working  and  carry  a  full  load  of 
classes.  But  we  do  enjoy  being  in  school 
as  a  couple  and  are  happy  to  be  at  Ashland 
Theological  Seminary.  We  feel  the  Lord 
has  guided  us  here. 

— Jim  Sorum 


Pat  and  Jim  Sorum 


14 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


hland  Theological  Seminary 


James  Koontz 


MY  first  thoughts  about  entering  the 
ministry  began  during  my  senior  year 
in  high  school.  But  as  time  passed,  I 
thought  I  could  serve  the  Lord  in  other 
ways  rather  than  as  a  minister.  During  the 
course  of  about  six  years  this  desire  re- 
curred several  times,  but  I  continued  to 
ignore  it.  Finally,  during  my  senior  year 
in  college  the  desire  returned  with  even 
greater  intensity.  I  knew  at  that  point  I 
was  going  to  enter  the  ministry,  but  was 
uncertain  when  and  where. 

In  that  uncertainty,  I  accepted  a  teach- 
ing position  in  Waynesboro,  Pa.,  and  began 
searching  for  a  seminary.  Having  been 
raised  in  the  United  Church  of  Christ,  I 
considered  entering  one  of  their  seminaries. 
As  I  was  completing  the  application,  I 
asked  God  if  this  was  where  He  wanted 
me  to  go.  If  it  wasn't,  I  wanted  some  indi- 
cation of  that  fact.  He  gave  me  that 
answer  by  having  me  stop  filling  out  the 
application. 


During  the  spring  of  1977  I  joined  the 
Wayne  Heights  Brethren  Church.  It  was 
here  that  God  really  helped  me  grow 
spiritually.  That  summer  I  had  the  oppor- 
tunity to  come  to  Ashland  as  a  delegate 
to  the  General  Conference.  During  that 
Conference  I  took  a  tour  of  the  seminary. 
I  was  very  much  impressed  with  what  I 
saw  and  heard. 

Last  winter  I  received  application  forms 
from  three  different  seminaries.  After  look- 
ing over  the  catalogues  of  these  seminaries 
with  much  prayer,  I  felt  led  to  fill  out  just 
two  of  the  application  forms.  I  didn't  feel 
that  I  wanted  to  send  in  both  applications 
at  the  same  time.  I  decided  that  I  would 
send  in  the  applications  one  at  a  time  until 
I  got  a  yes,  praying  that  if  the  response  to 
the  first  were  negative,  I  would  receive  it 
in  time  to  send  out  the  other.  With  com- 
plete confidence  in  God's  help,  I  mailed  in 
my  application  to  Ashland. 

Soon  after  mailing  my  application,  I  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  the  superintendent  of 
schools.  This  letter  indicated  that  my  teach- 
ing position  was  being  eliminated  due  to 
lack  of  student  enrollment.  I  felt  God  speak- 
ing to  me  and  saying,  *'Just  trust  Me." 
Shortly  thereafter  I  received  a  letter  of 
acceptance  from  Ashland.  Now  I  am  part 
of  the  student  body  here  and  am  enjoying 
it  very  much. 

— James  Koontz 


What's  your  choice? 

— To  stay  where  you  are  now  being  successful? 
— To  choose  a  career  which  has  a  potential  for  making 
you   a   success? 

The   church   needs  you 
to  tell   the  truth  about  Jesus. 

The  choice  is  yours.  Talk  it  over  with  your  pastor,  or  contact: 

National  Ministerial  Recruitment  Committee,  c/o  Charles  Munson 

910  Center  Street,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805 


presented  as  a  public  service 


January  1979 


15 


ashland  theological  seminary 


Two  New  Classrooms  Planned 


WEST       ELEl/Af  [O  M 


Fifteen    Years    of    Growth 

Enrollment  at  Ashland  Theological  Seminary  has 
increased  from  22  full-time  students  in  1963  to  272  full-time 
equivalent  students  in  1978.  Students  from  130  colleges 
and  universities  and  six  foreign  countries  are  attending 
Ashland.  Students   come  to  Ashland   because: 

"^Ashland  is  biblically  conservative 

^Ashland  is  evangelical  in  spirit 

^Ashland  is  accredited. 


Fifteen    Years    of    Campus    Development 

The  seminary  campus  has  grown  from  one  old  mansion 
to  six  beautifully  landscaped  acres  from  the  Miller  and 
Myers  estates.  The  campus  includes  the  main  seminary 
building  which  houses  the  library,  administrative  offices, 
classrooms,  and  the  Brethren  Archives;  Ronk  Chapel;  and 
apartment  buildings  for  student  housing.  All  of  this  was 
acquired  and  built  without  debt. 


16 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Fifteen    Years    of    Graduates    Around    the    World 

Pastors,  professors,  church  leaders,  and  missionaries 
around  the  world  are  graduates  of  Ashland  Theological 
Senninary.  The  ultinnate  goal  of  it  all  is  effective  Christian 
leadership. 

Providing    Hope    for   the    Future 

Because  of  the  significant  growth  of  the  senninary,  the 
original  three  classroonns  are  totally  insufficient  for  the 
expanded  ministries  of  the  schooL  The  proposed  plan 
shows  two  additional  classrooms.  The  Board  approved  this 
addition  on  a  "cash  basis"  only.  HELP! 


FLOOi^  P  L  A    Kl  QR^PMiC     SC^LE 


^        \o 


10 


January  1979 


17 


the  salt  shaker 


by  Alvin  Shifflett 


r^'y ,-: 


^  •  • . 


Use  your  imagination  to  enjoy  a  better  life. 


The  Gift  of  Imagination 


NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE  said,  'The 
human  race  is  governed  by  its  imagina- 
tion." There  is  tremendous  power  in 
imagination.  Most  people  who  have  enjoyed 
some  measure  of  success  in  Hfe  have  a 
vibrant  imagination.  They  beheve  that 
''What  the  mind  can  conceive  and  believe, 
the  mind  can  achieve." 

To  achieve  a  goal  the  mind  must  first 
visualize  that  goal.  A  person  must  have  a 
mental  picture  of  his  goal  before  he  ener- 
getically pursues  it.  I  happen  to  believe 
that  one  of  the  greatest  gifts  given  to  man 
is  the  gift  of  imagination.  An  imaginative 
person  will  go  a  long  way  in  this  world. 

In  the  older  days  the  radio  was  the  center 
of  attraction.  In  the  evening  the  family 
would  sit  around  a  radio  and  listen  while 
the  program  stimulated  the  imagination. 
President  Franklin  Delano  Roosevelt  was 
a  master  at  using  the  radio.  He  stimulated 
the  imagination  of  Americans  with  his  radio 
"fireside  chats."  Television  doesn't  do  as 
much  for  you.  In  fact,  television  tends  to 
make  the  mind  dull  and  stagnant. 

Do  you  recall  how  as  a  child  you  played 
for  hours  with  one  or  two  toys  and  a  bushel 
of  imagination?  Children  allow  their  imagi- 
nations to  run  riot,  and  it's  good  for  them! 
But  as  we  grow  older  most  of  us  cease 
using  our  imaginations.  Something  terrible 
happens  when  this  occurs.  When  hope  dies 
nothing  is  left !  Imagination  is  the  heartbeat 
of  hope. 

The  wonderful  thing  about  imagination 
is  that  you  aren't  confined  to  any  time  zone. 
You  can  go  into  the  past  and  walk  the 
streets  of  old  Philadelphia  with  Benjamin 
Franklin,  or  watch  the  battle  of  Waterloo 
with  the  Duke  of  Wellington.  You  can  even 
zoom  into  the  future,  to  the  year  2000,  and 


use   gadgets   reserved   for   Flash   Gordon! 
No  one  can  contain  the  imagination. 

But  the  imagination  is  not  only  for  the 
world  of  fantasy.  Children  don't  have  a 
corner  on  it.  Anyone  can  use  his  imagina- 
tion to  become  successful  in  life.  Marcus 
Aurelius  said,  "A  man's  life  is  dyed  by  the 
color  of  his  imagination."  Albert  Einstein 
declared,  "Imagination  is  more  important 
than  knowledge."  Charles  Dickens  always 
"saw  his  stories  before  he  wrote  them 
down."  The  artist  Raphael  said,  "I  simply 
dream  dreams  and  see  visions,  and  then  I 
paint  around  those  dreams  and  visions." 

Be  careful  that  you  don't  try  to  make  a 
carbon  copy.  Carbon  copies  always  fail.  I 
grew  up  in  the  James  Dean  era.  Dean  was 
a  great  actor  who  was  killed  in  a  traffic 
accident. 

I  had  a  friend  who  looked  like  James 
Dean.  He  was  told  this  by  several  people 
until  he  proceeded  to  act  like  James  Dean. 
He  became  a  carbon  copy  of  James  Dean. 
He  read  everything  he  could  about  this 
actor,  watched  every  movie  he  was  in 
dozens  of  times,  and  studied  his  every 
move.  No  one  had  James  Dean  down  better 
than  this  friend — his  hair  style,  his  stance, 
his  looks,  everything! 

My  friend  wanted  to  be  an  actor.  He 
never  made  it.  Today  he's  an  orderly.  He 
failed  in  his  goal  because  he  chose  to  be 
someone  else  and  not  himself.  He  allowed 
his  imagination  to  completely  obliterate  His 
own  personality.  That  always  brings  failure 
in  obtaining  a  goal. 

God  never  made  carbon  copies.  Look  at 
the  success  of  others.  Use  them  as  models 
if  you  wish,  but  be  yourself.  And  strive  to 
become  better  than  the  model.  □ 


18 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


UPDATE 


news  from   the   Brethren   Church 


Moderator's   Report 

by  Rev.   Duane   Dickson 

By  the  time  you  read  this  report,  1978 
will  be  just  a  memory,  leaving  us  with 
failures  and  victories.  I  wonder  how  God 
would  evaluate  our  performance  during 
the  past  year?  Some  of  the  things  we 
thought  were  great  successes  he  may 
consider  to  be  futile  efforts  in  egocentric 
satisfaction,  and  some  of  our  least 
esteemed  efforts  he  may  consider  great 
successes. 

I  do  know  that  some  of  our  churches 
will  again  show  losses  in  attendance  and 
some  will  show  increases.  This  makes  us 
wonder  why  some  fail  and  others  succeed, 
and  it  is  here  that  we  begin  to  determine 
our  effectiveness  in  proclaiming  the  mes- 
sage of  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ.  I 
will  hasten  to  say  that  somewhere  there 
may  be  a  church  with  no  opportunity  for 
growth — somewhere  where  everyone  in 
the  church  community  is  already  a  Chris- 
tian! The  possibilities  for  growth  obvi- 
ously do  vary  from  community  to  com- 
munity, but  this  does  not  relieve  us  of  the 
responsibility  to  harvest  the  area  God  has 
assigned  to  us. 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  basic  formula 
for  church  growth  is  contained  in  two 
related  statements,  "I  can,"  and  "I  will." 
I  realize  that  these  statements  would  be 
a  good  success  formula  in  any  aspect  of 
life,  but  I  would  like  to  think  particularly 
how  they  relate  to  the  church. 

"I  can"  envisions  the  desired  result  and 
the  possibility  of  reaching  that  goal.  "I 
can"  is  accepting  the  promise  of  Jesus 
that  He  will  go  with  us  when  we  go  into 
the  harvest  fields  and  that  He  will  give  us 
the  necessary  wisdom  to  effectively  work 
for  Him.  "I  can"  is  the  knowledge  that 
Jesus  wants  the  lost  saved,  and  the  knowl- 
edge that  He  has  chosen  us  to  fulfill  that 
task. 

"I  will"  is  the  motivating  force  that 
makes  all  our  dreams  reality.  "I  will"  is 
the  reason  behind  careful  planning.  "I 
will"  drives  us  personally  into  the  harvest 
field  of  the  world  with  the  good  news  of 
Jesus  Christ.  "I  will"  always  finds  a  way 
to  complete  what  "I  can"  has  envisioned. 

(n  Chronicles  7:14) 


Brethren  attend 
discipleship  consultation 

Ashland,  Ohio — Thirteen  Brethren  were  among 
180  people  who  attended  an  NAE  sponsored 
"Consultation  on  Discipleship"  November  27-28  at 
Chicago,  Illinois.  The  program,  planned  by  The 
Evangelical  Home  Mission  Association,  an  affiliate 
of  NAE,  brought  together  top-notch  speakers  on 
the  topic  of  discipleship. 

Dr.  Robert  Munger,  a  successful  pastor  now 
teaching  at  Fuller  Theological  Seminary,  spoke 
on  "Pastoral  Leadership  for  Discipleship"  and 
"Enabling  and  Equipping  the  Laity  for  Disciple- 
ship." Dr.  Richard  Halverson,  long-term,  nation- 
ally-known pastor  of  Fourth  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Washington,  D.C.,  presented  two  excellent 
lectures  on  "Modeling  Discipleship — ^How  the 
Pastor  Prepares  to  Model  Discipleship"  and  "Eval- 
uating Discipleship." 

"Moving  a  Congregation  into  Discipleship:  The 
Holy  Spirit,  Motivation,  and  Goals  in  Discipleship" 
was  the  concern  of  Dr.  Thomas  McDill,  Minne- 
apolis pastor  and  current  president  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Free  Church.  His  presentation  contained 
many  practical  ideas  regarding  the  implementa- 
tion of  discipleship  in  the  local  church.  Others 
spoke  on  the  biblical  basis  of  discipleship  and  the 
definition  of  discipleship.  All  presentations  were 
taped  and  are  available  through  the  NAE  office 
in  Wheaton,  111. 

Brethren  attending  the  consultation  were  Brian 
Moore,  Eugene  Beekley,  Ralph  Gibson,  Marlin 
McCann,  Spencer  Gentle,  Jim  Black,  Jim  Sluss, 
Steve  Swihart,  Woodrow  Immel,  Steve  Cole,  Larry 
and  Candi  Baker,  and  Arden  Gilmer.  Brethren 
churches  could  profit  by  providing  finances  for 
their  pastors  to  attend  similar  types  of  "in  service 
training"  opportunities. 

— Arden  E.  Gilmer 


Hope   seen   for  China   Christians 

Richmond,  Va.  (EP  News) — At  least  one  China 
observer  predicts  that  Communist  China  soon  will 
recognize  the  presence  of  Christians  in  that 
country. 

Paul  Kaufman,  head  of  Asian  Outreach,  thinks 
that  pressures  from  within  and  without  will  make 
it  mandatory  for  mainland  China  officials  to 
recognize  that  there  are  Christians  within  their 
borders.  In  some  places  in  China,  Christians  meet 
openly,  Kaufman  says,  and  some  who  had  been 
caught  up  in  Communism  are  coming  back  to 
Christianity. 


January  1979 


19 


update 


Receipt  of  a  $20,000  bequest  will  enable  the 
Sarasota  Brethren  Church  to  pay  off  the  indebted- 
ness on  its  new  sanctuary  in  1979. 

Sarasota  First  Brethren  receives 
$20,000  bequest 

Sarasota,  Fla.  —  The  Sarasota  First  Brethren 
Church  has  received  a  $20,000  bequest  from  the 
estate  of  Lewis  and  Mildred  Wilson  of  Peru,  Ind. 
The  Wilsons  faithfully  attended  the  Sarasota 
church   during  the  winter  months. 

Upon  the  recommendation  of  the  finance  com- 
mittee, the  official  board  of  the  Sarasota  church 
designated  that  $10,000  of  the  bequest  should  go 
for  general  expenses,  including  the  church  van 
obligation,  the  radio  ministry,  and  the  General 
Conference  "fair  share"  apportionment. 

The  remaining  $10,000  has  been  paid  on  the 
principle  of  the  church's  indebtedness.  Because  of 
this  bequest  and  the  faithful  giving  of  the  congre- 
gation, the  Sarasota  church  will  be  able  to  pay 
off  its  remaining  debt  and  burn  its  mortgage  in 
this  new  year. 


Evangelical   relief  agencies 
form   association 

Chicago,  111.  (EP  News) — Representatives  of  ten 
evangelical  relief  and  development  agencies  have 
announced  the  formation  of  the  Association  of 
Evangelical  Relief  and  Development  Organiza- 
tions (AERDO).  The  organization  brings  together 
these  agencies  for  the  purpose  of  addressing 
common  concerns  and  needs. 

Organizations  involved  in  forming  AERDO  were 
World  Relief  of  NAE,  World  Vision  International, 
Compassion  International,  Compassion/Canada, 
Development    Assistance    Services,    Food   for   the 


Plans   continue   for  new   church 
in    Kansas   City,    Kans. 

steps  continue  to  be  taken  toward  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Brethren  church  in  Kansas  City,  Kans. 
Plans  are  to  locate  a  church  on  a  twenty  acre 
tract  of  land  west  of  Kansas  City  that  has  been 
used  by  the  Midwest  District  as  the  site  for  its 
Camp  Wyandotte. 

Last  October  the  Midwest  District  Mission 
Board  asked  Arden  E.  Gilmer,  national  Director 
of  Home  Missions,  to  make  a  general  survey  of 
the  area  and  report  his  findings  to  their 
conference. 

Gilmer  discovered  that  population  growth  in 
Kansas  City  is  moving  steadily  toward  the  camp. 
In  addition  a  proposed  interstate  beltway  (1-485) 
around  the  greater  Kansas  City  area  will  have  a 
major  cloverleaf  within  one  and  one-half  miles 
of  the  camp,  making  the  road  past  the  camp  an 
access  road  to  the  beltway.  City  planners  antici- 
pate a  population,  industrial,  and  commercial 
acceleration  in  the  area  when  the  beltway  is  com- 
pleted,  possibly  by  1983. 

In  response  to  these  findings  the  Midwest  Dis- 
trict Mission  Board  asked  Gilmer  to  make  a  pre- 
sentation regarding  the  Kansas  City  possibilities 
in  each  of  the  Midwest  churches.  This  was  done 
from  December  1-6,  1978.  The  district  also  voted 
to  initiate  a  faith  promise  program  for  raising 
finances  for  the  project  and  to  enter  into  a  dili- 
gent prayer  effort  for  personnel. 

The  immediate  concern  is  to  begin  a  Brethren 
witness  in  the  area.  A  Brethren  couple  is  being 
sought  who  win  respond  to  this  vision,  locate  in 
the  house  at  the  camp,  secure  employment,  and 
begin  visitation  and  Bible  studies  in  the  western 
part  of  Kansas  City.  The  purpose  of  this  approach 
is  to  bring  together  a  core  group  of  20-30  people 
in  anticipation  of  a  full-time  pastor  coming  to 
the  area.  A  bi-vocational  pastor  motivated  to  start 
a  Brethren  church  could  respond  to  this 
opportunity. 

The  ministry  will  proceed  under  the  supervision 
of  Arden  Gilmer  and  the  Midwest  District  Mission 
Board  in  cooperation  with  the  national  Missionary 
Board.  People  interested  in  this  opportunity  should 
contact  Arden  E.  Gilmer,  530  College  Avenue, 
Ashland,  Ohio  44805  for  specific  details. 


Hungry,  Food  for  the  Hungry/Canada,  Institute 
for  International  Development,  Inc.,  MAP  Inter- 
national, and  World  Concern. 

Arthur  Beals  of  World  Concern  was  chosen  as 
AERDO's  first  president. 

The  World  Relief  Board  of  the  Brethren  Church 
channels  Brethren  relief  funds  to  needy  areas 
through  World  Relief  of  NAE,  one  of  the  ten 
groups  which  formed  AERDO. 


20 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


New   Growth    Partners    call   announced 


Ashland,  Ohio — ^The  new  Growth  Partners  Club 
call  is  designated  for  the  recently  formed  Brethren 
Church  in  Sarver,  Pennsylvania.  Funds  from  the 
response  of  club  members  will  aid  the  new 
church  in  meeting  the  cost  of  land  and  construc- 
tion. The  "call"  will  be  open  from  January  1 
through  June  30,  1979. 

The  Sarver  work  began  in  February  of  1976 
when  evening  Bible  studies  were  started.  Two 
transplanted  Brethren  families,  the  Chester 
McAfoose  family  of  the  Brush  Valley,  Pa.,  Breth- 
ren Church  and  the  Kenneth  Knabb  family  from 
the  Pleasant  View  (Vandergrift,  Pa.,)  Brethren 
Church,  formed  the  core  group.  Sunday  school 
and  worship  services  were  begun  in  April  of  1977 
in  the  basement  of  the  Knabb  home. 

The  group  is  now  averaging  24  in  worship 
attendance,  and  Rev.  Ed  Wingard  is  serving  as 
their  by-vocational  pastor.  Three  acres  of  land 
have  been  purchased  and  the  congregation  is 
investigating  possibilities  for  constructing  its  first 
unit. 

In  order  to  meet  the  needs  of  new  Brethren 
churches,  the  Growth  Partners  Club  needs  to  grow 


Marijuana   found    nnore   harmful 
than   cigarettes   or  alcohol 

Oakland,  Calif.  (EP  News) — Prolonged  use  of 
marijuana  causes  more  physical  harm  than  the 
use  of  cigarettes  or  alcohol.  This  is  the  conclu- 
sion of  two  researchers  studying  the  effects  of 
marijuana. 

Marijuana  can  lead  to  emphysema  and  bron- 
chitis and  cause  damage  to  the  brain,  lungs,  liver, 
reproductive  system  and  chromosomes,  according 
to  Dr.  David  Harvey  Powelson,  a  psychiatrist  and 
former  professor  at  the  University  of  California 
at  Berkeley,  and  Dr.  Ethel  Sassenrath  of  the 
University  of  California  at  Davis. 

Dr.  Powelson,  who  has  observed  marijuana 
smoking  students  since  1964,  noted  that  they  grad- 
ually lost  their  ability  to  think.  He  found  that  in 
some  cases  students  were  not  even  able  to  under- 
stand simple  proverbs  like  "Don't  count  your 
chickens  before  they  are  hatched." 

Another  ill  effect  is  that,  unlike  alcohol  which 
is  flushed  out  of  the  body  in  a  day,  THC,  the  drug 
in  marijuana,  is  trapped  in  the  body's  system  for 
four  to  six  weeks.  Dr.  Powelson  explained.  Thus 
marijuana  has  an  accumulating  effect  upon 
frequent  pot-smokers.  "So  people  who  use  mari- 
juana even  socially  are  stoned  all  the  time  al- 
though they  are  not  aware  of  it,"  said  Dr. 
Powelson. 

According  to  the  psychiatrist,  "Marijuana  also 
ages  you  about  twenty  times  as  fast  as  alcohol." 


from  its  current  1,248  members  to  a  membership 
of  2,000  by  the  end  of  1979.  Brethren  joining  this 
club  participate  in  a  group  which  has  made  sig- 
nificant contributions  to  starting  new  congrega- 
tions down  through  the  years.  New  members  who 
join  now  will  be  able  to  assist  the  Sarver  Brethren 
Church  in  its  growth  and  development. 

Information  about  obtaining  club  membership 
is  available  from  the  Missionary  Board,  530  Col- 
lege Avenue,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 

— Arden  E.  Gilmer 


World 

__  day  of 

Prayer 

'     March  2,  *  1979 


The  Substance  of  Prayer 

A  Bible-centered  worship 

guide  in  booklet  form 

provided  by  NAE  at 

no  charge  for  group 

participation  in  church 

and  community  services. 


Please  send  materials Booklets 

in  quantity  indicated: Posters 

D  Booklet  sample  only 


NAME 

ADDRESS 

CITY 

STATE     _ 


NATIONAL  ASSOCIATION  OF  EVANGELICALS 
BOX  28,  WHEATON,  IL  60187 


Weddings 


Cindy  Hoimimel  to  Mark  Dravenstott,  November 
25,  at  Smithville,  Ohio,  Brethren  Church;  Rev. 
Donald  Rinehart  officiating.  Members  of  Smith- 
ville Brethren  Church. 


Membership  Growth 

Burlington:     7  by  baptism,  1  by  transfer 

Loree:     6  by  baptism,  1  by  transfer 

Corinth:     2  by  baptism 


January  1979 


21 


ypdate 


Warnings   Issued   on   Guyana  tragedy 


Evangelist  Billy  Graham  has  warned  against 
identifying  the  Peoples  Temple  cult  of  Jim  Jones 
with  traditional,  historic  Christianity. 

In  an  Op  Ed  article  in  The  New  York  Times, 
the  famed  preacher  said  of  Jones,  the  Peoples 
Temple  leader,  "It  is  true  that  he  came  from  a 
religious  background  but  what  he  did  and  how  he 
thought  have  no  relationship  to  the  views  and 
teachings  of  any  legitimate  form  of  historic 
Christianity." 

Mr.  Graham  asserted  that  in  Jim  Jones  "we 
have  witnessed  a  false  messiah  who  used  the 
cloak  of  religion  to  cover  a  confused  mind  filled 
with  a  mixture  of  pseudo-religion,  political  ambi- 
tion, sensual  lust,  financial  dishonesty  and,  appar- 
ently, even  murder.  None  of  this  has  anything  to 
do  with  true  faith  in  God." 

Speaking  on  the  same  subject,  a  California 
Episcopal  priest  has  cautioned  that  religious  move- 
ments which  overemphasize  emotional  experience 
could  become  dangerous  like  the  Peoples  Temple. 
Father  Richard  I.  S.  Parker  of  St.  Cross  Episcopal 
Church  in  Hermosa  Beach,  Calif.,  made  his  com- 
ments in  an  interview  with  Linda  Emanuelson  of 
the  Daily  Breeze  newspaper. 

Father  Parker  said  that  Christianity  is  based  on 
intellectual  knowledge,  faith,  and  emotionalism, 
and  that  when  these  elements  become  separated 
from  one  another,  the  religion  "loses  its  sound- 
ness." He  commented  that  charismatic  leaders  can 
lead  people  "down  the  primrose  path  to  what 
happened  in  Guyana  or  they  can  lead  people  to 
God." 

William  R.  Bright,  president  of  Campus  Cru- 
sade for  Christ,  one  of  the  nation's  largest  inter- 
denominational Christian  organizations,  is  con- 
cerned about  possible  adverse  side  effects  of  the 
Guyana  tragedy  on  legitimate  Christian  groups. 
He  urged  commentators  and  news  media  organ- 
izations to  make  every  effort  to  avoid  harming 
legitimate  religious  groups  by  mistake  in  the 
aftermath  of  the  recent  mass  suicide  in  Guyana. 

Bright  called  the  shocking  deaths  of  more  than 
900  members  of  the  cult  "a  tragedy  that  has  jolted 
and  appalled  the  world,  perhaps  the  Christian 
community  most  of  all. 

"Unfortunately,"  he  added,  "there  seems  bound 
to  be  some  spillover  from  that  tragic  event  onto 
legitimate  Christian  organizations,  but  it  is  urgent 
that  the  news  media  do  all  in  their  power  to  avoid 
damaging  valid  ministries  which  have  nothing  of 
substance  in  common  with  the  Jones  group  or 
cults  in  general. 

"Otherwise,"  he  concluded,  "fine  reputations 
earned  by  years  or  decades  of  creditable  Christian 
work  can  be  unjustly  shattered  with  as  little  as 
one  thoughtless  or  inaccurate  phrase." 

Dr.  Bright  urged  that  news  analysts  and  others 
examining  various  ministries  in  the  wake  of  the 


Guyana  events  look  carefully  at  groups  to  see  if 
they  are  characterized  by  "dedication  to  the  deity 
and  lordship  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  the  Bible  as  the 
revealed  word  of  God,  and  to  a  spirit  of  Christian 
love. 

"Not  all  groups  are  what  they  seem  to  be,"  he 
added,  "and  it  is  proper  that  especially  pastors  and 
Christian  laymen  be  interested  in  the  doctrines 
and  practices  of  organizations  which  represent 
themselves  as  coming  in  Christ's  name.  There 
could  be  no  more  striking  example  of  this  problem 
than  the  Peoples  Temple  situation. 

"If,  however,  God  alone  is  honored  as  the  object 
of  worship,  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  used  as  the 
guide  to  behaviour,  and  Christian  love  is  prac- 
ticed as  the  basis  of  relationships,"  Dr.  Bright 
said,  "an  organization  can  in  no  fair  way  be  con- 
sidered a  'cult.'  " 

Selected  from  Evangelical  Press  and  Campus 
Crusade  for  Christ  news  releases. 


American  arms  buildup  compared 
to  Peoples  Temple  tragedy 

New  York,  N.Y.  (EP  News) — Two  peace  activists 
have  compared  the  buildup  of  armaments  by  the 
United  States  to  the  activities  of  the  Peoples 
Temple.  The  comparison  was  made  at  a  disarm- 
ament convocation  held  at  the  Riverside  Church 
December  4-5. 

Dr.  William  Sloane  Coffin,  Jr.,  pastor  of  the 
interdenominational  Riverside  Church,  compared 
the  Pentagon  to  Jim  Jones  and  described  its  con- 
tingency planning  for  nuclear  war  and  prepara- 
tions for  civil  defense  as  "the  Kool-Aid  drill  with- 
out the  cyanide." 

"Who  should  refuse  to  drink  from  the  vats  of 
the  Pentagon,"  he  asked,  "if  not  those  who  feast 
on  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ." 

Dr.  Richard  Barnet,  co-founder  of  the  Institute 
for  Policy  Studies,  asserted  that  the  newest  phase 
of  the  arms  race  is  "involving  us  in  a  continuing 
drill  for  Dad  (the  name  Jim  Jones'  followers  used 
for  Jones)."  He  charged  that  "like  the  people  of 
Jonestown,  we  have  lost  control  over  our  leaders." 

Reporting  that  weapons  now  in  the  development 
stage  will  contain  far  more  warheads  which  can 
reach  targets  with  far  greater  accuracy  than  pres- 
ent systems.  Dr.  Barnet  expressed  concern  that  a 
nuclear  war  is  once  again  becoming  all  too  think- 
able to  military  leaders.  He  added  that  there  had 
been  many  narrow  escapes  in  the  last  two 
decades:  President  Eisenhower  threatened  North 
Korea  with  atomic  weapons;  John  Foster  Dulles 
offered  the  French  atomic  aid  in  defense  of  Dien 
Bien  Phu;  the  Cuban  crisis  nearly  precipitated 
disaster. 


99 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Dea+h  Cults— How  Can  It  Happen? 


This  question  is  on  the  lips  of  people  every- 
where, even  on  the  lips  of  dedicated  Christians. 
Why?   How? 

My  first  reaction  is  to  say,  "Well,  what  can  we 
expect  of  people  who  get  a  touch  of  'Christianity' 
(or  any  other  religion)  but  who  don't  give  it  all 
Christ  asks?"  When  you  become  disillusioned 
with  anything,  you  become  depressed,  and  the 
answer — so  it  seems — is  to  quit.  In  this  case,  quit 
forever.  The  Peoples  iChuroh  (Temple)  was  neither 
for  people  nor  was  it  a  church.  Temple,  perhaps. 
There  are  temples  to  every  god  imaginable. 

Let  us  do  some  analysis: 

1)  People  all  over  the  world  are  discouraged 
and  disheartened.  Every  institution  they  have 
been  taught  to  believe  in  has  failed — politics,  edu- 
cation, religion,  etc.  They  want  to  "quit."  But  into 
what  do  they  go  when  they  quit? 

2)  People  don't  hear  from  God.  They  want 
someone  to  tell  them  where  God  is  and  what  He 
is  saying.  Any  source  will  do. 

3)  People  want  signs.  Any  sign  will  do.  Mark 
it!  Every  "successful"  religion  has  some  outward 
sign  that  is  attractive.  Especially  the  "sign  of 
success."  Even  many  "successful"  Christian  evan- 
gelists get  that  way  because  they  offer  outward 
signs  of  success  and  preach  a  gospel  of  success, 
denouncing  any  other  group  that  disagrees  with 
them.  Some  people  relish  this. 

4)  People  want  a  leader.  Any  leader  who  has 
charisma,  who  can  say,  "Here  I  am,  I  am  your 
leader  (savior?),  I  will  give  you  what  you  are 
looking  for."  (This  is  exactly  what  the  antichrist 
will  use  to  assume  power!)  Jesus  said,  "Many 
will  come  saying  I  am  Christ  (savior),  deceiving 
all  but  the  very  elect." 

5)  People  want  physical  comfort.  Anyone  who 
can  offer  food,  shelter,  community,  you  name  it, 
v/ill  get  a  following. 

6)  People  want  to  "get  away."  Whether  it  is 
to  a  jungle  in  Guyana,  a  separatist  movement  in 
the  midst  of  society,  some  sort  of  withdrawal  will 
get  a  following  and  a  good  hearing. 

The  problem  is — all  but  Jesus  Christ  will  end 
in  some  form  of  death.  Social  death;  sacrifice  of 
the  personality;  sacrifice  of  family,  home,  and 
loved  ones.  The  sacrifice  will  lead  to  some  form 
of  death.  The  deaths  in  Guyana  are  merely  more 
visible  than  others  all  around  us. 

Jesus  said,  "I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the 
life."  His  offer  is  to  get  us  into  society,  into  per- 
sonal   contentment    and    fulfillment,    among    our 


Rev.  Clarence  Stogsdill  is  pastor  of  the  Tucson, 
Ariz.,  First  Brethren  Church.  This  article  M'as 
orii^inally  sent  as  a  mailing  to  the  members  of  his 
congregation.  It  is  reprinted  here  by  permission. 


by  Clarence   Stogsdill 

loved  ones,  friends,  and  even  our  enemies.  But 
most  of  us  don't  have  the  faith  for  it.  We  would 
rather  take  the  easy  way  out.  Quit.  Withdraw.  It 
is  a  milder  form  of  the  same  thing  we  saw  happen 
in  Guyana,  but  it  is  the  same  thing.  Suicide.  Social, 
personal,  spiritual  suicide.  Paul  said,  "To  be  car- 
nally minded  is  death.  To  be  spiritually  minded  is 
life."  Get  into  it!  Jesus  offered  it.  Take  it!  The 
alternative   is — death! 

Books  for  further  reading 

Four  Christian  books  now  on  the  market  glwe 
further  insights  into  how  people  can  get  caught 
up  in  powerful  religious  movements  like  the 
Peoples  Temple.  Three  of  these  deal  with  religious 
movements  and  cults  in  general,  while  the  fourth 
deals  specifically  with  the  Peoples  Temple. 

In  The  Youthnappers  (Victor,  1977),  author 
James  Hefley  gives  several  reasons  why  young 
people  join  religious  movements.  Family  prob- 
lems, disenchantment  with  parental  values,  a  de- 
humanizing educational  system — these  coupled 
with  the  deadness  of  the  institutional  church 
cause  young  people  to  look  for  someone  who 
seems  to  care  for  them  personally  and  for  some- 
one to  show  them  how  to  live. 

Kenneth  Boa,  author  of  Cults,  World  Religions, 
and  You  (Victor,  1977),  says  the  bankruptcy  of 
our  materialistic  values  have  promoted  the  up- 
surge in  new  religions.  "Materialism  and  empty 
humanism  do  not  satisfy  .  .  .  spiritual  needs." 

"Spiritual  naivete"  is  given  as  the  chief  single 
cause  for  the  success  of  cults,  according  to  Dave 
Breese,  author  of  Know  the  Marks  of  Cults  (Vic- 
tor, 1975).  "Too  many  Christians  are  content  with 
a  superficial  knowledge  of  the  Word  of  God." 

In  The  Broken  God  (David  C.  Cook,  1979) 
Bonnie  Thielmann  tells  about  her  experiences  as 
a  teenager  with  the  Jones  family.  Thielmann  is 
the  only  person  to  defect  from  the  Peoples  Temple 
and  yet  maintain  a  close  relationship  with  the 
Jones   family. 

According  to  Thielmann,  one  of  her  main  pur- 
poses in  writing  this  book  is  to  help  answer  the 
questions  of  relatives  and  friends  of  Peoples 
Temple  members  asking  "Why?"  She  believes  that 
some  of  that  answer  is  found  in  the  failure  of  the 
Christian  church  to  take  action  to  try  to  right 
some  of  the  wrongs  of  society. 

"Most  of  all,"  said  Thielmann,  "I  want  to  prove 
that  God  can  get  through  to  anybody — even  some- 
one like  me  who  had  been  alienated  from  Him 
for  so  many  years." 

The  Broken  Crod  is  full  of  anecdotes  of  the 
Jones  family  from  both  the  Brazil  and  California 
years,  illustrating  the  progression  of  Jones'  beliefs 
and  practices  from  brave  to  bizarre. 


January  1979 


53 


update 


IRS  ruling  on  private  schools  challenged 


Washington,  D.€.  (NAE  News) — A  proposed  IRS 
regulation  that  would  remove  the  tax  exemption 
of  private  schools  (including  Christian  schools) 
not  meeting  an  IRS-imposed  racial  quota  system 
would  have  a  chilling  effect  on  all  tax-exempt 
organizations,  Robert  P.  Dugan  told  a  public  hear- 
ing on  the  measure,  December  8th. 

Testifying  in  the  nation's  capital,  Dugan,  direc- 
tor of  the  National  Association  of  Evangelical's 
Washington  Office  of  Public  Affairs,  said  that 
while  NAE  supports  all  proper  efforts  to  elim- 
inate deliberate  racial  segregation  in  education,  the 
new  proposal  threatens  the  existence  of  many 
private  schools  that  are  totally  innocent  of  dis- 
criminatory activities  or  of  violating  public  policy, 
public  law,  or  the  intent  oi  Congress.  As  such, 
Dugan  said,  the  measure  represents  an  abuse  of 
power  to  the  extent  that  it:  1)  establishes  man- 
datory affirmative  action  without  statutory  auth- 
ority or  judicial  sanction,  2)  infringes  First 
Amendment  rights,  due  process,  and  equal  pro- 
tection under  the  law,  and  3)  assumes  schools 
are  guilty  until  proven  innocent.  Dugan  empha- 
sized that  the  IRS-proposed  procedure  for  deter- 
mining possible  cases  of  discrimination  is  without 
statutory  authority.  (According  to  the  procedure, 
a  reviewable  school  is  one  "formed  or  substan- 
tially expanded  at  or  about  the  time  of  public 
school  desegregation  in  the  community  served  by 
the  school,  and  having  a  student  body  whose  per- 
centage of  minority  students  is  less  than  20  per- 
cent of  the  percentage  of  the  minority  school  age 
population  in  the  community  served  by  the 
school.") 

"Consider,"  he  said,  "a  private  school  with  a 
publicly-announced  non-discriminatory  racial  poli- 
cy, minorities  attending  the  school,  a  black  prin- 
cipal and  minorities  on  the  school  board.  Under 
the  proposed  procedure,  that  school  could  lose  its 


tax-exemption  for  no  reason  at  all  except  that  an 
insufficient  number  of  minority  students  chose 
to  attend. 

"Beyond  any  shadow  of  a  doubt,"  Dugan  con- 
cluded, "such  a  situation  would  exceed  any  record- 
ed Congressional  intent."  Dugan  urged  that  if 
persistent  in  his  desire  to  enact  such  a  proposal, 
the  Commissioner  should  wait  until  Congress  has 
opportunity  to  express  its  will  in  the  matter.  He 
noted  that  at  least  70  members  of  the  House  and 
several  senators  had  already  written  the  Commis- 
sioner regarding  the  tax  proposal. 

"We  believe,"  Dugan  said,  "that  such  an  issue 
belongs  in  the  legislative  arena." 

Herman  E.  Van  Schuyver,  director  of  the  Na- 
tional Association  of  Christian  Schools,  also  gave 
testimony  during  the  public  hearings  on  the  pro- 
posed revenue  procedure.  In  his  testimony  on 
December  6th,  Van  Schuyver  placed  the  shoe  of 
discrimination  briefly  on  the  IRS  foot. 

Cautioning  the  IRS  not  to  assume  that  segrega- 
tion exists  on  the  basis  of  circumstantial  evidence, 
Van  Schuyver  directed  his  attention  to  the  make- 
up of  the  IRS  panel  (six  white  males,  one  white 
female). 

"If  we  were  to  decide  to  evaluate  whether  or 
not  your  panel  is  discriminating,"  he  said,  "cir- 
cumstantial evidence  would  have  us  believe  that 
the  panel  is  almost  entirely  composed  of  male 
chauvinist   racists." 

Van  Schuyver  used  the  illustration  to  under- 
score his  contention  that  many  private  schools  are 
integrated  even  when  they  appear  not  to  be.  He 
warned  that  quick  assumption  of  guilt  by  the  IRS 
would  force  these  same  schools  to  expend  time, 
energy  and  money  in  proving  their  innocence — a 
procedure  contrary  to  the  American  credo  of 
innocent   until   proven   guilty. 


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Outstanding  high  school  students 
support  religious  &  moral  values 

Northbrook,  111.  (EP  News) — The  nation's  out- 
standing teenagers  "are  keen  on  religion  and  main- 
tain traditional  moral  values,"  according  to  re- 
sults of  the  Ninth  National  Opinion  Survey  of 
Who's  Who  Among  American  High  School 
Students. 

The  survey  showed  that  92  percent  of  student 
leaders  believe  there  is  a  personal  God  or  "vital 
force"  in  the  world,  90  percent  said  religion  plays 
a  significant  role  in  their  own  moral  standards 
and  actions,  81  percent  belong  to  an  organized 
religion,  and  62  percent  attend  services  weekly. 

These  findings  were  based  on  opinion  question- 
naires returned  by  21,500  of  the  students  whose 
names  appear  in  the  1978  edition  of  Who's  Who. 


24 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Grefna  defeats  Derby 
in  attendance  contest 

Derby,  Kans.  —  After  a  slow  start,  the  Gretna 
Brethren  Church  (near  Belief  ontaine,  Ohio) 
surged  ahead  to  defeat  the  Derby,  Kans.,  First 
Brethren  Church  in  their  attendance  contest. 

The  contest  between  the  two  churches  began 
on  September  3  and  concluded  on  December  24. 
At  the  halfway  point  Gretna  was  behind  by  39 
points.  But  an  outstanding  effort  in  the  second 
half  of  the  contest  gave  them  an  overwhelming 
victory  of  556  points  to  249  points  for  Derby. 
Points  were  based  on  percentage  of  increase  in 
attendance  over  one  year  ago. 

Both  churches  made  advances  in  Sunday  school 
and  worship  attendances  during  the  contest. 
Gretna  had  an  increase  of  17%  in  Sunday  school 
attendance  (from  69  a  year  ago  to  83  this  year) 
and  a  14%  increase  in  morning  worship  attend- 
ance  (from  81  to  92). 

Derby  had  an  increase  of  6%)  in  Sunday  school 
(from  81  to  86)  and  a  9%  increase  in  morning 
worship  attendance   (from  104  to  113). 

This  is  the  first  attendance  contest  the  Derby 
Brethren  Church  has  lost  during  the  ministry 
of  its  present  pastor.  Rev.  George  Solomon.  But 
according  to  Rev.  Solomon,  there  is  no  one  he 
would  rather  get  beaten  by  than  his  son,  Rev. 
Leroy  Solomon,  who  is  pastor  of  the  Gretna  Breth- 
ren Church.  Rev.  George  Solomon  adds,  "It  was 
fun — and  worth  the  effort  if  the  church  makes 
an  advance  for  the  work  of  the  Lord!" 


Catholics   most   numerous 
in   96th   Congress 

Wheaton,  111.  (EP  News)  —  The  Ninety-Sixth 
Congress  includes  128  members  from  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  with  115  of  these  in  the  House 
of  Representatives  and  13  in  the  Senate.  This 
makes  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  the  religious 
group  with  the  highest  representation  in  Congress. 

United  Methodists  are  the  next  highest  group, 
with   57   Representatives   and   18   Senators. 

These  are  among  the  findings  of  Ohristianlty 
Today  magazine  in  its  latest  religious  census  of 
Congress,  published  in  its  December  1  issue. 

Totals  of  other  religious  groups  are  as  follows: 
Episcopal,  70;  Presbyterian,  60;  Baptist,  57;  Jew- 
ish, 30;  Lutheran,  19;  United  Church  of  Christ, 
16;  Unitarian,  12;  Mormon,  10;  Disciples  of  Christ, 
6;  Greek  Orthodox,  5.  Fifteen  denominations  were 
represented  by  fewer  than  five  members  in 
Congress,  and  19  Congressmen  listed  themselves 
as  Protestants  without  specifying  a  denomination. 

Catholics  also  lead  the  list  of  religious  affilia- 
tions of  governors  with  12.  Presbyterians  with 
nine  are  second-highest,  followed  by  Episcopalians 
with  eight. 


In  Memory 


Anna  Brown,  79,  December  11.  Brethren  Church 
membership  at  Nappanee  and  South  Bend  for  62 
years.  Services  by  Larry  R.  Baker,  pastor. 
Grace  Smeltzer,  87,  December  6.  Member  of  the 
South  Bend,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services 
by  Larry  R.  Baker,  pastor. 

Wayne  J.  Crytzer,  41,  November  27.  Member  and 
deacon  of  the  Pleasant  View  Brethren  Church, 
Vandergrift,  Pa.  Services  by  William  D.  Walk, 
pastor.  Mr.  Crytzer  was  also  a  member  of  the 
national  Missionary  Board  of  the  Brethren  Church. 
Edith  Marie  Steele,  77,  November  19.  Member  of 
the  North  Liberty,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church. 
Services  by  Philip  Hershberger,  pastor,  and  Rev. 
Stephen  Cole. 

Harold  Wing-er,  82,  November  10.  Member  of  the 
Smithville,  Ohio,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by 
Larry  L.  Bolinger,  pastor. 

Donald  H.  Riggle,  Sr.,  52,  November  1.  Member  of 
the  Pleasant  View  Brethren  Church,  Vandergrift, 
Pa.  Services  by  William  D.  Walk,  pastor. 

Irvin  Klzer,  66,  October  17.  Member  and  deacon 
of  the  Burlington,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church. 
Services  by  Rev.  Alvin  Grumbling  and  Rev.  G. 
Bright  Hanna. 


BEFORE  YOU  MOVE 

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25 


hooks 


Finding   Tinne   to   be   Quiet 

A  Handful  of  Quietness  by  Harold  Rogers  (Word 
Books,  1977,  140  pp.  $5.95  hardback). 

How  can  we  find  time  for  quietness  and  medita- 
tion in  the  overscheduled,  hurried  routine  of  our 
contemporary  hves? 

A  handful  of  quietness  is  only  a  little,  but  it 
can  benefit  our  lives  greatly.  Turning  silently  in- 
ward can  become  a  natural  part  of  our  daily  ex- 
perience. It  means  living  on  two  levels.  The  inner, 
hidden  level  prepares  us  for  the  outer  life  of 
service. 

Harold  Rogers,  who  has  written  several  books 
and  over  one  hundred  articles,  has,  in  this  book, 
interspersed  personal  experience  with  practical 
suggestions.  His  many  Scripture  quotations  and 
references  add  biblical  authority  to  his  call  for 
quietness.  I  also  appreciated  his  quotations  from 
outstanding  Christian  writers  such  as  Paul 
Tournier,  Thomas  Kepler,  Evelyn  Underhill, 
Hannah  Whitall  Smith,  and  Thomas  Merton. 

Where  do  we  begin?  Here.  When  do  we  start? 
Now.  "A  moment  of  quietness,"  says  Rogers,  "no 
matter  how  brief,  can  bring  a  new  perspective 
that  can  be  felt  and  that  can  serve  as  an  influence 
throughout  the  hours  ahead.  Quietness,  calmness, 
trust,  and  union  with  God  are  not  only  for  the 
crisis  situation  but  for  any  time,  all  the  time,  any- 
where, and  for  everyone." 

In  my  estimation  this  gentle  book  is  one  of  the 
best  of  the  recent  devotional  works. 

— Julie  Flora 

Julie  Flora  is  an  Ashland >  Ohio,  homemaker  and 
a  frequent  contributor  to  the  Brethren  Evangelist. 


Book  of  the   Year 

A  Severe  Mercy  by  Sheldon  Vanauken  (Harper 
and  Row)  has  been  voted  the  religious  "Book  of 
the  Year"  by  the  180  book  reviewers,  writers,  and 
observers  surveyed  in  the  20th  annual  poll  taken 
by  Eternity  magazine. 

The  book  describes  the  author's  courtship  and 
marriage  in  the  1940s  and  the  influence  the  late 
C.  S.  Lewis  had  in  bring  the  Vanaukens  to  a  per- 
sonal commitment  to  Jesus  Christ.  The  wife's  sub- 
sequent illness  and  death  prompted  Mr.  Lewis  to 
describe  the  experience  as  "a  mercy,  but  a  severe 
mercy." 

Books  ranking  from  second  to  tenth  place  in 
the  Eternity  poll  were  Eerdmans'  Handbook  to  the 
History   of   Christianity,    edited   by   Tim   Dewley; 


Finding    Freedom 


The  Law  That  Sets  You  Free  by  David  H.  Roper 
(Word  Books,  1977,  123  pp.,  $3.95  paperback). 

Have  you  ever  wished  for  a  way  to  be  free — 
free  from  worry,  anxiety,  trials,  sorrows,  and 
other  daily  frustrations?  Have  you  ever  been  told 
to  pray  about  your  problems,  and  when  you  did 
you  felt  your  prayer  never  reached  beyond  the 
ceiling?  Have  you  ever  wondered,  "What  did  I 
ever  do  to  deserve  this?"  Or  "Why  me.  Lord?" 

If  you  answered  "yes"  to  any  of  these  ques- 
tions or  even  thought  a  slight  maybe,  then  per- 
haps you'd  enjoy  a  very  helpful  book.  Try  settling 
down  in  your  favorite  chair  with  your  Bible  and 
The  Law  That  Sets  You  Free. 

This  book,  a  verse  by  verse  study  of  the  Book 
of  James,  will  encourage  you  to  see  yourself, 
your  life,  and  your  problems  from  God's  perspec- 
tive. It  will  also  help  you  understand  how  to 
respond  to  problems  and  even  how  to  help  others 
with  similar  problems. 

You  will  discover  exactly  what  you,  as  one  of 
God's  children,  ought  to  be!  You  will  be  encour- 
aged to  try  to  live  one  day  at  a  time  and  to  become 
what  Jesus  would  have  you  be. 

Everyone  should  read  this  book.  Christians 
should  use  it  in  study  groups  in  order  to  strength- 
en one  another  in  the  faith.  If  every  Christian 
would  start  living  today  praising  the  Lord  for 
difficulties  and  temptations,  the  world  would  be 
a  changed  place  overnight! 

This  book  is  a  very  helpful  guide  for  every 
believer's  life. 

— ^Joanne  Brelsford 

Joanne  Brelsford  is  an  Ashland,  Ohio,  home- 
maker  and  an  active  worker  in  the  Ashland  Park 
Street  Brethren  Church. 


The  Worldly  Evangelicals  by  Richard  Quebedeaux 
(Harper  and  Row) ;  Fundamentalism  by  James 
Barr  (Westminister);  Essentials  of  Evangelical 
Theology  by  Donald  Bloesch  (Harper  and  Row); 
Paul:  Apostle  of  the  Heart  Set  Free  by  F.  F. 
Bruce  (Eerdmans) ;  Christian  Counter  Culture  by 
John  R.  W.  Stott  (InterVarsity  Press);  Christ  and 
the  Media  by  Malcolm  Muggeridge  (Eerdmans) ; 
Where  Is  God  When  It  Hurts?  by  Philip  Yancey 
(Zondervan) ;  and  New  International  Commen- 
tary: Revelation  by  Robert  Mounce  (Eerdmans). 
Eerdmans  was  considered  "publisher  of  the 
year,"    with    four   books    placing   in   the   top    ten. 

— EP  News 


26 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


finally^  hrethren 

.  .  .  some  thoughts  to  take  with  you! 


Love  Unlimited 


by  Jane    E.   Hendricks 

The  Lord  God  Almighty  has  an  unlimited  supply  of 
love  for  each  one  of  us.  This  love  is  total  and  complete 
and  reserved  especially  for  each  person.  It  is  every 
person's  exclusive  possession  and  belongs  to  no  one  else. 
We  can  live  out  our  lives  resting  secure  in  His  love, 
knowing  that  each  in  his  own  way  is  special  to  Him.  God 
doesn't  play  favorites,  but  each  one  of  us  is  His  ''pet.'' 

We  praise  God  for  His  unlimited  love.  In  that  love 
there  is  no  room  for  jealousy.  We  need  not  be  jealous 
of  God's  love  for  another  child  of  God,  for  in  His 
tremendous  capacity  to  love  we  rest  safely,  knowing 
He  never  neglects  us  nor  forgets  us.  He  is  always 
thinking  of  us  and  our  needs. 

Just  as  God  loves  us,  so  should  we  strive  to  love 
others  in  our  human  relationships — husband  and  wife, 
parent  and  child,  brother  and  sister,  friend  to  friend. 
The  love  we  have  for  another  in  whatever  relationship 
flows  from  God,  through  us,  to  the  other,  leaving  no 
room  for  jealousy.  The  love  we  receive  from  another 
flows  also  from  God,  and  there  still  should  be  no  room 
for  jealousy. 

Praise  God  for  His  unlimited  love  available  through 
us  for  His  glory  and  honor. 


Miss    Hendricks    is    a    member    of    the 
Sarasota,   Fla.,   First  Brethren  Church. 


January  1979  27 


ASHLAND  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

it's  not  only  our  seminary, 
it's  our  only  seminary! 

for  training 


ministers,  missionaries,  Christian  education 

directors,  teachers,  chaplains,  pastoral 

counselors,  church  leaders,  youth 

leadership  .  .  . 


I    ofc    t 


100%    enrollment   increase   in   four  years 


I    mtm   * 


Fair    Share    Giving/ 

Local    Church    Budgets 

$5.00   per   member 

The  seminary  has  a  balanced  budget  with  no 

debt.  A  "Fair  Share"  from  each  local 

church  is  necessary  to  continue  a 

balanced    budget. 


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O  JO  T 

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^f^  The   Brethren  "^    •  j 

Evangelist 


February    1979 


Communicating  the   Faith 


through  CHRISTIAN  DRAMA 


World  Relief  Report 


Advertisement 


Licking  -  Ticking  -  Sticking 

I  sit  at  my  desk  to  write  another  World  Relief  report  for  Brethren 
readers.  The  temptation  is  to  begin,  "World  Relief  is  at  work  again."  But 
that's  really  not  accurate.  The  truth  is,  World  Relief  effort  never  stopped. 

So,  more  accurately,  I  must  say  to  you,  ''World  Relief  continues  work- 
ing!" or  "World  Relief  is  still  at  work!"  because  that's  the  way  it  is. 
(Sounds  like  Howard  Cosell,  doesn't  it?) 

I'm  writing  this  report  in  December — two  weeks  before  Christmas. 
Following  are  snatches  of  the  SITUATION  REPORTS  I  receive  regularly 
from  the  World  Relief  Commission.  They  inform  us  .  .  .  and  remind 
us  again  of  where  and  how  our  World  Relief  money  was  helping  to  make 
a  difference  in  crucial  situations  during  the  fall  months  in  many  parts  of 
the  world. 


Zaire — Cholera   Epidemic: 

The  presence  of  cholera  in  epidemic  propor- 
tions was  reported  in  June  and  July  by  Free 
Methodist  and  Conservative  Baptist  missionaries. 
In  one  case  nearly  a  whole  village  was  wiped 
out  and  in  another  over  30  cases  were  reported. 
WRC  worked  on  details  to  supply  cholera  vac- 
cine, i.v.  fluids,  antibiotics,  sulfa  preparations, 
and  Fanasil  (a  preventative  medication)  for 
immediate  use  and  a  stockpile  against  future 
emergency  needs.  TWA  provided  free  air  freight 
for  the  first  shipment  of  500  pounds  of  50% 
dextrose.  Another  1,000  pounds  was  sent  later 
by  ocean  freight.  WRC  committed  about  $40,000 
to  the  joint  operation  with  other  agencies. 

Sudan — Famine: 

Early  in  1978  a  serious  drought  produced  an 
acute  famine.  Starvation  resulted.  Then  major 
rains  during  July  created  flooding,  preventing 
transportation  of  emergency  food  into  affected 
areas.  WRC  forwarded  $26,000  through  Sudan 
Interior  Mission  and  Jungle  Aviation  and  Radio 
Service  for  emergency  food  and  transportation 
costs.  Airplanes  were  used  to  transport  much  of 
the  grain. 

West  Bengal,  India — Flood: 

'■  Incessant  torrential  rains  hit  Calcutta  for  four 
days  in  September.  For  three  days  most  people 
were  indoors  and  Calcutta  was  cut  off  from  the 
rest  of  the  country.  Low-lying  areas  were  sub- 
merged.  Early   estimates  were   that   the  deluge 


affected  14  to  15  million  people  in  12  districts  of 
West  Bengal.  Several  towns  were  under  water 
several  days. 

Jerry  Ballard,  executive  director  of  WRC,  was 
in  Calcutta  soon  afterwards  and  designated 
$10,000  from  an  emergency  fund  for  blankets, 
dhotis  (men's  clothing),  and  saris  (women's 
clothing).  Later  $7,000  was  dispatched  for  the 
purchase  of  300,000  doses  of  cholera  vaccine  to 
avert  an  epidemic.  And  $3,000  was  granted  for 
feeding  and  clothing  flood  victims.  Total  assis- 
tance was  $20,000,  channeled  through  local 
evangelical   relief   organizations. 

Costa  Rica — Nicaraguan   Refugees: 
Honduras — Nicaraguan   Refugees: 

Civil  disturbances  in  Nicaragua  caused  thou- 
sands to  leave  their  homes.  Although  WRC  tried 
to  enter,  the  borders  were  closed  to  outsiders.  But 
refugees  did  flee  to  Costa  Rica  and  Honduras — 
primarily  Honduras.  WRC  responded  with  over 
$15,000. 

Philippines — Typhoon: 

In  October  a  typhoon  hit  the  East  Manila 
area,  affecting  about  2,000  families  or  about 
14,000  people.  Upon  confirmation  of  the  intensity 
of  the  damage,  an  emergency  grant  of  $5,000  was 
made  for  food,  clothing,  and  medicine  to  be  used 
in  disaster  relief.  It  was  estimated  that  it  might 
possibly  be  three  months  before  the  flood  waters 
would  recede  enough  to  allow  families  to  return 
to  their  homes.  WRC's  representative  was  there. 


About    the    Title 


Whereas  it  is  announced  (via  a  TV  commercial),  ''Timex  watches  take 
a  licking  and  keep  on  ticking,"  we  can  proclaim  just  as  widely,  "When 
people  take  a  licking,  World  Relief  is  sticking  right  with  them  to  bring 
whatever  aid  it  can." 

Phil  Lersch,  Chairman 
Brethren  World  Relief  Board 


V    ^  The    Brethren  1    *  A 

Evangelist 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 
(USPS  064-200) 


Editor: 

Richard  C. 


Winfield 


Consulting  Editors: 

John  D.  Rowsey 
Ronald  W.  Waters 

Contributing  Editor: 
Alvin  Shifflett 

Editorial  and 
Business  Office: 

524  College  Ave. 

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Phone:   (419)   289-2611 

Published  monthly  for  the  Brethren  Church 
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One  year  subscription  rates:  $6.00  for 
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v^over 

The  Lamb's  Players  use 
drama  and  pantomime  to  com- 
municate the  Christian  faith. 
Martha  Deardurff  tells  more 
about  this  Christian  performing 
arts  company  on  pages  4  and  5. 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


Vol.  101, 


February  1979 


4     Theatre  for  the  Lord 

Martha  Deardurff  is  realizing  the  desires  of  her  heart  as  she 
serves  the  Lord  through  Christian  theatre. 

6     A  Time  to  Share 

Senator  Mark  Hatfield  calls  on  American  Christians  to  face 
and  respond  to  the  ominous  reality  of  world  hunger. 

Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 
10     Problems  and  Possibilities 

Arden  Gilmer  looks  at  basic  problems  facing  the  Brethren 
Church  and  shares  his  vision  for  our  denomination  in  the 
eighties. 

20     AC  Campus  Ministry:     A  Time  of  Reflection 

Fred  Burkey  evaluates  the  first  semester's  ministry  and  shares 
plans  for  the  second  semester  and  beyond. 

The  Benevolent  Board 

13  The  Benevolent  Board  .  .  . 

Dedicated  to  Human  Service 

A  brief  historical  overview  of  the  service  given  by  the  Benevo- 
lent Board  of  the  Brethren  Church. 

14  The  Nursing  Home  Image 

Nursing  homes  have  gotten  a  bad  image.  How  good  are  ours? 
To  answer  this  question,  the  remainder  of  this  section  looks  at 
the  retirement  facilities  of  the  Brethren  Church. 

14     Brethren  Care,  Ashland,  Ohio 

16     The  Brethren's  Home,  Flora,  Indiana 

18  Topsfield  Terrace, 

Brethren  Care  of  South  Bend,  Inc. 

Departments 

19  The  Salt  Shaker 
22     Update 

27     Books 


February  1979 


Theatre 
for  the  Lord 


Lamb's  Players  Mime  Troup. 


Martha  Deardurff  Is  realizing  the  desires  of  her  heart  as  she 
serves  the  Lord  through  Christian  theatre. 


Delight  thyself  also  in  the  Lord;  and  he  shall 
give  thee  the  desires  of  thine  heart.     Psalm  37:4 

BUT  LORD,  my  ''desires"  are  dreams, 
fantasies.  Impossible! 

These  thoughts  flooded  my  mind  as  I 
approached  my  last  semester  at  Ashland 
College.  I  would  have  a  B.S.  in  education; 
I  could  teach  high  school  speech  and  Eng- 
lish. So  what?  I  want  to  serve  the  Lord. 

Long  before  college,  when  I  was  only 
eight,  I  accepted  Jesus  as  my  Savior.  I  had 
met  and  read  about  missionaries  around 
the  world  serving  the  Lord.  One  summer, 
at  camp,  I  had  even  said,  'I'll  go,  Lord, 
wherever  you  want  me."  But  now  what? 

That  last  semester  was  getting  too  close. 
I  wrote  Intercristo,  a  Christian  placement 
service,  which  responded  with  several  job 
possibilities.  Prompted  by  my  high  school 
and  college  theatre  experience,  I  wrote  to 
Lamb's  Players,  a  Christian  performing 
arts  company  listed  by  Intercristo. 

Lamb's  Players,  National  City,  Califor- 
nia! Me,  an  Ohio  farmer's  daughter,  in 
California?  Encouraging  letters,  phone 
calls,  a  zealous  roommate,  and  wise  advice 
from  friends  led  to  my  selling  my  car,  buy- 
ing a  one-way  ticket,  and  flying  west 
September  1,  1978. 

A  sleepy-eyed  guy  wearing  the  name 
tag  "Martha  Deardurff"  met  my  2  a.m. 
flight.  Three  suitcases  and  my  sewing 
machine  were  loaded  into  a  topless  M.G., 
and  we  sped  down  Interstate  5.  So  this  is 
California  ? 

After  getting  settled  with  a  Lamb's 
Players  couple,  I  began  attending  the  Sem- 
inar on  the  Performing  Arts.  This  two 
weeks  of  intense  study  was  intense:  three 


hours  of  class  each  morning  in  either  act- 
ing, mime,  or  dance;  afternoon  seminars 
on  numerous  theatre  topics,  followed  by 
lectures  and  discussions.  Several  evenings 
we  attended  shows  which  we  discussed  the 
following  morning  before  class.  All  these 
activities  were  aimed  at  developing  a  Chris- 
tian perspective  of  the  arts. 

Meanwhile,  two  other  interns — Cathy  and 
Heidi — and  I  decided  to  find  an  apartment. 
After  hours  of  searching,  we  found  a  two- 
bedroom  apartment  only  nine  blocks  from 
the  theatre — good  walking  distance  since 


Martha  Deardurff  is 

the  daughter  of  Mr. 

and  Mrs.  John 

Deardurff  of 

Bellfontaine,  Ohio, 

and  a  member  of 

the  Gretna  Brethren 

Church.  She  served 

as  a  Brethren   Youth 

Crusader  for  two 

years  and  as  a 

counselor  at  Ohio 

Camp  Bethany.   While 

attending  Ashland  College,  Martha  participated  in 

several  plays  as  an  actress  and  costumer.  She  was 

also  a  member  of  the  Ashland  College  Choir.  She 

received    her    bachelor    of    science    in    education 

degree  from   the  college  last  May. 

Anyone  interested  in  knowing  more  about 
Lamb's  Players  and  Martha's  ministry  may  write 
to  her  at  Lamb's  Players,  500  E.  Plaza  Blvd.,  Box 
26,  National  City,  CA  92050.  Her  slide  show  is 
also   available  for  interested  groups. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Lamb's  Players  Street  Theatre^ 

Lamb's  Players  is  a  Christian 

performing  arts  company  that 

uses  drama,  pantomime,  and 

dance  to  share  the  message 

of  God's  love  in  Jesus  Christ, 


we  had  no  car.  What  about  furniture? 
Cathy's  sister  and  brother-in-law  were 
moving  to  Germany  and  needed  a  place  to 
store  their  furniture  for  two  years.  So,  with 
a  few  additions  from  other  relatives  and 
the  Salvation  Army  store,  the  Lord  sup- 
plied all  our  needs. 

After  the  seminar  and  a  free  weekend 
spent  visiting  the  beach  and  resting,  I, 
along  with  the  ten  other  interns,  began 
** orientation."  This  consisted  of  classes  in 
evangelism,  the  history  and  purpose  of 
Lamb's  Players,  and  support  raising.  Pro- 
spective performers  also  prepared  auditions. 
And  each  of  us  began  working  in  our  sup- 
port department.  I  was  introduced  to  the 
costume  department  and  shown  where  to 
find  pins,  fabric,  old  shoes,  and  a  small 
beaded  purse  of  wash  money  for  my  first 
responsibility — washing  the  shirts  after  the 
week's  shows. 

During  orientation  I  planned  my  flight 
home.  "Lord,  I  have  enough  money  for  the 
airplane  ticket  but  not  for  my  share  of  the 
month's  rent,  $66."  A  few  days  later  I 
found  in  my  mailbox  a  check  for  $500  from 
a  church  I  had  never  attended,  the  Notting- 
ham United  Presbyterian  Church.  'Thanks 
again,  Lord." 

With    orientation    complete,    I    headed 
home    for    six   weeks    of   support    raising. 
Armed  with  a  slide  show,  a  public  relations 
notebook,   and   numerous   newsletters   and 
support   cards,   I  visited  several   churches 
presenting  the  Lamb's  Players'   story. 
Our  story  began  in  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  in 
1970,   with  the  vision  of  teacher  and  former 
professional    actor,    Steve     Terrell.    Knowing 
that  God  had  used  drama  and  pantomine  to 
speak    through    some    of   the    Old    Testament 


prophets,  he,  using  the  same  methods,  decided 
to  share  the  message  of  God's  love  and  forgive- 
ness found  in  Jesus  Christ.  In  1973,  an 
original  cast  of  seven  moved  to  the  warmer 
climate  of  Southern  California,  Since  then, 
Lamb's  Players  has  grown  into  an  organization 
of  over  50  full-time  members,  each  working 
in  his  respective  performance,  office,  and 
other  support  staff  position. 

Lamb's  Players  brochure 

Lamb's  Players'  street  theatre,  panto- 
mime, and  dance  troupes  travel  the  coun- 
try the  year  around  presenting  Christ's 
message  at  college  and  high  school  cam- 
puses, fairs,  churches,  public  parks,  mil- 
itary bases,  and  penal  institutions.  These 
troupes  are  backed  by  a  support  staff 
of  artists,  photographers,  costume  design- 
ers, construction  personnel,  administrative 
staff,  and  others,  all  working  to  carry  out 
Christ's  Great  Commission. 

Each  member  is  responsible  for  raising 
his  own  income  by  pledges,  from  interested 
friends,  relatives  and  churches.  So,  for  six 
weeks,  I  presented  Lamb's  Players  to  every- 
one I  met,  praying  that  God  would  supply 
the  needed  $450  per  month. 

With  half  of  this  support  raised,  I  re- 
turned to  California  on  December  29,  to 
begin  two  years  with  Lamb's  Players.  This 
year  I  will  work  in  the  costuming  depart- 
ment and  audition  for  parts  in  the  Lamb's 
Players  theatre.  This  138  seat,  theatre-in- 
the-round  is  another  Lamb's  Players  min- 
istry drawing  on  the  acting  talent  in  the 
San  Diego  area  to  present  family  enter- 
tainment at  a  modest  price. 

The  Lord  is  granting  to  me  the  desires 
of  my  heart.  Theatre  for  my  Lord  is  the 
best  of  both  worlds.  □ 


February  1979 


Time  to  Share 


Senator  Mark  Hatfield  calls  on  Annerican  Christians  to  face 
and  respond  to  the  ominous  reality  of  world  hunger. 


MARTIN  NIEMOLLER  was  a  German 
pastor  imprisoned  by  the  Nazis  during 
World  War  II.  While  in  prison  he  experi- 
enced what  he  called  his  ''second  conver- 
sion." Niemoller  had  so  despised  the 
atrocities  of  the  Hitler  regime  that  he  came 
to  hate  the  prison  guard  who  brought  him 
his  food  each  day. 

Seeing  the  Nazi  insignia  on  his  uniform, 
all  the  indignation  and  outrage  Niemoller 
felt  toward  that  evil  system  was  directed 
against  that  guard. 

Then  one  day  Niemoller  tells  how  he 
suddenly  realized  that  Jesus  Christ  died 
on  the  cross  for  that  guard;  that  Christ 
loved  him  that  much.  And  in  the  same  fash- 
ion, Niemoller  was  bound  to  love  that 
guard,  and  love  every  man.  The  atonement 
of  Christ  took  on  a  whole  new  meaning  for 
the  prisoner.  Its  implications  were  revolu- 


Photo  by  Clifford  Bjorkland 
For  many  of  the  world's  children,  hunger  is  a 
daily  reality. 


6 


tionary,  for  every  person  was  to  be  loved 
with  the  sacrificial  love  of  Jesus  Christ. 

One  of  the  tragedies  of  the  church  today, 
which  surely  grieves  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  the 
unbiblical  separation  we  have  made  between 
verbal  witnessing  to  the  Good  News  of 
Christ  and  acting  with  His  love  to  meet 
the  needs  of  our  fellow  man.  This  is  basic- 
ally the  schism  between  those  who  stress 
evangelism  as  opposed  to  "social  gospel." 

You  do  not  find  such  a  division  in  the 
Scriptures;  you  do  not  see  such  distinctions 
in  the  life  of  Christ.  This  is  a  false  dichot- 
omy which  we  have  created,  and  which  we 
must  allow  God  to  destroy. 

When  asked,  'Who  is  our  neighbor,"  you 
will  remember  our  Lord's  response.  He  re- 
lated the  story  of  the  Good  Samaritan.  Our 
neighbor  was  not  simply  the  person  next 
door,  or  our  circle  of  close  friends.  He  was 
anyone  downtrodden,  distraught  and  vic- 
timized by  the  world's  pain  and  inhumanity. 

Today,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  we  as 
Christians  living  in  America  must  face  one 
basic,  startling  reality  about  our  world  and 
its  suffering.  That  is  simply  this:  most 
of  humanity  is  hungry. 

The  most  basic  physical  need  of  any  of 
us  is  enough  food  to  simply  keep  life  going. 
Yet,  that  is  a  daily  struggle  for  millions  of 
people — people  not  only  living  in  other  na- 
tions, but  also  right  here  in  America.  Each 
day  literally  thousands  of  fellow  human 
beings  lose  that  struggle,  and  die  of 
starvation. 

Today  our  world  stands  on  the  brink  of 
famine.  Yet,  all  the  world  knows  that  there 
are   harvests   of   plenty   in   America.    But 


Mark  O.  Hatfield  is  United  States  Senator  from 
Oregon, 

The  Brethren  Evangelist 


This  article  by  Mark  Hatfield 

reminds  us  that  "My  Brother's 

Keeper"  is  not  just  a 

Conference  theme  to  be 

forgotten,  but  a  continuing 

responsibility . 


^t  The  Brethren  Church 


during  the  last  seven  years,  we  have  not 
been  as  prudent  as  Joseph  in  the  land  of 
Egypt  long  ago.  Rather,  farmers  were  paid 
not  to  grow  crops  on  as  much  as  one- 
seventh  of  our  cropland,  and  grain  was 
left  to  rot  in  silos. 

We  have  made  real  attempts  to  increase 
the  harvests  of  other  countries.  But  the 
bodies  to  feed  have  expanded  more  rapidly 
than  food.  Further,  other  forces  that  seem 
beyond  our  mortal  control  make  current 
prophecies  about  seven  lean  years  ahead 
grimly  believable. 

Let  me  be  candid.  There  is  no  problem 
faced  by  this  world  more  likely  to  breed 
instability  and  conflict,  and  increase  the 
magnitude  of  mankind's  suffering  in  the 
years  directly  ahead  of  us,  than  the  short- 
age of  food. 

Before  World  War  II,  most  all  countries 
of  the  world  had  all  the  grain  they  needed, 
and  frequently  some  to  spare.  Only  Western 
Europe  was  dependent  upon  buying  grain 
from  other  nations.  Today,  much  of  the 
world  needs  grain,  but  only  North  America 
and  Australia  have  substantial  surpluses 
to  export. 

The  United  States  produces  half  of  the 
world's  corn  and  two-thirds  of  the  world's 
soybeans.  Out  of  1.2  billion  tons  of  grain 
produced  by  the  world,  90  million  tons  are 
traded  between  countries,  and  the  United 
States  provides  70  million  tons  of  that 
amount. 

Yet,  what  is  our  situation?  Two-thirds 
of  the  world's  population  fights  for  one- 
third  of  the  world's  total  protein. 

The  shortage  of  energy  worsens  the 
shortage  of  food.  With  the  increasing  mech- 
anization of  farming,  both  here  and  abroad, 
it  takes  about  80  gallons  of  gas  to  raise  an 
acre  of  corn.  Far  more  is  required  to  pro- 
duce fertilizer,  which  is  essential  to  the 
hoped  for  ''Green  Revolution."  Thus,  while 
Americans  waited  in  line  a  few  hours  for 
gas  for  their  cars,  Indian  farmers  waited 
in  line  for  five  days  for  gas  for  their  irri- 
gation pumps  or  other  machines  for  grow- 
ing and  harvesting  their  crops. 


More  troubling  is  the  report  of  some 
scientists  who  study  the  climate.  They  have 
ascertained  that  the  world's  temperature 
has  dropped  2.7  degrees  since  1945,  and 
that  this  apparent  cooling  trend  will  cause 
desert  areas  to  advance  toward  the  equator, 
expanding  the  region  of  drought. 

We  have  already  seen  the  effects  of  this 
in  the  Sahel  region  of  Africa,  where  the 
Sahara  Desert  has  expanded  southward  30 
miles  each  year  of  the  current  drought.  For 
the  first  time  in  memory,  the  Niger  River 
can  be  crossed  by  foot.  And  at  least  250,000 
people  have  died  from  starvation.  Continu- 
ing changes  in  climate  such  as  this  would 
affect  India,  South  Asia,  China  and  Central 
America. 

Faced  with  this  picture,  our  hearts  as 
believers  in  Christ  and  instruments  of  His 
compassion  must  be  pierced  with  the 
monopoly  on  the  world's  food  and  protein 
enjoyed  by  us  as  Americans. 

Each  of  us  living  in  America  consumes 
nearly  a  ton  of  cereal  grains,  the  most  basic 
food  and  form  of  protein,  each  year.  But 
only  about  150  pounds  of  this  is  consumed 
directly  in  the  form  of  bread,  pastry  or 
breakfast  cereals.  The  remaining  1,850 
pounds  is  consumed  indirectly  in  the  form 
of  meats,  and  then  milk  and  eggs. 

By  contrast,  an  average  person  living  in 
a  poor  country  has  only  about  400  pounds 
of  cereal  grains  to  consume  each  year  for 
his  protein.  This  he  must  take  directly  in 
the  form  of  grains,  such  as  rice  and  wheat, 
for  little  or  none  can  be  spared  for  con- 
version into  more  costly  and  inefficient 
means  of  protein  production  such  as  meat. 

It  takes  about  seven  times  as  much  grain 
to  put  protein  on  the  table  in  the  form  of 
meat  as  it  does  to  consume  such  cereal 
grains  with  an  equivalent  amount  of  pro- 
tein in  direct  forms. 

We  can  no  longer  suppose  that  our  extra 
abundance  can  feed  the  hungry  of  the 
world.  Rather,  the  world  will  be  fed  only 
by  the  sharing  of  resources  which  the  rich 
of  the  world  have  assumed  to  be  their  un- 
questioned   possession,    and    through    the 


February  1979 


Photo  by  Clifford  Bjorkland 

"There  is  no  problem  faced  by  this  world  more 
likely  to  breed  instability  and  conflict,  and  increase 
the  magnitude  of  mankind's  suffering  in  the  years 
directly  ahead  of  us,   than  the  shortage  of  food." 


changing  of  values  and  patterns  of  life 
which  the  affluent  have  barely  even 
questioned. 

Famine  cannot  be  averted  by  simply 
thinking  we  can  increase  the  ''size  of  the 
pie"  so  those  who  have  little  may  have  a 
little  more.  What  we  are  discovering  is  that 
the  pie  itself  has  limits.  Most  all  arable  land 
around  the  globe  is  in  use. 

Increased  protein  production  once  hoped 
for  from  the  sea  has  not  materialized,  and 
now  most  scientists  fear  the  seas  are  being 
''over- fished,"  which  would  deplete  this 
resource.  The  simple  truth,  then,  is  that  the 
"pie"  must  be  shared  more  equitably. 

Ghandi  put  it  cogently  and  well:  "The 
earth  provides  enough  for  everyman's  need, 
but  not  for  everyman's  greed." 

Faced  with  these  realities,  and  filled 
with  the  compassion  of  Christ,  what  is  our 
response?  Above  all,  we  must  allow  our 
hearts  to  be  made  sensitive  to  the  suffering 
of  our  fellowman.  The  facts  and  statistics 
must  be  translated  into  human  realities 
which  we  can  feel  from  deep  within,  and 
which  quicken  our  conscience. 


We  should  allow  ourselves  to  feel  uncom- 
fortable about  our  wealth,  our  lifestyle,  our 
diet  and  all  our  subtle  worship  of  affluence. 

We  must  let  God's  Spirit  move  within 
us,  even  to  convict  us  anew  of  sin,  and  to 
show  us  the  ways  of  repentance  and 
renewal. 

Most  of  all,  let  us  cast  aside  all  those 
rationalizations  that  would  somehow  pre- 
vent us  from  understanding  and  reaching 
out  to  those  who  suffer. 

There  are  some  who  say  that  perhaps  all 
the  worst  about  famine,  disaster  and  war 
will  indeed  come  true  and  that  this  only 
indicates  and  prepares  us  for  the  Second 
Coming  of  Christ. 

I  do  not  want  to  get  into  a  discussion 
about  eschatology,  and  all  the  various  doc- 
trines about  the  last  days  which  have  been 
such  a  source  of  division  among  us.  But 
let  us  be  agreed  about  one  central  biblical 
truth.  We  are  never  told  to  sit  by  and  watch 
the  world  destroy  itself  in  its  inhumanity 
and  sin,  and  console  ourselves  with  the 
prediction  that  the  end  of  all  things  must 
be  just  around  the  corner. 

To  turn  our  back  on  the  suffering  of  the 
world  is  to  turn  away  from  Christ  himself. 
This  is  exactly  what  he  has  told  us. 

Thomas  Merton  has  written:  "It  is  easy 
enough  to  tell  the  poor  to  accept  their  pov- 
erty as  God's  will  when  you  yourself  have 
warm  clothes  and  plenty  of  food  and  medi- 
cal care  and  a  roof  over  your  head  and  no 
worry  about  the  rent.  But  if  you  want  them 
to  believe  you — try  to  share  some  of  their 
poverty  and  see  if  you  can  accept  it  as 
God's  will  yourself!" 

The  command  and  compassion  of  Christ 
compel  us  to  respond  to  the  physical  and 
spiritual  needs  of  a  hungry  world. 

What  can   we   do? 

What  concretely  can  we  do?  Let  me 
offer  some  specific  suggestions: 

— Every  congregation  could  establish  a 
specific  budget  amount  directed  to  meeting 
the  needs  of  starving  people  in  some  par- 
ticular point  of  the  world. 

— Christians  can  be  asked  to  give  a 
specific  tithe  just  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
lieving hunger;  further,  we  should  consider 
a  graduated  tithe,  which  increases  in  its 
percentage  according  to  the  amount  of 
one's  income.  "From  those  to  whom  much 
has  been  given,  much  will  be  expected." 

— We  should  renew  the  Christian  disci- 
pline of  fasting  as  a  means  for  teaching  us 
how  to  identify  with  those  who  hunger, 
and  to  deepen  our  life  of  prayer  for  those 
who  suffer. 


8 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


— We  must  all  analyze,  in  prayer  before 
God,  our  own  habits  of  food  consumption. 
Specifically,  we  can  drastically  alter  our 
consumption  of  meat,  and  the  money  we 
save  we  can  give  to  alleviate  hunger.  Some 
Christians  may  decide  that  part  of  their 
witness  means  being  a  vegetarian.  Families 
can  decide  how  to  limit  their  consumption 
of  beef,  perhaps  to  only  certain  days,  or 
as  times  of  special  celebration,  or  just  on 
certain  days  of  the  week. 

— Thanksgiving  can  be  a  time  when 
Christians  throughout  the  land  join  to  ex- 
press their  thanksgiving  for  our  plenty, 
not  by  a  feast,  but  by  a  sacrificial  outpour- 
ing and  sharing  of  our  plenty  with  the 
needy,  just  as  the  Pilgrims  shared  with  the 
Indians. 

— As  Christians,  we  can,  by  our  word  and 
our  living  example,  call  the  nation  to  the 
task  of  sharing  from  its  plenty  with  those 
who  are  in  need. 

These  are  only  suggestions.  But  the  point 
is  that  Christ's  love  beckons  us  to  far  more 
than  simply  charitable  giving. 


Our  word   to  the    nation 

Finally,  what  is  our  word  to  the  nation? 
How  can  we  aid  in  mobilizing  our  wealth 
and  resources  with  urgency  and  compassion 
to  avert  the  threat  of  famine,  and  give  hope 
to  mankind? 

First,  we  must  turn  back  to  our  history, 
and  realize  that  we  have  responded  with  a 
generous  heart  and  sacrificial  spirit  in  the 
past  to  meet  the  needs  of  a  hungry  and 
starving  world.  .  .  .  All  our  (past)  efforts 
to  feed  the  starving,  innocent  millions  of 
the  world  were  motivated  by  a  profound 
humanitarian  and  spiritually  based  commit- 
ment, which  attempted  to  transcend  po- 
litical and  ideological  barriers. 

When  relief  first  was  proposed  for  the 
starving  millions  occupied  in  Belgium,  for 
instance,  many  objected;  there  was  an  eco- 
nomic blockade  against  the  German  occu- 
pied territories  and  other  political  and 
military  factors  of  World  War  I.  But 
President  Hoover's  view  was  simple,  and 
should  be  our  own  today.  He  wrote: 

''Above  all,  I  did  not  believe  that  stunted 
bodies  and  deformed  minds  in  the  next 
generation  were  the  foundation  upon  which 
to  rebuild  civilization." 

We  must  examine  candidly  the  way  our 
nation  is  presently  committed  to  the 
stewardship  of  its  resources.  This  year* 
in  our  national  budget,  the  Congress  has 
been  asked  to  approve  the  largest  peace- 
time military  budget  in  our  history.  Over 
90  billion  dollars  will  be  spent  for  weapons 


'.  .  .  our  hearts  as  believers  in 
Christ  and  instruments  of  His  conn- 
passion  nnust  be  pierced  with  the 
monopoly  on  the  world's  food 
and  protein  enjoyed  by  us  as 
Americans." 


of  war  and  destruction,  and  for  the  support 
of  our  axmies,  includnig  over  half  a  million 
men  stationed  permanently  outside  our 
bordsrs.  This  total  of  military  expenditures 
amounts  to  63  per  cent  of  the  funds 
Congress  can  actually  control,  and  is  being 
asked  to  spend  this  year.  That  is  the  money 
that  comes  from  you  and  me,  as  citizens. 

By  contrast,  all  the  funds  proposed  in 
this  year's  budget  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
viding humanitarian  and  economic  assis- 
tance to  other  nations,  and  to  disadvan- 
taged people  comes  to  $1.9  billion.  Even 
much  of  this  money,  in  my  opinion,  is 
utilized  more  to  gain  political  influence  than 
to  relieve  the  suffering  of  people.  But  this 
should  give  us  some  idea  of  how  we  as  a 
nation  are  exercising  the  stewardship  of 
our  resources. 

It  comes  down  to  this  simple  fact.  For 
$1  that  is  spent  in  our  nation's  attempts  to 
aUeviate  suffering  and  enhance  human  life 
throughout  the  world,  we  spend  $50  for  the 
weapons  and  forces  geared  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  life. 

Let  us  consider  these  facts  for  a  moment 
in  light  of  our  own  nation's  security,  and 
to  the  building  of  peace  throughout  the 
world.  From  where  do  the  threats  to  peace 
come?  What  will  be  most  likely  to  throw 
the  world  into  turmoil  and  instability?  It 
is  the  one  central  reality  of  world  hunger. 
For  us,  stewardship  means  molding  our 
own  lives  to  the  shape  of  the  Man  crucified. 
It  means  being  conformed  not  to  the  world, 
but  to  Christ.  Our  action,  individually  and 
corporately,  must  be  the  witness  and  the 
light  to  our  nation  and  the  world. 

In  the  words  of  the  Old  Testament,  we 
have  set  before  us  life  and  death.  So  let  us 
choose    life    (Deuteronomy    30:19).  D 

*The  figures  given  are  not  for  the  current  year. 
In  the  budget  President  Carter  sent  to  Congress 
in  January,  he  requested  that  $124.8  billion  be 
approved  for  defense  for  1980 — an  increase  of 
10%   over  the  1979  defense  apportionment. 

For  more  thoughts  on  the  subject  of  world 
hunger    and    world   need,    see    pages   2    and   27. 


February  1979 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


Problems 


and 


Possibilities 


Arden  Gilmer  looks  at  basic  problems  facing  the  Brethren 
Church  and  shares  his  vision  for  our  denomination  in 
the   eighties. 


ATTEMPTING  to  predict  the  future  is 
a  hazardous  task.  For  example,  in  1839 
the  famous  surgeon  Alfred  Velpeau  wrote, 
"The  abolishment  of  pain  in  surgery  is  a 
chimera.  It  is  absurd  to  go  on  seeking  it 
today."  In  1902  Harper's  Weekly  com- 
mented, 'The  actual  building  of  roads  de- 
voted to  motor  cars  is  not  for  the  near 
future,  in  spite  of  many  rumors  to  that 
effect." 

Still  we  must  address  ourselves  to  the 
question,  **What  will  become  of  the  Breth- 
ren in  the  decade  of  the  eighties?" 

As  we  move  into  the  future,  we  can  be 
confident  that  God's  promises  are  trust- 
worthy and  constant.  They  are  eternal  be- 
cause God's  word  will  never  pass  away. 
God's  promises  provide  a  stable  footing  for 
our  journey  into  the  future.  The  variable 
is  the  degree  of  our  faithfulness  and  obe- 
dience to  the  Lord's  commands.  Faithful- 
ness will  provide  a  much  brighter  future 
than  unfaithfulness. 

The  trends  of  the  past  may  also  throw 
light  on  what  to  expect  in  the  future.  What 
are  some  of  the  trends?  Between  1965  and 
1978  membership  in  the  Brethren  Church 
decreased  14%.  If  the  decrease  continues 
at  the  same  rate,  the  entire  Brethren 
Church  will  have  a  membership  of  13,226 
in  1990.  During  the  same  period  (from  1965 
to  1978)  Sunday  morning  worship  attend- 
ance decreased  20%  and  Sunday  school 
attendance  decreased  31%.  If  these  trends 
continue,  by  1990  the  ''average"  Brethren 


Rev.  Arden  Gilmer  is  Director  of  Home  Mis- 
sions for  the  Missionary  Board  of  the  Brethren 
Church.  In  this  position  he  works  diligently  over- 
seeing the  planting  of  new  Brethren  churches  and 
promoting  church  growth. 


church  will  have  110  members  with  an 
average  morning  worship  attendance  of  68 
and  an  average  Sunday  school  attendance 
of  48. 

When  writing  about  the  future,  my  earn- 
est desire  is  to  be  positive  and  affirmative. 
But  the  above  figures  force  me  to  a  stark 
and  bleak  realism.  I  do  not  believe  that  God 
desires  the  demise  of  the  Brethren  Church, 
but  the  church  will  die  if  nothing  is  done. 

I  believe  that  with  some  radical  changes, 
the  Brethren  Church  can  begin  to  grow 
again.  If  we  grow  at  a  rate  of  25%  per 
decade  (fair  growth  for  a  turn-around  sit- 
uation) our  membership  in  1990  would  be 
20,655!  At  this  rate  the  "average"  Brethren 
church  in  1990  would  have  172  members 
with  115  in  worship  and  93  in  Sunday 
school! 


Problems    we    must    attack 

I  see  several  problems  we  must  attack. 
One  of  these  is  a  nearly  complete  loss  of 
evangelistic  fervor  and  zeal.  I  know  there 
are  exceptions  to  this,  but  they  do  not 
negate   the   truth   of  the   generality. 

Despite  all  our  talk  about  evangelism  and 
the  sinful  condition  of  our  world,  very  few 
Brethren  are  spending  time  taking  the  gos- 
pel to  those  who  are  sick  and  need  a  physi- 
cian. We  have  become  dangerously  ingrown. 
We  are  more  concerned  with  nurture  than 
with  missions;  with  edification  than  with 
evangelism;  with  fellowship  than  with 
outreach ;  with  providing  for  ourselves  than 
with  ministering  to  the  needs  and  hurts  of 
our  communities.  Our  actions  indicate  that 
we  take  the  gospel  for  granted  and  that  we 
really  do  not  believe  that  people  outside  of 
Jesus  Christ  are  lost  and  doomed  to  an 
eternal  hell. 


10 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


''Local  churches  spend  more  time  deciding  how  to  spend 
$100  than  they  do  in  asking  and  answering  the  ques- 
tion, 'What  does  God  want  us  to  do  for  Him  in  our 
community?'  '' 


We  must  intentionally  and  deliberately 
change  our  perspective,  vigorously  share 
the  gospel,  and  warmly  welcome  into  our 
churches  those  who  respond  to  the  mar- 
velous grace  of  God.  The  problem  here  is 
not  size,  but  growth.  And  growth  is  a  mat- 
ter of  faithfulness  to  God. 


Ou 


r   size    a    pro! 


lem 


But  our  size  is  also  a  problem.  If  all  of 
our  120  congregations  were  located  in  one 
state,  we  would  have  a  district  big  enough 
to  do  some  very  positive  things.  Under 
those  conditions  one  camping  program 
could  serve  all  the  churches  with  little  more 
expense  than  it  takes  to  provide  a  camping 
program  for  thirty  churches.  Mission  funds 
would  be  available  for  planting  new  church- 


Perspectives?  Prospectives? 

//  you  are  an  observant  reader,  you  probably 
noticed  that  both  words  were  used  in  the  intro- 
duction to  our  new  feature  in  last  month's 
Evangelist.  I  would  like  to  say  this  was  intentional 
— but  it  wasnt! 

Which  should  it  be?  Actually,  it  takes  both 
words  to  define  the  purpose  of  the  series. 

''Perspective'  speaks  of  looking  into  the  distance 
or  the  future  and  of  evaluating  and  giving  pro- 
portional importance  to  the  various  parts.  Putting 
the  future  into  perspective. 

''Prospective,"  on  the  other  hand,  means  looking 
to  the  future,  to  the  hoped  for  or  probable  out- 
come, and  to  the  chances  for  success. 

In  this  series,  then,  we  are  taking  a  view  of  the 
1980s,  and  we  are  trying  to  evaluate  the  various 
influences,  trends,  etc.,  that  will  affect  the  Brethren 
Church.  We  are  trying  to  get  perspectives  on 
the  eighties. 

At  the  same  time,  we  are  considering  the 
Brethren  Church's  chances  for  success  in  the  next 
ten  years,  its  prospects.  We  are  trying  to  evaluate 
our  PROSPECTivES  for  the  eighties. 

Obviously  we  cant  use  both  words  in  our  title. 
So  we  will  call  the  series  "Perspectives  for  the 
Eighties."  But  keep  in  mind  that  it  takes  both 
words  to  fully  define  what  we  are  seeking  to 
accomplish   in   this  series  of  articles.  R.C.W. 


es.  The  district  could  employ  a  full-time 
administrator  who  would  see  that  district 
level  tasks  were  done  and  done  well. 

But  geography  hinders  us.  We  are  scat- 
tered all  over  the  country.  District  level 
ministries  are  conducted  by  volunteers  who 
often  have  district  work  as  a  low  item  on 
their  list  of  priorities.  So  the  excellence 
with  which  district  functions  are  completed 
is  often  unsatisfactory.  Some  districts  have 
talked  of  employing  a  full-time  adminis- 
trator, but  none  of  our  districts  are  big 
enough  to  justify  the  large  expenditure  of 
funds  needed  for  such  a  person. 

One  solution  to  this  would  be  to  strength- 
en the  essentials  of  denominational  struc- 
ture and  program.  But  though  many  desire 
the  outreach  and  services  of  denominational 
ministries,  it  appears  they  would  like  to 
have  them  for  free.  As  far  as  I  know  nearly 
every  cooperating  board  of  General  Confer- 
ence is  suffering  from  inadequate  finances. 
Some  local  churches  and  individuals  are 
complaining  about  receiving  promotional 
materials  from  the  cooperating  boards. 
Should  the  present  lack  of  support  for 
denominational  ministries  be  interpreted  to 
mean  that  the  Brethren  want  them  to 
cease?  All  of  them?  Some  of  them?  If 
some,  which  ones? 

A   spiritual    problem 

Maybe  the  root  of  the  problem  is  not 
with  denominational  ministries.  Perhaps 
the  problem  is  a  spiritual  one — failure  to 
trust  the  Lord  enough  to  tithe.  If  all 
Brethren  were  tithers,  neither  the  local 
church  nor  the  denominational  ministries 
would  be  hurting  financially.  Have  we 
Brethren  become  so  materialistic  that  we 
cannot  manage  our  money  well  enough  to 
tithe?  Will  Brethren  in  the  eighties  willing- 
ly simplify  their  lifestyle  in  order  to  provide 
the  personnel  and  funds  to  do  the  primary 
work  of  the  church? 

Another  problem  is  the  location  of  our 
churches.  We  are  a  predominantly  rural 
church  in  an  increasingly  urban  society. 
Only  22  (18%)  of  our  congregations  are 
located  in  population  centers  of  50,000  or 


February  1979 


11 


''Our  problems  can  be  converted  into  stepping  stones 
leading-  into  a  new  era  of  frnitfulness  for  the  Lord/' 


more.  And  of  these  only  six  have  an 
average  worship  attendance  of  100  or  more. 
The  population  flow  is  to  the  south  and  we 
are  mainly  northerners.  To  minister  where 
the  people  are  we  must  plant  churches  in 
southern  urban  and  suburban  areas.  But 
the  cost  will  be  high.  In  the  eighties  we 
must  diligently  and  deliberately  work  at 
this. 

Do  we  have  the  conviction  and  the  will 
to  pay  the  price  to  see  new  churches 
planted?  Will  Brethren  people  who  move  to 
a  community  that  has  no  Brethren  church 
deliberately  trust  God,  start  a  Bible  study 
in  their  home,  and  do  what  is  needed  to 
bring  together  a  core  group  to  plant  a  new 
church?  Will  a  northern  district  mission 
board  provide  the  funds  to  plant  a  church 
in  a  southern  city? 

As  you  can  tell,  I  really  am  thinking  out 
loud.  I  want  to  stimulate  your  thinking, 
your  praying,  and  your  concern. 

It  seems  to  me  that  we  Brethren  have  a 
knack  for  majoring  on  minors.  We  have 
trouble  grasping  the  essence  of  an  issue. 
General  Conference  will  spend  years  debat- 
ing a  fairly  minor  point.  Local  churches 
spend  more  time  deciding  how  to  spend 
5100  than  they  do  in  asking  and  answering 
the  question,  ''What  does  God  want  us  to 
do  for  Him  in  our  community?" 

We   need   a   sense   of  purpose 

Aren't  these  symptoms  of  an  organiza- 
tion that  has  lost  its  sense  of  purpose,  that 
has  no  vision,  that  has  lost  its  will  to  ad- 
vance? Do  we  need  to  make  some  efforts 
to  answer  the  questions,  ''What  is  the  rea- 
son for  the  existence  of  the  Brethren 
Church?  Are  the  reasons  of  a  hundred 
years  ago  valid  for  today?" 

If  we  do  not  have  a  strong  sense  of  pur- 
pose, we  will  continually  find  ourselves  re- 
acting to  what's  happening  around  us 
rather  than  initiating  action  which  boldly 
says,  "We  are  the  people  of  God,  we  are 
the  church  of  the  living  Lord,  there- 
fore. ..."  Many  of  our  local  churches  are 
just  plodding  along,  doing  the  same  old 
things,  not  really  knowing  why.  For  us  to 
have  impact  on  the  eighties,  we  must  know 
who  we  are,  why  we  exist,  and  what  we  are 


to  do.   Then,   of  course,  we  must  channel 
our  energies  into  fulfilling  our  mission. 

I  praise  the  Lord  for  the  Brethren 
Church,  and  I  long  with  tears  to  see  the 
Brethren  Church  become  a  dynamic,  con- 
secrated, and  willing  instrument  used 
mightily  of  God  to  bring  men  and  women 
into  a  saving  relationship  with  Jesus  Christ 
and  into  a  positive  relationship  with  a 
Brethren  Church. 

A    vision    for   +he    elah+ies 


As  we  look  to  the  eighties,  I  have  many 
hopes  and  dreams  for  our  church.  I  dream 
of  local  Brethren  churches  being  power- 
houses for  God.  Effective  evangelism  be- 
gins and  ends  with  the  local  church.  I  wish 
that  each  one  of  our  local  churches  would 
pray,  work,  and  witness  as  though  the 
eternal  welfare  of  every  individual  in  their 
community  depended  upon  them. 

I  long  for  the  day  when  a  renewal  will 
sweep  through  our  church  so  that  men  and 
women  will  give  themselves  unreservedly 
to  the  Lord's  service  and  every  pastorate 
will  be  filled.  I  dream  of  the  time  when  we 
will  start  twenty  new  churches  every  year 
instead  of  two.  I  dream  of  a  growing  num- 
ber of  pastors  who  have  a  Holy  Spirit  gen- 
erated fire  and  vision  to  reach  people  for 
Jesus  Christ,  to  plant  churches,  to  lead 
churches,  and  to  faithfully  do  those  things 
which  result  in  the  lost  being  found,  fed, 
and  folded. 

I  envision  a  hoard  of  Brethren  lay  people 
eagerly  bearing  positive  witness  for  Christ 
and  joyfully  using  their  gifts  in  fulfilling 
the  ministry  of  the  risen  Lord.  I  dream  of 
Brethren  joining  hearts  and  minds  to  dis- 
cover possibilities  and  opportunities  and  to 
work  together  to  accomplish  them. 

I  dream  of  the  day  when  our  wanderings 
will  cease.  I  hope  for  a  turn  around  begin- 
ning in  1979,  with  the  eighties  being  a 
decade  of  growing  momentum.  The  prob- 
lems have  solutions.  We  can  claim  the  vic- 
tory of  our  Lord.  Our  problems  can  be 
converted  into  stepping  stones  leading  into 
a  new  era  of  fruitfulness  for  our  Lord.  We 
must  not  back  or  meander  into  our  future 
— we  must  march  into  it!  Will  you 
enlist?  D 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


The  Benevolent  Board 

to 


9     » 


\''       ^:V^ 


((''' 


ervice 


Service  is  the  rent  we  pay  for  our  room  on  earth,  and  the  mennbers 
of  The  Benevolent  Board  would  like  to  be  good  tenants. 


Arficle  I  —  Ncsme 

The  name  of  this  organization  is:  The  Benevo- 
lent Board  of   The  Brethren   Church. 

Article  II  —  Purpose 

The  purpose  of  this  organization  is  to  minister 
to  the  needs  of  the  elderly  by  identifying  and 
giving  priority  to  those  programs  and  services 
which  are  better  implemented  through  the  church. 


THE  BRETHREN  CHURCH  has  long 
been  concerned  with  caring  for  the 
elderly.  As  early  as  1892  there  was  a  feel- 
ing that  steps  should  be  taken  to  meet 
their  needs.  Funds  given  by  Lydia  Fox  and 
her  brother,  John  Early,  started  an  effort 
that  has  continued  to  this  day.  These  early 
funds  were  invested,  and  by  1922  The 
Brethren's  Home  was  constructed  at  Flora, 
Indiana. 

At  that  time  The  Benevolent  Board  and 
The  Brethren's  Home  were  one  and  the 
same. 

In  the  1960's  new  health  care  regulations 
and  building  code  requirements  caused  The 
Benevolent  Board  to  seriously  study  the 
advisability  of  continuing  this  ministry.  A 
survey  was  made  of  health  care  and  retire- 
ment facilities  in  the  surrounding  states. 
Not-for-profit  homes  were  visited  as  well 
as  proprietary  homes.  From  this  research 
it  was  determined  that  the  church- 
sponsored  homes  were,  for  the  same  dollar, 
giving  far  more  care  and  service  to  the  eld- 
erly than  the  proprietary  homes.  Hence, 
the  recommendation  was  made  by  the 
Board  that  The  Brethren  Church  should  be 
ministering  to  this  area  of  special  need. 

In  1966  plans  were  made  to  build  a  new 
facility  at  Flora,  and  a  new  46-bed  nursing 
home  was  opened  on  May  5,  1968. 

A  need  was  felt  for  the  development  of 
retirement  facilities  in  other  areas.  So  in 
August  1970  Dorman  Ronk,  past  president 
of  The  Benevolent  Board,  was  hired  as  full- 
time  Executive  Secretary  to  continue  the 
development  of  retirement  facilities  and  to 
administer  the  work  of  The  Benevolent 
Board.  Also,  at  this  time,  The  Brethren's 


Home  and  The  Benevolent  Board  became 
separate  entities.  The  Brethren's  Home  be- 
came a  not-for-profit  corporation  in  the 
State  of  Indiana  and  The  Benevolent  Board 
became  a  not-for-profit  corporation  with 
headquarters  in  Ashland,  Ohio. 

The  Articles  of  Incorporation  for  The 
Brethren's  Home  were  drawn  so  that  any 
member  of  The  Benevolent  Board  was  a 
member  of  The  Brethren's  Home  Corpora- 
tion and  so  that  the  members  of  The  Breth- 
ren's Home  Corporation  would  elect  the 
Board  of  Trustees.  This  same  procedure 
has  been  followed  in  establishing  Brethren 
Care,  Inc.,  at  Ashland,  Ohio,  and  Brethren 
Care,  Inc.,  at  South  Bend,  Indiana. 

Through  the  efforts  and  leadership  of 
Dorman  Ronk  as  Executive  Secretary,  a 
100-bed  nursing  home  known  as  Brethren 
Care,  with  seven  connected  apartments,  has 
been  constructed  and  occupied  in  Ashland, 
Ohio.  Also  through  his  efforts  nine  apart- 
ments were  constructed  on  College  Avenue 
in  Ashland.  These  apartments  are  adjacent 
to  the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church  and  are 
under  the  management  of  Brethren  Care. 

Dorman  was  also  instrumental  in  getting 
an  88-unit  apartment  building  known  as 
Martin  House  built  in  Ashland,  Ohio.  The 
Benevolent  Board  has  no  investment  in  this 
project  other  than  Dorman's  time,  which 
was  given  from  the  planning  and  construc- 
tion stage  through  a  successful  start-up. 

Dorman  also  worked  with  and  guided 
further  expansion  at  Flora.  At  present.  The 
Brethren's  Home  at  Flora  can  accommodate 
86  nursing  home  residents  and  has  26  apart- 
ments available  for  retirement  residents. 

As  these  projects  were  completed  and 
the  administrative  management  of  each 
facility  assumed  responsibility  for  its 
operation,  it  became  apparent  to  The  Bene- 
volent Board  that  the  financial  resources 
of  the  board  were  not  sufficient  to  retain 
a  full-time  Executive  Secretary.  It  also 
became  apparent  that  future  expansion  of 
present  facilities  would  need  to  be  accom- 
plished through  the  efforts  of  each  home's 
administration  and  Board  of  Trustees. 
Therefore  Dorman  relinquished  his  respon- 
sibilities as  Executive  Secretary  and  has 
resumed  his  teaching  career.  D 


February  1979 


o 


77?^  Nursing  Home  Image 

Nursing  homes  are  among  our  most  stigmatized  and  investigated 
institutions.  Stories  in  the  media  tell  tales  of  neglect  and  abuse,  and 
the  public   shudders. 

A  common  reaction  to  the  neglect  of  older  people  is,  "There 
ought  to  be  a  law  against  that  sort  of  treatment." 

Thinking  people  everywhere  are  demanding  personal  dignity  and 
high  standards  of  care  for  the  older  person.  But  can  morality  be  leg- 
islated?  Brethren  people  believe  there   is  a   better  way. 


Are  We 
Benevolent*  People? 

To  answer  this  question  we  must  determine 
just  what  benevolence  is.  This  quality  that  should 
characterize  all  of  us  means   .   .   . 

Doing  some  kind  and  loving  deed 
or  giving  a  gift  to  one  in  need. 


How  Qualified 
Are  Our  Present  Facilities? 

In  case  you  are  unfamiliar  with  the  ministries 
at  our  homes,  look  at  Brethren  Care,  Ashland, 
Ohio;  The  Brethren's  Home,  Flora^  Indiana;  and 
Brethren  Care,  South  Bend,  Indiana,  as  presented 
on   this  and  the  following  pages. 


BRETHREN  CARE 

AshlaBi 


OMo' 


by   Ida    Lindower 


THIS  RESIDENCE  for  our  elderly  citi- 
zens is  well  named,  for  Brethren  do 
care  for  our  mature  people.  This  concern 
can  be  seen  in  the  comfort  and  content- 
ment of  many  who  work  or  live  here. 

First,  let's  look  at  those  who  work  here. 
A  competent,  understanding  administration 
figures  largely  in  the  smooth  operation; 
nurses,  aides,  kitchen  staff,  housekeepers, 
maintenance  workers — all  manifest  a  com- 
mendable esprit  de  corps,  so  essential  to 
conducting  such  a  residence  successfully. 
Listen  to  some  of  their  comments: 

Says  Kris  GentEe  (L.P.N.) :  '1  enjoy  the 
work;  and  Brethren  Care  has  treated  me 
very  well." 

(continued  on   next  page) 


Mrs.  Lindower  is  a  retired  Ashland  College 
professor  of  English.  She  presently  spends  one 
day  each  week  in  volunteer  work  at  Brethren  Care. 


Mrs.  Glenn  with  some  of  her  beautiful  hand- 
craft work  which  is  on  the  wall  of  her  room  at 
Brethren  Care. 


14 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


The  concern  which  Brethren  people  show  for  the  elderly 
can  be  seen  in  the  comfort  and  contentment  of  the  many 
who  live  and  work  at  Brethren  Care  in  Ashland, 


Eileen  Hahn  (dietitian  for  5  years,  who 
plans  and  prepares  delicious  meals) :  *1 
like  my  work  here." 

Miriam  Esbenshade  (nurse's  aide  for  5 
years) :  ''I've  worked  in  other  nursing  and 
retirement  homes,  but  this  one  is  best.  It 
is  so  clean  and  friendly." 

Jo  Long,  (another  aide  for  5  years) :  "I 
love  my  work  here.  These  people  are  so 
interesting." 

Many  more  comments  might  be  listed, 
but  let's  look  at  some  of  the  residents. 

Meet  Mrs.  Glenn,  95  years  old  and  a  de- 
lightfully pleasant,  alert  lady.  She  is  a 
stimulating  presence  at  the  Wednesday 
evening  Bible  Class  which  she  attends  faith- 
fully, asking  intelligent  questions  and  con- 
tributing to  discussion.  She  has  done  much 
lovely  embroidery  work,  some  of  which 
adorns  the  walls  up  and  down  the  halls  as 
well  as  in  her  room.  Asked  how  she  likes 
living  here,  she  replied,  ''I  wouldn't  want 
to  be  anywhere  else." 

Another  resident,  Mrs.  Estella  Budd,  has 
lived  at  Brethren  Care  since  1973.  This 
energetic  person  might  be  designated  "the 
flower  lady,"  for  she  has — by  actual  count 


Mrs.  Estella  Budd  and  some  of  her  lovely  plants. 
Mrs.  Budd  has  lived  at  Brethren  Care  since  1973. 


at  this  time — nineteen  African  Violets  in 
her  room,  besides  other  miscellaneous 
plants.  She  must  exercise  some  magic  over 
them,  for  they  are  magnificent.  During 
growing  season  outside,  she  likes  to  water 
plants   around  the  building. 

Estella,  a  youthful  eighty-eight,  is  the 
soul  of  generosity,  often  having  friends  buy 
goodies  for  her — melons,  apples,  cakes,  etc. 
— which  she  shares  with  those  at  her  table. 
She  has  no  children,  but  numerous  nieces 
and  nephews  with  whom  she  might  live; 
however,  she  enjoys  her  independence.  She 
too  attends  Bible  study  faithfully. 

L.  U.  Todd  is  one  of  our  scholars  in  resi- 
dence. This  95-year-old  for  many  years 
taught  math — geometry,  trig.,  and  calculus 
— at  Ashland  High  School.  So  much  loved 
was  he  that  former  students  and  fellow 
teachers  continue  to  visit  with  him.  The 
writer  of  this  little  sketch  owes  him  much 
for  his  influence  on  her  children  when  they 
attended  his  classes.  Asked  how  he  is  treat- 
ed at  Brethren  Care,  he  replied  enthusias- 
tically, "They  couldn't  treat  me  better." 

To  be  sure  many  other  fascinating  per- 
sonalities might  be  listed  here:  Mildred 
McElroy,  former  librarian  at  the  State 
House  in  Columbus  as  well  as  at  Ohio 
Wesleyan  University.  Adelaide  Scott,  age 
91,  who  until  85  years  old  had  her  own 
advertising  agency  in  Cleveland.  Esther 
Gibson,  high  school  English  teacher  for 
many  years.  Ruth  Sheets,  wife  of  a  former 
Church  of  the  Brethren  minister  and  long- 
time foster  mother  to  about  25  children. 
Gladys  Redd,  wife  of  a  former  United 
Brethren  pastor. 

If  space  permitted,  all  78-80  residents 
might  be  sketched.  These  are  just  a  few, 
but  their  tranquil,  fulfilled  lives  show  forth 
the  crowning  brush  strokes  God  makes  on 
some  of  His  masterpieces. 

Come  in  and  visit.  If  you  are  supporting 
Brethren  Care  through  your  Benevolence 
offerings,  you  will  be  glad  to  see  what  your 
gifts  are  doing.  If  you  are  not  presently 
supporting  with  your  giving,  you  may  want 
to  become  a  part  of  it.  n 


February  1979 


15 


TTJF 


BRET 


EN'S 


Flora,  Indiana 


THE  BRETHREN'S  HOME  in  Flora  is 
the  oldest  ministry  to  the  aged  and  in- 
firm operating  under  the  auspices  of  The 
Benevolent  Board  of  The  Brethren  Church. 
The  Brethren's  Home  opened  its  doors  on 
May  29,  1923,  and  has  been  providing  care 
to  those  in  need  of  long-term  health  care 
ever  since. 

Over  its  55  years  of  existence,  the  Home 
has  provided  more  than  $400,000.00  in 
benevolent  care  to  those  who  could  not 
sustain  themselves  financially.  This  year 
alone,  the  Home  has  made  available  more 
than  $30,000.00  in  benevolent  care  by  sup- 
porting those  whose  funds  are  exhausted 
or  through  subsidizing  care  to  those  under 
Title  19  of  the  Medicaid  program.  This  gen- 
erous maintenance  care  depends  on  gifts 


from  individuals,  estates,  gifts  to  the  Home, 
and  denominational  offerings  for  its 
continuance. 

Just  one  example  of  the  way  we  use  the 
gifts  and  funds  raised  during  the  year  is 
the  new  hydraulic  lift  for  our  van.  In  Aug- 
ust the  Home  sponsored  a  fish  fry  which 
was  made  possible  through  the  untiring 
efforts  of  Stan  Gentle  (Assistant  Adminis- 
trator), Stan's  wife,  Judi,  and  many  vol- 
unteers and  friends  of  the  Home.  Almost 
$1,000.00  was  raised  towards  the  purchase 
of  the  $1,300.00  lift.  The  remainder  of  the 
funds  came  through  contributions  from  the 
Flora  First  Brethren  Church  Bible  School, 
other  Brethren  churches,  and  individual 
gifts. 

Presently   our  needs  include  a  gift  for 


Gene    Geaslen,    Brethren's    Home    Administrator    (left),    and    Stan    Gentle,    Assistant    Administrator 
(right),  demonstrate  the  hydraulic  lift,  which  gives  new   life  to  the  Home's  van. 


16 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Stan  Gentle  (left),  Gene  Geaslen 

(2nd  from  left),  and  Jim 

Gerard  (right)  honor  Mrs.  Neva 

Handley  as  ''Volunteer  of  the 

Year"  for  District  III  in  Indiana. 

Mrs.  Handley  contributed  150 

hours  in  volunteer  service  in  1978. 


our  bus,  a  tilting  fry  pan  for  the  kitchen, 
a  new  roof  for  the  south  wing  of  the  health 
facility,  two  blow  dryers,  and  a  multi- 
purpose building  where  we  can  hold  church 
services  and  other  gatherings. 

Contributions  of  time  are  also  needed  in 
order  to  continue  the  individual  care  at  the 
Home.  Last  year  more  than  3700  hours 
were  given  by  some  QQ  volunteers,  function- 
ing under  the  direction  of  Mary  Blue,  our 
Activities  Director.  These  volunteers  do  all 
kinds  of  things  from  visiting  with  our  bed- 
fast residents  to  helping  with  parties  and 
activities  for  our  active  residents.  If  we 
had  had  to  pay  for  those  hours,  it  would 
have  cost  us  from  $10,000  to  $14,000.  Time 
is  a  money  donation! 

We  were  fortunate  to  have  one  of  our 
volunteers  receive  recognition  as  '* Volun- 
teer of  the  Year"  for  District  III  in  Indiana. 
Mrs.  Neva  Handley  contributed  150  hours 
in  volunteer  service  in  1978  and  was  hon- 
ored along  with  seven  other  volunteers  by 
TV  celebrity  Jim  Gerard  at  a  State  Nursing 
Home  Association  dinner. 

The  Brethren's  Home  provides  basically 
two  kinds  of  accommodations:  26  inde- 
pendent living  apartments  and  an  86-bed 
intermediate  care  health  facility.  The 
Health  Care  unit  is  licensed  by  the  State 
of  Indiana  and  certified  by  Medicaid.  We 
are  also  active  in  both  the  Indiana  Health 
Care  Association  and  the  Indiana  Associa- 
tion of  the  Homes  for  the  Aging  and  Aged. 

The  entire  operation  employs  more  than 
85  people  and  has  a  payroll  in  excess  of 
$400,000.00  per  year.  Presently  the  facility 
has  an  approximate  value  of  three  million 


dollars.  This  has  been  made  possible  be- 
cause the  Brethren  have  a  burden  and 
vision  for  caring  for  other  people. 

Presently  there  are  no  immediate  plans 
for  expansion,  although  our  needs  would 
indicate  that  we  should  we  considering 
facilities  for  a  chapel  and  a  multi-purpose 
building.  Since  such  a  building  would  not 
generate  any  income,  capital  monies  will 
have  to  be  saved  or  received  as  gifts  before 
we  can  begin  such  a  project. 

Right  now  our  immediate  goal  is  to  main- 
tain a  financially  sound  facility  while  pro- 
viding the  best  quality  health  care  for  a 
modest  price.  We  need  the  Brethren  to  help 
us  accomplish  this  goal  by  their  continual 
support.  Start  by  praying  for  us  regularly, 
and  then  share  of  your  time  and  money  to 
assist  us  in  continuing  to  provide  benevo- 
lent care  for  those  who  gave  ug  life. 

We  certainly  want  to  thank  the  friends 
who  faithfully  support  the  ministry  in 
Flora.  This  includes  those  who  send  birth- 
day cards  and  Christmas  gifts  to  the 
residents,  those  who  provide  programs 
throughout  the  year,  those  who  invest  in 
notes  and  bonds,  and  those  who  give  finan- 
cial gifts — either  to  the  home  directly  or 
through  the  Benevolent  Board. 

For  further  information  on  how  you  and 
your  church  might  share  in  the  work  r.t 
Flora,  or  for  information  on  independent 
living  apartments  or  our  long-term  health 
care,  please  feel  free  to  contact  either  Gene 
A.  Geaslen,  Administrator,  or  Stan  E. 
Gentle,  Assistant  Administrator,  at  R.R.  2, 
Box  97,  Flora,  Indiana  46929  (phone  219- 
967-4571).  n 


February  1979 


17 


TOPSFIE 


Brethren  Care  of  South  Bend.  Inc. 


TOPSFIELD  TERRACE  will  be  owned  by 
Brethren  Care  of  South  Bend,  Inc.,  an 
ecumenical,  not-for-profit  corporation  affili- 
ated with  the  Brethren  Church  under  the 
administration  of  the  National  Benevolent 
Board  of  The  Brethren  Church. 

The  facility  will  make  it  possible  for 
retirees  to  remain  in  the  community  of  their 
choosing — South  Bend.  The  Terrace  will 
offer  a  gracious  and  secure  lifestyle  to 
qualified  persons  over  the  age  of  62  without 
regard  to  religious  preference,  race,  or 
national  origin. 

Construction  has  commenced,  and  in 
order  that  you  may  fully  appreciate  the 
excellent  accommodations  to  be  available  at 
Topsfield  Terrace,  a  model  apartment  has 
been  constructed  on  the  building  site.  The 
model  is  open  daily  from  8:30  a.m.  to  5:00 
p.m.,  and  on  weekends  from  1:00  to  5:00 


p.m.  Terrace  representatives  will  be  avail- 
able to  show  you  through  and  explain  the 
program  in  detail.  Feel  free  to  visit  any 
time,  no  appointment  necessary.  For  infor- 
mation, contact:  Topsfield  Terrace,  17881 
Inwood  Road,  South  Bend,  Indiana  46614 
(phone:  219-291-8205). 

Although  we  should  be  benevolent  the 
year  round,  in  the  month  of  February  we 
have  a  special  opportunity  to  express  this 
virtue.  There  are  numerous  outlets  for  us, 
to  be  sure,  but  caring  for  our  aging  is  fun- 
damental to  Christian  benevolence.  Remem- 
ber what  the  poet  Browning  said:  ''Grow 
old  along  with  me!  The  best  is  yet  to  be, 
the  last  of  life  for  which  the  first  was 
made.  .  .  ."  If  we  would  make  such  a  state- 
ment a  reality,  we  would  insure  the  com- 
fort and  well-being  of  numerous  of  God's 
noble  men  and  women.  □ 


Topsfield 

Terrace 

Site 

Plan 


18 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


the  salt  shaker 


by  Alvin  Shifflett 


If   the    Brethren    Church    is   to    have    a   future,    it 
must  buck  the  trends  of  the  past. 


Futuristics 


HISTORIANS  often  say  that  the  past 
can  help  us  understand  the  future. 
Futurists  emphatically  agree.  In  fact,  some 
have  even  suggested  that  the  study  of  the 
future  be  called  ''applied  history." 

Futurists  are  not  content  to  simply 
understand  what  happened  in  the  past; 
they  want  to  use  that  knowledge  to  im- 
prove the  future.  They  would  do  so  by 
applying  two  basic  principles — the  Principle 
of  Continuity  and  the  Principle  of  Analogy. 

According  to  the  Principle  of  Continuity, 
the  future  will  be  a  repeat  of  the  past  or 
something  like  it  (give  or  take  a  few 
differences). 

The  Principle  of  Analogy  is  based  on 
observation  of  sequential  events.  When  the 
barometer  falls,  a  storm  follows.  If  the 
light  changes  to  red,  the  traffic  comes  to 
a  halt  (or  is  supposed  to). 

So  far  so  good.  Much  of  our  everyday 
forecasting  is  routine.  In  fact,  it's  so  rou- 
tine that  we  don't  realize  we  are  practicing 
what  is  called  futuristics. 

One  method  we  all  use  is  Trend  Extra- 
polation. For  example,  if  the  population  of 
a  city  is  increasing  at  the  rate  of  two  per- 
cent per  year,  we  can  predict  what  the  city's 
population  will  be  ten  years  from  now.  This 
is  Trend  Extrapolation  and  simple  mathe- 
matics. Of  course,  there  are  risks  involved. 
Some  catastrophe  (plague,  earthquake) 
may  occur,  which  would  change  the  entire 
trend  and  ruin  our  prediction.  But  barring 
these  unforeseen  events,  our  Trend  Extra- 
polation should  follow  the  basic  Principle 
of  Continuity.  If  we  take  into  consideration 
other  things  affecting  the  city's  growth, 
then  we  have  shifted  to  the  Principle  of 
Analogy. 

Recently  I  applied  these  principles  to 
Brethren  statistics.   From   1974    (memb3r- 


ship  of  16,235)  to  1977  (membership  of 
15,344),  we  had  an  average  drop  of  256 
members  per  year  in  the  Brethren  Church. 
This  trend  has  been  continuous  for  as  many 
years  as  I  can  remember.  If  this  trend  con- 
tinues, by  the  year  2000  the  Brethren 
Church  will  have  somewhere  in  the  vicinity 
of  9,968  members — according  to  the  Prin- 
ciple of  Continuity. 

When  I  apply  the  Principle  of  Analogy, 
the  outlook  becomes  worse.  But  I  won't 
get  into  that  because  it  sounds  so  pessimis- 
tic, and  I'm  not  a  pessimist. 

In  addition  to  using  Trend  Extrapolation, 
futurists  also  explore  the  future  by  means 
of  scenarios.  So  what  is  a  scenario? 

According  to  futurists,  a  scenario  is 
exactly  what  the  Brethren  Church  needs 
in  the  face  of  present  trends.  A  scenario 
begins  when  we  start  wondering,  ''What 
would  happen  if  such  and  such  occurred?" 
For  example,  if  it  takes  17  people  spending 
$3500  to  bring  about  one  conversion  in  the 
Brethren  Church,  what  vv^ould  happen  if 
ten  were  able  to  do  the  job  spending  only 
$2500?  It  would  be  much  more  effective, 
wouldn't  it? 

And  if  we've  averaged  458  conversions 
per  year  the  last  few  years,  what  would 
happen  if  we  got  more  evangelistic  and 
started  averaging  500  or  600?  It  wouldn't 
take  long  for  a  scenario  to  change  the 
trends  of  the  church,  would  it? 

What  it  boils  down  to  is  the  need  for  a 
continuous  scenario  in  the  Brethren  Church. 
That  is,  Brethren  people  who've  finally 
decided  to  buck  the  trend  and  do  the  job. 

What  happens  if  we  don't  do  it?  That's 
easy  to  predict  using  a  form  of  Trend 
Extrapolation.  But  you  answer  the  ques- 
tion. I'm  going  out  to  begin  a  scenario,  n 


February  1979 


19 


Some  of  the  43  Brethren  students  who  are  attending  Ashland  College. 


AC   Campus   Ministry: 


A  Time  of  Reflection 


by   Fred    Burkey 


SEMESTER  BREAK  .  .  .  four  weeks  until 
the  students  return  to  campus  ...  a 
breather  .  .  .  thank  goodness!  Now  for  a 
time  of  reflection  and  evaluation  of  our 
first  semester's  ministry  on  the  Ashland 
College  campus. 

My  initial  reaction  is  a  feeling  of  grat- 
itude. I  am  grateful  to  the  many  Brethren 
churches  and  individuals  who  care  enough 
to  support  our  evangelical  witness  on 
campus.  Budgets  are  tight — every  college 
department  is  facing  a  cut  of  one-third  in 
controllable  expenses.  Our  budget  is  no 
exception.  Yet  I  am  thankful  that  church 
contributions  will  make  it  possible  for  us 
to  continue. 

I  am  thankful  as  well  for  the  many  ex- 
pressions of  apprec'ation  and  support  we 
have  had  for  the  semester's  work.  We  have 
counseled  many  troubled  people — students 
and  others.  We  have  seen  people's  lives 
changed  in  Bible  studies,  discussion  groups, 
counseling  sessions,  and  worship  services. 


Dr.  Frederick  T.  Burkey  is  Director  of  Religious 
Affairs  and  Campus  Ministry  for  Ashland  College. 


Our  beginning  has  been  modest.  We  have 
not  jumped  headlong  into  things,  choosing 
instead  to  move  slowly,  identifying  needs 
and  priorities. 

We  are  grateful  as  well  for  the  fine 
people  we  have  to  work  with.  Our  new 
Office  of  Religious  Affairs  has  been  cor- 
dially received  by  faculty,  staff,  and  ad- 
ministration. President  Schultz  has  been 
wonderfully  supportive  of  our  program  and 
has  offered  invaluable  guidance.  He  has 
taken  the  time  to  discuss  our  ideas  and 
concerns  even  when  the  pressures  of  his 
own  job  were  almost  overwhelming.  He  has 
given  spiritual  matters  a  clear  priority  in 
the  life  of  Ashland  College.  Pray  for  him 
regularly. 

My  assistants,  Judy  Gifford  and  Jim 
Miller,  are  doing  a  fine  job.  Both  are  dedi- 
cated Christians  and  both  are  working 
effectively  among  the  students.  This  task 
would  be  impossible  without  them.  Both 
are  taking  seminary  courses  (Jim  is  a  full- 
time  student),  yet  they  give  freely  of  their 
time  in  counseling,  teaching,  and  doing  the 
necessary  office  work. 

In  addition,  we  have  three  adjunct  staff 


20 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


members,  Neil  and  Mary  Sue  Smith  and 
Tom  Hawks,  who  work  with  CoaUtion  for 
Christian  Outreach  and  Ashland  College. 
The  Coalition  people  serve  as  residence  hall 
directors  and  work  in  the  Office  of  the 
Dean  of  Students.  We  welcome  their  contri- 
bution to  our  objective. 

We  are  pleased  as  well  with  the  role  our 
forty-three  Brethren  students  are  playing 
on  campus.  They  are  active  in  nearly  every 
facet  of  academic  life  and  in  most  extra- 
curricular activities.  In  many  cases,  they 
form  the  core  group  around  which  pro- 
grams are  built.  Based  on  our  first  semes- 
ter experience,  we  estimate  that  there  are 
about  150  Protestant  Christian  students 
who  are  actively  involved  in  religious  pro- 
grams. (There  are  many  more  Christian 
students,  but  most  tend  to  be  less  active 
than  this  150.) 

Much  more  could  be  said,  but  I  want  to 
share  some  of  our  plans  for  the  second 
semester  and  beyond. 

First,  Bible  studies  will  be  continued  in 
every  dormitory.  The  Sunday  evening 
worship  service  (9:00-10:00  p.m.)  will  be 
continued,  featuring  a  variety  of  competent 
speakers  and  lots  of  good  music.  Our 
counseling  service  will  be  expanded. 

Second,  some  new  programs  will  be 
offered.  At  least  five  non-credit  courses 
are  being  considered.  These  include:  How 
to  Be  a  People  Helper  (a  peer  counseling 
course),  Evidence  That  Demands  a  Verdict 
(a  study  of  the  intellectual  basis  of  the 
Christian  faith).  How  to  Give  Away  Your 
Faith,  The  Measure  of  a  Man,  and  The 
Measure  of  a  Woman.  These  will  be  taught 


by  our  staff  at  convenient  times  during  the 
semester. 

Other  planned  activities  include  a  sub- 
stance-abuse seminar,  a  couple  of  concerts, 
and  presentations  by  Acts  II  (our  Christian 
drama  group)  and  HISong.  These  will  be 
scheduled  to  supplement  the  programs  of 
campus  Christian  organizations. 

We  are  exploring  the  possibility  of  con- 
verting the  basement  of  Memorial  Chapel 
into  a  ''campus  Christian  center."  The 
chapel  is  not  being  used  regularly,  but  we 
hope  to  change  that  next  academic  year. 

We  have  several  pressing  needs  which 
ought  to  be  shared  with  the  brotherhood. 
First,  we  need  Brethren  students  ...  at 
least  thirty  new  ones  next  fall. 

Related  to  this  is  our  second  need: 
scholarship  money.  It  now  costs  over 
$5,000,00  per  year  for  a  full-time  student 
to  attend  Ashland  College.  If  individuals, 
classes,  groups,  districts,  or  churches  are 
interested  in  helping  the  Brethren  students 
financially,  I  would  be  glad  to  meet  and 
explore  the  matter  with  them.  I  think  we 
should  also  consider  helping  more  than  just 
pre-seminary  and  seminary  students.  There 
are  a  lot  of  potential  tentmakers  who  also 
need  encouragement  and  assistance. 

Third,  Ashland  College  needs  the  Breth- 
ren church's  support  through  the  Educa- 
tional Day  Offering.  Every  dollar  helps  in 
this  day  of  exploding  costs,  high  interest 
rates,  and  inflation. 

Finally,  do  pray  for  us!  This  is  as  diffi- 
cult a  mission  field  as  anyone  can  imagine. 
Your  prayerful  participation  in  our  work 
will  be  deeply  appreciated.  □ 


AC  Trustees  propose  $11.2  million  budget, 
approve  addition  to  seminary  library 


Ashland,  Ohio — The  Ashland  College  Board  of 
Trustees,  during  meetings  held  January  23-25, 
proposed  a  budget  of  more  than  $11.2  million  for 
the  1979-80  academic  year  and  urged  a  feasibility 
study  prior  to  planning  a  capital  fund  campaign 
for  the  1980s. 

Dr.  Arthur  L.  Schultz,  president  of  AC,  said 
that  official  approval  of  the  new  budget  will  be 
given  in  the  annual  August  meeting  of  the  board. 
The  budget  during  the  current  year  is  more  than 
$10  million,  which  is  the  record  high  for  the  100- 
year-old   college. 

President  Schultz  said  that  the  capital  fund 
campaign  will  be  necessary  in  order  to  increase 
the   college's   endowment   and   to   provide   money 


for  renovations  and  working  capital. 

The  Ashland  Theological  Seminary's  proposal 
for  an  addition  to  its  library  was  approved  by 
the  board,  pending  the  raising  of  funds  for  the 
construction.  The  added  library  space  is  required 
to  meet  accreditation  standards.  The  seminary  is 
currently  raising  funds  for  an  addition  of  one 
floor  to  its  main  building  for  extra  classrooms 
and  offices. 

During  the  meeting,  the  board  also  re-elected  its 
officers.  Elton  Whitted  of  Ashland  will  continue 
to  serve  as  chairman.  Other  officers  are  Thomas 
L.  Stoffer  of  Canton,  vice  chairman;  Stephen  P. 
Gilbert  of  Toledo,  secretary;  and  Rev.  Doc  Shank 
of  Herndon,   Va.,   assistant   secretary. 


February  1979 


21 


news  from   the   Brethren   Church 


Moderator's   Report 

by   Rev.   Duane   Dickson 


One  question  I  have  heard  in  the  past  year — 
in  fact,  in  the  past  several  years — is,  "Do  we 
as  a  church  know  who  we  are?"  I'm  not  going 
to  even  hint  that  I  will  answer  that  question 
in  this  short  space. 

Our  church's  identity  crisis  is  a  reflection  of 
our  society.  Man  today  is  questioning  his 
identity  and  life  purpose — and,  as  a  result,  his 
personal  worth.  We  carry  our  personal  prob- 
lems into  the  church.  Therefore  the  church 
reflects  our  uncertainty. 

To  be  successful  in  life,  we  must  have  a 
feeling  of  personal  worth,  know  where  we  are 
going,  and  know  how  we  can  get  there.  We 
need  goals  so  that  we  can  see  our  accomplish- 
ments. Seeing  our  accomplishments,  we  begin 
to  understand  our  reason  for  being. 

Now  let's  look  at  the  larger  group — the 
denomination.  We  are  congregationally  gov- 
erned, which  makes  the  decision-making 
process  a  little  slower.  This  is  not  necessarily 
bad.  Congregational  government  (democracy) 
is  still  the  fairest  form  available. 

We  hold  the  Bible  as  our  only  creed,  which 
is  as  it  should  we.  Our  history  indicates,  how- 
ever, that  we  have  tended  to  become  very 
legalistic  about  some  things  that  are  not 
scriptural  mandates.  Through  the  process  of 
our    government,   things   have   been   corrected. 

There  have  been  times  when  we  have  lost 
sight  of  our  primary  goal,  which  is  to  proclaim 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  to  a  lost  world.  If 
there  is  anything  wrong  with  our  system,  it  is 
here.  My  main  desire  is  to  see  the  Brethren 
Church  renew  its  faith  in  the  purpose  of  the 
church,  which  is  evangelism,  and  act  aggres- 
sively on  it. 

I  believe  the  Brethren  Church  has  the  cap- 
ability to  proclaim  the  message  of  Christ 
effectively.  Our  structure  can  effectively  sup- 
port an  active  evangelism  program.  The  main 
problem  is  the  lack  of  proper  vision  at  all  levels. 

At  the  local,  district,  and  national  levels 
some  people  are  utilizing  all  their  time  to  im- 
plement change,  while  others  are  spending  their 
time  resisting  change.  My  intent  here  is  to 
state  that  our  time  could  be  used  to  greater 
advantage.  More  urgent  matters  need  our  atten- 
tion— namely    lost    souls. 

Let's  find  our  purpose,  decide  where  we  are 
going,  how  we  are  going  to  get  there,  and  we 
will  know  who  we  are! 


Ai  Shiffleff's  views  included 
in  Christianity  Today  article 

Rev.  Alvin  Shifflett,  a  regular  contributor  to 
the  Brethren  Evangelist  ("The  Salt  Shaker")  and 
pastor  of  the  First  Brethren  Church  of  Nappanee, 
Ind.,  was  one  of  36  contributors  to  an  opinion 
survey  which  appeared  in  the  January  5th  issue 
of  Christianity  Today  magazine. 

The  article,  entitled  "Church  Priorities  For  '79," 
gave  a  cross  section  of  opinion  on  how  the  church 
stands  in  1979.  Contributors  to  the  survey  were 
asked  two  questions:  "What  is  your  greatest  con- 
cern for  the  church  today,  and  how  might  the 
church  begin  to  deal  with  that  concern  in  the 
coming  year?" 

In  his  response.  Rev.  Shifflett  said  that  he 
wants  to  see  more  people  involved  in  church 
ministry.  "You  can  take  people  into  the  church, 
but  unless  they  get  involved  and  become  com- 
mitted disciples,  you  haven't  accomplished  much," 
he  said. 

Shifflett  believes  that  small  group  Bible  study 
is  the  best  tool  for  getting  people  involved  in 
discipleship  and  ministry.  "When  people  really 
begin  studying  God's  Word,  it  affects  them.  They 
become  better  disciples  and  often  end  up  minis- 
tering in  the  church." 

Among  the  others  whose  views  were  printed  in 
the  survey  were  Robert  Schuller,  pastor  of  the 
Garden  Grove  Community  Church,  Los  Angeles, 
Calif.;  George  Gallup,  Jr.,  president  of  the  Gallup 
Poll;  Billy  Melvin,  executive  director  of  the  Na- 
tional Association  of  Evangelicals;  Karen  Mains, 
author  of  Open  Heart,  Open  Honie  and  the  W.M.S. 
inspirational  speaker  at  the  1978  General  Confer- 
ence; and  Ronald  J.  Sider,  president  of  Evan- 
gelicals for  Social  Action  and  the  1978  General 
Conference  inspirational  speaker. 


Membership  Growth 

South  Bend:     3  by  baptism 

Burlington:     2  by  transfer 

Flora:     2  by  baptism,  1  by  transfer 

North  Manchester:     2  by  transfer 


Bits 


Elkhart,  Ind.— On  Sunday,  December  24,  1978,  the 
First  Brethren  Church  of  Elkhart  received  a 
special  "Jesus  Offering."  A  total  of  over  $3200 
was  collected. 


22 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Photo    courtesy   of   Mr.    Paul    Clapper  and   the    Louisville    Herald 
Part   of   the  congregation   present  for  Founder's  Day  at  the  Brethren  Bible  Church  of  Louisville,  Ohio. 

Brethren   Bible  Church   of  Louisville 
Observes   Founder's   Day 


Louisville,  Ohio — On  January  7,  1979,  the  Brethren 
Bible  Church  of  Louisville  became  the  newest 
Brethren  church.  On  that  date  this  new  congre- 
gation observed  Founder's  Day  and  received  its 
first  official  members. 

The  Brethren  Bible  Church  had  its  beginning  in 
September  of  1978  when  a  group  of  35  people  met 
to  seek  the  Lord's  will  in  fellowship  and  evan- 
gelism. They  set  up  a  simple  organization  and 
asked  Rev.  Charles  Lowmaster  to  be  their  pastor. 

Meetings  for  worship  and  fellowship  began  the 
second  Sunday  in  September  in  the  Community 
Room  of  the  Citizen's  Saving's  Association  of 
Louisville.  Approximately  35  people  attended  that 
service. 

By  October  a  Sunday  school  was  organized  and 
staffed.  The  church  continued  to  grow  so  that  by 
the  new  year  more  than  75  people  were  affiliated 
with  it.  A  very  active  youth  group  was  formed 
which  meets  each  week  in  the  homes  of  its 
members.  Midweek  Bible  studies  are  also  held  and 
are  well  attended. 

The    invitation     to     become     "founding-charter 


BCE  planning  Crusader-Intern  program 

Ashland,  Ohio — The  final  applications  for  1979 
Crusader  and  Intern  service  were  received  by  the 
Board  of  Christian  Education  office  at  the  end  of 
January.  The  staff  is  now  reviewing  the  applica- 
tions and  attempting  to  form  tentative  team 
alignments. 

You  can  help  the  BCE  in  its  planning  by  send- 
ing word  immediately  if  your  church  is  thinking 
of  requesting  a  Crusader  team  or  Intern  this 
summer.  All  pastors  and  moderators  have  been 
sent  request  forms  on  which  to  list  the  dates  and 
types  of  service  desired.  Please  return  these 
forms  as  soon  as  possible  to  enable  the  BCE  to 
plan  realistically  for  the  needs  of  all  our  churches. 


members"  of  the  Brethren  Bible  Church  was  open 
until  December  31,  1978.  As  of  that  date,  52  people 
had  responded.  These  were  received  into  member- 
ship on  Founder's  Day,  January  7th. 

Dr.  Charles  Munson,  chairman  of  the  Ohio  Dis- 
trict Board  of  Evangelists,  was  present  to  bring 
the  Founder's  Day  message  and  to  assist  with  and 
witness  the  reception  of  the  first  official  mem- 
bers into  the  new  church. 

The  church  is  praying  for  direction  for  its 
ministry  and  for  location  of  its  worship  facility. 
It  presently  meets  at  the  Fairhope  Elementary 
School  each  Sunday  for  Sunday  school  (at  9  a.m.) 
and  worship  (at  10  a.m.). 

— Rev.  Charles  Lowmaster 


NAE   olans    annual    conven+ion 

Wheaton,  111. — "Jesus  Christ:  Now  More  Than 
Ever"  will  be  the  theme  of  the  37th  annual  NAE 
Convention,  to  be  held  March  6-8  at  the  Sheraton 
Twin  Towers  in  Orlando,  Fla. 

This  year's  convention  theme  will  address  itself 
specifically  to  the  lostness  of  man,  the  power  of 
the  gospel  to  transform  lives,  and  the  ongoing 
challenge  to  make  disciples. 

Special  evening  speakers  for  the  convention  will 
be  Dr.  Adrian  Rogers,  pastor  of  Bellevue  Baptist 
Church,  Memphis,  Tenn.;  Dr.  Warren  Webster, 
general  director  of  the  Conservative  Baptist 
Foreign  Mission  Society;  and  Dr.  Paul  Smith, 
pastor  of  the  world  famous  People's  Church, 
Toronto.  The  morning  Bible  studies  will  be  led 
by  Dr.  Bruce  Dunn,  pastor  of  Grace  Presbyterian 
Church,  Peoria,  111.,  and  speaker  on  the  "Grace 
Worship   Hour"    broadcasts. 

In  addition  to  the  special  speakers,  the  conven- 
tion will  include  numerous  workshops  and  over 
60  displays  of  evangelical  materials  and  services. 


February  1979 


23 


update 


New  Call  +o  Peacemaking 
Statement  of  the  Findings  Committee 


The  following  is  the  second  part  of  a  Statement 
adopted  at  the  New  Call  to  Peacemaking  conference 
held  October  5-8,  1978,  at  Green  Lake,  Wisconsin. 
Rev.  Doc  Shank,  Peace  Coordinator  of  the  Brethren 
Church,  attended  this  conference. 

Part  one  of  this  Statement  appeared  on  pages  10 
and  11  of  the  January  1979  Evangelist.  The  final 
section  of  the  Statement  will  be  printed  in  an  upcom- 
ing issue. 

The  printing  of  this  Statement  does  not  mean 
that  either  the  Peace  Coordinator  or  the  Brethren 
Publishing  Company  endorses  it  in  its  entirety. 


II.    A  Peacemaking   Lifestyle 

We  are  called  to  a  peacemaking  lifestyle  that 
follows  Jesus'  way  in  personal  relationships  and 
in  economic  decisions. 

A.  Personal  Relationships 

A  peacemaking  lifestyle  requires  creative  love 
and  respect  for  the  integrity  of  each  person, 
starting  with  the  members  of  our  families.  It 
requires  us  to  speak  the  truth  in  love,  and  to 
confront  personal  and  structural  evil.  It  requires 
us  to  take  the  way  of  the  cross — to  absorb  suffer- 
ing rather  than  to  inflict  it,  and  to  demonstrate 
the  power  of  forgiving  love. 

Because  we  are  called  to  be  a  community  of 
faith  and  mutual  helpfulness,  we  must  act  in 
cooperation   rather   than   in   competition. 

B.  Economic  Decisions 

An  affluent  lifestyle  contributes  to  violence 
because  it  is  based  on  waste,  on  competition,  and 
on  demanding  more  than  a  fair  share  of  the 
world's  resources.  We  need  to  hear  John  Wool- 
man's  admonition:  "May  we  look  upon  our  treas- 
ures, the  furniture  of  our  houses,  and  our  gar- 
ments and  try  whether  the  seeds  of  war  have 
nourishment  in  these  our  possessions." 

We  urge  these  specific  responses: 

1.  Examine  our  personal  and  corporate  ste- 
wardship of  money. 

2.  Conserve  natural  resources. 

3.  Reduce  our  level  of  consumption  and  seek 
the  courage  of  the  Spirit  where  we  must 
make  fundamental  changes  in  our  way  of 
living. 

4.  Become  more  discerning  in  financial  deci- 
sions, withdrawing  investments  from 
banks  and  corporations  which  serve  mili- 


tarism, economic  exploitation  or  unjust 
governments,  and  investing  rather  in  life- 
enhancing  enterprises. 

III.   Confronting   Militarism 
and  the  Arms  Race 

Because  our  security  is  in  Jesus  Christ,  we 
reject  reliance  on  "national  security."  We  reaf- 
firm our  membership  in  Christ's  kingdom  and  in 
the  global  community  by  denouncing  national 
and  military  idolatry.  Because  the  earth  is  the 
Lord's  we  declare  that  the  resources  presently 
wasted  on  national  military  systems  in  all  coun- 
tries should  be  transferred  to  meet  the  genuine 
needs  of  the  world's  people. 

A.  Disarmament 

We  are  committed  to  the  goals  of  worldwide 
abolition  of  nuclear  weapons,  an  end  to  the  arms 
race,    and   general   disarmament. 

1.  We  support  the  United  Nations  initiatives 
for  disarmament  and  also  the  US-Soviet 
Strategic  Arms  Limitations  Talks.  We  urge 
use  of  the  national  debate  on  these  talks 
to  stress  the  urgent  need  for  disarmament. 

2.  We  call  upon  our  government  to  make 
these  initial  steps  toward  disarmament, 
thus  challenging  other  governments  to  do 
the  same: 

a.  Reduce   military   spending   by   10%    in 
the  coming  year. 

b.  Stop  further  testing,  development,  and 
production  of  nuclear  weapons. 

c.  Halt  arms  transfers  to  other  countries. 

B.  Conversion  to  a  Peace  Economy 

With  awareness  of  the  destructive,  wasteful, 
and  inflationary  effects  of  military-related  expend- 
itures, we  support: 

1.  Research  and  action  toward  economic  con- 
version to  non-military  production,  with 
assistance  for  those  who  are  temporarily 
unemployed  during  the  process. 

2.  Transfer  of  tax  monies  from  the  military 
budget  to  programs  meeting  human  needs. 

C.  War  Tax  Resistance 

1.  We  call  upon  members  of  the  Historic 
Peace  Churches  to  seriously  consider  re- 
fusal to  pay  the  military  portion  of  their 
federal  taxes,  as  a  response  to  Christ's  call 
to   radical   discipleship. 

2.  We  challenge  ourselves  and  also  our  con- 
gregations   and   meetings   to    uphold   war 

continued  on  next  page 


24 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Marion  Pastor  G.  Bright  Hanna 

(center)  and  Mr.  Donald  Ruse 

burn  the  promissory  note 

while  (left  to  right)  Rev.  Ralph 

Gibson,  Rev.  Alvin  Grumbling, 

and  Mr.  Gary  Taska  of  the 

Indiana  District  Mission  Board, 

and  Mr.  Joe  Nice  (right  side) 

of  the  Marion  First  Brethren 

Church  look  on. 


update 


Marion,  Ind. — The  First  Brethren  Church  of 
Marion  held  a  note-burning  service  on  Sunday 
afternoon,  December  3,  1978. 

The  congregation  had  completed  payment  of  its 
loan  from  the  national  Missionary  Board's  Re- 
volving Loan  Fund  on  October  13,  1978.  They 
were  aided  in  paying  this  loan  by  the  Indiana 
District  Mission  Board,  which  paid  two  dollars  for 
each  one  dollar  paid  by  the  church. 

Rev.  St.  Clair  Benshoff,  pastor  of  the  College 
Corner  Brethren  Church,  delivered  the  message 
at  the  special  service.  Scripture  was  read  by  Rev. 
Alvin   Grumbling,   representing   the  Indiana   Dis- 

(continued  from  previous  page) 

tax    resisters    with    spiritual,     emotional, 
legal,   and  material  support. 

3.  We  call  on  our  church  and  conference 
agencies  to  enter  into  dialogue  with  em- 
ployees who  ask,  for  reasons  of  moral 
conviction,  that  their  taxes  not  be  withheld. 

4.  We  suggest  that  alternative  "tax"  pay- 
ments be  channeled  into  a  peace  fund 
initiated  by  the  New  Call  to  Peacemaking 
or  into  existing  peace  funds  of  constituent 
groups. 

5.  We  call  on  our  denominations,  congrega- 
tions and  meetings  to  give  high  priority 
to  the  study  of  war  tax  resistance  in  our 
own  circles   and  beyond. 

D.  World  Peace  Tax  Fund 

In  keeping  with  our  past  support  of  alternative 
service  provisions  for  conscientious  objectors  to 
the  draft,  we  urge  support  for  congressional  enact- 
ment of  a  World  Peace  Tax  Fund  as  an  alternative 
to  compulsory  financial  support  of  war  and 
preparation  for  war. 

E.  Conscription  and  Military  Recruitment 

In   view   of   possible   reinstatement   of  military 


trict  Mission  Board,  and  prayer  was  offered  by 
Rev.  Fred  Snyder,  the  first  pastor  of  the  Marion 
church. 

Music  for  the  service  was  presented  by  Mr. 
Don  Ruse  of  Marion,  who  played  the  organ  pre- 
lude, and  by  Mr.  Paul  Lemaster  of  the  Loree 
Brethren  Church,  who  sang  two  vocal  solos. 

The  note-burning  service  was  preceded  by  a 
carry-in  noon  meal. 


iBible  smuggling   into   USSR 

Helsinki,  Finland  (EP  News)  —  Finland's  new 
customs  laws  now  state  that  "all  carriage  and 
dispatching  of  the  Bible  and  other  religious  mat- 
ter" from  Finland  to  the  Soviet  Union  will  be 
treated  as  "smuggling." 

Transport  of  Bibles  and  other  religious  matter 
from  Finland  to  the  USSR  has  caused  much  fric- 
tion between  the  two  countries. 


conscription  and  in  light  of  expanding  ROTC 
programs,  we  call  upon  members  and  churches 
to: 

1.  Oppose  renewal  of  draft  registration  and 
induction. 

2.  Provide  educational  and  counseling  oppor- 
tunities for  draft-eligible  youth  in  our 
communities. 

3.  Provide  for  and  encourage  peace  registra- 
tion  of  our  members. 

4.  Plan  counter  recruitment  programs  to  the 
military-sponsored  "career"  preparation 
programs. 

5.  Urge  action  to  eliminate  ROTC  programs 
in  high  schools  and  colleges. 


February  1979 


25 


update 


ABCT  Seminar  schedule 
announced 

Ashland,  Ohio — The  Board  of  Christian  Education 
has  announced  the  schedule  for  the  spring  1979 
ABCT  Seminars.  The  dates  and  locations  are  as 
follows : 

March  10:     Ohio — Asbury  U.M.  Church, 
Delaware 

March  17:     N.  Indiana — Jefferson  Brethren 
Church,  Goshen 

March  31:     S.  Indiana — North  Manchester 
Brethren  Church 

April       7:     Southeast — Maurertown  Brethren 
Church,  Virginia 

April     21:     Pennsylvania — Pittsburgh 
Brethren  Church 

April    28:     Central — Lanark  Brethren  Church, 
Illinois 

This  year's  seminar  leaders  will  be  Elma 
Delagrande,  Ken  Van  Duyne,  Alberta  Holsinger, 
Brad  Weidenhamer,  and  Fred  Burkey.  Ten  differ- 
ent topics  will  be  offered:  Planning  a  Family 
Life  Program,  Preparing  to  Teach  the  Bible, 
Children's  Summer  Ministry,  Children's  Weekday 
Ministry,  Camping  and  Retreats,  Sisterhood  and 
Brotherhood,  Effective  Planning  for  Your  Church, 
Using  Audio-Visuals,  Church  Recreation,  and  BYC 
Advisor's  Advice.  Each  seminar  participant  will 
be  able  to  choose  two  of  these  topics. 

Pastors  and  ABCT  members  have  been  sent 
brochures  giving  more  details  about  the  seminars 
and  containing  registration  blanks.  Be  sure  to  ask 
your  pastor  for  a  brochure  so  that  you  can  pre- 
register  for  the  seminar  of  your  choice.  Don't 
miss  this  excellent  training  opportunity. 

In  Memory 

Mrs.  Kimberly  Aim  (Cox)  Bell,  17,  December  28. 

Member    of    the    North    Manchester,    Ind.,    First 

Brethren    Church.    Services   by   Woodrow   Immel, 

pastor. 

Mrs.  Martha  Frye,   74,   December  28.  Member  of 

the   Flora,   Ind.,   First  Brethren   Church.   Services 

by   Alvin   Grumbling,   pastor. 

Phyllis  W.  Deck,  82,  December  26.  Member  of  the 

Roann,   Ind.,   First  Brethren  Church.  Services  by 

William  H.  Kerner,   pastor. 

Mae  Ambrose,   84,   December  26.  Member  of  the 

Johnstown,  Pa.,  Third  Brethren  Church.  Services 

by   Clarence  R.   Kindley,   pastor. 

Mrs.  Hazel  Cripe,  80,  December  24.  Member  of  the 

Flora,   Ind.,   First   Brethren   Church.   Services   by 

Alvin    Grumbling,    pastor,    assisted   by   Rev.   Bert 

Hodge  of  South  Bend,  Ind. 

Bertha  M.  Gochnour,  75,  December  16.  Member  of 

the  Vinco,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Carl 

H.   Phillips,   pastor. 

Lester  Cavender,  65,  December  10.  Member  of  the 

Vinco,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Carl  H. 

Phillips,  pastor. 


Article  abouf  Brethren  couple 
appears  in  Hagersfown  paper 

Hag-erstown,  Md. — Few  couples  ever  see  their 
66th  wedding  anniversary.  So  the  fact  that  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Greorge  W.  Spielman  of  Hagerstown 
celebrated  theirs  on  January  8th  was  duly  noted 
by  the  Hagerstown  Daily  Mail. 

The  newspaper  article  mentioned  some  of  the 
high  points  of  the  Spielmans'  lives,  including  the 
fact  that  Mrs.  Spielman  (Nora)  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Brethren  denomination  for  70  years. 
She  first  joined  the  St.  James,  Md.,  Brethren 
Church,  but  now  holds  membership  with  her 
husband  in  the  First  Brethren  Church  of 
Hagerstown.  George  was  originally  a  Lutheran, 
but  later  joined  the  Brethren  Church. 

The  article  noted  that  "The  couple  made 
some  sort  of  record  when  they  attended  the 
Brethren  Church's  General  Conference  at  Ashland, 
Ohio,  for  32  successive  years"   (boldface  added). 

Mr.  Spielman  is  a  retired  railroader.  He  left  the 
Western  Maryland  Railway  in  1958,  after  42  years 
of  employment  as   a  brakeman  and  conductor. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  Nora  is  86  (one  year 
younger  than  her  husband),  the  article  mentioned 
that  she  still  does  all  her  own  housework  and 
cooking,  including  doing  all  her  washing  and  iron- 
ing in  one  day. 

The  Spielman's  have  two  children,  five  living 
grandchildren,    and    11    great-grandchildren. 


V/0iddliii^s 

Kavena    Renee    Anderson    to    Gary    W.    Loveless, 

December  30,  at  the  North  Christian  Church,  Ft. 
Wayne,  Ind.  Bride  member  of  the  North  Man- 
chester,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church. 

Catherine  S.  Hoover  to  Alan  I.  Pritchard,  Decem- 
ber 23,  at  the  North  Manchester,  Ind.,  First 
Brethren  Church;  Rev.  Woodrow  Immel,  pastor, 
officiating.  Bride  member  of  the  North  Man- 
chester First  Brethren  Church. 

Carolyn  Kay  Landes  to  Nell  James  Van  Boening:, 

December  2,  at  the  Morrill,  Kansas,  First  Breth- 
ren Church;  David  Manning,  pastor,  officiating. 
Bride  member  of  the  Morrill  First  Brethren 
Church. 


Marjorie    Berkshire   dies 

Shortly  before  the  Evangelist  went  to  press, 
the  editors  learned  of  the  tragic  death  Feb.  3rd  of 
Mrs.  Marjorie  Berkshire,  wife  of  Clayton  Berk- 
shire, pastor  of  the  Papago  Park  Brethren  Church, 
Tempe,  Ariz.  Mrs.  Berkshire  died  from  injuries 
received  in  an  automobile  accident. 

A  memorial  service  was  held  for  Mrs.  Berkshire 
Feb.  5th  in  Tempe,  and  the  funeral  Feb.  7th  at 
the   Hillcrest   Brethren   Church  in  Dayton,   Ohio. 


26 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


hooks 


More  About  Hunger 


Hniijger  Awareness  Dinners  by  Aileen  Van  Beilen 
(Herald  Press,  1978,  48  pp.,  $.95  paperback). 

The  record  of  the  Brethren  Church  in  giving  to 
world  relief  projects  has  improved  nearly  every 
year  for  the  past  thirteen  (from  $1,546  in  1966 
to  $31,650  in  1978).  Brethren  do  care  about  people 
who  live  in  crises. 

Herald  Press  (Scottdale,  Pennsylvania)  has  just 
published  a  book  to  help  concerned  Christians 
continue  to  grow  in  their  understanding  and 
empathy  for  the  hungry.  In  48  pages.  Hunger 
Awaren€»ss  Dinneaps  by  Aileen  Van  Beilen  equips 
church  committees  with  not  only  facts  about  the 
problem  but  plans  to  dramatize  hunger.  Detailed 
instructions  are  given  for  sponsoring  three 
church-wide  hunger-awareness  dinners  to  enable 
people  to  "feel  with  those  who  lack  food." 

The  cover  of  this  paperback  book  boldly  an- 
nounces the  hunger  problem.  In  shades  of  black 
and  pink,  the  countries  of  the  world  are  depicted 
according  to  the  adequacy  of  their  calorie  intake. 
A  further  value  of  the  cover  map  is  the  two  shapes 
given  each  country — one  according  to  actual  size 
and  another  showing  the  same  countries  sized 
according  to  population. 

Three  all-church  dinners  are  described  in  the 
book.  For  each  there  are  specific  menus  and 
recipes,  descriptions  of  physical  room  arrange- 
ments, suggested  Bible  passages  to  use  with 
accompanying  programs,  and  helpful  advice  in 
dealing  with  different  reactions  of  the  partici- 
pants. The  dinners  approach  the  hunger  problem 
as  follows: 

Dinner  1,  The  World  Comes  to  Dinner,  "shows 
the  average  amounts  of  calories  and  proteins 
which  peoples  of  different  continents  receive  in 
their  daily  food." 

Dinner  2,  Energy  and  Your  Dinner,  "creates  an 
awareness  of  how  much  energy  goes  into  grow- 
ing, processing  and  serving  different  foods  and 
relates  these  facts  to  world  hunger." 

Dinner  3,  Dinner  for  Tomorrow,  "demonstrates 
that  more  responsible  eating  habits  are  possible 
with  good-tasting  food."  Menus  include  some  from 
Doris  Longacre's  More-With-Less  Coolc  Book. 

A  particularly  helpful  part  of  the  book  is  the 
section  of  charts  and  tables.  These  show  energy 
consumption  by  continents,  energy  content  of 
various  foods,  livestock  consumption  of  grain,  and 
the  complementary  protein  relationships  of 
grains,   seeds,   milk  products,   and  legumes. 

Lists  of  additional  resources — books,  cookbooks, 
films,  filmstrips,  charts,  brochures,  and  organiza- 
tions— are  also  included. 

But  even  with  all  of  this  information,  the 
author  does  not  conclude  without  suggesting  pos- 


sibilities for  motivating  different  levels  of  com- 
mitment by  participants.  To  involve  Christians 
in  attacking  the  problem  of  world  hunger,  she 
offers  options  for  personal  commitment,  develop- 
ment commitment,  and  organizational  commit- 
ment. 

My  only  point  of  difference  with  Ms.  Beilen  is 
with  her  directive  to  send  the  children  to  a  differ- 
ent room  for  after-dinner  reflections.  Children 
would  gain  from  this  discussion  and  might  them- 
selves offer  valuable  insights. 

This  book  offers  Brethren  churches  another  way 
to  understand  and  become  involved  with  world 
need. 

— Jean  Lersch 

Jean  Lersch  is  a  Christian  Education  Consuhant 
with  Brethren  House  Ministries^  St.  Petersburg,  Fla., 
and  a  free-lance  writer. 


More   About  the   Cults 

The  Mind  Benders  by  Jack  Sparks   (Thomas  Nel- 
son, 1977,  280  pp.,  $3.95). 

Many  modern  religious  cults,  says  the  author, 
preach  heresy,  while  they  capture  converts  by 
bending  their  minds.  This  book  deals  with  seven 
of  the  most  popular  cults  today. 

Three  of  these  mind  benders  are  related  to 
"Eastern"  or  Hindu  ideas.  They  are  Transcendental 
Meditation,  Divine  Light  Mission,  and  Hare 
Krishna.  The  other  four  cults  have  emerged  from 
"Western"  or  "Christian"  thought.  These  include 
The  Unification  Church  of  Sun  Myung  Moon,  The 
Children  of  God,  The  Way-International,  and  The 
Local  Church  of  Witness  Lee. 

After  looking  at  these  seven  cults,  the  author 
concludes  the  book  with  a  defense,  although  a  little 
weak,  of  Christianity,  or  how  the  church  takes 
on  the  cults. 

It  is  good  for  us  all  to  be  knowledgeable  of  the 
cults  because  we  may  be  parents,  friends,  or  rela- 
tives of  people  who  are  dragged  into  one  of  these 
groups.  This  book  provides  us  with  this 
knowledge. 

Jack  Sparks  is  a  former  professor  of  behavioral 
psychology  with  a  doctoral  degree  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Iowa.  He  has  worked  much  with  youth 
in  Berkeley,  California,  and  has  written  two  other 
books.  He  is  now  a  minister  overseeing  several 
churches. 

— Julie  Flora 

Julie  Flora  is  an  Ashland,  Ohio,  homemaker  and 
a  frequent  contributor  to   the  Brethren  Evangelist. 


February  1979 


27 


WHAT? 

What  do  Ashland  Garber,  Bethlehem,  Bryan,  Corinth,  Morrill, 
New  Lebanon,  Northwest  Chapel,  Park  Street,  White  Dale,  and 
20  other  Brethren  churches  (including  the  new  congregations  at 
Brandon,  Fla.,  and  Medina,  Ohio)  have  in  common?  They  sub- 
scribe to  the  Brethren  Evangelist  for  100%  of  the  families  in 
their  church. 

WHY? 

Because  they  think  it  is  important  for  every  family  to  receive 
Christian  inspiration,  biblical  based  articles,  information  about 
ministries  of  the  Brethren  Church,  and  news  about  other 
congregations.  And  they  can  do  so  at  a  savings  of  $1.00  per  sub- 
scription over  the  individual  rate. 

HOW? 

How  about  you?  Don't  you  think  every  family  in  your  church 
should  receive  our  denominational  magazine? 


Who  do  you  contact  if  you  want  more  information?  Write  or 
call  Dick  Winfield  at  The  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Avenue,   Ashland,   Ohio    (phone:   419-289-2611). 


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"^r*^  The    Brethren  ^    •  j 

Evangelist 


March    1979 


Ann  DeVeny  tells  how 


Craft  projects  took  a  great  amount 
of  my  time  before  I  became  a  Chris- 
tian. After  accepting  Christ  as  Lord 
and  Savior  nearly  five  years  ago,  I 
experienced  a  real  conflict  between 
my  desire  to  spend  time  doing  crafts 
and  my  commitment  to  spend  time 
learning  more  about  Jesus. 

Therefore,  I  quit  knitting,  embroid- 
ering, sketching,  and  doing  any  other 
handwork  that  competed  for  the  time 
I  could  spend  reading  Christian  books 
and  becoming  familiar  with  God's 
Word.  But  gradually  God  gave  me  a 
new  perspective  on  my  talents. 


Ohio    District    Conference 

March   24,   1979,   9  a.m.— 3:30   p.m. 

Asbury  United   Mefhodist  Church 
Delaware,   Ohio 

Program:   Bible   Study  and   Business 
Theme:   Who  Cares?   Brethren   Do! 


Leaders:     Dr.  Charles  Munson,  Rev.  Leroy  Solomon 

Responsibility  for  Caring  Ronnans    12:9-10 

— ^to   one   another 

Possibilities   for  Caring  Romans    12:11-21 

— with   one   another 

Study  the  Scripture.     Come  prepared. 

Follow-up    Conference    fo    be    held    September    15 
Theme:    Brethren    Do    Care— Here's    Proof 

See   page   21    for   more   details. 


Board   of  Christian   Education 
seelcing  new   Director 

The    Board   of   Christian    Education   is   now  accepting   applications 
for  the  position  of  Director  of  Christian  Education. 


Qualifications 


1.  Education:     The  Board  is  flexible  in  this  area. 

2.  Administrative  abilities:  Experience  in  marketing,  management, 
and  supervision  would  be  helpful. 

3.  Personal  characteristics:  Open  commitment  to  Christ,  active 
member  of  the  Brethren  Church,  rapport  with  laity  and  pastors, 
ability  to  communicate  well  with  congregations,  enthusiastic  with 
youth. 

4.  Time  requirements:     A  part-time  director  may  be  considered. 

Applicants   should   send   a    r^sum^  of   experience   and   a   letter  of 
application   to: 

Rev.  Brian  H.  Moore 

23370  Ardmore  Trail 
South  Bend,  IN  46628 

Applications  must  be  received  no  later  than  April  25,  1979. 


"Jp^  The    Brethren  ^j    •  j 

Evangelist 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 
(USPS  064-200) 


Editor: 

Richard  C. 


Winfield 


Consulting  Editors: 

John  D.  Rowsey 
Ronald  W.  Waters 

Contributing  Editor: 
Alvin  Shifflett 

Editorial  and 
Business  Office: 

524  College  Ave. 

Ashland,  Ohio     44805 

Phone:   (419)   289-2611 

Published  monthly  for  the  Brethren  Church 
by  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 
One  year  subscription  rates:  $6.00  for 
100%  church  lists;  $6.50  for  church  lists 
of  5  or  more  names;  $7.00  for  individual 
subscriptions. 

Single-copy  price:  70  cents 
Change  of  address:  Please  notify  us  at 
least  three  weeks  in  advance,  using  the 
form  provided  in  each  issue. 
Authors'  views  are  not  necessarily  those 
of  the  Brethren  Church  or  the  Brethren 
Publishing    Company. 

Queries  and  manuscripts  should  be  ad- 
dressed to  the  editor.  A  writer's  packet 
with  query  tips  is  available  upon  written 
request. 

Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  also  welcome. 
However,  the  publisher  assumes  no 
responsibility  for  return  of  unsolicited 
material  not  accompanied  by  a  stamped, 
self-addressed  envelope. 
Second  class  postage  paid  at  Ashland, 
Ohio. 

Postmaster:  Please  send  Form  3579  to 
the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College   Ave.,   Ashland,   Ohio  44805. 

Member,   Evangelical  Press  Association 


Cover 

Ann  DeVeny  is  a  person  of 
many  talents.  On  pages  4  and 
5  she  tells  how  God  gave  her 
a  new  perspective  on  the  use 
of  these  talents. 


Vol.  101,  No.  3 


March  1979 


4     The  Place  of  Talents 

in  a  Christian's  Commitment' 

Ann  DeVeny  tells  how  God  gave  her  a  new  perspective  on  the 
use  of  her  talents. 

6     Speaking  Out:     A  Christian  Duty 

Joan  Martin  says  Christians  must  speak  out  against  the  distorted 
values  of  our  day. 

Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 
8 


es 

Fred  Burkey  proposes  five  steps  the  Brethren  Church  must  take 
to  meet  the  challenges  and  opportunities  of  the  eighties. 


World  Missions 

12     Are  Missionaries  Still  Needed  Today? 

Virgil  Ingraham  answers  "Yes,''  and  demonstrates  this  need  in 
India  and  among  the  Chinese. 

14  Go  Ye  Into  ALL  the  World 

For  Chantal  Logan,  going  into  all  the  world  includes  going 
into  the  largest  federal  penitentiary  in  Colombia,  South 
America. 

15  Medical  Ministry  in  India 

Prasanth  Kumar  reports  on  the  successful  outreach  of  the 
medical  ministry  of  the  Brethren  Church  in  India. 

17     Colombian  Brethren  Church  Inventory 

Kenneth  Solomon  takes  inventory  of  the  leaders  and  oppor- 
tunities  God   has  given   the   Brethren   Church   in   Colombia. 


Departments 

11     The  Salt  Shaker 


25  Books 

26  Letters 


March  1979 


The  Place  of  Talents 

in  a  Christian's  Commitment 


Ann  DeVeny  tells  how  God  gave  her  a  new  perspective  on 
the  use  of  her  talents. 


T  AM  REALIZING  that  for  many  people, 
giving  up  things"  is  something  they  go 
through  when  they  become  Christians.  This 
may  include  their  talents  and  abilities. 
They  look  upon  these  talents  as  part 
of  the  old  life  that  was  to  die  when  they 
came  to  Christ.  Therefore  any  desire  to 
hang  on  to  these  talents  seems  to  indicate 
a  lack  of  spirituality! 

In  the  face  of  this,  it's  tremendously 
liberating  to  discover  that  Christ  makes 
the  judgments  on  our  lives.  He  decides 
what  portions  must  be  discarded  as  no 
longer  useful  and  what  portions  can  be 
used  to  serve  Him  and  His  kingdom.  This 
was  something  I  experienced  in  my  own 
life. 


Mrs.  DeVeny  is  an  Ashland,  Ohio,  homemaker 
and  church  school  superintendent  at  Park  Street 
Brethren  Church.  Her  husband  is  manager  of 
The  Carpenter  s  Shop  {the  Brethren  bookstore). 


A 


Craft  projects  took  a  great  amount  of 
my  time  before  I  became  a  Christian.  After 
accepting  Christ  as  Lord  and  Savior  nearly 
five  years  ago,  I  experienced  a  real  conflict 
between  my  desire  to  spend  time  doing 
crafts  and  my  commitment  to  spend  time 
learning  more  about  Jesus. 

Not  only  was  time  a  problem,  but  the 
finished  product  was  the  cause  of  more 
struggle.  I  wanted  to  make  certain  the 
craft  project  was  given  for  God's  glory, 
not  mine — and  I  couldn't  be  certain  about 
my  motives.  Therefore,  I  quit  knitting,  em- 
broidering, sketching,  and  doing  any  other 
handwork  that  competed  for  the  time  I 
could  spend  reading  Christian  books  and 
becoming  familiar  with  God's  Word. 

But  gradually  God  gave  me  a  new  per- 
spective on  my  talents.  When  we  moved 
to  Ashland,  and  the  new  bookstore — The 
Carpenter's  Shop — began  to  take  form,  my 
husband  Dan  asked  if  I'd  macrame  a  couple 
of  plant  hangers  for  the  store.  I  agreed, 
since  it  was  a  Christ-related  service. 

Then  I  saw  a  need  for  some  new  bulletin 
board  ideas  at  our  church.  I  waited  a  rea- 
sonable length  of  time  to  see  if  anyone 
else  would  change  the  boards.  When  no  one 
did,  I  justified  my  desire  to  accept  the 
challenge.  After  decorating  the  bulletin 
boards,  I  pulled  back  for  awhile.  Then  I 
eased  in  again  and  did  some  more  bulletin 
boards.  Banners  for  the  Medina  Bible 
Fellowship  were  my  next  project.  This  new 
Brethren  church  meets  in  the  YM-YWCA, 
and  the  banners  were  needed  to  provide 
an  atmosphere  of  worship  for  the  services. 

My  first  breakthrough  came  after  a  sem- 
inary retreat,  when  Dan  and  I  wanted  to 
express  to  a  special  couple  how  they  had 
touched  our  lives.  Funds  were  limited,  yet 
we  had  a  pressing  desire  to  show  our  thank- 
fulness. The  result  was  a  paraphrase  of  a 
psalm  worked  into  a  picture.  The  couple's 

The  Brethren  Evangelist 


kind  acceptance  of  our 
gift  was  a  new  begin- 
ning for  me.  I  felt  a 
change  in  my  attitude 
towards  using  my 
hands.  I  now  reahzed 
that  I  could  relate 
Christian  love  through 
my  handwork. 

I  also  think  it  made 
a  difference  to  me 
that  the  end  result 
was  a  working  togeth- 
er of  both  Dan's  and 
my  gifts.  Dan  has  al- 
ways given  me  incen- 
tive and  direction  and 
has  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  the  majority 
of  my  work.  This  falls 
in  line  with  scriptural 
teaching  that  we  are 
one  and  that  I  am  to 
be  submissive  to  his 
headship.  This  reali- 
zation added  that  in- 
gredient of  boldness  I 
needed  in  order  to 
step  out  further. 
Since  this  experience  months  ago,  both 
Dan  and  I  have  experienced  an  explosion  of 
ideas.  We  have  used  writings  and  sketches 
to  convey  to  others  messages  of  Christ's 
love  that  otherwise  wouldn't  have  been  ex- 
pressed. I  have  found  that  when  situations 
call  for  a  bulletin  board  or  a  banner,  ideas 
come  together  more  readily.  For  example, 
I  saw  banners  with  Christian  symbols  and 
a  child's  name  on  them  as  a  way  of  per- 
sonalizing God's  love  for  children  in  my 
Sunday  school  department  at  Park  Street 
Church.  And  I  drew  pictures  with  specific 
people  in  mind  as  a  way  of  communicating 
their  uniqueness  to  God  in  their  particular 
ministry. 

And  what  is  just  as  important,  I've  been 
released  from  the  guilt  feeling  that  I'm 
wasting  time  when  I  work  on  these  proj- 
ects. I  now  see  my  ability  to  use  my  hands 
as  a  gift  from  God  and  as  a  means  of 
communicating  how  much  He  loves  each 
one  of  us. 

We're  such  inhibited  people!  Words  fre- 
quently fail  us  when  we  try  to  relate  our 
Christian  experiences  or  when  we  want  to 


For  Ann,  making 
plant  hangers  for  The 
Carpenter  s  Shop  was 
Christian    service. 


convey  love  to  special  people.  But  these 
inhibitions  can  be  overcome  when  we  use 
our  God-given  talents  to  communicate  our 
faith  and  love.  We  should  not  be  afraid  to 
try  new  avenues  of  expressing  praise  and 
thanksgiving,  using  the  natural  abilities 
God  has  given  us. 

I  rejoice  that  God  has  freed  me.  Many 
other  people  stiffle  their  talents  just  as  I 
did.  But  if  each  of  us  can  see  his  or  her 
abilities  as  tools  God  has  given,  then  we 
can  use  these  abilities  as  a  means  of  ex- 
pressing that  which  is  bottled  up  within  us. 

At  one  point  in  my  life  I  felt  that  com- 
mitment to  God  meant  giving  up  the  use 
of  my  talents.  Now  I  understand  that  com- 
mitment means  dedicating  these  talents  to 
God  so  that  they  may  be  used  to  His  glory 
and  as  a  means  of  sharing  my  faith  and  life 
with  others.  Q 


To  personalize  God's  love  for  the  children  in 
her  S.  S.  department,  Ann  made  every  child  a 
banner.  Each  2-  by  3-foot  banner  has  a  Christian 
symbol,  the  child's  name,  and  a  personal  message 
for  that  child. 


March  1979 


Speaking 

Out: 

A 

Christian 

Duty 


Joan   Martin   says   Christians 
nnust   speak  out  against 
the   distorted   values 
of   our  day. 


L.. 


DO  YOU  ever  get  the  feeling  that  black  is 
really  white  and  pro  actually  con?  I 
sometimes  wonder  if  I  don't  belong  on  the 
* 'funny  farm"  after  all  and  if  the  moral 
and  biblical  principles  I  have  lived  by  aren't 
outdated  and  no  longer  true. 

A  woman  from  India  was  telling  us  about 
life  in  her  country.  Her  mother  and  father 
had  found  Christ  in  India  through  the  wit- 
ness of  missionaries  who  had  come  to  their 
village.  After  she  had  enlightened  us  about 
the  worship  of  snakes  and  cows  and  about 
child  marriage  in  her  country,  Chandra 
said,  ''Who  can  say  what  is  truth?  Can 
anyone?  If  we  do  not  have  a  guideline 
which  never  changes  as  we  do  in  our  Bible, 
we  will  wander,  not  knowing  which  way  to 
go.  Ephesians  4:14  tells  us  that  if  we  have 
Christ,  'we  will  no  longer  be  tossed  here  and 
there  by  waves  and  carried  by  every  wind 
of  doctrine,  by  the  trickery  of  men,  by 
craftiness  in  d3ceitful  scheming.'  " 

Several  v/eeks  ago  I  read  in  our  news- 
paper of  a  woman  who  is  founder  and 
president  of  an  organization  representing 
"the  other  woman"  —  the  mistress.  This 
woman  was  seeking  to  justify  mistresses. 
She  stated  that  the  wife  must  have  done 
something  wrong  or  there  would  be  no 
need  for  a  mistress.  She  further  claimed 
that  the  "other  woman"  knows  more  about 
the  man  than  does  his  wife  and  children. 
She  is  his  best  friend.  It  isn't  his  fault,  she 
said,  that  he  left  his  wife. 

The  end  of  the  article  told  how  she  really 
feels.  "As  for  myself,  I'm  done  being  a 
mistress,"  she  said.  "I  succeeded.  My  mar- 
ried man  is  getting  a  divorce  and  marrying 
me."  How  heartbreaking  it  is  when  we 
realize  that  many  mixed  up  individuals  will 
read  this  article  and  pattern  their  lives  by 
it! 

Several  months  ago  the  toy  industry 
came  out  with  two  male  dolls,  one  homo- 
sexual and  the  other  straight.  With  the 
help  of  newspaper  and  TV  coverage,  sales 
have  skyrocketed.  In  the  name  of  news  the 
media,  unwittingly  perhaps,  helped  to  pro- 
mote this  sick  toy  that  will  harm  innocent 
children.  And  when  the  child  who  has  such 
a  toy  does  something  shameful  and  disgust- 
ing, the  parent  who  bought  it  for  him  will 
say,  "Where  did  I  go  wrong?  I  gave  him 
everything." 

The  couple  living  together  is  encouraged 
to  "come  out  of  the  closet."  Living  togeth- 
er, some  say,  is  just  another  way  to  decide 
if    two    people    will    be    compatible    when 


Mrs.  Martin  is  a  free-lance  writer  from  Liberty- 
ville,  III. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


married.  Whatever  happened  to  the  com- 
mandment which  states,  ''Thou  shalt  not 
commit  adultery"? 

Perhaps  the  rapist  and  the  murderer  will 
be  the  next  to  protest,  ''I'm  just  doing  what 
comes  naturally.  Let  me  alone." 

Yes,  the  devil  does  come  like  "an  angel 
of  light"  (II  Cor.  11:14).  He  shows  us  all 
that  is  beautiful,  until  we  fall  for  his  lies. 

A  young  woman  who  had  become  in- 
volved   with    astrology    said,    "He    made 


'We    must   care   that   the   world    is 
seeking  to  make  evil  look  like  good. 

We  must  speak  out  and  tell  it  like 

•  I    •  III 
it  is! 


everything  come  true  for  me.  The  horo- 
scope was  so  correct  that  I  found  myself 
even  choosing  my  friends  by  what  it  said. 
I  made  myself  a  pest  trying  to  persuade 
everyone  that  the  stars  truly  do  guide  our 
lives.  Then  when  the  devil  had  me  hooked, 
everything  fell  apart.  It  was  then  I  decided 
to  take  my  life." 

Yet  everyday  people  by  the  millions  read 
their  horoscope  and  live  by  what  it  says. 
Books  written  by  self-called  prophets  try  to 
tell  us  that  Christianity,  science,  and 
astrology  are  compatible.  We  have  only  to 
read  these  books  and  compare  them  with 
the  Bible  to  see  that  they  are  filled  with 
error. 

With  all  of  Satan's  deception,  is  there 
anything  the  Christian  can  do?  Yes,  there 
is!  When  some  of  our  states  legalize  mari- 
juana, we  can  still  pray  and  warn  our  chil- 
dren to  leave  it  alone.  When  one  of  our 
large  church  denominations  states  in 
assembly  that  it  will  not  denounce 
homosexuality  as  sin,  we  can  still  speak 
out. 

As  Christians,  we  are  still  "the  salt  of 
the  earth,"  and  we  can  stand  firm  even  if 
we  stand  alone.  More  often  than  not,  some- 
one will  come  and  stand  beside  us  and  say, 
"I  wanted  to  speak  out,  but  I  thought  I 
might  be  the  only  one." 


Voices  are  crying  everwhere,  "Let  us  do 
our  own  thing."  Christians  also  stand 
everywhere  listening  and  weighing  what 
they  hear  against  what  they  read  in  the 
Bible.  Some  people  say  the  Bible  is  passe'. 
Others  twist  its  teaching  and  say,  "My 
interpretation  is  as  good  as  yours."  But  if 
we  read  the  Bible  in  the  light  we  receive 
from  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  if  we  read  what 
great  men  of  God  have  taught,  we  will  find 
the  truth.  I  have  never  found  error  or  been 
misled  when  I  truly  understood  the  passage 
in  the  Bible  I  was  reading.  Proverbs  says, 
"There  is  a  way  which  seems  right  to  a 
man,  but  its  end  is  the  way  of  death" 
(Prov.  14:12). 

When  a  course  in  astrology  was  being 
offered  at  a  local  YWCA,  I  wrote  a  letter 
protesting  that  a  Christian  organization 
would  offer  such  a  course.  I  heard  nothing 
from  them,  but  several  weeks  later  I 
attended  a  neighborhood  coffee  party. 
"When  does  that  course  in  astrology  begin 
at  the  Y?"  someone  asked.  "It  doesn't,"  a 
woman  replied.  Someone  wrote  a  letter  of 
protest,  and  they  canceled  it."  There  may 


"As  Christians,  we  are  still  'the  salt 
of  the  earth,'  and  we  can  stand 
firm  even  if  we  stand  alone." 


have  been  many  letters,  but  I  knew  mine 
had  made  some  impact  on  the  decision  of 
the  board. 

If  we  see  a  person  following  the  foolish- 
ness of  the  world  and  we  say  nothing,  we 
are  not  the  salt  the  Bible  speaks  of.  And 
we  are  aiding  the  person  in  his  walk  away 
from  Jesus. 

Neither  salt  nor  truth  can  change  and 
become  anything  else.  We  are  the  salt  of 
the  earth.  We  must  care  that  the  world  is 
seeking  to  make  evil  look  like  good.  We 
must  speak  out  and  tell  it  like  it  is!  It's 
often  difficult  to  be  salt.  But  it's  worth 
the  suffering  to  see  another  soul  brought 
out  of  his  confusion  and  misery  by  our 
love.  n 


March  1979 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


Challenges 

and 

Opportunities 


Fred  Burkey  proposes  five  steps  the  Brethren  Church  must 
take  to  meet  the  challenges  and  opportunities  of  the 
eighties. 


THE  BRETHREN  CHURCH  at  the 
threshold  of  the  eighties  .  .  .  forty 
years  after  the  traumatic  Grace  contro- 
versy. What  is  the  current  status  of  the 
''Ashland  Brethren  movement"?  How  will 
it  respond  to  the  challenges  and  opportun- 
ities that  are  bound  to  present  themselves 
in  the  decade  just  ahead? 

These  are  important  questions  .  .  .  im- 
portant because  they  deal  with  our  future. 
I  have  no  crystal  ball  ...  no  special  insights 
...  no  axe  to  grind.  As  part  of  this  ''Breth- 
ren movement,"  I  will  attempt  to  evaluate 
the  present  status  and  the  future  of  my 
church  from  the  perspective  of  one 
privileged  to  have  been  close  to  the  center 
of  denominational  activity  for  a  number 
of  years. 

In  this  article  the  term  "movement"  is 
used  because,  by  definition,  a  movement 
involves  "...  a  series  of  organized  activities 
by  people  working  concertedly  toward  some 
goal."  A  denomination,  by  contrast,  is 
defined  as  "...  a  class  or  kind  of  thing 
having  a  specific  name  or  value ;  a  religious 
sect."  In  view  of  these  definitions,  I  prefer 
to  think  of  the  church  as  a  movement; 
hence  I  use  this  term. 

In  some  respects  it  can  be  said  that  the 
Ashland  Brethren  movement  has  run 
aground  in  the  very  midst  of  the  evan- 
gelical stream.  During  a  period  of  un- 
paralleled effectiveness  for  many  evan- 
gelical churches,  membership  in  the  Breth- 

Dr.  Frederick  T.  Burkey  is  Director  of  Religious 
Affairs  and  Campus  Ministry  for  Ashland  College. 
Before  assuming  this  position  in  September,  he 
served  IIV2  years  as  Director  of  Christian  Educa- 
tion  for    the   Brethren   Church. 


ren  Church  has  declined — from  17,282  in 
1940  to  15,344  in  1977!  Whether  or  not 
these  figures  fully  reflect  the  vitality  of 
the  movement,  it  is  nevertheless  evident 
that  people  are  being  won  and  discipled  by 
Brethren  churches  at  an  unacceptable  rate. 

Positive   signs 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  signs  that 
our  segment  of  the  Brethren  movement 
may  be  overcoming  its  inertia.  For  one 
thing,  the  Brethren  seem  to  be  slowly 
awakening  to  their  need  for  one  another. 
For  a  long  time  many  congregations  con- 
ceived of  themselves  as  self-contained 
entities.  They  were  dependent  upon  no  one 
and  owed  allegiance  only  to  themselves 
(and  God).  District  and  national  activities 
were  of  little  interest  and  ranked  very  low 
on  the  congregation's  priority  list.  Both 
district  and  general  conferences  met  annu- 
ally to  transact  "business"  that  was  gen- 
erally ignored  by  the  churches  and  by  sub- 
sequent conferences.*  Congregations  exist- 
ed a  few  miles  apart  for  decades  without 
ever  worshiping  or  fellowshipping  together. 
We  were  "Brethren,"  but  we  had  never 
become  brothers  in  Christ.  The  feeling  of 
"usness"  so  vital  to  any  kind  of  movement 
— political,  social,  or  religious — began  to 
diminish,  and  the  larger  movement  stalled. 


*/i  classic  example  of  how  Conference  action 
is  ignored  is  noted  by  A.  T.  Ronk  in  his  History 
OF  THE  Brethren  Church,  pages  454-458.  Ronk 
quotes  extensively  from  the  1955  moderator  s 
address  of  Woodrow  Brant  who  traced  a  decade 
of  Brethren  inactivity. 


s 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


''As  we  stand  at  the  threshold  of  a  new  decade,  the  first 
item  of  business  .  . .  should  be  a  massive  effort  to  artic- 
ulate and  unify  the  Brethren  behind  a  specific  state- 
ment of  mission/' 


Happily,  these  attitudes  seem  to  be 
receding  into  the  past.  In  recent  years 
Brethren  have  been  drawn  into  a  number 
of  cooperative  programs  which  encourage 
a  sense  of  camaraderie.  Both  the  summer 
Crusader/Internship  program  and  the  area 
seminars  sponsored  by  the  Association  of 
Brethren  Church  Teachers  (ABCT)  have 
helped.  A  spirit  of  optimism  has  grown 
among  Brethren  Youth  resulting  in  the 
largest  number  of  potential  recruits  for 
missions  and  ministry  in  many  years.  These 
are  quality  young  people  who  see  the  possi- 
bilities and  yearn  for  worthy  challenges. 
What's  more,  they  love  and  respect  one 
another  and  their  church. 

Operation  Impact — the  planting  of  new 
Brethren  congregations  following  a  Spirit- 
led,  research-based  strategy — is  an  exciting 
venture  of  faith.  Church  planting,  a  labor- 
ious and  inexact  science,  seems  to  hold  the 
key  to  the  future  of  the  Brethren  move- 
ment. Brethren  everywhere  are  praying 
daily  and  contributing  faithfully  to  this 
outreach  effort. 

A   new   Hispanic   ministry 

God  is  also  leading  in  the  new  Brethren 
mission  to  Hispanic  peoples.  Juan  Carlos 
Miranda  is  strategically  placed  to  open 
doors  to  ministry  beyond  our  wildest 
dreams.  As  Director  of  Hispanic  Ministries 
for  Fuller  Evangelistic  Association,  Juan 
Carlos  oversees  the  new  Brethren  mission 
to  Mexico  and  is  working  to  establish 
Spanish-speaking  Brethren  congregations 
in  the  greater  Los  Angeles  area.  He  is  a 
man  of  vision  and  great  ability. 

Recently,  I  caught  his  vision  of  an 
aggressive  ministry  to  Latin  Americans  in 
Southern  California,  which  could  provide 
a  base  of  operations  and  a  training  center 
for  missionaries  preparing  for  service  in 
Mexico,  Colombia,  Argentina,  and  the  USA. 
This  is  important!  Spanish  is  now  the 
second  most  spoken  language  in  the  United 
states.  Los  Angeles  has  the  third  largest 


Spanish-speaking  population  of  any  city  in 
the  world  (3.7  million).  Talk  about  oppor- 
tunity .  .  .  WOW! 

Many  other  good  things  are  happening. 
A  number  of  churches  are  having  a  pow- 
erful impact  in  their  communities.  A  new 
cordiality  exists  between  Ashland  College 
and  the  Brethren  Church.  General  Confer- 
ence seems  interested  in  getting  its  organ- 
izational house  in  order.  And  we  are  doing 
more  positive  thinking  about  the  church 
than  ever  in  my  memory.  I  could  go  on. 

How  will    Brethren    respond? 

So  we  have  both  positive  and  negative 
factors  to  consider  as  we  look  to  the  1980s. 
How  will  the  Brethren  movement  respond 
to  the  challenges  and  opportunities  just 
ahead?  I  don't  know.  It  is  my  hope,  how- 
ever, that  the  following  will  characterize 
our  behavior  and  attitudes  during  the 
coming  years. 

First,  let  us  strive  to  capture  the  vision 
of  what  God  wants  us  to  be  and  do.  If  we 
let  it,  that  vision  can  unite  us  in  a  sense 
of  mission  so  powerful  that  we  can  achieve 
fraternal  cohesiveness  and  doctrinal  con- 
sensus. If  our  mission  is  clearly  articulated, 
and  if  we  mutually  commit  ourselves  to  it, 
our  differences  will  be  kept  in  perspective. 
We  will  be  free  to  move  decisively  in 
establishing  priorities,  setting  goals,  mak- 
ing plans,  allocating  resources,  and  accom- 
plishing God's  will  for  our  time. 

As  we  stand  at  the  threshold  of  a  new 
decade,  the  first  item  of  business  in  "get- 
ting our  act  together"  should  be  a  massive 
effort  to  articulate  and  unify  the  Brethren 
behind  a  specific,  biblical  statement  of 
mission.  Then  preach  it,  pray  it,  do  it! 

Second,  simultaneously  with  the  above, 
the  Brethren  need  to  publish  a  "Statement 
of  Faith"  (or  theology).  For  too  long  we 
have  asserted  that  our  creed  is  the  New 
Testament.  On  the  surface,  this  statement  is 
impressive,  and  we  can  rejoice  in  it.  Yet, 
when  carefully  examined,  the  statement  is 


March  1979 


9 


a 


.  .  .  a  small  movement  such  as  ours  needs  a  statement 
of  faith  which  declares  to  all  men :  This  is  who  we  are 
and  what  we  believe.' '' 


hardly  distinctive.  Many  other  denomina- 
tions say  the  same  thing.  It  will  not  be 
enough  simply  to  affirm  the  Bible  as  our 
creed  in  the  eighties.  I  believe  we  must  open 
the  book  and  state  clearly  and  concisely 
what  we  believe  it  teaches. 

Reasons  for  a   statement  of  faith 

There  are  several  reasons  why  Brethren 
should  write  down  their  beliefs: 

(1)  It  is  a  distinctive  interpretation  of 
Scripture  which  makes  people  Brethren. 
Our  movement  needs  this  as  its  source  of 
identity. 

(2)  A  statement  of  faith  is  needed  for 
the  instruction  of  our  own  people.  Many  of 
our  adult  members  would  have  a  difficult 
time  stating  what  they  believe  and  why 
they  believe  it.  Few  could  really  explain 
what  it  means  to  be  Brethren  (in  contrast 
to  being  Baptist).  In  view  of  this  uncer- 
tainty, is  it  any  wonder  that  Brethren  are 
slow  to  reach  out  to  the  unchurched? 

(3)  In  an  era  of  rapidly  proliferating 
cults,  a  small  movement  such  as  ours  needs 
a  statement  of  faith  which  declares  to  all 
men:  ''This  is  who  we  are  and  what  we 
believe."  That  statement  should  go  well 
beyond  the  outline  format  of  'The  Message 
of  the  Brethren  Ministry."  Useful  as  this 
"Message"  is,  a  fuller  presentation  is  badly 
needed. 

(4)  Scripture  seems  to  endorse  doctrinal 
statements.  For  instance,  we  read  in  I  Peter 
3:15  (NIV) :  "Always  be  prepared  to  give 
an  answer  to  anyone  who  asks  you  to  give 
the  reason  for  the  hope  that  you  have." 
I  believe  we  can  state  our  beliefs  without 
doing  violence  to  the  traditional  Brethren 
idea  of  openness  to  new  light.  We  can't 
begin  too  soon! 

Third,  we  should  consciously  work  to 
build  espirit  de  corps — group  spirit,  a  sense 


of  pride  in  our  common  mission.  We  must 
continually  encourage  one  another — cele- 
brating our  successes  and  consoling  one 
another  in  failure.  A  spirit  of  graciousness 
and  charity  should  be  cultivated  in  all  our 
relationships. 

Fourth,  we  must  foster  a  boldness  of 
spirit  to  move  into  new  and  promising 
areas  such  as  Operation  Impact  and  His- 
panic ministries.  Our  boldness  must  be 
rooted  in  confidence  that  we  are  following 
the  will  of  God  and  moving  toward  His 
purpose  for  our  church.  With  our  eyes  fixed 
upon  Christ  and  His  will  for  us,  we  can 
move  boldly  while  avoiding  foolhardy 
mistakes. 

Finally,  we  need  to  adopt  more  pragmatic 
approaches  to  leadership,  decision-making, 
and  some  distinctive  practices.  Anything 
that  hinders  the  achievement  of  our  God- 
given  mission  should  be  critically  examined 
and,  if  necessary,  discarded.  To  become  a 
viable  movement  in  the  eighties,  we  Breth- 
ren must  do  far  more  than  preserve  our 
traditions.  We  must  aggressively  pursue 
our  mission  in  the  midst  of  a  radically 
changing  world.  The  alternative  is  to  accept 
the  defense  of  our  historic  practices  as  our 
primary  mission,  while  others  carry  out 
God's  harvest. 

The   Pronnise   of  the   eighties 

In  conclusion,  I  assert  that  the  1980s 
hold  promise  proportionate  to  the  magni- 
tude of  our  vision.  No  more;  no  less.  The 
Scriptures  pointedly  outline  the  timeless 
mission  of  the  church.  Decisions  relating 
to  methods,  materials,  motivation,  and 
manpower  are  in  our  hands.  Whatever 
changes  occur  in  the  1980s — social,  eco- 
nomic, biological,  technological,  or  theolog- 
ical — they  can  be  dealt  with  constructively 
if  we  make  God's  mission  our  mission.  The 
ball  is  in  our  court.  □ 


a 


.  .  .  I  assert  that  the  1980s  hold  promise  proportionate 
to  the  ma.^nitude  of  our  vision/' 


10 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


the  salt  shaker 


r 


^    • ' . 


by  Alvin  Shifflett 


For  some  people,  life  is  a  constant  connplaint. 


Living  With  the  Discontented 


IT'S  STRANGE  that  in  such  an  agreeable 
world  there  should  be  so  many  disagree- 
able people.  They  seem  to  be  everywhere, 
no  matter  where  you  go. 

Of  all  the  ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to,  a  cross, 
crabby,  ill-contented  person  is  the  most 
unbearable.  Nothing  passes  without  a 
growl.  Nothing,  I  say  nothing,  pleases  the 
discontended.  They  live  a  lifetime  of  dissat- 
isfaction,  and  are  forever  crabby. 


"Of  ai!  the  ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to. 
a  cross,  crabby,  ill-contented  per- 
son   is    the    nnost   unbearable," 


When  these  most  unusual  people  go  out, 
they  make  others  miserable.  If  they  go  to 
the  symphony,  they  complain  that  the 
music  is  terrible.  If  they  go  to  the  finest 
restaurant,  they  complain  about  the  food 
or  the  smell  or  the  service. 

In  church,  they  put  up  a  constant 
squawk.  The  sermon  is  either  too  didactic 
or  too  evangelistic.  The  preacher  is  either 
too  smart  for  his  pants  or  not  smart 
enough.  They  yawn,  gape,  and  twist  in  the 
pew,  and  pretend  to  be  asleep,  then  com- 
plain: "I  could  not  keep  awake.  Did  you 
ever  hear  anything  so  dead?  Can  these  dry 
bones  live?" 

This  kind  of  person  wishes  the  choir 
could  sing  differently,  or  that  the  preacher 
would  preach  differently,  and  that  the 
elders  (mostly  hypocrites  by  this  person's 
measure)    would   pray   differently.   In   the 


morning  the  church  is  too  cold — "Why  do 
we  pay  a  janitor?"  In  the  evening  it's  too 
hot — 'It's  hot  as  blazes  in  here!" 

According  to  these  people,  the  church 
was  painted  the  wrong  color.  The  isles  were 
carpeted  much  too  extravagantly.  Nothing 
suits  them! 

A  disagreeable  person  is  exactly  like  a 
crab.  Have  you  ever  seen  a  crab  and  tried 
to  catch  one?  A  crab,  you  know,  always 
goes  the  other  way.  It  moves  backward  in 
order  to  go  forward  and  turns  in  four  direc- 
tions all  at  once.  You  try  to  catch  the  crab, 
and  the  crab,  before  you  know  it,  catches 
you!   Disagreeable  people  are  like  that. 

It  requires  the  grace  of  God,  the  patience 
of  Job,  and  a  sense  of  humor  to  stand 
them.  The  only  conclusion  one  can  make 
about  the  perpetual  grumbler  is  this:  '*Let 
us  leave  it  to  the  owl  to  hoot,  the  pig  to 
snort,  the  frog  to  croak,  the  beast  to  growl, 
and  the  grumbler  to  find  fault!" 

And  let  us  pray  that  we  are  not  arrested 
for  assault.  Q 


"Do  everything  without  complaining 
or  arguing,  so  that  you  nnay  be 
innocent  and  pure  as  God's  per- 
fect children,  who  live  in  a  world 
of    corrupt   and    sinful    people." 

Philippians   2:14-15   TEV* 


*From  the  Today's  English  Version  of  the  Bible.  Copyright  American 
Bible    Society    1966,    1971,    1976. 


March  1979 


11 


World  Missions 


Are  Missionaries 

Still  Needed  Today? 

Virgil  Ingraham  answers  "Yes,"  and  demonstrates  this  need  in  India 
and  among  the  Chinese. 


SOMEONE  has  said  that  sim- 
plicity is  often  the  difference 
between  communication  and 
confusion.  Clarity  of  expression 
leads  to  understanding.  We  can 
be  thankful  that  many  of  God's 
truths  are  stated  clearly  and 
concisely. 

Consider  the  words  of  Jesus. 
Simply  stated,  His  last  com- 
mand to  His  followers  was  to 
go  and  make  disciples  of  all 
nations.  This  is  our  missionary 
mandate.  It  never  has  been 
withdrawn  or  set  aside.  We  can 


Above,  Rev.  Ingraham  distrib- 
utes blankets  during  his  October 
1978  visit  to  India.  Below,  babies 
and  children  receive  a  nutri- 
tional drink  at  the  clinic  in 
Visakhapatnam. 


conclude,  therefore,  that  mis- 
sionaries are  still  needed  today. 
And  in  view  of  world  population 
growth  to  nearly  four  billion 
people,  missionaries  are  needed 
more  now  than  ever  before  in 
man's  history. 

We  Americans  have  the  Gos- 
pel readily  available.  The  abun- 
dance of  Christian  television 
and  radio  programs,  Bibles, 
books,  and  periodicals  and  the 
numerous  churches  in  every 
city,  town,  and  hamlet  offer 
ample  opportunity  for  the  earn- 
est, seeking  person  to  know  the 
Lord.  All  that  is  needed  is  for 
the  church  to  penetrate  into 
new  or  neglected  areas  and  for 
individual  Christians  to  give  a 
winsome  witness  for  Christ  to 
needy,  unsaved  persons  wher- 
ever they  may  be  located. 

The  rest  of  the  world  is  not 
so  fortunate.  Large  concentra- 
tions of  people  are  still  un- 
reached with  the  Good  News. 
Even  within  countries  where 
missionary  work  has  been  going 
on  for  many  years,  there  are 
areas  where  people  have  never 
heard  about  the  love  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  His  salvation. 


Th 


e   nee< 


m 


lndi< 


Great  need  for  the  Gospel 
exists  among  the  people  of 
India.  With  a  population  of 
more  than  six  hundred  million 
people,  less  than  three  percent 
profess  to  be  Christians. 

Our  Brethren  Mission  in  India 
is  experiencing  a  growing  re- 
ceptivity to  the  Gospel,  especial- 
ly among  the  villagers  in  rural 
and  remote  areas  that  are  dif- 
ficult   to    reach.    Our    mission- 


aries, the  Prasanth  Kumars  and 
the  Vijay  Kumars,  along  with 
the  pastors  and  evangelists,  are 
starting  new  Bible  classes, 
prayer  groups,  and  congrega- 
tions each  year  in  hitherto  un- 
reached  villages. 

More  than  sixty  villages  have 
weekly  services,  in  addition  to 
the  services  held  in  the  city 
churches  at  Rajahmundry  and 
Visakhapatnam.  Nearly  fifty 
villages,  many  in  remote  areas, 
have  resident  pastors  or  evan- 
gelists to  minister  in  evangel- 
ism and  provide  Christian  nur- 
ture. 

Since  its  beginning  in  1970, 
the  Brethren  Church  in  India 
has  grown  to  more  than  1300 
members.  Growth  in  churches 
and  prayer  groups  has  in- 
creased each  year,  along  with 
added  numbers  of  baptized 
believers. 

Brethren  Missions  in  India 
ministers  to  both  spiritual  and 
physical  needs.  The  clinics  in 
the  two  cities  give  medical  care 
to  hundreds  of  the  poorest  peo- 
ple and  take  their  medical  ser- 
vices out  into  villages  along 
with  the  message  of  salvation. 
Literacy  classes  are  also  con- 
ducted, teaching  young  and  old 
alike  to  read  in  Telugu  and 
thus  enabling  them  to  read  the 
Bible  for  the  first  time.  Exten- 
sive Christian  literature  distri- 
bution also  contributes  to  evan- 
gelism and  development  in 
discipleship. 

Many  thousands  of  these 
people  barely  exist,  often  eating 
only  one  meal  a  day.  A  fire, 
flood,  strong  wind,  or  some 
other  catastrophe  in  their  vil- 
lage leaves  these  stricken  people 
utterly  destitute.  In  these  times 


Rev.  M.  Virgil  Ingraham  is  General  Secretary  of  the  Missionary 
Board  of  the  Brethren  Church.  His  16  years  experience  in  this  position 
enable   him   to   write   knowledgeably   about  missions. 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


of  desperate  need,  Brethren 
Mission  personnel  become  a 
channel  for  providing  food, 
clothing,  blankets,  and  other 
basic  necessities. 

Other  assistance  in  the  name 
of  Christ  is  given  through  self- 
help  programs  such  as  the 
Typewriting  Institute  in  Visak- 
hapatnam.  Needy  young  people 
are  taught  typing,  helping  them 
to  escape  from  the  mass  of  un- 
skilled laborers  into  useful  em- 
ployment. The  medical  clinics 
in  both  locations  also  train 
selected  people  for  semi-skilled 
dispensary  work. 

Scholarship  aid  is  given  to 
promising  students  for  educa- 
tion in  Bible  college  or  for 
training  as  para-medics  or  for 
some  other  kind  of  service.  The 
orphanage  provides  a  home  for 
neglected  boys,  fostering  their 
spiritual  development  as  well  as 
providing  their  food,  clothing, 
medical  care,  education,  and 
other  needs. 

The  need  among  Chinese 

Turning  to  the  Chinese,  we 
find  a  population  block  of  near- 
ly a  billion  people.  Almost  two 
hundred  million  of  these  live 
outside  mainland  China — ^dis- 
persed throughout  the  world. 
Chinese  people  represent  close 
to  one-fourth  of  the  world's 
population,  yet  only  a  tiny  frac- 
tion of  them  are  Christians. 

Our  Malaysia-born  Chinese 
missionaries,  David  and  Jenny 
Loi,  are  finding  their  work 
among  the  Chinese  to  be  more 
effective  among  children  and 
youth  on  the  island  of  Penang. 
The  adults,  mostly  Buddhists  by 


;  ^STSifprvsjsjijaiP^T  Tg: 


profession  if  not  in  practice,  are 
more  resistant  to  the  appeal  of 
the  Gospel  message.  Like  the 
Hindu  of  India,  they  are  reluc- 
tant to  leave  their  traditional 
family  religion,  handed  down 
from  generation  to  generation. 

Our  missionaries  continue 
their  witness  to  adults,  ever- 
conscious  of  their  need  to  know 
Christ,  the  living  Way.  This  wit- 
ness goes  on  regularly  in 
Sunday  school,  Bible  classes, 
and  special  activities.  A  kinder- 
garten for  pre-school  children 
gives  opportunity  to  teach  the 
pupils  about  Jesus  and  also  pro- 
vides a  means  of  getting  into 
the  children's  homes  for  con- 
tact with  the  parents.  It  is  only 
through  a  consistent  witness 
over  an  extended  period  that 
resistance  to  Christianity  will 
be   overcome. 

Miss  Sow-Lin  attended  ser- 
vices at  the  Tanjong  Bungah 
area  since  its  beginning.  After 
a  time  she  accepted  Christ  as 
Savior  and  Lord.  Later  she 
decided  that  she  wanted  to 
serve  the  Lord.  Last  August 
and  September,  when  the  Lois 
were  in  the  United  States,  Sow- 
Lin  assisted  Dennis  Lau  with 
services  in  the  three  locations 
of  the  Brethren  Mission  in 
Malaysia.  She  experienced  joy 
in  the  Lord  and  in  His  service. 

Now  word  has  come  that  this 
promising  high  school  junior  is 
no  longer  able  to  meet  with  the 
other  Christians  because  of  her 
mother's  objections.  The  mis- 
sionary has  requested  prayer 
for  Sow-Lin  and  for  her  mother, 
that  the  mother's  heart  might 
be  touched  and  the  situation 
reversed. 


Above,  newly  constructed 
prayer  house  in  the  village  of 
Kanuru,  with  Prasanth  and  Nir- 
mala  Kumar.  Below,  baptismal 
service  for  51  people  of  Kanuru. 


Kindergarten  graduation  shows  some  of  the  many  children  David 
and  Jenny  Loi  work  with  on  the  island  of  Penang  in  Malaysia. 


Occasionally  we  hear  it  said 
that  people  should  be  allowed 
to  continue  in  their  own  religion 
without  "interference"  by  Chris- 
tians. This  might  be  comfort- 
able human  reasoning,  but  it  is 
unacceptable  from  God's  point 
of  view.  Scripture  emphasizes 
the  need  for  people  of  every 
nation  to  trust  in  Jesus  Christ, 
God's  Son,  for  salvation  and 
eternal  life. 

Salvation  is  God's  gift  to  peo- 
ple of  all  nations  through  faith 
in  Jesus  Christ.  He  is  the  only 
way  into  life  eternal  with  the 
living  God.  Consider  how  God 
loved  the  world  so  much  that 
He  gave  His  one  and  only  Son, 
that  whoever  believes  in  Him 
should  not  perish  but  have  ever- 
lasting life.  Had  there  been  any 
other  way  of  salvation,  this  gift 
of  God  which  is  beyond  under- 
standing would  not  have  been 
necessary. 

Unsaved  humanity  stands  des- 
perately in  need  of  the  Good 
News  of  Christ  and  His  salva- 
tion. As  Christians,  we  need  to 
go  with  the  Gospel  wherever 
there  is  opportunity.  Every 
(continued  on  page  IS) 


March  1979 


13 


World  Missions 


Go  Ye  Inio  ALL  the  World 


For  Chantal  Logan,  going  into  all  the  world  includes  going  into  the 
largest   federal   penitentiary   in   Colonnbia,   South  America. 


THE  RIDE  on  the  bus  is  taking  me  to  the  out- 
skirts of  the  city.  The  trip  is  uneventful  as  we 
travel  on  a  four-lane  highway,  with  only  a  few 
stops  to  load  or  unload  passengers.  Then  we 
take  a  left  turn  and  the  road  gets  suddenly 
worse. 

As  we  cross  a  bridge,  I  see  big  piles  of  gar- 
bage on  the  banks  of  the  river.  Two  men  are 
shoveling  it  into  the  river  while  some  women  or 
children  rummage  through  it  in  search  of  some- 
thing to  eat  or  sell.  The  scene  is  familiar  enough. 

Finally,  I  see  the  high  gray  walls  and  start 
praying  silently.  I  get  off  the  bus.  I  must  be  a 
familiar  face  now,  for  they  do  not  question  me 
when  I  step  over  the  chain  stretched  across  the 
road.  As  I  walk  to  the  entrance  door,  I  meet  a 
few  men  pushing  wheelbarrows  of  smelly  gar- 
bage and  others  sweeping  the  dirt  along  the  road. 

I  am  now  at  the  door;  this  time  I  have  to 
show  my  credentials  to  get  in.  Inside  I  report 
to  the  desk  and  leave  my  identity  card.  I  go 
through  another  door  and  open  my  pocketbook 
for  somebody  to  look  through  it.  The  one  in 
authority  nods  his  approval;  I  can  go  on.  At 
the  end  of  the  hall  the  next  door  is  opened  and 
nobody  stops  me. 


.^-*#<?'^r 


Mrs.  Chantal  Logan  is  a  Brethren  missionary  in 
Medellin,  Colombia.  She  is  shown  here  with 
"Pajaro"  ("the  Bird"),  an  ex-guerrilla  fighter  and 
prisoner  of  18  years  who  is  now  a  Christian  and 
a  trustee  at  the  prison. 


At  last  I  have  reached  my  destination.  I  have 
crossed  the  border  into  a  new  country — a  new 
world  whose  laws  are  not  written  on  any  books 
but  which  you  must  know  if  you  want  to  sur- 
vive. I  am  in  a  jail — not  just  any  jail,  but  the 
largest  federal  penitentiary  in  Colombia,  with  a 
population  of  3,800  male  inmates  and  a  capacity 
for  only  2,500! 

I  finally  find  the  guard  who  is  to  let  my  class 
of  juveniles  out  of  their  cell  block.  While  he 
goes  to  bring  them,  I  wait  in  the  classroom. 
Some  of  the  adult  inmates  look  in,  wondering 
who  I  am.  Then  one  of  them  comes  in  and  sits 
at  one  of  the  desks. 

"Aren't  you  afraid  to  be  here  alone?"  he  asks. 
And  just  to  make  certain  that  nobody  comes  in 
to  annoy  me,  he  stays  with  me  until  the  guard 
comes  back  with  the  group  of  students. 

We  sit  in  a  circle.  While  we  talk,  I  look  at 
their  faces,  familiar  to  me  by  now,  and  at  their 
appearance — ragged  clothes,  bare  feet.  .  .  .  Each 
one  has  a  name;  each  one  has  a  tale  to  tell,  a 
story  to  be  listened  to.  Each  one  is  a  human 
being  like  you  and  me  who  has  been  led  astray 
and  needs  to  be  brought  back  into  the  sheepfold. 

While  I  am  teaching  this  class  on  human  re- 
lationships, I  easily  forget  that  I  am  in  jail  and 
that  the  students  are  prisoners.  They  always 
treat  me  with  respect  and  thank  me  when  the 
class  is  over.  But  when  they  go  back  to  their  cell 
blocks,  they  will  not  be  the  "nice  students"  I 
taught.  They  will  again  be  prisoners — criminals 
who  will  react  according  to  their  environment  of 
violence  and  corruption  which  is  theirs  both 
inside  and  outside  the  jail. 

Before  leaving  I  walk  to  the  evangelical 
chapel,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  a  penitentiary  in 
Colombia.  A  family  of  Baptist  missionaries  from 
Canada  started  the  work  a  few  years  ago.  Now 
the  overall  jail  ministry  is  under  the  sponsor- 
ship of  South  American  Crusades.  Our  Canadian 
friends  got  us  interested  in  this  ministry  before 
they  left.  The  Colombian  chaplain  kept  in  touch 
with  us  and  introduced  us  to  the  officials  of  the 
jail.  Finally  I  was  given  a  special  permit  to  teach 
the  juveniles.  My  teaching  is  done  under  "official 
premises,"  but  I  am  still  a  part  of  the  evan- 
gelical team  and  its  effort  to  reach  out.  Mark 
does    not    have    a    regular    permit,    but    comes 


14 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


occasionally  to  show  Christian  movies  and  set 
up  the  public  address  system. 

I  chat  with  some  of  the  prisoners  who  are  now 
believers.  They  share  with  me  their  newly  found 
joy  in  Christ,  which  they  have  experienced  in 
spite  of  the  oppressive  atmosphere  in  which 
they  are  confined. 

I  am  on  my  way  out  now.  Outside  the  entrance 
door  a  prisoner  of  eighteen  years  is  waiting  for 
me.  He  was  converted  a  couple  of  years  ago  and 
the  change  in  his  life  is  so  radical  that  he  is 
allowed  to  live  outside  the  walls  and  carry  the 
responsibility  of  watching  the  jail  property  at 
night.  He  often  tells  me  that  he  is  more  free 
than  the  people  "out  there,"  for  he  has  been 
liberated  from  all  his  vices  since  he  gave  his 
life  to  Christ.  He  talked  to  my  class  one  day  and 
told  a  group  of  dumfounded  boys  the  kind  of 
man  he  had  been  and  how  radically  he  had  been 
changed  since  Christ  came  into  his  life.  Their 
eyes  were  bright  with  excitement  because  he 
gave  them  what  they  needed  most:  hope — real 
hope  for  change,  a  hope  as  tangible  as  the 
reality  of  his  life.  Hope  is  such  a  comfort  to 
men  who  have  lost  all  their  dreams  about  others 
and  themselves. 

Today  he  asks  how  I  got  along  with  my 
"kids,"  and  as  I  get  on  the  bus  and  wave  good- 
bye to  him  this  is  the  very  question  I  am  asking 
myself.  How  did  I  get  along?  What  do  you  think. 
Lord?  Did  my  words,  my  attitude  show  them 
my  faith  in  You?  Could  they  see  some  reflection 
of  You  in  me?  How  much  will  they  remember 
of  what  I  told  them?  Will  it  make  a  difference 
in  their  lives?  O  Lord,  I  need  to  get  closer  to 
You!  I  need  Your  Holy  Spirit!  Empower  me, 
Lord! 


.V^ref^.: ''*«&e,.--, ,     -•  4       i   '■■■''•J 

Bellavista — the  largest  federal  prison  in  Colom- 
bia, South  America. 

I  look  out  the  window  of  the  bus;  I  cannot 
see  the  walls  any  more;  they  are  gone.  No, 
that's  not  it!  They  are  not  gone!  I  am  the  one 
who  is  going,  and  if  I  leave  or  forget  about  these 
walls,  they  still  won't  disappear.  So  often  we  do 
just  that — we  think  that  if  we  close  our  eyes  or 
our  minds  to  the  needs  of  others  and  to  the 
reality  of  evil  at  work  in  our  world  and  that  if 
we  do  it  long  enough  these  things  will  finally 
vanish.  How  foolish  can  we  be? 

The  only  thing  that  will  bring  these  walls 
down  (and  any  others  that  man  has  built)  is  the 
transforming  power  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  lives 
of  people  inside  and  outside  the  walls.  Humanity 
in  distress  needs  hope^ — the  blessed  hope  of  the 
Gospel.  We  can't  keep  it  from  them.  And  besides, 
we  don't  have  any  choice:  to  take  this  hope  to 
them  is  the  commandment  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  □ 


Medical  Ministry  in  India 


by   Rev.   K.   Pransanth    Kumar 


IN  INDIA  there  is  a  dire  need  for  medical 
assistance  and  care.  Many  people  living  in  vil- 
lages lack  the  basic  necessities  of  life  such  as 
health  care  and  nutrition.  For  this  reason 
Reverend  and  Mrs.  Prasanth  Kumar  felt  the 
immediate  need  to  attend  the  poor  and  sick  peo- 
ple and  to  enlighten  them  about  the  Master 
Healer,  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  the  power  to  heal. 

In  1971  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Prasanth  Kumar  gave 
first  aid  training  to  Mr.  Christian  Das,  preacher 
for  the  Brethren  Mission,  and  entrusted  him 
with  the  free  village  dispensary  in  the  agency 
village  of  B.  Velamalakota.  Many  sick  people 
were  able  to  get  first  aid  treatment  and  medi- 
cines for  their  simple  diseases. 

Finding  considerable  need  for  medical  atten- 
tion and  care  in  other  villages,  the  missionaries 
started  two  more  medical  centers.  One  of  these 
was  in  Madhurapudi,  where  they  appointed 
Pastor   Daniel,   who   had   a   good   knowledge   of 


Ayurvedic  medicine  (Indian  herbal  medicine),  to 
serve.  He  proved  to  be  very  useful  working 
among  the  sick  and  poor  people  of  that  village. 
When  Mr.  Daniel  became  too  old  for  the  work, 
Pastor  S.  Chantibabu,  who  was  trained  in  the 
same  type  of  medicine,  was  appointed  to  take 
his  place.  In  Bobber  Lanka,  an  island  village, 
a  similar  type  of  dispensary  is  being  operated 
for  the  poor  people. 

Some  of  the  other  pastors  have  also  been 
trained  to  give  first  aid  and  medicines  for  simple 
diseases.  They  are  helping  the  sick  in  other 
villages.  Thus  the  villagers  are  receiving  medical 
service. 

On  September  16,  1972,  the  Brethren  Health 
Center  was  inaugurated  in  Rajahmundry.  A 
qualified  physician  was  appointed  for  part-time 
service  with  the  assistance  of  a  leading  physician 
of  Rajahmundry,  who  serves  as  the  honorary 
medical  superintendent   of  the  Brethren  Health 


March  1979 


15 


Center.  This  center  was  started  to  serve  the 
poor,  needy,  sick  people  without  regard  for  their 
caste  or  religion  in  order  to  relieve  them  of  their 
chronic,  neglected  diseases.  Because  of  the  large 
number  of  women  who  came  for  medical  aid, 
the  missionaries  appointed  a  qualified  lady 
medical  officer  to  serve  part  time  (twice  a 
week). 

In  1973  the  Brethren  Health  Center  became 
known  as  the  Brethren  Mission  Hospital.  This 
change  was  made  to  fit  into  the  pattern  of 
Indian  medical  establishments.  At  that  time 
there  was  one  full-time  residential  medical 
officer,  a  part-time  woman  doctor,  and  a  full- 
time  evangelist,  with  minimum  staff  assistance. 
Although  it  is  called  a  hospital,  for  all  practical 
purposes  it  is  actually  an  out-patient  clinic,  with 
two  beds  for  emergency  use. 


The  mobile  clinic  in  service,  bringing  medicine 
and  the  Gospel  to  a  remote  village  in  India. 

The  hospital  is  opened  each  day  with  prayer 
and  meditation  and  is  closed  each  day  in  like 
manner.  Each  patient  is  given  a  Gospel  tract 
along  with  the  registration  card,  and  the  pa- 
tients are  encouraged  to  believe  in  the  Lord  and 
in  His  power  to  heal  their  bodies.  When  the 
people  are  healed,  they  are  drawn  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  and  join  the  worship  services  of  the 
Brethren  Church  with  thankful  hearts. 

The  woman  doctor  attends  the  children's 
needs  and  also  gives  prenatal  and  postnatal  care 
to  the  women.  By  the  abundant  grace  of  God, 
she  is  able  to  heal  a  great  number  of  women 
and  children  of  chronic  and  neglected  diseases. 
Surgical  and  hospitalized  cases  are  cared  for 
by  the  medical  superintendent. 

Another  highlight  of  the  medical  ministry  of 
the  Brethren  Church  in  India  is  the  mobile 
clinic.  This  clinic  enables  the  mission  to  extend 
its  services  to  those  previously  neglected.  Occa- 
sionally the  missionaries  make  a  trip  to  the 
interior  villages  with  the  doctor,  the  staff,  and 
a  load  of  medicines.  The  day's  stay  provides 
time  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  these  remote  vil- 
lages. Thus  the  mobile  clinic  has  paved  the 
way  for  sharing  the  Word  of  God  in  areas  we 
might  not  otherwise  get  into. 

The  devastating  cyclone  of  November  1977  laid 
ruin  to  many  villages.  Many  people  were  injured 
and  disease  spread.  The  major  role  of  the  Breth- 
ren Mission  at  that  time  was  to  expand  its  med- 


"When  the  people  are  healed,  they 
are  drawn  to  the  Lord  Jesus  and 
join  the  worship  services  of  the 
Brethren  Church  with  thankful 
hearts." 


ical  services.  This  was  made  possible  through 
the  financial  assistance  provided  by  the  World 
Relief  Commission.  The  missionaries  and  the 
mobile  clinic  visited  the  cyclone  affected  areas 
many  times.  They  gave  out  preventive  medicines, 
multi-vitamins,  milk  food,  B-complex  tablets,  and 
glucose  packets,  as  well  as  fulfilling  other  needs. 
Prasanth  and  Nirmala  were  also  able  to  give 
spiritual  assistance  at  this  time  when  it  was 
vitally  necessary  to  get  body  and  soul  together. 

Every  year  thousands  oi  people  are  served 
through  the  mobile  clinic,  the  village  dispen- 
saries, and  the  Brethren  Mission  Hospital  in 
Rajahmundry.  A  wide  variety  of  illnesses  are 
treated,  ranging  from  the  common  cold  to 
tuberculosis  and  hepatitis,  and  including  various 
tropical  diseases.  Since  its  opening  in  September 
of  1972  to  the  end  of  December  1978,  the 
Brethren  Mission  Hospital  has  treated  a  total 
of  93,775  patients.  A  total  of  28,598  patients  were 
treated  in  1978  alone! 

Reverend  and  Mrs.  K.  Vijaya  Kumar  are  also 
deeply  involved  in  a  medical  ministry.  They  are 
conducting  this  ministry  in  the  Visakhapatnam 
area.  In  September  of  1976  a  free  clinic  was 
opened  there  in  which  Sujata  renders  free  med- 
ical service.  A  maternity  center  with  two  beds 
was  added  in  1977.  Dr.  Sujata  delivers  babies 
and  provides  prenatal  and  postnatal  care.  Polio 
vaccine  and  triple-antigen  are  given  to  the 
babies. 

Rev.  and  Mrs.  Vijay  Kumar  also  go  into  the 
villages  with  the  mobile  clinic  and  assist  the 
ill  and  those  suffering  with  malnutrition.  This 
is  a  dual  outreach  ministry  since  both  medicine 
and  the  Gospel  are  shared  with  patients  in 
Visakhapatnam  and  the  remote  villages. 

The  Brethren  Mission  plans  to  significantly 
extend  its  services  to  the  medical  needs  of  chil- 
dren in  India  during  this  International  Year  of 
the  Child.  There  are  92  million  children  in  India 
v/ho  live  below  the  poverty  standard.  They  exist 
under  conditions  difficult  for  survival,  thus 
accounting  for  49  percent  of  the  total  annual 
deaths  in  India. 

Children  make  up  42  percent  of  India's  popu- 
lation. This  means  that  there  are  230,245,000 
Indian  children — more  than  the  total  population 
of  the  United  States!  Jesus  said,  "Suffer  the 
little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them 
not:  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God."  We 
pray  that  the  Lord  will  give  us  all  the  means  to 
show  love  and  concern  to  children  in  India. 

The  missionaries  serving  Brethren  Missions 
in  India  are  thankful  for  the  assistance  the 
Brethren  in  the  States  give  to  our  medical 
ministry.  Q 


16 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


World  Missions 


Colombian  Brethren  Church  Inventory 


by   Rev.   Kenneth    L.   Solonnon 


History 


OUR  REQUEST  before  leaving  the  United  States 
in  November  of  1973  was  that  of  the  Apostle 
Paul  found  in  Colossians  4:2-3:  "Continue  in 
prayer,  and  wateh  in  the  same  with  thanksgiv- 
ing; withal  praying  also  for  us,  tliat  God  would 
open  unto  us  a  door  of  utterance,  to  speak  the 
mystery  of  Christ.  .  .  ." 

Now  that  we  have  completed  five  years  of 
missionary  effort  here  in  Medellin,  Colombia, 
we  can  gratefully  report  that  God  has  opened 
many  doors  of  opportunity  and  that  He  has  also 
provided  the  necessary  Colombian  leadership  to 
aid  us  in  taking  advantage  of  these  "open  doors." 

To  date,  in  the  area  of  leadership,  we  have 
two  missionary  couples  (the  Solomons  and  the 
Logans),  one  ordained  elder,  and  two  deacons 
and   a   deaconess   active  as  lay  evangelists. 

As  to  results,  the  Lord  has  added  to  the  church 
151  members  in  these  past  five  years  and  has 
made  possible  the  organization  of  two  Brethren 
congregations.  These  are  located  on  opposite 
sides  of  this  large,  modern  city  of  more  than 
one  and  one-half  million  inhabitants.  The  pres- 
ent activities  of  these  two  congregations  include 
an  average  of  40  weekly  Bible  studies  held  in 
30  different  homes  located  in  four  different 
cities  in  this  long  valley  called  the  "Aburra." 

The   Present 

The  present  ministry  is  principally  involved 
in  two  major  areas:  personal  evangelism  and 
church  planting. 

In  the  area  of  personal  evangelism,  our  only 
ordained  Latin  elder.  Reverend  Luis  Chacaiza 
of  Eicuador,  is  our  most  experienced  and  our 
only  full-time  evangelist.  The  Holy  Spirit  has 
opened  doors  of  opportunity  to  him  in  the  cities 
of    Itagui,    Envigado,    Medellin,    and    Girardota. 

Rev.  Chacaiza  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  promise 
of  God's  Word  as  stated  in  H  Corinthians  9:6: 
"He  which  soweth  sparingly  shall  reap  also 
sparingly;  and  he  which  soweth  bountifully  shall 
reap  also  bountifully."  And  he  believes  Isaiah 
55:11,  where  God  promises:  "So  shall  my  word 
be  that  goeth  forth  out  of  my  mouth:  it  shall 

Kenneth  L.  Solomon  is  a  Brethren  missionary 
serving   in   Medellin,    Colombia. 


Hat        * 


>'  % 


Kev.  Luis  Chaciaza  (at  back  in  white  shirt  and 
tie),  an  ordained  pastor  from  Ecuador,  is  shown 
with  a  group  of  Quechua  Indians  prepared  for 
baptism. 


not  return  unto  me  void,  but  it  shall  accomplish 
that  which  I  please,  and  it  shall  prosper  in  the 
thing  whereto  I  sent  it."  Tlierefore  Rev. 
Chacaiza  is  a  great  "sower"  of  the  Gospel 
"seed."  He  sows  the  seed  through  literature  dis- 
tribution as  well  as  through  verbal  testimony 
and  personal  sharing  of  the  Word. 

But  this  is  not  all.  He  has  also  been  blessed 
of  the  Lord  in  the  area  of  church  planting  in 
the  nine  months  he  has  worked  with  our 
mission.  He  has  been  instrumental  in  beginning 
a  new  congregation  among  the  Ecuadorian 
Quechua  Indians  who  live  and  carry  on  business 
in  Medellin.  To  date,  eight  adult  members  have 
been  baptized.  These  new  Christians  are  already 
being  trained  in  stewardship  to  share  their 
tithes  and  offerings  to  help  support  the  national 
church's   united  evangelistic  effort. 

Deacon  and  acting  pastor  of  the  Campo  Valdes 
congregation,  Dario  Tobon,  a  33-year-old  father 
of  two  boys,  is  also  very  gifted  in  personal  evan- 
gelism. He  is  now  serving  in  his  own  "Jeru- 
salem"— among  his  boyhood  friends  in  the  com- 
munity where  he  grew  up.  For  some  years,  now, 
he  has  been  successfully  involved  in  this,  his 
favorite  ministry. 

But  Dario  has  also  shown  himself  capable  of 
pastoring  a  local  congregation.  Under  his  lead- 
ership   this    congregation    has    grown    from    an 


March  1979 


17 


Rev.  Kenneth  Solomon  (left)  prays  for  Dario 
Tobon  upon  Dario' s  ordination  as  a  deacon  in 
1976.       : 

attendance  of  70  to  a  Sunday  morning  attendance 
of  90.  He  has  also  succeeded  in  beginning  11 
home  Bible  studies.  These  meet  each  week  in 
different  homes  and  are  taught  either  by  Dario 
or  by  one  of  his  lay  helpers.  Many  fine  young 
couples  have  been  won  to  the  Lord  and  are 
being  trained  for  leadership  by  the  example  and 
teaching  of  this  lay  evangelist. 

Even  though  Dario  has  very  little  academic 
training,  he  has  been  gifted  of  God  for  the  min- 
istry to  which  God  has  called  him.  We  have 
endeavored  to  provide  him  with  additional  train- 
ing during  the  past  four  years  without  taking 
him  from  his  weekly  ministry  of  soul-winning 
and  pastoring. 

In  the  first  National  Conference  of  the  Colom- 
bian Brethren  Church  held  in  August  1978,  the 
Brethren  revealed  their  support  for  Dario  by 
electing  him  for  a  third  term  on  the  National 
Directing  Commission.  This  commission  then 
named  him  president  of  the  national  church. 

Deacon  Jaime  Gonzales,  a  25-year-old  univer- 
sity student  and  father  of  two  girls,  has  been  a 
part-time  lay  worker  for  the  mission  for  the 
past  three  years.  God  has  given  him  organiza- 
tional gifts  and  gifts  for  teaching  believers. 
Therefore  he  has  been  quite  helpful  to  the 
church.  His  gifts  are  especially  important  in  the 
Colombian  church,  for  the  church  is  still  in  its 
infancy  and  most  of  the  members  had  no  knowl- 
edge of  the  Word  of  God  before  their  conversion. 

In  evangelism,  Jaime  has  teamed  up  with 
Mark  Logan  in  showing  Gospel  films  in  private 
schools,  businesses,  and  clubs.  He  also  gives  a 
bold  testimony  to  his  professors  and  fellow 
students  at  the  university.  He  is  presently  in- 
volved as  moderator  and  teacher  in  the  Campo 
Valdes  congregation  and  was  also  re-elected  to 
serve  his  third  term  on  the  National  Directing 
Commission. 

In  the  area  of  literature  evangelism  and  Bible 
course  by  correspondence.  Deacon  Jaime  has 
been  given  the  full  responsibility  as  "promotional 
director"  of  the  monthly  Christian  periodical 
La  Voz.  He  is  responsible  for  answering  all  the 
students  and  for  sending  them  correspondence 
Bible  lessons  geared  to  their  age  and  academic 
background. 


Mrs.  Etelvina  Gonzales,  widow  of  a  former 
lay  pastor  of  the  Colombian  Brethren  Church, 
is  a  very  valuable  asset  to  the  Campo  Valdes 
congregation  as  deaconess  and  teacher.  The  Lord 
is  also  using  her  as  a  personal  evangelist  to 
children,  youth,  and  adult  women.  She  has  also 
made,  and  is  continuing  to  make,  a  valuable 
contribution  as  a  member  of  the  National  Direct- 
ing Commission  and  the  National  Women's  Mis- 
sionary Society.  She  is  now  a  member  of  the 
newly  formed  "Elders  Commission"  that  will 
have  as  its  principal  responsibility  overseeing 
all  that  pertains  to  the  spiritual  state  of  the 
churches   and   their   missionary   outreach. 

Jeannette,  my  wife,  has  been  led  of  the  Lord 
to  enter  another  open  door  of  service  in  addition 
to  being  a  housewife,  mother,  and  missionary 
helpmate.  She  has  returned  to  the  classroom  as 
fourth  and  fifth  grade  teacher  in  the  school  for 
missionary  children.  God  has  given  her  improved 
health,  thus  making  this  added  daily  responsi- 
bility possible.  She  testifies  that  it  is  quite  re- 
warding to  be  once  again  in  this  ministry  for 
which  she  was  prepared  by  five  years  of  training 
at  Ashland  College  and  by  several  years  of 
teaching  experience  in  the  Ashland  city  schools. 

As  for  my  own  responsibilities,  I  continue  to 
concentrate  in  the  areas  of  leadership  training, 
personal  evangelism,  and  church  planting 
organization. 


v^onciusion 

God  answered  that  prayer  of  1973  to  "open 
doors."  He  has  given  a  steady  growth  to  this 
infant  church  of  150%,  300%,  50%,  32%,  and 
Z2%  in  the  years  from  1974-1978.  Therefore  we 
look  forward  with  faith  and  optimism,  believing 
that  He  will  continue  blessing  His  church  until 
He  comes. 

Thank  you,  Brethren,  for  your  part  in  making 
it  possible  to  respond  to  these  "OPEN  DOORS" 
of  opportunity  and  ministry  here  in  Medellin, 
Colombia.  D 


Are  Missionaries  Still  Needed  Today? 

continued  from  page  13 

Christian  is  needed  for  this  task,  and  there  is 
a  place  for  everyone  in  the  work. 

Hear  the  Word  of  the  Lord:  "There  is  no 
difference  between  Jew  and  Gentile — the  same 
Lord  is  Lord  of  all  and  richly  blesses  all  who  call 
on  Him,  for  'Everyone  who  calls  on  the  name  of 
the  Lord  will  be  saved.'  How,  then  can  they  call 
on  the  one  they  have  not  believed  in?  And  how 
can  they  believe  in  the  one  of  whom  they  have 
not  heard?  And  how  shall  they  hear  without 
someone  preaching  to  them?  And  how  can  they 
preach  unless  they  are  sent?  As  it  is  written, 
'How  beautiful  are  the  feet  of  those  who  bring 
good  news!'  " 

This,  then,  is  our  missionary  task.  We  must 
keep  pressing  on  with  sharing  the  Gospel, 
making  disciples  of  all  the  nations.  And  this 
work  must  continue  unabated  until  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  comes  again.  Q 


18 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


UPDATE 


news  from   the   Brethren   Church 


Moderator's   Report 

by   Rev.   Duane   Dickson 


Does  the  Brethren  Church  have  a 
future?  I  have  heard  that  question  asked 
many  times  in  the  past  few  months.  In 
view  of  our  statistical  trends,  the  ques- 
tion is  a  valid  one. 

Yet,  I  find  that  this  question  disturbs 
me  very  much.  The  Brethren  Church  is 
part  of  an  even  greater  body — the  Body 
of  Christ.  It  is  in  my  understanding  of 
the  true  meaning  of  the  church  that  I 
have  difficulty  with  the  above  question. 

The  church  does  have  a  future,  and  the 
Brethren  Church  has  a  future  because  we 
are  of  Christ.  Whether  or  not  we  fulfill 
the  plan  ordained  of  God  (which  is  to 
win  people  to  Christ)  is  going  to  depend 
on  how  we  utilize  our  facilities  toward 
that  purpose. 

For  some  reason  unknown  to  us,  God 
has  given  us  the  choice  of  serving  Him 
fully  or  of  refusing  to  serve  Him.  It  is 
here  that  a  new  question  begins  to  form 
in  my  mind.  Am  I  (are  you)  going  to 
take  the  life  that  God  has  given  me  and 
use  it  to  His  glory,  or  am  I  (are  you) 
going  to  use  my  life  for  my  own  personal 
convenience. 

Our  time  is  too  precious,  our  egos  are 
too  great,  our  possessions  are  too  im- 
portant for  us  to  sacrifice  them  for  the 
sake  of  the  proclamation  of  the  Gospel 
of  Christ.  We  should  be  ashamed!  Do  you 
remember  the  rich  young  man  who 
walked  sorrowfully  away  from  Jesus 
because  he  had  many  possessions? 

Let's  take  a  serious  look  at  our  reasons 
for  not  growing.  Let's  purge  ourselves  of 
the  jealousies  that  are  causing  divisions. 
Let's  learn  to  love  and  trust  one  another. 
Let's  make  a  special  effort  to  accelerate 
our  spiritual  growth.  Let's  become  so  con- 
cerned about  the  unsaved  around  us  that 
we  are  driven  with  a  compulsion  to  lead 
them  to  Christ. 

God  has  a  future  for  us!  But  we  are 
afraid  to  open  our  eyes  to  see  what  it  is 
for  fear  He  may  be  asking  us  to  person- 
ally get  involved.  How  about  it? 


Doran  Hlostetler  named 
Citizen  ©f  the  Year. 

Lost  Creek,  Ky. — Doran  Hostetler,  administrator 
of  Riverside  Christian  Training  School  at  Lost 
Creek,  was  named  Breathitt  County  Citizen  of 
the  Year  by  the  Kiwanis  Club  of  Jackson,  Ky.  The 
announcement  was  made  at  the  Kiwanis  Club's 
awards  dinner  in  October  of  last  year. 

In  addition  to  his  responsibilities  as  adminis- 
trator, Mr.  Hostetler  is  also  a  teacher  and  coach 
at  Riverside  School.  He  and  his  wife  Nancy  have 
served  at  the  school  since  1959. 

When  it  was  announced  that  he  had  been  select- 
ed Citizen  of  the  Year,  Hostetler  received  a  stand- 
ing ovation  from  those  in  attendance  at  the 
awards  dinner. 


Former  Brethren  missionary 
Marguerite  Kraft  authors  book 

Dr.  Marguerite  Kraft,  former  Brethren  mission- 
ary to  Nigeria,  has  authored  a  book  entitled 
Worldview  and  the  Communication  of  the  Gospel, 
and  subtitled  A  Nig^erian  case  study  (William 
Carey   Library,   1978,   220  pp.,   $7.95  paperback). 

The  book  is  a  case  study  of  the  communication 
of  the  Gospel  to  the  Kamwe  (Higi)  people  of 
northeastern  Nigeria.  It  shows  three  decades  of 
church  growth  among  the  Kamwe,  including  2,600 
baptisms  during  1977. 

The  book  illustrates  how  much  missiology  can 
learn  from  anthropology  and  vice  versa.  It  deals 
v/ith  such  questions  as:  How  does  the  hearer's 
perception  affect  his  understanding  of  the  Gospel? 
How  can  Christian  strategy  be  effectively  related 
to  the  hearer's  value  system?  Are  there  untapped 
resources  for  more  effective  communication  of 
the  Gospel?  How  does  worldview  relate  to  pre- 
senting the  Gospel,  training  leaders,  nurturing 
Christians,   and  explaining  the  Scriptures? 

Mrs.  Kraft  first  came  into  contact  with  the 
Kamwe  (Higi)  people  when  she  and  her  husband 
Charles  served  as  Brethren  missionaries  in  Ni- 
geria from  1957  to  1960.  The  Krafts  worked 
among  the  Kamwe  people.  Mrs.  Kraft  has  visited 
Nigeria  several  times  since  1960,  and  in  1974  she 
spent  time  among  the  Kamwe  people  doing  field 
research  for  this  book,  Mrs.  Kraft  also  spent  many 
hours  in  interviews  and  discussions  with  John 
Guli  in  preparing  this  case  study.  John  Guli  is 
one  of  the  Kamwe  people. 

Mrs.  Kraft  is  presently  serving  as  Associate 
Professor  of  Anthropology  and  Linguistics  at 
Biola  College  in  California. 


March  1979 


19 


update 


Nappanee  has  "Stewart  Roast" 


Nappanee,  Ind. — Rev.  Clarence  Stewart  celebrated 
his  94th  birthday  on  Valentine's  Day,  1979.  In 
recognition  of  Rev.  Stewart's  birthday,  the  First 
Brethren  Church  of  Nappanee  held  a  "Stewart 
Roast." 

The  celebration  was  a  total  surprise  to  Stewart, 
who  was  given  the  "hot  seat"  of  honor  at  the 
affair.  Rev.  Alvin  Shifilett,  pastor  of  Nappanee 
First  Brethren,  led  in  the  "roast." 

As  a  part  of  the  celebration,  Stewart  was  given 
a  calendar  of  28  pre-arranged  meal  engagements 
with  Brethren  people.  Stewart,  who  believes  he 
has  eaten  more  Brethren  meals  than  anyone  else 
his  age,  is  apparently  going  to  eat  a  few  more! 

Following  the  "roast"  the  ladies  of  the  Nappanee 
church  served  birthday  cake  and  homemade  ice 
cream. 

Rev.  Stewart,  who  began  his  ministry  in  the 
days  of  the  horse  and  buggy  and  pot-bellied  stoves, 
is  now  Pastor  Emeritus  of  both  the  Sarasota  First 
Brethren  Church  and  the  Nappanee  First  Breth- 
ren Church.  He  is  still  quite  active  in  the  church, 
never  missing  a  Sunday  morning  or  evening 
service. 

He  is  loved  by  all  in  the  Nappanee  community, 
where  his  favorite  pastime  is  spinning  yarns  or 
telling  jokes.  After  94  years,  he  has  bushels  of 
them. 

According  to  Pastor  Shifflett,  at  the  end  of  the 
"roast"  Rev.  Stewart  was  heard  to  comment,  "I 
feel  well  done!" 

ABCT  Training   Senninars 
now   underway 

Ashland,  Ohio — The  Board  of  Christian  Education 
reports  that  another  successful  series  of  ABCT 
Training  Seminars  is  now  underway.  The  1979 
schedule  includes: 

Delaware,  Ohio  March  10 

Jefferson  (Goshen),  Indiana        March  17 
North  Manchester,  Indiana  March  31 

Maurertown,  Virginia  April  7 

Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania  April  21 

Lanark,  Illinois  April  28 

If  there  is  still  time  to  attend  a  seminar  session 
near  you,  ask  your  pastor  for  a  promotional  bro- 
chure or  contact  the  BCE  office  (524  College 
Avenue,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805,  419-289-2748).  Pre- 
registration  with  the  BCE  office  before  the  sem- 
inar date  is  advisable,  but  registrations  will  be 
accepted  at  the  door  the  day  of  the  session. 

ABCT  Seminars  are  excellent  learning  oppor- 
tunities for  people  in  all  areas  of  Christian  educa- 
tion ministry. 


Even  though  he  is  94  years  old,  Rev.  Clarence 
Stewart  is  still  popular  with  the  children.  There's  no 
generation  gap  here. 


*  ^*t»  » 


Ashland  College  announces 
cost*  increase 

Ashland,  Ohio — Ashland  College  President  Arthur 
L.  Schultz  has  announced  an  8.4  percent  increase 
in  tuition  and  room  and  board  for  the  1979-80 
academic  year. 

Yearly  tuition  will  increase  from  $3,490  to 
$3,782  and  room  and  board  from  $1,500  to  $1,630.  A 
semester  at  Ashland  College  will  cost  $2,706  as 
compared  to  $2,495  this  year.  The  president  said 
that  the  higher  cost  is  due  to  inflation  and  to 
increased  services. 

In  spite  of  the  increase,  AC's  costs  continue  to 
rank  below  the  median  cost  of  private,  independ- 
ent colleges  in  Ohio.  Many  other  state  and  private 
institutions  have  also  announced  tuition  and  fees 
hikes. 

Dr.  Schultz  said  that  the  college  is  most  con- 
cerned about  the  rising  costs,  and  pointed  out  that 
the  board  of  trustees  has  urged  that  a  feasibility 
study  be  made  prior  to  planning  a  capital  fund 
campaign  for  the  1980's. 

"We  must  meet  the  challenge  of  rising  costs 
through  student  recruitment  and  fund-raiising," 
said  the  president.  "All  private  colleges  are  facing 
the  same  problems." 


20 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Ohio  District  to  consider  "Who  Cares?" 


Ashland,  Ohio — "Who  Cares?  Brethren  Do!"  will 
be  the  theme  of  the  Ohio  District  Conference 
meeting  on  March  24th.  The  meeting  will  be  held 
at  the  Asbury  United  Methodist  Church  in 
Delaware,   Ohio,   from  9  a.m.   to  3:30  p.m. 

Bible  study  and  business  will  make  up  most 
of  the  day's  program,  with  time  also  allotted  for 
meetings  by   conference  auxiliaries. 

Dr.  Charles  Munson  and  Rev.  Leroy  Solomon 
will  be  leading  the  Bible  study,  which  will  focus 
on  Romans  12:9-21.  The  study  will  be  divided  into 
two  parts:  "Responsibility  for  Caring,"  from  Ro- 
mans 12:9-10;  and  "Possibilities  for  Caring,"  from 
Romans  12:11-21.  All  those  planning  to  attend  the 
conference  are  asked  to  study  the  Scripture 
passage  and  come  prepared.  Worksheets  will  be 
passed  out  and  used  during  the  Bible  study. 

The  conference  meeting  on  March  24th  will  be 


Churches  to   advocate 
U.S.   aid    reform   study 

New  York,  N.Y. — U.S.  aid  programs  which  provide 
aid  to  developing  nations  are  riddled  with  conflict- 
ing aims  which  often  result  in  increased  depend- 
ency rather  than  self-reliance,  according  to  Arthur 
Simon,  Executive  Director  of  Bread  for  the  World. 
"The  long,  hard  way  out  of  hunger  and  poverty 
is  self-reliant  development,"  Simon  maintains. 

In  order  to  focus  attention  on  the  need  for  re- 
form in  U.S.  food  and  development  assistance 
programs.  Bread  for  the  World  (a  Christian 
citizen's  movement  on  hunger),  in  cooperation 
with  the  churches,  is  initiating  and  coordinating 
a  network  of  public  events  to  be  held  across  the 
nation  in  April. 

The  theme  for  the  events  will  be  "Hunger  and 
Self -Reliance:  The  Role  of  Aid."  The  aim  is  to 
enlist  new  public  policy  advocates  for  the  hungry 
who  will  work  to  bring  about  changes  in  foreign 
aid  legislation  more  oriented  toward  self-reliant 
development  of  poor  countries  and  their  peoples. 

"Christian  citizens  have  demonstrated  that, 
working  together,  they  can  have  a  significant 
impact  on  shaping  legislation  that  benefits  hungry 
people  at  home  and  abroad,"  says  Simon. 
"Though  other  policy  initiatives  can  be  more 
important  in  the  long  run,  aid  will  continue  to 
be  one  of  the  main  ways  the  United  States 
responds  to  hunger  and  poverty  abroad,  and  it 
can  and  should  be  made  more  productive  and 
more  focused  on  encouraging  self-reliance  in  the 
poor  countries.  It  is  crucial  that  concerned  citizens 
work  to  help  bring  that  about." 


Part  I  of  a  two  part  emphasis  on  the  theme  "Who 
Cares?  Brethren  Do!"  The  District  Conference 
"Harvest  Festival"  planned  for  September  15  will 
be  Part  II  of  the  emphasis  on  this  theme. 

The  particular  thrust  of  the  September  meeting 
will  be  on  "What  happened  with  'who  cares?'  " 
Delegates  will  be  asked  to  give  proof  that  Breth- 
ren care  by  sharing  what  has  happened  since  the 
spring  meeting.  They  will  be  reporting  on 
"Responsibility  Assumed"  and  "Possibilities 
Fuliilled." 

Bible  study,  music,  singing  groups,  praise,  and 
celebration  are  also  planned  for  the  fall  program. 


Life  story  of  C.  S«  Lewis  filmed 

The  life  story  of  C.  S.  Lewis  has  been  made  into 
a  full-length  motion  picture.  This  "documemory" 
of  Lewis,  entitled  "Through  Joy  and  Beyond," 
was  filmed  by  Lord  &  King  Associates,  Inc.,  of 
Chicago. 

C.  S.  Lewis  is  one  of  the  Christian  world's  best- 
known  authors  and  champions  of  the  faith.  His 
wide  fame  rest  on  his  books,  which  have  sold  over 
50  million  copies.  They  include:  The  Screwtape 
Letters,  The  Problem  of  Pain,  Miracles,  The  Great 
Divorce,  Mere  Christianity,  Till  We  Have  Faces, 
The  Chronicles  of  Narnia,  The  Space  Trilogy,  and 
many  more. 

"Through  Joy  and  Beyond"  was  produced  and 
directed  by  Bob  O'Donnell  of  Lord  &  King  Asso- 
ciates, Inc.  It  was  filmed  entirely  on  location  in 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  Lewis's  childhood 
home,  located  on  the  outskirts  of  Belfast,  was 
filmed,  as  well  as  other  important  locations  which 
illustrate  Lewis's  early  years  in  Ireland  and 
England. 

Rev.  Walter  Hooper,  private  secretary  and 
friend  of  the  late  Lewis,  wrote  the  script  and  is 
the  narrator  of  the  film.  Featured  as  the  "voice" 
of  Lewis  is  Peter  Ustinov,  the  renowned  British 
playwright,  orator,  actor,  director,  and  TV  star. 

Premiere  showings  of  "Through  Joy  and  Be- 
yond" began  in  the  U.S.  on  February  27  and  will 
continue  throughout  March  and  early  April.  Be- 
ginning in  April  the  film  will  be  available  for 
rental  through  Gospel  Films,  Inc. 

Lord  &  King  Associates  and  the  trustees  of  the 
Lewis  estate  also  plan  to  produce  several  other 
major  motion  pictures  based  on  the  works  of 
C.  S.  Lewis — in  particular,  The  Great  Divorce  and 
eventually  a  film  version  of  The  Screwtape 
Letters. 


March  1979 


21 


update 


Fort  Lauderdale,  Fla. — Rev.  Keith  Bennett,  pastor 
of  the  new  Brandon  Brethren  Church,  Brandon, 
Fla.,  was  a  participant  in  the  Evangelism  Explo- 
sion III  International  Leadership  Clinic,  held 
February  2-7,  1979,  at  the  Coral  Ridge  Presby- 
terian Church  in  Fort  Lauderdale.  The  Brandon 
Brethren  Church,  of  which  Bennett  is  pastor,  is 
one  of  the  two  Operation  Impact  churches  being 
started   in   Florida. 

Bennett  was  one  of  a  total  of  150  ministers, 
wives,  and  lay  people  who  attended  the  clinic  and 
investigated  this  ministry  of  evangelism,  disciple- 
ship,  and  church  nurture. 

The  clinic  was  led  by  Dr.  D.  James  Kennedy, 
Senior  Minister  at  the  Coral  Ridge  Presbyterian 
Church  and  founder  and  president  of  Evangelism 
Explosion  III  International  (EE  III).  Kennedy 
was  assisted  by  Rev.  Archie  B.  Parrish,  executive 
director  of  EE  III. 

The  Evangelism  Explosion  ministry  has  made 
Coral  Ridge  one  of  the  fastest  growing  Presby- 
terian Churches  in  the  United  States  for  several 
years.  The  church  has  grown  from  17  members 
to   more  than  four  thousand. 

It  was  this  phenomenal  growth  at  Coral  Ridge 


Rev. 

Keith 
Bennett 


which  led  to  the  founding  of  EE  III,  the  focus  of 
which  is  to  help  pastors  disciple  and  train  lay 
people   to   effectively   share   their  faith. 


Bezaleel!  Ahollab!  Are  you  there? 


When  God  gave  Moses  the  blueprint  for  the 
Tabernacle,  He  told  Moses  that  He  had  endowed 
two  men  with  special  skills.  These  men  would 
use  these  skills  in  constructing  some  of  the  intri- 
cate artwork  for  the  Tabernacle. 

Bezaleel  was  given  unusual  ability  to  work  in 
gold,  silver,  and  brass.  Aholiab  was  granted  skill 
to  work  with  wood.  (Exodus  31:1-11.)  Thus  God 
assured  that  the  workmanship  on  the  Tabernacle 
would  be  of  the  kind  worthy  of  such  a  special 
project. 

There  are  "Bezaleels"  and  "Aholiabs"  among  the 
members  of  the  Brethren  Church — people  who 
have  specialized  skills  in  the  building  trades.  If 
you  are  such  a  person,  you  might  not  think  of 
yourself  as  a  missionary.  But  you  can  share  in 
an  important  missionary  ministry. 

The  Brethren  Church  has  a  number  of  mission- 
ary properties  which  are  under  the  supervisory 
care  of  the  Missionary  Board  of  the  Brethren 
Church.  Some  of  these  properties  are  located  in 
Ashland,  Ohio,  and  in  Krypton  and  Lost  Creek, 
Kentucky.  These  properties  urgently  require  some 
repairs  and  alterations. 


Someone  is  needed  who  can  install  a  conversion 
burner  and  controls  in  the  present  coal  furnace 
which  heats  the  church  building  at  Krypton 
(where  Margaret  Lowery  is  ministering).  The 
church  is  also  badly  in  need  of  scraping  and  paint- 
ing. Windows  should  be  glazed  and  some  of  the 
masonry  around  the  windows  needs  repaired. 

In  the  mission  cottage  some  replumbing  is  re- 
quired. A  new  electrical  service  box  is  awaiting 
installation.  There  is  need  for  new  floor  covering, 
some  wall  paneling,  and  painting.  The  missionary 
home  in  Ashland  also  requires  some  painting  and 
repairs. 

If  you  have  been  given  skills  in  any  of  these 
areas  and  would  be  willing  to  lend  in  missionary 
service  to  your  church,  the  Missionary  Board 
would  like  to  hear  from  you.  Maybe  you  could 
even  organize  a  work  project  with  some  of  the 
men  and  women  in  your  church. 

If  you  can  help,  please  write  or  phone  Rev. 
Charles  Lowmaster,  Special  Ministries  Commis- 
sion Chairman,  Missionary  Board  of  the  Brethren 
Church,  2851  Ravenna  Ave.  N.E.,  Louisville,  Ohio 
44641    (phone   1-216-875-2723). 


22 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


New  Call  to   Peacemaking 
Statement  of  the   Findings   Committee 


The  following  is  the  final  section  of  a  Statement 
adopted  at  the  New  Call  to  Peacemaking  conference 
held  October  5-8,  1978,  at  Green  Lake,  Wisconsin. 
Rev.  Doc  Shank,  Peace  Coordinator  of  the  Brethren 
Church,  attended  this  conference. 

The  first  section  of  this  Statement  appeared  on 
pages  10  and  11  of  the  January  1979  Evangelist, 
and  the  second  part  on  pages  24  and  25  of  the 
February  issue. 

The  printing  of  this  Statement  does  not  mean  that 
either  the  Peace  Coordinator  or  the  Brethren 
Publishing  Company  endorses  it  in  its  entirety. 


IV.    Witness   to   Peace 

We  have  affirmed  that  the  sustaining  base  for 
peace  witness  is  the  local  Christian  community 
committed  to  Christ's  way  of  peace  and  justice. 
Such  a  base  will  provide  the  initiative  and  support 
±or  confronting  the  oppression  of  militarism  and 
creating  alternatives  to  a  society  plagued  with 
violence.  In  addition  to  the  actions  already  noted, 
we  urge  the  following  as  examples  of  action 
needed  to  cooperate  to  strengthen  that  base,  to 
witness  to  other  Christians  and  all  our  fellow 
citizens,  and  to  speak  truth  to  governmental 
authorities. 

A.  Contiiniatlofi  of  the  New  Call  to  Peaceinaklng: 

We  urge  the  continuation  of  the  New  Call  to 
Peacemaking  as  a  means  for  Friends,  Brethren, 
and  Mennonites  to  extend  and  consolidate  the 
momentum  of  the  two  year  effort  culminating  in 
this  conference  and  to  incorporate  this  new  vitality 
into  the  ongoing  structures  of  our  churches.  We 
suggest  the  Steering  Committee  continue  as  a 
coordinating  body  with  staff  provided  by  constit- 
uent groups  and  with  whatever  organization  is 
needed  to  further  local,  regional,  and  national 
Interests.  Activities  may  include  periodic  confer- 
ences, facilitating  the  publication  of  New  Call 
materials,  promotion  and  coordination  of  peace 
caravans,  and  the  establishment  of  a  peace 
Institute.  We  recommend  the  establishment  of  a 
peacemaking  fund  to  provide  support  for  these 
efforts. 

B.  Sharing  the  New  Call 

We  urge  new  efforts  to  share  with  Christians 
of  all  denominations  and  ecumenical  bodies  the 
biblical  and  theological  interpretations  and  chal- 
lenges to  action  which  have  emerged  in  this 
conference. 


C.  Delegation   to   President   Carter 

We  urge  the  leadership  of  the  Friends,  Men- 
nonites, and  Brethren  to  send  a  delegation  to  meet 
with  President  Carter  as  soon  as  possible.  In 
connection  with  the  Camp  David  peace  initiative, 
the  President  has  quoted  peace  scriptures  from 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  This  week  he  indi- 
cated that  nonviolence  is  at  the  heart  of  his  con- 
cept of  Christianity. 

The  purpose  of  the  delegation  will  be  to: 

1.  Commend  and  support  the  President  in 
his   concern   for  peace  and  human  rights. 

2.  Dialogue  with  President  Carter  as  a  fellow 
Christian  about  the  implications  of  the 
Christian  faith  for  issues  of  peace  and 
justice. 

3.  Lay  before  the  President  our  concerns 
about  military  spending,  nuclear  weapons, 
arms  sales,   and  related  matters. 

D.  Southern  Africa 

Apartheid  is  sin;  the  injustice  and  violence  it 
creates  are  contrary  to  the  will  of  God.  We  urge 
a  joint  committee  of  Friends,  Mennonites,  and 
Brethren  to  coordinate  and  extend  their  efforts  to 
promote  justice  and  reconciliation  in  Southern 
Africa.  We  ask  them  to  consider  implementation 
of  the  careful  proposals  from  the  Southern  Africa 
interest  group  meeting  at  this  conference  and 
from  the  New  Call  to  Peacemaking  Task  Force 
on  "Building  the  Institutions  of  Peace." 

E.  World  Friendship  Center 

We  encourage  continued  support  for  the 
World  Friendship  Center  in  Hiroshima,  Japan, 
by  the  constituent  groups  of  the  New  Call  to 
Peacemaking.  [^ 


WRC   launches    resettlement   operation 

for   Southeast   Asian    refugees 

Wheaton,  III. — In  response  to  the  buildup  of  a 
quarter  of  a  million  refugees  in  Southeast  Asia, 
World  Relief  Corporation  has  launched  a  massive 
refugee  resettlement  operation  in  cooperation 
with  WRC's  parent  organization,  the  National 
Association  of  Evangelicals. 

Churches,  families,  businesses,  or  individuals 
are  being  sought  to  sponsor  resettlement  of 
refugee  families  from  Vietnam,  Cambodia,  and 
Laos.   Forty  sponsors  a  month  will  be  needed. 

Those  interested  in  considering  sponsorship  may 
secure  details  from  World  Relief  Refugee  Ser- 
vices, Box  WRC,  Nyack,  N.Y.  10960  (phone  914- 
353-0640). 


March  1979 


23 


update 


Mother  of  Jenny  Loi 
in  accident 


Ashland,  Ohio — The  sad  news  has  come  from 
Rev.  David  Loi  that  Jenny's  mother  was  killed 
November  18  at  Sibu,  East  Malaysia.  She  was 
knocked  down  by  an  oncoming  auto  while  riding 
her  bicycle  home  from  the  city. 

The  Lois  returned  to  Sibu,  their  former  home 
on  the  island  of  Borneo,  for  the  funeral.  Our 
sympathies  are  extended  to  our  missionaries  to 
the  Chinese  in  Malaysia. 

— Rev.  M.  Virgil  Ingraham 


In  Memory 

Williain  Y.  Pottenger,  85,  February  14.  Member  of 
the  North  Manchester,  Ind.,  First  Brethren 
Church.  Services  by  Woodrow  Immel,  pastor. 
Ira  Cox,  86,  January  22.  Member  of  the  North 
Manchester,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services 
by  Rev.   Bert  Hodge. 

Aubrey  R.  Black,  80,  November  16.  Charter  mem- 
ber of  the  Firestone  Park  Brethren  Church,  Akron, 
Ohio,  and  charter  member  of  the  Bradenton,  Fla., 
Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Rev.  W.  E.  Thomas. 


BEFORE  YOU  MOVE 

. . .  please  let  us  know. 

1.    Give  old  address: 


Name 

Address 

City                                              State 
2.    Fill  in  new  address  below: 

Zip 

Name 

Address 

City                                              State 

Zip 

Date  new  address  in  effect 

3.    Mail  this  form  to: 

Address  Correction 

Brethren  Publishing  Company 

524  College  Avenue 

Ashland,  OH     44805 


Goldenaires 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Carl  Kingery,  62nd,  March  16.  Mem- 
bers of  the  First  Brethren  Church,  Flora,  Ind. 
Bryon  &  Margaret  Nixon,  55th,  February  16. 
Members  of  the  Brethren  Church,  Oakville,  Ind. 
Frances  &  Cletus  Ulbricht,  50th,  February  16. 
Members  of  the  First  Brethren  Church  of  South 
Bend,  Ind. 

Mina  &  Lucian  Green,  51st,  February  12.  Mem- 
bers of  the  First  Brethren  Church  of  South  Bend, 
Ind. 

Catherine  &  William  Yoder,  54th  February  5. 
Members  of  the  First  Brethren  Church  of  South 
Bend,   Ind.  __ 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Raymond  Douglass,  54th,  January  25. 
Mrs.  Douglass  a  member  of  the  First  Brethren 
Church,  Flora,  Ind.  Mr.  Douglass  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  the  Brethren. 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Ray  Warren,  iSr.,  60th,  January  18. 
Members  of  the  First  Brethren  Church,  North 
Manchester,   Ind.  ,  ..      ,  i 

Ethel  &  Virgil  Demike,  56th,  January  16.  Mem- 
bers of  the  First  Brethren  Church  of  South  Bend, 
Ind. 

Mervin  &  Gladys  Hinseh,  56th,  January  16.  Mem- 
bers of  the  First  Brethren  Church  of  South  Bend, 
Ind. 

Bert  &  Anna  Nordblad,  58th,  January  15.  Mem- 
bers of  the  First  Brethren  Church  of  South  Bend, 
Ind. 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Harry  A.  Leidy,  56th,  January  3.  Mem- 
bers of  the  Brethren  Church,  Vinco,  Pa. 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Garl  Wiley,  50th,  December  25.  Mem- 
bers of  the  First  Brethren  Church,  North  Man- 
chester,  Ind. 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Roy  Zellers,  63rd,  December  24.  Mem- 
bers of  the  First  Brethren  Church,  North  Man- 
chester, Ind. 


Weddings 

Lisa  D.  Cummings  to  Leslie  L.  Shrock,  February 
3,  at  the  Bradenton,  Fla.,  Brethren  Church;  Russell 
C.  Gordon,  pastor,  officiating.  Groom  member  of 
the  Bradenton  Brethren  Church. 


Bible  ownership  and  Bible  reading  are  at  high 
levels  in  the  United  States  according  to  an  exten- 
sive survey  released  recently  by  the  Christian 
Bible  Society.  More  than  a  third  of  the  families 
in  the  study  indicated  Bible  reading  to  be  a  part 
of  their  life  patterns,  and  nearly  a  fourth  of  all 
church  members  are  involved  in  some  kind  of 
group  Bible  study. 

— Ronn   Kerr  associates   release 


24 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Christian   Response  to   Hunnan   Need 


A    Quiet    Revolution    by    John    Perkins     (Word 
Books,  1976,  226  pp.,  $4.50  paperback). 

John  Perkins,  author  of  A  Quiet  Revolution,  is 
founder  and  director  of  the  Voice  of  Calvary  in 
Mendenhall   and   Jackson,    Mississippi. 

In  the  preface  to  this  book,  Perkins  makes  two 
significant  statements  that  explain  why  the  book 
is  subtitled  The  Christian  Response  to  Human 
Need  ...  a  Strategy  for  Today.  In  the  first  of 
these  he  says: 

"The  story  of  the  Voice  of  Calvary  Ministries 
is  not  the  story  of  one  man's  personal 
struggles  but  of  how  a  group  of  people  have 
struggled  together  to  know  God  and  make 
him  known,  right  down  to  the  very  basic 
needs  with  which  they  wrestle  every  day." 
In  the  second  statement  he  says: 

'T  hope  that  this  book  will  serve  as  a  testi- 
mony of  hope  for  black  people  who  see  the 
massive  problems  in  their  communities  and 
wonder,  'Can  anything  really  be  done?';  a 
testimony  of  encouragement  to  white  people, 
that  'yes,  you  can  do  something;  yes  there 
can  be  racial  reconciliation';  and  a  testimony 
of  power  to  all  people  of  the  grace  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

The  book  contains  the  following  topics:  I.  The 
Call    (to    ministry);    II.    Evangelism;    III.    Social 


Stories   for  Children 

Ethel    Barrett    Tells    Bible    Stories    to    Children, 

Volume  2  by  Ethel  Barrett   (Regal,  1977,  143  pp., 
$2.95  paperback). 

This  book  of  Bible  stories  by  Ethel  Barrett  is 
another  of  her  excellently  written  books.  This  one 
is  comprised  of  short  stories  about  the  lives  of 
Moses  and  Jesus. 

Perhaps  the  best  feature  of  the  book  is  its 
many  helps  for  the  parent  or  teacher.  Included 
are  tips  on  how  to  read  to  a  child  and  on  how 
to  use  each  story  as  a  teaching  tool  for  family 
devotions  or  story  time.  Fun-to-do  activities  are 
also   suggested  with  each  story. 

Any  person  working  with  children  would  find 
Ethel  Barrett  Tells  Bible  Stories  to  Children, 
Volume  2  an  excellent  and  worthwhile  investment. 

—Ellen  Clough 

Mrs.  Clough  is  a  mother,  homemaker,  and  wife 
of  the  pastor  of  the  Bethlehem  Brethren  Church, 
Harrisonburg,    Va. 


Action;  IV.  Economic  Development;  V.  Justice; 
VI.  The  Church.  As  Perkins  works  through  these 
topics,  he  successfully  applies  the  power  of  Christ 
to  the  whole  of  man's  needs. 

This  book  is  a  well-written  biblical  challenge 
to  the  church  to  deal  with  every  aspect  of  human 
need.  It  should  be  read  by  at  least  every  pastor 
in  the  Brethren  Church,  and  by  the  leaders  of 
each  local  church  as  well. 

There  is  a  lot  in  the  book.  It  is  probably 
necessary  to  read  it  at  least  twice  with  an 
open  mind  to  begin  to  get  its  full  benefit.  But  if 
the  reader  will  do  this,  his  concept  of  the  min- 
istry of  the  Body  of  Christ  will  surely  be  expanded 
and  enriched. 

—Robert  B.  Clough 

Rev.  Clough  is  pastor  of  the  Bethlehem  Brethren 
Church,   Harrisonburg,    Va. 

Facing   Grief 

But  For  Our  Grief  by  June  Filkin  Taylor  (Holman, 
1977,  126  pp.,  $3.95  paperback). 

Most  people  have  to  face  grief  sometime  in 
their  lives.  This  well-written  book  will  surely  help 
anyone  who  is  going  through  the  grief  of  the 
death  of  a  loved  one.  It  will  also  benefit  someone 
who  just  wants  to  understand  the  feelings  of 
grief. 

Mrs.  Taylor  writes  from  her  own  experience 
of  losing  her  daughter.  She  presents  some  advice 
that  helps  the  reader  get  through  this  trying  time. 
While  there  aren't  any  easy  answers,  Mrs.  Taylor 
does  reveal  that  the  experience  of  grief  can  bring 
stronger  faith  and  belief  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Reading  this  book  and  looking  back  on  my  own 
experience,  I  realized  that  grief  is  not  always 
expressed  in  the  same  ways.  But  the  goal  is  al- 
ways   the   same — accepting   death    and   living   on. 

— Val  Rowsey 

Val  Rowsey  is  a  junior  at  Ashland  High  School, 
Ashland,  Ohio.  Val  lost  her  mother  in  1975. 


Nearly  12  million  copies  of  Scripture  have  been 
openly  and  legally  circulated  in  Eastern  Europe 
since  the  end  of  World  War  II.  This  figure  in- 
cludes 339,000  copies  in  the  Soviet  Union  and  over 
four  million  copies  in  Poland.  This  accomplish- 
ment is  almost  entirely  due  to  the  efforts  of  the 
United  Bible  Societies. 

— American   Bible   Society   News 


March  1979 


25 


Likes   the    Evangelist 


I  have  been  a  subscriber  of  the  Evangelist  for 
many,  many  years.  Can't  imagine  a  Brethren 
being  without  it.  I  like  everything  about  it. 
Especially  news  from  other  churches.  Wish  there 
was  more  of  this.  I  also  realize  you  can't  print  it 
if  it  is  not  sent  in. 

Keep  up  the  good  work.  I  don't  always  get  it 
all  read  but  I  really  like  and  enjoy  it. 

— ^Mrs.    Clarence    Coleman 
Mulvane,  Kans. 


January   issue 

To  all  that  had  anything  to  do  with  the  writing, 
editing,  publishing,  etc.,  of  our  most  recent 
Evangelist  (Jan.  '79),  may  I  express  my  thanks 
for  the  best  Evangelist  in  many  years.  I  again 
read  it  through  from  front  to  back,  the  first  time 
I  have  done  that  in  several  years. 

The  articles  were  real  good,  especially  the  one 
by  Smith  Rose  and  the  one  by  Win  Arn  and  the 
short  one  by  Jane  E.  Hendricks.  Keep  up  the  good 
work. 

— Wilbur  L.  Thomas 
Plymouth,  Ind. 


The    "New   Call   to    Peacennaking" 

I  would  like  to  direct  some  comments  to  you 
concerning  the  Peacemaking  article  appearing  on 
page  10  of  the  January  issue. 

I  am  aware  of  the  historical  stand  of  the 
Brethren  Church  as  it  pertains  to  refusing  to 
fight  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  its  "principled 
resistance  to  military  service."  I  was  not  aware 
that  we  were  part  of  an  organization  "to  aid 
young  men  and  women  caught  in  the  conscription 
network." 

I  am  unable  to  reconcile  this  stand  with  the 
biblical  command  of  I  Peter  2:13  and  Romans  13:1 


and  Titus  3:1.  In  addition  I  find  it  hard  to  con- 
ceive of  an  organization  which  desires  and  takes 
advantage  of  the  laws,  particularly  the  guaranteed 
freedom  of  religion,  as  well  as  the  tax  laws,  but 
is  unwilling  to  support,  and  organizes  against, 
the  very  government  which  guarantees  them  the 
right  to  be. 

The  notion  that  mankind  will  bring  peace  seems 
to  contradict  the  teaching  of  Scripture,  i.e., 
Matthew  24:6-7.  And  what  of  that  final  war  when 
Christ  Himself  will  wage  war  (Rev.  19:11),  along 
with  the  armies  of  heaven  (Rev.  19:14)?  The  idea 
that  man  is  able  to  bring  about  a  better  world  by 
refusing  to  fight  against  the  evil  for  right  seems 
to  be  twisted  logic. 

Please  don't  misunderstand.  I  am  not  saying 
we  should  wage  war  just  because  we  cannot  bring 
peace.  I  believe  and  support  the  notion  that  we 
should  be  striving  for  peace.  But  in  the  event  that 
those  efforts  fail  and  we  are  faced  with  a  choice 
of  "Red  or  Dead,"  I  for  one  will  fight  to  ths  death 
for  the  right  not  to  be  enslaved,  for  the  right  to 
worship  God,  for  the  right  to  be  what  God  desires 
me  to  be,  and  for  the  right  to  pass  on  to  my  fam- 
ily what  has  been  given  to  me. 

I  have  no  quarrel  with  those  who  see  differently 
than  I.  That  is  a  God-given  right  which  I  will  not 
violate.  But,  please,  do  not  violate  my  right  to 
my  opinion  by  imposing  upon  me  the  need  to  see 
it  as  others  do.  We  do  a  great  disservice  to  Chris- 
tianity when  we  attempt  to  impose  our  beliefs 
and   prohibitions   upon   others. 

Thank  you  for  the  opportunity  to  respond. 

— David   Scheurer 
Louisville,   Ohio 

(The  Brethren  Church  is  not  a  MEMBER  of  the 
New  Call  to  Peacemaking  Coalition.  Member  groups 
are  the  Friends,  the  Mennonites,  and  the  Church  of 
the   Brethren. 

Rev.  Doc  Shank,  Peace  Coordinator  of  the  Breth- 
ren Church,  was  invited  to  attend  the  conference  and 
went  as  an   observer. 

Rev.  Shank  reports  that  even  within  the  member 
groups  there  were  some  representatives  who  voiced 
strong  opposition  to  certain  points  in  the  Peace- 
making Statement. — Ed.) 


26 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


^BK-^j 


More   on   the    "New   Call" 

I  am  writing  in  response  to  the  article  in  the 
January  issue  of  the  Brethren  Evangelist  con- 
cerning "New  Call  to  Peacemaking."  I  am  glad 
that  you  have  asked  for  comments  on  it.  I  would 
like  to  comment  also  on  an  article  in  the  Septem- 
ber issue  of  the  Evanglist  concerning  one  of  the 
speakers  at  National  Conference,  Dr.  Ronald  Sider, 
and  his   addresses  to  the  Conference. 

I  read  the  September  article  and  was  very  upset 
by  it — that  the  Brethren  Church  would  invite  a 
speaker  with  the  views  he  projects.  This  ties  in 
with  the  "New  Call  to  Peacemaking"  statement. 
I  clipped  a  newspaper  report  on  the  conference, 
where  this  statement  was  drawn  up,  at  the  time 
it  was  being  held. 

Quoting  from  the  report  on  the  conference, 
written  by  David  E.  Anderson,  UPI  religion 
writer:  "The  400,000  members  of  the  nations 
historic  peace  churches  —  Mennonites,  Friends 
(Quakers)  and  Brethren— have  been  challenged  to 
renew  their  peace  witness  with  radical  acts,  in- 
cluding civil  disobedience  and  tax  resistance." 

Ronald  J.  Sider  was  one  of  the  principal 
speakers  at  the  "Peace"  conference.  I  do  not 
agree  with  anything  he  advocates.  They  (the 
"Peace"  conference)  are  pushing  for  a  cause,  and 


we,    as    a    church,    are    commissioned    to    preach 
Christ,  and  Him  crucified. 

I  believe  it  is  high  time  we.  The  Brethren 
Church,  withdraw  our  association  with  those  who 
would  follow  this  cause,  and  pursue  peace  as  God's 
Word  dictates.  You  will  find  that  the  Church  of 
the  Brethren  has  been  so  taken  up  with  social 
action  and  political  affairs  that  they  are  forsaking 
scriptural  truth,  and  I'm  sure  that  is  the  last  thing 
we  want  to  do. 

The  world  is  in  turmoil,  but  it  needs  Christ,  not 
social  action.  The  poor,  especially  in  the  U.S.,  have 
been  made  an  elite  group.  Everything  is  geared 
in  their  direction,  to  the  point  that  they  are  being 
exploited  for  someone  else's  gain. 

Jesus  said,  "For  ye  have  the  poor  always  with 
you;  but  me  ye  have  not  always"  (Matt.  26:11). 
Isn't  it  about  time  we  look  at  spiritual  values 
(the  unseen)  instead  of  the  material  (the  seen) 
in  men's  lives? 

Let  us  put  our  time,  energy,  and  money  to 
work  in  giving  the  world  something  money  can't 
buy,  nor  can  anyone  take  it  away,  which  is  the 
Gospel  which  offers  man  peace  with  God  and 
salvation  from  sin  through  the  shed  blood  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

My  prayer  is  that  the  Brethren  Church,  from 
the  smallest  church  to  the  national  leadership 
level,  will  rededicate  itself  to  getting  out  the  Gos- 
pel message,  at  any  cost,  while  it  is  still  day.  In 
John  9:4  Jesus  said:  "I  must  work  the  works  of 
him  that  sent  me,  while  it  is  day:  the  night 
cometh  when  no  man  can  work."  Surely  we  can 
see  that  night  is   fast  approaching. 

Romans  13:11:  "And  that,  knowing  the  time, 
that  now  it  is  high  time  to  awake  out  of  sleep: 
for  now  is  our  salvation  nearer  than  when  we 
believed." 

I  am  very  interested  in  hearing  other  comments 
on  this  "New  Call  to  Peacemaking"  issue.  Per- 
sonally, I  do  not  wish  to  be  associated  with,  or 
contribute  anything  whatsoever,  directly  or  in- 
directly, to  the  "New  Call,"  and  I  would  like  to 
see  the  Brethren  Church  take  a  stand,  for  or 
against,  so  we  as  individual  members  can  know 
the  church's  position. 

—Mrs.   Robert   D.   Miller 
Vandalia,  Mich. 


clip   and   save 


When   Writing   Your  Congressman 


If  you  are  called  upon  to  support  or  oppose  a 
legislative  bill  in  your  state  capital  or  a  federal 
bill  in  Washington,  D.C.,  permit  me  to  suggest  a 
few  pointers  in  communicating  with  legislative 
people: 

1)  Be  brief.  A  one  page  letter  is  best. 

2)  Do  not  use  wording  from  a  form  letter. 
Compose  your  own  thoughts  and  use  your  own 
words. 

3)  In  the  top  right  hand  corner  of  your  letter 
write  RE:,  then  the  number  of  the  bill  and  its 
title. 

4)  Briefly   state  your  position   on   the  bill   and 


logically  explain  why  you  urge  a  vote  in  a  par- 
ticular way. 

5)  Be  positive — if  possible,  even  complimentary. 
If  you  know  some  good  the  legislator  has  done, 
let  it  be  known  that  you  appreciate  his  or  her 
service  as  a  law  maker. 

6)  Ask  others  to  write.  As  my  friend  Ralph 
Yarnel  says,  "If  we  do  not  write  and  get  others  to 
write,  and  the  bill  fails,  it  was  our  fault.  If  we  and 
others  do  write  and  the  bill  fails,  we  did  all  we 
could.  Our  God  will  provide  some  other  way." 

From  Christian  School  Comment,  published  by  the  Western  Association 
of    Christian    Schools,   Whittier,   Calif.    90607.    Used   by   permission. 


March  1979 


27 


Reaching  Out  With  The 


To  Thj^ 


Heard 


Sending 

Solomons 

Aspinalls  olkM^^Winte 

Kumars — Pros 
Vijay 

David  and  Jenny  Cpf 

Three  lay  workers 


Colombia 

Argentina 

India 


Malaysia 
Mexico   (New  Field) 


Providing    Fund} 

To  meet  the  ^i^?00b  goal  foFWorld  Mission  1979  a 
20%  increase  over  last  year  is  needed 


Needed:  Increased  local  church  budgets 
Faith  promise  principle  applied 
Sinnplified    lifestyle   sharing 


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Missionary  Board  of  the  Brethren  Church 
530  College  Avenue,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805 


,i  fa 


April    1979 


The 


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celebrating  100  years  of 
Serving       Believing 


1879       1979 


(see  page  6) 


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Brethren  World  Relief  Giving 


Last  year  (on  page  16  of  the  April  Evangelist) 
I  concluded  the  financial  report  by  saying:  "Well, 
what  will  1978  hold?  €an  we  surpass  $30,000?  Not 
anyone  alone  .  .  .  but  together!  If  we  do,  it  will 
mean  FOOD  FOR  THE  BODY  AND  FOOD  FOR 
THE   SOUL  for  more  unfortunate  people  in  de- 


pressing  need.   Let's   extend   the   hand   of  Christ 
a  little  further  in  1978." 

The  graph  tells  the  story!  We  did  respond  to 
Christ's  leading  and  "extended  His  hand  further" 
than  ever  before  through  our  giving.  Ohupoh 
offeringrs  and  individual  gifts  totalled  $31,050  in 
1978. 


$36 

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$34 

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$32 

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$28. 

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1966      1967      1968      1969      1970      1971      1972      1973      1974      1975      1976      1977      1978      1979 


We  had  6  churches  giving  over  $1,000  last  year: 
Ashland    (Park  Street),   Ohio    ....   $2,267 

Maurertown,  Virginia   $1,825 

Goshen,  Indiana    $1,672 

Pleasant  Hill,  Ohio    $1,351 

Vinco,   Pennsylvania    $1,231 

New  Lebanon,  Ohio $1,099 

These  9  churches  gave  between  $900  and  $500: 

Teegarden,   Indiana    $876 

Elkhart,   Indiana $769 

Bryan,  Ohio $740 

North  Liberty,  Indiana   $628 

Louisville,  Ohio    $583 

St.  James,  Maryland    $541 

Mt.  Olive,  Virginia   $535 

Bethlehem,  Virginia   $510 

West  Alexandria,  Ohio $500 

Actually,  fewer  churches  gave  over  $500  last 
year  than  in  previous  years,  but  those  who  did, 
gave  quite  well.  And  gifts  from  individuals  rose 
from  $1,805  in  1977  to  $2,769  in  1978.  The  Confer- 
ence Fasting  Banquet  remained  about  the  same 
at  $606  profit. 

Again  we  must  ask,  "What  will  our  response  be 


in  this  new  year?"  Our  "track  record"  is  good. 
But  each  new  year  is  like  a  new  race  .  .  .  and  we 
start  all  over  competing  against  the  material 
"opponents"  that  would  take  our  attention  and 
money  away  from  doing  the  work  Christ  has 
called  us  to — that  of  helping  to  provide  the  basic 
physical  and  spiritual  necessities  for  those  who 
have  so  little  of  what  we  take  for  granted. 

God  has  certainly  blessed  us,  Brethren!  Let's 
continue  demonstrating  our  willingness  to  be  a 
blessing  to  others  through  our  support  of  World 
Relief. 

Phil  Lersch   (for  the 
Brethren   World   Relief   Board) 


Send  your  Worid  Relief  offering  to: 

BRETHREN  WORLD  RELIEF 
George   Kerlin,   Treasurer 

1318   E.  Douglas 
Goshen,    Indiana      46526 


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Evangelist 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 
(USPS  064-200) 

Editor: 

Richard  C.  Winfield 

Consulting  Editors: 

John  D.  Rowsey 
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Contributing  Editor: 
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Editorial  and 
Business  Office: 

524  College  Ave. 

Ashland,  Ohio     44805 

Phone:   (419)   289-2611 

Published  monthly  for  the  Brethren  Church 
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Queries  and  manuscripts  should  be  ad- 
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Cover 

Ashland  Park  Street  Brethren 
Church  is  celebrating  its  100th 
anniversary  in  May.  See  story 
on  page  6  and  announcement 
on  back  cover. 

Drawing  of  church  by  Steve  Huber 
Cover  design  by  Howard  Mack 


.  101,  No.  4 


April  1979 


4     The  Grave  in  the  Garden 

An  Easter  meditation  by  Dr.  Peter  Marshall 

6     Paric  Street  Brethren  Church 

A    review  of  100  years  of  praying,   serving,   and  believing  at 
Ashland  First  Brethren  Church. 

Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 
8     A  Positive  Look  at  Brethren  Potential 

Dr.  Charles  Munson  assesses  the  pov.'cr  in  the  Brethren  Church 
and  raises  questions  about  possible   weaknesses. 


11     Realizing  a  Vision  in  Sarver,  Pennsylvania 

A    look   at   the   progress   of  a   new   Brethren    Church    in    the 
Pennsylvania  District. 


World  Relief 

12     He  Conquers  His  Mountains 

Lillian  H.   Graffam  tells  how  Dr.  Jean-Claude  Noel  of  Haiti 
has  spent  his  life  conquering  one  obstacle  after  another. 

15  World  Relief  Resources 

Information  about  books  and  films  to  educate  us  about  world 
need  and  to  motivate  us  to  action. 

16  "Jesus  Road"  in  Africa 

A    report  of  how   Christian   love   in  action   has  caused  many 
Africans  to  turn  to  the  ''Jesus  Road." 


Departmen+s 

18  The  Salt  Shaker 

19  Update 

26  Books 

27  Letters 


!•/ 


April  1979 


The 
Grave 
in  the 
Garden 


>*n 


by   Peter  Marshall 


So  they  went,  and  made  the  sepulchre  sure, 
sealing  the  stone,  and  setting  a  watch. 

Matthew  27:66 

AS  [the  enemies  of  Christ]  made  their 
way  down  the  hill  and  back  to  the  city, 
such  thoughts  as  these  ran  through  their 
minds : 

'*He  is  finished. 
We  shall  hear  no  more  of  Him. 
Now  His  fishermen  can  get  back 
to  their  nets  and  their  boats  ... 
We  shall  hear  no  more  talk 
about  His  kingdom. 

As  for  this  Jesus,  He  is  dead  enough. 
There  is  no  doubt  about  that. 

''Even  though  He  had  a  breath  of  life 
left  in  the  bloodless  body,  it  is  now  being 
suffocated  by  the  hundredweight  of  spice 
with  which  He  was  embalmed. 

''He,  who  said  He  could  summon  twelve 
legions   of  angels  to   His   assistance,   died 
crying  that  He  was  forsaken. 
He  will  trouble  us  no  more.*' 

Thus  they  left  Him  on  Friday  evening — 
just  before  the  Sabbath  began,  His  dead 
body  hastily  embalmed, 

wrapped  in  bandages  on  which  a  hundred 

pounds  of  myrrh  had  been  hastily 

spread  .  .  . 

From  MR  JONES,  MEET  THE  MASTER:  Sermons  and  Prayers  of 
Peter  Marshall.  Edited  by  Catherine  Marshall.  Copyright  1949,  1950 
by  Fleming  H.  Revell  Company.  Used  by  permission.  Illustrations 
of  the  microscope,  measuring  tape,  litmus  paper,  etc.,  are  credited 
to   Beverley   Nichols. 


Artwork  and  photo  by  Howard  Mack 

the   tomb   closed  with   a   huge   stone   and 
soldiers  standing  guard  around  it. 

Then  came  Sunday  morning. 

The  first  rays  of  the  early  morning  sun 
cast  a  great  light  that  caused  the  dew  drops 
on  the  flowers  to  sparkle  like  diamonds. 
The  atmosphere  of  the  garden 
was  changed  ... 
It  was  the  same  garden  .  .  . 
yet  strangely  different. 
The  heaviness  of  despair  was  gone, 
and  there  was  a  new  note  in  the  singing 
of  the  birds 

Suddenly,  at  a  certain  hour  between 
sunset  and  dawn,  in  that  new  tomb  which 
had  belonged  to  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  there 
was  a  strange  stirring,  a  fluttering  of 
unseen  forces  ... 

a  whirring  of  angel  wings 
the  rustle  as  of  the  breath  of  God  moving 
through  the  garden. 

Strong,  immeasurable  forces  poured  life 
back  into  the  dead  body  they  had  laid  upon 
the  cold  stone  slab; 
and  the  dead  man  rose  up 

came  out  of  the  grave  clothes 
walked  to  the  threshold  of  the  tomb, 
stood  swaying  for  a  moment 
on  His  wounded  feet, 
and  walked  out  into  the  moonlit  garden. 

We  can  almost  hear  in  our  hearts  the 
faint  sigh,  as  the  life  spirit  fluttered  back 
into  the  tortured  body,  and  smell  in  our 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


own  nostrils  the  medley  of  strange  scents 
that  floated  back  to  Him 

of  linen  and  bandages  .  .  . 
and  spices 

and  close  air  and  blood. 

Then  came  a  group  of  women  as  soon 
as  they  could,  bringing  spices  and  materials 
with  which  to  complete  the  hasty  anointing 
of  their  Lord. 

They  came  with  all  the  materials  with 
which  to  anoint  a  dead  body, 
and  when  they  came  to  the  grave  in  the 
garden,  they  found  that  the  stone  had  been 
rolled  away  from  the  door  of  it,  and  the 

grave  was  empty. 

*     *     * 

Is  it  true? 
Is  Christ  really  risen  from  the  dead? 

As    that    question    begins    to    knock — 
gently — on  your  heart's  door,  you  realize 
that    you    have    gone    back    through    the 
centuries  to  when  the  world  was  nmeteen 
hundred  years  younger, 
back  to  the  country  of  the  camel, 
and  sandaled  footprints  in  the  sands 
of  Palestine  .  .  . 
back  to  the  time  of  the  Roman  eagle  flut- 
tering over  bronze  breastplates 

shining  in  the  Syrian  sun 
back  to  the  days  of  the  Caesars. 

And  you  feel  quite  funny — almost  ridic- 
ulous— for  you  have  your 
microscope  in  your  hand 
your  measuring  tape 
your  litmus  paper 

your  biology  textbook 
your  test  tube 

and  your  college  diploma. 

In  the  half -shadow  in  the  womb  of  time 
your  microscope  glitters  like  a  diamond. 
You  tape  measure  gleams  like  a  line  of  gold. 
Your  litmus  paper  is  a  purple  ribbon  from 
a  royal  standard. 


IB' 


r^rtPT 


Your  test  tube,  a  silver  bugle  to  sound  a 
note  of  triumph. 

And  the  noise  and  confusion  of  unbelief 
has  died  away. 

And  in  the  quiet  Easter  morning  you 
are  standing  in  front  of  a  grave  in  a  garden, 
and  you  see  a  stone  in  the  doorway,  but 
the  stone  is  moving  ...  is  moving! 

And  before  you  are  aware  of  it,  you  will 
realize  suddenly  that  Someone  is  standing 
beside  you,  and  your  eyes  are  fixed  on  His 
hand,  and  you  see  a  mark  in  the  palm  of 
it,  like  the  print  of  a  nail. 

And  as  a  great  realization  dawns  over 
you,  you  hear  His  voice: 
'*Lo,   I  am  with  you  always,   even  unto 

the  end  of  the  world." 
''Whosoever  believeth  in  Me,   though  he 

were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live, 

and   whosoever   liveth   and   believeth   in 

me,  shall  never  die  .  .  ." 
''Because  I  live,  ye  shall  live  also." 

Because  we  can't  stand  it  any  longer — 
in  the  secret  places  of  our  hearts,  we  cry 
out  to  God  for  help — and  then  it  comes, 
the  supreme  miracle  for  which  we  have 
been  seeking. 

It  is  so  tremendous  a  thing  that  we  can't 
describe  it. 

It  is  so  delicate  a  thing  that  we  can't  even 
bring  it  into  view  for  anybody  else  to 
look  at. 

We  can  never  explain  it  to  anybody  else. 
We  only  know  that  it  is  true. 

The  Voice  has  said:  "Because  I  live,  ye 
shall  live  also." 

Our  hearts  knew  all  along  it  must  be  so. 
It  was  what  we  wanted  to  hear,  and  now 
that  we  have  heard  it,  we  feel  that  we 
have  solved  the  mystery  of  life. 

"If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again?" 
Yes,  because  the  Resurrection  is  a  fact. 
Aye,  and  I,  too,  shall  live,  because  I  know 
it's  true. 


We  pray  to  Thee,  0  Christ,  to  keep  us 
under  the  spell  of  immortality. 

May  we  never  again  think  and  act  as  if 
Thou  wert  dead.  Let  us  more  and  more 
come  to  knoiu  Thee  as  a  living  Lord  ivho 
hath  promised  to  them  that  believe:  "Be- 
cause I  live,  ye  shall  live  also.'' 

Help  us  to  remember  that  ive  are  pray- 
ing to  the  Conquerer  of  Death,  that  we  may 
no  longer  be  afraid  nor  dismayed  by  the 
ivorld's  problems  and  threats,  since  Thou 
hast  overco'me  the  world. 

In  Thy  strong  name,  we  ask  for  Thy 
living  presence  and  Thy  victorious  power. 
AMEN. 

Peter  Marshall 


cC.^ 


■So 


j^^^u^j^iLcyjojyj 


7 


1 


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A>*^i^Ki^ 


April  1979 


Park  Street  Brethren  Church 

100  Years  of 
Praying  -  Serving  -  Believing 


ASHLAND  TIMES,  Thursday,  May  15, 
1879 — The  Reverend  S.  H.  Bashor,  editor 
of  the  Gospel  Preacher,  preached  on  the 
authenticity  of  the  Bible  to  a  large  congre- 
gation in  the  chapel  of  the  new  Brethren 
College,  in  South  Ashland,  on  Sabbath 
morning  last.  The  occasion  was  an  impor- 
tant one,  being  the  initial  service  in  the 
netv  college,  as  well  as  the  first  Dunkard 
service  ever  held  in  the  town.  Heretofore, 
the  denomination  has  conducted  its  meet- 
ings entirely  in  the  country,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  college 
marks  a  new  era  in  the  brotherhood.  The 
sermon  was  an  excellent  one,  and  was 
attentively  listened  to  by  the  congregation. 
Hereafter,  in  order  to  accommodate  the 
general  audience,  the  services  will  be  held 
at  three  o'clock  p.m. 

The  above  report  is  the  newspaper 
account  of  the  first  worship  service  of 
what  later  became  the  First  Brethren 
Church  of  Ashland,  Ohio. 

The  First  Brethren  Church  of  Ashland 
was  formally  incorporated  in  the  State  of 
Ohio  on  October  30,  1917.  It  is  a  descendant 
congregation  of  the  German  Baptist  Breth- 
ren Church  begun  in  Schwarzenau,  Ger- 
many, by  Alexander  Mack  in  1708  and  the 
successor  of  the  congregation  organized 
in  Ashland  by  Elder  S.  Z.  Sharp  in  1879. 

Progress  in  those  early  days  after  1879 
was  difficult.  In  fact,  it  was  necessary  to 
reorganize  the  congregation  in  1883  after 
several  setbacks. 

For  more  than  forty  years  the  First 
Brethren  congregation  worshiped  in  the 
chapel  of  old  Founders  Hall  on  the  Ashland 
College  campus.  During  this  period  no  par- 
ticular minister  was  designated  as  pastor, 
but  those  ministers  who  were  members  of 
the  congregation  preached.  Usually  they 
were  men  serving  Ashland  College  as  presi- 
dent or  on  the  faculty  or  as  the  editor  of 
the  Brethren  Evangelist. 

Before  the  church  structure  was  built, 


two  other  locations  were  considered — one 
on  Main  Street  in  1912  and  one  on  West 
Washington  Street  in  1919 — but  both  were 
abandoned. 

The  first  building  committee,  of  which 
Joe  Stookey  is  the  only  member  still  living, 
began  work  in  1924.  In  March  1925  Brother 
E.  L.  Kilhefner  purchased  a  tract  of  land 
on  Park  Street  with  a  frontage  of  151  feet 
and  a  depth  of  210  feet.  He  offered  the  lot 
to  the  church  as  a  gift,  if  the  congregation 
would  build  a  house  of  worship  on  it.  With 
this  gift  was  an  additional  offer  to  match 
the  giving  of  the  congregation  dollar  for 
dollar.  The  members  accepted  the  challenge, 
drew  plans,  and  agreed  to  build  when  total 
cash  gifts  reached  $20,000. 

In  September  1925  construction  began. 
The  building  was  completed  at  a  total  cost 
of  $65,000.  When  the  church  was  dedicated 
on  May  23,  1926  (with  an  indebtedness  of 
$42,000),  Dr.  Charles  A.  Bame  was  pastor. 
In  May  1929  a  booklet  was  printed  request- 
ing members  to  renew  their  pledges.  But  the 
indebtedness  was  not  completely  retired 
until  about  1947. 

In  November  1946  the  congregation 
voted  to  assume  the  responsibility  for  the 


E.L. 

Kilhefner 

donated  the 

land  on 

which  the 

Park  Street 

Brethren 

Church  was 

built,  and 

matched  the 

giving  of  the 

congregation 

for  the 

church 

building 

dollar  for 

dollar. 


'S 


in.:-' 

[5  ' . 


vr      ^^,^ 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Thos©  Vvho  H 

Eaiiy  Preachers  (1879—1894) 

Isaac   Kilhefner 
A.  L  Garber 
William   C.   Perry 
J.  M.  Tombaugh 

Part-Time  Pastors 

1894 — S.  J.   Harrison 
1894 — A.  D.  Gnagey 
1894— J.  Allen   Miller 
1902— Charles   F.  Yoder 
1905— J.   L  Gillin 
191  |_W.   D.   Furry 
I9I9_J.  A.   Garber 


ave   Served 

Full-Time  Pastors 

1923 — Charles  A.   Bame 
1929— Dyoll   Belote 
l935_Willis  E.   Ronk 
l939_Charles   F.  Yoder 
I94I_L  V.   King 
I946_W.  C.   Benshoff 
1947— H.  H.   Rowsey 
1953 — Clarence   Fairbanks 
I960— Phil   Lersch 
1967 — George  W.   Solomon 
1973 — Eugene  J.   Beekley 


Garber  Brethren  Church  on  Sherman  Ave- 
nue. The  Garber  Church  was  chartered  and 
the  deed  signed  over  to  that  congregation 
in  1959. 

In  the  summer  of  1953  the  old  parsonage 
just  south  of  the  church  was  torn  down  and 
replaced  by  a  spacious  brick  house,  which 
was  dedicated  on  June  26,  1955.  Adjoining 
properties  behind  the  parsonage  and  church 
were  purchased  in  1958,  1960,  and  1975  for 
parking  space. 

Plans  for  a  new  educational  unit  were 
begun  as  early  as  1959  with  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  Sunday  School  Evaluation  Com- 
mittee. Following  complete  surveys,  recom- 
mendations, and  a  fund-raising  campaign, 
ground  was  broken  on  September  15,  1963. 
Construction  began  immediately,  and  on 
March  21,  1965,  dedication  services  were 
held  for  the  new  educational  unit  and  the 
remodeled  church.  Dr.  Charles  L.  Anspach 
was  the  speaker. 

In  this  centennial  year,  the  congregation 
averages  220  in  worship,  with  a  total  mem- 
bership of  525.  Eleven  part-time  ministers 
and  eleven  full-time  pastors  have  led  this 
congregation  into  many  avenues  of  service 
during  its  first  century.  Members  have  gone 
into  many  professions  and  occupations. 
Full-time  Christian  service  has  been 
stressed,  and  both  elders  and  laymen  from 
this  church  have  carried  the  name  of  Christ 
around  the  world. 

Due  to  the  location  of  the  church,  the 
congregation  has  been  referred  to  frequent- 
ly as  the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church. 
Emphasizing  the  *TSB,"  the  verbs — pray- 
ing, serving,  and  believing — were  inscribed 
on  printed  materials  and  practiced  in  daily 
living. 


Prayer  and  study  groups  are  organized 
for  individual  spiritual  growth.  At  least 
one  meets  each  day  of  the  week. 

Serving  opportunities  are  countless  for 
individuals  and  for  the  corporate  body: 
the  Care  Line  (a  24-hour  telephone  min- 
istry), a  clothing  room,  the  Wednesday 
After-School  Special  (for  elementary-age 
children),  sewing  for  World  Relief,  the 
Over-Fifty  Club,  and  three  prayer  chains 
provide  meaningful  opportunities  for  reach- 
ing out. 

Believing  is  the  reason  why  we  are 
Brethren.  The  Word  of  God  and  the  doc- 
trines of  the  church  were  the  foundation 
of  the  Ashland  congregation  100  years  ago. 
These  are  the  same  truths  which  we  carry 
into  the  second  century  of  service. 

To  God  be  the  glory  for  the  great  things 
He  has  done  in  and  through  the  First  Breth- 
ren Church  of  Ashland,  Ohio!  n 


1979 

Church  Staff 

astor 

Eugene  J.   Beekley 

Assistant 

Kenneth   D.   Hunn 

vioderator 

Char  es   Bee'  ' 

Church  Schoo 

1  S 

upt. 

Miin.  of  Music 

Brad  ' 

Organist 

Mrs.   Uorman    1 

Office  Sec'y. 

Mrs.   Howard   Mack 

Custodians 

.      Dick   Keffer 
Marvin    Shonkwiler 

April  1979 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


A  Positive  Look 
at  Brethren  Potential 


Charles  Munson  assesses  the  power  in  the  Brethren  Church 
and  raises  questions  about  possible  weaknesses. 


DR.  PETER  WAGNER  said  of  the 
Brethren  Church,  "It  will  grow  because 
it  has  the  Gospel."  These  may  not  be  his 
exact  words,  but  they  reflect  accurately 
the  thought  he  expressed  at  a  recent  con- 
ference at  Ashland  Theological  Seminary. 

Dr.  Arthur  Schultz,  president  of  Ashland 
College,  said  of  the  Brethren  Church,  ''It  is 
searching  and  seeking  God's  will  for  itself." 
Again  this  may  not  be  an  exact  quote,  but 
the  sense  of  what  he  said  is  there.  Dr. 
Schultz,  speaking  at  a  chapel  service  at  the 
seminary,  went  on  to  express  concern  for 
the  Christian  church  in  general  and  to  indi- 
cate that  he  shared  the  concern  of  Brethren 
for  their  church.  Quoting  Roy  L.  Smith, 
Schultz  said,  ''Is  there  any  late  word  from 
God?"  Any  church  with  late  news  from 
God  is  bound  to  succeed. 

Power  in   Christ's   presence 

Well,  friend,  that's  what  we  have,  late 
news  from  God.  It's  the  same  news  He  had 
for  the  early  church.  That  church  believed 
and  practiced  that  Jesus  Christ  was  present 
with  them.  Everything  about  the  worship  of 
the  early  church  was  geared  to  the  belief 
that  Jesus  was  present.  They  offered 
prayer  in  His  name;  they  declared  His 
Word;  they  sought  His  will.  His  invisible 
presence  held  them  together  and  formed 

Dr.  Charles  Munson  is  Professor  of  Practical 
Theology  at  Ashland  Theological  Seminary. 

Dr.  Munson  has  a  deep  interest  in  the  Brethren 
Church,  and  he  is  currently  making  an  in-depth 
study  of  the  denomination.  He  has  called  twelve 
people  with  an  interest  in  helping  the  church  move 
forward  to  assist  him  in  this  study.  This  "Committee 
of  Thirteen"  is  attempting  to  take  a  positive  look 
at  the  Brethren  Church. 


them  into  a  working  unit.  They  ate  a  meal 
in  His  name  and  were  baptized  into  His 
name. 

We  have  Christ's  presence,  also.  But  we 
aren't  growing,  that's  true.  Nevertheless, 
our  secret  of  power  is  in  His  presence;  our 
hope  for  growth  is  in  His  being  with  us. 
Let's  look  at  our  power.  If  we  genuinely 
want  that  power  to  work — the  power  of 
the  presence  of  Jesus — can  we  expect  other- 
wise? Surely  it  will  work! 


The  Bible  is  true.  We  Brethren  believe 
that  earnestly.  Then  let's  take  it  at  its 
word.  The  Bible  says  the  church  can  be  the 
church  to  the  extent  that  its  members  take 
one  another  into  account.  When  there  is  a 
genuine  concern  for  one  another  within  the 
body  (the  church),  then  God  will  get  His 
work  done.  Why?  Because  everything  that 
is  supposed  to  happen  will  happen. 

Read  the  Bible !  You  will  find  that  it  calls 
for  maturity  more  than  it  calls  for  anything 
else — including  evangelism — because  evan- 
gelism will  take  place  directly  out  of  what 
is  happening  in  the  body.  It  doesn't  matter 
whether  we  are  looking  to  the  eighties  or 
the  nineties,  the  same  truth  will  hold. 

To  quote  another  Shultz,  "The  Brethren 
function,  or  ought  to,  out  of  the  body  and 
the  Book."  Don't  hold  me  to  the  actual 
wording,  but  you  get  the  point.  If  the  body 
is  being  the  body  and  is  grounded  in  the 
Book,  then  God  will  get  His  work  done. 

Is  the  "one  another  principle"  at  work? 
One  wonders!  God's  Word  says  build  one 
another  up,  find  ways  to  tell  people  their 
good  and  bad  points.  "Teaching  and  ad- 
monishing one  another,"  Paul  tells  the 
Colossians.  And  he  tells  the  Thessalonians 


8 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


"Our  secret  of  power  is  in  Christ's 
presence;  our  hope  for  growth  is 
in  His  being  with  us." 


cent  are  consumers.  Have  you  looked 
lately  at  what  is  happening  in  your  church  ? 
The  eighties  for  the  Brethren  Church 
will  be  determined  by  how  many  of  our 
congregations  are  in  the  first  category — 
with  less  than  40  percent  of  the  congrega- 
tion as  consumers  and  with  20  percent  of 
the  congregation  facing  outward.  Our 
power  is  in  our  friendships  and  our  exten- 
sions outward. 


to  ''exhort  one  another,  and  build  each 
other  up.  .  .  ."  Now  you  can't  get  rows  of 
people  sitting  in  pews  out  of  that,  nor  can 
you  get  one  man  doing  ministry  and  the 
others  resting.  You  get  people  working 
with  people.  That's  the  point  of  our  name 
— Brethren.  That's  what  we  are  supposed 
to  be  all  about — a  brotherhood. 

Power  in  friendships  and   kinships 

But  our  power  is  not  only  in  the  presence 
of  the  Lord  and  in  our  brotherhood,  but  it 
is  in  our  friendships  and  kinships  beyond 
our  circle  in  the  body.  Dr.  Wagner  says  that 
70  to  80  percent  of  church  growth  comes 
as  a  result  of  friends  and  relatives.  Other 
statistics  put  that  as  high  as  90  percent. 
But  the  point  is  this:  people  come  into  the 
body  of  believers  mainly  through  friend- 
ships and  relationships. 

Other  estimates  say  that  walk-ins  pro- 
vide 3  to  8  percent  of  church  growth,  pro- 
grams 4  to  10  percent,  visitation  evangelism 
10  to  25  percent,  Sunday  school  3  to  6 
percent,  and  the  pastor  10  to  25  percent. 
However  you  add  them  up,  church  growth 
in  the  eighties  will  come  not  from  a  running 
pastor  but  from  a  leading  pastor,  and  not 
from  persons  being  attracted  on  their  own 
by  the  program,  but  because  time  has  been 
spent  in  developing  friendships. 

When  a  church  is  growing,  Wagner  says, 
it  is  friendships  which  are  doing  it.  When 
it  is  declining  or  remaining  stationary,  it 
is  kinships.  Our  power  is  in  our  friendship 
connections,  plus  something  vital  in  the 
body  to  keep  people  coming.  Read  on. 

In  a  growing,  reproducing  church,  says 
Wagner,  about  40  percent  of  the  members 
will  be  leaders  focused  inward,  approxi- 
mately 20  percent  will  be  focused  outward, 
and  less  than  40  percent  will  be  consumers. 
In  a  surviving  church,  about  33  percent  of 
the  members  are  leaders  working  inward, 
2  percent  are  working  outward,  and  60  per- 
cent are  consumers.  And  in  a  nominal  or 
inactive  church,  about  20  percent  of  the 
members  are  leaders  working  inward,  1 
percent  are  working  outward,  and  75  per- 


Pn 


\A/^r    in 


fi 


Pi  m  A  <:     Pi  I  rp  ^ 


v 


h, 


rrninn 


Our  power  is  also  in  the  flames  that  are 
burning  in  the  denomination.  A  number  of 
our  churches  are  growing,  and  others  want 
to.  Where  there  are  such  fires,  we  must  fan 
the  flames.  We  might  have  to  ask  questions 
of  these  and  other  congregations  to  find 
out  why  the  fires  are  burning.  Many  of 
these  fires  were  started  out  of  the  emphasis 
on  church  growth  sponsored  in  the  main 
by  the  Missionary  Board.  Things  did 
happen!  God  can  move  us — we  know  that 
now!  But  we  dare  not  slip  back.  New 
churches  are  beginning  to  take  shape,  slow- 
ly but  surely. 

There  are  fires  burning.  Brethren,  and 
there  is  power  in  that.  It's  just  a  sample  of 
what  God  can  do.  I'm  not  ignorant  of  our 
decline,  but  I'm  not  ignorant  of  God's  wish 
to  bring  people  to  Himself  through  the 
Brethren  Church  either. 

I've  said  thus  far  that  our  power  is  in 
the  fact  that  we  have  the  Lord's  presence; 
in  the  fact  that  we  have  one  another;  in 
the  fact  that  we  have  the  power  of  friend- 
ships and  kinships;  and  in  the  fact  that 
there  are  fires  burning  among  the  Brethren 
leading  us  to  believe  that  others  can  be 
started. 


exclu< 


1  -^ 


Now  as  we  look  to  the  eighties,  we  are 
going  to  have  to  ask  ourselves  about  our 
exclusions.  Who  are  we  keeping  out  of  our 
churches  and  for  what  reasons?  Who  can't 
get  in  for  one  reason  or  another?  Who 
doesn't  want  in  for  whatever  reason  ?  What 
physical  or  spiritual  or  mental  limitations 
are  we  putting  on  what  people  for  what 
reasons?  Who  hasn't  been  able  to  break 
into  the  fellowship  circle  but  has  gotten 
only  as  far  as  the  membership  circle?  "How 
high  are  the  walls  of  the  fellowship  circle?" 
asks  Lyle  Schaller  in  his  book,  Assimilating 
New  Members.  How  ingrown  is  your  con- 
gregation, or  the  Brethren  Church? 

Our  name  demands  that  we  pay  attention 
to   whether  we   are   a  brotherhood   or  an 

(continued  on  next  page) 


April  1979 


exclusive  club.  That  will  determine  in  large 
measure  whether  we  have  anything  left  of 
the  church  after  the  eighties.  McGavran 
says,  ''Congregations  that  grow  to  50  or 
75  persons  and  remain  one  fellowship  unit 
will  not  grow  larger  unless  they  create  other 
substructures  of  belonging"  (small  groups 
of  7  to  10  persons). 

What  is   our  attitude 

toward   inactives? 

Then  ask  yourself  what  is  the  policy  of 
our  church  regarding  inactives?  These  atti- 
tudes can  largely  determine  whether  we 
can  hope  for  any  growth  there  in  the 
eighties.  Schaller  says  that  if  people  aren't 
moved  from  the  membership  circle  into  the 
fellowship  circle  within  about  one  year, 
they  will  probably  be  on  the  way  to  either 
partial  or  complete  inactivity.  To  repeat — 
can  people  break  into  your  fellowship 
circle?  You  probably  say,  ''Yes,"  but  ask 
serious  questions  about  yourselves.  Are 
there  enough  circles  of  fellowship  to  allow 
people  in? 

What  assumptions  do  you  make  about 
inactives?  The  tendency  has  been  to  be 
negative.  Schaller,  again,  says  we  probably 
assume  that  they  weren't  sincere  in  the 
first  place.  Or  we  say,  "They  can  hear  the 
bells,"  or  "They  know  we  are  here."  That 
gets  us  nowhere.  Rather  assume  that  their 


inactive.  Listen,  not  just  once,  but  many 
times,  if  necessary.  You  say  you  don't  have 
that  kind  of  time?  Or  they  are  not  worth 
it?  I  know  some  people  want  to  be  left 
alone,  but  we  can't  assume  that  about 
every  inactive  member.  I  ask  you  to  look 
positively  at  your  inactives.  It's  crucial  for 
the  eighties. 


Are 


we   c 


loset 


universa 


lists? 


Finally,  how  many  of  us  are  closet  uni- 
versalists?  How  many  of  us  are  saying, 
"All  roads  lead  to  God"?  Or  "God  will  get 
everyone  eventually  because  love  is  persis- 
tent and  doesn't  wear  out"?  Do  we  believe 
that  people  without  Christ  are  without  God 
and  that's  final?  If  the  eighties  are  to  see 
us  as  Brethren  growing,  it  will  be  because 
we  believe  that  our  church  needs  evan- 
gelized from  within  so  that  we  can  evan- 
gelize outside. 

We  must  face  the  fact  that  2,400,000,000 
— that's  two  billion  four  hundred  million 
people — are  outside  the  circle  of  effective 
gospel  witness.  Is  God  going  to  save  every- 
body— do  you  believe  that?  If  so,  that  goes 
against  everything  Jesus  said.  We  need  to 
see  that  people  will  end  up  where  God  is 
not  if  they  turn  Jesus  down. 

People  need  to  have  handles  to  help  them 
say  a  good  word  for  Jesus.  Evangelization 
within  means  that  pastors  teach  people  to 


''We  will  never  get  to  the  inactive  adequately  unless  we 
assume  that  some  of  the  fault  may  have  been  within 
the  church/' 


reasons  for  not  coming  are  honest  ones 
for  them.  Take  time  with  them;  ask 
questions;  and  don't  be  satisfied  with  first 
answers.  Please  don't  assume  that  their 
departure  is  all  their  fault,  which  is  where 
most  of  us  begin.  Don't  say,  "It  couldn't 
be  anything  we've  done.  It  must  be  them." 

Families,  good  ones,  work  with  their  chil- 
dren to  find  out  why  they  are  acting  in  an 
antisocial  way  toward  the  family  or  toward 
others.  God  says  the  church  is  His  family, 
so  why  shouldn't  we  have  a  positive  con- 
cern about  children  who  have  departed 
from  us? 

I'll  say  it  again:  we  will  never  get  to  the 
inactive  adequately  unless  we  assume  that 
some  of  the  fault  may  have  been  within  the 
church.  Don't  speculate!  Ask  why  they  are 


be  ministers.  In  addition  to  being  shepherds, 
that  is  the  only  other  job  a  pastor  is  called 
to  carry  out.  The  eighties  will  have  to  see 
pastors  doing  what  they  are  called  to  do — 
shepherd  the  ministers.  That's  a  step 
toward  evangelism  and  a  step  away  from 
consumerism.  It's  a  must  for  the  eighties. 

I  have  said: 

We  have  power 

In  the  Presence  of  Christ 

In  one  another 

In  friendship  and  kinship 

In  the  flames  already  burning. 
I  have  asked: 

Who  is  excluded? 

What  is  our  attitude  toward  inactives  ? 

Are  we  closet  universalists  ? 


What  do  you  say? 


n 


10 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Realizing  a  Vision  in  Sarver,  Pennsylvania 


8t'*^;4g^l^-  ^/!>:,-~Jt>'^.*^k"^!^m  Mi/jdliimA\ 


THE  SIGN  on  the  three-acre  tract  of 
land  announces  "Future  Site  of  Sarver 
Brethren  Church."  It  proclaims  that  a 
congregation  of  Brethren  people  in  western 
Pennsylvania  is  one  step  closer  to  the 
realization  of  a  vision. 

The  vision  began  in  1976  with  the 
Pennsylvania  District  Mission  Board  and 
two  transplanted  Brethren  families.  The 
two  families — the  Chester  McAfoose  family 
of  the  Brush  Valley,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church 
and  the  Kenneth  Knabb  family  from  the 
Pleasant  View  (Vandergrift,  Pa.)  Brethren 
Church — were  now  living  in  the  area  of 
Sarver,  a  small  community  approximately 
25  miles  northeast  of  Pittsburg.  Pennsyl- 
vania Brethren  looked  at  these  families 
and  saw  a  vision — a  vision  of  a  flourishing 
Brethren  Church,  housed  in  its  own  build- 
ing, faithfully  serving  the  Lord. 

The  first  step  in  realizing  this  vision  was 
taken  on  February  7,  1976,  when  an  evening 
Bible  study  was  begun.  These  studies  con- 
tinued to  meet  every  Thursday  in  the 
homes  of  the  participants.  In  November  of 
that  year  three  area  Brethren  ministers — 
Rev.  William  Walk  of  Vandergrift,  Rev. 
Norman  Long  of  Pittsburgh,  and  Rev. 
Thomas  Kidder  of  Brush  Valley — began 
providing  Bible  study  leadership  on  a 
rotating  basis. 

While  the  Sarver  work  was  developing 
under  the  Holy  Spirit's  leadership,  God 
was  at  work  arranging  pastoral  leadership 
for  the  young  congregation.  Rev.  Ed 
Wingard  resigned  as  pastor  of  a  church 
in  Danville,  Ohio,  and  accepted  a  transfer 
by  his  secular  employer  to  the  Sarver,  Pa., 
area.  He  and  his  family  made  the  move 
praying  that  the  Lord  would  provide  them 
an  opportunity  for  ministry. 


Even  before  he  and  his  family  were 
settled  in  the  area.  Rev.  Wingard  learned 
of  the  Brethren  congregation.  And  the  very 
first  Sunday  after  he  and  his  family  moved 
into  their  new  home,  he  was  asked  to  meet 
with  the  Sarver  group  and  to  prayerfully 
consider  assisting  in  the  establishment  of 
this  new  Brethren  Church.  As  a  result, 
in  March  of  1977  Rev.  Wingard  was  chosen 
to  pastor  this  congregation. 

The  next  step  in  realizing  the  vision  of 
a  Brethren  Church  in  Sarver,  Pa.,  was 
taken  on  Sunday,  April  10,  1977.  On  that 
date  Sunday  school  and  morning  worship 
services  were  begun.  These  services  were 
held  in  the  basement  of  the  Knabb  home, 
with  33  people  attending  the  first  service. 

Other  significant  steps  in  the  realization 
of  the  vision  include  the  following:  On 
May  15,  1977,  Rev.  Arden  Gilmer  and 
representatives  from  three  area  Brethren 
churches  shared  with  the  local  group  in  a 
door-to-door  canvass  of  the  area.  In  October 
1977  the  Sarver  congregation,  with  assis- 
tance from  the  Pennsylvania  District 
Mission  Board,  purchased  the  three-acre 
building  site.  On  November  16,  1977,  the 
congregation  held  its  first  official  election 
of  officers.  And  on  July  9,  1978,  thirteen 
people  were  taken  into  the  charter  member- 
ship of  the  congregation. 

The  Sarver  congregation  is  now  prepar- 
ing to  take  a  giant  step  in  the  realization 
of  its  vision.  That  step  is  the  construction 
of  a  church  building.  The  congregation  is 
investigating  various  possible  plans  for  its 
first  building  unit. 

Brethren  people  throughout  the  denom- 
ination have  the  opportunity  to  share  in 
the  realization  of  the  vision  of  the  Sarver 
Brethren.  The  current  Growth  Partners 
Club  call,  sponsored  by  the  national  Mis- 
sionary Board,  is  for  the  Sarver  congrega- 
tion. The  money  will  be  used  to  assist  this 
congregation  in  building  a  house  of  worship 
and  study. 

The  Brethren  at  Sarver  are  prayerfully 
looking  to  the  future,  desiring  first  and 
foremost  to  be  found  faithful  in  serving 
and  sharing  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  They 
have  a  vision.  Furthermore,  they  are  well 
on  their  way  to  making  this  vision  a 
reality.  □ 


The  Sarver  Brethren  Church  has  been  designated  as  the 
recipient  of  the  current  Growth  Partners  Club  call. 


April  1979 


11 


world  relief 


He  Conquers  His  Mountains 


Lillian  H.  Graffam  tells  how  Dr.  Jean-Claude  Noel  of  Haiti 
has  spent  his  life  conquering  one  obstacle  after  another. 


This  is  a  story  about  a  man — Dr.  Jean-Claude 
Noel.  But  it  is  also  a  report  about  a  program — 
a  program  that  we  Brethren  have  supported 
through  the  World  Relief  Commission.  It  helps 
us  understand  some  specific  ways  our  World 
Relief  efforts  are  aiding  people  in  need. 

The  author,  Lillian  H.  Graffam,  staff  writer 
for  WRC  for  several  years,  now  writes  for  World 
Evangelical  Fellowship  (where  her  husband,  Everett 
S.  Graffam,  now  serves  as  Director  of  Develop- 
ment). 

The  article  is  reprinted  by  permission  from  the 
November  issue  of  Moody  Monthly.  Copyright 
1978,  Moody  Bible  Institute  of  Chicago. 

— Phil  Lersch,  Chairman 

Brethren  World  Relief  Board 

BEHIND  MOUNTAINS  are  more  moun- 
tains is  a  saying  in  Haiti,  a  little 
Caribbean  country  with  8,000  miles  of  tier 
upon  tier  of  towering  highlands.  The 
mountains  are  symbolic  of  the  uphill  life 
of  the  people,  descendants  of  slaves  im- 
ported by  the  French,  as  they  struggle 
against  lifelong  poverty  and  illiteracy. 

''My  whole  life  has  been  that — when  one 
mountain  is  conquered  there  stands 
another,"  says  Dr.  Jean-Claude  Noel,  a 
Haitian  evangelical  still  climbing  his 
mountains. 

His  first  obstacle  was  malnutrition. 

''For  the  first  three  years  my  body  had 
to  fight  just  to  stay  alive.  At  that  time  70 
percent  of  the  babies  were  dying.  (Now  it's 
50  percent.)  It  was  survival  of  the  fittest. 
As  I  look  back,  I  believe  God  had  a  plan 
and  a  purpose." 

God's  plan  for  Claude,  as  he  is  known 
to  his  friends,  included  attending  the  Un- 
evangelized  Fields  Mission  primary  school 
where  his  heart  and  mind  were  prepared 


to  accept  Jesus  as  Savior  and  Lord,  which 
he  did  in  his  teens. 

Then  the  Holy  Spirit  implanted  a  deep 
desire  to  preach.  But  how?  He  didn't  have 
enough  education. 

Should  he  take  the  hazardous,  unknown 
road  to  becoming  a  preacher  or  the  more 
secure  one  of  the  saddle-maker,  his  father's 
trade?  Showing  unusual  spiritual  maturity, 
seventeen-year-old  Claude  spent  a  whole 
day  fasting  and  praying. 

"I  took  it  seriously,"  he  says,  "and  I 
know  God  led  me.  I  realized  it  takes 
preparation  to  fulfill  a  vision." 

He  enrolled  at  UFM's  Evangelical  School 
of  the  Bible  in  Port-au-Prince,  Haiti's  cap- 
ital. Problems  started  immediately. 

"There's  no  future  in  preaching!"  his 
father  said.  When  he  saw  Claude's  mind 
was  made  up,  he  cut  off  financial  and  emo- 
tional support. 

Claude  caught  a  missionary  vision  and 
yearned  to  share  Christ  with  the  mountain 
people.  Most  were  voodoo  worshipers. 

After  graduation,  without  a  vehicle  or 
donkey,  he  walked  barefoot  along  well-worn 
mountain  footpaths  to  the  remotest  places. 
He  had  no  guaranteed  support.  He  knew 
that  hardship,  and  perhaps  rejection,  lay 
before  him,  but  he  did  not  shrink  from  it. 

In  four  years  of  mountain  ministry  he 
suffered  malaria  without  anyone  to  care 
for  him.  The  sun  and  altitude  took  their 
toll.  But  worst  of  all  were  the  continuous 
cramping  hunger  pangs.  His  diet  on  the 
trail  was  bread  softened  with  a  little 
sugar-water.  He  would  think  longingly  of 
the  last  good  meal  of  rice  and  brown  beans, 
perhaps  two  weeks  previous.  This  memory 
of  hunger  would  later  direct  one  segment 
of  his  work. 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


i  V 


V^'^i^.i 


■..  *t 


%v 


Dr.  Jean-Claude  Noel 


The  Lord  blessed  Claude's  missionary  en- 
deavors. He  says:  'Those  places  I  pio- 
neered, alone  and  without  food,  now  have 
big  churches.  The  buildings  are  too  small 
to  receive  all  the  people  coming  to  Christ." 

In  spite  of  successes,  he  felt  the  need  for 
further  education.  ''Educational  standards 
in  my  country  were  rising.  Evangelical  na- 
tions needed  to  prepare  for  leadership." 

So  Claude  Noel  tackled  another  mountain 
— getting  an  education  in  the  USA.  He 
chose  Harrington  College. 

His  first  job  was  as  helper  at  the  Bar- 
rington  Summer  Bible  Conference.  Dr. 
Everett  S.  Graff  am,  then  the  director, 
remembers  Claude  as  a  slender,  soft-spoken 
(with  French  accent),  shy  but  determined 
young  man  who  had  to  learn  how  things 
were  done  in  the  U.S.,  including  to  wield 
a  broom.  In  Haiti  the  women  do  the  sweep- 
ing with  twig  brooms. 

Honors 

He  graduated  in  1957  with  a  B.A.  in 
Bible-Philosophy.  In  1976  his  alma  mater 
acknowledged  his  leadership  and  diligence 
by  conferring  a  Doctor  of  Divinity  degree. 
Later  his  own  country  recognized  his 
humanitarian  concern  and  knighted  him  in 
the  National  Order  of  Work. 

While  at  Barrington  he  met  and  married 
Lydie  Lariviere,  an  equally  dedicated 
Haitian.  Their  home  is  open  to  those  in 
need.  Lydle  encourages  her  husband,  and 
he  appreciates  it. 

Dr.  David  Madeira,  pastor  of  Barrington 
Baptist  Church,  tells  of  a  New  Year's  Eve 
visit  to  the  Bolosse  Baptist  Church  which 
Dr.  Noel  pastored  in  Port-au-Prince.  The 
church  was  jammed.  Dr.  Noel  performed  a 


wedding,  baptized  fifty  people,  quizzed  new 
members,  administered  communion,  and 
preached.  With  tears  trickling  down  his 
cheeks  he  paid  his  wife  a  public  tribute, 
rarely  done  in  their  culture. 

Though  he  loves  his  own  people,  Claude 
is  not  provincial.  Recently  he  was  elected 
first  President  of  the  newly-formed  Carib- 
bean Evangelical  Association.  He  is  on  the 
board  of  the  World  Evangelical  Fellowship, 
and  has  traveled  around  the  world  as  a 
mission  conference  speaker. 

Meal   program 

Through  the  years,  Dr.  NoePs  heart's 
desire  has  broadened  from  preaching  to 
ministering  to  the  whole  person — spirit, 
mind,  and  body.  Remembering  his  own 
thirst  for  knowledge,  and  the  hunger  and 
illness  that  often  hindered  him,  he  inspired 
the  Bolosse  Church  to  provide  meals  to 
malnourished  youngsters  who  attended 
their  Bethany  Primary  School.  For  many 
this  would  be  the  only  meal  of  the  day.* 

''I  have  a  feeling  in  my  heart  for  the 
children,"  he  says.  "They  wanted  to  learn 
but  were  sick  and  apathetic  from  malnu- 
trition. I  found  90  percent  had  no  break- 
fast. When  I  asked:  'What  will  you  eat 
when  you  go  home?'  70  percent  didn't 
know  if  there  would  be  anything  to  eat." 

The  Bolosse  Church's  success  encour- 
aged him  to  enlist  other  churches  to  reach 
their  communities  with  schools  and  feeding 
stations.  Now,  about  6,000  children  are 
educated  and  fed  daily,  and  are  taught 
about  Jesus.  He  would  like  to  expand  the 
feedings  to  all  44,000  children  in  the  evan- 
gelical churches. 


!ed«c^ 


^  I «  I,  «< 


'ac 


ties 


Dr.  Noel  was  distressed  by  the  poor 
dying  without  medical  aid  because  govern- 
ment hospitals  were  too  crowded  and  pri- 
vate ones  too  expensive.  He  and  his  wife 
started  the  Bolosse  Health  Center  in  their 
living  room,  attended  once  a  week  by  a 
government  student  doctor.  Later  a  church 
medical  committee  was  formed.  Twelve 
years  later  the  church  now  runs  a  full- 
fledged  medical  and  dental  facility. 

Dr.  Noel  also  motivated  pastors  of  moun- 
tain churches  to  work  together  in  providing 
two  simple  clinics.  The  one  at  Bauger  out- 
grew its  space.  Now,  using  local  labor,  a 

(continued  on  next  page) 

*Our  Brethren  gifts,  through  WRC,  have  helped 
provide  funds  for  this  meal  program  for  several 
vears.     P.L. 


April  1979 


13 


complete  health  center  providing  both  pre- 
ventive and  curative  medicine  is  being  built, 
financed  by  WORLD  RELIEF  COMMIS- 
SION. The  three  clinics  care  for  about 
24,000  out-patients  annually. 

CEEH 

All  projects  come  under  the  umbrella  of 
the  Council  of  Evangelical  Churches  of 
Haiti  (CEEH)  which  Claude  Noel  helped 
found  in  1965.  He  is  now  full-time  Secre- 
tary General.  CEEH  was  organized  to  pre- 
sent a  united  front  in  proclaiming  the 
gospel,  to  coordinate  evangelical  relief,  and 
to  nurture  church  growth  and  spiritual 
fellowship.  With  thirteen  member  missions 
and  church  councils,  it  is  recognized  by  the 
Government  as  the  official  evangelical 
voice  of  Haiti. 

''We  are  building  a  solid  Haitian  inter- 
church  structure,"  says  Dr.  Noel.  ''This 
will  hold  the  churches  together  and  help 
them  stay  strong  even  when  no  foreign 
mission  personnel  would  be  here." 

He  struggles  to  improve  the  self-image 
of  the  people,  assuring  them  they  are 
capable  of  running  and  maintaining  proj- 
ects without  external  authority.  "It  is  a 
question  of  getting  Haitians  to  believe  in 
themselves  and  their  own  power  to  improve 
their  lives." 

Though  the  people  are  encouraged  to  be 
self-sufficient  wherever  they  can,  the  Chris- 
tians are  generally  too  poor  to  support  the 
broad  spectrum  of  CEEH  programs.  (Haiti 
is  the  poorest  country  in  the  Western 
Hemisphere  with  an  average  rural  annual 
wage  of  $70.)  So  CEEH  has  to  depend  on 
out-of-country  churches,  denominations, 
missions,  and  relief  organizations. 

CEEH's  outreach  covers  many  avenues 
of  economic  development.  Education  is 
undoubtedly  the  most  important.  Seminars 
are  held  for  Christian  teachers  in  both 
academic  and  vocational  subjects.  Craft 
teachers  receive  guidance  in  making  and 
selling  new  items  on  both  the  local  and 
foreign  market.  This  helps  combat  the  80 
percent  unemployment  rate. 

In  addition  to  physical  aid  CEEH  carries 
on  a  broad  spiritual  ministry  through  its 
member  churches  via  TV,  films,  books,  and 
radio.  Dr.  Noel  is  one  of  the  speakers  on  a 
daily  radio  program  which  combines  evan- 
gelism, Bible  study,  and  practical  family- 
life  helps. 

CEEH  conducts  a  Bible  extension  school 
for  pastors  in  their  own  areas.  And  other 
nationals  are  studying  in  the  States  and 
one  in  England.  Two  are  potential  MD's. 

Dr.  Noel  says:  "We  need  administrative 


Cuba 


North  Atlantic 
Ocean 


Caribbean 


50 
Mii4s 


Haiti  lies  between  Cuba  and  Puerto  Rico  in  the 
Carribean  Sea.  It  is  about  as  big  as  Maryland,  but 
has  a  population  of  nearly  5  million  (a  million  more 
than  Maryland).  Most  of  Haiti  is  covered  with 
rugged  mountains. 


advisors  and  technical  aides  on  a  short- 
term  or  semi-permanent  basis,  people  who 
are  dedicated  to  the  cause  of  the  indigenous 
church  rather  than  representing  foreign 
organizations." 

riTics 

As  is  true  of  all  leaders  in  the  Lord*s 
work,  Dr.  Noel  has  his  critics.  Some  feel  he 
is  not  intellectual  enough  and  others  that 
he  lacks  administrative  ability.  He  doesn't 
let  this  discourage  him  from  working  right 
along  with  these  people. 

"The  only  way  not  to  be  criticized  is  to 
hide  oneself  in  a  hole  and  do  nothing,"  he 
says.  "The  choice  for  me  becomes  simple. 
Every  day  I  face  my  limitations,  my  lack  of 
ability  to  sell  my  ideas." 

Dr.  Noel  is  proof  that  God  can  do  extra- 
ordinary things  through  ordinary  people 
who  are  willing  to  be  used  and  will  pay  the 
price. 

He  admits  that  sometimes  he  gets  tired 
in  the  struggle  and  wishes  for  easier  paths. 
He  tells  of  once  when  he  and  his  family 
were  in  the  States  where  life  is  so  much 
easier. 

"I  wished  I  could  make  a  resting  place 
and  stay  there  for  life.  But  the  Lord  said: 
'I  have  more  mountains  for  you  to  climb 
in  Haiti.  Stay  here  for  a  few  days,  but  you 
must  return  home.'  " 

Like  the  Apostle  Paul  who  could  say, 
"I  was  not  disobedient  to  the  heavenly 
vision,"  Dr.  Jean-Claude  Noel  returned 
home  to  Haiti  to  accept  the  further  chal- 
lenges of  his  mountains.  Q 


14 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


World  Relief  Resources 


Hunger  Awareness  Dinners  by  Aileen  Van 
Beilen  (Herald  Press,  95t). 

This  book  outlines  how  to  plan  three 
all-church  dinners  that  will  help  those 
who  attend  grow  in  their  understanding 
of  and  empathy  for  the  hungry.  It  also 
gives  many  nutritional  facts. 

Order  from  The  Carpenter's  Shop 
709  Claremont  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805 

Beaching  Out  ...  to  Lend  a  Helping  Hand 

from  Heifer  Project. 

Although  designed  as  a  collection  of 
fund-raising  projects  for  Heifer  Project,  the 
hunger  facts  and  unique  prayers,  reflec- 
tions, litanies,  dramas,  and  other  resources 
in  the  27-page  appendix  are  both  creative 
and  sound.  There  may  be  a  slight  charge, 
but  the  appendix  makes  it  worth  it. 
Order  from  Heifer  Project 

P.O.  Box  808,  Little  Rock,  Ark.  72203 

Hunger  Activities  for  Children  by  Phil  and 
Jean  Lersch  and  Bonnie  Munson  ($5.75 
postpaid). 

This  124-page  book  is  full  of  activities 
whereby  children  and  adults  can  become 
involved  in  hearing,  seeing,  feeling,  and 
doing  hunger-awareness  experiences.  Illus- 
trated with  49  photographs,  it  also  con- 
tains  words   and   music   for   two   original 


songs.  One  song  is  ''How  Much  Is  Enough," 
used  on  Monday  night  of  the  1978  General 
Conference. 

Order  from  Brethren  House 

6301  56th  Avenue,  N. 
St.  Petersburg,  Fla.  33709 
Rich  Christians  in  an  Age  of  Hunger  by 
Ron  Sider    (Intervarsity  Press,  $4.95). 

The  messages  in  this  book  prod  readers 
to  look  for  ways  to  live  more  simply,  thus 
less  consumptively,  so  that  more  resources 
are  available  to  share  around  the  world. 
''The  Bible  teaches  that  God  is  on  the  side 
of  the  poor.  And  we  must  be  too  if  we  claim 
to  be  his  people,"  the  author  says.  These 
and  other  key  thoughts  throughout  the 
book  challenge  the  reader. 

Order  from  The  Carpenter's  Shop 
World  Relief  Films  from  the  World  Relief 
Commission. 

Write  to  order  these  films  or  just  to 
request  a  listing  of  the  titles  available. 
There  is  no  charge  for  their  use,  and  they 
are  excellent  messages  of  information  and 
inspiration  for  church  services,  church 
suppers,  class  meetings,  youth  meetings  or 
retreats,  etc.  Use  this  valuable  source 
frequently. 

Order  from  World  Relief  Commission 
Box  WRC,  Wheaton,  111.  60187 


.j.^4..j.4.^.j,.j,^^.|..t,^4,^.j,4,.|,.j.^^.j.4.^^.j,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 


WORLD  RELIEF 

and 

BRETHREN  MISSIONS 

in  India 

The  Board  of  Directors  of  the 
World  Relief  Commission  has 
again  budgeted  funds  for  relief 
work  in  India,  to  be  administered 
by  our  Brethren  missionaries 
there. 

These  funds  (increased  to  $2,700 
in  1979),  which  are  channeled 
through  our  Missionary  Board,  are 
used  for  medicines,  clothes,  build- 
ing supplies,  food,  etc. 

In  this  respect,  money  given  to 
World  Relief  is  returned  to  assist 
Mrs.  Prasanth  (Nirmala)  Kumar  distributes  clothing  to  some  our  relief  and  evangelistic  efforts 
needy  villagers  in  India.  in   India. 


April  1979 


15 


ft!™*jo«{  Jii 


"Jesus  Road" 
in  Africa 


Christian  love  in  action  has  caused  many 
Africans  to  turn  to  the  "Jesus  Road." 

'  I  'HIS  year's  harvest  in  the  Upper  Volta  region 
1  of  West  Africa  is  in.  The  farmers  have  finished 
putting  their  harvested  corn,  sorghum,  and  millet 
into  small  mud  graineries.  The  verdict?  Grain  was 
expected  to  run  out  by  February. 

Samuel  Key,  national  pastor  in  the  village  of 
Dounkou,  tells  why.  * 'Ordinarily  the  rainy  season 
lasts  into  October,  but  this  year  we  received  only 
two  major  rains  since  the  middle  of  August.  Our 
corn  harvest  was  almost  totally  ruined  because  the 
rains  quit  just  before  the  corn  was  to  mature.  Only 
in  a  few  low  spots  where  the  moisture  remained  in 
the  ground  did  the  grain  fully  mature.  All  the  other 
fields  dried  up  completely." 

Pastor  Samuel  goes  on  to  report,  ''In  a  regular 
year  the  road  would  have  been  covered  with  water, 
but  since  the  rains  were  lacking,  we  walked  on  solid 
ground.  The  wells  are  already  low  and  will  dry  up 
very  quickly  this  year." 


Herb  Nehlson  evaluates  the  quality  of  this  year's  sorghum 
harvest  in  Upper  Volta.  For  the  6th  year  in  a  row,  most  grain 
did  not  mature  because  of  a  lack  of  rain. 


Growing  up  in  a  West  African  village 
is  often  a  day-to-day  existence  characterized 
by  uncertainty  and  waste  of  human  re- 
sources. World  Relief  not  only  helps  pro- 
vide basic  needs  of  food,  water,  clothing, 
and  medicine,  but  also  opportunity  to  hear 
the  message  of  Christ's  love  through  local 
Christian  churches  and  missions. 

Th0  Response 

The  World  Relief  Conunission  has 
been  distributing  grain,  working 
through  national  Christians  and  vil- 
lage leaders,  and  digging  wells  in  this 
area  since  the  first  drought  began 
in  1972-73.  They  have  also  provided 
for  the  necessary  storage  facilities 
and  transportation  to  outlying  vil- 
lages. Herb  Nehlson,  WRC's  IJpper 
Volta  representative,  has  been  re- 
sponsible for  this  work  since  it 
started.  When  asked  about  the  pro- 
gram he  replied,  "Last  year  the 
famine  was  very  bad.  It  was  all  over 
our  district  which  is  about  10,000 
square  miles.  With  the  help  of  our 
local  Christians  working  with  the 
village  chiefs,  we  distributed  over 
500  tons  of  grain.  I  asked  the  chiefs 
what  they  thought  of  the  distribu- 
tion, and  they  said  we  were  really 
helping  the  people  that  needed  it. 
I'm  sure  we  were  getting  grain  to 
90%  of  the  desperate,  needy  people 
in  our  area." 


16 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


WRC  has  already  begun  to  buy  grain  at 
the  current  low  price  and  is  storing  it  for 
distribution  next  spring  and  summer.  As  a 
result  the  farmers  will  be  able  to  stay  and 
work  their  fields  instead  of  being  forced 
to  go  to  the  cities  to  look  for  work  and 
food,  causing  a  worse  shortage  next  year. 
New  wells  are  also  being  dug  and  older 
dried  up  ones  are  being  deepened.  The 
drought  has  not  ended  and  neither  has 
World  Relief's  commitment  to  these  people. 
All  indications  point  to  another  bad  year. 
Much  work  will  be  needed  to  make  sure 
that  all  the  people  in  need,  especially  the 
ones  in  outlying  areas,  are  given  help. 


Word  about  the  * 'Jesus  Road"  is  spread- 
ing in  the  Upper  Volta  region  of  Africa's 
Sahel  drought.  As  World  Relief  Commis- 
sion grain  is  distributed  to  those  in  need 


Grain  is  distributed  to  villages  of  drought 
striken  West  Africa.  National  church  leaders  make 
certain  that  it  gets  to  those  who  need  it  most.  As 
a  result  many  people  have  become  Christians.  One 
man  commented,  "We  see  that  the  JESUS  ROAD 
is  a  road  of  love." 

(to  Muslims,  animists.  Catholics,  and  Prot- 
estant Christians  alike),  the  Christian 
church  is  receiving  favorable  attention. 
People  see  Jesus'  love  demonstrated  and 
come  asking  about  the  "Jesus  Road."  Herb 
Nehlson  gives  the  following  account: 

''Reports  coming  in  from  many  areas 
within  Upper  Volta  indicate  a  very  positive 
response  to  our  grain  distribution  program. 
We're  known  as  the  people  who  show  love. 
Because  of  that,  our  reputation  has  spread 
far  and  wide  to  villages  that  have  never 
before  shown  any  interest  in  Christianity. 
This  has  also  been  an  encouragement  to 
our  Christians. 

"It's  been  fantastic  the  way  the  Lord 
has  brought  people  in  for  grain.  They  come 
back  and  say,  *We'd  like  to  hear  about 
Jesus.'  We  give  grain  to  everyone  in  need, 


In  the  Sahel  area  of  Africa,  cattle  look  for  water 
in  this  recently  dried-up  water  hole.  Short  rainy 
seasons  for  several  years  now  have  caused  the 
water  table  to  drop  significantly  and  wells  to 
dry  up. 

without  any  questioning  or  pressure  about 
their  religion.  Because  of  this,  within  the 
last  several  months  seven  villages  now  have 
Christians  in  them  for  the  first  time,  with 
churches  beginning  to  form.  This  happened 
during  the  rainy  season  too,  which  is 
usually  a  poor  time  to  have  church  growth 
due  to  the  poor  transportation  and  every- 
one out  working  in  the  fields. 

"Our  established  churches  are  also  grow- 
ing. The  local  church  here  in  Tougon  has 
had  converts  almost  every  Sunday  since  the 
beginning  of  the  year  .  .  .  somewhere 
around  130  people  in  this  church  alone.  It's 
becoming  quite  crowded,  but  that's  a  prob- 
lem we're  glad  to  have.  And  we're  seeing 
the  same  thing  happen  in  our  other 
churches.  We're  glad  to  have  a  part  in  pro- 
viding *food  for  the  body  and  food  for  the 
soul.'  " 

(Compiled  from  WRC  news  releases  and 
photographs.) 


Many  people  are  turning  to  the  "Jesus  Road," 
as  shown  by  the  crowded  conditions  of  this  Sunday 
morning  service  in   Tougon,    Upper   Volta. 


April  1979 


17 


the  salt  shaker 


by  Alvin  Shifflett 


Should   we   end   spanking   or  spank  the   end? 


Cruel  and  Unusi' 


|--:i 

«hment? 


THE  U.S.  Supreme  Court  has  ruled  that 
beatings  administered  by  school  authori- 
ties are  not  prohibited  by  the  eighth 
amendment's  ban  against  cruel  and  unusual 
punishment.  The  rendering  was  a  close  five 
to  four  decision. 

The  Court  was  actually  considering  a 
1970  Dade  County,  Florida,  (of  gay  orange 
juice  fame)  case.  A  high  school  student 
by  the  name  of  James  Ingraham,  age  14, 
had  been  beaten  by  a  school  principal.  (I 
don't  believe  James  is  any  relation  to  the 
Virgil  that  most  of  us  know!) 

According  to  Ingraham's  story,  two 
mean  old  school  officials  jumped  him  while 
he  was  lingering  in  the  auditorium  after 
an  assembly.  These  guys  held  him  down 
while  the  principal  whacked  him  more  than 
20  times  with  a  two-foot-long  board  (or 
paddle).  Ingraham  claimed  that  the  result- 
ing blood  clots  on  his  buttocks  kept  him  in 
bed  for  a  whole  week!  The  boy's  mother 
filed  suit  against  the  school  officials. 

There  has  been  considerable  discussion 
as  to  the  psychological  damage  done  to  a 
child  by  spanking.  Many  sociologists  claim 
that  spanking  is  harmful  to  the  child,  and 
largely  ineffective.  Others  swear  (Brethren 
affirm)  by  Proverbs  23:14:  ''Thou  shalt 
beat  him  with  the  rod,  and  shalt  deliver 
his  soul  from  hell." 

Some  local  laws  still  prohibit  spanking 
in  the  public  schools.  If  your  child  comes 
home  with  his  derriere  hurting,  it  may  be 
that  your  locale  still  allows  spankings. 

I  think  I  can  speak  of  the  psychological 
damage  that  occurs  during  or  as  a  result 
of  spankings.  I  was  often  spanked  by  my 
mother  (but  never  by  a  school  official). 
Mother  used  lilac  bushes,  so  it  should  be 
referred  to  as  a  whipping  rather  than  a 
spanking — just  to  set  the  record  straight. 


In  retrospect,  I  can  clearly  assess  the 
psychological  damage  I  suffered  from  re- 
ceiving this  form  of  punishment.  I  share 
this  assessment  with  you  for  what  it's 
worth: 

(1)  My  pride  was  hurt  and  my  body  felt 
intense  pain  (especially  the  derriere). 
I  vowed  never  to  be  caught  doing  the  same 
thing  twice.  I  never  was. 

(2)  There  has  been  long-term  psycho- 
logical damage.  Sometimes  I  wake  up  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  and  wonder  where 
I  am.  It  may  take  me  up  to  three  minutes 
to  clear  my  mind  on  such  occasions! 

(3)  On  other  occasions  I  have  detected 
a  strong  propensity  to  smash  a  badminton 
birdie  with  full  force  toward  my  opponent's 
face.  I  even  have  the  urge  to  write  an 
enemy's  name  on  my  golf  ball.  So  far 
Providence  has  restrained  me  from  doing 
it!  Recently,  I  ran  a  stop  sign.  Not  delib- 
erately. But  it  worries  me.  There's  a  pat- 
tern here.  I  suspect  my  subconscious  evil 
propensity  caused  me  to  do  it;  the  old 
Jekyll  and  Hyde  complex.  So  you  see,  I 
have  never  recovered. 

(4)  Finally,  the  worst  possible  thing 
happened  to  me.  I  became  a  low-down 
preacher!  I  can  imagine  all  the  other  good 
things  I  might  be  doing  today  if  this  spank- 
ing bit  hadn't  happened. 

Now  don't  get  me  wrong.  I  don't  hate  my 
mother,  or  anyone  for  that  matter.  But  I 
detest  lilac  bushes!  I  have  an  urge  to  rip 
them  from  the  ground  and  burn  them.  I 
love  making  weiner  forks  out  of  them.  I've 
contemplated  going  to  a  psychiatrist,  but 
the  cost  is  prohibitive. 

I  guess  I'll  have  to  live  with  it,  until  the 
end  .  .  .  since  it  all  began  on  my  end.       D 


18 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


news  from  the   Brethren   Church 


Moderator's   Report 

by   Rev.   Duane   Dickson 

Sometimes  the  logic  of  the  Brethren  mind 
confuses  me.  We  say  that  we  want  the  church 
to  grow,  but  we  refuse  to  become  personally 
involved  in  the  outreach  program.  I'm  sure  our 
excuses  sound  good  to  us,  but  anyone  with  an 
elementary  knowledge  of  the  Bible  knows  that 
we  are  commanded  to  be  directly  involved  in 
building  the  church. 

We  want  bigger  and  better  churches  with 
bigger  and  better  programs,  but  we  are  unwill- 
ing to  spend  the  time  and  money  to  build  these 
churches  or  programs.  It  seems  easier  to  move 
to  a  large  church  where  we  can  hide  in  the 
crowd  and  have  no  obligation  beyond  appearing 
at  worship  services.  We  are  willing  to  send 
large  amounts  of  money  to  radio  and  TV  min- 
istry empires,  while  our  own  missionary 
efforts  and  denominational  work  are  seriously 
hindered  by  lack  of  funds.  This  seems  very 
inconsistent. 

Do  we  want  our  missionaries  brought  home? 
Do  we  want  the  ministry  of  Christian  education 
discontinued?  Do  we  want  to  continue  receiving 
our  church  publications?  Do  we  want  to  be 
involved  in  world  relief?  Do  we  want  to  train 
qualified  men  and  women  for  service  in  the 
church?  Only  you  can  answer  these  questions 
and  many  other  related  ones. 

I  would  strongly  urge  you  and  your  pastor 
to  look  at  all  the  denominational  needs  with 
the  idea  of  supporting  the  work  of  your  church 
totally.  While  you  are  doing  this,  it  would  be 
good  for  you  to  examine  your  commitment  to 
the  lost  of  your  community  and  to  implement 
plans  to  assure  a  complete  ministry. 

The  executive  committee  is  committed  to 
search  for  ways  to  encourage  you  (local 
churches  and  individual  members)  to  reach  out 
in  personal  growth  programs  and  to  reach  be- 
yond yourselves  into  other  areas  of  ministry 
through  your  financial  support.  Without  you 
we  do  not  have  need  of  any  programs.  As  we 
meet,  we  are  constantly  aware  of  the  growth 
needs  of  the  church.  Therefore  we  are  search- 
ing for  ways  to  assist  you  in  this  important  task 
of  proclaiming  the  message  of  Christ.  We  meet 
regularly  with  the  executives  or  representatives 
of  all  the  denominational  boards.  We  also 
urgently  desire  pertinent  information  from 
individuals  and  churches.  We  need  your  help. 
Christ  wants  the  church  to  grow! 
Do  You? 


N.  Califarnia  District  plans 
to  plant  new  church 

Manteca,  Calif. — ^The  Northern  California  District 
of  Brethren  Churches  held  its  district  conference 
March  1-4  at  the  First  Brethren  Church  of 
Manteca. 

At  this  meeting  the  conference  voted  to  begin 
investigations  and  preparations  toward  the  plant- 
ing of  another  Brethren  church.  The  church  would 
be  planted  somewhere  in  the  area  of  the  present 
three  Northern  California  Brethren  churches. 

Other  business  at  the  conference  included  elec- 
tions, district  board  reports,  a  report  of  national 
work,    and   caring   for   other  district  matters. 

Dr.  Richard  Allison,  Assistant  Professor  of 
Christian  Education  at  Ashland  Theological  Sem- 
inary, was  the  inspirational  speaker  for  the 
conference. 

Deacons  and   Deaconesses 

oTdaioed    af   Saraso+a  - 

Sarasota,  Fla. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lynn  Stump  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wayne  Moneyheffer  were  ordained  as 
deacons  and  deaconesses  in  the  Sarasota  First 
Brethren  Church  on  Sunday,  January  14. 

The  pastor,  Dr.  J.  D.  Hamel,  officiated  during 
the  service  of  ordination.  He  was  assisted  by 
area  Brethren  ministers  and  by  Mr.  Walter  Davis, 
chairman  of  the  board  of  deacons  of  the  Sarasota 
Brethren  Church. 

Rev.  Robert  Dillard,  assistant  pastor  of  Sara- 
sota First  Brethren,  presented  a  message  entitled 
"Full  of  Faith  and  the  Holy  Spirit"  for  the  ordina- 
tion service. 

Board  &f  Christian  Education 
seeking  new  Director 

Ashland,  Ohio — As  previously  announced,  the 
denominational  Board  of  Christian  Education  is 
now  accepting  applications  for  the  position  of 
Director  of  Christian  Education.  Dr.  Frederick 
Burkey,  Director  for  eleven  years,  is  now  the 
Director  of  Religious  Affairs  at  Ashland  College. 
He  is  serving  this  year  as  Interim  Director  for 
the  BCE,   until  a  new  Director  is  obtained. 

If  you  are  interested  in  applying  for  this  posi- 
tion, please  check  inside  the  front  cover  of  the 
March  Evangelist  for  qualifications  and  procedure. 
Applications  must  be  submitted  to  Rev.  Brian 
Moore,  president  of  the  Board  of  Christian  Educa- 
tion, by  April  25,  1979. 


April  1979 


19 


update 


During   the   ground-breaking  service 

at  Northwest  Brethren  Chapel,  Rev. 

Arden  Gihner  (center)  presents  a 

Growth  Partners  Club   check   to 

Northwest  moderator  Jack  Edgerton, 

while  Northwest  pastor  Bill  Curtis 

looks  on  and  applauds. 


photos  by  David  Curtis 


Northwest  Chapel  Breaks  Ground 


Tucson,  Ariz. — Using  a  three-handled  shovel  pre- 
pared for  the  occasion  by  church  trustee  Wesley 
George,  the  congregation  of  the  Northwest  Breth- 


Conway  Craft,  Ray  Marks,  and  Francis  Ellis  (left 
to  right)  take  a  turn  breaking  the  desert  sand  using 
the  special  shovel  prepared  for  the  Northwest  Chapel 
ground  breaking  by    Wesley  George. 


ren  Chapel  in  Tucson  broke  ground  for  its  first 
church  building  on  Sunday  afternoon,  February  18. 

More  than  100  people  attended  the  ground- 
breaking service,  including  most  of  the  63  mem- 
bers of  the  Northwest  congregation.  Also  attend- 
ing were  a  number  of  members  from  the  Tucson 
First  Brethren  Church  (the  mother  congregation 
of  Northwest  Chapel),  and  also  representatives 
from  the  Papago  Park  Brethren  Church  in  Tempe, 
Ariz. 

Rev.  Arden  Gilmer,  Director  of  Home  Missions 
for  the  national  Missionary  Board,  was  also 
present  for  the  ceremony.  During  the  service  he 
presented  a  check  to  Northwest  Chapel  moderator 
Jack  Edgerton.  The  check  was  for  money  collected 
in  response  to  the  Growth  Partners  Club  call  for 
this  new  mission  church  in  Tucson. 

The  ground-breaking  service  began  with  a  time 
of  devotions.  Then  Rev.  Clarence  Stogsdill,  pastor 
of  the  Tucson  First  Brethren  Church,  and  Rev. 
William  Curtis,  pastor  of  Northwest  Chapel,  gave 
the  historical  background  leading  up  to  this 
ground-breaking  service.  Following  additional 
comments  by  various  dignitaries  present,  several 
groups  of  three  persons  took  turns  breaking  the 
desert  sand  with  the  three-handled  shovel. 

Construction  on  the  new  building  began  in  the 
days  immediately  following  the  ground-breaking 
service. 

Rev.  William  Curtis,  pastor  of  Northwest  Breth- 
ren Chapel,  gives  this  report  of  the  progress  of 
the  church  there: 

"The  congregation  (of  Northwest  Brethren 
Chapel)  has  grown  steadily  since  the  first  meeting 
on  January  18,  1976,  in  Thornydale  Elementary 
School.  It  is  felt  that  the  rate  of  increase  will 
accelerate  once  we   are  in  our  own  facilities. 

"The  building  is  now  under  construction  and 
progressing  rapidly.  The  roof  should  be  complete 
and  inside  work  under  way  by  the  time  you  read 
this  article.  The  expected  completion  date  for  the 
building  is  July  1.  When  completed,  the  structure 

(continued  on  next  page) 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 

Board  of  Christian  Education  Announces 
1979  Summer  Crusaders  and  Missionary  Interns 

The  Board  of  Christian  Education  is  proud  to  announce  the  Summer  Crusaders 
and  Missionary  Interns  for  1979.  This  year's  program  will  include  one  musical  unit 
of  six  members,  two  educational  units  of  four  members  each,  and  one  unit  of  six 
young  people  who  will  be  working  as  missionary  interns  with  Rev.  Juan  Carlos 
Miranda  in  California  and  Mexico. 


Education  North 

Dean  Showalter,  Captain — Sarasota 
Chip  Keplinger — Washington 
Shirley  Swihart — Roann 
Kathy  Wilson — ^Masontown 

Music  Unit 

Mark  Britton,  Captain — Derby 

Mike  McCann — Bryan 

Dave  Stone — Sarasota 

Jenny  Walters — North  Manchester 

Jill  Slee — Roann 

Margaret  Ronk — Park  Street 


Education  Soutli 

John  Crowe,  Captain — Nappanee 

John  C.  Mills— St.  James 

LeAnne  Icenhour — Ashland  Park  Street 


Missionary  Interns 

Scot  Millhouse,  Captain — Milledgeville 
Dave  Kerner — Meadow  Crest 
John  Black — Milledgeville 
Becky  Grumbling — Mt.  Olivet 
Barb  French — Eldorado 
Judy  Gifford — Derby 


In  addition  to  the  teams  listed  above,  there  are  six  young  people  who  are  being 
placed  in  pastoral,  church  staff,  or  camping  internships. 

These  26  young  people  were  selected  from  the  total  number  of  worthy  applicants 
because  they  are  mature,  talented,  and  capable  of  leadership.  We  hope  you  will  join 
us  in  wholehearted  support  of  them  as  they  prepare  for  their  individual  summer 
ministries.  Please  keep  the  entire  summer  program  in  your  prayers.  And  watch 
future  issues  of  the  Evangelist  for  further  announcements  and  progress  reports. 


Norfhwesf  Chapel  breaks  ground 

continued  from  previous  page 

will  seat  160  persons  and  have  a  nursery  and 
kitchen.  These  two  rooms  will  also  be  used  for 
Sunday  school. 

"Our  district  churches,  First  Brethren  of  Tucson 
and  Papago  Park  of  Tempe,  are  joining  with  us 
in  raising  the  necessary  funds.  The  slogan  for  the 
fund-raising  project  is  ^Southwest  is  building 
churches  .  .  .  starting  with  Northwest  .  .  .  $5,000 
by  East(er).'  The  Papago  Park  Brethren  have 
printed  paper  wrappers  which  can  be  taped  to  an 
empty  pop  can  and  used  as  a  bank.  There  have 
been  many  sizable  gifts,  for  which  we  praise  the 
Lord. 

"Naturally  we  are  all  excited  as  we  work  and 
build  for  our  Lord  in  this  beautiful,  sun-bathed 
desert.  The  chapel  Itself  sits  near  the  base  of  the 
towering  Catalina  mountains  affording  a  breath- 
taking landscape. 

"Our  people  enjoy  working  in  this  community 
where  God  has  placed  us  to  minister  in  the  short 
time  before  our  Lord  returns  for  His  own.  It  is 
a  blessing  to  welcome  new  families  into  our 
fellowship.  The  atmosphere  at  Northwest  is  like 
one  closely  knit  family  in  the  Lord.  As  we  grow, 
we  are  working  hard  to  keep  that  friendly  feeling. 


We  extend  an  invitation  to  you  to  visit  Tucson 
and  worship  with  us.  Better  yet,  come  and  be  a 
tentmaker  as  you  move  to  Tucson  to  work  or 
retire. 

"We  of  Northwest  Brethren  Chapel  do  wish  to 
express  our  sincere  thanks  to  the  brotherhood  for 
helping  us  build  'the  house  of  God'  in  Northwest 
Tucson.  The  response  from  the  Growth  Partners 
Club  call  was  beyond  our  expectation,  totaling 
$11,455  for  the  second  call.  Your  prayers  are  deeply 
felt  and  appreciated.  May  God  continue  to  bless 
us  as  we  work  together  building  His  church." 


In  Memory 


Bay  Pottenger,  82,  February  8.  Member  of  the 
Roann,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services  by 
William  Kerner,  pastor. 

Richard  O'Cromian,  70,  February  2.  Member  of  the 

Johnstown,  Pa.,  Third  Brethren  Church.  Services 

by  Clarence  R.  Kindley,  pastor. 

Mary  Jane  Ettkig-er,  68,  January  28.  Member  of 

the    Mt.    Olive    Brethren    Church,    Pineville,    Va. 

Services  by  Rev.   W.   F.   Garber  and  Rev.  W.   H. 

Rodeffer. 

Charles  Powell,  72,  January  3.  Member  of  the  Mt. 

Olive  Brethren  Church,  Pineville,  Va.  Services  by 

Rev.  W.  F.  Garber. 


April  1979 


21 


update 


China  wide  open  for  evangelism 
former  missionary  believes 


Sarasota,  Fla. — "God  has  prepared  the  way  in 
China,"  said  Rev.  Harry  Liu  at  a  recent  meeting 
of  the  Sarasota  First  Brethren  Church. 

The  arguments  presented  by  this  native  of 
China  and  former  missionary  to  that  country  are 
impressive. 

First,  he  says,  the  Communists  in  China 
succeeded  in  creating  one  nation  with  one 
language  and  in  which  there  is  nearly  universal 
literacy. 

Second,  in  order  to  carry  out  government  direc- 
tives and  to  unite  the  people,  the  Communists 
provided  more  than  85  percent  of  the  Chinese 
households  with  radios.  They  also  built  a  network 
of  good  roads  that  have  made  almost  all  parts  of 
the  nation  accessible. 

Then  they  destroyed  or  suppressed  all  forms 
of  religious  expression,  including  most  of  the 
centuries-old  ancestor  worship  that  in  the  past 
made  it  difficult  to  lead  Chinese  to  Christianity. 

Now,  Liu  says,  the  Chinese  family  patterns 
have  become  fragmented.  The  young  no  longer 
feel  bound  to  old  customs  and  to  their  families. 
Those  who  accept  Christianity  today  may  not 
be  ostracized  by  their  families — the  penalty  many 
earlier  Christian  converts  had  to  pay. 

Finally,  Liu  says,  by  bcmning  religion,  the 
Communists  have  created  a  serious  vacuum  in 
the  hves  of  the  people — a  hunger  for  some  link 
to  God  and  for  something  more  than  the  "Little 
Red  Book"  (of  Mao  Tse-tung's  sayings)  to  give 
meaning  to  their  existence. 

Rev.  Liu  is  convinced  that  Christianity  will 
offer  the  Chinese  the  answers  that  they  seek.  "All 
of  China  is  now  virgin  territory,"  he  stated.  Given 
this  premise,  he  believes  that  the  recent  opening 
of  relations  between  the  United  States  and  China 
has  set  the  stage  for  an  evangelistic  assault  that 
could  be  more  successful  than  anything  possible 
in  the  old  days. 

In  fact,  this  evangelistic  assault  has  already 
begun,  according  to  Liu.  Powerful  Christian  radio 
stations  surrounding  China  are  now  beaming 
Christian  programs  across  the  borders.  These 
stations  are  also  teaching  English  to  their  listen- 
ers, using  Bible  stories.  Bibles  and  pocket-size 
New  Testaments  are  being  printed  in  the  new 
simplified  Chinese  that  has  become  the  national 
written  language.  These  Bibles  and  Testaments 
will  soon  be  flooding  into  China  one  way  or 
another. 

In  addition,  about  10,000  Chinese  students  are 
expected  to  arrive  in  the  U.S.  for  technical  train- 
ing and  will  be  exposed  to  Christianity  for  the 
first  time.  Add  to  that  the  thousands  of  American 
technicians  and  teachers  who  will  be  going  to 
China  on  exchange  and  trade  missions — most  of 


Rev.  and  Mrs.  Harry  Liu 
Rev.  Liu  is  a  native  of  China,  where  he  was 
converted  to  Christianity  4!  years  ago.  Following 
his  conversion,  he  came  to  the  United  States  as  an 
employee  of  the  Bank  of  China,  but  while  in  the 
U.S.  he  received  a  call  to  mission  service.  After 
graduation  from  Moody  Bible  Institute,  he  returned 
to  his  homeland  as  a  missionary . 

When  the  Communists  came  to  power,  Rev.  Liu 
was  forced  to  flee  China.  Since  then  he  has  worked 
as  a  missionary  around  the  world,  most  recently  as 
a  member  of  the  Pocket  Testament  League,  Inc. 

Now  semi-retired,  he  lives  with  his  wife  in  Sara- 
sota, where  he  has  assisted  the  Sarasota  First 
Brethren  Church  as  a  speaker  and  in  planning  its 
missionary  conferences.  He  is  also  an  American 
correspondent  for  "Sharing,"  a  Chinese-language 
Christian  magazine  published  in  Hong  Kong. 

them  presumably  of  Christian  background — and 
the  die  is  cast. 

The  prospects  make  Rev.  Liu  glow  with  delight 
— especially  since  he  recently  had  the  opportunity 
to  try  out  a  little  evangelism  of  his  own  on 
Chinese  newsmen  and  television  technicians 
attending  the  Washington  welcome  for  People's 
Republic  Vice  Prime  Minister  Teng  Hsiao-ping. 

Rev.  Liu  said  that  as  an  American  correspond- 
ent for  a  Chinese-language  Christian  magazine, 
he  obtained  press  credentials  to  attend  a  White 
House  reception  for  Teng.  Although  he  was  not 
able  to  interview  Teng,  he  did  get  an  opportunity 
to  talk  with  several  Chinese  technicians. 

He  gave  them  copies  of  two  pocket-size  book- 
lets— one,  "The  Gospel  According  to  John,"  pub- 
lished by  the  Pocket  Testament  League  as  an 
American  Bicentennial  souvenir  edition;  and  the 
other,  "Mark's  Good  News,"  a  Chinese-language 
version  of  the  Gospel  of  Mark. 

continued  on  next  page 


22 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Here's  Life  begins  billion  dollar 
fund-raising   effort 


San  Bernardino,  Calif. — This  month  has  been 
selected  as  kickoff  month  for  a  billion  dollar 
fund-raising  effort  to  support  Here's  Life  Inter- 
national, a  discipleship  and  evangelism  program 
sponsored  by  Campus  Crusade  for  Christ 
International. 

The  purpose  of  the  Here's  Life  program  is  to 
help  share  the  gospel  with  every  person  in  every 
nation,  tribe,  and  culture  on  earth. 

Oilman  and  investor  N.  Bunker  Hunt,  chairman 
of  the  International  Executive  Committee  of 
Here's  Life,  has  said  that  the  Here's  Life  program 
represents  the  most  massive  program  of  Christian 
discipleship  and  evangelism  in  history.  According 
to  Hunt,  "The  Here's  life  budget  was  not  picked 
out  of  the  air  because  a  billion  dollars  is  a  nice 
round  number.  Every  penny  is  allocated  to  specific 
programs  for  communicating  the  gospel  in  210 
nations  and  protectorates. 

"As  we  have  learned  ...  a  billion  dollars  is 
less  than  half  the  cost  of  a  nuclear  aircraft 
carrier.  Yet  the  success  of  the  Here's  Life  cam- 
paign could  obviate  the  need  for  the  world  ever 
to  employ  the  billions  of  dollars  in  armaments 
that  it  amasses  every  year.  Further,  a  billion 
dollars  is  only  a  tiny  fraction  of  the  35  billion 
dollars  that  will  be  contributed  to  charitable 
causes  this  year — 80  percent  by  religious 
organizations. 

"Since  our  goal  is  to  tap  new  sources  of  funds, 
Here's  Life  should  not  deprive  any  church  or 
organization  of  its  present  needed  funding.  Rather 
it  will  stimulate  new  funding  for  churches  around 
the  world.  At  the  same  time,  as  an  interdenom- 
inational Christian  movement,  Here's  Life  is 
based  on  a  cooperative  effort  of  churches  and 
organizations  worldwide." 


China  wide  open  for  evangelism 

continued  from  previous  page 

The  Chinese  booklet  has  no  identifying  title  on 
the  cover  or  any  information  inside  to  reveal  its 
source.  The  cover  is  solid  red  and  it  is  similar  in 
size  to  Mao's  "Little  Red  Book."  The  words  on 
its  title  page  are  also  slightly  deceiving,  since 
the  Chinese  symbols  for  Mark's  are  the  same  as 
those  for  Marx. 

With  a  gleam  in  his  eye,  Liu  recalled  that  his 
own  conversion  to  Christianity  at  the  age  of  25 
came  after  he  asked  an  American  missionary  to 
teach  him  English  and  was  given  the  Gospel  of 
Mark  as  his  textbook. 

—Dr.   J.   D.   Hamel 

Pastor,  Sarasota  First  Brethren  Church 


Wallace  E.  Johnson,  co-founder  and  a  member  of 
the  executive  committee  of  Holiday  Inns,  Inc.,  is 
international  chairman  of  Here's  Life.  Roy  Rogers, 
entertainer   and   businessman,    is   vice-chairman. 


1 


11  S_J   (   I,    V^ 


m 


Aishland,  Ohio— Ashland  College  has  signed  a 
letter  of  intent  with  The  Art  Institute  of  Pitts- 
burgh to  develop  mutual  career  and  liberal  arts 
programming  between  the  two  institutions. 

Ashland  College  students  interested  in  careers 
in  the  arts  will  have  the  opportunity  to  spend 
their  junior  year  at  The  Art  Institute  in  programs 
leading  to  careers  in  advertising,  art,  fashion 
illustration,  interior  design,  and  photography/ 
multi-media. 

The  cooperative  program  will  also  give  Art 
Institute  graduates  the  chance  for  continued  edu- 
cation at  Ashland  in  the  liberal  arts  and  comple- 
mentary career  programs,  notably  business,  home 
economics,  and  radio  and  television.  The  joint 
endeavor  is  expected  to  begin  this  coming  fall. 

According  to  Albert  Goad,  chairman  of 
Ashland's  art  department,  "The  Art  Institute  of 
Pittsburgh  has  long  been  recognized  as  one  of 
the  top  schools  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  We  are 
very  fortunate  to  be  associated  with  its  program." 
Professor  Goad  is  a  member  of  the  Park  Street 
Brethren  Church  in  Ashland. 


s  'n  Pieces 


Dr.  J.  D.  Hamel,  pastor  of  the  Sarasota,  Fla., 
First  Brethren  Church,  was  a  regional  director 
for  the  Billy  Graham  Crusade  which  was  held  in 
the  Tampa,  Fla.,  stadium  March  21-25. 

Rev.  Robert  Dillard,  assistant  pastor  at  Sara- 
sota First  Brethren,  was  a  district  leader. 

Rev.  Dale  RuLon,  Rev.  Keith  Bennett,  and  Rev. 
Russell  Gordon  also  participated  in  the  crusade. 

The  deacon  board  of  the  Third  Brethren  Church 
of  Johnstown,  Pa.,  sponsored  a  Valentine's  day 
fellowship  on  February  14.  The  fellowship  includ- 
ed an  evening  meal  followed  by  an  entertaining 
program  and  devotions  led  by  the  pastor,  Rev. 
C.  R.  Kindley. 

The  First  Brethren  Church  of  Waterloo,  Iowa, 

is  helping  one  of  its  members,  Neil  Hoppenworth, 
attend  Ashland  Theological  Seminary.  Neil  is 
entering  the  seminary  this  spring  to  begin  work 
toward  a  degree  in  religious  education. 


April  1979 


23 


update 


NAE  posifJon  paper  proclaims 
Jesus  Christ  the  only  answer 


Orlando,  Fla. — The  1979  National  Association  of 
Evangelicals  (NAE)  Convention  theme,  "Jesus 
Christ:  Now  More  Than  Ever,"  was  explained  in 
a  position  paper  adopted  by  voting  members  of 
NAE  attending  the  convention,  held  March  5-8  in 
Orlando. 

Attending  this  convention  from  the  Brethren 
Church  were  Eugene  Beekley,  Keith  Bennett, 
Duane  Dicl^son,  Robert  and  Juanita  Dillard, 
Spencer  and  Eleanor  Gentle,  Arden  Gilmer,  Russell 
Gordon,  Bud  and  Jean  Hamel,  Virgil  Ingraham, 
Phil  and  Jean  Lersch,  Smith  Rose,  and  Dale 
RuLon. 

The  position  paper  declares  that  while  Chris- 
tians in  20th  century  America  face  grave  spiritual, 
social,  political,  and  economic  problems,  still  the 
answer  to  these  problems  remains  changeless — 
Jesus  Christ. 

"Now  more  than  ever,"  the  paper  states,  evan- 
gelical Christians  must  follow  the  changeless 
Christ  to  speak  the  truth,  show  compassion  ?nd 
seek  the  lost  if  we  will  save  our  generation." 

The  position  paper  assesses  the  world  condition 
as  "dangerous,  marked  by  ecological  pollution,  the 
possibility  of  nuclear  war,  food  shortages  and  the 
population  explosion. 

"World  events  occur  with  startling  rapidity  and 
increasing  intensity.  Our  attention  shuttles  from 
the  Near  East  to  Africa,  from  Iran  to  Red  China 
without  letup. 

"Ethical  and  moral  standards  continue  to  erode. 
Corruption,  sexual  license,  greed,  violence,  injus- 
tice, the  shattering  of  the  institution  of  marriage 
and  the  home — all  these  convey  a  brutal  fact — 
the  deep-seated  and  seemingly  irreversible  decline 
of  western  culture." 

The  answer,  stated  in  the  position  paper,  is  not 
to  build  more  extravagant  church  buildings  or  to 
simply  provide  a  pleasant  sanctuary  for  worship 
by  prayerless  people  living  undisciplined  lives. 

"We  affirm  that  the  Christ  of  the  Scriptures — 
and  He  alone — is  the  answer  to  the  world's  need 
today." 

"Now  more  than  ever,  the  message  of  the 
changeless  Christ  must  be  proclaimed  to  a  world 
searching  for  reality  and  certainty. 

"Now,  more  than  ever,  the  motive  of  the  change- 
less Christ  speaks  to  our  lifestyle,  to  our  steward- 
ship in  a  world  of  poverty  and  riches,  of  inequi- 
ties, of  cries  for  compassion  and  justice. 

"Now,  more  than  ever,  the  method  of  the 
changeless  Christ  must  be  our  method.  'There  is 
salvation  in  no  one  else;  for  there  is  no  other 
name  under  heaven  that  has  been  given  among 
men,  by  which  we  must  be  saved'    (Acts  4:12)." 

In  addition  to  accepting  this  position  paper, 
voting  members  of  NAE  also  passed  resolutions 
on  Taiwan,  arms  restraint,  religious  freedom, 
abortion,  and  equality  of  the  sexes. 


Concern  over  Taiwan  growing  out  of  U.S. 
recognition  of  Communist  China  prompted  NAE 
to  pass  a  four-point  resolution  calling  for:  (1)  The 
conscience  of  world  opinion  to  respect  the  right 
of  the  people  of  Taiwan  to  exercise  human  liber- 
ties; (2)  The  Congress  and  the  President  of  the 
U.S.  to  support  the  preservation  of  the  human 
rights  of  the  people  of  Taiwan;  (3)  The  Congress 
and  the  President  to  protect  American  citizens  in 
Taiwan;  and  (4)  The  church  in  America  to  pray 
for  and  identify  with  our  fellow  Christians  in 
Taiwan  that  religious  freedom  and  spiritual  oppor- 
tunity be  preserved.  _^ 

In  its  resolution  on  arms,  NAE  urged  the  U.S. 
government  to  exercise  reasonable  restraint  in  the 
production  and  use  of  its  military  capability  and 
to  encourage  other  nations  to  do  the  same.  "We 
also  urge  Christians  everywhere  to  acknowledge 
that  their  trust  is  in  a  sovereign  God  rather  than 
in  any  human  agency  and  to  invoke  His  overruling 
providence  in  the  affairs  of  nations  so  that  His 
people  may  live  in  accordance  with  His 
commandments." 

Alarmed  by  developments  which  jeopardize 
religious  freedom — such  as  the  proposed  Chari- 
table Contribution  Disclosure  Act,  the  proposed 
Lobby  Disclosure  Act,  and  recent  decisions  made 
by  the  Commissioner  of  the  IRS  against  tax- 
exempt  groups — NAE  called  upon  members  of 
Congress  to  carefully  consider  the  adverse  effect 
that  the  two  proposed  Acts  would  have  on  all 
philanthropic  organizations  and  churches  in 
particular.  At  the  same  time  the  resolution  urged 
evangelical  organizations  to  adopt  principles  and 
practices  of  self-regulation  as  assurances  against 
the  abuses  prompting  such  legislation. 

The  resolution  further  requested  Congress  to 
enact  legislation  that  would  clearly  stipulate  the 
limits  of  power  which  the  Commissioner  of  the 
Internal  Revenue  Service  could  use  against  tax- 
exempt  groups  in  the  enforcement  of  social  policy 
as  distinct  from  the  collection  of  taxes. 

On  the  subject  of  abortion,  NAE  reaffirmed  its 
resolution  of  1971  attesting  to  the  sacredness  of 
life,  opposing  abortion  on  demand,  and  recog- 
nizing the  possible  need  for  therapeutic  abortion 
to  preserve  the  health  or  life  of  the  mother. 

Concerning  the  equality  of  the  sexes,  NAE 
resolved  to  adhere  to  marriage  and  family  as  the 
divinely  ordained  institution  for  love  and  pro- 
creation; oppose  all  attempts  to  obliterate  sexual 
distinctions  between  men  and  women  in  order  to 
promulgate  unisexual  or  homosexual  preferences 
and  practices;  oppose  those  interpretations  of 
equal  rights  which  would  force  women  and  men 
into  roles  which  are  contrary  to  those  specific  and 
complementary  functions  based  upon  sex  differ- 
ences in  the  biblical  order. 


24 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


-""~1S 


update 


Mt.  Olive  Church  burns  parsonage  note 


Pineville,  Va. — The  Mt.  Olive  Brethren  Church  had 
a  note-burning  ceremony  during  a  special  congre- 
gational meeting  on  Sunday,  January  21.  During 
the  ceremony  trustees  Winston  Hensley  and 
Harvey  Davis  burned  the  note  on  the  church's 
parsonage. 

The  note-burning  was  a  celebration  of  the  com- 
pletion of  a  concerted  effort  begun  in  July  of 
last  year.  At  that  time  the  congregation  began  a 
project  to  finalize  payment  of  the  long-standing 
debt  on  the  parsonage. 

A  target  date  was  set  of  October  31,  but  this 
was  later  changed  to  December  31.  A  poster  was 
made  to  remind  the  congregation  of  the  project 
and  to  show  the  progress  being  made  in  paying 
off  the  debt. 

The  note-burning  ceremony  was  originally 
scheduled  for  January  7.  The  event  was  delayed, 
however,  when  winter  weather  forced  cancellation 
of  services  on  the  7th. 


Weddings 

Candy  Nifong  to  Timothy  Van  Duyne,  January  7, 
at  the  United  Methodist  Church,  Argos,  Ind.  Rev. 
John  C.  Shultz,  Tiosa  Brethren  pastor,  and  Rev. 
Richard  Lewke,  Argos  United  Methodist  pastor, 
officiating.  Groom  member  of  the  Tiosa,  Ind., 
Brethren  Church. 

Stephanie  Dawn  Heatwole  to  Stephen  Lynn  Line- 
weaver,  December  29,  at  the  Mt.  Olive  Brethren 
Church,  Pineville,  Va.  Rev.  W.  F.  Garber  offici- 
ating. Groom  member  of  the  Mt.  Olive  Brethren 
Church. 


Scientist   says   solar  drying 

could     hpJn     f^nA    v^nrlA    hiinnpr 

Provo,  Utah  (EP  news) — The  virtually  untapped 
process  of  solar  food  drying  could  help  eliminate 
the  hunger  crisis  in  many  developing  nations, 
according  to  Dr.  Clayton  Huber  of  Brigham 
Young  University,  who  has  developed  food  for 
U.S.  space  flights. 

In  the  solar  drying  process,  raw  fruit  and 
vegetables  are  dried  by  using  the  direct  or  indirect 
rays  of  the  sun.  The  food  is  placed  in  specially 
constructed  solar  dryers. 

"The  implications  of  solar  drying  for  under- 
developed countries  and  for  food  storage  in  the 
U.S.  and  abroad  are  tremendous,"  said  Dr.  Huber. 
"Using  the  sun's  energy  for  food  drying  is  ideal 
for  countries  where  electricity  is  not  readily  avail- 
able, and  where  home  canning  facilities  are  non- 
existent." 

Dr.  Huber,  who  developed  the  foods  used  for 
NASA's  Apollo  and  Skylab  space  flights,  recently 
completed  a  study  of  solar  drying  and  its  feasibil- 
ity in  South  and  Central  America. 


',  ^.^ 


"^^^ 


** 
■» 


^  v 


% 


if  <! 


'^^^ 


Winston    Hensley    and    Harvey    Davis    burn    the 
note  on   the  Mt.   OUve   Church   parsonage. 


BEFORE  YOU  MOVE 

.  •  •  pilose  l^t  US  know. 

1.    Give  old  address: 


Name 

Address 

City                                             State 
2.    Fill  in  new  address  below: 

Zip 

Name 

Address 

City                                             State 

Zip 

Date  new  address  in  effect 

3.    Mail  this  form  to: 

Address  Correction 

Brethren  Publishing  Company 

524  College  Avenue 

Ashland,  OH     44805 


April  1979 


25 


hooks 


Christ  in  All  the   Scriptures 

Christ  in  All  the  Scriptures  by  A.  M.  Hodgkin 
(Baker  Book  House,  1976,  249  pp.,  $2.45  paper- 
back). 

Christ  in  AH  the  Scriptures  is  not  the  kind  of 
book  you  curl  up  with  in  a  comfortable  chair  in 
front  of  a  roaring  fire  for  an  evening  of  reading 
pleasure.  Rather,  it  is  a  very  valuable  resource 
tool.  It  should  not  only  belong  on  the  shelf  of 
any  serious  Bible  student,  but  it  should  be  well 
used. 

As  the  title  suggests,  Christ  in  AH  the  Scriptures 
is  a  presentation  of  Christ  as  found  in  each  book 
of  the  Bible.  Throughout  the  book,  the  images  of 
Christ  from  Genesis  to  Revelation  are  dealt  with, 
and  Christ  is  clearly  seen  as  the  focal  point  of  all 
Scripture. 

For  those  who  are  interested  in  the  person  and 
work  01  Christ  and  who  are  willing  to  do  some 
study  to  discover  Christ  in  depth,  the  money  paid 
for  this  book  will  be  money  well  spent.  Remember, 
though,  this  is  not  and  does  not  pretend  to  be  a 
simple  book  to  read. 

(Christ  in  AM  the  Scriptures  was  originally  pub- 
lished in  1S07.  This  is  a  paperback  reprint  of  the 
earlier  book.) 

—Robert  B.  dough 

Rev.  Clough  is  pastor  of  the  Bethlehem  Brethren 
Church,   Harrisonburg,    Va. 


Christian   Lifestyle 

Learn  to  Live  with  Style  by  Eileen  Guder  (Word 
Books,   1978,   144  pp.,   $4.95  paperback). 

What  is  the  Christian  hfestyle?  Does  it  have 
to  be  goody-goody,  repressed,  or  dull? 

Eileen  Guder  says,  "No,  living  the  Christian 
lifestlye  is  not  a  matter  of  following  a  list  of  rules 
or  giving  up  your  individuality.  Consider  Jesus 
and  Paul,  for  example;  they  were  anything  but 
dull  and  they  had  dynamic  qualities  that  people 
noticed  and  responded  to." 

The  author  uses  many  Scripture  passages  to 
bolster  her  position.  Among  these  she  includes 
Paul's  Letter  to  the  Galatians,  which  describes 
an  authentic  Christian  style  of  life  including  self- 
control,  love,  tolerance,  joy,  faithfulness,  peace, 
generosity,  patience,  and  kindness. 

Eileen  Guder  is  a  popular  author,  speaker,  and 
churchwoman.  She  has  written  eight  other  books, 
including  Deliver  Us  From  Fear,  We're  Never 
Alone,   and   The  Many  Faces  of  Friendship.   She 


Memories  of  China 

The  White  Pagoda  by  Fay  Angus  (Tyndale  House, 
1978,  192  pp.,  $3.95  paperback). 

This  book  held  my  interest  and  gave  me  enjoy- 
ment from  beginning  to  end.  Its  fascination 
stemmed  from  the  fact  that  Fay  Angus  lived  in 
China  much  of  her  life.  She  now  resides  with  her 
husband  and  two  children  in  Sierra  Madre, 
California. 

In  this  book  the  author  expresses  in  detail  her 
impressions  and  experiences  in  China,  peaceful 
China  as  well  as  wartime  China.  Her  father  was  a 
businessman,  so  as  a  child  she  lived  in  a  sophis- 
ticated community  in  Shanghai.  After  her  parents 
were  divorced,  she  entered  the  Convent  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  School. 

The  climax  of  the  book  comes  when  she  tells 
about  the  war  years — ^during  which  she  was  put 
in  a  Japanese  internment  (prison)  camp.  There 
she  had  a  stirring  personal  encounter  with  God. 
She  recalls:  "The  faith  .  .  so  carefully  planted  in 
my  life,  now  gnawed  at  me,  hungering  and  thirst- 
ing to  be  fed.  I  yearned  to  be  filled  with  all  the 
fullness  of  God."  The  fullness  was  to  come  through 
a  lifetime  of  circumstances. 

Finally,  after  the  war,  when  many  were  trying 
to  get  out  of  China,  she  and  her  mother  were 
fortunate  enough  to  get  passage  on  a  freighter, 
sharing  a  small  cabin  with  two  other  ladies  bound 
for  the  New  World. 

This  book  demonstrates  the  endurance  Christ 
gives  us  when  He  is  the  center  of  our  lives. 

— Julie  Flora 


is  married  to  Dr.  William  Triplett,  a  faculty  mem- 
ber of  the  School  of  Music  at  the  University  of 
Southern  California. 

This  would  be  a  good  book  for  groups  to  read 
and  discuss  together. 

— Julie  Flora 

Mrs.  Flora  is  an  Ashland,  Ohio,  homemaker  and 
a  frequent  contributor  to  the  Brethren  Evangelist. 


26 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Plea   for   Brethren   to   cooperate 

I  appreciate  subscribing  for  and  reading  the 
Brethren  Evangelist. 

As  I  carefully  read,  I  am  iieartsick  at  the  revela- 
tion of  the  decline  of  our  Brethren  congregations 
in  the  Ashland  fellowship  and  the  decrease  of  mem- 
bership continually.  I  received  Christ  over  50  years 
ago  in  the  Eagle  Creek  Church  of  the  Brethren 
near  Findlay,  Ohio. 

I  have  been  active  in  opening  new  Brethren 
congregations  for  over  27  years  in  Findlay, 
Bowling  Green,  and  Fremont,  Ohio,  and  in  Ander- 
son, South  Carolina,  and  now  at  Clearwater, 
Florida.  It  is  thrilling  to  see  the  Brethren  multiply 
in  our  Grace  Brethren  Churches  all  over  the 
nation.  Our  evangelism,  missions,  quality  funda- 
mental literature,  and  thriving  Home  Missions 
program  are  reaping  wonderful  harvest.  Many 
new  churches  are  growing  wonderfully  in  towns 
and  cities  as  they  are  being  established.  Glory  to 
Jesus! 

My  love  for  all  our  born  again  Brethren  people 
and  for  our  rich  heritage  makes  me  to  desire  to 
write  in  to  the  Brethren  Evangelist  readers  and 
declare  our  love  and  fellowship  and  prayers  and 
devotion  to  the  cause  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
together ! 

The  February  issue  of  the  Evangelist  listed 
some  sad  facts  and  this  should  cause  each  one  of 
us  to  say,  let  us  get  together  again  and  with  sold 
out  devotion  to  Jesus  cooperate  in  our  Brethren 
churches  instead  of  any  competition  or  ignoring 
of  each  other,  which  is  not  worthy  of  the  name 
Brethren  nor  Christian.  Brethren — brothers  and 
sisters  in  Christ — let  us  get  back  together  and  use 
our  hearts  and  let  the  Holy  Spirit  work  in  our 
midst  in  vital  fellowship.  Then  God  can  bring  the 
increase.  Divided  Brethren — how  could  such  a 
misnomer  ever  be? 

Holy  Spirit  revival  will  come  when  we  pray 
and  work  and  attend  and  evangelize  together! 
Try  it  and  you  will  like  it! 

Our  men  of  God  are  cooperating  in  Ashland 
Seminary  and  growth  came  there  and  growth  will 
come  when  we  get  good  spiritual  sense  and  fully 


work  together  in  the  Ashland  and  Grace  Brethren 
—not  enemy— churches ! ! ! 

O  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  melt  and  move  us  to- 
gether; O  Lord  Jesus,  melt  us  together;  O  great 
God  of  Heaven,  melt  us  together  in  Thy  work! 

Our  Clearwater  Grace  Brethren  Church  is 
really  moving  ahead  with  great  rejoicing  with 
Church  of  the  Brethren,  Brethren,  and  Grace 
Brethren  all  together  in  an  active,  spiritual,  happy, 
born  again  fellowship.  I  know  it  can  be  done  for 
I  am  in  the  midst  of  it! 

— Pastor    Marion    Thomas 
Dunedin,   Fla. 


Beguiling   issues 


I  couldn't  help  but  respond  to  the  recent  issue 
(February  1979)  of  the  Evangelist.  I  am  a  student 
pastor  of  the  Milford  First  Brethren  Church, 
currently  completing  my  studies  at  Grace 
Theological  Seminary.  I  hope  that  that  does  not 
make  me  a  bad  guy! 

There  seems  to  be  a  spirit  of  defeat  and 
pessimism  pervading  the  churches  of  the  Ashland 
group.  Many  are  asking,  "What  is  our  mission?" 
"Why  aren't  we  growing?"  The  problem  as  I  see 
it  is  that  "the  serpent  has  beguiled  the  denom- 
ination through  his  subtilty,  so  that  our  minds 
have  become  corrupted  from  the  simplicity  that 
is  in  Christ"  (II  Cor.  11:3).  This  fact  is  evident 
just  by  leafing  through  the  Evangelist.  Its  pages 
are  clouded  with  such  "beguiling"  issues  as  world 
hunger  and  peacemaking.  It  is  almost  laughable 
that  the  church  in  its  small,  powerless  state  should 
attempt  to  call  upon  the  government  and  demand 
anything.  My  Brethren,  these  issues  are  certainly 
important.  But  they  are  secondary  to  the  preach- 
ing of  Christ  and  Him  crucified  (I  Cor.  2:2).  This 
message  changes  lives.  If  we  let  it  become  clouded 
by  these  issues  of  secondary  importance,  issues 
that  will  only  ultimately  be  dealt  with  upon  the 
return  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Himself,  then  we  will 
follow  the  steady  paths  of  decline  which  every 
denomination  in  history  has  experienced.  I  trust 
that  the  leadership  at  the  helm  of  the  church  will 
take  serious  and  drastic  measures  to  redirect  her 
course.  Failure  to  do  this  may  be  fatal! 

— Pastor   Jeff   Carroll 
Milford,   Ind. 


April  1979 


27 


YOU  ARE  WELCOME! 

YOU  ARE  INVITED! 

Centennial  Celebration 
Park  Street  Brethren  Church 

Ashland,  Ohio 
Sunday,  May  6,   1979 

All  former  pastors,  members,  friends,  and  students  are 
invited  to  help  us  praise  the  Lord  for  our  first  1 00  years 
and  the  beginning  of  our  second  1 00  years. 


■'s  \ 


>.<  <« 


*f 


Coffee  Fellowship  9:00 

Church  School  9:30    1 

Worship   10:30 

Dinner  12:00 

Service  of  Celebration  2:00 


xaijlnw-'^^f'"'''^'^^''^^ ^i-j— «LA^ 


The  1979  Pastors'  Conference  wil!  also  meef 
at  Park  Street  Brethren  Church  May  T-2. 


/«^l 


Further  Centennial  Celebratioh  at  PSB  will 


be  the  CREATIVE   MINISTRIES  of  Frank  f  ^  f 

-      ""J      3     <t> 
3*    3-    P- 

D     CD 

Q  O  OJ 
O  O  ci- 
c-^    »— ♦    O 

<T>     P 


Roughton,  September  21-23,  1979,  includ- 
ing "Paul  Speaks,"  "The  Centurion,"  and 
"The  Sermon  on  the  Mount."  Also,  a  Cen- 
tennial Directory  with  pictures  of  members, 
friends,  classes,  etc.,  will  be  distributed. 


it  is  the  hope  and  prayer  of  all  mem- 
bers of  PSB  that  many  will  come  and 
praise  the   Lord  with   us  as  we  cele-  ^ 

brate    this    occasion — beginning    our  ^      ^ 

second  century  of  serving  the  Lord.  o^      t 


iO  «< 


YOU  ARE  WELCOME! 

YOU  ARE  INVITED! 


Letters 


7<t  t^  S^Utoft 


Concerning  a  "Statement  of  Faith" 

I  truly  appreciated  Dr.  Burkey's  article  in  the 
March  Evangelist,  "Challenges  and  Opportunities," 
except  for  the  second  characteristic  he  lists  as 
his  hope  for  the  brotherhood  .  .  .  the  denomina- 
tional adoption  of  a  "statement  of  faith"  ....  His 
fourth  reason  ...  is  that  "Scripture  seems  to 
endorse  doctrinal  statements,"  and  he  cites  I  Pet. 
3:15.  The  Scripture  that  I  read  seems  to  claim 
to  be  doctrine  .  .  .  itself  (eg.,  II  Tim.  3:16);  and 
all  the  creeds  which  I  have  ever  read  seem  to  be 
attempts  to  radically  abridge  the  Scriptures  .... 
However,  their  brevity  limits  them  and  excludes 
the  fullness  and  richness  found  in  the  whole 
Scriptures;  also,  too  often  the  composers  of  the 
various  .  .  .  creeds  have  "picked-and-chosen,"  in 
order  to  fit  the  statement  of  faith  into  their  own 
preconceived  theological  framework.  I  Peter  3:15 
seems  to  me  to  be  more  of  both  a  warning  to  the 
church  to  admit  believers  who  know  what-and-why 
they  believe  in  their  hope  (which  is  their  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ,  and  not  .  .  .  the  Brethren  Church), 
and  also  an  admonition  to  believers  to  be 
ready  to  witness  whenever  the  opportunity 
arises,  rather  than,  as  the  article  asserts,  an 
endorsement  of  doctrinal  statements. 

Dr.  Burkey's  third  reason  ...  is  to  distinguish 
us  from  the  "rapidly  proliferating  cults."  I  per- 
sonally feel  that  the  Brethren  neither  need  such 
a  defense,  nor  that  this  implication  of  confusion 
with  any  cult  is  even  worthy  of  consideration  .... 

Dr.  Burkey  addresses  in  his  first  and  second 
reasons  .  .  .  (and  hints  in  his  third  reason)  what 
I  infer  to  be  his  major  concern  .  .  .  and  that  is 
our  increasing  lack  of  "IDENTITY"  ....  A  state- 
ment of  faith  is  neither  needed  as  our  source  of 
identity,  nor  as  an  instrument  of  instruction  for 
our  people.  In  one  of  his  summary  paragraphs 
Dr.  Burkey  says,  "To  become  a  viable  movement 
.  .  .  we  Brethren  must  do  far  more  than  preserve 
our  traditions."  And  yet  I  have  seen  little  con- 
certed effort  ...  of  either  the  Brethren,  or 
Brethren  churches,  at  promoting  and  preserving 
Brethren  traditions  or  history  ....  Therein  lies 
our  identity  ...  an  identity  of  brothers  and  sisters 
in  Christ  communing  together  in  a  New  Testa- 
ment based  covenant-community;  accepting  for 
their  rule  of  faith  and  practice  the  Bible  (you 
know  the  rest),  and  for  their  theology  not  a 
creedal  theology,  but  a  theology  of  lifestyle — a 
living  out  of  their  faith.  If  working  properly  this 
lifestyle  theology  should  identify  us  as  brothers 
and  sisters  in  Christ,  rather  than  ...  a  "statement 
of  faith"  .... 

In  fact  it  is  "statements  of  faith"  which  have 
divided  the  Christian  church  throughout  history 
....  And  it  would  be  a  "statement  of  faith"  which 
could  tear  the  Brethren  asunder.  I  am  glad  that 
the  Brethren  do  not  require  me  to  profess  to 
theological  beliefs  which  make  no  difference  to 
my  salvation,  but  which  may  .  .  .  cause  divisions, 


and  even  may  arouse  historical  denominational 
hostility.  I  am  happy  that  I  can  worship  with 
those  of  Calvinistic  .  .  .  and  Armenian  persuasion, 
and  pro-predestination  and  anti-predestination  per- 
suasions, and  eternal  security  and  non-eternal 
security  persuasions,  and  pre-millennialists  and 
post-millennialists  .  .  .  etc.  I  praise  the  Lord  that 
I  can  worship  with  brothers  and  sisters  in  this 
denomination  without  the  shackles  of  a  "state- 
ment of  faith,"  but  in  the  freedom  and  full  rich- 
ness of  the  Scriptures  alone. 

— John  F.  Edwards,  Jr. 
Burlington,  Ind. 


Response  to   "Beguiling   Issues" 

Allow  me  to  say  at  the  outset  that  there  are 
two  ways  of  presenting  criticism.  The  first  seeks 
to  belittle  another  person's  position  by  disparaging 
his  character  or  motivations,  while  the  second 
desires  to  present  the  truth  in  a  spirit  of  love  and 
genuine  brotherly  concern  (Eph.  4:15).  Let  us 
not  accuse  our  brothers  and  sisters  in  the  faith  of 
following  the  "beguiling"  influence  of  Satan;  such 
is  not  becoming  of  "Brethren." 

It  has  been  characteristic  of  the  Brethren  from 
their  inception  to  desire  to  obey  the  whole  of  the 
Gospel  as  they  find  it  in  Scripture.  The  Brethren 
Church,  from  the  tim.e  of  its  split  from  the  Ger- 
man Baptist  Brethren  in  the  1880s  until  now,  has 
always  seen  its  primary  task  as  the  sharing  of 
the  Gospel  with  those  outside  of  Christ.  However, 
they  also  realized  that  the  Gospel  is  not  only  to 
be  shared,  but  it  is  also  to  be  lived.  It  places 
responsibilities  on  all  who  claim  Christ  as  Savior 
and  Lord  to  portray  Him  visibly  in  the  way  they 
relate  (1)  to  their  Father  in  heaven — by  a  love- 
motivated  obedience  to  His  will;  (2)  to  the  Chris- 
tian community — by  giving  of  themselves  in  loving 
commitment  and  sacrifice;  and  (3)  to  the  outside 
world — by  going  the  "extra  mile"  in  self-denying 
service.  Because  they  viewed  Matt.  5:9,  43-47  and 
Matt.  25:31-46  just  as  much  Jesus'  words  as  Matt. 
28:19-20,  they  believed  one's  attitudes  toward  the 
hungry  and  toward  war  in  general  were  visible 
means  of  manifesting  His  Spirit  to  a  lost  world. 

I  fully  agree  with  Brother  Carroll  (April 
"Letters")  that  these  problems  will  not  be  resolved 
fully  except  by  Christ's  return,  and  I  also  realize 
that  theologians  quibble  over  the  meaning  of  the 
phrase  "the  least  of  these  my  brethren"  (Matt. 
25:40)  and  over  the  application  of  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  to  the  present  age.  But  will  the  One 
who  felt  indiscriminate  compassion  for  5000 
hungry  men  (besides  women  and  children)  be 
impressed  by  the  excuses  American  Christians 
give  when  confronted  by  their  general  insensi- 
bility to  the  needs  of  a  spiritually  lost  and  physi- 
cally hungry  world?  Will  the  One  who  told  us  to 
love  our  enemies  and  who  blessed  the  peace- 
makers be  swayed  by  our  reasons  for  not  being 
fully  committed  to  the  work  of  reconciliation 
among  our  neighbors,  whether  they  be  local,  na- 
tional, or  international?  Let  us  preach,  teach,  and 
live  the  whole  Gospel! 

—Dale  R.  Stoffer 
Pasadena,  Calif. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


^^^  The    Brethren  ^    •  j 

Evangelist 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 
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Cover 

"Sisters"  of  the  Brethren: 
Mary  Sterling  (top  left),  Laura 
Grossnickle  (top  rt.),  Sarah 
Righter  Major  (hot.  left),  Mrs. 
U.  J.  Shively  (hot.  rt.).  See 
article  on  pages  4-7. 
Cover   design    by   Howard    Mack 


Vol.  101,  No.  5 


May  1979 


4     The  Sisters  of  fhe  Brethren 

by  Susan   White 

8     Words  I  Never  Heard  My  Mother  Say 

by  Jean  Lersch 

10  Appreciation  for  Faithful  Service 

by   Virgil  Ingraham 

Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 

11  Challenges  and  Opportunities  for  Women 

by  Joan  Ronk 

Brethren  Christian  Education 

14  Seeking  and  Serving 

15  New  in  1979:     Cerro  Gordo  BYC 

16  Demonstrating  Potential:     Walcrest  BYC 

17  Life  Under  the  Son:     Sarasota  BYC 

18  May:     National  Youth  Month 
27  Summer  Crusader  Program: 

Off  the  Drawing  Board 

Departmen+s 

2     Letters 

19  The  Salt  Shaker 

20  Update 

26     As  I  See  it 


ABOUT  THIS  ISSUE 

The  feature  section  of  this  issue  of  The  Brethren  Evangelist 
focuses  on  women.  This  is  a  particularly  appropriate  emphasis  for 
May,  when  the  celebration  of  Mother's  Day  turns  our  attention  to 
mothers  in  particular  and  women  in  general. 

In  the  lead  article,  The  Sisters  of  the  Brethren,  Susan  White  looks 
at  the  role  women  have  played  in  the  Brethren  Church  since  its  be- 
ginning in  1708.  The  next  two  articles,  Words  /  Never  Heard  My 
Mother  Say  by  Jean  Lersch  and  Appreciation  for  Faithful  Service  by 
Virgil  Ingraham,  provide  present-day  examples  of  the  contributions 
of  Brethren  women. 

The  monthly  feature.  Perspectives  for  the  Eighties,  is  also  written 
by  a  woman.  It  is  entitled  Challenges  and  Opportunities  for  Women, 
and  in  it  Joan  Ronk  expresses  her  belief  that  the  eighties  will  offer 
women  even  greater  opportunities  to  fulfill  their  God-given  role  as 
helpmeets. 

Drawings   on   pages   15,   16,    17,   and   27   are  by  Chuck   Bowers,   a  student  at  Ashland  College. 


May  1979 


Sarah  Righter  Major 


sketch  by  Susan  White 


•T^E  YEAR  is  1708.  The  place  is  Schwar- 
1  zenau  in  Germany.  On  this  memorable 
day  the  Brethren  Church,  after  years  in 
gestation,  was  born.  Down  into  the  waters 
of  believers'  baptism  went  eight  people, 
declaring  by  this  act  their  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  their  obedience  to  Him,  and 
their  separation  from  the  organized  church. 

Who  were  these  eight  individuals  who 
stood  boldly  for  their  faith?  Led  by 
Alexander  Mack,  there  followed  four  other 
men  and  three  women.  Here  we  see  making 
up  almost  half  of  the  original  ''Brethren 
Church"  the  sisters  of  the  Brethren. 

The  name  Brethren  is  perhaps  mislead- 
ing, sounding  very  male  oriented.  But  it 
was,  in  fact,  a  name  to  suggest  a  family  and 
to  indicate  the  love  and  unity  among  its 
members.  It  in  no  way  eliminated  the  sis- 
ters or  put  them  in  inferior  standing.  In 
fact,  in  some  areas  the  church  was  later 
referred  to  as  the  ''Community  of  Brethren 
and  Sisters." 

Persecution  followed.  The  Brethren  found 
themselves  pushed  from  town  to  town, 
territory  to  territory.  It  was  a  hard  time 
for  them,  especially  for  Brethren  women 
who  were  constantly  pulling  up  their  home 


The 
Sisters 
of  the 
Brethren 


by  Susan   White 


roots  and  moving  on  to  another  temporary 
dwelling. 

Wherever  the  Brethren  went  they  were 
not  silent  about  their  faith.  Although  much 


Susan  White  is  a  student  at  Ashland 
Theological  Seminary  from  which  she  will 
receive  a  master  of  arts  degree  in  biblical 
studies  this  June.  She  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


^ 


of  the  response  was  unfavorable,  many- 
people  did  count  the  cost  and  enter  into 
the  fellowship.  Of  the  255  recorded  bap- 
tisms in  Europe,  88  of  those  joining  the 
Brethren  were  women. 

There  were  also  women  in  leadership 
positions  during  this  time.  Brother  Jacob 
Schreder  and  his  wife  were  both  called  and 
invested  with  the  office  of  elder.  Sister 
Schreder  was  invested  by  Alexander  Mack, 
himself,  at  Schwarzenau.  She  continued 
serving  the  church  in  this  office  even  seven 
years  following  her  husband's  death. 

By  1719,  the  Brethren  were  ready  to 
make  a  more  drastic  move.  America  ap- 
peared to  the  Brethren  as  the  fertile  ground 
on  which  their  faith  could  grow.  So  in  that 
year,  the  first  group  of  Brethren  set  sail 
for  the  distant  shores  of  the  New  Land.  A 
special  strength  from  the  Lord  was  surely 
needed  for  the  sisters  to  meet  this  new 
challenge  of  cutting  all  old  ties  to  establish 
a  home  in  a  distant  and  foreign  environ- 
ment. 


In   America 

The  Brethren  were  able  to  live  and  to 
continue  the  growth  of  their  church  with 
relative  peace  in  their  new  country  until 
the  1770's.  Then  conflicts  with  the  ideas 
of  the  revolutionaries  and  the  fear  of  hav- 
ing their  religion  come  under  subjection  of 
the  new  nation  caused  the  Brethren  to  seek 
out  the  freedom  of  the  West.  Communities 
were  begun  primarily  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  and 
ininois.  This  migration  not  only  required 
much  bravery  on  the  part  of  the  Brethren 
men  who  went  out  into  the  wild  and  un- 
charted areas  to  establish  new  settlements, 
but  also  on  the  part  of  their  women  who 
remained  at  home. 

As  the  Brethren  moved  west,  individual 
families  became  isolated  from  the  rest  of 
the  congregation.  This  put  a  whole  new 
emphasis  on  the  importance  of  the  family. 
Each  family  was  forced  to  develop  an  inde- 
pendence and  unity  of  its  own.  Although 
the  father  was  the  head  of  the  household, 
the  mother  could  certainly  be  character- 
ized as  the  head  of  the  home.  The  man's 
responsibilities  called  him  away  from  the 
house.  The  woman's  activities,  on  the  other 
hand,  were  centered  in  the  home. 

Besides  keeping  house  in  her  small,  often 
inconvenient,  cabin,  the  wife  was  also  called 
upon  to  serve  as  chief  educator  of  the  chil- 
dren, giving  them  their  religious  as  well  as 
their  general  education. 

Women  were  regarded  as  equals  within 
the  church,  for  the  most  part.  As  with  the 
men,  they  were  expected  to  follow  the  or- 


dinances of  the  Brethren.  Their  garments 
were  to  be  simple  and  modest,  following  the 
guidelines  given  by  the  church. 

One  controversial  issue  did  arise  in  the 
church  in  regards  to  women — primarily  due 
to  the  activities  of  Sarah  Righter  Major. 
That  issue  was,  ''Does  a  sister  have  the 
right  to  preach?" 

Sarah    Righter  Major 

Sarah  Righter,  the  daughter  of  Brethren 
minister  John  Righter  of  Philadelphia,  was 
born  August  28,  1804.  At  the  age  of  18, 
under  the  ministry  of  Harriet  Livermore, 
she  made  a  definite  commitment  to  Christ. 
It  seems  that  Sarah  not  only  received  the 
Lord  at  this  time,  but  also  the  seeds  to  her 
particular  calling  in  life.  For  it  was  not 
long  after  this  that  she  began  to  feel  the 
call  to  preach.  This  unsettled  her  greatly, 
because  this  was  not  the  acceptable  role 
for  a  young  woman  in  the  church.  Her 
father,  however,  did  not  scoff  at  her.  On 
the  contrary,  he  encouraged  her  and  helped 
her  to  begin  her  public  ministry  right  there 
in  Philadelphia.  From  there  she  was  invited 
to  preach  at  the  Amwell  Church  in  New 
Jersey,  then  by  many  different  churches. 

Her  ministry  was  generally  well-received, 
and  there  was  seldom  a  church  that  did 
not  eagerly  invite  her  back.  Many  attended 
her  services  out  of  curiosity  at  hearing  a 
''woman  preacher,"  but  it  was  not  long 
until  it  was  the  desire  to  hear  God's  Word 
vibrantly  presented  that  drew  them. 

All  did  not  favor  the  right  of  a  woman  to 
preach,  though.  The  Annual  Meeting  of 
1834  did  not  approve  of  a  sister  preaching, 
"Considering  such  sister  to  be  in  danger, 
not  only  exposing  her  own  state  of  grace 
to  temptation,  but  also  causing  temptation. 


"The  desire  of  the  women  +o  work 
within  the  church  came  from  hearts 
intent  on  doing  the  will  of  God." 


discords  and  disputes  among  other  mem- 
bers."* Then  again  in  1839,  Annual  Meeting 
declared  that  a  sister  may  prophesy  but 
may  not  preach  or  teach. 

Concerned  about  Sister  Sarah's  welfare 
and  that  of  the  denomination,  a  delegation 
was  sent  to  inform  her  that  she  was  to 
stop  preaching.  Their  mission  was  never 
quite  accomplished,  however,  because  upon 

"^ Henry  Kurtz,  ed.,  The  Brethren's  Encyclo- 
pedia (Columbiana,  Ohio,  1867)  p.  181. 


May  1979 


their  arrival  the  men  just  could  not  tell  her 
to  stop  preaching.  One  of  them,  James 
Tracy  of  Indiana,  recorded,  '1  could  not 
give  my  voice  to  silence  one  who  can  out- 
preach  me."  They  left  her  to  continue  her 
ministry. 

Sarah  Major  was  not  the  only  woman 
preaching  during  the  1800's.  Mrs.  Clara 
Flora  was  called  to  the  ministry  in  the 
Brethren  Church  in  1892  and  continued  for 
many  years  afterwards.  She  was  regularly 
employed  as  a  pastor  and  evangelist,  some- 
times preaching  for  three  or  four  congre- 
gations and  holding  her  own  revivals.  All 
of  the  rights  and  duties  of  the  ministry 
were  hers,  including  conducting  baptisms, 
marriages,   communions,   and  funerals. 

In  1899,  Mary  Bauman,  the  wife  of 
Brethren  minister  Louis  Bauman,  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry  in  Indiana.  In  her 
husband's  absence  she  would  take  his  place 
in  the  pulpit,  and  his  people  were  delighted 
to  have  her  do  so. 


Mary  Sterling 

was  a  strong 

supporter  of 

the  SSCE. 

She  was  also 

an  ordained 

minister 

in  the 

Pennsylvania 

District  and 

baptized  48 

converts 

between 

1889  and 

1900. 


Ca+h 


erine 


Myers 


Not  all  of  the  strong  female  personalities 
left  their  mark  on  the  Brethren  Church  by 
way  of  preaching.  An  unpublished  bio- 
graphy by  J.  C.  Myers  tells  of  the  influence 
his  sister  Catherine  had  on  those  around 
her. 

Catherine's  life  (1833-1863)  was  charac- 
terized by  her  service  to  others.  She  loved 
to  teach  children,  especially  about  the  gos- 
pel. Her  correspondence  with  friends  was 
filled  with  encouragement.  Her  brother 
wrote  of  her,  'In  nothing  was  her  fidelity 
to  Christ  and  her  piety  more  strikingly 
exhibited  than  in  her  fondness  for  her  Bible 
and  her  intense  anxiety  for  the  Salvation 
of  others."* 

Catherine's  short  life  manifested  the 
goals  and  ideals  of  many  Brethren  women 
at  the  time.  The  fact  that  their  names  have 
not  been  recorded  makes  them  no  less 
important. 

In  1882,  a  schism  took  place  in  the 
church.  From  the  more  moderate  group 
split  off  in  one  direction  the  Brethren  who 
wanted  to  keep  the  old  ways  and  traditions. 
In  the  other  direction  split  off  those  Breth- 
ren who  wanted  to  utilize  all  of  the  new 
opportunities  being  presented  around  them. 
It  is  this  group  of  Progressive  Brethren 
that  we  will  continue  to  view. 

In  the  process  of  organizing  the  new 
church    body,    it    was    apparent    that    th? 

'^•Roger  Sappington,  The  Brethren  in  the  New 
Nation  (Elgin:  The  Brethren  Press,  1976),  pp. 
236-237. 


women's  work  needed  a  structured  place 
in  the  church.  So  in  1887,  after  having  a 
committee  deal  with  the  problem,  a  resolu- 
tion was  made  at  General  Conference  for 
the  establishment  of  an  organization  to 
be  known  as  the  Sister's  Society  for  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  (SSCE).  Its  primary  pur- 
pose was  to  raise  money  for  the  Brethren 
Evangelist. 

Although  a  women's  organization  was 
officially  recognized  by  the  denomination, 
few  women  eagerly  supported  it.  It  was 
totally  without  precedent  in  their  church 
tradition,  and  they  were  unsure  of  its 
scriptural  basis.  Mary  Sterling  and  others 
encouraged  the  solid  establishment  of  SSCE 
groups  in  local  churches.  Laura  Grossnickle, 
an  ordained  minister  in  the  church,  pre- 
sented stirring  addresses  at  General  Con- 
ferences emphasizing  the  need  for  women 
to  use  their  God-given  talents  for  the  work 
of  the  church.  She  effectively  used  her  own 
talents  to  help  organize  many  local  SSCE 
groups.  By  1897,  the  church  had  a  total  of 
88  working  societies  with  about  2000  mem- 
bers. The  SSCE  was  no  longer  an  experi- 
ment but  an  integral  part  of  the  church. 

The  women's  projects  branched  out  from 
the  original  purpose  of  supporting  the 
Evangelist.  They  were  concerned  about  the 
preparation  of  young  men  and  women  for 
the  ministry,  so  they  helped  to  establish  a 
theological  department  at  Ashland  College. 
Much  of  their  finances  also  went  toward 
the  individual  support  of  those  being  edu- 
cated for  the  ministry.  This  did  much  to 
promote  the  growth  of  new  leadership  with- 
in the  church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Many  literary  contributions  were  made 
by  women  during  this  time,  with  their  arti- 
cles appearing  regularly  in  the  Brethren 
Evangehst.  The  April  22,  1908,  issue  of 
the  Evangelist  was  devoted  primarily  to 
the  women  of  the  church. 

As  the  need  for  communication  among 
the  Brethren  women  increased,  sections  in 
the  Evangelist  were  seen  as  inadequate. 
Therefore,  in  1912  The  Woman's  Outlook 
was  first  published,  a  magazine  devoted 
entirely  to  the  work  of  women  in  the 
church. 

In  1911-1913,  the  issue  of  women  preach- 
ing in  the  church  appeared  again.  As 
women  had  so  many  other  areas  of  service 
now  opening  up  to  them,  they  could  not 
understand  why  preaching  was  a  problem. 
Well-written  articles  giving  sound  scrip- 
tural arguments  were  presented  by  women 
in  the  Brethren  Evangelist. 

Down  through  the  years  the  sisters  of 
the  church  continued  to  heed  the  call  to 
service.  As  mission  awareness  grew  within 
the  church,  the  women  sought  to  do  their 
part  in  spreading  the  gospel.  Many  women, 
both  singly  and  with  husbands,  went  boldly 
to  the  foreign  mission  field  to  serve  as 
nurses,  teachers,  and  helpmeets.  Those 
who  remained  at  home  supported  them  in 
every  way  possible. 

Woman's   Missionary  Society 

As  the  outlook  of  the  women  became 
more  and  more  mission  oriented,  they 
decided  that  the  name  Sister's  Society  of 
Christian  Endeavor  no  longer  suited  them, 
so  in  1919  it  was  changed  to  the  Woman's 
Missionary  Society   (WMS). 

In  addition  to  supporting  mission  work 
abroad,  WMS  came  up  with  some  creative 
home  ''mission"  projects.  One  of  the  first 
of  these  was  the  development  of  the  Sister- 
hood of  Mary  and  Martha  (SMM).  Its  aim 
was  to  train  the  young  women  of  the 
church  for  the  deepening  of  their  spiritual 
lives. 

Other  important  recipients  of  the  sup- 
port of  WMS  were  Ashland  College  and 
Seminary.  Between  1913  and  1937,  the 
WMS  donated  over  $50,000  to  these  insti- 
tutions. Then  in  1941,  they  took  on  the  job 
of  raising  money  for  a  new  chapel  for 
Ashland  College.  During  the  next  ten  years 
they  raised  over  $46,000,  and  in  1950  they 
were  ready  to  begin  construction.  The  ded- 
ication of  the  finished  chapel  was  held  at 
the  General  Conference  of  1952,  standing 
as  a  fitting  monument  to  the  dedicated 
work  of  so  many  of  the  sisters  in  the 
church. 


V,      A, 


^  ^  •** 


■  \-^]-7^,  ;,;:- 


Laying  the  cornerstone  of  the  Ashland  College 
chapel.  Mrs.  U.  J.  Shively  (at  right),  WMS  presi- 
dent from  1919  to  1952,  initiated  this  project 
among  the  women,  who  raised  over  $46,000  for  the 
chapel. 

Much  has  transpired  in  the  work  of  the 
women  in  the  church  since  1952.  Brethren 
women  have  explored  new  areas  of  service 
and  have  accepted  the  new  challenges  that 
have  come.  But  these  areas,  which  make 
up  an  entire  subject  of  their  own,  are  be- 
yond the  limits  of  this  article. 

Conclusion 

In  conclusion,  it  must  be  said  that  the 
men  and  women  of  the  Brethren  have  both 
served  indispensible  roles  in  the  building 
of  their  church.  Neither  role  has  been  su- 
perior. The  desire  of  the  women  to  work 
within  the  church  came  from  hearts  intent 
on  doing  the  will  of  God.  Whether  the  job 
was  cooking,  cleaning,  raising  children,  or 
sewing ;  or  whether  it  was  teaching,  preach- 
ing, building  churches,  or  praying,  each 
woman  ministered  in  the  area  of  her  own 
calling.  Roles  and  areas  of  ministry  were 
ever  changing  even  as  the  times  in  which 
they  lived  were  filled  with  change. 

The  ministry  of  women  in  the  Brethren 
Church  today  is  probably  the  most  efficient 
and  far-reaching  it  has  ever  been.  That  does 
not  mean  that  they  may  now  stop  striving 
or  setting  new  goals.  Tomorrow  is  filled 
with  an  abundance  of  new  challenges  and 
opportunities.  May  women,  who  have  been 
characterized  in  the  past  by  hearts  of  faith, 
seek  to  use  their  abilities  and  talents  even 
more  effectively  for  the  work  of  the  Lord 
in  the  future.  May  the  men  of  the  church 
be  filled  with  faith  as  well,  as  they  not  only 
allow,  but  encourage  and  support  their 
women  in  the  endeavors  which  they 
attempt.  The  strength  of  the  church  lies 
in  the  freedom  each  member  gives  the  other 
to  be  and  to  do  all  which  the  Lord 
directs.  □ 


May  1979 


Words  I 

Never  Heard 

My  Mother  Say 


Ida  Oliver  Lindower 


Jean  Lersch  pays  tribute  to  her  mother,  Mrs.  Ida  Lindower. 


MY  MOTHER  doesn't  grope  for  words. 
She  has  miUions  of  them  stored  in  her 
mind.  Words  hke  prestidigitator,  melliflu- 
ous, ennui,  modicum  cascade  from  her  hps 
and  typewriter  as  easily  as  children  sled- 
ding down  the  snow-covered  hill  at  the 
McKinley  monument  in  Canton,  Ohio, 
where  she  was  born.  And  like  the  peaks  of 
the  Appalachian  Mountains,  where  she 
lived  at  one  time,  that  mind  is  the  source 
for  streams  of  quotations  from  the  Psalms, 
the  prophets,  the  Gospels,  and  the  epistles, 
as  well  as  Browning,  Keats,  Shakespeare, 
Milton,  and  Wordsworth.  All  of  these  add 
zest  regularly  to  her  conversations  and 
have  in  the  past  spiced  lectures  to  college 
composition  classes.  Why,  there  are  few 
words  my  mother  doesn't  know. 

But  there  are  some  words  my  mother  has 
never  spoken.  And  this  avoidance  has  not 
been  predetermined.  I  don't  believe  she  has 
it  in  her  mettle  to  utter  these  words  I  have 
often  heard  elsewhere.  She  did  study 
Greek  in  college  in  1926,  but  some  phrases 
are  totally  foreign  to  her. 

One  resounds  in  minor  key  from  many 
others  her  age  and  younger.  Some  of  her 
contemporaries  self-righteously  proclaim, 
"IVe  done  my  share!"  Mother  never  said 
that.  And  yet,  she  has  more  right  than 
most  to  make  that  claim. 

How  many  times  we  entertained  at  our 
Christmas,  Thanksgiving,  and  Easter  table 
a  student  far  away  from  home.  And,  too, 


Jean  Lersch  is  a  Christian  Education  Consuhant 
with  Brethren  House  Ministries,  St.  Petersburg,  Fla., 
and  a  free-lance  writer. 


the  occasions  when  Mother  scrubbed 
Grandma  Shiveley's  (no  relation,  just  a 
sweet  old  friend)  kitchen  and  bathroom 
floors  remain  clear  in  my  mental  scrapbook 
of  memories. 

Yet  today,  in  her  ''retirement,"  Mother 
still  entertains  the  lonely  as  well  as  her  own 
children  and  grandchildren  when  they  come 
to  town.  And  several  older  ladies  at  a  con- 
valescent center  weekly  receive  her  special 
care.  She'll  drive  them  to  a  gift  store  to 
select  greeting  cards,  hem  and  alter  their 
dresses  to  fit  age-stooped  backs,  read  to 
blind  Savilla,  and  even  calm  those  recalci- 
trant from  senility  with  a  constant  supply 
of  Life  Savers.  And  when  one  of  her  ''old 
people"  is  too  weak  or  tired  to  attend  the 
house  social  event,  Mother  will  trek  back 
to  her  room,  tuck  her  in,  and  kiss  her  good 
night.  She  wheels  them  back  and  forth 
from  bedroom  to  club  room  several  days 
each  week. 

For  several  years  Mother  also  helped 
exercise  Cathy,  a  brain-damaged  daughter 
of  a  friend.  This  young  girl  in  her  early 
twenties,  whose  skull  was  fractured  in  an 
automobile  accident,  gave  little  sign  of 
recognition  during  all  of  those  years.  But 
Mother,  along  with  many  other  concerned 
friends,  spent  hours  patterning  Cathy  and 
stimulating  her  with  conversation. 

My  mother  say,  "I've  done  my  share"? 

Never ! 
Neither  can  I  dream  of  Mother  saying, 
"I  owe  it  to  myself." 

It's  just  not  in  her  character.  But  why 
shouldn't  she  claim  that  right?  After  all, 
her  father  worked  twelve  hours  a  day  seven 
days  a  week  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 


8 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


and  had  little  for  extras  for  his  wife  and 
three  daughters.  And  later,  during  those 
depression  years,  pay  checks  sometimes 
didn't  appear  at  the  parsonage  in  the  small 
Indiana  town  where  Dad  was  pastor.  And 
then  when  he  had  moved  to  the  Ohio  col- 
lege job  during  the  war  years.  Mother 
squeezed  dozens  of  capsules  of  yellow  color- 
ing into  white  blocks  of  oleomargarine. 

As  the  pay  checks  became  steady  and 
even  increased  in  amount  during  my  dad's 
years  as  college  dean.  Mother  never  enter- 
tained the  idea  of  hoarding.  In  fact,  I  know 
of  several  college  students  she  has  finan- 
cially assisted,  anonymously.  Her  church 
contributions  increased  as  the  salary  did, 
and  my  folks  gave  regularly  to  the  college 
fund-raising  campaigns. 

Still,  today,  Mother  keeps  on  giving.  In- 
stead of  stockpiling  trinkets  to  dust  and 
fashionable  clothing  to  wear  and  store, 
Mother  sews  many  of  her  own  clothes  and 
some  for  her  teenage  granddaughter,  and 
also  crochets  sweaters  and  afghans  for 
friends.  Her  most  recent  creation  is  Hugo, 
a  rakish  crocheted  panda  bear  with  rolling 
eyes  for  her  great-grandson  Michael. 

Mother  say,  '1  owe  it  to  myself"?  I'd 
sooner  expect  to  hear  William  Buckley  talk 
jive  or  Gomer  Pyle  converse  in  Elizabethan 
English. 

The  other  refrain  I've  heard  repeatedly, 
but  never  from  my  mom  is,  "We  never  did 
it  that  way  before,"  implying,  ''You 
shouldn't  try  it." 

Even  though  her  perspective  is  aligned 
to  knowledge  of  antiquities,  her  vision  en- 
compasses today's  events  and  she  has  an 
eye  for  the  future.  Whether  she's  learning 
the  fine  points  of  wrestling  from  her 
grandson  in  college  or  supporting  educa- 
tional innovaters,  she  shows  interest  in 
people  and  their  dreams. 


In  her 

"retirement," 

Mrs. 

Lindower 

continues  to 

offer  a 

helping  hand 

or  a  gentle 

push. 


Rather  than  say,  "I've  done  my  share,"  Mrs. 
Lindower  spends  one  day  a  week  doing  volunteer 
work  at  Brethren  Care.  Reading  letters  for  resi- 
dents is  just  one  way  she  continues  to  serve. 


To  keep  her  own  mental  machinery  oiled 
these  days  that  she  is  away  from  teaching 
in  the  college  classroom,  she  recently 
helped  organize  and  later  attended  a  com- 
munity course  in  humanities  taught  by 
professors  in  music,  literature,  science,  and 
philosophy.  One  of  the  subjects  of  study 
in  the  course  was  an  electronic  synthesizer. 
Although  Mother  prefers  Mendelssohn,  her 
evaluation  of  the  contemporary  music- 
producer  was,  "Well,  Mozart  wasn't  exactly 
cheered  in  his  day." 

No,  Mother  wouldn't  ever  chide,  'We 
never  did  it  that  way  before."  Instead,  she 
would  say,  "We'll  never  know  until  we  try," 

My  mother  does  disseminate  words   as 
profusely  and  appropriately  as  she  scatters 
acts  of  service.  But  never  have  I  heard  her 
utter  these  short-sighted  declarations: 
*'Fve  done  my  share." 
"I  owe  it  to  myself." 
"We  never  did  it  that  way  before." 

This  poem  I  discovered  that  Mother 
wrote  years  ago  explains  her  philosophy 
that  precludes  such  statements. 

Dear  Lord,  I  long  to  honor  Thee 
With  mighty  deeds  ivrought  by 

Thy  grace; 
But  I  cannot  create  a  ivorld 
Or  fling  bright  stars  out  into  space. 
I  have  no  power  infinite 
Whereby  I  bid  the  lame  mari,  ''Rise 
And  walk/'  or  yet  the  blind  man,  ''See" ; 
But  warmly  in  my  heart  there  lies 
Abundant  love.  Enable  me 
To  spend  it — 71  ot  on  friends  I  pHze 
Alone — on  all  in  need,  I've  found; 
Then  by  my  love  Thou  shaft  be  crowned! 

by  Ida  Oliver  Lindower 


May  1979 


Appreciation  for  Faitliful  Service 


by  Virgil    Ingraham 


THE  retirement  of  Mrs.  Marion  M. 
Mellinger  on  February  28th  marked  the 
conclusion  of  an  unusually  fine  missionary 
ministry.  Mrs.  Mellinger,  better  known  to 
her  friends  as  "Mickey,"  served  for  more 
than  fifteen  years  as  Administrative  Assis- 
tant of  the  Missionary  Board  of  the 
Brethren  Church. 

Mrs.  Mellinger  will  be  remembered  by  the 
Brethren  attending  General  Conference 
over  the  years  as  the  congenial  secretary 
who  assisted  them  and  answered  their 
varied  inquiries  about  Brethren  missions. 
She  will  be  remembered  by  board  members, 
missionaries,  and  staff  as  the  person  who 
performed  endless  tasks  in  seeing  to  their 
needs — whether  it  be  during  board  meet- 
ings, providing  special  information,  or  giv- 
ing a  helping  hand  to  someone  requiring 
assistance. 

A  person  of  remarkable  ability,  Marion 
not  only  carried  out  most  capably  her  many 
office  functions,  but  also  wrote  missionary 
articles,  edited  the  board's  publications, 
supervised  at  missionary  banquets,  and 
oversaw  the  Missionary  Board  displays  at 


At  a  luncheon  on  February  28th,  friends  and 
associates  honored  Mrs.  MeUinger  and  her  husband 
Delbert  for  their  faithful  service  to  the  Lord  and 
the  Brethren  Church. 


Mrs.  Marion  Mellinger  at  the  desk  where  she 
performed  her  missionary  ministry  so  faithfully 
and  capably  for  more  than  15  years. 

General  Conferences — just  to  mention  a 
few  of  the  extra  contributions  she  made. 

Friends  and  associates  met  on  February 
28th  for  a  luncheon  held  in  her  honor.  A 
portable  television  set  was  presented  to 
her  as  a  token  of  appreciation  and  remem- 
brance by  Missionary  Board  members  and 
the  Missionary  Board  staff.  Her  husband, 
Delbert,  was  appropriately  included  in  this 
occasion,  for  few  people  have  any  knowl- 
edge of  the  extent  of  the  behind-the-scenes 
assistance  and  support  he  gave  his  wife  as 
together  they  faithfully  served  the  Lord 
and  the  Brethren  Church. 

We  join  their  host  of  friends  in  extending 
our  best  wishes  to  Marion  and  Delbert 
Mellinger  as  they  continue  their  ministry 
in  the  love  of  God,  perhaps  at  a  slower 
pace,  but  with  ever-present  joy  and 
fulfillment. 

Rev.  Ingraham  is  General  Secretary  of  the 
Missionary   Board   of   the   Brethren   Church. 


10 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


Challenges  and  Opportunities 

for  Women 


Joan  Ronk  believes  that  the  eighties  will  offer  women  even 
greater  opportunities  to  fulfill  their  God-given  role  as 
helpmeets. 


THE  concept  of  women  in  leadership 
roles  in  contrast  with  being  **just 
housewives"  is  not  new.  Incidentally,  who 
wants  to  be  the  wife  of  a  house?  A  home- 
maker  is  the  term  I  prefer  for  that  pro- 
fession ! 

From  biblical  history  we  quickly  think  of 
Sarah,  the  homemaker,  who  became  a 
mother  at  the  old  (according  to  our  modern 
standards)  age  of  91.  We  also  remember 
Deborah  in  politics,  Lydia  in  business, 
Esther  in  government,  and  Ruth,  the  widow 
who  labored.  The  list  could  continue. 

My  point  is  that  women  have  always 
been  leaders  in  various  professions.  There 
tends  to  be  a  cycle  of  independence,  de- 
pendence; equality,  inequality;  conserva- 
tive, radical.  Woman's  suffrage,  women's 
lib  —  these  movements  have  brought 
changes,  no  doubt  about  it.  Some  changes 
have  been  good. 

Now,  what  will  be  the  role  of  women  in 
the  next  decade?  I  believe  the  role  women 


Mrs.  Ronk  is  a  wife, 
the  mother  of  two 
married  and  two  high 
school  age  children, 
and  secretary  for  the 
Vice  President  for 
Resource  Develop- 
ment of  Ashland 
College.  She  is  also 
active  in  the  Brethren 
Church  at  the  local, 
district,  and  national 
level. 


'  \  jA  m*  • ''  1  \  I-  •  -'  *  'is'^l 


i^f, 


will  play  in  the  eighties  will  be  very  similar 
to  that  for  which  they  were  created — but 
culture  or  society  will  affect  the  method 
of  performing  this  role. 

Women  to   be   helpmeets 

We  remember  that  the  Lord  God  caused 
a  deep  sleep  to  fall  on  Adam.  Then,  from 
one  of  Adam's  ribs.  He  made  a  woman  to 
be  a  helpmeet  for  him.  (Gen.  2:18,  21-22). 
As  a  helpmeet,  what  is  expected  of  us? 
Woman  is  to  be  a  helper  suitable  for  man — 
a  companion  who  will  assist,  encourage, 
support,  and  love  her  husband.  Behavioral 
guidelines  for  wives  (and  husbands) 
abound  in  the  Bible.  Proverbs  31,  Ephesians 
5,  Philippians  4,  Colossians  3,  and  I  Peter  3 
are  my  favorites. 

Woman  has  the  desire  to  love  and  to  be 
loved.  It  is  my  belief  that  love  encompasses 
all  the  other  definitions  of  a  helpmeet. 
Because  I  love  my  husband,  I  will  assist, 
encourage,  support,  respect,  honor,  and 
obey  him.  He  and  I  are  willing  to  accept 
each  other's  weaknesses  because  I  love  him 
and  he  loves  me. 

There  are  different  kinds  of  love.  Nothing 
can  compare  with  the  supreme  love — God's 
love  for  me  and  mine  for  Him.  This  is  the 
first  and  great  commandment,  that  I  love 
Him.  Then  I  am  commanded  to  love  my 
neighbor.  Who  is  he?  Neighbor/friend; 
teacher/student ;  pastor/parishioner ;  em- 
ployer/employee. Family  love  is  special, 
too:  husband/wife;  parent /child ;  sister/ 
brother. 

Christ  instructs  us  how  we  should  live 
in  His  new  commandment,  sometimes  re- 


May  1979 


11 


a 


It  is  my  belief  that  love  encompasses  all  the  other 
definitions  of  a  helpmeet.  Because  I  love  my  husband, 
I  will  assist,  encourage,  support,  respect,  honor,  and 
obey  him/' 


f erred  to  as  the  11th  commandment:  ''A 
new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  That 
ye  love  one  another;  as  I  have  loved  you, 
that  ye  also  love  one  another"  (John  13: 
34).  Christ  loves  each  individual  in  a  gen- 
eral way  and  in  a  specific  way.  In  general — 
He  died  for  all  the  sins  of  all  of  us. 
Specifically — he  loves  us  each  according  to 
our  need. 

This  is  the  pattern  for  our  love :  generally 
— that  we  love  one  another;  specifically — 
as  we  can  strengthen  or  complement  needs. 
And  so  we  love,  and  the  way  we  love  in 
each  classification  will  vary.  Remember  to 
love  the  right  way  at  the  right  time,  and 
don't  mix  them  up! 

Woman  also  has  the  desire  for  self- 
respect.  After  her  love  for  God  and  her 
love  for  her  neighbor  and  family  comes 
love  for  herself.  Because  it  is  last,  it  need 
not  be  least.  A  low  self-esteem  is  harmful, 
depressing,  and  against  God's  will.  God 
made  us  in  His  image  and  He  does  not  make 
mistakes!  I  have  gone  through  some  days 
of  self-pity  but  soon  realized  what  a  waste 
of  emotion  and  energy  they  were!  Replace 
self-pity  with  self-love !  A  woman's  attitude 
can  establish  the  tone  of  the  home  and  set 
the  pace  for  the  day.  Think  on  Philippians 
4:8. 

God's   plan   for  the   unmarried 

Up  to  this  point  I  have  written  to  women 
who  are  married.  I  believe,  however,  that  it 
is  in  God's  plan  that  not  everyone  be 
married.  Some  ladies,  as  well  as  men,  are 
chosen  to  live  their  lives  unmarried.  Paul 
gives  instructions  to  the  unmarried  in 
I  Corinthians  7.  Unique  opportunities  are 
given  to  those  without  responsibility  for 
husband/wife/children.  Accept  this  special 
gift  of  celibacy  (being  able  to  remain  un- 
married), and  be  a  helpmeet  to  your 
fellowmen.  Immediately  we  think  of  priests 
and  nuns,  but  also  consider  for  a  minute 
the  multitude  of  Marys  and  Marthas  who 
serve  in  all  occupations  around  the  world. 
Their  first  responsibility  is  to  someone  in 
need,  not  to  a  family. 


Widows  also  serve  in  an  outstanding 
position.  Much  of  I  Corinthians  7  applies 
to  them.  Sometimes  the  widows  and  wid- 
owers are  not  able  to  leave  their  homes 
and  embark  on  a  new  vocation.  But  they 
can  serve  as  an  important  helpmeet  to  a 
younger  parent,  to  a  child,  or  to  a  shut-in. 
Some  may  identify  with  a  program:  Big 
Brothers,  Pal-Gal,  Gray  Lady,  pen  pal, 
prayer  partner,  a  listener.  Others  may  do 
their  own  thing  as  the  Lord  leads. 

Oppor+uni+ies   in   the   eighties 

In  the  eighties  there  will  be  more  oppor- 
tunities and  challenges  for  women  who 
want  to  be  employed  away  from  home. 
Inventions  and  research  will  continue  to 
open  up  new  occupations,  many  of  which 
have  not  even  been  thought  of  today.  We 
don't  know  how  women  will  fit  into  these 
opportunities;  that  will  be  the  challenge. 
For  the  employed  woman  there  are  new 
requirements.  Status  is  nothing  compared 
with  demand,  responsibility,  competition, 
and  endurance. 

Along  with  those  new  professions  (those 
yet  to  be  discovered)  are  the  current  pro- 
fessions (those  which  will  never  be  re- 
placed)— the  helpmeet  at  home  and  the 
mother. 

Competition  with  men  in  public  life  is 
sometimes  tough,  but  being  a  mother  is 
designated  for  women  only!  The  joy  of 
conception,  feeling  the  wiggles  inside,  then 
holding  a  new  creation  are  indescribable. 
Being  a  mother  is  a  unique  experience,  but 
being  a  Christian  mother  is  particularly 
blessed.  Hannah's  example  of  loaning 
Samuel  to  the  Lord  established  the  prin- 
ciple that  we  follow  of  dedicating  our  chil- 
dren to  the  Lord  (I  Samuel  1:28).  Paul 
refers  to  Timothy's  mother  (Eunice)  and 
his  grandmother  (Lois)  and  the  faith  they 
instilled  in  young  Timothy.  In  the  eighties, 
will  anyone  refer  to  the  sound  Christian 
teaching  in  our  homes? 

Mothers  need  to  realize  the  impact  of 
their  years  at  home  with  pre-schoolers. 
During  these  formative  years  a  child  needs 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


''Within  the  next  decade,  the  Brethren  Church  will 
continue  to  find  needs  and  to  meet  those  needs.  .  .  . 
Women  will  continue  to  play  a  major  role  ...  no 
matter  where  they  serve  or  in  what  capacity.'' 


to  learn  self -worth,  values,  and  security. 
Soon  enough  the  world  will  become  the 
teacher,  providing  some  necessary  and  some 
unnecessary  knowledge.  How  fortunate  is 
the  child  who  has  learned  the  importance 
of  himself — respect,  not  conceit — and  has 
been  taught  good  values  by  his  mother.  The 
best  opportunity  for  training  on  a  one-to- 
one  basis  comes  before  grade  1,  with  mother 
as  the  teacher. 

So  far  my  thoughts  have  been  on  women 
in  general  and  Christian  women  in  par- 
ticular. First,  I  am  a  woman;  second,  a 
Christian ;  and  then  a  Brethren.  This  is  how 
I  categorize  you.  As  a  Christian  woman, 
I  have  presented  the  preceding  thoughts, 
applicable  to  Christian  women  of  any  de- 
nomination. To  Christian  women  who  are 
Brethren,  I  ask,  ''Where  do  we  fit  in  the 
eighties?" 

Opportunities  for  Brethren  wonnen 

There  are  opportunities  to  serve  Christ 
in  more  than  Christian  education  and 
music  or  as  a  missionary  or  minister's  wife. 
The  denominational  boards,  Ashland 
College,  and  Ashland  Theological  Seminary 
will  need  women  in  administrative,  teach- 
ing, and  secretarial  positions.  Consider,  too, 
professions  coupled  with  world  missionary 
service.  I  fondly  remember  Dr.  Florence 
Gribble,  the  lady  doctor-missionary  in 
French  Equatorial  Africa.  More  recently  we 
have  had  Beatrice  Bischof,  Jenny  Loi,  and 
Dr.  Sujata  Kumar  following  in  the  medical 
profession.  The  need  for  medical  mission- 
aries will  increase  as  population  and  pov- 
erty increase.  Teachers  at  the  Riverside 
Christian  Training  School  in  Kentucky  are 
needed  annually.  Tentmakers  have  been 
welcomed  in  Derby,  Medina,  Town  and 
Country,    and   Brandon.    As   the   Brethren 


denomination  plants  additional  churches 
(two  per  year),  many  additional  tent- 
makers  will  be  needed. 

Full-time   Christian   workers 

Actually,  Christ  called  us  to  be  full-time 
Christian  workers  in  everything  we  do. 
This  does  not  apply  to  a  few  occupations 
only.  Where  I  am,  I  see  obvious  needs.  In 
your  community,  you  look  for  the  obvious 
needs. 

Within  the  next  decade,  the  Brethren 
Church  will  continue  to  find  needs  and  to 
meet  those  needs  with  its  resources — 
human  and  material.  Women  will  continue 
to  play  a  major  role  in  that  ministry  as 
Christians,  no  matter  where  they  serve  or 
in  what  capacity.  The  Brethren  Church 
will  grow,  but  each  congregation  needs  to 
be  organized  to  meet  the  needs  of  its 
locality — knocking,  inquiring,  helping,  and 
nurturing.  The  rate  of  growth  is  in  direct 
proportion  to  the  lay  leadership  —  the 
women  being  the  helpmeets  to  the  men. 

What  are  women's  challenges  and  oppor- 
tunities in  the  eighties?  Women  will  con- 
tinue to  be  liberated  so  that  they  can  be 
individuals,  not  extremists.  They  will  be 
free  to  be  helpmeets,  not  revolutionists. 
The  success  of  this  freedom  depends  upon 
our  own  attitudes.  Where  have  we  placed 
God  in  our  own  lives? 


Our   prayer 

Our  prayer  should  be  the  couplet  from 
the  hymn-writer,  William  Bradbury.  It  will 
be  effective  in  the  1980's,  just  as  it  has 
been  since  the  1880's: 

Savior,  like  a  shepherd,  lead  us. 
Much  we  need  Thy  tender  care. 


''Women  will  continue  to  be  liberated  so  that  they  can 
be  individuals,  not  extremists  .  .  .  helpmeets,  not 
revolutionists/' 


May  1979 


13 


tion 


Seeking  and  Serving 


CQ 


T  HAVE  just  finished  reading  the 

official  magazine  of  another  Breth- 
ren denomination,  and  I  am  amazed 
at  the  number  of  new  churches  they 
are  planting.  The  pages  were  full  of 
pictures  of  new  congregations  that 
are  seeking  and  serving  the  Lord. 
God  is  working  with  people  who  are 
working  with  Him. 

But  what  about  our  Brethren 
denomination?  What  is  the  Brethren 
Church  doing  about  church  planting? 
Certainly  we  are  doing  something! 
Yes,  the  churches  are  growing  in 
Tampa,  Brandon,  Medina,  and  Butler. 
Two  years  ago  there  were  no  Breth- 
ren churches  in  these  communities; 
today  there  are.  God  is  working  with 
those  who  are  willing  to  work  with 
Him.  Plans  are  underway  for  more 
churches  to  be  planted  in  the  near 
future.  Through  church  planting  the 
Brethren  Church  is  reaching  out. 

But  there  is  another  kind  of  church 
planting  in  which  the  Brethren 
Church  should  be  reaching  in.  For 
many  years  we  have  heard  that  "our 
Brethren  young  people  are  the  church 
of  tomorrow."  And  this  is  true.  Our 
most  valuable  resource,  besides  the 
Lord,  is  our  youth.  They  will  become 
the  church  of  tomorrow.  And  wheth- 
er we  realize  it  or  not,  we  are  plant- 
ing the  Brethren  Church  of  tomorrow 
with  our  Brethren  Youth  of  today. 

We  have  a  responsibility  to  see 
that  our  youth  are  nurtured  to  be- 
come mature  Christian  adults  who 
are  seeking  God's  will.  We  need  to 


"Our  most  valuable  resource, 
besides  the  Lord,  Is  our 
youth.  They  will  become  the 
church   of  tomorrow." 


cultivate  their  interest  in  serving 
Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 

We  are  planting  and  growing  a 
new  Brethren  Church  among  our- 
selves. We  need  to  be  aware  of  the 
examples  and  teaching  we  are  giving 
our  youth.  We  must  lead  and  encour- 
age them  to  grow  into  a  strong 
brotherhood — one  which  God  will 
bless  because  it  is  seeking  and  serv- 
ing Him. 

The  following  pages  share  what 
some  of  our  Brethren  churches  are 
doing  to  encourage  their  youth  and 
to  help  them  grow  into  a  strong 
church.  They  also  share  what  the 
youth  are  doing  in  serving  Christ.  We 
should  be  excited  by  what  we  read 
and  what  we  see.  New  congregations 
will  grow  because  of  these  activities. 
God  is  working  with  people  who  are 
willing  to  work  with  Him.  I  pray  that 
the  Brethren  Church  today  is  willing 
to  follow  God's  leading  in  ministry 
to  its  youth  in  order  to  build  a  church 
that  will  grow — both  inwardly  and 
outwardly.  Q 


14 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Brethren  Christian  Education 


Klew  in  1979: 

Cerro  Gordo  BTC 


A  BRAND  new  addition  to  National 
BYC  this  year  is  Cerro  Gordo,  Illinois. 
Over  forty  youth  from  this  church  are 
registered  nationally  for  the  first  time! 

The  youth  here  are  actively  seeking 
God's  presence  in  their  lives  through  a 
weekly  Bible  study  program.  The  senior 
high  group,  led  by  Mike  and  Becky  Dunn, 
is  studying  ''Caution:  Christians  Under 
Construction,"  and  the  junior  highs,  with 
advisors  Larry  and  Judy  Shafer  and  Norma 
Martin,  are  using  the  ''Son  Power"  series 
from  Scripture  Press. 

In  addition  to  these  two  groups,  Cerro 
Gordo  has  two  younger  groups  —  "Jet 
Cadets"  (grades  4-6),  led  by  Orville  and 
Nancy  Ryder  and  Karen  Livingston,  and 
"Whirlybirds,"  for  children  in  grades  1-3. 
Both  of  these  groups  use  the  materials  from 
Success  with  Youth.  The  attendance  at 
these  four  Bible  study  programs  is  very 
good,  and  the  youth  are  learning  a  great 
deal. 


Perhaps  the  most  outstanding  facet  of 
their  program  is  the  Learning  Center  on 
Sunday  mornings.  The  Learning  Center 
attracts  approximately  20-30  children  from 
the  church  and  community  each  Sunday. 
Several  children  are  members  of  other 
churches,  but  come  to  Cerro  Gordo  Breth- 
ren for  the  Learning  Center.  It  is  conducted 
for  children  in  grades  2-5,  but  the  children 
aren't  the  only  ones  benefitting  from  it. 
The  teachers  realize  their  responsibility  to 
these  children  and  strive  to  make  it  worth- 
while for  all.  In  the  process,  they  learn  as 
much  as  the  children  do! 

Cerro  Gordo  should  be  congratulated  for 
its  active,  growing  youth  program.  Al- 
though they  have  the  smallest  church 
building  in  the  community,  they  have  the 
largest  attendance.  And  they  will  continue 
to  grow  as  they  go  on  seeking  God's  will 
and  serving  in  the  ministry  He  has  planned 
for  them.  □ 


May  1979 


15 


Brethren  Christian  Education 


Demonstrating  Potential: 


Walcrest  BTC 


UNDER  the  direction  of  Ralph  and  Jan 
Brown  and  Linda  Zerbe,  the  Walcrest 
BYC  (Mansfield,  Ohio)  is  seeking  the  Lord 
in  many  ways.  While  the  adults  are  having 
their  weekly  Bible  studies  on  Wednesday 
evenings  at  the  church,  the  youth  are 
having  their  own  innovative  studies  on 
subjects  which  are  applicable  to  today's 
way  of  life.  The  studies  are  led  by  Ralph 
Brown,  who  digs  into  his  own  research  and 
uses  a  variety  of  materials  on  subjects  he 
feels  will  be  interesting  and  useful  to  the 
youth.  The  response  is  very  positive. 

One  way  Walcrest  BYC'ers  are  serving 
God  is  by  volunteering  to  clean  the  church 
building  once  a  month.  (This  volunteer 
service  is  shared  by  other  members  of  the 
church  in  the  absence  of  a  full-time  jan- 
itor.) Usually  the  cleaning  is  made  into 
an  all-day  event,  with  lunch  and  recreation 
following  the  completion  of  the  chores. 

This  group  of  approximately  fifteen 
youth  worked  hard  on  an  Easter  pageant 
for  the  annual  Easter  sunrise  service.  They 
had  complete  charge  of  the  service  and 
were  excited  about  serving  the  church  in 
this  way.  The  play  they  gave  required 
props,  costumes,  and  much  coordination, 
which  the  kids  handled  all  on  their  own. 

Another  large  project  the  group  has 
undertaken  is  raising  money  to  rent 
"Friendly  House,"  a  nearby  recreational 
center,  for  the  fall  district  youth  rally  they 
are  hosting.  Some  of  the  methods  they  used 
to  raise  money  have  been  a  rock-a-thon,  a 
bake  sale,  and  a  booth  at  a  local  school  fair 
to  sell  crafts  they  had  made  themselves. 

The  Walcrest  church  is  undoubtedly 
proud  of  its  youth,  who,  though  young,  are 
becoming  active  in  the  church's  total  pro- 
gram. They  occasionally  have  charge  of  an 


evening  service,  and  they  enjoy  singing 
together  as  a  group  for  special  music  on 
Sunday  mornings.  This  group  certainly 
possesses  much  potential  and  should  be 
commended  for  its  efforts  to  seek  the  Lord 
and  serve  the  church.  Q 


16 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Brethren  Christian  Education 


Life  Under  the  Son: 


Sarasota  BTC 


LIFE  under  the  Son  in  Sarasota,  Florida, 
is  bringing  growth  to  the  Brethren 
Youth  there.  The  church  is  in  full  support 
of  its  youth,  and  both  church  and  youth 
are  growing  in  spiritual  health  and  out- 
reach for  Jesus  Christ. 

Associate  Pastor  Robert  Dillard,  with 
the  help  of  his  wife  Juanita,  Ken  and  Linda 
Newsome,  and  Tom  and  Kathy  Provenzano, 
is  leading  the  Sarasota  BYC  in  many  ser- 
vice projects,  fund-raising  activities,  Bible 
studies,  and  community  outreach  programs. 

A  strong  base  for  the  Sarasota  youth 
program  is  provided  by  seeking  God  in  Bible 
study.  The  youth  have  used  various  ma- 
terials, including  the  ''10-4  Good  Buddy" 
series  from  Serendipity.  In  open,  honest 
discussions,  they  have  been  able  to  express 
their  feelings  and  ideas  about  Jesus  and 
their  faith. 

Another  form  of  expression  is  in  service 
to  God  in  their  community.  Both  the  BYC 
advisors  and  several  of  the  youth  were 
involved  in  Christian  Life  and  Witness 
classes,  which  prepared  them  to  be  coun- 
selors for  the  Billy  Graham  Crusade  in 
Tampa  in  March. 

The  youth  have  been  involved  in  many 
projects  which  support  their  local  church, 
like  raising  money  to  help  buy  a  van  for 
the  church.  They  have  also  been  faithful  in 
giving  to  the  national  BYC  project  and  have 
this  year  challenged  the  Park  Street  youth 
for  highest  total  offering  to  the  project 
ingathering. 

Finding  youth  advisors  is  sometimes  a 
problem  for  our  churches,  but  Sarasota 
would  like  to  share  its  solution.  The  church 
used  a  program  called  Nexus,  which  is  a 
group  learning  kit  that  helps  those  going 
through    the    program    to    discover    their 


spiritual  gifts.  Using  it,  the  Sarasota 
church  has  been  able  to  help  members  of 
the  body  to  find  and  use  their  talents  for 
God.  They  have  acquired  willing  and  cap- 
able leaders  for  various  ministries  of  the 
church  in  this  way. 

The  Sarasota  people  feel  strongly  that 
their  youth  should  have  viable,  mature 
Christian  models  to  imitate.  These  models 
should  not  include  only  the  pastor  and 
youth  advisors,  but  all  other  members  of 
the  church  as  well.  Our  Florida  brethren 
are  working  hard  to  glorify  our  Lord  and 
to  build  up  His  church.  We  are  thankful  for 
the  ways  they  are  seeking  and  serving 
Him.  n 


^^ 


^\nn^ 


\\ 


May  1979 


17 


Brethren  Christian  Education 


May:  National  Youth  Month 


AS  the  previous  three  pages  show, 
Brethren  youth  are  on  the  move. 
They  care  about  their  church.  They're 
seeking  to  know  their  Lord  better 
and  are  raising  money  to  give  to  His 
work.  They  are  finding  worthwhile 
ways  to  serve  Him  through  their 
home  churches. 

What  part  does  the  denominational 
Board  of  Christian  Education  play 
in  all  this?  Let  us  share  with  you 
an  outline  of  the  BCE's  extensive 
program  with  youth. 

In  the  fall,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
new  year,  the  BCE  encourages  every 
local  church  to  register  its  youth 
members.  In  this  way,  we  discover 
where  our  youth  are  and  some  of 
their  possible  needs.  Each  advisor 
then  receives  a  packet  containing  a 
one-year  planning  calendar,  national 
project  promotion,  resource  ideas, 
and  activity  suggestions.  Each  youth 
member  receives  a  subscription  to 
the  Brethren  Youth  magazine,  the 
Morning  Star. 

Throughout  the  year,  the  Morning 
Star  brings  BYC  members  inspira- 
tion, ideas,  and  news.  Each  group  is 
sent  a  poster  to  promote  the  national 
project  (this  year's  project  is  the 
mission  work  in  Mexico).  All  Breth- 
ren college  students  whose  names  are 
sent  to  us  receive  a  4-page  inspira- 
tional newsletter  each  month. 

The  BCE  sponsors  a  monthly 
prayer  project  in  which  local  youth 


"Through  all  these  BCE- 
sponsored  youth  activities, 
we  are  continually  striving 
to  develop  our  youth  into 
mature  Christian  adults." 


18 


groups  are  encouraged  to  pray  for  a 
specific  concern  each  month.  In 
addition,  individuals  are  paired  with 
BYC  members  from  other  districts  as 
prayer  partners.  In  these  two  pro- 
grams the  youth  learn  the  importance 
of  prayer  for  others. 

The  BCE  also  coordinates  the  ac- 
tivities of  the  National  BYC  Council. 
This  is  a  body  of  Brethren  youth 
leaders  from  across  the  nation  who 
meet  at  least  twice  annually  to  help 
plan  the  annual  youth  convention  and 
make  suggestions  on  other  youth- 
related  activities. 

Each  August,  the  Board  of  Chris- 
tian Education  sponsors  the  National 
Youth  Convention — the  grand  finale 
of  the  BYC  year.  Included  in  the 
convention  are  times  of  Bible  study, 
inspirational  speakers,  inter-district 
fellowship,  business  meetings,  and 
just  plain  fun.  Some  of  the  activities 
tentatively  planned  by  the  BCE  for 
this  year's  convention  are  a  film 
festival,  an  outstanding  inspirational 
speaker,  a  sacred  music  concert,  and 
the  Second  Annual  Anjrthing  Goes 
contest.  The  BYC  project  monies  for 
the  Mexican  mission  work  will  be 
turned  in  as  the  capstone  to  the  year's 
hard  work.  Youth  communion  will, 
as  usual,  be  a  highlight  of  the  week. 

Through  all  these  BCE-sponsored 
youth  activities,  we  are  continually 
striving  to  develop  our  youth  into 
mature  Christian  adults.  We  are  en- 
deavoring to  discover  their  talents, 
train  them,  and  use  them  in  service 
and  leadership. 

Will  you  help  us  in  this  mission? 
Aren't  our  youth  worth  the  effort? 
A  gift  to  the  Board  of  Christian  Edu- 
cation for  the  May  Youth  Offering 
could  help  to  influence  the  life  of  a 
young  person  you  know.  Please  give, 
as  the  Lord  leads,  toward  this  vital 
work.  Thank  you.  D 


63 


5 


5 


S 


^^  9 


5 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


the  salt  shaker 


by  Alvin  Shifflett 


The  Christian  is  slowly,  but  surely,  salting  the  earth 


The  Christian  as  Salf 


TT  takes  courage  to  be  salt.  I  am  reminded 

of  the  words  of  Pericles  to  the  citizens 
of  Athens  —  ''The  secret  of  hberty  is 
courage." 

The  Christian  is  often  like  a  lone  sentinel 
holding  forth  an  ethical  standard  that  far 
surpasses  any  other  philosophical  or  hu- 
manitarian system.  He  is  the  only  true 
revolutionist  in  society  today,  and  not  part 
of  the  corrupt  and  depraved  tyrannical 
nature  of  man  that  is  intent  on  replacing 
one  bad  government  with  another  bad 
government.  Christians  are  not  seeking  to 
overthrow  thrones  and  principalities.  Their 
weapons  of  revolution  are  not  grenades, 
guns,  tanks,  or  missiles.  Not  even  the  fiery 
darts  of  condemnation.  Their  weapon  is 
love. 

The  Christian  is  slowly,  but  surely,  salt- 
ing the  earth.  His  ethic  is,  "Do  unto  others 
as  you  would  be  done  by."  He  is  a  peace- 
maker— not  a  warmonger!  Christians  are 
the  diplomats  and  mediators  of  society,  not 
the  agitators  and  saber  rattlers.  To  voice 
the  philosophy  of  the  latter  is  to  sit  in  the 
wrong  pew  in  the  wrong  camp. 

To  be  sure,  the  Christian's  very  presence 
in  society,  if  he  is  worth  his  salt,  will  have 
a  revolutionary  effect  upon  that  society. 
The  early  Christians,  by  their  leavening 
effect,  turned  society  upside  down  (or  right 
side  up) .  As  far  as  I  can  discern,  they  never 
marched  in  protest,  did  not  lie  down  in  the 
streets  halting  the  chariots,  did  not  picket 
the  temple  fertility  rites,  and  never  rioted 
for  religious  freedom. 

Yet  their  presence  so  permeated  society 
that  it  affected  even  the  economy.  Deme- 
trius, a  maker  of  silver  shrines,  called  to- 
gether the  Guild  of  Shrine  Makers  (GSM) 


and  blasted  Paul  for  messing  up  the  idol 
business.  As  a  result,  Paul  and  his  com- 
panions had  a  riot  on  their  hands.  Not  be- 
cause they  had  attempted  to  overthrow  the 
city  government  of  Ephesus,  but  because  of 
the  salty  effects  of  the  gospel  they 
preached.  Paul  didn't  instigate  the  riot; 
Demetrius  did! 

We  know  the  gospel  is  right  when  the 
world  is  opposed  to  it.  A  gospel  of  com- 
promise and  saltless  flavor  raises  no 
protest. 

It  is  always  the  case  that  the  true  test 
of  a  Christian  comes,  not  in  conflict  with 
the  civil  authorities  (though  that  may  come 
too),  but  in  his  contacts  with  his  neighbor, 
his  employer,  his  friends,  even  his  own 
family.  It  is  precisely  here  that  he  must 
begin  to  practice  love.  ''Let  your  light  so 
shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see  your 
good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  which 
is  in  heaven"  (Matthew  5:16).  It  is  here 
that  the  Christian  learns  to  go  the  second 
mile,  and  sometimes  beyond,  if  necessary. 

The  Christian,  by  the  very  nature  of  his 
being  a  Christian,  resists  evil.  If  it  does  not 
begin  at  home  and  with  your  neighbor,  it 
will  never  begin  in  the  streets.  For  Jesus 
said  that  our  light  is  to  give  light  to  all  that 
are  in  the  house.  And  that's  where  a  lot 
have  burned  out!  □ 


'.  .  .  the  Christian's  very  presence 
in  society,  if  he  is  worth  his  salt, 
will  have  a  revolutionary  effect 
upon  that  society." 


May  1979 


19 


UPDATE 


news  from   the   Brethren   Church 


Moderator's   Report 

by   Rev.   Duane   Dickson 

Since  writing  the  April  Moderator's  Report, 
I  liave  attended  the  Northern  California  District 
Conference,  the  NAE  Convention,  and  a  meet- 
ing of  the  Executive  Committee  with  repre- 
sentatives from  all  the  national  boards,  Ashland 
College,  and  the  seminary.  With  all  the  exciting, 
positive  programs  in  the  denomination,  I  face 
this  report  with  some  frustration  because  I 
would  like  to  share  everything. 

My  attendance  at  the  various  district  confer- 
ences has  been  personally  very  rewarding.  The 
Brethren  in  every  district  have  made  a  special 
effort  to  make  me  feel  a  part  of  each  confer- 
ence. They  have  freely  and  openly  discussed 
their  churches  and  district  and  national  inter- 
ests. I  have  sensed  a  feeling  of  urgency  for 
the  unchurched  and  a  real  desire  to  be  involved 
in  the  greatest  work  ever  assigned  man — 
reaching  other  men  and  women  with  the 
message  of  Christ. 

The  Northern  California  District  Conference 
was  no  exception.  The  hospitality  was  warm 
and  generous,  and  an  atmosphere  of  mutual 
love  and  concern  permeated  the  entire  confer- 
ence. We  can  expect  great  things  in  the  name 
of  Christ  in  the  California  District  in  the  near 
future. 

The  plans  for  General  Conference  are  essen- 
tially complete.  The  main  speakers  have  been 
confirmed,  workshops  have  been  arranged,  and 
the  program  schedule  is  complete.  We  have 
made  an  effort  to  shorten  business  sessions, 
limit  special  programs  to  one  each  evening, 
and  give  extra  time  for  fellowship.  Because  of 
the  high  quality  of  the  speakers  and  the  work- 
shops, I  would  strongly  urge  you  to  send  your 
full  quota  of  delegates  and  to  persuade  as  many 
non-delegates  to  attend  as  you  can.  Your  church 
will  benefit  greatly  from  a  large  representation. 
More  specific  information  will  be  coming  in 
the  near  future. 

The  executive  committee  met  with  the 
denominational  leaders  March  30  and  31  at 
Camp  Bethany  for  an  evaluation  and  planning 
meeting.  Our  primary  concerns  were  the  out- 
reach ministries  of  the  Brethren  Church  and 
how  we  can  more  effectively  do  what  God  has 
asked  us  to  do. 

If  my  people  will — 
— humble  themselves 
— and  pray 
THEN  will  I  heal  their  land. 

II  Chronicles  7:14 


William 

W. 

Brady 

ordained 


Washing^ton,  DjC.  —  William  W.  Brady  was  or- 
dained into  the  gospel  ministry  at  the  Washington 
Brethren  Church  on  December  24,  1978. 

Rev.  Jimmy  Vaught,  pastor  of  the  Shenandoah 
Farms  Baptist  Church  of  Boyce,  Va.,  presented 
the  ordination  sermon  during  the  service.  Rev. 
Robert  Keplinger,  pastor  of  the  Washington 
Brethren  Church,  officiated  during  the  laying  on 
of  hands  and  the  setting  apart  of  Brady  as  an 
elder. 

William  W.  Brady,  III,  was  born  December  6, 
1950,  the  eldest  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  W. 
Brady  of  Washington,  D.C.  He  was  brought  up 
in  the  Washington  Brethren  Church  where  he 
has  been  a  member  for  more  than  fifteen  years. 

He  attended  William  Carey  College  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1972.  In  1976  he  completed 
his  studies  for  a  master  of  arts  in  religious  edu- 
cation  degree   at  Ashland  Theological  Seminary. 

During  his  years  at  the  seminary,  Brady  served 
as  pastor  of  the  Walcrest  Brethren  Church  in 
Mansfield,  Ohio.  He  is  presently  ministering  at 
Calvary  Road  Christian  School  in  Alexandria,  Va. 

Rev.  Brady's  wife,  Lynne,  is  the  daughter  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clifford  E.  Morton  of  Alexandria, 
Va.  She  is  also  a  graduate  of  William  Carey 
College  and  has  taught  in  Christian  schools  for 
two  years.  The  Bradys  have  two  children,  William 
W.  IV  and  Bryan  Mark. 


Additional  Crusader  Announced 

Ashland,  Ohio — The  Board  of  Christian  Education 
has  announced  the  name  of  an  additional  1979 
Summer  Crusader.  Miss  Tami  Downs,  from  the 
Lanark,  111.,  Brethren  Church,  will  be  the  fourth 
member  of  the  Education  South  unit.  Other 
Summer  Crusaders  were  announced  on  page  21 
of  the  April  Evangelist. 


20 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 
Attendance  up  100%  at  Cheyenne; 
many  good  things  happening 


Cheyenne,  Wyo. — Many  good  things  have  been 
happening  in  the  Cheyenne  Brethren  Church  in 
1979.  First,  we  would  like  you  to  know  that  we 
are  growing.  Both  our  Sunday  school  and  our 
Sunday  morning  worship  service  attendance  have 
increased  100  percent  over  the  first  three  months 
of  last  year.  Sunday  school  attendance  has  been 
averaging  39  and  worship  service  attendance  47. 
Furthermore,  we  have  added  four  new  members 
to  the  church  by  baptism. 

Our  youth  group  is  very  active  and  averages 
about  nine  per  Sunday.  And  praise  the  Lord,  they 
all  stay  for  the  Sunday  evening  service!  With 
their  help,  our  Sunday  evening  service  has  been 
averaging  26  per  Sunday. 

On  March  25  a  dedication  service  was  held 
during  the  morning  worship  service  in  honor  and 
memory   of  departed  loved  ones.  Dedicated  were 


Growth  Partners'  support  for  Sarver 
reaches  $6,650  at  halfway  point 

Ashland,  Ohio  —  The  current  Growth  Partners 
Club  call  is  for  the  new  Brethren  Church  in 
Sarver,  Pennsylvania.  (For  more  details  see  the 
article  on  page  11  of  last  month's  Evangrelist). 
The  call  went  out  to  club  members  in  January 
1979  and  will  continue  through  June  30,  1979. 

At  the  halfway  point  in  the  call,  club  members 
have  given  $6,650.00  towards  helping  this  new 
church  build  a  place  for  worship,  study,  and 
ministry.  Plans  are  now  being  drawn  for  the 
building. 

Brethren  interested  in  additional  information 
about  the  Growth  Partners  Club  may  request  it 
from  Rev.  Arden  E.  Gilmer,  Director  of  Home 
Missions,  530  College  Avenue,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 


Youth  class  at  the  Sarver,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church, 
with   Chet  McAfoose,   teacher. 


new  drapes  for  the  sanctuary,  an  altar  cover, 
and  piano  and  organ  bench  covers.  A  beautiful 
plaque  given  in  memory  of  Rev.  Frank  Garber, 
founder  and  long-time  pastor  of  the  church,  was 
also  dedicated.  Attendance  for  the  service  was  75. 

A  carry-in  dinner  was  held  after  the  morning 
worship  service,  with  60  people  present  for  the 
meal.  Following  the  dinner,  a  slave  auction  took 
place,  with  the  youth  offering  themselves  for  a 
day  of  service  to  the  highest  bidder.  The  auction 
brought  in  $103.50. 

During  the  month  of  March  the  Cheyenne 
church  also  conducted  a  "March  to  Sunday  School 
and  Church  in  March"  campaign.  On  Sunday, 
March  4,  58  people  gathered  in  front  of  the  church 
following  the  morning  worship  service  and  re- 
leased balloons  to  launch  the  campaign.  On  the 
i;ollowing  Sunday,  the  young  people's  Sunday 
school  class  marched  around  several  blocks  carry- 
ing signs  reading,  "March  to  Sunday  School  and 
Church  in  March."  They  marched  to  the  accom- 
paniment of  accordion  music. 

Other  recent  activities  of  note  at  the  Cheyenne 
Brethren  Church  include  the  following:  On  Sun- 
day evening,  February  11,  the  young  people  of 
the  church  entertained  the  adults  at  a  Valentine 
party.  The  youth  prepared  a  meal  and  served  it 
to  the  adults.  During  the  worship  hour  the  youth 
also  presented  a  skit  and  several  special  numbers 
in  song. 

On  March  14  a  new  sidewalk  was  run  from  the 
street  to  the  porch  of  the  church. 

Before  Easter  Sunday  a  new  rug  for  the  aisle 
and  the  front  of  the  church  was  purchased  and 
installed  in  the  church. 

Yes,  many  good  things  have  been  happening 
in  the  Cheyenne  Brethren  Church  in  1979.  Please 
keep  us  in  your  prayers  and  rejoice  with  us  as 
the  Lord  leads  His  people  to  be  faithful  to  His 
calling. 

(Prepared  from  a  report  filed  by  Rev.  Albert  O. 
Curtright,  pastor  of  the  Cheyenne  Brethren  Church.) 


A  unique  opportunity 
for  ministry 

Each  year.  Summer  Crusaders  or  their  parents 
donate  the  use  of  their  cars  for  the  Crusader  pro- 
gram. This  year  the  program  is  one  car  short. 

A  vehicle  for  an  Educational  unit  (four  mem- 
bers) to  use  in  Indiana,  Ohio,  and  Maryland  is 
needed.  They  would  use  it  from  June  10  to  August 
12.  The  BCE  will  pay  for  all  gas,  oil,  and  insurance. 

If  you  have  a  car  that  you  would  allow  to  be 
used  in  this  special  ministry,  please  contact  the 
Board  of  Christian  Education,  524  College  Ave., 
Ashland,  OH  44805. 


May  1979 


21 


update 


Jefferson  Brethren  Church 
celebrates  ten  years  of  ministry 


The  Jefferson  Brethren  Church  near  Goshen, 
Ind.,  is  celebrating  ten  years  of  ministry.  As  a 
part  of  this  celebration,  the  church  had  a  10th 
anniversary  banquet  on  Saturday  evening,  March 
24th,  and  an  anniversary  worship  service  on 
Sunday  morning,  March  25th. 

The  banquet  featured,  in  addition  to  the  meal, 
a  multimedia  presentation  by  Dr.  Jim  Hollinger 
and  an  address  by  Dr.  Joseph  Shultz.  Special 
music  for  the  occasion  included  numbers  by  the 
Jefferson  Quartet,  a  solo  by  Mrs.  Jan  Huber,  and 
a  vocal  duet  by  Mrs.  Bobbie  Wogoman  and  Ms. 
Margie  Wogoman. 

The  multimedia  presentation  by  Dr.  Jim 
Hollinger,  a  member  of  the  Jefferson  Brethren 
Church,  was  entitled  "Jefferson  Ten  Year 
Review."  Dr.  Hollinger  used  two  slide  projectors 
and  a  movie  projector  to  present  scenes  from  the 
ten-year  history  of  the  Jefferson  Brethren 
Church. 

Dr.  Joseph  Shultz,  dean  of  Ashland  Theological 
Seminary,    spoke    on    the    subject    "The    Moving 


Edge  of  Time."  Basing  his  remarks  on  I  Samuel 
7:12,  he  said  that  an  anniversary  is  a  time  to 
remember  that  "Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped 
us.  .  .  .  Henceforth  will  he  help  us." 

As  a  reminder  of  this  help,  Dr.  Shultz,  like 
Samuel  in  the  passage  from  I  Samuel  7,  had 
brought  with  him  a  stone.  He  suggested  that  the 
stone  be  placed  in  the  front  yard  of  the  church 
so  that  in  the  future,  when  children  would  ask 
why  that  stone  is  there,  the  parents  might  have 
the  opportunity  to  share  how  God  had  been  with 
the  church  in  its  first  ten  years. 

Special  music  for  the  anniversary  worship  ser- 
vice on  Sunday  morning  was  presented  by  past 
and  present  members  of  Lightshine,  a  singing 
group  made  up  of  young  people  from  the  Jefferson 
church.  Under  the  direction  of  Ms.  Margie 
Wogoman,  the  group  presented  a  medley  of  songs. 

The  speaker  for  the  service  was  Dr.  Richard 
Allison,  founding  pastor  of  the  Jefferson  church 

(continued  on  next  page) 


Dr.  Joseph  Shultz  (left  photo)  suggested  a  stone  be  placed  in  front  of  the  church  as  a  reminder  of 
the  Lord's  help  during  the  church's  first  ten  years.  Center  photo  shows  (left  to  right)  Mr.  Wayne  Wogoman, 
chairman  of  the  celebration  committee;  Dr.  Richard  Allison,  founding  pastor  of  the  church;  Rev.  Jack 
Oxenrider,  present  pastor;  and  Mr.  Ray  Yoder,  church  moderator.  Dr.  Jim  Hollinger  (right  photo)  gave 
a  multimedia  presentation  at  the  anniversary  banquet  entitled  "Jefferson  Ten  Year  Review." 


22 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Ohio  Conference  considers  16  ways 
to  be  visibly  Brethren 


Delaware,  Ohio — The  spring  meeting  of  the  Ohio 
Conference  of  the  Brethren  Church  was  held  at  the 
Asbury  United  Methodist  Church  here  on  Satur- 
day, March  24.  Theme  for  the  conference  was 
"Who  Cares?  Brethren  Do!" 

A  total  of  £6  delegates  attended,  including  24 
ministerial  and  72  lay  delgates. 

The  meeting  began  with  a  Bible  study  led  by 
Dr.  Charles  Munson  and  Rev.  Leroy  Solomon. 
Basing  the  study  on  Romans  12:9-21,  the  two  men 
presented  16  ways  to  be  visibly  Brethren.  The 
study  concentrated  on  the  practical,  with  many 
suggestions  presented  for  applying  Romans  12  to 
everyday  situations.  Among  the  many  practical 
suggestions  given  were:  Do  not  let  the  faults  of 
others  be  the  subject  of  your  conversation;  have 
daily  devotions;  count  and  record  your  answers 
to  prayers;  look  for  others  in  your  community  who 
are  in  need;  pray  immediately  for  those  who  cause 
you  problems;  be  a  good  listener. 

Jefferson  celebrates  10th  anniversary 

continued  from  previous  page 
and  now  assistant  professor  of  Christian  education 
at    Ashland    Theological    Seminary.    Dr.    Allison 
spoke     on     the     subject     "The     Maturing     of     a 
Congregation." 

Noting  that  a  typical  ending  for  a  fairy  tale 
is  "And  they  lived  happily  ever  after,"  Dr.  Allison 
said  that  in  real  life  this  is  not  what  happens. 
Struggles  continue  as  long  as  there  is  life.  This 
is  true  of  churches  just  as  it  is  of  individuals.  A 
mark  of  maturity  is  being  able  to  meet  both 
successes  and  failures  in  life. 

Dr.  Allison  went  on  to  say  that  a  maturing 
congregation  must  be  maturing  in  its  mission,  in 
its  sense  of  selfhood,  and  in  its  relationships. 

Following  Dr.  Allison's  message.  Rev.  Jack 
Oxenrider,  pastor  of  the  Jefferson  church,  pre- 
sented the  "Challenge  of  the  Future"  to  the  con- 
gregation. He  noted  that  the  church  is  growing 
and  reminded  the  congregation  that  as  it  grows, 
it  must  continue  caring  and  sharing  in  the  com- 
munity. He  also  said  that  as  growth  continues, 
the  congregation  will  have  to  eventually  face  the 
fact  that  it  has  outgrown  its  facilities. 

The  banquet  and  special  worship  service  were 
part  of  a  continuing  10th  anniversary  celebration 
by  the  Jefferson  Brethren  Church.  On  January 
28th  the  congregation  had  a  birthday  celebration, 
with  balloons  and  the  congregation  singing  happy 
birthday  to  itself.  In  September  the  church  hopes 
to  be  able  to  have  a  mortgage-burning  service,  and 
plans  call  for  an  anniversary  church  directory  in 
September  as  well. 


The  business  sessions  were  led  by  Ohio  Moder- 
ator Larry  Bolinger.  Business  included  elections, 
reports,  changes  in  the  district  constitution,  and 
brief  addresses  by  Dr.  Arthur  Schultz  (president 
of  Ashland  College)  and  Rev.  Duane  Dickson 
(moderator  of  General  Conference). 

Newly  elected  officers  for  the  Ohio  District  are 
moderator-elect:  Rev.  Don  Rowser;  secretary: 
Betty  Deardurff;  assistant  secretary:  Pauline 
Winfield;  treasurer:  Tom  Stoffer;  assistant 
treasurer:  Rev.  Leroy  Solomon;  statistician:  Dick 
Winfield.  Rev.  Don  Rinehart,  who  served  during 
the  past  year  as  moderator-elect,  is  the  new  dis- 
trict moderator. 

The  Ohio  District  Board  of  Evangelists  gave  a 
report  of  its  study  which  grew  out  of  the  request 
by  the  Brethren  Bible  Church  of  Louisville  for 
recognition  by  the  Ohio  District.  The  members 
01  this  board  reported  that  they  had  evaluated  the 
situation,  having  met  with  representatives  from 
both  the  Louisville  First  Brethren  Church  and  the 
Brethren  Bible  Church  of  Louisville.  They  recom- 
mended that  in  accordance  with  the  procedure 
set  down  in  the  Ohio  District  Constitution,  that 
the  new  Brethren  Bible  Church  be  put  under  the 
care  of  the  Ohio  District  Mission  Board. 

In  a  later  report  by  the  District  Mission  Board, 
this  board  said  that  it  would  assume  the  respon- 
sibility of  taking  this  church  under  its  care  and 
would  bring  back  a  recommendation  regarding 
the  church  at  the  September  meeting  of  the 
conference. 

The  District  Mission  Board  also  presented  Rev. 
Terry  Lodioo,  who  gave  a  report  of  the  progress 
of  the  Medina  Bible  Fellowship  where  he  is  pastor. 
Rev.  Lodico  reported  that  eight  families  are  now 
involved  in  the  new  church,  with  attendance 
averaging  in  the  twenties. 

Action  on  the  Ohio  District  Constitution  included 
changes  with  regard  to  the  time  of  conference 
meeting,  the  conference  year,  and  delegate  fees.  A 
change  in  the  manner  of  receiving  members  was 
also  incorporated  into  the  constitution.  The  change 
permits  those  who  have  been  previously  baptized 
by  believers'  immersion  to  be  accepted  into  church 
membership    without   being    rebaptized. 

The  Ohio  Conference  meeting  on  March  24th 
was  part  one  of  a  two-part  emphasis  on  the  theme 
"Who  Cares?  Brethren  Do!"  The  conference 
meeting  scheduled  for  September  15  will  be  part 
two  of  this  emphasis.  This  fall  meeting  will  be  a 
"Harvest  Festival,"  with  each  congregation  report- 
ing on  where  and  how  they  were  visibly  Brethren 
during  the  period  between  the  two  meetings. 
Planned  for  the  September  program  are  music, 
singing,   praising,   and  reporting. 


May  1979 


23 


update 

Operation  Impact  churches  show  progress; 
Brandon  dedicates  church  site 


The  two  new  Brethren  churches  in  Florida  are 
now  one  and  one-half  years  old.  Both  started  from 
"scratch"  with  each  having  only  the  pastoral 
family  and  one  tentmaking  family.  What  kind  of 
growth  has  taken  place?  Rev.  Arden  E.  Gilmer, 
the  Director  of  Home  Missions,  recently  visited 
the  new  churches  and  preached  at  Brandon  on 
March  4th  and  at  Town  and  Country  (Tampa)  on 
March  11th.  He  files  this  report. 

"The  Brandon  Brethren  under  the  capable  lead- 
ership of  Rev.  Keith  Bennett  have  had  attendances 
of  50  or  more  on  several  occasions.  Two  member- 
ship classes  have  been  conducted,  and  another  one 
is  in  progress.  Land  recently  purchased  by  the 
national  Missionary  Board  as  a  church  site  was 
dedicated  on  March  4th.  Tentmakers  now  minister- 
ing in  Brandon  are:  Rev.  and  Mrs.  John  Turley, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eric  Van  Leeuwen,  Rob  Grumbling, 
and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Steve  Abe. 

"The  Lord  has  blessed  the  diligent  efforts  of 
Rev.  Dale  RuLon  so  that  the  Town  and  Country 
Church  (Tampa)  reached  52  in  attendance  on 
February  18.  Recent  attendances  are  consistently 
in  the  40's.  Their  youth  group  is  now  officially 
organized.  On  March  11th  I  joined  members  of 
the  church  in  going  door-to-door  in  behalf  of  the 
Billy  Graham  Crusade  held  in  Tampa  Stadium 
March  21-25.  During  the  visitation  I  was  thrilled 
to  discover  a  prospect  for  the  church.  Tentmakers 
now  ministering  in  Tampa  are  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gene 
McConahay  (and  new  son  David)  and  Cliff 
Vandemark. 

"Both  churches  were  active  in  the  Greater 
Tampa  Billy  Graham  Crusade  with  several  people 
from  each  serving  as  counselors.  Dale  reports 
that  some  of  the  people  with  whom  he  had  been 
working  made  public  decisions  for  Christ  during 
the  crusade.  Seven  or  eight  baptisms  are  expected 
as  a  result. 


"In  February  both  pastors  attended  the  Evan- 
gelism Explosion  training  taught  by  Dr.  James 
Kennedy  at  Coral  Ridge  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Fort  Lauderdale,  Florida.  The  training  was  'super' 
and  provided  both  knowledge  and  motivation  for 
intensified  personal  evangelism.  Both  pastors  are 
now  beginning  to  train  laymen  from  their  church- 
es in  this  method  of  personal  witnessing.  In  the 
first  forty  days  following  the  training,  as  Keith 
Bennett  shared  the  gospel,  he  was  privileged  to 
lead  19  people  to  pray  to  receive  Christ  as  their 
personal  Savior  and  Lord! 

"Brethren,  thank  you  for  your  prayers  and 
support  for  Operation  Impact!  Continue  to  pray 
boldly  for  the  people  involved  in  these  exciting 
church   planting   ministries!" 


The  Town  and  Country  Church  in  Tampa  reached 
52  in  attendance  on  February  18  and  recent  attend- 
ances are  consistently   in   the  40's. 


The  Brandon  Brethren  Church  has  had  attendances 
of  50  or  more  on  several  occasions. 

Church   World   Service   reports 
clothing   supplies   exhausted 

Elkhart,  Ind.  (CROP  News)— Church  World  Ser- 
vice (CWS),  the  cooperative  relief  and  develop- 
ment arm  of  some  thirty  U.S.  denominations 
(including  the  Brethren  Church),  reports  its 
stockpiles  of  clothing  supplies  are  almost  exhaust- 
ed. Shipments  of  CWS  clothing  in  1979  have  vir- 
tually eliminated  supplies  carried  over  from  1978, 
even  though  last  year's  giving  to  the  CWS  Cloth- 
ing Appeal  exceeded  needs  in  almost  all  categories. 

Total  approved  requests  for  CWS  clothing  to 
be  used  in  church-related  programs  overseas  in 
1979  is  4,250,000  pounds.  This  is  more  than  a 
million-pound  increase  over  1978  shipments.  The 
number  of  refugees  fleeing  civil  strife  in  their 
homelands  continues  to  swell,  causing  the  need  for 
clothing  to  rise  sharply. 

Priority  items  continue  to  be  new  layettes,  in- 
fants' clothing,  kits  for  sewing,  school  and  per- 
sonal hygiene  items,  soap,  household  goods,  and 
hospital  gowns. 


24 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Pleasant  Hill  youth  program 
makes  the  news 


Pleasant  Hill,  Ohio — When  a  church  with  only 
200  members  has  nearly  100  children  and  youth 
attending  its  Wednesday  evening  youth  program, 
that's  newsworthy.  This  is  what  the  Miami  Valley 
Sunday  News  thought. 

The  church  in  this  case  is  the  First  Brethren 
€hureh  of  Pleasant  Hill,  Ohio.  The  Miami  Valley 
Sunday  News  devoted  a  full  page  of  its  March 
4th  edition  to  the  church's  youth  program.  The 
coverage  included  an  article  written  by  Sharon 
Dilworth,  Community  Editor  for  the  paper,  and 
five  pictures  showing  the  youth  program  in  action. 

The  article  explained  that  the  Pleasant  Hill 
church  uses  the  AW  ANA  Youth  Association  pro- 
gram, and  includes  youngsters  from  the  first 
grade  to  high  school.  The  name  AWANA  comes 
from  Paul's  second  letter  to  Timothy  and  stands 
for  "Approved  Workmen  Are  Not  Ashamed." 

According  to  Ms.  Dilworth's  report,  "This  is 
the  third  year  the  First  Brethren  Church  .  .  .  has 


In  Memory 


Jay  Corwin,  70,  March  26.  Member  for  45  years 
of  the  Bryan,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church.  Ser- 
vices by  Marlin  L.  McCann,  pastor. 
Alice  Keen,  60,  March  16.  Member  of  the  Johns- 
town, Pa.,  Third  Brethren  Church.  Services  by 
Clarence  R.  Kindley,  pastor. 

Myrtle  Binkley  Laugrhlin,  94,  February  27.  Mem- 
ber of  the  Hagerstown,  Md.,  First  Brethren 
Church.  Services  by  Rev.  John  Mills. 
Otha  Lemons,  74,  November  22.  Member  for  58 
years  of  the  Bryan,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church. 
Services  by  Rev.  Marlin  L.  McCann,  pastor. 

Goldenaires 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Howard  Louthain,  58th,  May  28.  Mrs. 
Louthain  a  member  of  the  Corinth  Brethren 
Church,  Twelve  Mile,  Ind. 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Ora  Greer,  50th,  April  6.  Members  of 
the  Corinth  Brethren  Church,  Twelve  Mile,  Ind. 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Daniel  Dillman,  53rd,  April  4.  Members 
of  the  Corinth  Brethren  Church,  Twelve  Mile, 
Ind. 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Glenn  Coffman,  52nd,  March  2.  Mem- 
bers  of  the  Brethren   Church,   Maurertown,   Va. 


Weddings 

Wendy  Jo  Krin^  to  Donald  E.  Jensen,  March  24, 
at  the  Ardmore,  Ind.,  Brethren  Church;  Brian  H. 
Moore,  pastor,  officiating.  Bride  a  member  of  the 
Ardmore  Brethren  Church. 


been  sponsoring  the  program.  The  membership 
has  grown  from  40  the  first  year  to  nearly  100 
young  people,  four  directors,  and  35  leaders  and 
listeners  today,  and  it  is  continuing  to  grow." 

The  AWANA  Club  meets  every  Wednesday 
evening  from  6:30  to  8  p.m.  Each  meeting  consists 
of  30  minutes  of  handbook  time,  30  minutes  of 
game  time,  and  30  minutes  of  Council  time.  Much 
of  the  handbook  time  is  spent  in  memory  work, 
while  the  game  time  is  used  for  games  unique 
to  AWANA  clubs.  During  the  Council  time, 
announcements  are  made,  members  sing  and  hear 
an  inspirational  message,  and  awards  are 
presented. 

The  article  included  comments  by  Maxine 
Delcamp  and  Eileen  Falldorf,  both  of  whom  are 
leaders  in  Pleasant  Hill's  AWANA  Club  program. 
In  her  comments,  Ms.  Falldorf  gave  this  evalua- 
tion of  the  AWANA  program:  "The  youngsters 
really  enjoy  the  meetings  and  they  are  expending 
their  energy  in  the  right  way.  They  can't  wait 
from  one  week  to  the  next  to  come  and  that's  what 
makes  this  program  so  special,"  she  said.  "This 
program  shows  that  Christianity  isn't  all  serious. 
It  shows  Christianity  can  be  fun." 


BEFORE  YOU  MOVE 

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May  1979 


25 


as  i  see  it 


Two  For  the  Price  of  One 


This  is  a  catchy  phrase  we  often  see  in  adver- 
tisements. Some  congregations  have  this  concept 
in  mind  when  they  call  a  minister.  They  want  to 
get  the  minister  and  his  wife  for  one  salary. 
Sometimes  the  call  is  influenced  more  by  the 
talents  of  the  wafe  than  by  the  abilities  of  the 
minister.  In  no  other  profession  or  occupation 
that  I  know  of  does  this  happen. 

The  minister  is  called  to  be  the  shepherd  of 
the  flock.  His  wife  is,  according  to  Scripture,  an 
"helpmate"  for  him,  not  another  minister  for  the 
congregation. 

Every  minister's  wife  is  a  distinct  individual, 
with  few  or  many  talents.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  church  body  just  like  any  other  member  and 
is  under  no  more  obligation  to  use  her  talents  than 
anyone  else.  She  needs  to  be  accepted  as  such. 
Naturally,  she  will  commit  her  gifts  and  talents 
to  the  Lord  and  to  His  church,  but  they  remain 
under  her  control. 

Often  the  congregation  demands  that  she  serve 
in  "such  and  such  a  way"  because  the  former 
pastor's  wife  did  "this  and  that."  The  congrega- 
tion errs  so  often  by  forcing  upon  the  newcomers 
its  expectations  of  what  a  pastor  and  his  wife 
should  be.  God  has  brought  these  new  folk  to  the 
church  because  He  wants  to  do  something  new  and 
different,  but  the  church  wants  to  go  along  the 
same   old   way. 

The  minister's  wife  must  give  first  priority  to 
providing  the  kind  of  home  for  her  husband  that 
will  support  and  minister  to  him.  If  she  and  her 
husband  are  blessed  with  a  family,  she  must  be 
the  best  mother  possible  to  her  children.  Beyond 
this  she  should  be  permitted  (not  expected)  to 
share  her  gifts  and  talents  as  she  chooses  and  is 
able  to  do  so. 

Some  wives  feel  a  definite  call  to  serve  along- 
side their  husbands  in  active  ministry  and  are 
gifted  with  abilities  to  do  so.  However,  this  should 


Rev.   Smith   Rose   is  Executive  Secretary  for  the 
Brethren  Church. 


by  Smith    Rose 


never  be  taken  for  granted,  but  rather  these 
efforts    should    be    acknowledged    and    rewarded. 

Each  wife  should  also  be  free  to  serve  outside 
the  church  in  community  activities  if  she  so 
desires.  It  is  her  right  to  work  at  home  or  away 
from  home  in  fulfilling  her  role  as  a  person. 

Church  boards  often  object  to  this,  forgetting 
that  they  are  only  paying  for  the  services  of  the 
husband.  Sometimes  these  boards  are  embarrassed 
by  the  minister's  wife  working  because  it  reveals 
to  the  community  that  the  pastor  is  underpaid. 
Yet  if  some  ministers'  wives  did  not  work,  many 
parsonage  children  would  never  have  the  oppor- 
tunity for  musical  training,  college,  etc.  These 
things  cannot  be  had  on  the  average  minister's 
salary. 

Church  families  in  these  times  realize  that  in 
order  to  make  ends  meet  their  wives  often  have 
to  work.  And  yet  the  congregation  does  not  chide 
them.  The  double  standard  is  all  too  obvious  here. 

It  is  a  matter  of  fact  in  these  days  that  about 
half  of  our  congregations  cannot  afford  to  employ 
a  full-time  pastor.  A  number  of  our  ministers  are 
called  to  serve  these  churches,  however,  and  their 
working  wives  make  up  the  difference  to  keep 
the  family  from  bankruptcy.  Many  of  these  wives 
would  be  happier  keeping  house  and  supporting 
their  husbands  in  their  ministry  in  other  ways. 
However,  they  do  not  expect  praise  for  what  they 
are  doing — only  recognition  that  they,  too,  are 
committed  to  ministry  in  that  community. 
Naturally,  they  have  little  or  no  time  to  do  extra 
work  in  the  church,  even  though  it  is  expected  by 
those  who  have  far  less  to  do. 

So  let  us  think  of  our  ministers'  wives  as  the 
special  people  they  are,  doing  what  they  see 
necessary  in  the  service  of  Christ,  His  church,  and 
His  minister.  Pray  for  ministers'  wives,  for  the 
load  they  carry  is  far  greater  than  the  congrega- 
tion or  even  their  husbands  know.  Express  your 
appreciation  when  they  are  able  to  share  their 
talents.  Accept  them  and  love  them  for  what  they 
are,  realizing  that  their  commitment  to  Christ  is 
great. 


<i><i><?<?<I><I><i><i><i><i><i><i>0<I>00000<I>0^ 


Membership  Growth 

Oak  Hill:     8  by  baptism 
Corinth:     2  by  baptism 


In  a  nationwide  survey,  52.5%  of  the  women 
and  27.4%  of  the  men  surveyed  indicated  Bible 
reading  is  a  part  of  their  life  pattern.  However, 
only  16.6%  of  the  women  and  8.3%  of  the  men 
said  they  read  the  Bible  21  or  more  times  per 
month.  — Ron  Keer  associates 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


SUMMER  CRUSADER 
PROGRAM 
THE  DRAWING 


THIS  summer's  Crusader  program  is  no 
longer  just  an  idea  on  the  BCE's  draw- 
ing board — it  is  now  a  FACT!  Four  teams 
are  assigned,  itineraries  are  set  up,  and 
twenty-five  young  people  are  preparing 
themselves  for  the  beginning  of  service  in 
June. 

As  announced  in  the  last  issue  of  the 
Evangelist,  there  will  be  two  educational 
units  this  year.  "Ed  North"  will  serve  as 
vacation  Bible  school  teachers  and  assis- 
tants and  help  with  community  surveys 
in  eight  of  our  churches  in  the  Southeast, 
Ohio,  and  Indiana  districts. 

''Ed  South"  will  be  spending  its  first  five 
weeks  with  our  Florida  Brethren,  working 
in  Bible  schools,  community  surveys,  and 
Florida's  first  district  camp.  It  will  finish 
up  with  three  weeks  of  VBS  back  up  north. 

The  six-member  musical  unit  will  be 
presenting  three  different  programs  this 
summer  in  18  locations  from  Pennsylvania's 
Camp  Peniel  to  Waterloo,  Iowa. 

Six  young  people  will  be  serving  as  Mis- 
sionary Interns  under  the  direction  of  Juan 
Carlos  Miranda.  They  will  serve  in  his 
Spanish-speaking  church  in  Pasadena, 
California,  and  at  our  newest  mission  site — 
Tijuana,  Mexico. 

Two  other  young  women  and  three  young 
men  will  be  working  in  Christian  education, 
pastoral,  or  camping  Internships.  Watch 
the  June  Evangelist  for  the  announcement 
of  their  names  and  assignments. 


BOARD 


These  25  dedicated  young  people  are 
going  to  make  up  an  exciting  and  profit- 
able program  this  summer. 

What  will   they  do  for  you? 

They  will  inspire  you  with  their  commit- 
ment to  Jesus.  They  will  help  teach  your 
children  in  VBS  and  help  reach  your  neigh- 
bors in  community  surveys.  They  will  make 
you  laugh  with  their  puppets  and  stir  you 
with  singing  and  spoken  messages.  They 
will  encourage  your  young  people  to  grow 
in  spiritual  maturity  and  service. 

What   can   you   do   for  them? 

You  can  contribute  toward  the  expenses 
of  the  program.  You  can  help  them  with 
problems  when  they're  in  your  church  this 
summer.  You  can  pray  for  them  daily. 

Your  pastor,  WMS  group,  and  Laymen's 
organization  have  all  been  sent  sign-up 
sheets  for  people  who  want  to  be  Prayer 
Warriors  and  be  assigned  a  specific  young 
person  to  pray  for  this  summer.  If  you 
haven't  seen  one  of  these  sign-up  sheets 
yet,  ask  for  it.  Or  use  the  form  below  to 
enlist. 

The  Summer  Crusader/Internship  pro- 
gram, supported  by  the  faithful  prayers  of 
the  Brethren,  will  certainly  be  a  great  suc- 
cess for  our  Lord's  work  in  1979.  Thank 
you  for  your  support! 


Please  assign  to  me  a  Crusader  or  Intern  to  pray  for  daily  this  summer. 

Name      . . , , , .     ,     . 

Address . . . 


Zip  Code 


Church 
May  1979 


27 


Northwest  Brethren  Chapel 

Progress  Repor 


Pastor  Bill  &  Fran  Curtis 


Construction  of  the  new  church  building  at  Northwest 
Brethren  Chapel  in  Tucson  is  progressing  rapidly,  as  these 
pictures  taken  in  March  show.  Photos  by  Julie  Flora. 


^**^'' 


^  '        '    ^^i  ^^''^rf 


Going  up 


TEACHERS,   MAKE  THE  PROPHETS   COME  ALIVE 


Each  Prophet  dressed 
according  to  time 
and  locality. 


Border  pictures  all 

the  fruit  and   grain 

that  grows  in 

Palestine 


Symbols 

to  readily 

identify  each 

prophet's  ministry 

Time  line  keeps  everything  in 
proper  perspective 

Prophets    are    shown    in    two    groups, 
literary    and   non-literary 


Kings  are  divided  into  3  groups 
-United  Kingdom,  Judah,  and  Israel 


CLASSROOM  SIZE 


The  insignia  of  each  of  the  12  Tribes 


50"  X  26 


99 


Mr- 


Dr.  Owen's  Panel  of  Prophets  is  a  great  tool  for  every  Sunday  School 
teacher.  It  is  helpful  for  ages  from  Jr.  High  through  the  Adults.  Those  who 
will  be  studying  the  International  Sunday  School  lessons  will  find  this  chart 
very  helpful  with  the  lessons  during  the  summers  of  1979  and  1980. 

Order  your  chart  now.  The  price  is  $5.95  each.  Special  Offer:  Buy  2  ■ 
get  1  free;  Buy  3  -  get  2  free;  Buy  4  -  get  3  free;  Buy  5  -  get  5  free. 

ORDER  FROM:  The  Christian  Book  Center,  Box  790,  Poplar  Bluff, 
Mo.  63901.  Phone:  314-785-9451. 


"^I^"^  The    Brethren  ^    •  j 

Evangelist 

^— ^  /..->«      1070 


June    1979 


■>j#«.    — .>'^-«.  -"— «"*;£**• 


i^am  .^'«i6au2r5*3«s*e3i-^-*«^ 


The   Marriage   Gamble:      Oneness   Strengthens   the^Ddds   for  Success 

see   page  4 


Blessed    by   Brethren   House 
Ministries 

I  want  to  take  time  out  to  express  my  feelings 
about  something  that  has  touched  my  life.  The 
team  from  Brethren  House  was  in  Ashland  re- 
cently for  a  workshop,  and  what  a  treat  it  was. 
They  had  a  tremendous  wealth  of  ideas  to  share 
concerning  the  most  important  asset  a  church  or 
country  can  have — its  children.  I  was  greatly 
impressed,  but  that's  not  what  I  want  to  convey 
in  this  letter  because  there  are  worldly  events 
that  are  impressive  and  rightly  so.  I  would  like 
to  convey  the  feeling  of  being  blessed  and  the 
richness  that  I  was  able  to  absorb.  Their  teaching 
and  work  is  a  beacon  of  light  on  a  foggy  coastline. 

My  self-esteem  as  a  member  of  the  Brethren 
Church  rose  several  points  as  well.  My  thanks  to 
Phil  and  Jean  Lersch  and  to  Bonnie  Munson  for 
their  efforts,  and  my  prayer  is  that  God  will  con- 
tinue to  "open  for  you  the  windows  of  heaven, 
and  pour  out  for  you  a  blessing  until  there  is  no 
more  need." 

— Dan  DeVeny 
Ashland,    Ohio 

Eschew   Obfuscation! 

As  I  drove  along  the  street  and  spotted  the 
above  words  on  the  back  bumper  of  a  car,  I  was 
so  taken  with  the  expression  I  began  to  laugh 
so  hard  I  almost  ran  into  another  car  in  the  lane 
next  to  me. 

But  now  that  I  have  your  attention,  let  me 
develop  the  theme.  The  word  "eschew"  means 
avoid,  as  in  "eschew  evil."  "Obfuscation"  means 
confusion,  as  in  politics,  or  the  current  philoso- 
phies scattered  abroad  in  the  churches,  philoso- 
phies which  pass  for  theology  and  superior  teach- 
ings and  good  doctrine.  Excitement  is  mistaken 
for  second  spiritual  birth,  and  psychological  ex- 
periences are  taken  for  biblical  understanding. 
Increase  of  adrenalin  is  made  the  same  thing  as 
spiritual  unction. 

A  few  months  ago  Mrs.  Miller,  a  member  of  the 
Johnstown  II  Church,  wrote  an  appeal  which  I 
believe  was  "on  target."  It  was  entitled  "HELP" 
(Oct.  1978).  I  have  seen  no  public  recognition  of 


her  cry  yet.  And  I'm  sorry  about  that,  Mrs.  Miller. 
You  had  a  legitimate  complaint  and  appealed  your 
case  in  a  way  which  should  have  touched  the 
hearts  of  us  all. 

I  believe  my  Bible  makes  the  Good  News,  the 
Gospel,  very  clear.  When  Jesus  died  on  the  cross 
He  cried  out,  "It  is  finished!"  And  when  He  said 
that.  He  meant  what  He  said.  At  Pentecost  every- 
one made  the  message  plain  that  God  had  given 
His  Spirit  to  every  believer.  There  were  signs  that 
accompanied  the  occasion,  but  the  signs  did  not 
obfuscate  the  Good  News,  they  clarified  it. 

Now  as  a  reaction  to  grasping  that  message, 
you  may  want  to  shout  or  sing,  or  "shout  it  from 
the  housetop."  But  to  deliberately  confuse  it  is 
to  come  into  condemnation.  You  are  to  take  it 
door-to-door,  across  the  ocean,  on  the  air  waves, 
on  TV,  in  the  newspaper — anywhere  you  can.  But 
the  method  is  to  be  one  of  clarity,  not  confusion. 

Must  we  stick  to  the  letter  of  our  unwritten 
law,  "We  have  no  CREED  but  the  Bible,"  until 
we  are  destroyed  with  subtle,  subverting  creeds, 
allowing  all  comers  ?  St.  Paul  did  say  in  I  Corin- 
thians 13,  love  "believeth  all  things."  But  he  also 
said  in  Galatians  that  if  anyone  preached  any 
other  Gospel  than  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified, 
"let  him  be  accursed." 

I  made  a  resolution  at  General  Conference  in 
1977  which  called  for  a  fresh  study  of  SANCTIFI- 
CATION,  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
Christian's  life.  I  would  be  interested  to  know 
whether  anyone  took  me  up  on  the  proposal,  not- 
Withstanding  the  overwhelming  approval  of  the 
motion.  Are  we  any  "holier"  now  than  when  that 
motion  was  made?  "Without  holiness  no  man  shall 
see  the  Lord,"  so  the  Bible  warns.  I'm  for  making 
a  bumper  sticker  with  that  verse  for  one  side  of 
the  car  along  with  another  saying  "ESCHEW 
OBFUSCATION."  They  are  both  biblical!  That 
will  drive  people  to  their  dictionaries — ^just  as  it 
did  me. 

— ^Clarence  A.  Stogsdill 
Tucson,  Arizona 


Corrections 

In  last  month's  Evangelist,  the  name  Mark 
Baker,  Assistant  to  the  Director  of  Christian 
Education,  was  omitted  as  writer  of  the  article 
"Seeking  and  Serving"  on  page  14.  The  editor 
wishes  to  apologize  to  Mr.  Baker  for  this 
omission. 

In  the  news  article,  "Operation  Impact  churches 
show  progress"  (page  24),  the  name  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gene  McConahay's  son  was  incorrectly  given 
as  David.  Andrew  Roger  McConahay  is  the  correct 
name. 


"^^^  The    Brethren  1    *  A 

Evangelist 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 
(USPS  064-200) 


Editor: 

Richard  C. 


Winfield 


Consulting  Editors: 

John  D.  Rowsey 
Ronald  W.  Waters 

Contributing  Editor: 
Alvin  Shifflett 

Editorial  and 
Business  Office: 

524  College  Ave. 

Ashland,  Ohio     44805 

Phone:   (419)   289-2611 

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by  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 
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Cover 

With  the  divorce  rate  nearly 
50%,  marriage  is  a  gamble.  But 
seeking  oneness  in  marriage,  as 
God  intended,  increases  the 
chances  for  success.  See  page  4. 

Cover  photo  by  Harold  M.  Lambert 

Cover  design  by  Howard  Mack 


Vol.  101.  No.  6 


June  1979 


4     Marriage:     Two  Becoming  One 

God's  intent  for  marriage,  says  Jim  Sluss,  is  that  a  man  and 
a  woman  achieve  an  enduring  oneness. 

6     World  Hunger  and  SSiipshewana  Senior  Camp 

Brian  Moore  tells  how  Indiana  senior  campers  were  introduced 
to  the  realities  of  a  hungry  world. 


Special  Feafure:     Perspecrives  for  the  Eighties 


to  Minister 

According  to  Fred  Finks,  if  the  Brethren  Church  is  to  move 
forward  with  promise,   it  must  do  so  y\^ith  freedom. 


A  Church  That  Wouldn't  Die 


by  James  I.  Naff 


Ministerial  Student  Aid 

12     The  Dollar  Squeeze 

12  Student  Aid  at  the  College  Level 

13  Inflation  and  Student  Aid 


14     A  Strategy  For  Reaching  Unbelievers 

Arden   Gilmer  interviews  Dr.  Ralph   W.  Neighbour,  Jr. 

Departments 

2  Letters 

11  The  Salt  Shaker 

18  Update 

2^  As  I  See  It 

NEXT  MONTH 

July  1979  marks  the  300th  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  Alexander 
Mack.  In  view  of  this  fact,  the  July  issue  of  The  Brethren  Evan- 
gelist will  look  at  the  life  and  thought  of  this  man  who  was  the 
guiding  spirit  of  the  Brethren  movement. 


June  1979 


arnage: 


I'wo  IBecoming   One 


God's  intent  for  nnarriage,  says  Jim  Sluss,  is  that  a  man  and 
a  woman  achieve  an  enduring  oneness. 


HERE  comes  the  bride.  .  .  .  Here  comes 
the  groom.  .  .  .  Here  comes  the  min- 
ister." So  sang  my  boy  the  other  day.  I 
quickly  remembered  when  I  had  sung  the 
same  little  ditty.  I  also  was  reminded  that 
in  actuality,  the  sounds  of  marriage  are  not 
as  pronounced  today.  Rather,  the  alterna- 
tive of  simply  becoming  ''daytime  friends 
and  nighttime  lovers"  is  the  perverted 
option  being  taken  by  many  in  this  day. 

Simply  living  together  supposedly  pre- 
serves individual  freedom  from  responsibil- 
ity, commitment,  promise,  legal  entangle- 
ment, and  even  social  security  reduction.  It 
also  avoids  the  problem  of  divorce,  to  which 
marriage  is  the  chief  contributor.  The 
popularity  of  this  alternative  would  seem 
to  be  making  the  institution  of  marriage 
extinct — hke  the  English  word  ''marij" 
from  which  the  word  marriage  was  derived. 

The  living-together  relationship  generally 
smacks  of  the  reverse  of  all  that  marriage 
is  supposed  to  be.  Often  the  arrangement 
is  simply  for  the  self-gratification  of  the 
body  needs  of  the  persons  involved  and 
progresses  no  further.  This,  sad  to  say,  is 
also  true  of  many  so-called  marriages. 

Marriage  in  the  truest  sense,  aside  from 
cultural  practices  with  regards  to  cere- 
monies, rings,  etc.,  is  God's  idea  from 
creation.  God's  idea  is  the  oneness  of  man 
and  woman.  A  man  and  a  woman  never 
find  the  fulfillment  of  their  personalities 
until  they  have  committed  themselves  to 

Rev.  James  Sluss  is  pastor  of  the  Dutchtown 
Brethren  Church  near  Warsaw,  Indiana. 


each  other.  It  is  then  that  marriage,  in  its 
growing  love  and  development,  fulfills  the 
intention  of  God.  Marriage  is  an  exclusive 
God-amalgamation  of  enduring  oneness 
spiritually,  intellectually,  emotionally,  and 
physically.  Marriage  oneness  contrasts  with 
living-together  aloneness. 


"Marriage  is  an  exclusive  God- 
amalgamation  of  enduring  oneness 
spiritually,  intellectually,  emotion- 
ally, and  physically." 


God's   idea   of   marriage   was   set   forth 
right  at  the  beginning  of  things,  as  recorded 
in   Genesis    2    (compare   Matthew    19:5-6, 
Ephesians  5:31) : 
— It  is  not  good  that  the  man  should  be 

alone   (aloneness). 
— I  will  make  him  an  help  meet  for  him 

(oneness). 
— God  took  one  of  man's  ribs  and  made  a 

woman   ( aloneness ) . 
— God  brought  her  unto  the  man  (oneness) . 
— Man  said.  This  is  now  bone  of  my  bones, 

and  flesh  of  my  flesh   (oneness). 
— Therefore  shall  a  man  leave  his  mother 

and  father   (aloneness). 
— And  shall  cleave  unto  his  wife  (oneness). 
— And  they  shall  be  one  flesh  (oneness). 

When    God   estabUshed   the   oneness    of 
man    and    woman,    he    took   woman   from 


4 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


''We  have  chosen  to  unite  the 
flames  of  our  hearts  into 
one  strong  flame  blessed  by 
the  grace  of  God/' 


man,  brought  woman  to  man,  blessed 
them,  and  called  their  name  Adam  (Genesis 
5:2).  Man  and  woman  together  make  a 
whole  human  being.  Oneness  implies  fellow- 
ship, with  the  body  as  the  medium  for  the 
deepest  unity  of  man  and  woman. 

God  has  indicated  the  process  by  which 
the  attainment  of  oneness  is  possible.  For 
achieving  this  oneness  there  must  be  a 
leaving  and  a  cleaving. 

Marriage  is  the  establishment  of  a  new 
man-woman  relationship  which  supercedes 
other  relationships,  particularly  the  parent- 
child  relationship.  This  new  relationship  is 
realized  as  a  oneness  as  each  mate  respon- 
sibly devotes  himself/herself  to  the  other. 
Marriage  involves  leaving  other  relation- 
ships for  a  new  relationship. 

Experiencing  oneness  also  involves  the 
process  of  the  marriage  partners  cleaving 
to  one  another.  The  word  cleave,  as  used 
in  Scripture,  carries  the  idea  of  a  union  that 
is  attained  when  two  metals  are  welded 
together.  The  suggestion  is  that  of  trust 
and  reliance  on  one  another. 

Recently,  I  had  the  opportunity  to  be  a 
part  of  a  group  of  pastors  considering  the 
possibilities  of  a  pre-marital  clinic  for 
couples  planning  for  marriage.  After  look- 
ing together  at  a  model  of  a  successful 
pre-marital  clinic,  we  pastors  were  given  a 
list  of  30  questions  most  frequently  asked 
by  couples  attending  the  model  clinic  over 
the  years  of  its  existence.  It  was  interesting 
to  note  that  the  two  most  frequently  asked 
questions  were: 

(1)  To  what  extent  should  we  discuss 
our  pasts? 

(2)  How  can  a  couple  keep  in-laws  in 


drawing  by  Gayle  Reuschling 

their  place,  but  still  make  them  feel  loved 
and  necessary? 

It  was  revealing  that  these  most  fre- 
quently asked  questions  centered  on  the 
processes  by  which  oneness  becomes  real 
in  marriage.  Question  one  dealt  with 
cleaving,  while  question  two  dealt  with 
leaving.  This  reinforces  again  the  thought 
that  marriage  equals  oneness  which  is 
practically  achieved  when  there  is  leaving 
and  cleaving  in  the  relationship. 

Persons  marry  for  many  reasons.  Some 
persons  seek  sexual  fulfillment,  parenthood, 
a  social  relationship,  acceptance,  success, 
escape,  support,  a  career.  Many  of  these 
are  valid  reasons  and  are  fulfilled  by 
marriage.  However,  the  overriding  reason 
for  marriage  is  that  two  can  become  one. 
Oneness  is  the  chief  why  of  marriage. 

Several  years  ago  a  couple  whose 
marriage  ceremony  I  had  the  privilege  of 
conducting  wrote  these  lines  as  a  part  of 
their  ceremony.  They  describe  well  the  one- 
ness of  marriage. 

In  a  single  second  the  breath  of  God 
brought  life  to  man,  just  as  a  fleeting 
spark  brings  the  flame  to  a  candle. 

And  as  the  flame  of  the  candle  bobs 
and  flickers,  bestoiving  both  heat  and 
light,  so  it  is  with  our  lives  as  we 
radiate  to  those  around  us. 

Each  of  us  has  tvithin  our  hearts  a 
God-given  flame,  and  within  our  souls 
the  ability  to  choose  the  path  of  our 
lives  that  the  flame  ivill  illuminate. 

We  have  chosen  to  unite  the  flames 
of  our  hearts  into  one  strong  fl4ime 
blessed  by  the  grace  of  God.  □ 


June  1979 


Shiosh 


World  Hunger 
and 

s 


ipsnewana  oenior  v^amp 


c 


Brian  Moore  tells  how  Indiana  senior  cannpers  were  intro- 
duced to  the  realities  of  a  hungry  world. 


THE  THEME  for  Indiana  Senior  Camp, 
1978,   was   taken  from  the  book  Rich 
Christians  in  an  Age  of  Hunger,   by  Dr. 

Ronald  Sider  (Inter- Varsity  Press). 

The  objectives  for  the  camp  were  as 
follows:  (1)  Inform  our  young  people  of 
the  world's  needs.  (2)  Involve  our  young 
people  in  helping  to  meet  those  needs. 
(3)  Introduce  people  to  Jesus  Christ  as 
Savior  and  Lord.  (4)  Issue  a  call  to  Chris- 
tian service. 

Sensitizing  the  young  people's  con- 
sciences to  our  materialistic  philosophy  in 
the  face  of  the  crying  needs  of  humanity 
around  the  world  was  part  of  our  goal. 
Forewarning  them  to  prepare  for  hard 
times  in  the  light  of  a  possible  future  global 
struggle  was  an  additional  aim. 

We   approached  the   theme   from   many 


different  avenues  and  used  not  merely 
classes  but  various  settings  to  teach  the 
subject.  In  an  effort  to  emphasize  the 
necessity  of  sharing  and  pooling  resources, 
the  camp  leaders  divided  the  young  people 
into  '"communes." 

Each  "commune"  had  several  assign- 
ments: (1)  Collect  contributions  in  a  World 
Relief  pop-can  bank  (2)  Discuss  the  lecture 
each  morning.  (3)  Construct  and  meet 
daily  in  a  primitive  hut.  (4)  Establish  policy 
and  guidelines  for  their  life  together  as  a 
''commune."  (5)  Present  dramas  particu- 
larly suited  to  the  theme. 

All  of  the  dramas,  taken  from  the  Bible, 

Rev.  Brian  H.  Moore  is  pastor  of  the  Ardmore 
Brethren  Church,  South  Bend,  Ind.,  and  served 
as  director  of  the  1978  Indiana  Senior  Camp. 


'"'■    .      ■     •        ■;.'•■■■     '    ."  drawing  by  Gayle  Reuschling 

Some   tables  had  plenty   to   eat;  other  tables  had  almost  no  food. 


g 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


were  done  exceptionally  well.  In  addition, 
the  entire  camp  sang  ''The  TV  Victim's 
Lament"  (page  48  in  Sider's  book),  includ- 
ing additional  verses  composed  by  the 
young  people.  They  really  got  the  idea! 

On  three  afternoons  two  simulation 
games  were  utilized  to  elaborate  the  nature 
of  the  problem  of  world  hunger.  We 
played  Baldicer,  which  dramatically  por- 
trays the  rich  getting  richer  and  the  poor 
being  oppressed  and  helpless.  Starpower 
was  a  similar  simulation  game.  Through 
their  participation,  the  young  people  ex- 
perienced some  of  the  frustration,  selfish- 
ness, and  threats  inherent  in  today's 
troubled  world. 

On  Monday  evening  the  entire  camp 
viewed  the  WRC  film,  "Haiti  .  .  .  Mountains 
Beyond  Mountains."  Then,  building  on  this 
background,  on  Tuesday  evening  two 
young  men  from  northern  Indiana  who  had 
been  to  Haiti  came  to  speak  and  present 
some  slides.  Wednesday  evening  we  viewed 
another  WRC  film,  "Africa:  The  Beat 
Goes  On."  These  three  evening  programs 
both  underscored  the  problem  of  world 
hunger  and  helped  explain  its  causes. 

Thursday  noon  we  surprised  the  young 
people  with  a  "trick  meal" :  some  tables  had 
large  bowls  with  plenty  to  eat ;  other  tables 
had  small  bowls  (dessert  dishes)  and  al- 
most no  food.  Campers  with  large  bowls 
were  allowed  to  get  up  from  their  tables 
to  get  more;  those  with  small  bowls  were 


not  allowed  to  get  up  from  their  tables.  We 
almost  had  a  riot  on  our  hands! 

Soon  the  campers  got  the  message :  those 
who  had  food  to  spare  could  get  up  and 
serve  those  who  had  nothing.  But  before 
all  were  satisfied,  we  again  could  see  the 
world  situation  in  miniature:  those  with 
food  fed  themselves  first;  some  did  not 
want  to  be  bothered  to  serve  anyone  else; 
some  of  those  who  did  not  have  food  were 
ready  to  break  the  rules  and  steal  from 
the  others. 

Friday  evening  featured  a  "fasting"  meal, 
with  only  light  soup.  Teenage  kids  don't 
appreciate  that  approach! 

On  Sunday  morning  the  pop-can  banks 
were  opened.  A  total  of  about  $75  had  been 
collected  from  the  "communes"  to  send  to 
World  Relief.  This  amounted  to  approx- 
imately $1.00  per  camper.  Also,  the  group 
in  charge  of  the  camp  newspaper  sold  their 
issues  for  5^  per  copy  and  donated  the 
money  to  their  pop-can  bank. 

The  goal  of  the  Indiana  sununer  camp 
was  that  Christian  young  people  see  and 
respond  to  the  needs  around  us.  We  who 
planned  these  experiences  wanted  the 
campers  to  develop  a  philosophy  of  life 
which  minimizes  material  gain  and  incor- 
porates Jesus'  attitude  and  teachings  about 
wealth.  We  hope  that  Senior  Camp,  1978, 
in  Indiana  helped  to  mold  and  fashion  some- 
what that  wholly  Christian  philosophy  in 
the  lives  of  our  teenagers.  □ 


What  do  I  choose 

if  I  choose 
the  ministry? 


A   unique   opportunity  to: 

— enter  lives  with   truth   and   help 

— seek  the   highest   good 

— serve   "even   the   least  of  these" 

— share   in   lives   trying   to   make  the   hard   decisions 

The   choice   is   yours.  Talk  it   over  with   your   pastor,   or  contact: 

National  Ministerial  Recruitment  Committee,  cy^o  Charles  Munson 
910  Center  Street,  Ashland,  Ohio     44805 

presented  as  a  public  service 


June  1979 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


Freedom  to  Minister 


According  to  Fred  Finks,  if  the  Brethren  Church  is  to  nnove 
forward  with  pronnise,  it  must  do  so  with  freedom. 


T  HAVE  been  requested  to  give  my  opinions 

on  the  outlook  for  the  Brethren  Church 
in  the  eighties.  First,  let  me  indicate  the 
viewpoint  from  which  I  am  writing. 

I  have  been  the  pastor  of  the  Winding 
Waters  Brethren  Church  in  Elkhart,  Ind., 
for  the  past  seven  years.  During  that  time, 
the  church  has  grown  from  a  struggling 
congregation  of  70  to  a  vibrant,  full  of  life 
"family"  of  250.  We  have  just  finished  our 
first  year  in  our  new  sanctuary  and  look 
forward  to  the  future  with  promise. 

Seven  years  in  the  pastorate  have  a  way 
of  mellowing  a  person  and  of  reforming 
his  previous  misconceptions.  When  I  grad- 
uated from  seminary,  I  was  disillusioned 
with  the  Brethren  Church  and  wondered 
what  its  future  held.  The  church  seemed 
to  me  to  be  static  and  dry.  The  things  that 
were  taking  the  most  time  and  sapping  the 
most  energy  seemed  to  me  to  be  petty, 
trivial  non-essentials.  My  most  penetrating 
question  was,  "What  shape  will  the  church 
take  in  the  years  to  come?" 

As  I  stated  above,  seven  years  have 
mellowed  and  matured  my  outlook.  There  is 
a  place  for  our  church.  It  is  important.  And 
most  important,  the  structures  of  the 
church  vary.  There  are  places  where  a 
"body  life"  structure  is  the  best  form.  But 
there  are  also  places  for  the  house  church 
and  for  the  traditional  structure.  Further- 
more, as  people  and  situations  change,  the 
church  must  change  to  meet  the  needs  of 
those  people.  (Note,  I  did  not  say  the  church 
must  compromise  its  message.  But  it  must 
be  willing  to  change  its  thrust  in  an  effort 
to  win  others  for  Christ.) 

As  an  illustration,  a  prominent  downtown 
church  caught  in  a  neighborhood  in  tran- 
sition may  change  from  a  traditional, 
formal,  high-church  structure  to  an  infor- 
mal,   totally    non-traditional    structure    in 


order  to  better  meet  the  needs  of  its  new 
constituency.  At  the  same  time,  what  is 
good  for  churches  in  California  may  not  be 
good  for  churches  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
vice  versa. 

The  hope  that  I  see  for  the  Brethren 
Church  comes  directly  from  the  center  of 
this  very  truth.  We  must  allow  our  churches 
the  freedom  and  Christian  liberty  they  need 
to  minister  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  to 
people  who  are  hurting,  beaten  down,  dis- 
couraged and  searching.  What  good  is  a 
lighthouse  with  its  light  turned  off?  What 
good  is  a  rescue  boat  that  has  no  sailors? 
What  good  is  a  church  that  locks  its  doors 
or  turns  its  back  on  the  very  people  who 
need  it  the  most? 

Before  I  go  any  further,  let  me  affirm 
that  I  am  no  doomsday  prophet,  nor  am  I 
pessimistic  about  the  future.  Quite  the 
opposite  is  true.  I  see  a  bright  future  for 
our  church  as  it  comes  of  age.  Last  year, 
for  the  first  time  in  over  ten  years,  the 
national  total  church  membership  stopped 
its  decline  and  began  heading  upward! 

For  the  past  two  years,  I  have  been 
working  on  a  doctorate  in  Church  Growth 


Rev.  Frederick 

J.  Finks  is 

pastor  of  the 

Winding  Waters 

Brethren  Church 

in  Elkhart,  Ind. 


8 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


u 


Our  future  will  be  great  if  we  can  just  put  all  our  petty 
grievances  behind  and  concentrate  on  the  task  of  win- 
ning men  and  women  to  Jesus  Christ/' 


at  Fuller  Theological  Seminary  in  Pasadena, 
Calif.  This  new  field  of  study  is  only  the  tip 
of  an  iceberg.  The  rest  of  the  iceberg  is 
only  beginning  to  come  into  view.  What 
some  of  our  people  have  termed  a  fad  is 
proving  to  be  a  vital  area  of  concern  for 
the  American  church.  The  future  of  the 
church  is  promising  because  people  are 
searching  out  the  problems  that  have  long 
crippled  its  progress.  Healing  is  taking 
place  and  the  church  is  moving. 

In  my  studies,  I  have  become  highly 
aware  of  a  tremendous  happening.  Coming 
together  from  all  over  America  are  pastors 
of  varying  age,  race,  belief,  and  thought. 
Many  denominations  are  represented,  either 
by  pastors  or  by  denominational  leaders. 
We  come  together  with  differences  in  belief, 
doctrine,  view  of  Scripture,  etc.  But  in 
no  time  at  all,  we  are  jelled  together  into 
a  fellowship  where  trust  and  acceptance 
abound  freely.  No  one  is  challenged,  no 
debates  or  strong  rhetoric  fill  the  air.  A 
close  observation  reveals  why — a  common 
belief  in  Jesus  Christ  as  Lord  and  Savior 
permeates  our  being,  and  belief  and  doc- 
trine come  a  distant  second. 

A  close  observation  of  our  own  denom- 
ination reveals  that  this  kind  of  trust  and 
fellowship  are  a  long  way  off.  Why  can  we 
cross  denominational  lines  easier  than  we 
can  find  the  truth  among  our  own  ?  I  believe 
the  issue  is  one  of  permitting  freedom  to 
abound. 

I  have  been  teaching  I  Corinthians  in  a 
Bible  study  here  at  Winding  Waters  and 
have  been  astounded  by  the  similarities 
between  the  modern  church  and  the  Corin- 
thian Church  of  Paul's  day. 

Paul  was  adept  at  breaking  down  bar- 
riers: 'There  is  neither  Jew  nor  Greek, 
there  is  neither  slave  nor  free,  there  is 
neither  male  nor  female;  for  you  are  all 
one  in  Christ  Jesus"  (Gal.  3:28).  He  sought 
to  heal  the  divisions  in  the  Corinthian 
Church  by  upholding  the  unity  they  shared 
in  Christ.  "For  I  decided  to  know  nothing 
among  you  except  Jesus  Christ  and  him 
crucified"   (I  Cor.  2:2). 

Divisions  and  disagreements  exist  in  our 
churches  today.  Instead  of  recognizing  the 


rights  and  freedoms  of  others,  we  have 
sought  to  squeeze  them  into  our  own  par- 
ticular molds  of  belief.  It  is  time  for  us  to 
recognize  the  freedoms  of  others,  for  under- 
neath all  is  the  common  ground  we  share — 
Jesus  Christ  as  Lord. 

The  Brethren  Church  has  a  great  future. 
Dr.  Peter  Wagner  stated  during  a  recent 
Church  Growth  Seminar  at  Ashland  Theo- 
logical Seminary  that  even  though  the 
Brethren  Church  has  faced  an  alarming 
decrease  in  membership  in  the  past  ten 
years,  this  trend  can  be  turned  around 
"because  the  Brethren  Church  has  the 
gospel/^ 

Our  future  will  be  great  if  we  can  just 
put  all  our  petty  grievances  behind  and  con- 
centrate on  the  task  of  winning  men  and 
women  to  Jesus  Christ.  The  energy  that 
was  expended  on  the  baptismal  issue  alone 
for  all  those  years  could  have  and  should 
have  been  directed  outward  to  the  reaching 
of  others  instead  of  inward  upon  ourselves. 

Can  we  permit  freedom  to  exist  among 
ourselves?  I  believe  the  answer  is  yes!  We 
can  and  we  must.  With  freedom  comes 
responsibility — to  God,  to  others,  and  to 
ourselves.  I  honestly  believe  that  we  can 
act  responsibly  with  Christ  leading  us. 
Furthermore,  if  we  follow  the  footsteps  and 
leading  of  Christ,  the  reward  will  be  great. 

The  Apostle  Paul  discussed  spiritual  gifts 
with  the  Corinthians.  In  his  discussion,  he 
used  the  analogy  of  the  human  body.  Each 
part  of  the  body  has  a  different  shape  and 
function,  but  together  the  parts  form  a 
living,  breathing  person.  The  same  is  true 
of  the  body  of  Christ  (His  church).  ''For 
just  as  the  body  is  one  and  has  many  mem- 
bers, and  all  the  members  of  the  body, 
though  many,  are  one  body,  so  it  is  with 
Christ"    (I  Cor.  12:12). 

As  a  pastor,  I  challenge  each  church  to 
respond  to  the  needs  of  those  who  surround 
it  and  to  allow  our  brothers  and  sisters  to 
do  the  same.  Let  us  recommit  ourselves  to 
the  call  of  Christ  and  strive  to  do  His  will 
with  vigor  and  enthusiasm.  Let  us  recognize 
the  uniqueness  of  our  creation,  be  freed  to 
express  it,  and  minister  responsibly  to  God, 
to  others,  and  to  ourselves.  □ 


June  1979 


St.  Luke 
Brethren  Church: 


A  Church  That  Wouldn't  Die 

by  James   I.   Naff,    pastor 


THE  rural  church  today  has  little  to 
celebrate.  Any  trip  into  the  countryside 
discloses  numerous  dead,  closed,  and  decay- 
ing country  churches.  They  are  not  hard 
to  find. 

But  March  25,  1979,  the  Southeast 
District  celebrated  with  one  that  is  alive, 
well,  and  growing.  Partaking  of  the  back- 
bone of  the  mountains  under  whose  shadow 
it  nestles,  the  congregation  of  Brethren  in 
St.  Luke  Community,  Virginia,  refused  to 
die. 

The  celebration  packed  200  district 
people  into  an  auditorium  designed  to  seat 
only  100.  They  heard  former  pastors  Fels 
Lam,  Doc  Shank,  and  Kent  Bennett  speak 
of  the  spirit  that  produced  a  church  that 
would  not  die.  Musical  groups  from 
Maurertown,  St.  James,  and  St.  Luke 
thrilled  their  souls. 

And  there  was  cause  to  celebrate!  In 
March  of  1976,  the  Southeast  District 
Mission  Board  promised  financial  aid  so 
that  a  tentmaker  pastor  could  shepherd 
this  flock.  When  the  mission  board  discon- 
tinued all  aid  exactly  three  years  later,  the 
congregation  had  grown  considerably: 

30%  increase  in  worship  attendance 

(see  graph) ; 
20%  increase  in  Sunday  school 

attendance   (see  graph) ; 
90%   increase  in  conversions   (9  in 

1977,  11  in  1978) ; 
25%  increase  in  membership   (from 
64  to  81) ; 
150%  increase  in  income. 
Plus  $16,000  in  capital  improvements,  in- 
cluding purchase  of  one  acre  for  expansion, 
and    an    increase    from    two    services    per 
month  to  services  every  Sunday. 

Why  did  this  rural  congregation  grow 
instead  of  die? 


Like  Nehemiah's  volunteers,  'The  people 
had  a  mind  to  work."  This  mind  to  work 
is  expressed  in: 

VISION :     we  can  grow  if  we  want  to. 

DRIVE:     we've  never  failed  at 
anything  we've  tried. 

UNITY:     people-pastor  team  effort. 

FAITH:     let's  trust  God  and  get  busy. 

WORK:  all  shoulders  to  the  wheel. 
So  where  from  here?  It's  so  easy  to  rest 
on  past  glories.  But  no!  To  stand  still  is 
to  slide  back.  There  are  people  to  win. 
There  is  work  to  be  done.  Future  plans  are 
on  the  board — regular,  planned  visitation 
outreach,  facilities  expansion,  the  pastor 
fully  supported  by  the  congregation. 

Let's  try.  We've  never  failed  to  finish 
anything  we've  started.  We  can  do  it  if  we 
trust  the  Lord.  WE'LL  DO  IT!  Praise  the 
Lord! 

Attendance  Graph 


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10 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


r 


I  I 


the  salt  shaker 


by  Alvin  Shifflett 


If    someone    were    to    rate    your   church's    worship 
service,  would  it  be  approved? 


Approved  Unto  Plageni 


THIS  church  approved  by  George  R. 
Plagenz." 

That's  what  you  may  read  in  the  future 
as  you  pass  a  church  in  the  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
area.  The  religion  editor  of  the  Cleveland 
Press,  Mr.  George  R.  Plagenz,  visits  church- 
es on  Sunday  and  writes  a  review  of  the 
service  for  Monday  afternoon's  paper. 

Since  last  February  this  ambitious 
columnist,  a  Harvard  Divinity  School  grad- 
uate, has  been  dropping  in  unannounced  at 
churches  and  synagogues  around  the 
Cleveland  area. 

Plagenz  rates  a  church  in  four  categories : 
worship  service,  music,  sermon,  and  friend- 
liness of  the  congregation.  Up  to  three  stars 
are  given  in  each  category.  This  means  a 
church,  if  it's  deserving,  could  obtain  twelve 
stars — for  excellence.  So  far,  only  two 
churches  have  received  this  twelve-star 
rating. 

Needless  to  say,  Mr.  George  R.  Plagenz 
is  not  popular  with  the  churches  he  has 
visited — except  the  two  receiving  high 
ratings,  of  course. 

Plagenz  has  been  called  everything  from 
a  spiritual  detective  to  an  atheist  to  a 
downright  carnal  troublemaker.  One  pastor 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  editor  criticizing 
Plagenz  (who  had  given  his  church  a  poor 
rating)  and  said:  *'He  sneaks  into  our  midst 
unannounced,  pulls  out  his  double-barreled 
typewriter  and  lets  us  have  it." 

Plagenz  hasn't  been  easy  on  sermons. 
Many  of  them  are  rated  poor.  Plagenz 
claims  that  pastors  make  statements  which 
are  not  backed  up  and  that  their  thoughts 
ramble.  Many  sermons  show  a  lack  of 
preparation  and  poor  flow  of  thought. 

He  also  attacks  the  organists,  at  least 
some  of  them.  No  one  is  immune  from  this 
man's  typewriter.  Plagenz  claimed  that  one 


man  played  the  organ  as  if  it  were  his  own 
private  recital.  The  congregation  couldn't 
begin  to  sing  with  him,  nor  did  the  organist 
seem  to  care.  Of  course,  Plagenz  was 
messing  around  with  the  war  department 
of  the  church  when  he  began  to  criticize 
the  music! 

What  really  gets  the  wrath  of  Cleveland 
worshipers  is  when  he  gives  them  a  rating 
of  poor  in  friendliness.  In  one  column  he 
said,  ''I  felt  I  had  walked  in  uninvited  to  a 
private  club." 

Maybe  Plagenz  is  playing  God.  But  he 
does  have  a  point.  And  he's  certainly  made 


"Plagenz  hasn't  been  easy  on  ser- 
mons. .  .  .  (He)  claims  that  pastors 
make  statements  which  are  not 
backed  up  and  that  their  thoughts 
ramble." 


his  point  in  Cleveland.  He  says,  '1  want  to 
find  out  why  people  don't  go  to  church." 

One  thing  for  certain,  pastors  in  the 
Cleveland  area  are  taking  longer  in  sermon 
preparation — making  sure  of  their  argu- 
ments. And  congregations  are  bending  over 
backwards  to  be  friendly.  After  all,  Mr. 
Plagenz  might  be  there — incognito — taking 
notes. 

The  interesting  thing  is  that  the  Lord 
might  be  rating  these  churches  all  the  time. 
Thank  goodness,  he  doesn't  publish  His 
ratings!  At  least  not  yet. 

Do  you  suppose  Plagenz  is  a  prophet? 
Sorry,  I  merely  asked.  □ 


June  1979 


11 


ministerial  student  aid 


THE  DOLLAR  SQUEEZE 


THE  1978-79  school  year  has  seen  an 
increase  in  both  the  number  of  Brethren 
pre-seminary  and  seminary  students  and 
in  the  scholarship  funds  paid  to  them  by 
the  Ministerial  Student  Aid  Fund.  There- 
fore, we  exceeeded  the  1977-78  year  in  our 
giving  to  those  who  are  in  training  for  the 
Brethren  ministry. 

During  the  past  year  fifteen  different 
pre-seminary  students  received  grants 
totaling  $7,500.00.  Seventeen  seminary 
students  received  a  total  of  $8,260.00  in 
grants.  Thirteen  of  the  pre-seminary  stu- 
dents are  attending  Ashland  College  and 
two  are  attending  other  colleges. 

In  the  calendar  year  1978  we  received 
$9,596.95  from  our  Brethren  congregations. 
This  is  a  decrease  in  giving  from  1977!  It 
is  becoming  increasingly  difficult  for  us  to 
help  these  students  to  any  significant 
degree  because  of  the  rising  costs  of  edu- 
cation and  the  lack  of  increase  in  our 
funds. 

We  praise  God  for  the  two  special  gifts 
which  we  received  in  1978.  They  totaled 
$12,678.98!  We  found  it  necessary  to  use 
$2,778.98  for  scholarships,  and  we  have 
put  the  remaining  ten  thousand  dollars  in 
a  money  market  certificate.  We  are  hoping 
that  we  can  use  the  interest  from  this 
investment  to  provide  more  aid.  However, 
if  our  offerings  do  not  increase,  we  may 
find  it  necessary  to  use  this  ten  thousand 
dollars. 

I  hope  you  are  getting  the  message — the 
number  of  students  committing  their  lives 
to  the  Brethren  ministry  is  increasing;  the 
amount  of  giving  for  their  educational 
training  is  not  increasing!  We  are  aware 
that  some  congregations  are  giving  special 
gifts  of  money  to  support  those  from  their 
own  churches  who  are  studying  for  the 
Brethren  ministry.  However,  we  pray  that 
our  congregations  will  also  see  God's  will 
leading  them  to  increase  their  giving  in 
1979  to  the  Ministerial  Student  Aid  Fund. 


by   Bradley  Weidenhamer 


Our  young  people  whom  God  has  called  into 
full-time  Christian  service  in  the  Brethren 
Church  need  our  financial  assistance! 

Please  make  your  contributions  payable 
to  Ministerial  Student  Aid  Fund  and  send 
them  to  Rev.  Brad  Weidenhamer,  631 
Buena  Vista,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805.  □ 


Student  Aid 


MINISTERIAL  STUDENT  AID  is  vital 
to  the  training  of  Brethren  pre- 
seminary  students.  On  an  annual  basis, 
college  tuition  costs  more  than  three  times 
as  much  as  a  year  at  seminary.  Thus,  it  is 
important  that  we  do  all  we  can  to  help 
our  potential  church  leaders  at  this  crucial 
stage  of  their  educational  life.  Ministerial 
Student  Aid  can  ease  the  financial  strain 
and  make  it  possible  for  students  to  move 
directly  into  seminary  instead  of  seeking 
full-time  employment  before  going  on. 

The  Brethren  Church  is  reaching  out  into 
new  areas — both  in  home  and  foreign  fields. 
We  know  the  age-old  story:  the  fields  are 
still  ripe.  Our  goal  must  be  to  enable  as 
many  workers  as  possible  to  get  into  the 
harvesting  act  ...  as  quickly  as  possible. 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Inflation  and  Student  Aid 


INFLATION  is  not  only  a  news  item.  It  is 

a  practical  reality  in  everyone's  life. 
Essential  living  costs,  including  rent,  food, 
clothing,  and  transportation,  are  primary 
concerns  of  the  student.  Five  years  ago 
inflation  could  be  modified  by  select  living 
and  purchasing.  Today,  however,  inflation 
is  across  the  board. 

The  first  question  perspective  students 
at  Ashland  Theological  Seminary  ask  is 
''Where  do  I  live?"  They  assume  we  are 
teaching  the  best  biblical  courses  and  that 
we  will  prepare  their  lives  for  the  most 
effective  ministry.  Their  immediate  concern 
is  where  and  how  do  they  live  while  getting 
this  education. 

The  students'  costs  for  renting  an  apart- 
ment, for  tuition,  and  for  food  and  trans- 
portation all  are  affected  by  inflation.  There 
is  no  escape. 

The  student's  dilemma  in  an  era  of  infla- 
tion is  that  because  he  is  a  part-time 
worker,  he  is  always  at  a  very  minimum 
wage.  Full-time  and  skilled  workers  can 
compensate  somewhat  for  inflation.  How- 
ever, part-time  student  work  is  always  at 
the  bottom  of  the  ladder.  The  result  is  that 
inflation  has  a  decidedly  negative  impact 
on  students. 


by  Joseph    R.   Shultz 


Ministerial  Student  Aid  is  the  answer  for 
students  preparing  for  the  gospel  ministry. 
Ministerial  Student  Aid  helps  the  student 
''balance  the  budget." 

Ministerial  Student  Aid  is  a  means  by 
which  the  church  can  show  its  definite 
interest  and  concern  for  future  church 
leaders.  Students  seeking  to  find  their  way 
in  life  need  this  support — not  only  finan- 
cially, but  also  for  the  love  and  concern 
which  it  represents. 

Gifts  and  offerings  for  Ministerial  Stu- 
dent Aid  must  reflect  the  reality  of 
inflation.  Thank  you  for  your  loving 
support  in  the  past.  □ 


at  the  College  Level 


The  following  Ashland  College  students 
have  received  Ministerial  Student  Aid. 
Your  giving  has  provided  $7,500.00  toward 
their  combined  need  of  approximately 
$75,000.00  this  year. 

Jon  Barber,  Senior,  Herndon,  Va. 
James  F.  Black,  Senior,  Ashland,  Ohio 
John  Black,  Sophomore, 

Milledgeville,  111. 
Charles  T.  Bowers,  Jr.,  Freshman, 

Fairplay,  Md. 
Jerry  L.  Fike,  Senior,  Ashland,  Ohio 
Douglas  Heestand,  Junior, 

Alliance,  Ohio 
David  C.  Kerner,  Junior, 

Ft.  Wayne,  Ind. 
Danny  L.  Lawson,  Junior, 
Wabash,  Ind. 


Jeffrey  M.  Lentz,  Senior, 

Nappanee,  Ind. 
Steven  R.  McPherson,  Sophomore, 

Bellefontaine,  Ohio 

Scot  D.  Millhouse,  Sophomore, 
Sterling,  111. 

Timothy  J.  Rowsey,  Sophomore, 

St.  James,  Md. 
William  R.  Shafer,  Junior, 
Waterloo,  Iowa. 
Two  other  young  men,  Darrell  Crissman, 
a  freshman  at  Geneva  College,  and  Fred 
Miller,  a  junior  at  Penn  State  University, 
also  received  assistance. 

The  committee  hopes  it  will  be  possible 
to  continue  this  important  grant-in-aid 
program.  □ 


June  1979 


13 


A  Strategy 
For  Reaching  Unbelievers 


Arden  Gilmer  interviews  Dr.  Ralph  W.  Neighbour,  Jr. 


The  annual  Brethren  Pastors'  Conference 
ivas  held  at  the  Park  Street  Brethren 
Church  in  Ashland,  Ohio,  May  1-3,  1979. 

The  program  for  the  conference  was  a 
TOUCH  seminar.  The  ten  sessions  of  this 
seminar  were  led  by  Dr.  Ralph  W.  Neigh- 
bour, Jr.,  and  Mr.  Charles  Aranyas. 

Brethren  pastors  attended  from  as  far 
aivay  as  California,  Arizona,  and  Florida, 
in  addition  to  those  from  the  less  distant 
areas  of  the  Brethren  Church.  Fifty-four 
pastors  and  nine  seminary  students  were 
registered  for  the  conference,  tvith  other 
ministers  visiting  a  few  of  the  sessions. 

Dr .  Neighbour  is  pastor  of  the  West 
Memorial  Baptist  Church  of  Houston, 
Texas,  and  the  founder  and  developer  of 


TOUCH  ministries.  Mr.  Aranyas  is  director 
of  Unlimited  Strategy  Evangelism  and 
director  of  TOUCH  Productions. 

TOUCH  stands  for  Transforming  Others 
Under  Christ's  Hand  and  is  a  proven  way 
of  reaching  the  unreached.  Basic  to  the 
TOUCH  philosophy  is  the  conviction  that 
ALL  Christians  are  ministers  and  that  the 
church  MUST  equip  the  ministers  to  "min- 
ister as  they  go!" 

While  Dr.  Neighbour  was  in  Ashland,  he 
was  interviewed  by  Rev.  Arden  Gilmer, 
Director  of  Home  Missions  for  the  Brethren 
Church.  That  interview,  which  follows, 
deals  with  some  of  the  basic  points  Dr. 
Neighbour  and  Mr.  Aranyas  presented  to 
the  pastors  during  the  conference. 


Arden  Gilmer:  Ralph,  I'd  like  to  begin 
by  expressing  to 
you  my  personal 
appreciation  for 
your  ministry 
among  us  Breth- 
ren and  in  my 
personal  life  in 
the  last  couple 
of  days. 

Would  you 
share  with  us 
what  your  cur- 
rent area  of  min- 
istry is  and  some 
of      the      major  Rev.  Arden  Gilmer 

things    in   your    spiritual    pilgrimage    that 
have  brought  you  to  where  you  are  now? 

Ralph  Neighbour:  At  the  present  time 
I  am  serving  as  the  pastor  of  a  "parable 
church"  in  Houston,  Texas.  By  ''parable 
church"  I  mean  one  that  is  deliberately 
experimenting  with  new  concepts  because 
most  traditional  churches  are  unable  to  do 
this.  Our  desire  is  to  try  to  seek  those  ways 
that  God's  Holy  Spirit  will  penetrate  the 
exploding,  urbanizing  world  in  the  next 
twenty  years. 


AG:  As  you  began  this  church  ten 
years  ago,  what  were  some  of  the  basic 
concepts  you  had  in  mind  and  sought  to 
implement  in  its  ministry? 

RN:  I  came  from  many  years  of  de- 
nominational positions  with  a  deep  frustra- 
tion because  I  recognized  that  pastors  and 
congregations  were  communicating  only  to 
those  who  were  already  sympathetic  toward 
the  gospel.  Yet  49  percent  of  the  American 
public,  according  to  a  Gallup  Poll,  do  not 
attend  any  church  or  synagogue,  and  we 

ignore  them  be- 
cause we  don't 
have  a  strategy 
to  reach  them. 
I  did  not  know 
what  that  strat- 
egy was,  but  I 
knew  there  had 
to  be  one.  The 
only  way  to  do  it 
was  to  become 
a  pastor  and  to 
find  out  for  my- 
self how  I  could 
Dr.  Ralph  Neighbour  lead  people  into 
becoming  ministers  of  the  gospel  and  pene- 


14 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


a 


There  are  too  many  churches  that  pay  their  preacher 
to  be  holy  on  their  behalf,  and  the  members  of  the 
church  never  envision  themselves  as  ministers  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ." 


trate  the  pagan  world.  So  our  target  area 
has  been  the  unbehever  who  will  not  be 
caught  dead  in  his  own  coffin  in  a  church 
building. 

AG:  What  are  some  of  the  mmistries 
you  have  found  effective  in  reaching  that 
group  of  people? 

RN:  Well,  first  of  all,  the  effective 
ministries  did  not  happen  inside  the  church 
building.  For  many  years  we  had  no  church 
building.  When  we  finally  built  one,  because 
of  our  experience  with  outsiders  we  erected 
a  building  that  does  not  look  inside  or  out- 
side like  a  church.  It's  neutral  ground 
where  people  can  come. 

Secondly,  we  discovered  that  everybody 
has  a  hole  in  his  heart  and  that  you  can 
drive  the  gospel  in  a  large  moving  van 
through  that  hole  into  a  lost  man's  heart. 
So  we  began  to  determine  the  needs,  in- 
terests, and  concerns  of  lost  people,  and 
around  these  we  developed  what  we  call 
TOUCH  ministries — ministries  that  touch 
the  unbeliever  with  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

AG :  You  spoke  of  every  unbeliever  hav- 
ing a  hole  in  his  heart.  Just  exactly  what 
do  you  mean  by  that  and  how  can  we 
Christians  go  about  discerning  what  that 
hole  is? 

RN:  There  are  five  different  kinds  of 
heart  holes;  social,  intellectual,  spiritual, 
physical,  and  emotional.  Sometimes  there 
will  be  an  overlapping  between  them.  Many 
people  who  feel  socially  inadequate  will 
respond  to  a  course  like  personality  develop- 
ment. Those  with  a  spiritual  need  in  their 
life  will  respond  to  a  Bible  study.  Those 
with  an  emotional  need  may  respond  to 
something  like  a  care  group  for  divorcees. 
Those  with  an  intellectual  need  will  respond 
to  something  like  my  atheists'  club,  in 
which  we  study  C.  S.  Lewis's  Mere  Chris- 
tianity. Those  with  physical  needs  will 
respond  to  recreation,  like  basketball  or 
touch  football  or  a  running- jogging  group 
or  anything  of  this  sort. 


AG:  Say  we  have  an  established  con- 
gregation that  is  beginning  to  sense  that  it 
needs  to  be  reaching  this  outsider  group. 
How  might  it  begin  that  process?  Where 
would  it  begin? 

RN:  The  first  step  would  be  for  the 
people  to  ask  their  pastor  to  become  a 
coach  rather  than  a  hired  holy  man.  There 
are  too  many  churches  that  pay  their 
preacher  to  be  holy  on  their  behalf,  and  the 
members  of  the  church  never  envision  them- 
selves as  ministers  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  If  the  congregation  would  request 
the  pastor  to  become  an  equipper  and  the 
members  see  themselves  as  the  ministers, 
that  would  be  the  first  step. 

The  second  step  would  be  for  the  pillars 
of  the  church,  who  for  years  have  spent 
all  of  their  time  keeping  the  church  alive, 
to  deliberately  get  out  of  the  church  island 
for  a  little  bit  and  observe  the  unbelieving 
world  around  them  and  get  their  hearts 
broken  over  the  needs  of  the  world  they're 
ignoring.  Then,  after  that,  the  steps  will 
begin  to  come  automatically.  It's  getting 
going  that  is  the  hard  part. 

AG:  To  broaden  our  scope  a  little,  you 
have  done  some  study  of  the  trends  in 
America  today.  What  trends  do  you  see 
and  how  do  they  affect  the  future  ministry 
of  the  church? 

RN:  Four  trends:  The  first  one  is  the 
population  explosion.  In  the  entire  history 
of  man,  from  Adam  until  now,  we  have 
finally  accumulated  about  4  billion  people 
on  the  face  of  the  earth.  In  only  25  years, 
by  the  turn  of  the  century,  that  number 
will  have  exploded  to  7.2  billion.  So  the 
population  explosion  is  the  first  thing. 

The  second  thing  is  the  population 
implosion.  People  are  moving  to  cities;  the 
world  is  becoming  urban.  Those  congrega- 
tions that  continue  to  think  with  a  rural 
mentality  will  be  in  serious  trouble  in  the 
next  20  years. 

The  third  thing  is  pluralization.  Our 
country  now  has  so  many  differing  offer- 


JUNE  1979 


15 


. . .  if  every  member  of  every  congregation  would  spend 
two  to  four  hours  a  week  with  three  to  five  unbeHevers, 
the  rate  of  baptisms  would  be  immediately,  shockingly 
increased/' 


ings,  whether  it  be  breakfast  cereals  or 
religions,  that  the  more  choices  you  have 
to  make  the  less  value  every  individual 
thing  has  to  your  choosing. 

The  fourth  thing  is  privatization.  The 
church  is  trapped  inside  the  world  of  the 
private  individual.  A  man  does  not  receive 
as  much  satisfaction  from  his  work  as  he 
feels  he  should,  so  he  has  his  private  world 
and  he  does  not  mix  his  public  world  in  his 
private  world.  The  church  in  America  has 
been  captured  in  the  private  sector. 

The  crucial  danger  is  the  privatizing  of 
religion  in  general  by  what  is  called  the 
electric  church.  Martin  Marty  has  indicated 
that  there  are  over  20  million  ''born  again" 
Christians  in  America  today  who  have 
absolutely  nothing  to  do  with  any  congre- 
gation. They  get  all  their  religion  on  the 
television  set.  As  a  result,  Marty  sees  a 
sterile  generation  of  Christians  that  is  in- 
capable of  reproducing  another  generation 
of  Christians  coming  out  of  these  private 
people.  It's  one  thing  to  have  a  deeply  per- 
sonal religion,  but  to  have  a  privatized 
religion  is  to  be  sterile  and  unable  to  bear 
children. 

I  think  the  greatest  danger  is  among  the 
most  pietistic  groups  that  have  the  most 
solid  belief  in  the  Word  of  God  and  whose 
doctrines  have  been  least  affected  by  lib- 
eralism. In  an  attempt  to  remain  pure,  they 
have  withdrawn  from  the  reality  of  the 
needs  of  people.  As  a  result,  they  could 
easily  dry  up  and  blow  away.  If  John  were 
alive  today,  I  think  he  would  write  to  them 
and  say,  "You  have  left  your  first  love. 
Return!" 

AG:  Let's  just  say  that  I  am  a  lay  mem- 
ber in  my  church.  I've  heard  my  pastor 
say  that  I  should  be  a  witness  and  I  think 
I  ought  to  be  doing  it,  but  I  don't  know  how. 
Where  should  I  begin? 

RN:  You  cannot  do  this  until  you  have 
a  model  to  observe.  It  is  not  a  matter  of 
being  trained  with  knowledge ;  it  is  a  matter 
of  observing.  Sharing  your  faith  is  much 
like  learning  to  ride  a  bicycle.  You  don't 
learn  it  from  a  book.  You  learn  it  by  doing. 
The  easiest  way  to  learn  it  is  to  see  some- 
body else  do  it. 

I  would  go  to  my  pastor  and  ask  him  to 
take  me  with  him  as  he  deals  with  the  lost 


— to  be  my  partner  as  I  attempt  to  pene- 
trate a  group.  I  would  then — and  this  is 
most  important — set  aside  from  two  to  four 
hours  in  my  week,  every  single  week  with- 
out fail,  that  I  will  spend  with  non- 
Christians  in  fellowship,  ministry,  witness, 
and  cultivation  with  them.  And  I  will  limit 
my  ''case  load"  at  any  point  in  time  to  no 
more  than  five.  I  can't  win  the  whole  world 
at  once,  but  if  every  member  of  every 
congregation  would  spend  two  to  four 
hours  a  week  with  three  to  five  unbelievers, 
the  rate  of  baptisms  would  be  immediately, 
shockingly  increased. 

AG:  If  I  have  come  from  a  Christian 
home,  have  been  raised  by  Christian  par- 
ents, and  have  had  little  relationship  with 
outsiders  throughout  my  life,  developing 
relationships  with  unbelievers  would  be  a 
very  threatening  thing  for  me.  How  might 
I  go  about  it? 

RN:  We  have  a  TOUCH  basic  training 
course  that  is  designed  to  help  a  person 
move  out  of  this  religious  culture  into  the 
community  of  unbelievers.  But  it  doesn't 
happen  quickly.  It  takes  an  hour  and  a  half 
a  week  for  11  weeks  in  training  sessions, 
plus  daily  study  at  home.  Individual  weekly 

"If  you  are  going  to  be  strong  in 
the  next  generation,  there  nnust  be 
a  wave  of  young  nnen  conning  into 
the   pulpit." 

assignments  are  also  given  of  things  to 
observe  or  questions  to  ask  of  unbelievers. 
What  we  try  to  do  is  transplant  the  person 
who  is  imprisoned  within  the  walls  of  the 
church  into  a  communicating  Christian  in 
the  unbelieving  world.  It  takes  time  to  do 
this.  If  it  is  attempted  too  quickly,  people 
become  terrified  by  the  experience. 

AG:  Is  it  possible  that  churches  have 
so  many  what  you  call  "come  structures** 
that  they're  keeping  people  so  busy  coming 
to  the  church  that  they  have  little  time  left 
to  go  and  develop  these  kind  of  relation- 
ships. That  does  take  time,  doesn't  it? 

RN :  Precisely !  The  pillars  of  the  church 
who  ought  to  be  most  effective  in  reaching 


16 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


the  lost  are  spending  3  to  5  nights  a  week 
inside  the  building.  It's  obvious  that  some- 
thing inside  that  building  has  to  be  slacked 
off  if  those  same  solid,  committed  Chris- 
tians are  going  to  have  time  to  spend  with 
unbelievers.  Churches  are  going  to  have  to 
get  honest  in  this  exploding  earth  and 
decide  what  is  really  good  and  cut  out  some 
things  inside  the  church  building  so  people 
are  free  to  spend  time  with  unbelievers. 

AG:  Through  our  pastors'  conference 
this  week,  you  have  had  some  brief  ex- 
posure to  the  Brethren,  I  am  interested  in 
some  of  your  impressions  that  you  have 
right  now  of  being  with  the  Brethren  for 
awhile. 


"So  if  you  want  to  grow  as  a 
denomination,  the  greatest  impact 
must  be  placed  upon  church 
planting." 


RN:  I  frankly  feel  quite  close  to  the 
Brethren  movement,  because  in  your  de- 
nominational group  you  have  a  direct 
access  to  a  pastor  and  his  people  without 
a  great  deal  of  machinery  on  top  of  them. 
I  commend  you  for  your  constant  intention 
not  to  be  involved  with  great  hierarchical 
systems,  and  I  think  this  will  keep  you  a 
liquid  movement  able  to  flow  quickly  in  a 
certain  direction. 

But  I  also  see  you  bound  by  traditions 
which  lock  you  out  of  the  emerging  world. 
I  think  that  the  danger  for  you  is  not 
theological,  but  the  fear  of  giving  up 
tradition.  I  think  any  tradition  that  is 
precious  and  healthy,  like  the  one  you  have 
of  sharing  your  lives  together  in  the  com- 
mon meal,  is  something  which  must  be 
always  preserved.  But  I  think  the  fear  of 
losing  your  identity  sometimes  keeps  you 
from  having  a  viable  identity  in  the  chang- 
ing world. 

AG:  What  would  you  say  are  some  of 
the  priorities  for  the  Brethren  Church  in 
the  next  five  or  ten  years? 

RN:  If  you  are  going  to  be  strong  in 
the  next  generation,  there  must  be  a  wave 
of  young  men  coming  into  the  pulpit.  This 
means  that  in  order  for  this  to  happen,  you 


must  also  create  new  ministries,  new  church 
fields  so  that  there  can  be  a  place  for  a 
widening  clergy  to  begin  to  serve. 

AG:  How  important  do  you  believe  it  is 
for  a  denomination  our  size  to  be  actively 
and  intentionally  involved  in  planting  new 
churches? 

RN:  I  think  it's  the  life  blood.  Many 
church  growth  studies  have  indicated  that 
the  younger  a  church  is  the  faster  it  grows. 
The  older  the  church  is  the  more  slowly  it 
grows.  I  recall  one  survey  taken  of  a  church 
which  started  seven  churches  in  seven 
years.  The  total  growth  of  those  seven 
churches  was  a  line  that  went  almost 
straight  up  on  the  chart.  If  that  church 
would  have  occupied  itself  only  in  growing 
internally,  the  growth  line,  instead  of  going 
straight  up,  would  have  been  a  slow  slope 
up  the  scale.  So  if  you  want  to  grow  as  a 
denomination,  the  greatest  impact  must  be 
placed  upon  church  planting. 

AG:  How  do  you  feel  about  the  church 
in  America?  Are  you  optimistic  or 
pessimistic? 

RN:  I  believe  the  church  is  the  incarna- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ,  and  I  am  always 
excited  about  it.  I  believe  that  it  belongs 
to  our  blessed  Lord,  and  He  will  not  let  it 
fail.  I  see  many  signs  that  the  church  is 
adjusting  itself  to  the  new  culture  of 
secularism  that  surrounds  it,  and  I  am  just 
thrilled  and  excited  to  be  alive  in  this  day. 
I  can  hardly  keep  from  resenting  the  time 
it  takes  me  to  sleep  at  night  because  things 
are  happening  so  fast.  I  have  every  exciting 
feeling  about  what  will  happen  to  the 
church  in  the  next  20  years. 

AG:  Ralph,  many  of  us  in  the  Brethren 
Church  feel  that  way  as  well,  and  we  believe 
that  Jesus*  promise  when  He  said,  "I  will 
build  my  church,"  is  a  promise  for  all  time. 

RN:     Amen  and  Amen. 

AG:  Thank  you.  Dr.  Neighbour,  for 
sharing  with  us. 

Dr.  Neighbour  is  author  of  seven  hooks: 
Witness  Take  the  Stand;  The  TOUCH  of  the 
Spirit;  The  Seven  Last  Words  of  the  Church; 
This  Gift  Is  Mine;  Journey  Into  Discipleship; 
Target-Group  Evangelism;  and  A  Survival  Kit 
FOR  New   Christians. 


June  1979 


17 


UPDATE 


news   from   the   Brethren   Church 


Moderator's   Report 

by   Rev.   Duane   Dickson 

I  have  stood  on  the  top  of  a  steep  mountain 
looking  at  the  beautiful  panorama  before  me. 
The  quiet  atmosphere  seems  to  radiate  the 
presence  of  the  God  of  all  creation. 

The  silence  is  suddenly  shattered  by  the 
movement  of  a  small  animal.  As  the  animal 
moves,  a  small  stone  is  dislodged  and  begins 
to  tumble  down  the  side  of  the  mountain.  Soon 
the  small  stone  becomes  two,  then  four,  and 
the  one  small  stone  soon  becomes  an  uncon- 
trollable mass  of  rocks  moving  down  the  side 
of  the  mountain.  This,  too,  reminds  me  of  the 
presence  of  God  in  a  most  powerful  way,  for  I 
see  here  the  principle  of  Christian  growth. 

We  come  face  to  face  with  God  in  a  moun- 
tain-top experience  we  call  conversion,  and  as 
we  stand  on  this  mountain,  we  gaze  around 
us  in  awe  and  amazement,  for  we  are  indeed  in 
the  presence  of  God.  It  is  an  exhilarating 
experience.  Then  we  begin  to  realize  that  we 
are  not  alone  and  that  we  cannot  stay  on  the 
mountain  top  forever.  On  the  side  of  the  moun- 
tain are  multitudes  hidden  in  the  shrubs  and 
crevices  who  have  not  had  their  mountain-top 
experience. 

From  behind,  we  feel  a  gentle  push — ^God  is 
moving  us  from  our  safe  vantage  point — and 
we  begin  our  journey  down  the  side  of  the 
mountain.  On  our  way  we  make  contact  with 
persons,  first  one,  then  two,  and  the  force 
multiplies.  When  we  come  to  a  stop,  sometimes 
battered  and  worn,  we  resdize  that  God  has 
protected  us.  We  gather  in  our  arms  all  we 
have  carried  down  the  mountain  and  laboriously 
carry  them  to  the  top,  where  they  can  also 
enjoy  the  view.  Then  we  wait  patiently  for  the 
gentle  push  that  will  send  us  and  our  multitude 
down  the  side  of  the  mountain  to  gain  an  even 
greater  harvest. 

We  tend  to  complicate  God's  plan  for  finding 
the  lost  when,  in  reality,  God's  plan  seems  to 
work  best  in  a  very  uncomplicated  way.  We 
allow  God  to  have  complete  control  over  our 
lives,  and  we  find  that  every  day  God  causes 
us  to  make  contact  with  multitudes  of  people. 
We  approach  them  in  love,  tell  them  about  the 
beautiful  view  from  the  mountain  of  God,  and 
carefully  lead  them  up  the  mountain  until  they 
can  personally  see  Him.  Then  we  make  them 
aware  of  the  waiting  multitudes  and  wait  for 
God's  command  to  go  again,  and  they  will  go 
with  us. 

II  Timothy  2:2 


S.  So  contest  gets  results 
at  Oak  Hill 

Oak  Hill,  W.  Va. — An  increase  in  attendance  of  30 
this  Easter  over  Easter  a  year  ago  was  one  result 
of  a  Sunday  school  contest  held  at  the  First 
Brethren  Church  of  Oak  HiU,  W.  Va.  Lots  of  new 
faces  in  the  church  was  another. 

The  contest  was  called  "Stepping  Up  to  Easter" 
and  ran  from  March  11  through  Easter  Sunday. 
Sunday  school  members  were  divided  into  two 
teams — "Leapers,"  captained  by  S.S.  Superin- 
tendent Roger  Boggs,  and  "Walkers,"  headed  by 
Fred  Myers. 

These  team  names,  though  a  bit  unusual,  are 
biblical,  being  based  on  the  lame  man  in  Acts 
chapter  3,  who,  when  healed  by  Peter  and  John, 
went  walking  and  leaping  (and  praising  God)  into 
the  Temple.  The  theme  song  for  the  contest, 
appropriately  enough,  was  "Silver  and  Gold  Have 
I  None." 

Points  were  given  to  each  team  for  attendance, 
bringing  Bibles,  and  bringing  visitors.  In  addition 
to  a  winning  team,  there  were  also  individual 
winners.  The  five  Sunday  school  members  on  each 
team  who  accumulated  the  most  points  were  given 
prizes. 

A  visitation  program  was  also  conducted  in 
conjunction  with  the  contest.  This  program  is  still 
in  progress. 

The  "Leapers"  won  the  contest  and  were  treated 
to  a  carry-in  dinner  by  the  "Walkers."  But  with  an 
increase  in  attendance  of  30,  the  big  winner  was 
the  Oak  Hill  Sunday  school.  And  the  members 
there,  like  the  lame  man  in  Acts  3,  are  praising 
the  Lord. 

— ^from  information  provided  by 
Mrs.  Ollie  Foy,  Oak  Hill,  W.  Va. 


Former  Brefhren  missionary  sfabbed 

Brooklyn,  N.Y. — Former  Brethren  missionary 
Robert  O.  Byler  was  stabbed  in  the  arm  by  a  drug 
addict  on  or  around  April  1. 

The  incident  occurred  in  the  entrance  to  a 
Brooklyn  police  station  where  Byler  had  gone 
with  a  young  man  of  his  congregation  to  report 
an  automobile  accident.  The  assailant,  known  to 
have  little  love  for  the  police,  apparently  mistook 
Byler  for  a  police  officer. 

Byler  was  taken  to  an  area  hospital  in  serious 
condition  but  is  now  fully  recovered. 

Rev.  Byler  and  his  wife  Jane  served  as  Brethren 
missionaries  in  Argentina  from  1948  to  1966.  He 
is  now  pastor  of  the  Dean  Street  Baptist  Church 
in  Brooklyn. 


18 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Southwest  Confer 
contributes 


update 


ars  Gilmer,  Diclcson; 
Northwest  Chapel 


The  Southwest  District  Conference  was  held 
April  20-22,  1979,  at  the  Papago  Park  Brethren 
Church,  Tempe,   Arizona. 

The  conference  theme  was  "If  My  People  Will," 
based  on  II  Chronicles  7:14:  "Then  if  my  people 
will  humble  themselves  and  pray,  and  seek  me, 
and  turn  from  their  wicked  ways,  I  wiU  hear  them 
from  heaven  and  forgive  their  sins  and  heal  their 
land." 

Rev.  Arden  Gilmer,  Director  of  Home  Missions, 
brought  messages  on  Friday  evening  and  Saturday 
morning.  He  stressed  that  God  calls  us  His  people 
and  that  to  pray  and  seek  His  face  are  our 
privileges. 

Rev.  Duane  Dickson,  national  Conference 
Moderator,  brought  messages  on  Saturday  eve- 
ning and  Sunday  morning.  He  reminded  us  that 
there  is  wickedness  in  the  world  and  sin  in  the 
lives  of  Christians  because  of  the  lack  of  genuine 
love  for  man  inside  and  outside  the  church.  We 
must  each  one  have  a  total  and  complete  commit- 
ment to  Jesus  Christ  and  share  Him  with  the 
community  around  us.  Our  churches  will  be 
changed  when  we  listen,  God  answers,  and  we  act. 
II  Timothy  2:2  is  our  challenge. 

Geographically,  we  of  the  Southwest  District 
feel  quite  removed  from  operations  at  national 
headquarters.  It  was  good  to  be  updated  on 
denominational  happenings  by  representatives 
Rev.  Dickson,  Rev.  Gilmer,  and  Rev.  Smith  Rose. 
We  share  in  prayer  and  praise  to  God  for  work 
being  done  by  our  fellow  Brethren. 

During  business  sessions,  revisions  in  district 
by-laws  and  appointments  to  committees  and 
boards  were  made.  An  election  of  officers  for  the 
coming  year  was  also  conducted.  Officers  for  the 
new  year  are:  moderator — Robert  Rhoades,  vice 
moderator — Clarence  Stogsdill,  secretary — Betty 
Price,  assistant  secretary — Fran  Curtis,  treasurer 
— 'Jim  Fisher,  assistant  treasurer — Jim  Holsinger, 
statistician — Doris  Stogsdill,  and  assistant  stat- 
istician— Ruth  Hill. 

It  was  good  to  have  the  youth  take  an  active 
part  in  this  conference.  Special  music  was  present- 
ed on  Friday  evening  by  three  young  ladies  from 
Papago  Park — Shelia  Leedy,  Michiko  Kinsley,  and 
Sandra  MacDonald.  They  gave  their  testimonies  by 
singing,  with  guitar  accompaniment,  their  own 
arrangements.  God  is  working  in  young  lives. 

On  Saturday  evening  we  enjoyed  music  by  the 
Bell  Choirs  from  First  Brethren  Church,  Tucson. 
The  junior  choir  was  directed  by  Mrs.  Mary 
Roberts  and  the  senior  choir  was  directed  by  Mrs. 
Carmen  Swingle.  These  young  people  have  been 
performing  in  the  Tucson  area,  and  we  felt  it  a 
great  blessing  to  have  them  on  our  program. 

During  the  conference  two  presentations  were 
made  to  Rev.  William  Curtis  toward  the  construc- 


tion of  the  new  Northwest  Brethren  Chapel.  The 
Tucson  First  Brethren  Church  presented  $2,000 
and  the  Papago  Park  congregation  presented 
$1,035. 

We  are  looking  forward  to  a  great  year  in  ser- 
vice to  our  Lord.  It  will  be  a  pleasure  to  be  able  to 
hold  our  conference  next  year  in  a  new  church  in 
the  Southwest  District — the  Northwest  Brethren 
Church  of  Tucson.  Rev.  Curtis  and  the  congrega- 
tion expect  to  move  into  the  new  building  in  mid 
summer. 

— Betty  Price,  Secretary 

Southwest  District   Conference 

Membership  Growth 

Vinco:     5  by  baptism 

Roann:     4  by  baptism 

Wabash:     5  by  baptism 

Canton  Trinity:     6  by  baptism,  2  by  transfer 

Valley:     3  by  baptism,  1  by  transfer 

3  by  reaffirmation  of  faith 

Derby:     9  by  baptism,  6  by  transfer 

Meadow  Crest:     4  by  transfer 

Ardmore:     2  by  transfer 

Oak  Hill:     7  by  baptism 

Oakville:     8  by  baptism 

County  Line:     7  by  baptism,  3  by  transfer 


Left  to  right,  Tanya  Clowdis,  Angela  Covington, 
Kristine  House,  Angela  Smith,  Sheri  Covington, 
Heidi  House,  and  (not  shown)  Jay  Clowdis  and  Robin 
Clowdis  were  baptized  at  the  Oakville,  Ind.,  Brethren 
Church  on  March  11. 


The  Jonestown,  Guyana,  tragedy  was  the  most 
widely-known  event  of  1978,  according  to  a  Gallup 
poll.  The  poll  showed  that  98  percent  of  Americans 
were  aware  of  the  event. 

■ — EP  News  Service 


June  1979 


19 


update 


Missionary  Board  announces 
new  staff  members 


Stanley  Gentle:  Office  Manager 

The  Missionary  Board  of  the  Brethren  Church 
is  pleased  to  announce  the  appointment  of  Stanley 
E.  Gentle  as  the  Board's  Office  Manager.  He 
assumes  his  duties  June  18th,  coming  to  Ashland 
after  serving  for  three  years  as  Assistant  Admin- 
istrator of  the  Brethren's  Home,   Flora,   Indiana. 

Mr.  Gentle  graduated  from  Ashland  College  in 
1970,  then  attended  the  University  of  Arizona  at 
Tucson  for  three  years.  Following  this,  he  served 
three  years  in  Santa  Cruz,  California,  as  a  com- 
puter operator  before  beginning  Christian  service 
at  the  Brethren's  Home. 

Stanley  is  married  to  the  former  Judy  Johnson, 
who  also  attended  Ashland  College.  They  have  two 
sons:  Stephen  age  8,  and  Paul  age  5.  Stanley  is 
the  son  of  the  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Spencer  Gentle, 
pastor  of  the  First  Brethren  Church,  Goshen,  Ind. 

The  Gentles  have  been  active  in  the  Brethren 
Church  for  most  of  their  lives.  They  were  youth 
advisors  at  Tucson's  First  Brethren  Church  and 
have  shared  leadership  in  the  First  Brethren 
Church  of  Flora.  Mr.  Gentle  joins  the  staff  of  the 
Missionary  Board  as  he  continues  his  lay  ministry 
in  Christian  service. 


Jan  Dahring:  Secretary-Receptionist 

The  national  Missionary  Board  is  happy  to 
present  Mrs.  Richard  (Jan)  Dahring  to  members 
and  friends  of  the  Brethren  Church.  Mrs.  Dahring 
became  secretary  and  receptionist  for  the  Mission- 
ary Board  on  March  19th,  assuming  some  of 
the  responsibilities  of  Mrs.  Delbert  (Marion) 
Mellinger,  who  retired  February  28th  after  more 
than  fifteen  years  of  service. 


Mrs.  Richard 

Dahring  became 

secretary  and 

receptionist  for 

the  Missionary 

Board  on 

March  19th. 


The  Dahrings  served  as  missionaries  to  Sierra 
Leone,  West  Africa,  for  three  years  under  the 
Board  of  Missions  of  the  United  Brethren  Church, 
Huntington,  Indiana.  Richard  is  now  nearing  com- 
pletion of  his  training  at  Ashland  Theological 
Seminary,  where  he  will  be  earning  his  Masters 
of  Arts  in  Missions  degree.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren: Andrew  10,  Erika  7,  and  Corrie  Elizabeth  5. 

Jan  brings  to  her  work  a  first-hand  knowledge 
of  foreign  missionary  service,  together  with  an 
earnest  commitment  to  the  Lord  and  a  desire  to 
be  of  service  through  the  offices  of  the  Missionary 
Board. 

Stanley  E.  Gentle  will  become  Office  Manager 
for  the  Missionary  Board  on  June  18th. 


Say   it   with   flowers   at   General   Conference 


Do  you  remember  the  beautiful  flowers  on  the 
platform  at  General  Conference  last  year?  The 
presence  of  a  few  plants  did  much  to  lift  the 
spirits  of  Conference  delegates. 

Flowering  plants  are  also  being  planned  for 
this  year's  Conference  platform.  The  Executive 
Committee    of    General    Conference    is    inviting 


Brethren  people  to  send  a  memorial  donation  for 
these  plants. 

The  need  is  for  five  potted  plants,  which  will 
cost  $25.(X)  each.  If  you  are  interested  in  making 
a  donation  in  memory  of  a  friend  or  loved  one, 
you  may  send  it  to  the  General  Conference  Plant 
Fund,  524  College  Ave.,  Ashland,  OH  44805. 


20 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 

Gretna  church  sets  attendance  record; 
begins  addition  to  sanctuary 


Bellefontaine,  Ohio — ^^The  Gretna  Brethren  Church 
has  set  a  goal  of  "29  in  79" — that  is,  of  increasing 
its  average  attendance  in  1979  by  29  over  the 
1978  average. 

Eariy  indications  are  that  this  goal  will  be  met! 
On  Easter  Sunday  a  record  168  people  attended 
the  worship  service  (in  a  sanctuary  which  nor- 
mally seats  only  120!).  This  was  approximately  25 
more  than  the  previous  record  attendance. 

Two  approaches  are  being  used  to  achieve  this 
goal  of  "29  in  79."  One  approach  is  to  win  new 
people  to  Christ  and  to  bring  them  into  the  fellow- 
ship of  the  church.  This  has  resulted  in  12  first- 
time  decisions  and  four  transfers  of  membership 
in  the  past  couple  of  months.  In  addition  five  new 
families  recently  began  attending  the  church  and 
have  indicated  an  interest  in  becoming  a  part  of 
the  fellowship. 

The  second  approach  to  meeting  the  goal  is  an 
attempt  to  reactivate  inactive  families.  This  has 
resulted  in  at  least  two  families  again  becoming 


active,  and  others  showing  signs  of  doing  the 
same. 

In  order  to  accommodate  the  growth  that  is 
taking  place,  the  Gretna  Brethren  congregation 
voted  on  April  2nd  to  build  an  addition  to  the 
front  of  the  church  sanctuary.  To  provide  suffi- 
cient parking  space,  the  congregation  also  decided 
to  nearly  double  the  size  of  the  parking  lot. 

The  new  addition  wiU  be  lO-by-30  feet  and  will 
include  a  new  platform  area,  a  new  pastor's 
office,  and  a  small  Sunday  school  room.  At  the 
same  time  as  this  addition  is  being  built,  the  entire 
church  building  is  being  insulated  and  covered 
with   aluminum    siding. 

Perhaps  the  best  part  of  the  building  project, 
which  began  May  1,  is  that  the  cost  estimate 
given  by  the  contractor  was  about  half  what  the 
congregation  expected. 

Watch  future  issues  of  the  Evangelist  for  an 
update  on  the  Gretna  building  project  and  for  a 
report  on  the  goal  of  "29  in  79." 


Louisville  First  observes  unique  service 


Louisville,  Ohio — Palm  Sunday  at  the  Louisville 
Brethren  Church  was  the  occasion  of  a  unique  and 
truly  wonderful  Christian  experience  for  all  those 
who  attended  the  evening  service.  We,  as  Brethren, 
have  all  participated  in  the  three-fold  communion 
service,  trine  immersion  baptism,  and  laying  on 
of  hands.  But  to  witness  and  participate  in  all 
three  on  the  same  evening  is  a  most  unusual  and 
uplifting  experience  of  God's  love. 

The  evening  service  began  with  Darlene 
McFarland,  Peg  McFarland,  and  Vickie  Reynolds 
giving  witness  to  their  first-time  commitment  by 
submitting  to  God's  will  in  baptism.  Doug  Shook 
followed  in  baptism  as  he  transferred  his  mem- 
bership  from   another  church. 

Following  the  baptisms.  Dr.  Richard  Allison 
and  Deacon  Bill  Williams  laid  hands  on  those 
who  had  been  baptized  and  extended  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship  to  each.  It  was  fitting  and 
moving  that  this  laying  on  of  hands  took  place 
in  the  same  room  as  the  Love  Feast  (which 
followed),  thus  recalling  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
visited  the  Apostles  in  the  Upper  Room. 

This  was  also  a  special  occasion  for  Dr.  Allison, 
who  shared  that  he  had  conducted  his  first 
baptismal  service  at  First  Brethren  in  Louisville. 

The  blessings  of  the  evening  were  not  only 
experienced  by  the  members  of  First  Brethren, 
but  were  shared  with  friends  from  other  churches 


in  the  community.  These  visitors  expressed  the 
feeling  of  warmth  and  love  with  which  the  Holy 
Spirit  filled  all  who  were  present. 

We  at  First  Brethren  continue  to  see  the  will 
of  God  working  in  our  lives  as  we  hear  of 
answered  prayer,  experience  spiritual  growth,  and 
watch  our  youth  make  their  commitment  to 
Christ.  Much  credit  must  be  given  to  our  youth 
leaders  who,  despite  obstacles,  have  performed 
out  of  love. 

It  is  a  joy  to  anticipate  and  experience  the  love 
of  God  in  our  worship  services  and  our  Sunday 
school.  We  are  thankful  that  God  has  given  us 
many   answers   to  prayer. 

It  is  with  grateful  appreciation  that  we  acknowl- 
edge the  dignified  and  loving  manner  in  which 
Rev.  Virgil  Meyer  and  Dr.  Richard  Allison  have 
ministered  to  us  and  led  us  through  these  past 
months.  God  in  His  eternal  wisdom  saw  fit  to 
bring  these  men  to  Louisville's  First  Brethren 
Church  at  a  time  when  He  knew  we  needed  them 
most. 

We  are  also  looking  forward  to  the  ministry  of 
Rev.  John  Brownsberger,  who  will  begin  serving 
our  congregation  in  July.  We  are  grateful  that 
God's  Holy  Spirit  is  leading  us  all  to  be  coopera- 
tive and  loving. 

— David  L.  Scheurer,  Moderator 
Louisville  First  Brethren  Church 


June  1979 


21 


update 


Charles 
Director 


to  become 
f  Chrisfian  Educafion 


The  Board  of  Chris- 
tian Education  is  very 
happy  to  announce 
that,  at  its  May  5th 
meeting,  Mr.  Charles 
Beekley  was  hired  to 
fill  the  position  of 
Director  of  Christian 
Education. 

An  Ashland,  Ohio, 
resident,  Mr.  Beekley 
has  been  highly  in- 
volved in  BCE  work 
on  the  local  and  dis- 
trict levels.  He  has 
served  for  two  years 
on  the  General  Con- 
ference executive  corn- 
Mr.  Charles  Beekley  mittee  and  is  present- 
ly a  student  at  Ashland  Theological  Seminary. 
Mr.  Beekley  will  be  observing  the  BCE  work  this 


Garber  Company  celebrates 


1 

Ashland,  Ohio— This  year  The  Garber  Company 
of  Ashland — a  commercial,  folding  carton,  and 
specialty  packaging  printing  company — is  cele- 
brating its  100th  anniversary. 

What  makes  this  of  interest  to  Brethren  people 
is  that  this  company  was  founded  by  Aaron  Leedy 
Garber,  a  minister  in  the  Brethren  Church.  This 
Brethren  elder  was  also  editor  of  the  Brethren 
Evangelist  from  1886  to  1889  and  a  part  owner 
of  the  magazine  from  1884  to  1889. 

The  Garber  Company  is  important  to  the 
Brethren  Church  for  another  reason:  several  of 
the  men  who  have  worked  in  the  Brethren 
Publishing  Company  print  shop  got  their  start 
in  printing  at  Garber.  This  includes  two  men 
currently  employed  by  the  Publishing  Company — 
Dale  Gardner,  who  runs  the  presses,  and  Bill 
Edmondson,  who  makes  up  the  forms  for  the 
presses. 

A.  L.  Garber  made  his  entry  into  printing  in 
Bellville,  Ohio,  when  he  bought  a  small  press  to 
print  religious  tracts  and  pamphlets.  When 
Ashland  College  was  founded  in  1878,  Garber  de- 
cided to  move  his  press  to  Ashland. 

In  1879  he  began  printing  school  and  church 
publications  and  then  started  the  weekly  news- 
paper, the  Ashland  Sun.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  the  A.  L.  Garber  Company.  From  those  humble 
beginnings  has  grown  a  company  which  last  year 
had  over  $19  million  in  sales. 

Garber    began    his    business   with    a    hand   fed 

22 


summer  and  will  help  with  the  Crusader  Program 
and  Youth  Convention.  He  will  assume  full  duties 
as  director  on  September  1. 

Summer  Crysaders  and  Interns 
begin  service 

JUNE!  This  is  the  month  that  all  the  planning 
and  anticipation  turns  into  reality  for  the  BCE 
and  the  Summer  Crusaders  and  Interns.  Two 
interns  start  service  as  early  as  June  3.  Crusader 
teams  come  to  Ashland  June  10-16  for  orientation 
and  begin  their  service  on  the  17th.  Twenty-five 
excited  young  people  will  find  themselves  very 
busy,  very  soon. 

In  addition  to  the  four  teams  listed  in  the  April 
Evangelist  (page  21),  the  BCE  is  proud  to 
announce  the  assignment  of  the  following  team 
and  Interns: 

1979  Caaup  Crusaders 

Nancy  Wilson — Masontown,  Pa. 
Darrell  Crissman — Brush  Valley,  Pa. 
Intern  to  St.  Petersburg,  Fla. 

Mary  Ellen  Bates — Waynesboro,  Pa. 

Intern  to  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Evan  Bridenstine — Smithville,  Ohio 
"Summer  Crusader  Update"  is  a  newsletter  sent 
during  the  summer  to  anyone  who  has  contributed 
financially  or  volunteered  to  be  a  Prayer  Warrior 
for  1979.  The  first  issue  is  already  printed  and 
mailed.  If  you  have  not  received  the  "Update"  and 
would  like  to,  just  send  your  name  and  address 
to  the  BCE,  524  CoUege  Avenue,  Ashland,  Ohio 
44805. 

press  capable  of  printing  a  sheet  six  inches  by 
eight  inches.  Among  its  many  presses.  The 
Garber  Company  now  has  one  which  will  print 
up  to  six  colors  on  a  sheet  77  inches  wide.  The 
company  also  has  a  one-of-its-kind,  computer- 
controlled  "superpress"  which  can  print,  diecut, 
coat,  and  stack  paperboard  cartons  all  in  one  con- 
tinuous  operation. 

Nearly  everyone  has  seen  printing  done  by  The 
Garber  Company.  The  company  prints  the  packag- 
ing for  Puffs  tissues,  Pepperidge  Farm  products. 
Cling  Free  sheets,  Quaker  100%  Natural  Cereal, 
GE  light  bulbs,  and  many  other  products. 

A.  L.  Garber  died  in  1942,  but  the  company  he 
founded  lives  on.  It  is  now  owned  by  five  Ashland 
residents. 

As  part  of  its  100th  anniversary  celebration. 
The  Garber  Company  held  open  house  on  May  20. 
Area  people  were  treated  to  a  tour  of  the  plant, 
gifts,  and  refreshments. 

The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Campus  Ministry  Year-End  Report 


A  Time  For  Reform 


Year-end  reports  are  almost  always  dull 
recitations  designed  to  play  up  minor  successes 
and  conceal  shortcomings.  After  all,  who  likes  to 
face  the  music?  Nevertheless,  I  will  try  in  the 
next  few  paragraphs  to  bring  you  up  to  date  on 
the  Brethren  sponsored  ministry  to  Ashland 
College  students.  In  order  to  do  that,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  provide  a  bit  of  background. 

It  is  no  secret  to  the  Brethren  Church  that 
Ashland  College  has  experienced  serious  difficulty 
in  its  campus  life  over  the  past  several  years. 
Many  of  us  have  been  saddened  to  see  unwar- 
ranted damage  to  residence  halls  and  other 
campus  facilities.  We  have  expressed  reservations 
(and  objections)  to  some  student  life  policies 
introduced  since  the  late  sixties.  These  were  years 
of  nationwide  student  unrest,  and  Ashland  College, 
like  other  institutions  of  higher  education,  was 
deeply  affected.  Radical  changes  were  made  for  a 
variety  of  reasons.  Some  changes  were  healthy. 
Others  were  not. 

In  this,  my  first  year  on  campus,  I  have  worked 
with  faculty,  staff,  administrators,  and  students 
to  address  problems  resulting  from  undesirable 
change.  There  is  a  general  consensus  that  current 
student  life  policies  threaten  our  traditional 
academic  standards,  contribute  to  unsatisfactory 
social  conditions  in  some  of  the  residence  halls, 
and  place  undue  financial  stress  on  an  already 
tight  budget.  The  time  has  come  for  reform. 

In  an  all-campus  convocation  held  Tuesday,  May 
8,  1979,  President  Schultz,  in  a  brief  statement, 
outlined  the  first  steps  to  reform.  He  said  in  part: 

You  will  be  treated  as  mature  individuals, 
and  as  a  part  of  that,  you  will  be  held  account- 
able for  the  choices  you  make  .  .  .  whether 
they  are  good  choices  or  poor.  You  will  be 
expected  to  use  common  sense  and  good  judg- 
ment, to  conform  to  the  policies  and  regulations 
currently  existing.  You  will  be  permitted  the 
freedom  of  choice,  but  we  will  actively  pursue 
our  right  to  pass  judgment  on  the  appropriate- 
ness of  that  choice. 

It  is  no  longer  safe  to  think  or  say  "I  pay 
$5,000  a  year  to  go  here,  I  can  do  as  I  want." 
We  are  neither  bound  by  your  dollars,  by  your 
numbers,  nor  by  your  behavioral  norms.  We 
not  only  expect,  but  will  demand  that  you 
conduct  yourselves  appropriately  in  your  daily 


Dr.   Burkey  is  Director  of  Religious  Affairs  and 
Campus   Ministry   for   Ashland   College.  . 


by   Frederick  T.   Burkey 

activities,    interactions   with   faculty,   staff,   and 
with   one  another. 

Let  me  proceed  further.  The  behavior  of 
this  entire  year  suggests  to  many  of  us  that  a 
total  re-examination  of  social  and  academic 
rules  of  conduct  is  in  order.  This  we  also  intend 
to  do.  Let  there  be  no  question  that  this  re- 
assessment will  be  done  or  any  misunderstand- 
ing that  the  behavior  of  this  entire  year  is  ample 
indication  that  it  needs  to  be  done. 

I  believe  this  is  a  hopeful  sign  for  improved 
church-college  relations.  Throughout  this  year  my 
staff  has  worked  with  responsive  students  and 
faculty  in  the  usual  ways  (Bible  studies,  campus 
organizations,  counseling,  etc.)  in  the  hope  that 
needed  changes  would  come.  Students  who  wished 
to  live  on  quiet  floors  were  assisted  in  securing 
appropriate  housing.  Christians  have  been  trained 
to  assist  their  troubled  friends.  Worship  and 
entertainment  activities  have  contributed  to  a 
growing  solidarity  among  Christians  of  all  faiths. 

Within  the  next  few  months,  our  work  (and 
the  church's  investment  in  us)  will  begin  to  pay 
off.  Policies  will  be  reconsidered  and  many  will 
be  revised.  I  expect  that  the  revised  policies  will 
be  generally  acceptable  to  the  church  and  the 
many  Christians  on  campus. 

In  addition.  President  Schultz  has  given  us  the 
"go-ahead"  to  remodel  the  basement  of  Memorial 
Chapel  for  use  as  a  "campus  Christian  center" 
(as  yet  unnamed).  Jim  Miller  has  mobilized  stu- 
dent work  groups  to  clean  the  area.  When  work 
is  completed,  we  hope  to  have  an  office  for  Alpha 
Theta,  a  counseling  room  (to  be  manned  by 
seminary  students  enrolled  in  the  EMERGE  coun- 
seling program),  four  seminar /study  rooms,  a 
listening  room,  recreational  area,  canteen,  and  a 
large  assembly  area  which  can  be  expanded  by 
using   folding   doors. 

The  Christian  students  are  in  full  support  of 
this  new  center.  If  we  can  get  the  project  moving 
this  summer,  we  can  expect  unprecedented  results 
next  fall.  But  we  need  your  help.  We  have  willing 
bodies  to  do  the  work,  but  we  need  money  for 
paint,  materials,  and  equipment.  Please  join  us  in 
prayer  that  God  will  lead  us  to  the  resources  we 
need  in  this  crucial  year.  For  with  the  combina- 
tion of  positive  and  attractive  programs,  a  usable 
facility,  highly  motivated  students,  and  revised 
social  policies,   the   opportunity  is   unlimited. 

Finally,  I  urge  you  all  to  remember  us  in  your 
prayers.  Especially  support  President  Schultz  who 
must  lead  in  difficult  times.  Letters  offering 
support  and/or  suggestions  will  be  greatly 
appreciated!  .         .. 


June  1979 


23 


update 

Park  Street  Brethren  Church 
celebrates  centennial 


Ashland,  Ohio — The  First  Brethren  Church  of 
Ashland  (Park  Street)  celebrated  its  100th  anni- 
versary on  Sunday,  May  6. 

During  the  morning  Centennial  Worship  Ser- 
vice, 325  worshipers  joined  together  to  praise  God 
for  giving  this  church  100  years  in  which  to  serve 
Him. 

The  speaker  for  the  service  was  Rev.  Duane 
Dickson,  the  General  Conference  Moderator,  who 
spoke  on  "Reflection,  Perception,  and  Projection" 
— reflections  on  the  past,  perceptions  of  the 
present,   and  projections   for  the   future. 

A  special  feature  of  the  Centennial  Worship 
Service  was  the  participation  of  two  members  of 
the  church  who  are  descendants  of  former  prom- 
inent Brethren  leaders.  Mr.  Howard  Mack,  who 
led  the  prayer,  is  a  descendant  of  Alexander  Mack, 
the  founder  of  the  Brethren  denomination.  Rev. 
Robert  Holsinger,  who  read  the  Scripture  text,  is 
a  descendant  of  Henry  R.  Holsinger,  the  founder 
of  our  particular  branch  of  the  Brethren  Church. 

Following  the  worship  service,  a  fellowship 
dinner  was  served  to  225  people. 

Activities  continued  with  a  Centennial  Cele- 
bration at  2  p.m.  Speaker  for  this  service  was 
Dr.  Charles  Munson,  professor  at  Ashland 
Theological  Seminary  and  a  member  of  the  Park 
Street  congregation.  In  his  centennial  message — 
"God  in  Our  Next  100"— Dr.  Munson  told  the  190 
people  present  that  God  wants  this  church  to  be 
made  up  of  people  who  ask,  "God,  what  in  the 
world  do  you  want  us  to  do?"  and  then  do  it! 

Special  music  for  the  Centennial  Celebration 
was  provided  by  other  Brethren  churches  in  north- 
central  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Rowsey  of  the 
Ashland  Garber  Brethren  Church  sang  a  duet,  as 
did  Tom  McConahay  and  Jim  Amstutz  of  the 
Smithville  Brethren  Church.  A  trio — Regina 
Steward,  Linda  Zerbe,  and  Suzanne  Barr — repre- 
sented the  Walcrest  Brethren  Church  of  Mansfield. 
Mrs.  Victor  Humm,  a  former  choir  director  at 
Park  Street,  presented  a  vocal  solo. 

Letters  of  greetings  from  two  former  pastors 
were  read,  and  Rev.  L.  V.  King,  pastor  from  1941 
to  1946f  brought  greetings  in  person.  His  com- 
ments and  recollections  of  his  years  at  Park  Street 
were  one  of  the  highlights  of  the  service. 

During  a  time  of  recognition  of  members,  Mrs. 
Lee  Fasig  was  commended  for  being  the  longest 
baptized  member  present.  Mrs.  Fasig  was  bap- 
tized in  1906.  The  youngest  members  present — 
Angle  DeVeny  and  Angle  Weidenhamer,  both  first 
graders — were  also  introduced.  Angle  Weiden- 
hamer had  been  baptized  in  the  morning  worship 
service. 

A  further  centennial  celebration  is  planned  at 
Park  Street  for  September  21-23,  with  the  Creative 
Ministries  of  Frank  Roughton. 


Howard  Mack  (at  lectern),  a  de- 
scendant of  Alexander  Mack,  led 
the  prayer  for  the  Centennial  Wor- 
ship Service.  Rev.  Robert  Holsinger 
(behind  Mr.  Mack),  a  descendant 
of  Henry  R.  Holsinger,  read  the 
Scripture. 


Bits  'n   Pieces 

John  and  Adrienne  Holsinger  were  honored  by 
the  Oakville,  Ind.,  Brethren  Church  with  a  special 
service  and  a  carry-in  dinner  on  March  18th.  Mr. 
Holsinger  had  retired  from  his  job  as  a  mail 
carrier  and  he  and  his  wife  were  moving  to 
Phoenix,  Ariz. 

Bret  Rinehart  and  Donald  Voorhees  were  hon- 
ored by  the  deacon  board  of  the  Flora,  Ind.,  First 
Brethren  Church  at  the  annual  breakfast  for  high 
school  graduates,  held  April  29.  The  graduates 
were  presented  Bibles  by  the  Sunday  school. 

A  service  of  commitment  was  held  for  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  Claude  Stogrsdill  and  the  congregation 
of  the  Warsaw  First  Brethren  Church  on  Sunday 
morning,  April  22.  The  occasion  was  the  accep- 
tance by  Rev.  Stogsdill  of  a  3-year  call  to  the 
Warsaw  pastorate.  Rev.  Stogsdill  has  pastored 
the  Warsaw  church  since  June  1970. 

Sixty-three  residents  of  the  Brethren's  Home, 
Flora,  Ind.,  took  communion  on  Wednesday  after- 
noon, April  18.  The  service  was  administered  by 
Rev.  Alvin  Grumbling,  pastor  of  the  Flora,  Ind., 
First  Brethren  Church,  assisted  by  deacons  and 
deaconesses  of  the  Flora  church. 

Rev.  Robert  Keplinger  is  now  a  consultant  for 
Gospel  Light  Publications.  Rev.  Keplinger  is  also 
pastor  of  the  Washington,  D.C.,  Brethren  Church. 


24 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


John  Gyli  joined  in  U.S. 
by  wife  and  son 

Pasadena,  Calif.— Rev.  John  Guli's  wife  Elizabeth 
and  his  youngest  son  Njameba  (age  5)  arrived  in 
Los  Angeles  from  Nigeria,  West  Africa,  on  May 
19.  They  will  be  staying  with  Rev.  Guli  in  Pasa- 
dena until  his  graduation  from  Fuller  Theological 
Seminary  School  of  World  Missions  on  June  9th. 

Rev.  Guli,  a  Nigerian  pastor  and  church  leader, 
has  been  studying  at  the  Fuller  School  of  World 
Missions  during  the  past  year  under  the  sponsor- 
ship of  the  Missionary  Board  of  the  Brethren 
Church. 

Following  his  graduation.  Rev.  Guli  and  his  wife 
and  son  will  spend  several  weeks  visiting  friends, 
former  missionaries,  and  mission  executives  in 
the  U.S.  They  will  be  in  Ashland,  Ohio,  June  23 
to  June  28. 

Rev.  and  Mrs.  Guli  and  their  son  will  depart  for 
Nigeria  on  July  15  from  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Goldenaires 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Howard  Fisher,  55th,  June  18.  Mem- 
bers of  the  Ardmore  Brethren  Church,  South 
Bend,  Ind. 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  J.  C.  Yunker,  53rd,  May  25.  Friends  of 
the  First  Brethren  Church,  Flora,  Ind. 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Oarber  Wrig^ht,  65th,  April  15.  Mem- 
bers  of  the   First  Brethren   Church,   North   Man- 
chester, Ind. 

Weddings 

Clieryl  Ann  Straub  to  Barry  Dean  Dysert,  May  5, 

at    the    Vinco,    Pa.,    Brethren    Church;    Carl    H. 

Phillips,  pastor,  officiating.  Members  of  the  Vinco 

Brethren  Church. 

Rebecca  Sue  Newell  to  Gary  Wayne  Brown,  May 

5,  at  the  Flora,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church;  Alvin 

Grumbling,  pastor,  officiating. 

Deborah  Sue  Curtis   to   Ronald  Bruce  Petterson, 

April    28,    at    the    Tucson,    Ariz.,    First    Brethren 

Church;  Rev.  William  Curtis,  father  of  the  bride, 

officiating.  Bride  member  of  Northwest  Brethren 

Chapel,  Tucson,  Ariz. 

Wilda  Singer  to  Harold  Bracken,  April  20,  at  the 

Chickoree   Union   Church;    Rev.    Carl   H.   Phillips 

and  Rev.  Rhue  officiating.  Bride  member  of  the 

Vinco,   Pa.,  Brethren  Church. 

Nona    Jean    Hesketh    to    Marshall    Paul    Sowers, 

April  7,  at  Pleasant  View  Brethren  Church,  Van- 

dergrift,   Pa.  William   D.   Walk,   pastor,   and  Rev. 

Carl    Holm     officiating.    Bride    member    of    the 

Pleasant  View  Brethren  Church. 

Leigfh  Vance  to  Anthony  Hopkins,  March  17,  at  the 

Warsaw,    Ind.,    First    Brethren    Church;    Claude 

Stogsdill,  pastor,  officiating.  Bride  member  of  the 

Warsaw  First  Brethren  Church. 

Becky  Sue  Michel  to  Paul  Thomas  Hendrix,  March 

3,  at  the  North  Manchester,  Ind.,  First  Brethren 

Church;    Rev.    Paul    Bowman,    officiating.    Bride 

member  of  the  North  Manchester  First  Brethren 

Church. 


update 


Rev.  William  Livingston  dies 


Rev.  Livingston 


Rev.  William  Liv- 
ingston, 61,  a  former 
Brethren  pastor,  died 
of  a  heart  attack  on 
May  7,  1979.  Rev.  Liv- 
ingston retired  from 
the  active  ministry 
last  year  and  was 
living  with  his  wife 
June   in   La  Place,   lU. 

Rev.  Livingston  en- 
tered the  ministry  in 
1963  at  the  age  of  45. 
Following  his  training 
at  Ashland  Theolog- 
ical Seminary,  he 
served    for    l^^    years 


as  pastor  of  the  Flora, 
Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church.  Then  from  1965  to 
1970,  he  was  the  administrator  of  the  Brethren's 
Home  in  Flora. 

In  1970  Rev.  Livingston  became  pastor  of  the 
Cerro  Gordo,  111.,  Brethren  Church.  He  served 
that  congregation  until  his  retirement  in  June  of 
last  year. 

In  an  interview  for  an  article  which  appeared 
in  the  June  1978  Evangelist,  Rev.  Livingston  said, 
*T  entered  the  ministry  later  in  life.  But  I  haven't 
dreaded  a  minute  of  it."  He  also  added,  "I've 
appreciated  every  opportunity  that's  been  pre- 
sented to  me  by  the  Brethren  Church.  It's  been 
a  special  part  of  my  life  to  have  opportunity  to 
serve  in  a  very  particular  way." 


In  Memory 


Guy    L.    Baker,    Jr.,    52,    May   6.    Member    of   the 

Vinco,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Carl  H. 

Phillips,   pastor,   and  Rev.  Marvin  Lowery. 

Cleo    Lonffnecker,    72,    April    22.    Member   of   the 

Warsaw,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services  by 

Claude  Stogsdill,  pastor. 

Virg^il  Williams,  66,  April  20.  Member  for  52  years 

and  deacon  of  the  Roanoke,  Ind.,  Brethren  Church. 

Services  by  Ralph  Gibson,  pastor, 

Gerald  Layton,  62,  April  18.  Member  of  the  Roann, 

Ind.,    First    Brethren    Church.    Services    by    Rev. 

William  Kerner. 

Joihn  Stevens,  87,   April   13.   Lifelong   member  of 

the    Oak    Hill,    W.    Va.,    First    Brethren    Church. 

Services  by  William  R.   Skeldon,   pastor,  assisted 

by  Rev.  Hainey  of  the  Church  of  God. 

Katharine    Miller,    86,    April    11.    Member    of    the 

Valley  Brethren  Church,  Jones  Mills,  Pa.  Services 

by  Jerald  Radcliff,  pastor. 

Morton  Huffer,   68,   February  16.  Member  of  the 

Warsaw,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services  by 

Claude  Stogsdill,  pastor. 


June  1979 


25 


as  i  see  it 


How  to  Put  Meaning 

into  Your 
Spring  Housecleaning 

by  Dale   R.  Stoffer 

How  often  has  your  annual  spring  cleaning 
been  drudgery  because  it  lacked  any  significance 
beyond  simply  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
another  year's  dust  has  been  rearranged?  This 
year  I  would  like  to  propose  a  novel  approach  to 
that  dreaded  task,  especially  for  those  of  you  with 
attics  chock  full  of  old  odds  and  ends  which 
haven't  been  touched  in  years.  Why  not  go  on  a 
search  for  old  Brethren  periodicals,  books,  pamph- 
lets, pictures,  correspondence,  etc? 

For  those  of  you  not  acquainted  with  me,  I  am 
a  doctoral  student  at  Fuller  Theological  Seminary 
and  am  studying  the  development  of  thought  in 
the  Brethren  Church  from  1708  to  the  present.  In 
my  research  visit  at  Ashland  Theological  Sem- 
inary, I  have  at  times  been  frustrated  by  the  lack 
of  certain  materials.  Even  though  our  archives 
are  comparable  with  those  of  the  other  Brethren 
groups,   there   is   always   room  for  improvement. 

Let  me  answer  some  questions  which  might 
arise  in  your  mind  concerning  old  Brethren 
materials.  First,  what  should  I  look  for?  As  a 
rule,  the  seminary  archives  could  use  any  items 
older  than  1920.  Copies  of  the  Brethreii  Evangelist 
prior  to  1920  and  especially  before  1900  would  be 
greatly  w^elcomed.  Also  other  Brethren  periodicals 
of  the  period  1850-1880  are  very  important:  The 
Gospel  Visitor,  The  Christian  Family  Companion, 
The  Primitive  Christian,  Brethren  at  Work, 
The  Deacon,  and  The  Progressive  Christian 
particularly. 

Any  old  Brethren  books  from  the  1700s  and 
1800s  would  be  excellent  additions  to  the  library. 
Look  for  authors'  names  like  Peter  Nead,  Peter 
and  Benjamin  Bowman,  and  Henry  Kurtz,  and 
works  pubUshed  by  the  Sauer  and  Ephrata 
presses  (1700s).  The  library  especially  needs  old 
pamphlets  and  tracts  published  between  1850  and 
1900  by  any  of  the  Brethren  groups  (does  anyone 
have  a  copy  of  Laura  Grossnickle's  "Woman's 
Divine  Right  to  Preach  the   Gospel"?). 

A  valuable  form  of  research  materials  often 
overlooked  are  letters  and  sermons  by  the  prom- 


drawing  by  Gayle  Reuschling 

inent  figures  in  the  church  which  help  to  illum- 
inate the  life  and  thought  of  the  church.  Do  any 
of  you  possess  letters  from  or  to  H.  R.  Holsinger, 
the  Wolfes  of  California,  J.  Allen  Miller,  the  Ronk 
brothers,  J.  L.  Gillin,  Louis  S.  Bauman,  Alva  J. 
McClain  and  other  church  leaders?  Old  Brethren 
almanacs,  annuals,  statistical  reports  (prior  to 
1965),  and  copies  of  local  church  minute  books 
(especially  from  our  oldest  and  most  influential 
churches)  are  also  desired.  If  you  have  some  old 
German  books  you  can't  read,  don't  discard  them; 
they  may  be  of  considerable  importance. 

Second,  why  should  I  give  these  things  to  the 
seminary  rather  than  some  other  worthy  organ- 
ization? Materials  should  be  collected  and  held 
at  a  central  place  that  has  a  vested  interest  in 
the  topic.  The  Ashland  Seminary  library  is  the 
logical  place  for  such  artifacts  for  it  is  here  that 
scholars  both  inside  and  outside  the  denomination 
will  look  for  Brethren-related  materials. 

Third,  what  should  I  do  if  I  find  some  old 
Brethren  materials?  Contact  Bradley  Weiden- 
hamer  at  the  Ashland  Theological  Seminary 
library  and  see  if  they  are  items  which  are  needed. 
He  will  make  arrangements  for  the  shipment  of 
important   artifacts. 

Finally,  remember  that  these  "treasures"  repre- 
sent a  legacy  to  future  generations  of  Brethren 
students  and  scholars  and  are  invaluable  for 
maintaining  a  link  to  our  Brethren  heritage.  I 
must  stress  that  this  is  an  important  service  which 
you  can  render  the  church  and  should  not  be  over- 
looked.  Happy  hunting! 


26 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


WORLD  RELIEF  NEWS 


JJa  Ma:  Munson. " 
A  \hland    fork    St. 
oi    World  R^IJx'l..,  .  ., 

photo  courtesy  of  Ashland  Times-Gazette 

by   Phil   Lersch,   Chairman 
Brethren    World    Relief    Board 


Sewing  at  Park  Street  Brethren 

Since  1966  several  women  at  the  Ashland  Park 
Street  Church,  led  by  Mrs.  Aida  May  Munson, 
have  been  sewing  every  Thursday  morning 
(September  through  May)  for  World  Relief  and 
local  projects.  The  old  coal  bin  at  the  church  was 
converted  to  a  sewing  room,  complete  with  shelves 
lining  both  sides  and  a  carpeted  floor. 

Earlier  this  spring  the  Ashland  Times -Gazette 
reported  and  pictured  the  packing  up  of  about 
200  pounds  of  items,  including  25  quilts,  85  crib 
sheets,  and  numerous  items  of  clothing — made 
largely  from  donated  materials.  These  will  be 
sent  to  New  Windsor,  Maryland,  for  distribution 
overseas  during  a  disaster. 

Another  project  is  knitting  and  crocheting  baby 
blankets.  The  women  hope  to  have  100  completed 
by  August. 

Soup  Supper  at  Warsaw 

Mrs.  Jane  Stogsdill,  World  Relief  contact  person 
in  Warsaw,  Indiana,  reports  another  successful 
Annual  Soup  Supper  at  First  Brethren  in  March. 
It  was  sponsored  by  the  WMS. 

The  program  included  showing  the  WRC  film, 
"Africa  .  .  .  And  the  Beat  Goes  On,"  and  devotions 
by  Pastor  Claude  Stog-sdill.  His  theme  was  "Help- 
ing Our  Brother,"  stressing  the  importance  of 
keeping  world  needs  in  mind  the  whole  year  and 
not  just  at  "soup  supper"  time. 


General  Conference  Features 

A  newly-designed  set  of  color  slides  and  taped 
narration  will  be  shown  during  General  Confer- 
ence in  August.  Produced  by  the  World  Relief 
Corporation,  it  was  first  viewed  as  a  multimedia 
presentation  at  the  NAE  Convention  in  Orlando, 


Florida,  in  March — where  several  Brethren  were 
in  attendance.  The  impact  will  quicken  our  sen- 
sitivity to   our  world  neighbors  in  need. 


Name  Change 


For  legal  and  organizational  reasons,  the  World 
Relief  Commission  of  the  National  Association  of 
Evangelicals  has  changed  its  name  to  World 
Relief  Corporation.  The  change  allows  retaining 
the  WRC  initials,  which  is  convenient. 

WRC  is  the  relief  agency  through  which  all 
Brethren  World  Relief  gifts  are  channeled.  Noth- 
ing has  changed  with  regard  to  World  Relief's 
purpose,  goals,  or  determination  to  provide  "Food 
for  the  Body,  and  Food  for  the  Soul." 

Paul  Munshi  Honored 

Bangladesh  Christian  humanitarian  leader  Paul 
Munshi  was  honored  on  March  7th  in  the  presen- 
tation of  the  first  annual  WORLD  RELIEF  HELP- 
ING HAND  AWARD.  The  award  was  given  in 
connection  with  the  annual  NAE  Convention  in 
Orlando,  Florida.  (It  was  my  privilege  to  meet 
Paul  at  the  WRC  Dacope  agricultural  project  in 
Bangladesh  in  1976,  and  to  visit  with  him  again  in 
Orlando.) 

Munshi  was  cited  for  his  "outstanding  contribu- 
tion through  selfless  service  to  the  people  of 
Bangladesh"  in  recognition  of  his  establishing 
and  maintaining  self-help  programs  for  poverty 
stricken  people   of  his   homeland. 

Since  1971  Munshi  has  headed  the  Christian 
Service  Society,  World  Relief's  counterpart  agency 
in  Bangladesh.  At  present  CSS  supervises  130 
cooperatives  in  three  major  areas.  The  process  of 
over  9,000  families  achieving  a  respectable  living 
is  made  possible  through  grants  from  World  Re- 
lief Corporation.  The  goal  of  the  cooperatives  is 
complete  self-sustenance  for  a  growing  number 
of  families. 

Adverti.sement 


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A  Family  Affair— 

1979  General  Conference 

AUGUST  13-17 

Theme 

"//    My   People    Will" 


Including — 

— A  nursery  for  pre-schoolers,  with  adult  supervision, 

operated  during  business  sessions  ,    .. 


— A  special  pre-BYC  program  for 

elementary-age  children 


— BYC  Convention: 

speakers 

— Adult  Conference: 

inspiration 

— Workshops 
— Fellowship 


business  and 


business  and 


Rev.  Peter  LJnruh 
featured  speaker 


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Watch  for  details  in  the 
July  Brethren  Evangelist. 

Housing  pre-registration  information 
also  in  July  Evangelist'. 

P\an  now  to  attend! 


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Thei^e:    "If  My  v^eople 


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Highlights 


iV?ce  Maderafoi^s  Address 

t  r»  II  ll«*'«"' 


.   '  Thursday, f  It 

/    >  Mod^rcitor'^ '  Address 

'    \      Rvev.   Clarfen<[e  'Kipdle// 
\    1^      friday.   9:Q0   a.m.     /    ^ 

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\Layfiien'<\  In!  pirafipiial' 

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v'Gen.    Conf./ Modera'+O'*'    '    \ 
Rev.  Duane ^Dickson   'I 
Saturday/  1 :3'0  »p.m.  . 

Mini-DeVotionals       ^  /'^ 
Rfev.    Ro^p^ferf  vF^a/ne     ,     '/ 

'     '  .'    -■    1 1    / 

/  Au^i  iories  /  /^    / 

Friday.  J:30'p.rr^.^/..    V 

^Saturday,    I  1:15  4i.m.- 


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W    \  The    Brefhren  1    *  J 

Evangelist 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 

(USPS  064-200) 


Editor  : 

Richard  C. 


Winfield 


Consulting  Editors: 

John  D.  Rowsey 
Ronald  W.  Waters 

Contributing  Editor: 

Alvin  Shifflett 

Editorial  and 
Business  Office: 

524  College  Ave. 
Ashland,  Ohio     44805 
Phone:    (419)   289-2611 

Published  monthly  for  the  Brethren  Church 
by  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 
One  year  subscription  rates:  $6.00  for 
100%  church  lists;  $6.50  for  church  lists 
of  5  or  more  names;  $7.00  for  individual 
subscriptions. 

Single-copy  price:  70  cents 
Change  of  address:  Please  notify  us  at 
least  three  weeks  in  advance,  using  the 
form  provided  in  each  issue. 
Authors'  views  are  not  necessarily  those 
of  the  Brethren  Church  or  the  Brethren 
Publishing    Company. 

Queries  and  manuscripts  should  be  ad- 
dressed to  the  editor.  A  writer's  packet 
with  query  tips  is  available  upon  written 
request. 

Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  also  welcome. 
However,  the  publisher  assumes  no 
responsibility  for  return  of  unsolicited 
material  not  accompanied  by  a  stamped, 
self-addressed  envelope. 
Second  class  postage  paid  at  Ashland, 
Ohio. 

Postmaster:  Please  send  Form  3579  to 
the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 

Member,  Evangelical  Press  Association 


^over 

This  month  marks  the  300th 
anniversary  of  Alexander  Mack's 
birth.  Shown  are  Mack  and  the 
Mack  family  crest.  See  article 
about  Mack's  life  on  page  4. 
Needlepoint  crest  by  Carolyn  Mack 
Cover  design  by  Howard  Mack 


.  101,  No.  1 


8 


His  Life,  Oyr  Brethren  Heritage 

A  review  of  his  life  on  the  300th  anniversary  of  his  birth,  by 
Dale  R.  Staffer  and  Jerry  Flora 

Snfrodycing  the  Conference  Worship  Committee 

Peter  Roussaki   explains   the   purpose   of   the   new   Conference 
Worship  Committee  and  presents  some  of  its  members. 


Special  Featisre:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 
10     Building  on  Bedrock 

by  Rev.  Clarence  A.  Stogsdill 


A  Preview  of  the  1979  General  Conference 


14 
15 


and  Opening  Service 


1 7     Board 


and  Seminary  Service 

dycation  Service 

Ashland  College  Night 


21  Cotiference  Auxiliary  Sessions 

Departments 

13     The  Salt  Shaker 

22  Update 

NEXT  MONTH 

As  a  follow-up  on  this  month's  article  on  the  life  of  Alexander 
Mack,  next  month's  issue  of  The  Brethren  Evangelist  will  carry 
an  article  about  the  thought  of  this  Brethren  leader. 


July  1979 


ALEXANDER  MACK: 


A  review  of  his  life 


Alexander  Mack 


ALEXANDER  MACK,  guiding  spirit  of 
the  early  Brethren  movement,  was  born 
three  hundred  years  ago  this  month. 

It  was  under  Mack's  leadership  that  a 
group  of  eight  believers  committed  them- 
selves to  the  founding  of  a  ''New  Testa- 
ment church"  by  trine  immersion.  His 
preaching-teaching-writing  skills  caused  the 
young  church  to  expand  to  several  locations 
in  Europe.  His  pastoral  ability  united  the 
scattered,  sometimes  disillusioned  Brethren 
who  had  come  to  America,  giving  them  a 
sense  of  community  and  mission  in  the  new 
world.  His  thinking  fashioned  the  theolog- 
ical framework  that  to  this  day  charac- 
terizes Brethren  at  their  best. 

The  story  of  Alexander  Mack's  early  life 
centers  in  Schriesheim,  a  small  town  in 
southern  Germany,  not  far  from  Heidel- 
berg. There,  in  1664,  John  Philip  Mack 
married  Christina  Phillbrunn.  To  them  were 
born  eight  children.  An  influential  and  re- 
spected man  in  the  community,  John  Mack 
served  as  a  long-time  member  of  the 
Schriesheim  town  council.  He  was  also 
mayor  in  1690  and  again  in  1696.  He  was 
a  devout  Christian  and  reared  his  family 
in  the  Reformed  Church,  where  he  served 
as  an  elder. 

Alexander,  the  youngest  of  John  and 
Christina  Mack's  four  sons,  was  born  on 
July  27,  1679.  From  the  age  of  ten  his  pro- 
fessional career  was  decided:  he  began  to 
learn  his  father's  milling  trade. 

On  January  18,  1701,  Alexander  married 

This  article  is  an  abridgment  of  an  extensive 
study  of  Alexander  Mack  researched  and  written 
by  Dale  R.  Stoffer,  a  doctoral  student  at  Fuller 
Theological  Seminary. 

The  abridgment  was  prepared  by  Dr.  Jerry  Flora, 
Associate  Professor  of  Christian  Theology  at 
Ashland   Theological  Seminary. 


Anna  Margaretha  Khng.  Her  father,  John 
Valentine  Kling,  like  Alexander's  father, 
was  a  respected  Schriesheim  townsman, 
serving  as  a  Reformed  Church  elder,  town 
councilor,  and  also  at  one  point  as  major. 
Alexander  and  Anna  Margaretha  Mack 
had  five  children — two  daughters  who  died 
in  Germany  and  three  sons  who  later 
accompanied  their  father  to  America. 

The    New   Believer 

Alexander  Mack's  life  as  a  young  Schries- 
heim miller  remained  relatively  stable 
until  he  met  the  Radical  Pietist,  Ernst 
Christoph  Hochmann  (1670-1721).  Of  noble 
birth,  Hochmann  had  studied  at  several 
universities  and  seemed  destined  to  a  prom- 
ising law  career.  But  he  became  a  commit- 
ted Christian  while  attending  the  University 
of  Halle,  then  decided  to  dedicate  his  life 
to  God  as  an  itinerant  preacher  of  the 
gospel. 

He  traveled  throughout  Germany,  Switz- 
erland, and  the  Netherlands  proclaiming  a 
powerful,  yet  simple  vision.  He  sought  a 
"new  church  filled  with  the  spirit  of  love, 
a  real  fellowship  and  brotherhood  in  Christ 
Jesus  without  church  boundaries  and  with- 
out any  kind  of  organization."  This  revival 
message  was  reinforced  by  a  life  of  sing- 
ular, unselfish  devotion  to  Christ,  which 
spoke  almost  as  eloquently  as  his  words. 

Alexander  Mack  met  Hochmann  about 
1705  in  the  course  of  a  preaching  tour. 
Hochmann's  personal  charisma  and  per- 
suasive teaching  attracted  Mack,  who  in- 
vited the  Radical  Pietist  leader  to  Schries- 
heim the  next  year.  Both  the  Reformed  and 
Catholic  churches  denounced  the  study 
groups  which  formed  around  Hochmann  ais 
heretical  and  fanatical.  Mack,  Hochmann, 
and  other  Pietists  narrowly  escaped  arrest 


4 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


His  Life,  Our  Bretliren  Heritage 


on  fhe  300th  anniversary  of  his  birth. 


for  their  activities  in  August,  1706.  But  the 
next  month  Hochmann  and  nine  others 
were  sentenced  to  hard  pubUc  labor. 

These  repressive  measures  caused  Mack 
to  look  for  a  different  home,  where  his 
new  found  religious  convictions  could  be  ex- 
pressed freely.  So  in  October  of  1706  he 
moved  his  family  to  Schwarzenau  in  County 
Wittgenstein  where  Count  Henry  Albert  had 
extended  religious  toleration  to  all  refugees 
who  sought  asylum  within  his  territory. 
Though  Henry  Albert's  policy  of  religious 
freedom  came  under  attack  from  all  sides, 
he  maintained  it  until  his  death  in  1723. 

It  is  thought  that  Mack  and  Hochmann 
traveled  together  as  itinerant  preachers 
throughout  much  of  1707,  apparently  cen- 
tering their  main  efforts  in  the  Rhine 
Valley.  The  two  were  in  complete  agree- 
ment in  most  facets  of  their  thought,  and 
the  early  Brethren  cherished  a  confession 
of  faith  written  by  Hochmann  in  1702. 
However,  in  their  views  on  church  organi- 
zation and  practice,  the  two  friends 
differed.  The  older  man  was  an  extreme 


photo  by  Delbert  Flora 

Alexander  Mack's  mill  in  Schwarzenau  as:  it 
appeared  in  1958.  At  the  age  of  ten,  Mack  began 
to   learn   the   milling   trade  from   his  father. 


by   Dale    R.   Stoffer  and   Jerry   Flora 

separatist.  He  did  not  accept  the  need  for 
religious  organization,  clergy,  outward 
sacraments,  or  anything  else  which  remind- 
ed him  of  the  externalism  of  the  established 
churches.  He  was  interested  only  in  a 
spiritual  church,  devoid  of  fixed  meeting 
times,  places,  and  liturgy. 

Mack,  as  well  as  some  other  Radical 
Pietists,  came  to  believe  that  the  New  Test- 
ament commanded  the  institution  of  an 
organized  church  along  with  the  practice 
of  such  rites  as  water  baptism,  the  Lord's 
Supper,  anointing  with  oil,  and  community 
discipline. 

For  more  than  a  year  (September  1707 
to  October  1708)  Hochmann  was  impris- 
oned in  Nuremberg  for  his  outspoken  relig- 
ious activity  there.  During  this  time  Mack 
settled  down  in  Schwarzenau  where  he  had 
opportunity  to  continue  his  search  of  the 
Scriptures  with  other  believers  who  were 
seeking  full  obedience  to  Christ. 

The  New  Fellowship 
Mack,  his  wife,  and  six  others  entered 
into  intensive,  prolonged  prayer  and  study 
in  order  to  find  the  will  of  God  for  their 
future  course.  One  of  the  group's  deep  con- 
cerns was  their  unbaptized  state,  for  all 
had  renounced  the  infant  baptism  admin- 
istered to  them,  and  some  had  been 
excommunicated.  The  eight  thus  sought 
Hochmann's  opinion  about  the  administra- 
tion of  baptism  in  the  manner  they  consid- 
ered apostolic — trine  immersion.  His  re- 
sponse was  one  of  cautious  encouragement, 
warning  them  to  ''count  the  cost"  and  to 
avoid  legalistic,  outward,  or  sectarian 
administration  of  the  rite. 

Motivated  by  a  desire  to  be  totally  obe- 
dient to  Christ  and  convicted  by  the  New 

(continued  on  next  page) 


July  1979 


ii 


Mack  .  .  .  sought  to  serve  the  church  with  a  sensitive, 
humble  spirit,  winning  the  respect  of  those  to  whom 
he  ministered  by  his  own  hfe  of  devotion  to  Christ/' 


Testament  command  for  baptism,  these 
eight  behevers  covenanted  together  to  be 
baptized  by  trine  immersion.  It  is  important 
to  fix  this  decision  in  its  proper  context — 
that  is,  obedience  to  Christ.  It  is  conjec- 
tured that  the  baptism  of  these  five  men 
and  three  women  took  place  in  August  or 
September  of  1708.  The  place  was  an  un- 
known spot  in  the  Eder  River  near 
Schwarzenau.  Their  leader,  Alexander 
Mack,  was  twenty-nine  years  old. 

News  of  this  baptism  and  those  which 
followed  spread  quickly  through  County 
Wittgenstein.  The  novelty  and  radical  na- 
ture of  this  step  of  faith  aroused  suspicion 
from  both  political  and  religious  authori- 
ties, for  no  baptisms  were  permitted  out- 
side the  established  Catholic,  Lutheran, 
and  Reformed  churches.  But  not  all  the 
publicity  was  bad.  As  more  people  seriously 
considered  the  beliefs  of  this  new  group, 
more  conversions  occurred.  Although  mem- 
bership figures  are  not  available,  careful 
estimates  place  the  growth  in  the  new 
fraternity  at  several  hundred  persons  be- 
tween 1708  and  1719. 

During  these  years  Alexander  Mack 
devoted  himself  to  preaching  and  teaching 
about  the  beliefs  of  the  Brethren.  Recog- 
nizing the  advantages  of  printing  for  the 
spread  of  Brethren  views.  Mack  also  pub- 
lished two  works.  Basic  Questions,  the  first 
publication  presenting  Brethren  principles, 
appeared  in  1713.  This  pamphlet  consisted 


■''C~^.™ 


H^fv^' 


si^iV*- 


Bridge  dating  to  the  time  of  Alexander  Mack 
over  the  Eder  River  at  Schwarzenau.  Mack  and 
seven  other  believers  were  baptized  at  an  unknown 
spot  in  the  Eder  River  in  1708.  This  bridge  has 
been  replaced  since  this  picture  was  taken  in  1958. 


of  forty  questions  on  baptism  and  church 
fellowship  submitted  by  the  separatist 
Eberhard  Louis  Gruber,  together  with 
Mack's  considered  answers.  Two  years  later 
Mack  published  the  first  major  theological 
work  of  the  Brethren,  Brief  and  Simple 
Exposition  of  the  Outward  but  Yet  Sacred 
Kights  and  Ordinances  of  the  House  of  God. 
The  literary  format  of  this  book  was  a 
''conversation"  between  a  father  and  his 
son,  a  device  which  Mack  employed  to 
present  the  unique  beliefs  of  the  new 
fellowship. 

The    New  World 

Persecution  and  hardship  continued  to  be 
the  lot  of  the  Brethren  in  Germany, 
especially  outside  Wittgenstein.  These  dif- 
ficulties led  one  group  under  the  leadership 
of  Peter  Becker  to  emigrate  to  America  in 
1719.  One  year  later  Alexander  Mack  led 
about  two  hundred  of  the  Schwarzenau 
Brethren  in  a  move  to  Surhuisterveen  in 
the  Netherlands.  Surhuisterveen  was  lo- 
cated in  West  Friesland,  an  area  containing 
many  Mennonites  as  well  as  several  other 
groups  whose  beliefs  were  very  similar  to 
those  of  the  Brethren. 

Encouraged  by  glowing  reports  from  the 
Brethren  in  Pennsylvania  and  faced  with  a 
combination  of  economic  hardship  and  a 
lack  of  complete  religious  freedom  in  the 
Netherlands,  the  Brethren  eventually  de- 
cided to  sail  for  the  New  World.  Mack  and 
a  group  of  around  one  hundred  twenty 
arrived  in  Philadelphia  from  Rotterdam  on 
September  15,  1729.  They  were  given  a 
warm  reception  at  nearby  Germantown,  the 
center  of  Brethren  activity  in  early  18th 
century  America. 

The  group  that  had  arrived  ten  years 
earlier  with  Peter  Becker  had  been  plagued 
with  many  problems.  But  now  Mack's 
presence  immediately  served  as  a  cohesive, 
binding  force  for  the  loosely  federated 
Brethren  congregations.  With  Becker's  full 
approval.  Mack  at  once  assumed  the  lead- 
ership and  direction  of  the  Germantown 
church,  a  position  which  he  held  with  great 
wisdom  and  skill  until  his  death  in  1735. 

Mack's    six-year    ministry    at    German- 


s' 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Brethren  activity  in  early  18th  century  America  was  centered  at  Genuantown,  Pa.  Mack 
served  the  Germantown  congregation  for  six  years,  stabilizing  and  strengthening  the 
Brethren  during  a  difficult  time.  The  congregation  met  in  homes  for  many  years  until 
it    built    the    above   pictured   meeting   house   in    1770. 


town  was  invaluable  in  stabilizing  and 
strengthening  the  Brethren  during  a  very 
difficult  period.  Not  only  were  they  adjust- 
ing to  life  as  German  immigrants  in  the 
English  colonies,  but  also  they  were  dealing 
with  the  Beissel  schism. 

Conrad  Beissel  had  been  elected  a  Breth- 
ren minister  at  Conestoga  shortly  after  he 
joined  the  Brethren  Church  in  1724.  He 
was  a  powerful,  persuasive  speaker  with 
tendencies  toward  mysticism,  monasticism, 
celibacy,  and  Sabbatarianism.  He  led  a 
portion  of  the  Conestoga  congregation  in 
separating  from  the  rest  of  the  Brethren 
in  1728. 

A  year  after  Mack  arrived  in  German- 
town,  he  purposefully  went  to  a  meeting 
conducted  by  Beissel  in  order  to  open  a  way 
for  reconciliation.  But  Beissel  censured  him 
and  the  Brethren  with  him,  refusing  to 
consider  their  differences.  Mack  visited  him 
on  another  occasion  after  Beissel  had 
moved  his  group  to  Ephrata  in  1732,  but 
Beissel  hid  himself  so  that  the  meeting 
could  not  occur. 

Mack,  however,  persevered  in  his  lead- 
ership of  the  main  body  of  Brethren.  He 
sought  to  serve  the  church  with  a  sensitive, 
humble  spirit,  winning  the  respect  of  those 


to  whom  he  ministered  by  his  own  life  of 
devotion  to  Christ.  His  example  was  capable 
of  providing  guidelines  for  the  church  in 
its  future  struggles  to  find  meaning  and 
relevance. 

He  was  a  diligent  student  of  the  Word, 
believing  that  Scripture  rather  than  human 
reason,  church  creeds,  or  individual  inspira- 
tion should  be  the  ultimate  guide  for 
Christian  life.  Once  he  came  to  a  decision 
based  upon  study,  prayer,  sensitivity  to  the 
Spirit,  and  group  consensus,  he  would  live 
by  it,  no  matter  what  the  consequences.  He 
tried  to  antagonize  no  one  but  strove  only 
for  a  loving,  caring,  sharing  community  of 
believers  who  lived  in  obedience  to  Christ. 

Alexander  Mack  died  on  January  31, 
1735,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five.  His  death 
was  a  great  loss  to  the  church,  and  the 
following  years  were  precarious  ones  for  his 
flock.  Before  his  death.  Mack  was  asked 
by  Eberhard  Louis  Gruber  to  speculate 
about  the  future  of  the  fledgling  Brethren 
movement.  Mack  replied,  "If  we  remain  in 
the  teaching  of  the  New  Testament,  we 
expect  this  outcome,  namely,  that  the  ful- 
fillment of  our  faith  will  be  eternal  life.  .  .  . 
We  cannot  testify  for  our  descendants — as 
their  faith  is,  so  shall  be  their  outcome."  □ 


July  1979 


Introducing  - - 

The  Conference  Worship  Committee 


Peter  Roussaki  explains  the  purpose  of  the  new  Conference 
Worship  Committee  and  presents  some  of  its  members. 


HOW  MANY  of  us  have  ever  sat  through 
a  dull,  lifeless  worship  service?  The 
service  was  probably  characterized  by  most 
or  all  of  the  following — a  meaningless  order 
of  worship,  hymns  picked  at  random, 
mediocre  special  music,  uninspired  preach- 
ing, and  the  whole  thing  done  as  if  by  rote 
rather  than  with  an  heartfelt  attempt  to 
worship  the  God  of  all  creation. 

I'm  sure  all  of  us  have  experienced  this 
kind  of  worship  service  on  occasion.  Tra- 
gically, some  of  us  may  suffer  through 
them  regularly. 

The  worship  service  should  be  central  in 
the  life  of  the  church.  Unfortunately,  wor- 
ship services  do  not  always  receive  the 
careful  planning  and  preparation  they 
deserve. 

In  order  to  promote  the  enrichment  of 
worship  in  the  Brethren  Church,  last  year's 
General  Conference  established  a  new 
standing  committee  —  the  Worship  Com- 
mittee. This  new  committee  replaces  the 
former  Music  Committee  and  has  a  larger 
area  of  concern  than  that  committee. 

The  following  paragraph  from  the  Man- 
ual of  Procedure  summarizes  the  ministry 
to  be  performed  by  this  new  committee. 


Rev.  Peter 
Roussaki  is 
chairman  of 
the   Worship 
Committee. 
He  is  also 
adjunct 
professor  of 
music  at 
Ashland 
Theological 
Seminary. 


Worship  Committee:  This  committee  shall 
consist  of  nine  members,  elected  for  terms 
of  three  years  each,  with  three  terms  expir- 
ing each  year.  The  functions  of  this  com- 
mittee shall  be:  (a)  provide  music  leadership 
for  the  General  Conference  program;  (b) 
promote  enrichment  of  worship  in  The 
Brethren  Church;  (c)  provide  opportunities 
for  worship  education  on  the  national,  dis- 
trict and  local  levels;  (d)  provide  local 
church  worship  leaders  with  current  re- 
sources for  worship. 

The  scope  of  possible  activities  of  this 
committee  will  be  broad.  Music  and  musi- 
cians will  not  be  the  only  concerns  pro- 
moted. Many  aspects  of  the  worship  life 
of  the  church  will  be  considered.  Pastors, 
since  they  plan  worship  services,  prepare 
sermons,  coordinate  music  in  worship, 
select  hymns,  and  lead  worship  services, 
are  encouraged  to  serve  on  this  committee 
and  to  benefit  from  its  activities — in  order 
that  worship  may  be  enriched  in  the 
Brethren  Church. 

The  Worship  Committee  has  been  at 
work  during  the  past  year.  The  first  fruits 
of  its  efforts  will  be  presented  at  this 
year's  General  Conference.  The  Conference 
theme,  'If  My  People  Will,"  will  be  intro- 
duced and  interpreted  through  a  Worship 
Committee  sponsored  worship  service  on 
Monday  evening  of  Conference.  During 
Conference  week  the  committee  will  also 
sponsor  a  workshop,  ''Music  with  Children 
and  Youth." 


Term       Committee  members 

EXPIRES: 

1979 — Jeff  Lentz,  Charlene  Rowser, 
Bradley  Weidenhamer 

1980 — Jean  Lersch,  Doris  Shultz, 
Paula  Deardurff  (secretary) 

1981 — Sherry  Van  Duyne,  Julia 
Flora,  Peter  Roussaki  (chair- 
man) 


8 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


In  the  future,  enrichment  experiences 
deaUng  with  sermon  preparation,  drama, 
service  construction  and  coordination,  the 
role  of  greeters  and  acolytes,  lay  ministers, 
children's  church,  and  musical  worship  may 
be  dealt  with.  Your  suggestions  and  re- 
actions are  welcomed. 

As  a  part  of  this  introduction  to  the 
Worship  Committee,  I  would  like  to  share 
some  biographical  information  about  three 
of  its  members.  All  three  of  them  possess 
strong  music  credentials  and  are  concerned 
for  the  larger  context  in  which  preaching 
and  music  function. 

TULIE  FLORA  is  a  graduate  of  Ashland 
^  College  with  the  bachelor  of  music 
degree.  She  received  a  piano  scholarship 
at  Ashland  and  also  studied  organ,  per- 
formed in  student  recitals,  and  accompanied 
gospel  team  groups. 

Julie  has  served  as  pianist  for  many 
churches,  currently  teaches  private  lessons, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Ashland  Musical 
Club.  As  a  public  school  teacher  she  taught 
in  Ohio,  Indiana,  California,  Maryland,  and 
Kentucky.  She  also  served  as  choir  director 
for  the  First  Brethren  Church  of  New 
Paris,  Ind.,  and  the  Washington,  D.C., 
Brethren  Church. 

Julie's  larger  interests  include  correlating 
the  fine  arts  as  a  means  of  worship  expres- 
sion. Her  own  continuing  contribution  to 
the  worship  life  of  the  church  and  her 
personal  life  testimony  provide  us  an 
example  of  great  worth. 


Julie  Flora 

PAULA  DEARDURFF  earned  the  bach- 
elor of  music  education  degree  from 
Ashland  College.  She  majored  in  piano  and 
was  a  member  of  the  college  choir.  She 
served  as  musical  director  of  two  college 
summer  theatre  productions. 

While  ministering  with  her  husband  Paul 
as    a   tentmaker   in   the    Cheyenne,    Wyo., 


Brethren  Church,  she  served  as  pianist,  a 
position  she  now  fills  in  the  Ashland 
Garber  Brethren  Church.  She  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Ashland  Musical  Club. 
Paula's  review  of  David  C.  Cook's  new 
''Music    Is    for    Children"    curriculum    ap- 


'4^f 


-)*/. 


Paula  Deardurff 

peared  in  the  November  1978  issue  of  The 
Brethren  Evangelist. 

Paula  hopes  that  through  the  Worship 
Committee  the  Brethren  denomination  will 
become  aware  of  the  importance  of  coor- 
dinating thoughtfully  the  music  of  local 
church  worship.  Her  desire  is  to  see  the 
denomination  open  to  the  creative  use  of 
drama  and  puppetry  as  well.  Paula  has 
stated:  "All  of  us  need  to  learn  more  about 
worship,  especially  practicing  God's  pres- 
ence. Thoughtful  use  of  music  and  other 
arts  can  be  valuable  aids  to  this  end." 

SHERRY  VAN  DUYNE  also  has  a  rich 
background  of  experiences.  A  graduate 
of  Ashland  College,  she  contributed  to  the 
denominational  program  of  Christian  edu- 
cation, serving  as  music  specialist  and 
music  director  for  Crusader  programs.  She 
has  written  and  led  worship  services  and 
musical    programs.     She    also    served    as 

(continued  on  next  page) 


Sherry 
Van  Diivne 


July  1979 


9 


children's  choir  and  youth  choir  director 
for  Park  Street  Brethren  Church  and  at 
North  Manchester.  Presently  she  serves  as 
choir  director  at  Brighton. 

Sherry  has  made  several  significant 
statements  about  music  and  about  the 
Worship  Committee: 

/  really  enjoy  challenging  music.  I  miss 
being  in  a  quality  group  which  can  handle 
the  old  masters,  not  just  the  new  things. 
I  love  being  a  soloist  when  I  feel  that  God 
can  speak  through  the  piece  with  me  as 
the  instrument.  I  really  miss  kids  choirs.  I 
wish  more  quality  things  were  being  done 
with  kids  groups  than  just  "herding"  them 
through  an  adult  style  hymn  arrangement. 
The  church  is  missing  a  real  opportunity 
to  teach  good  music  principles  and  good 
Christian  music  in  many  cases. 

My  hopes  for  the  Worship  Committee  are 
many.  If  we  could  educate  the  Brethren  to 
see  the  worship  experience  as  a  total  experi- 
ence with  all  components  fulfilling  pre- 
established  priorities,  we  will  have  done  a 
great  deal.  What  are  some  worship  prior- 
ities? What  are  the  components  of  a  worship 
service?  How  can  we  truly  glorify  God  in 
all  aspects?  Where  does  music  fit  in?  What 
about  the  kids?  Do  we  meet  their  needs? 
Should  they  worship  differently?  Separately? 
I  guess  I  see  our  purpose  as  a  gradual  educa- 
tion or  awakening  process. 

To  assist  this  education  and  awakening 
process,  I  personally  would  like  to  propose 
an  auxiliary.  Let's  call  it  the  Fellowship 
for  Brethren  Worship.  It  would  be  under 
the  sponsorship  of  the  Worship  Committee 
of  General  Conference  and  serve  to  fulfill 
many  of  the  functions  of  the  committee  as 
stated  in  the  Manual  of  Procedure.  It  would 
provide  resources,  fraternal  support,  and 
a  forum  for  dialogue  in  this  most  vital 
aspect  of  the  weekly  life  of  the  believers. 

Persons  desiring  to  be  a  part  of  this 
currently  unofficial  fellowship  are  encour- 
aged to  write  to  me  (Peter  Roussaki,  44 
North  Gamble  Street,  Shelby,  Ohio  44875), 
expressing  your  ideas,  enthusiasm,  and 
suggestions.  At  a  time  to  be  announced  at 
Conference,  an  initial  meeting  may  be  held 
jointly  with  the  Worship  Committee.  All 
interested  persons — pastors,  choir  directors, 
song  leaders,  members  of  music  and  wor- 
ship committees,  choir  members,  writers, 
drama  enthusiasts,  etc. — are  urged  to  com- 
municate with  me. 

Worship  is  a  vital  part  of  the  life  of  the 
church.  It  is  the  desire  of  the  Worship 
Committee  of  General  Conference  to  pro- 
vide a  significant  contribution  toward  the 
enrichment  of  worship  in  the  Brethren 
Church.  n 


Building 


THE     BRETHREN     CHURCH     WAS 
BUILT  UPON  THE  ROCK— the  BED- 
ROCK. Jesus  said,  ''Upon  this  rock  (petra) 

I  will  build  my  church"  (Matt.  16:18). 
''Bedrock"  is  a  good  translation  of  petra. 

It  is  nice  to  know  that  there  is  a  good 
foundation  beneath  any  structure.  Jesus 
promised  that  the  foundation  is  secure 
when  we  build  upon  Him.  Frequently  I  find 
myself  silently  quoting  that  great  phrase  in 

II  Timothy  2:19,  "the  foundation  of  God 
standeth  sure."  If  that  be  true,  then  the 
superstructure,  if  diligently  constructed, 
need  not  sag,  sink,  or  crack. 

This  leads  me  to  some  considerations 
about  the  future  of  the  Brethren  Church. 

WE  BRETHREN  NEED  OFTEN  TO 
REMIND  OURSELVES  OF  THE  BED- 
ROCK OF  OUR  SALVATION  AND  SANC- 
TIFICATION,  THE  PERSON  OF  JESUS 
CHRIST. 

When  someone  of  my  congregation  asks 
me  what  we  Brethren  believe,  I  almost 
always  say,  "We  believe  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  Savior  and  Lord."  While  that  statement 
needs  to  be  built  upon  in  some  detail  with 
carefully  stated  doctrine,  it  is,  nevertheless, 
the  bedrock  of  our  faith.  It  is  the  bedrock 
of  scriptural  faith,  period. 

No  superstructure  of  cultural  back- 
grounds, peculiar  emphases,  additional  ex- 
periences, or  anything  else  can  take  the 
place  of  this  bedrock  of  our  faith. 

In  our  conversations  we  sometimes  re- 
veal that  we  are  too  much  concerned  with 
keeping  the  outward  appearance  of  our 
faith,  often  without  much  reference  to 
Jesus  as  Savior,  Lord,  and  Sanctifer  (or 
Enabler) .  Our  discussions  about  the  church 
frequently  simply  take  Him  for  granted. 

In  Bible  study  groups  and  prayer  sessions 
it  often  appears  that  we  would  rather  talk 
about  anything  else  than  that  which  God 
commands  us  in  His  Word.  Many  are  em- 
barrassed to  pray.  We  make  excuses  for 


10 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


on 


by  Rev.  Clarence  A.  Stogsdill 


not  having  enough  faith  to  share  our  wit- 
ness with  the  unsaved.  What  a  pity!  This 
indicates  that  we  have  a  personal  spiritual 
illness,  a  disease  which  can  be  contracted 
all  too  easily.  It  also  indicates  a  need  for 
real  discipling  as  distinguished  from  mere 
church  membership. 

Those  who  have  achieved  any  measure  of 
success  in  sharing  their  faith  with  others 
have  always  managed  somehow  to  make 
their  relationship  with  the  Founder  of  the 
faith  clear.  That  is,  they  have  made  plain 
that  ''it's  not  so  much  the  church  that  we 
are  bringing  to  you  as  the  Lord  Himself." 
When  Christians  begin  to  share  this  kind 
of  faith  (with  a  little  help  from  those  who 
know  something  about  ''how  to"  proce- 
dures), the  church  is  built  up. 

WE  NEED  TO  TOUCH  AGAIN  THE 
CARDINAL  DOCTRINES  OF  THE 
BIBLE:  the  virgin  birth,  the  atonement 
secured  at  Calvary,  the  resurrection,  the 
ascension,  the  return  of  Christ.  On  the 
other  hand,  we  must  not  be  among  those 
who  "believe  too  much."  By  this  I  mean 
we  ought  not  to  accept  and  support  doc- 
trines of  questionable  origin — those  of  a 
human  rather  than  a  divine  source.  Among 
these  are  doctrines  which  teach  that  Jesus' 
work  on  the  cross  was  not  complete,  that 
something  additional  is  required.  The  Holy 
Spirit,  whose  work  it  is  to  magnify  and 
glorify  the  finished  work  of  Jesus  Christ, 
is  sometimes  attributed  a  separate  "gospel" 
of  His  own,  as  if  Jesus  didn't  complete  the 
work  of  salvation  upon  the  cross  as  He 
claimed. 

Those  doctrines  of  existential  experience 
which  claim  a  revelation  beyond  the  Scrip- 
tures must  also  be  challenged  and  put  to  the 
test.  One  popular  example  teaches  that  a 


Rev.    Clarence   Stogsdill   is   pastor   of   the   First 
Brethren    Church   of   Tucson,   Arizona. 


true  minister  of  Jesus  not  only  will  preach 
material  prosperity  and  perfect  physical 
health  but  will  accomplish  all  sorts  of 
miracles.  (We  must  note  here  that  "John 
did  no  miracle,"  John  10:41.)  This  doctrine 
is  a  corruption  of  and/or  an  extension  of 


"As  Brethren,  we  are  built  upon  the 
solid  bedrock  of  Jesus  Christ  as 
Savior,   Lord,  and  Sanctifier." 


the  meaning  of  gifts  as  they  are  listed  in 
I  Corinthians  12. 

Faith  is  not  seeing.  When  one  "sees"  he 
does  not  need  faith.  The  Bible  teaches  walk- 
ing by  faith,  not  by  sight.  Demanding  from 
God  certain  signs  for  everything  is  demand- 
ing that  God  give  full  sight.  He  has  not 
promised  to  do  this.  Satan  can  take  advan- 
tage of  this  desire  to  "see"  and  give  us 
false  signs  and  "gifts,"  thus  diverting  us 
into  channels  which  are  not  at  all  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

This  does  not  mean  that  the  believer 
must  walk  without  any  help  from  the  Holy 
Spirit.  To  the  contrary,  the  Bible  commands 
that  we  should  "walk  by  the  Spirit"  (Rom. 
8).  But  it  is  a  quiet  witness  of  the  Spirit 
within,  rather  than  that  somewhat  sensa- 
tional approach  which  is  prevalent  today. 

The  Scripture  warns  us  that  "in  the  last 
days  men  shall  heap  to  themselves  teachers, 
having  itching  ears."  They  will  listen  to 
what  they  want  to  hear.  We  Brethren  must 
analyze  what  is  being  taught  in  our  day 
and  decide  what  we  believe  and  what  we 
do  not  believe.  Not  to  believe  enough  is 
heresy  of  a  lazy  "faith"  and  leads  to  depres- 
sion; to  believe  too  much  is  heresy  of 
gullibility. 

(continued  on  next  page) 


July  1979 


11 


''We  Brethren  must  analyze  what  is  being  taught  in  our 
day  and  decide  what  we  beheve  and  what  we  do  not 
believe/' 


WE  BRETHKEN  NEED  TO  PRACTICE 
THE  PRESENCE  OF  THE  "NEW  AND 
LIVING  WAY." 

Having  laid  the  foundation  of  good 
scriptural  doctrine,  we  reject  the  humanism 
of  a  church  without  the  Bible.  We  also  per- 
form surgery  on  the  ''new"  (but  not  really 
new!)  existential,  supra-scriptural  inclina- 
tion to  add  to  the  Book  things  which  were 
not  once  for  all  delivered  to  the  saints.  We 
now  come  to  the  point  of  touching  the  liv- 
ing Brethren  today. 

Hebrews  10:20  speaks  of  the  *'new  and 
living  way."  This  ''living  way"  cannot  pos- 
sibly be  institutional.  It  is  personal.  It 
speaks  of  the  vibrant,  expectant  hope  that 
ought  to  be  within  the  breast  of  every  man, 
woman,  and  child  who  has  claimed  Jesus 
as  personal  Savior.  It  speaks  of  the  growth 
and  development  of  that  believer,  going  on 
to  maturity  and  becoming  profitable  to  the 
Master  according  to  the  spiritual  gifts 
granted  him  or  her  by  His  Spirit.  It  speaks 
of  unmistakable  fruit  in  the  life  of  the  be- 
liever. (Note  that  we  did  not  emphasize 
gifts.  Gifts  are  evidenced  by  the  fruit.) 

This  new  and  living  way  assures  the  Body 
of  Christ  the  leadership  and  direction  it 
needs  to  guarantee  a  church  of  the  future. 
And  the  two-two-two  (II  Timothy  2:2) 
approach  to  discipleship  guarantees  that 
the  faith  will  be  handed  down  from  one 
person  to  another,  from  one  generation  to 
the  next.  It  is  the  biblical  way. 

WE  BRETHREN  OUGHT  TO  RUB 
ELBOWS  WITH  GOD^S  PEOPLE  OF 
OTHER  PERSUASIONS.  BUT  WE  HAVE 
A  DISTINCTIVENESS  WHICH  SUG- 
GESTS THAT  WE  ARE  IMPORTANT  AS 
WE  ARE  WITHOUT  BECOMING  A 
HODGEPODGE  OR  CONGLOMERATION 
OF  EVERYTHING  AND  ANYTHING. 

When  I  made  the  choice  to  remain  in  the 
Brethren  Church  during  my  school  days, 
I  did  so  because  of  what  I  understood  the 
Brethren  to  be.  Sometimes  now  I  sense  that 
those  principles  which  I  understood  so 
clearly  then  as  "Brethren"  are  being 
chipped  away  because  we  lack  the  courage 


to  make  a  clear  statement  of  tenets.  A 
statement  of  doctrine  is  not  a  "creed" — 
that  dreaded  word  which  we  fear  so  much. 
It  is  a  clarification  of  our  distinctive 
stance,  made  necessary  because  some  have 
a  tendency  to  run  off  on  tangents.  We  made 
such  a  statement  in  1939.  We  can  do  it 
again  if  we  have  the  courage,  and  if  we 
understand  what  we  believe.  It  is  necessary 
to  prevent  drifting. 

Let  me  restate  my  thesis: 

(1)  As  Brethren,  we  are  built  upon  the 
solid  bedrock  of  Jesus  Christ  as  Savior, 
Lord,  and  Sanctifier.  The  last  of  these 
(Sanctifier)   we  seem  to  be  foggy  about. 

(2)  As  Brethren,  we  must  reaffirm  our 
faith  in  basic  scriptural  doctrines. 

(3)  As  Brethren,  we  must  make  it  known 
that  we  reject  the  heresy  of  the  denial  of 
the  cardinal  doctrines,  which  leads  to 
humanism.  We  also  seriously  question  the 
doctrines  which  smell  of  Gnosticism  (sec- 
ret knowledge  by  means  of  special  experi- 
ences). The  Bible  warns  of  extra-biblical 
"revelations."  There  is  a  back  cover  on  the 
Bible! 

(4)  As  Brethren,  we  must  declare  the 
"living  way"  to  be  a  personal,  vibrant,  joy- 
ful love  of  God  lived  out  in  a  victorious 
manner. 

I  see  many  evidences  of  good  around  us : 
J.  D.  Hamel  and  his  exuberant  evangelism; 
Jim  Black  and  his  evangelistic  touch; 
Arden  Gilmer  and  his  Church  Growth  out- 
reach program;  Fred  Burkey  and  his  pro- 
gram of  education;  new  personalities  in 
the  college  and  seminary;  et  al. 

Now  for  a  program  of  real  Bible  training, 
personal  witnessing  in  practice,  learning 
to  pray  with  power,  clean  lives  separated 
unto  God  without  entanglement  with  the 
world  and  its  materialism  and  false  happi- 
ness. Let  the  church  be  the  Body  of  Christ. 
We  don't  have  to  be  gung-ho  disciples  of 
James  Kennedy,  Bob  Schuller,  Ray  Sted- 
man,  or  Dennis  Bennett.  We  can,  and  ought 
to  be,  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  greatest 
of  all.  In  the  last  analysis,  it  is  what  we 
believe  (our  doctrine)  which  really  makes 
us  distinctively  BRETHREN.  Q 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


the  salt  shaker 


by  Alvin  Shifflett 


.':  .f  '.i     Your  view  of  death  depends  upon  your  philosophy 
of   life. 


AVhat    Is    Death? 


WHAT  is  death?  That  is  a  question  all 
of  us  ask  and  never  get  answered.  No 
one  living  has  any  firsthand  knowledge  of 
death.  We  only  know  what  we've  observed, 
so  we  can't  get  any  answers  on  the  subject. 

Poems  have  been  written,  songs  sung, 
ballads  composed,  and  stories  penned  about 
death.  But  nothing  gives  an  adequate 
description. 

Actually,  your  view  of  death  depends 
upon  your  philosophy  of  life.  If  you're  an 
atheist,  you  see  death  as  the  stop  sign  at 
the  end  of  the  road — nothing  more,  nothing 
less.  You  live;  you  die.  You  come  to  a  dead 
end!  Dogs  and  cats  do  the  same. 

An  atheist  has  no  reason  to  fear  death. 
According  to  him,  there  is  no  God  and 
therefore  no  judgment,  no  heaven,  and  no 
hell.  Just  life  and  death.  It's  as  simple  as 
that.  Like  stretching  a  rubber  band  until 
it  snaps. 

The  agnostic  is  a  little  different.  He's  not 
sure  about  death.  He's  reserving  final 
judgment  on  the  subject  until  all  the  infor- 
mation is  in.  Unfortunately,  he  may  die 
before  all  the  facts  are  known.  Meanwhile, 
he  goes  around  agnosting  all  over  the  place. 

The  hedonist  is  a  swinger  who  believes 
in  living  it  up  while  there's  time.  He  wants 
his  life  to  end  with  one  glorious  exclama- 
tion point.  In  fact,  he'd  rather  not  think 
about  the  exclamation  point.  It'll  ruin  the 
fun. 

The  reincarnationist  believes  life  goes  on 
and  on — in  cycles  or  stages.  What  you  are 
in  the  next  stage  depends  on  what  you  do 
in  this  one.  If  you  act  like  the  devil  in  this 
cycle,  you  may  come  back  as  a  jackass  in 
the  next.  If  you're  good  now,  then  the  next 
life  may  see  you  as  a  priest,  a  rabbi,  or  a 
clergyman — possibly  a  bishop.  Even  then, 
you  may  still  feel  like  a  jackass  at  times. 
The  idea,  of  course,  is  to  keep  moving  up 
the  ladder. 


The  humanitarian  is  a  guy  who  tries  to 
do  the  greatest  good  for  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  people — a  good  guy.  He's  the  kind 
of  fellow  who  might  enjoy  driving  an  ice 
cream  truck  down  your  block  and  giving 
Popsicles  to  all  the  kids — free.  The  human- 
itarian doesn't  expect  anything  more  at 
death.  Do  your  best  to  help  mankind  while 
you're  living.  Make  it  better  for  the  next 
generation.  Life  is  short.  You  can  help  make 
it  sweeter,  but  that's  it — the  end  of  the 
road.  Immortality  is  in  name  only. 

The  Christian  would  certainly  agree  that 
we  should  help  others.  In  this  respect  he  is 
not  unlike  the  humanitarian.  But  the  Chris- 
tian feels  that  this  world  is  a  battle  ground, 
and  at  times  the  enemy  is  getting  the  upper 
hand.  Evil  appears  to  be  romping  over  good. 
The  Christian  believes  that  death  is  a  con- 
sequence of  sin  and  evil  (the  result  of  man's 
choice). 

*'Do  unto  others  as  you  would  be  done 
by"  is  the  Christian's  Golden  Rule.  And  it's 
a  good  one.  It's  not  a  selfish  rule,  as  some 
philosophers  say.  It  doesn't  mean  I  must  do 
good  to  others  so  they  will  do  good  to  me 
(share  my  chocolate-coated  peanuts  with 
you  so  that  you  will  give  me  a  whole  box, 
for  example).  That's  a  perversion  of  the 
rule.  (Incidentally  it's  not  a  rule,  but  a 
relationship.)  I  am  to  share  my  chocolate- 
coated  peanuts  with  you  even  if  you  don't 
like  me,  because  that's  how  a  person  ought 
to  be  treated.  That's  how  I  would  want  to 
be  treated.  It  has  to  start  somewhere.  The 
Christian  starts  it. 

But  when  the  Christian  comes  to  the  end 
— to  death — it's  not  the  end.  The  Christian 
doesn't  believe  in  an  end.  He  merely  changes 
his  address.  Now  he's  got  chocolate-coated 
peanuts  in  abundance!  And  so  does  every- 
one else  in  heaven.  There's  more  than 
enough  to  go  around!  Q 


July  1979 


(D 


"IF  MY  PEOPLE  WILL" 


E 


•  « 

9 

o 
O 


1979  General  Conference       ^ 

Ashland  College  photo 
The  John   C.  Myers  Convocation  Center,  site  of  the  1979  General  Conference 


"If  My  People  Will"  is  the  theme  of 
the  91st  General  Conference  of  the 
Brethren  Church,  to  be  held  August 
13-17  on  the  Ashland  College  campus. 
The  theme,  from  II  Chronicles  7:14, 
emphasizes  God's  promise  that  when 
His  people  meet  His  conditions,  He 
will  hear  and  answer  their  prayers. 


General  Conference  has  been  called 
the  ''family  reunion"  of  the  Brethren 
Church.  This  year's  Conference  will 
attempt  to  provide  something  for  the 
whole  family — to  make  it  '*A  Family 
Affair." 


In  addition  to  the  usual  sessions 
for  adults,  and  the  BYC  Convention 
for  youth,  this  year's  Conference  will 
include  a  program  for  elementary- 
age  children.  Both  morning  and  after- 
noon sessions  are  planned.  Also,  an 
adult-supervised  nursery  will  be 
available  for  pre-school  children, 
operating  daily  from  8:30  a.m.  to  5 
p.m. 

On  this  and  the  following  seven 
pages  you  will  find  further  informa- 
tion about  this  year's  Conference 
program.  We  hope  that  you  will  find 
this  information  interesting  and  help- 
ful as  we  approach  our  91st  General 
Conference. 


Program   Highlights 


Monday 

7:00  p.m. — Conference  Opening: 
''A  Service  of  Scripture  and 
Song"  presented  by  the 
Conference  Worship  Committee 

Tuesday 

9:00  a.m. — Moderator's  Address, 

by  Rev.  Duane  Dickson 
1:30  p.m.— BYC  Moderator's 

Address,  by  Mr.  David  Kerner 
4:00  p.m. — Workshops 
7:00  p.m. — Ashland  Theological 

Seminary  Service 
8:00  p.m. — WMS  sponsored  Coffee 

Fellowship 

Wednesday 

9:00  a.m. — Inspiration  with  Rev. 

Peter  Unruh 
1:30  p.m. — Church  Growth  Models 
4:00  p.m. — Workshops 
7:00  p.m. — Ashland  College  Service 


8:00  p.m. — AC  sponsored  Coffee 
Fellowship 

Thursday 

9:00  a.m. — Inspiration  with  Rev. 

Peter  Unruh 
1:30  p.m. — National  Laymen's 

Public  Service  with  Lt.  Glenn  Walp 
4:00  p.m. — Workshops 
7:00  p.m. — Board  of  Christian 

Education  Service  with  Rev. 

Rodney  Toews 
Friday 
9:00  a.m. — Inspiration  with  Rev. 

Peter  Unruh 
11:45  a.m. — WRC  Fasting  Banquet 
1:30  p.m.— WMS  PubHc  Service 
4:00  p.m. — Workshops 
5:00  p.m. — Missionary  Board 

sponsored  All-Conference 

Banquet,  Dr.  Paul  G.  Hiebert, 

speaker 


14 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Rev«  Duane  Dickson  to  moderate 
1979  General  Conference 


o 


Moderating  this  year's  General 
Conference  will  be  Rev.  Duane  Dick- 
son, pastor  of  the  Walcrest  Brethren 
Church  of  Mansfield,  Ohio. 

Rev.  Dickson's  responsibilities  at 
Conference  will  bring  to  a  close  his 
year  of  activity  as  Moderator  of  the 
Brethren  Church.  During  this  year. 
Rev.  Dickson  has  visited  the  district 
conferences,  chaired  the  sessions  of 
the  Executive  Committee,  and  sat  in 
on  meetings  of  other  denominational 
boards.  He  has  also  written  a  month- 
ly column,  ''Moderator's  Report," 
for  the  Brethren  Evangehst.  All  this 
in  addition  to  his  regular  pastoral 
responsibilities. 

Rev.  Dickson  will  present  his  Mod- 
erator's address  to  the  Conference 
on  Tuesday  morning,  August  14,  at 
9  o'clock.  He  will  also  moderate  the 
daily  business  sessions. 

In  looking  forward  to  Conference, 
Moderator  Dickson  had  the  following 
comments : 

''I'm  sure  that  many  of  you  are 
already  making  plans  to  attend  the 
1979  Conference  of  the  Brethren 
Church.  If  you  are  not  planning  to 
come,  I  would  urge  you  to  seriously 
reconsider.  The  high  quality  of  the 
Conference  speakers,  the  urgency  of 
the  Conference  theme,  and  your  need 
to  be  better  equipped  to  make  dis- 
ciples (which  is  God's  plan  for  you) 


Service  of  Scripfure,  song 
to  open  Conference 

"A  Service  of  Scripture  and  Song" 
centered  on  the  Conference  Scripture 
text  —  II  Chronicles  7 :14  —  will  open 
the  1979  General  Conference.  The 
Worship  Committee  of  General  Con- 
ference  is   sponsoring   the   service. 

Rev.  Peter  E.  Roussaki,  chairman 
of  the  committee,  will  lead  this  time 
of  worship.  Serving  as  ministers  of 
music  will  be  Rev.  Bradley  Weiden- 
hamer  and  Mr.  Jeff  Lentz.  Both  are 
members  of  the  music  committee. 

The  service  will  begin  on  Monday 
evening,  August  13,  at  7  p.m. 

July  1979 


-<.  "--.-.  ii 


Moderator  Duane  Dickson 

require  you  to  make  every  effort  to 
attend. 

"We  have  attempted  to  design 
this  year's  Conference  program  so 
that  you  will  have  more  time  for 
inspiration  and  fellowship.  To  make 
this  possible,  it  was  necessary  to 
shorten  the  business  sessions.  This 
means  that  we  need  full  cooperation 
of  all  delegates  in  these  sessions. 

"One  main  inspirational  service  is 
planned  for  each  evening.  Requests 
have  been  received  for  special  pro- 
grams after  the  regular  services  for 
interested  persons.  All  program  plans 
are  excellent! 

"If  you  desire  to  be  effective  in 
the  proclamation  of  the  message  of 
Christ  and  you  fully  realize  that  it 
must  begin  with  you,  then  you  will 
want  to  make  a  special  effort  to  ob- 
tain the  resources  available  at  this 
year's  General  Conference." 


sessions 


Conference  business  sessions  will 
be  held  each  day,  Tuesday  through 
Friday,  from  10:00  a.m.  to  11:30  a.m. 

Only  one  business  session  is  sched- 
uled each  day  in  order  to  allow  more 
time  for  inspiration  and  fellowship. 


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Rev.  Peter  Unruh  will  be 
Conference  inspirational  speaker 


Rev.  Peter  Unruh  will  be  the 
inspirational  speaker  for  the  1979 
General  Conference.  He  will  speak 
daily,  Wednesday  through  Friday,  at 
9  a.m.,  with  messages  related  to  the 
Conference  theme,  '*If  My  People 
Will." 

Rev.  Unruh  is  senior  minister  of 
the  Lakeside  Baptist  Church  of 
Oakland,  Calif.  As  pastor  of  this 
congregation,  he  has  demonstrated 
the  gift  of  a  preacher-teacher.  His 
pastoral  work  is  characterized  by  a 
caring,  compassionate  attitude.  At 
the  same  time,  he  has  also  demon- 
strated a  creative  and  innovative 
administrative  ability. 

Rev.  Unruh  has  been  successful  in 
building  churches  through  building 
people.  This  emphasis  on  people  is 
reflected  in  his  warm  and  friendly 
congregation.  Its  members  display  an 
openness  and  interest  in  one  another 
and  in  visitors  who  come  to  its 
services. 

In  addition  to  his  pastoral  ministry, 
Unruh  has  served  with  the  World 
Relief  Commission  and  the  National 


Seminary  service  to  focus  on 
its  history  and  outreach 

Ashland  Theological  Seminary  will 
present  a  service  of  inspiration  on 
Conference  Tuesday.  The  service  will 
begin  at  7  p.m. 

The  program  will  focus  on  both  the 
history  and  the  outreach  of  the  sem- 
inary, which  has  hundreds  of  alumni 
serving  across  the  United  States  and 
around  the  world.  Slides  and  music, 
as  well  as  the  spoken  word,  will  be 
used  to  present  the  ministry  of  the 
seminary. 

Plans  call  for  special  music  to  be 
presented  by  ATS  student  Ron 
Williams.  Many  Brethren  will  remem- 
ber Mr.  Williams  from  last  year's 
Conference,  when  he  led  and  accom- 
panied a  singing  group  during  the 
seminary  program. 

Following  the  service,  the  WMS 
will  sponsor  an  informal  coffee 
fellowship. 


Rev.  Peter  Unruh 

Association  of  Evangelicals  (NAE) 
Board  of  Administration.  He  is  also 
a  resource  person  for  NAE  and  is 
director  of  Church  Growth  Planners, 
Inc. 

Rev.  Unruh  is  married,  and  he  and 
his  wife  have  four  children,  ranging 
in  age  from  10  to  23. 

In  addition  to  his  morning  mes- 
sages, Rev.  Unruh  will  lead  three 
workshops  on  the  subject  * 'Leader- 
ship for  the  Growing  Church." 


Conference  housing 

The  committee  on  Conference  hous- 
ing is  again  asking  that  Conference 
attenders  pre-register  for  rooms  this 
year. 

A  pre-registration  form  and  infor- 
mation about  Conference  housing  is 
printed  on  the  back  cover  of  this  issue 
of  the  Evangelist. 

Motor  homes,  trailers,  and  campers 
can  also  be  accommodated  at  Confer- 
ence. There  will  be  space  available  at 
the  Ashland  County  Fairgrounds, 
two  miles  southwest  of  Ashland 
College  on  Claremont  Avenue.  Both 
electric  and  water  hookups  are  pro- 
vided, as  well  as  dumping  facilities. 
Cost  is  $5.00  per  day. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Rev.  Rodney  Toews  to  speak 
at  Bd.  of  Christian  Ed.  service 


The  Board  of  Christian  Education 
will  be  in  charge  of  the  Thursday 
evening  Conference  program.  The 
speaker  for  this  service  will  be  Rev. 
Rodney  G.  Toews,  Vice  President — 
Ministries  for  Gospel  Light  Publi- 
cations. 

Rev.  Toews  is  known  to  many 
Brethren  people  from  his  presence  at 
last  year's  Conference.  At  that  time 
he  spoke  at  the  Association  of  Breth- 
ren Church  Teachers  luncheon. 

A  graduate  of  the  University  of 
Omaha  and  Bethel  Seminary  of  St. 
Paul,  Minn.,  Rev.  Toews  has  served 
the  ministry  of  Christian  Education 
in  several  churches,  both  small  and 
large.  Before  joining  Gospel  Light  in 
1967,  he  was  minister  of  education 
at  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Lake- 
wood,  Calif.,  one  of  the  largest 
churches  in  its  denomination. 

In  addition  to  Rev.  Toews  message, 
the  BCE  service  will  include  a  time 
of  recognition  for  this  year's  Sum- 
mer Crusaders  and  Interns.  Special 
music  for  the  service  will  be  present- 
ed by  some  of  these  Crusaders. 

AC   night  to  include 
participation   by 

Wednesday  evening  will  be  college 
night  at  General  Conference,  with 
Ashland  College  in  charge  of  the 
service  at  7  o'clock. 

A  variety  of  features  will  make  up 
the  program,  including  a  short  ad- 
dress by  AC  President  Arthur  L. 
Schultz  on  "The  Influence  of  the 
Church  on  Ashland  College." 

Ashland  College  students  will  also 
be  participating  in  the  program.  They 
will  provide  special  music  and  present 
their  reflections  on  life  at  Ashland 
College. 

The  college  will  also  present  an 
"Outstanding  Service  Award"  (or 
awards)  during  the  service.  This 
award  will  be  presented  to  a  member 
or  members  of  the  Brethren  Church 
who  have  provided  some  kind  of  out- 
standing service  to  Ashland  College. 

An    informal    time    of    fellowship 


*r 


Rev.  Rodney  G.   Toews 

Another  important  part  of  the 
program  will  be  the  presentation  of 
the  Educator  of  the  Year  award. 
Also  included  in  the  service  will  be 
the  installation  of  Mr.  Charles 
Beekley  as  the  new  Director  of 
Christian  Education. 


address   by   Schultz, 


sponsored  by  the  college  will  follow 
the  program.  AC  faculty  and  staff 
members  will  be  present  to  meet  Con- 
ference delegates  and  to  visit  with 
them. 


By  popular  demand,  the  1979  Con- 
ference will  once  again  include  a 
session  on  Church  Growth  Models. 

In  this  session,  several  Brethren 
churches  which  experienced  signifi- 
cant growth  in  1978  will  tell  how  they 
did  it.  Rev.  Arden  Gilmer,  Director  of 
Home  Missions  for  the  Brethren 
Church,  will  chair  this  session,  which 
is  sponsored  by  the  Executive 
Committee. 

Church  Growth  Models  will  be 
presented  on  Wednesday  afternoon  at 
1:30. 


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July  1979 


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State  Police  officer  to  speak 
at  Laymen's  public  service 


Lt.  Glenn  A.  Walp  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania State  Police  (Greensburg 
Barracks)  will  be  the  speaker  for  the 
Laymen's  public  inspirational  service 
on  Thursday  afternoon  of  Conference. 

Lt.  Walp  is  a  1966  graduate  of  the 
Pennsylvania  State  Police  Academy. 
He  also  holds  an  associate  degree  in 
police  science  from  York  College  of 
Pa.,  and  an  associate  degree  in 
criminology  and  police  administra- 
tion from  Indiana  University  of  Pa. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  of  Hempfield  Township, 
Greensburg,  Pa.,  where  he  has  served 
as  an  elder  and  a  deacon.  He  has  also 
served  as  interim  minister  at  several 
Churches  of  Christ  in  the  area. 

Lt.  Walp  will  speak  on  the  subject 
"My  People." 

Special  music  for  the  Laymen's 
service  will  be  presented  by  'The 
Gospel  Sounds,"  a  trio  from  Akron, 
Ohio.  One  of  the  trio,  Mr.  Kenneth 
Hysell,  is  a  member  of  the  Brethren 
church  in  Massillon,  Ohio  (the 
Jackson  Bible  Church). 


Workshops 


A  variety  of  workshops  are  planned 
for  this  year's  Conference.  Following 
is  a  list  of  these  workshops  and  their 
leaders.  (Names  in  parentheses  are 
the  sponsoring  groups.) 

Workshops  will  be  held  each  after- 
noon from  4  to  5  o'clock. 
Tuesday 
Music  with  Children  and  Youth   (I) 

by  Rev.  Peter  Roussaki 

(Worship  Committee) 
A  Boys'  Brotherhood  Program 

for  Your  Church  by  Mr.  Virgil 

Barnhart  and  Mrs.  Elma 

Delagrange   (Bd.  of  Christian 

Ed.) 
Wednesday 
Leadership  for  the  Growing 

Church   (I)   by  Rev.  Peter  Unruh 

(Gen.  Conf.  Executive 

Committee) 
Music  with  Children  and  Youth  (II) 

by  Rev.  Peter  Roussaki 

(Worship  Committee) 


,**  -^ , 


Lt. 

Glenn 

A. 

Walp 


*■« 


f^'. 


ABCT   Luncheon 

The  Board  of  Christian  Education 
will  sponsor  the  third  annual  ABCT 
luncheon  at  the  1979  General  Con- 
ference. The  luncheon  is  for  all  mem- 
bers of  ABCT  (the  Association  of 
Brethren  Church  Teachers)  and  for 
all  other  Sunday  school  teachers, 
superintendents,  and  youth  leaders 
who  are  interested  in  better  Christian 
education. 

The  luncheon  will  be  held  at  Park 
Street  Brethren  Church  on  Thursday 
of  Conference  week.  After  the  meal, 
there  will  be  a  guest  speaker  and  a 
brief  explanation  of  the  function  of 
ABCT. 


Sunday  School  in  the  80's  by 

Rev.  Rodney  Toews   (Bd.  of 

Christian  Ed.) 
Thursday 
Leadership  for  the  Growing 

Church  (II)  by  Rev.  Peter  Unruh 

(Ex.  Com.) 
WMS  Involvement  by  Mrs.  Donald 

Rowser   (Woman's  Missionary 

Society) 
Sunday  School  in  the  80's  by 

Rev.  Rodney  Toews   (Bd.  of 

Christian  Ed.) 
Friday 
Leadership  for  the  Growing 

Church  (III)  by  Rev.  Peter  Unruh 

(Ex.  Com.) 
Developing  a  Disciplined  Life  by 

Rev.  Norman  Long   (Bd.  of 

Christian  Ed.) 


18 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Former  missionary  to  India  to  be 
All-Conference  Banquet  speaker 


The  climax  for  this  year's  Confer- 
ence will  be  the  All-Conference 
Banquet  on  Friday  evening.  The 
theme  for  the  banquet,  which  is 
sponsored  by  the  Missionary  Board, 
will  be  Jesus'  words,  **I  Am  the  Way, 
the  Truth,  and  the  Life." 

Dr.  Paul  G.  Hiebert,  professor  of 
mission  anthropology  and  South 
Asian  studies  at  the  Fuller  Theo- 
logical Seminary  School  of  Mission, 
will  be  the  featured  speaker. 

Dr.  Hiebert  will  speak  from  his 
long  involvement  with  missions, 
which  began  as  a  child  when  he  was 
with  his  missionary  parents  in  India. 
After  schooling  in  the  U.S.  (B.A.  at 
Tabor  College  in  1954,  M.A.  at  Men- 
nonite  Seminary  in  1957,  M.A.  at  the 
University  of  Minnesota  in  1959),  he 
returned  to  India  in  1960,  this  time 
as  a  missionary  himself.  He  served 
six  years  in  India  under  the  Men- 
nonite  Brethren  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  and  was  in  charge  of  the 
Mennonite  Brethren  Bible  Institute 
there. 

In  addition  to  his  present  respon- 
sibilities at  Fuller,  Hiebert  is  also 
research  advisor  for  the  Mennonite 
Brethren  Board  of  Missions  and,  in 
this  capacity,  returns  to  India  period- 
ically for  ministries  and  study. 

Also  bringing  remarks  at  the 
banquet  will  be  Kev.  Juan  Carlos 
Miranda,  Director  of  Hispanic  Min- 
istries for  the  Fuller  Evangelistic 
Association.  Rev.  Miranda  will  be 
reporting  on  the  new  Brethren  mis- 
sion work  in  Mexico. 

Rev.  Kenneth  Solomon,  Brethren 
Missionary  to  Medellin,  Colombia, 
will  also  be  at  the  banquet  and  will 
present  an  update  on  Brethren  mis- 
sion work  in  Medellin. 

Another  important  part  of  the 
banquet  will  be  the  annual  Confer- 
ence offering  for  missions.  This 
year's  offering  will  go  for  the  new 
mission  work  in  Mexico. 

Cost  for  the  banquet  will  be  $6.25 
per  person.  Pre-registration  is  due 
by  August  7.  To  pre-register,  send 
your  name,  address,  number  of  in- 
dividuals in  your  party,  and  a  check 


Dr.  Paul  G.  Hiebert 

for  the  total  amount  to  The  Mission- 
ary Board  of  the  Brethren  Church, 

530  College  Ave.,  Ashland,  OH  44805. 

Say   It  with   flowers 

Flowers  on  the  Conference  plat- 
form do  much  to  brighten  up  the 
Conference  meeting  room.  Flowering 
plants  are  again  being  planned  for 
this  year's  Conference. 

The  Executive  Committee  is  invit- 
ing Brethren  people  to  send  memorial 
donations  for  these  plants.  Five 
potted  plants  are  needed,  at  a  cost 
of  $25.00  each.  If  you  are  interested 
in  making  a  donation  in  memory  of 
a  friend  or  loved  one,  you  may  send 
it  to  the  General  Conference  Plant 
Fund,  524  College  Ave.,  Ashland,  OH 
44805. 


Displays 


Various  boards  and  organizations 
are  planning  displays  for  this  year's 
General  Conference. 

Dorman  Ronk  is  again  serving  as 
coordinator  of  the  displays,  which  will 
be  located  in  the  Convocation  Center. 
Groups  or  local  churches  desiring 
space  for  a  display  should  contact 
Mr.  Ronk  at  227  College  Ave., 
Ashland,  Ohio  44805,  before  General 
Conference. 


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July  1979 


19 


■as. 


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"Seeking  and  Serving"  to  be 
theme  of  BYC  Convention 


Brethren  Youth  will  gather  in 
August  at  the  National  Brethren 
Youth  Convention  for  a  week-long 
experience  in  seeking  and  serving 
the  Lord.  Special  speakers  and  ser- 
vices will  highlight  the  Convention 
this  year. 

Dr.  Jerry  Flora,  Associate  Pro- 
fessor of  Christian  Theology  at  Ash- 
land     Theological      Seminary,      and 

Youth   Moderator  to 


A  Conference  first!  The  BYC 
Moderator,  David  Kerner,  will  ad- 
dress a  combined  audience  of  youth 
and  adults  at  this  year's  General 
Conference.  He  will  present  his 
message  on  Tuesday  afternoon. 

This  new  practice  is  the  result  of 
a  request  from  last  year's  Youth 
Convention  that  the  youth  Modera- 
tor's address  be  scheduled  on  the 
adult  program.  This  request  was  put 
in  the  form  of  a  motion  that  was 
approved  by  Conference  delegates. 

Dave  Kerner  is  a  student  at  Ash- 
land College,  majoring  in  religion. 
He  will  enter  his  senior  year  this 
fall.  He  spent  last  summer  as  a 
missionary  intern  in  Medellin,  Colom- 
bia,  and  this  summer  he  is  on  the 


Youth 
Moderator 
David 
Kerner 

missionary  intern  team  working  with 
Rev.  Juan  Carlos  Miranda  in  Califor- 
nia and  Mexico. 

Dave  is  the  son  of  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
William  Kerner  of  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Dave's  father  will  be  the  1980  Gen- 
eral Conference  Moderator.  His  son 
became  moderator  a  year  ahead  of 
him! 


Archie  Nevins,  pastor  of  the  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  Brethren  Church,  will 
address  the  youth  of  the  Convention. 

Each  evening  special  programs  will 
be  sponsored  for  the  Youth  Conven- 
tion. * 'Crusader  Review,"  film  clips, 
a  special  musical  concert  by  ''Har- 
mony," and  the  Youth  Communion 
will  be  featured. 

Anything  will  go  again  at  the  sec- 
ond annual  National  BYC  Anything 
Goes.  This  event  will  include  teams 
from  across  the  denomination  com- 
peting in  many  zany  and  challenging 
contests. 

The  program  offers  a  well-rounded 
week  for  all  Brethren  Youth.  Don't 
miss  it  this  year! 


sessions 


for  children 


This  year's  Conference  will  include 
sessions  for  elementary-age  children. 
This  is  a  part  of  this  year's  emphasis 
on  making  Conference  "A  Family 
Affair." 

The  program,  which  is  for  children 
who  were  in  grades  one  through  six 
during  this  past  school  year,  will  be 
held  at  Park  Street  Brethren  Church. 
Sessions  will  meet  each  morning  and 
afternoon,  Tuesday  through  Friday. 

Working  with  the  children  will  be 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jeff  Lentz  and  Mrs. 
Linda  Beekley.  They  will  be  using 
the  "Music  Machine,"  a  curriculum 
which  helps  children  develop  an 
awareness  of  their  spiritual  gifts. 
The  curriculum  includes  classroom 
work,  recreation,  crafts,  and  music — 
all  centered  on  the  theme  of  spiritual 
gifts. 

The  idea  for  the  program  for  chil- 
dren originated  with  the  Executive 
Committee,  and  the  challenge  to 
sponsor  the  sessions  was  accepted  by 
the  Board  of  Christian  Education. 

The  registration  fee  for  the  chil- 
dren's sessions  will  be  $5.00  per  child, 
payable  at  Conference.  In  order  that 
sufficient  materials  may  be  ordered 
for  the  program,  parents  are  asked 
to  pre-register  their  children,  using 
the  form  provided  on  page  27  of  this 
issue  of  the  Evangelist. 


20 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Conference  auxiliary  sessions 

Auxiliaries  will  meet  Tuesday  thru  Friday  at  2:30  p.m. 


Q 


For  Women 


For  Girls 


The  affirmation  ''We  Are  God's 
People!"  will  be  the  theme  for  the 
Woman's  Missionary  Society  sessions 
at  General  Conference. 

Each  WMS  session  will  include  a 
time  of  inspiration,  to  be  led  by  dis- 
trict WMS  organizations.  The  Ohio 
District  will  be  in  charge  of  this  time 
of  inspiration  on  Tuesday,  the  Indi- 
ana District  on  Wednesday,  and  the 
Pennsylvania  District  on  Thursday. 

Also  scheduled  for  the  Tuesday 
session  is  a  time  of  challenge  by  the 
WMS  president,  Mrs.  Pauline  Ben- 
shoff.  On  Wednesday  the  WMS 
Thank  Offering  will  be  received,  and 
the  Project  Offering  for  Operation 
Impact  will  be  gathered  on  Friday. 

A  WMS  luncheon  is  planned  for 
Wednesday  from  11:45  to  1:15.  This 
will  be  held  in  a  room  in  the  Ashland 
College  Library. 

Also  planned  is  a  women's  prayer 
time,  ''Ask,  Seek  and  Knock,"  to  be 
held  each  morning  from  8:15  to  8:30 
in  the  Convocation  Center. 

For  Men 

Dr.  Arthur  L.  Schultz,  President 
of  Ashland  College,  and  Dr.  Frederick 
T.  Burkey,  A.C.'s  Director  of  Relig- 
ious Affairs  and  Campus  Ministry, 
will  address  the  National  Laymen's 
Organization  during  General  Confer- 
ence. Both  will  speak  at  the  Tuesday 
afternoon  session. 

On  Wednesday  afternoon,  the  Lay- 
men will  hear  a  report  by  Virgil 
Barnhart  on  the  Task  Force  of  Boys' 
Brotherhood.  Mr.  Archie  Nevins,  the 
recipient  of  the  1979  Laymen's  sem- 
inary scholarship,  will  present  a  mini- 
message  to  the  men  on  Thursday. 
Friday's  session  will  be  a  time  for 
Laymen's  testimonials. 

In  addition  to  hearing  these  speak- 
ers, the  Laymen  will  conduct  elec- 
tions, receive  reports,  and  take  care 
of  the  organization's  business.  The 
Laymen's  sessions  will  be  held  daily 
at  2:30  p.m. 


"Is  It  Worth  My  Life?"  will  be  the 
theme  of  the  1979  National  Sister- 
hood Conference  program.  Daily 
topics,  to  be  presented  by  Mrs.  Elma 
Delagrange,  will  be  "The  Miracle  of 
Me,"  "Who  Am  I  Plugged  Into?" 
"Whose  Voice  Do  I  Listen  To?"  and 
"Celebration,  the  Capstone  of  Life." 

Each  day's  session  will  include 
devotions,  special  music,  business 
items,  and  missionary  news. 

All  girls  (not  just  Sisterhood  mem- 
bers) will  be  welcome  at  these 
sessions. 

For   Ministers 

Mr.  John  W.  Dillon,  Director  of 
Associate  Crusades  for  the  Billy 
Graham  Evangelistic  Association, 
will  be  one  of  three  speakers  to 
address  the  Brethren  Ministerial 
Association  at  General  Conference. 
Mr.  Dillon  will  be  speaking  on  "The 
Protracted  Meeting  as  an  Evangel- 
istic Tool." 

Also  addressing  the  ministers  will 
be  Rev.  Juan  Carlos  Miranda,  Direc- 
tor of  Hispanic  Ministries  with  the 
Fuller  Evangelistic  Association,  and 
Rev.  Ken  Solomon,  Brethren  Mission- 
ary to  Colombia. 


Conference   Nursery 

To  help  make  this  year's  Confer- 
ence "A  Family  Affair,"  an  adult- 
supervised  nursery  will  be  available 
for  pre-school  children  each  day.  It 
will  be  operated  by  the  Christian 
Crusaders  Class  of  the  Emmanuel 
United  Methodist  Church  of  Ashland, 
using  the  facilities  of  the  Park  Street 
Brethren  Church. 

The  nursery  will  be  in  operation 
from  8:30  a.m.  to  5:00  p.m.  Tuesday 
through  Friday.  Cost  will  be  25  cents 
per  child  per  hour,  with  a  maximum 
of  50  cents  per  hour  per  family  (third 
child  free!).  No  meals  will  be 
provided. 


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July  1979 


21 


UPDATE 


news   from   the   Brethren   Church 


Florida  Dlsfriet  adopt's 
District  Constitution 

The  second  Florida  District  Conference  convened 
on  May  19  at  the  First  Brethren  Church  in 
Sarasota. 

Special  speaker  for  the  conference  was  Dr. 
James  Strange  of  the  Department  of  Religion  of 
the  University  of  South  Florida. 

The  major  item  of  business  was  the  adoption 
of  the  new  District  Constitution.  District  officers 
were  also  elected. 

A  unique  feature  of  the  conference  was  the 
reports  of  the  district  ministries.  Rather  than 
just  being  read,  these  reports  were  acted  out.  This 
dramatization  of  the  activities  of  each  ministry 
provided  a  refreshing  view  of  the  work  of  the 
district. 


Mrs.   Sandra   Wagstaff   leaves 
post   with   Missionary   Board 

On  the  last  day  in  May  denominational  workers 
gathered  for  a  noon  luncheon  in  honor  of  Mrs. 
Donald  (Sandy)  Wagstaff.  That  day  was  Mrs. 
Wagstaff's  last  day  as  bookkeeper  in  the  Mission- 
ary Board  office.  She  had  been  a  valuable  member 
of  the  mission  office's  staff  for  3y2  years. 

The  Wagstaffs  left  Ashland  in  mid-June  for 
Roann,  Indiana,  where  Don  became  pastor  of  the 
First  Brethren  Church.  Don  was  graduated  from 
Ashland  Theological  Seminary  on  June  10. 

We  commend  Sandy  and  Don  and  their  family 
to  the  Roann  congregation  and  the  Indiana  Dis- 
trict with  the  prayer  that  God  will  both  bless  them 
and  make  them  a  blessing  as  they  take  up  their 
ministry  among  the  Brethren  in  Indiana. 

— ^Virgil  Ingraham 


Mrs.  Sandra  Wagstaff 


County  Line  Senior  Citizens 
form  "The  3  L's" 

The  senior  citizens  class  of  the  County  Line 
Brethren  Church  (near  Lakeville,  Ind.)  has 
formed  a  new  group  known  as  "The  3  L's"  (Live 
Long  and  Love  it.) 

"The  3  L's,"  which  is  for  people  55  and  over, 
meets  twice  monthly  for  fellowship,  a  time  of 
devotions,  and  a  variety  of  interesting  activities. 
Activities  at  meetings  in  April  and  May  included 
a  film  entitled  "God  Is  My  Partner,"  a  visit  to  the 
Plymouth  Park  and  Historical  Museum,  and  a 
tour  through  the  new  Plymouth  library.  On  June 
13  the  group  had  a  picnic  at  the  Potato  Creek 
Park. 

According  to  Mrs.  Wilbur  Thomas,  "The  3  L's" 
has  15  members.  Other  senior  citizens  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  County  Line  Brethren  Church  are 
invited  to  attend  and  become  a  part  of  the  group. 
Meetings  are  held  the  second  and  fourth  Wednes- 
day of  each  month  during  the  summer. 

Ashland   College   signs   agreennent 
with    Korean   school 

Ashland  College  and  Hansa  College  of  Korea 
have  signed  an  agreement  of  friendship  uniting 
the  two  schools  in  a  cooperative  relationship.  Dr. 
Julian  H.  Murphy,  vice  president  for  academic 
affairs  at  AC,  and  Dr.  Jae  Won  Chai,  vice 
president  of  Hansa  College  in  Korea,  signed  the 
agreement  recently  on  the  AC  campus. 

Under  the  agreement,  faculty  from  Hansa  will 
come  to  AC  where  they  will  utilize  the  college's 
resources  to  learn  English,  conduct  research,  learn 
the  meaning  of  the  American  educational  system, 
and  share  their  own  skills  with  faculty  and 
administration. 

Hansa  faculty  members  shall  have  access  to  all 
of  the  facilities  of  Ashland  College  and  shall  be 
a:ble  to  share  their  experiences  and  questions  with 
the  AC  faculty  and  administration.  In  return, 
Hansa  shall  work  closely  with  Ashland  to  develop 
a  sister  relationship  that  may  include  exchange  of 
students  and  other  resources  that  can  prove 
mutually    advantageous    to    both    institutions. 

Unique    baptism   at   Park   Street 

A  unique  baptismal  service  was  conducted  June 
10th  at  the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church.  Four 
persons  were  baptized  by  four  different  ministers. 

Three  of  the  baptismal  candidates  were  children 
of  ministers  who  belong  to  the  congregation,  and 
each  of  the  three  was  baptized  by  his  or  her 
father.  Jeff  Gilmer  was  baptized  by  Rev.  Arden 
Gilmer,  Lynn  Burkey  by  Dr.  Frederick  Burkey, 
and  Melissa  Winfield  by  Rev.  Dick  Winfield. 

The  fourth  candidate,  Mrs.  Roberta  Mumaw, 
was  baptized  by  the  pastor.  Rev.  Eugene  Beekley. 


22 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


.»«>■'. 


update 


Standing   next   to   the   new 
12-passenger    van    which    the 
Tucson    First   Brethren    Church 
will  use  for  its  Outreach  Ministry 
are  (left  to  right)  Pastor  Clarence 
Stogsdill,  Wanda  Carson  (Outreach 
Chairman),  Claude  Carson,  and 
Ellen  and  Jim  Fisher. 


photo  by  George  Petrcvic,  Sr. 


Tucson  First  B 
for  VANgelism 


The  First  Brethren  Church  of  Tucson,  Arizona, 
has  purchased  a  new  CMC  van  for  use  in  its 
Outreach  Ministry. 

The  number  one  priority  for  the  new  12- 
passenger  van  will  be  to  bring  the  unsaved  in 
for  Sunday  school  and  church.  The  van  will  also 
be  available  for  youth  meetings,  retreats,  home 
Bible   studies,    and   other   church    needs.    Another 


fhren  buys  van 
minisfry 

function   of  the  van  will  be  to   transport  senior 
citizens,   especially  at  night. 

The  Outreach  Ministry  of  Tucson  First  Brethren 
is  a  "faith  ministry"  that  came  about  from  the 
desire  of  the  congregation  to  have  a  growing 
evangelistic  outreach  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Members  of  the  Tucson  congregation  are  praising 
the  Lord  for  enabling  them  to  buy  this  van,  which 
was  an  answer  to  their  prayers. 


Roanoke  ordains  deacons 
and  deaconesses 

On  June  3  Robert  Zent,  John  Smith,  Robert  and 
Kayleen  Bowker,  and  John  and  Lois  Critchfield 
were  ordained  as  deacons  and  deaconesses  in  the 
Roanoke,   Ind.,   First  Brethren  Church. 

Rev.  Rodney  Thomas  was  the  speaker  for  the 
special  service  of  ordination.  Rev.  Thomas  is 
pastor  of  the  Huntington,  Ind.,  Brethren  Church 
and  a  member  of  the  Indiana  District  Congrega- 
tional and  Ministerial  Relations  Board. 

According  to  Rev.  Ralph  Gibson,  pastor  of  the 
congregation,  the  Roanoke  Church  is  "growing 
slowly  but  surely."  An  average  Sunday  school 
attendance  of  45  and  a  morning  worship  average 
of  64  (compared  with  44  and  52  respectively  last 
year)  are  encouraging  signs  for  the  Roanoke 
people.  A  goal  of  70  in  worship  by  the  end  of  the 
year  has  been  set,  and  Pastor  Gibson  expects  that 
this   goal   will   be   reached. 

According  to  Rev.  Gibson,  "There  is  a  good 
spirit  of  fellowship  among  the  congregation  and 
a  desire  to  continue  improvements  in  the  physical 
properties  of  the  church  and  parsonage."  Other 
signs  of  life  are  a  new  puppet  ministry,  the  be- 
ginning of  a  choir  ,  and  "above  all,"  according  to 
the  pastor,  "a  growing  love  for  the  Lord." 


Christian  outreach  through  radio 
increasing  to  China 

New  York,  N.Y.  (ABS  News)— The  United  Bible 
Societies  are  preparing  plans  to  double  the  amount 
of  Scripture  programming  being  broadcast  into 
mainland  China  within  the  next  few  months. 

Bible  Society  plans  have  been  prompted  by 
reports  of  an  increase  in  open  Christian  activity 
in  China,  as  well  as  by  a  dramatically  increased 
response  from  Chinese  listeners  to  the  programs. 

According  to  UBS  officials  in  Hong  Kong,  the 
number  of  responses  to  the  radio  programs  is 
"increasing  spectacularly."  This  year  alone,  over 
10,000  letters  have  been  received  in  Hong  Kong 
from  listeners  in  all  parts  of  mainland  China. 
This  is  a  far  cry  from  the  days  when  there  was 
virtually  no  response  to  the  programs. 

A  variety  of  new  programs  is  planned,  includ- 
ing a  daily  English-by-radio  broadcast  based  on 
Bible  readings  and  a  children's  program  with 
dramatization  of  Bible  stories,  quizzes,  and  Bible 
songs. 

Membership  Growth 

Sarasota:     3  by  baptism,  2  by  transfer 
North  Manchester:     4  by  baptism,  2  by  transfer 


July  1979 


23 


update 

Ashland  Theological  Seminary  grants  degrees 

to  sixty-one  in  June 


Ashland  Theological  Seminary  held  its  annual 
commencement  ceremony  on  Saturday,  June  9. 
Graduate  degrees  in  theology  were  conferred  upon 
61  candidates  during  the  ceremony. 

Speaker  for  the  service  was  Rev.  Paul  L.  Morell, 
senior  pastor  of  the  Tyler  Street  United  Methodist 
Church  in  Dallas,  Texas.  He  spoke  on  the  topic 
"Answering  God's  Call."  Morell  also  received  the 
honorary  doctor  of  divinity  degree  from  the 
seminary   during   the   commencement   ceremony. 

Of  the  61  seminary  graduates,  29  received  the 
master  of  divinity  degree,  28  received  the  master 
of  arts  degree,  and  4  were  granted  the  doctor  of 
ministry  degree. 

Four  of  this  year's  seminary  graduates  have 
chosen  to  minister  in  the  Brethren  Church.  It 
is  of  note  that  all  four  of  these  people  came  to 
the  Brethren  Church  from  other  denominations. 

Kenneth  A.  Goss  is  from  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He 
attended  Ohio  University  and  Cuyahoga  Commun- 
ity College  before  entering  Ashland  Theological 
Seminary.  He  also  worked  several  years  in  public 
relations  and  sales  before  becoming  minister  of 
youth  at  Riverview  Church  in  Cleveland. 

Ken  was  Student  Association  president  at  ATS. 
He  was  also  recently  honored  as  one  of  the 
"Outstanding  Young  Men  of  America." 

Ken  is  married  to  Dorothy  Patrick.  He  and  his 
wife  have  two  daughters. 

Following  graduation,  Ken  began  serving  as 
pastor  of  the  Burlington,  Ind.,  Brethren  Church. 


James  A.  Ray 


Kenneth  A.   Goss 


James  A.  Ray  is  from  Ashtabula,  Ohio.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  United  Methodist  Church  before 
joining  the  Brethren  denomination. 

Jim  attended  Ashland  College,  from  which  he 
received  his  degree  in  1974.  While  in  college,  he 
received  many  athletic  honors  in  baseball.  Follow- 
ing college  graduation,  he  was  selected  by  the 
San  Francisco  Giants  organization  to  play  pro- 
fessional baseball  on  one  of  its  minor  league  teams. 


After  playing  minor  league  ball  for  one  year,  Jim 
turned  down  a  chance  to  try  out  with  the  Phillies 
and  the  Dodgers,  choosing  to  come  to  ATS  instead. 
Since  graduation,  two  important  events  have 
taken  place  in  Jim's  life.  He  married  Jennifer 
Jones  and  he  moved  to  Indiana  to  become  asso- 
ciate  pastor  of   the   Jefferson   Brethren   Church. 


;■ 

^:. 

'«^ 

' . 

^*" 

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«^1 

~" 

"i 

Donald  E.   Wagstaff 


Susan  E.   White 


Donald  E.  Wagstaff  came  to  Ashland  from  Mt. 
Vernon,  Ohio.  He  is  the  husband  of  Sandra 
St.  John,  who  worked  several  years  as  bookkeeper 
in  the  national  Missionary  Board  office.  Don  and 
Sandy  have  two  girls,  one  of  whom  graduated 
from   Ashland  High   School  in  May. 

Don  is  a  graduate  of  Mt.  Vernon  Bible  College 
and  worked  several  years  in  industry  before 
entering  the  ministry.  While  in  seminary,  he 
served  as  student  pastor  in  Ruggles,  Ohio 

Following  graduation  Don  became  pastor  of  the 
Roann,  Ind.,  Brethren  Church. 

Susan  E.  White  is  from  Ashland,  Ohio.  She  was 
graduated  from  Ashland  College  in  1975  Magna 
Cum  Laude.  Following  college  graduation  she 
taught  in  a  Christian  school  before  entering  the 
seminary. 

While  in  the  seminary,  Susan  was  selected  as 
a  student  assistant  in  Greek.  She  was  also  an 
officer  in  the  Student  Association. 

Susan  is  a  member  of  the  Park  Street  Brethren 
Church.  She  is  looking  forward  to  Christian  min- 
istry. Susan's  article,  "The  Sisters  of  the 
Brethren,"  appeared  in  the  May  1979  issue  of  the 
Brethren  Evangelist. 

In  addition  to  these  four  graduates  who  received 
degrees,  two  other  Brethren  men  who  are  former 
graduates  of  the  seminary  also  received  degrees 
at  this  year's  commencement.  Rev.  Marlin  McCann 
and  Rev.  Gene  Hollinger,  who  received  the  bach- 
elor of  divinity  degree  in  past  years,  were  this 
year  granted  the  master  of  divinity  degree. 


2p 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


"SSiiFiJ' 


■«lr    /m:''^<. 


Construction  is  in  progress  on 
an  addition  to  the  west  end 
of  the  library-classroom  building 
at  Ashland  Theological  Seminary. 
The  addition  will  provide  classroom 
and   library   space. 


photo  by  Tom   Roepke 


Seminary  begins  construction 
of  $75,000  addition 


Construction  has  begun  on  an  addition  to  the 
library-classroom  building  of  the  Ashland  Theo- 
logical Seminary.  The  new  addition  will  provide 
classroom  space  and  will  free  other  existing  class- 
rooms for  use  by  the  school's  library. 

The  additional  classroom  and  library  space  is 
made  necessary  by  the  increased  enrollment  in 
the  seminary.  Full-  and  part-time  students  en- 
rolled in  the  seminary  now  number  331. 


The  total  cost  of  the  addition  will  be  approx- 
imately $75,000,  including  equipment  and  fees. 
Money  is  being  provided  by  both  Brethren  and 
non-Brethren   friends   of  the  seminary. 

The  present  addition  is  phase  one  of  the  sem- 
inary's current  building  program.  An  additional 
$55,000  phase  is  planned  when  money  is  available. 
Construction  is  being  carried  out  on  a  cash  basis 
only. 


Internat'ional  Year  of  fhe  Child 
legislation  proposed 

Representative  Edward  Beard  (D-R.I.)  and  15 
cosponsors  have  introduced  into  Congress  a  reso- 
lution that  would  "express  the  sense  of  the 
Congress  that  children  possess  both  fundamental 
human  rights  and  rights  attributable  to  their 
status  as  children,  and  to  call  for  the  enactment 
of  Federal  and  State  laws  to  implement  such  rights 
to  the  fullest  extent  possible  and  to  grant  children 
additional  rights  equivalent  to  the  rights  now 
possessed  only  by  adults."  This  "House  Concurrent 
Resolution    109"    was    introduced    on    April    24. 

According  to  NAE  Washingtoii  Insigfht,  a  pub- 
lication of  the  National  Association  of  Evan- 
gelicals' Office  of  Public  Affairs,  "If  passed,  H. 
Con.  Res.  109  could  set  the  stage  for  anti-family 
legislation,  and  the  fulfillment  of  the  wildest 
apprehensions  about  the  International  Year  of 
the  Child." 

Insight  goes  on  to  comment:  "One  wonders  who 
would  define  the  abuse  envisioned  in  'the  right  to 
be  free  from  psychological  and  physical  abuse,' 
or  what  would  be  involved  in  'the  right  to  be 
consulted  on  all  matters  which  affect  one's 
psychological  and  physical  well-being.'  Extremely 


troublesome  is  the  proposed  'right  to  be  repre- 
sented by  skillful  legal  counsel,  as  an  individual 
having  rights  and  interests  independent  of  any 
rights  and  interests  that  parents  or  guardians 
of  the  child  may  have.'  " 

The  NAE  publication  recommends  that  con- 
cerned persons  write  to  their  Senators  and 
Representatives  in  Congress  urging  that  this  leg- 
islation, "with  its  anti-family  potential,  never  be 
allowed  to  emerge  from  a  committee  into  the  full 
Senate  and  House,  much  less  to  become  law." 


1978   Scripture   distribution 
s   half   billion   mark 


top 


New  York,  N.Y.  (ABS  News) — The  American 
Bible  Society  (ABS)  and  the  United  Bible  Societies 
distributed  more  than  a  half  billion  Scriptures 
worldwide  in  1978. 

Not  only  did  the  total— 503,318,060— break  all 
previous  annual  records,  but  this  was  the  first 
time  it  topped  the  half  billion  mark. 

ABS'  part  in  the  effort  was  127  million  Scrip- 
tures distributed  in  the  United  States  and  finan- 
cial support  of  153  million  overseas. 

ABS's  distribution  activities  worldwide  in  1978 
represented  a  13.9  percent  increase  over  1977. 


July  1979 


25 


update 


Annual  Corporafion  Meeting 
of  Hie  Brethren  Pub.  Co. 

The  annual  corporation  meeting  of  the  Brethren 
Publishing  Company  will  be  held  Thursday, 
August  16,  1979,  during  the  10:00  a.m.  (EDT) 
business  session  of  the  General  Conference  of  the 
Brethren  Church.  The  meeting  will  be  held  in  the 
John  C.  Myers  Convocation  Center  on  the  Ashland 
College  Campus,  Ashland,  Ohio. 

Delegates  to  the  General  Conference  constitute 
the  membership   of  the  corporation. 

— W.  St.  Clair  Benshoff,  President 

Weddings 

Mary  Jane  Quinn  to  John  W.  Kelley,  June  3,  at 
the  Johnstown,  Pa.,  Third  Brethren  Church; 
Clarence  R.  Kindley,  pastor,  officiating.  Members 
of  the  Johnstown  Third  Brethren  Church. 

Goldenaires 

Node  and  Zelma  Dog^gett,  63rd,  May  24.  Members 
of  the  First  Brethren  Church,  Ashland,  Ohio. 

In  Memory 

Doris  M.  Cushen,  May  15.  Life-long  member  of 
the  Hagerstown,   Md.,   First  Brethren  Church. 


BEFORE  YOU  MOVE 

ease  let  us  know. 


1.    Give  old  address: 


Name 

Address 

City                                             State 
2.    Fill  in  new  address  below: 

Zip 

Name 

Address 

City                                             State 

Zip 

Date  new  address  in  effect 

3.    Mail  this  form  to: 

Address  Correction 

Brethren  Publishing  Company 

524  College  Avenue 

Ashland,  OH    44805 


Conference  Announcements 

Prayer  vigil    planned 

The  Social  Concerns  Committee  of 
General  Conference  will  sponsor  a 
24-hour  prayer  vigil  from  noon 
Wednesday  to  noon  Thursday  of 
Conference  week.  The  committee 
urges  all  delegates  to  participate. 

A  time  schedule  for  the  vigil  will 
be  available  for  delegates  to  sign 
when  they  turn  in  their  Conference 
credentials. 

The  Social  Concerns  Committee 
also  hopes  to  make  a  prayer  room 
available  throughout  Conference 
week. 


Fo 


r  women 


only 


WMS  women  are  asked  to  bring  the 
baby  blankets  they  have  crocheted 
and  knitted  to  Conference.  These  will 
be  given  to  Mrs.  Aida  May  Munson, 
who  will  be  in  charge  of  sending 
them  on. 

The  World  Relief  Board  is  also  ask- 
ing WMS  groups  to  bring  samples 
of  their  work  (sewing,  knitting, 
crocheting,  etc.)  to  the  World  Relief 
table  at  General  Conference  to  be 
used  as  a  part  of  the  display. 

Wanted:      simple   ideas 

We  all  seem  to  be  facing  two  prob- 
lems today: 

— how  to  meet  family  expenses  and 
church  budgets  with  our  ''shrink- 
ing dollars"; 
— how  to  deal  with  energy  shortages. 
In  other  words,  we  are  forced  to 
consider  how  to  live  with  less. 

Brethren  House  Ministries  would 
like  to  compile  good  ideas  from  the 
Brethren  on  these  topics.  Therefore, 
at  General  Conference  they  will  have 
a  place  for  you  to  bring  your  ideas. 
These  will  be  compiled  and  later 
shared  with  everyone. 

Bring  or  send  (with  someone  from 
your  church)  your  ideas  about  saving 
money  and  energy  to  the  Brethren 
House  table  in  the  display  room  at 
Conference. 


26 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Beekleys 


Rev.  and  Mrs.  Eugene  Beekley  were  honored  by 
the  congregation  of  the  Ashland  Park  Street 
Brethren  Church  at  a  noon  meal  on  Sunday,  June 
17.  The  occasion  was  a  farewell  for  the  Beekleys 
as  they  completed  their  years  of  service  at  Park 
Street  and  as  Rev.  Beekley  retires  from  the  full- 
time  Christian  ministry. 

A  time  of  recognition  for  the  Beekleys  followed 
the  meal,  emceed  by  Ron  Waters,  vice  moderator 
of  the  church.  The  recognition  program  included 
remarks  by  special  guests,  letters  from  some  of 
the  churches  pastored  by  Rev.  Beekley,  and 
testimonials  by  Park  Street  members  and  staff. 
The  program  concluded  with  the  presentation  of 
a  love  gift  to  the  retiring  pastor  and  his  wife. 

Rev.  Beekley  served  six  churches  during  his 
years  of  pastoral  ministry.  In  addition,  he  spent 
20  years  as  a  chaplain  in  the  United  States  Air 
Force. 

He  began  his  pastoral  work  at  Glenford,  Ohio, 
while  a  student  at  Ashland  College  and  Theo- 
logical Seminary.  This  was  followed  by  service  at 
Brush  Valley,  Pa.,  West  Alexandria,  Ohio,  Canton, 
Ohio,  and  Warsaw,  Ind.  It  was  from  Warsaw  that 
he  went  into  the  chaplaincy. 

His  twenty  years  as  an  Air  Force  chaplain  were 
spent  serving  in  various  places  around  the  world. 
He  retired  from  the  chaplaincy  in  1973,  shortly 
before  coming  to  Park  Street  on  July  1st  of  that 
year.  He  served  the  Park  Street  congregation  for 
exactly  six  years. 

During  her  husband's  years  as  pastor  and 
chaplain,  Mrs.  Beekley  served  as  homemaker, 
mother  of  two  sons,  and  as  a  teacher — first  at 
the  elementary  level  and  later  at  the  college  level. 


updote 


Pc 


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reef 


Rev.  and  Mrs.  Eugene  Beekley 

During  part  of  the  Beekleys'  time  overseas,  Peggy 
taught  for  the  Department  of  Defense. 

June  17,  1979,  will  be  a  memorable  day  for  the 
Beekleys  for  two  reasons.  Not  only  were  they 
honored  at  the  farewell  dinner,  but  during  the 
morning  worship  service  their  son  Charles  was 
licensed  into  the  Brethren  ministry.  Charles,  a 
student  at  Ashland  Theological  Seminary,  is  also 
moderator  of  the  Park  Street  Church.  He  is 
following  not  only  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father, 
but  also  of  his  grandfather  Beekley,  who  likewise 
was  a  Brethren  minister. 

At  the  end  of  June  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Beekley 
moved  to  Sarasota,  Fla.  They  are  planning  an 
active  retirement  there. 


Conference  Sessions  for  Children 

This  year's  Conference  will  include  sessions  for  children  who 
were  in  grades  one  through  six  during  this  past  school  year. 

Parents  are  asked  to  pre-register  their  children  for  these  sessions 
in  order  that  sufficient  materials  may  be  ordered  for  the  program. 

For  more  information  about  the  sessions,  see  page  20. 


NAME(S):. 
AGE(S):__ 


GRADE (S)  COMPLETED: 
HOME  CHURCH: 


Please  complete  and  mail  as  soon  as  possible  to 

BOARD  OF  CHRISTIAN  EDUCATION 

524  College  Avenue,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805 


clip  and  mail 


May  1979 


27 


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^  A  L   IF  O  R  N    I   A 

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"W"^  The    Brethren  ^    •  j 

Evangelist 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 
(USPS  064-200) 


Editor: 

Richard  C. 


Winfield 


Consulting  Editors: 

John  D.  Rowsey 
Ronald  W.  Waters 

Contributing  Editor: 
Alvin  Shifflett 

Editorial  and 
Business  Office: 

524  College  Ave. 
Ashland,  Ohio     44805 
Phone:    (419)   289-2611 

Published  monthly  for  the  Brethren  Church 
by  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805, 
One  year  subscription  rates:  $6.00  for 
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Queries  and  manuscripts  should  be  ad- 
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c 


over 


Our  newest  Brethren  mission 
field  is  just  across  the  border. 
Fred  Burkey  shares  pictures,  a 
story,  and  his  enthusiasm  for 
this  field  on  page  4. 
Cover  design  by  Howard  Mack 
Photos  by  Fred  Burkey 


101.  No.  8 


August  1979 


Catching  the  Vision  in  Mexico 

Fred  Burkey  shares  the  enthusiasm  he  gained  from  a  visit  to 
the  Brethren  mission  field  in  Mexico. 


Specicsl  Fecature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 
Biblical  Authority 

George  Solomon   believes  that  adherance  to  biblical  authority 
is  essential  to  Brethren  success  in  the  eighties. 


9     Ringers  of  Joy 

Patricia  Lane  tells  how  hand  bell  choirs  bring  blessing  to  the 
First  Brethren  Church  of  Tucson. 

10     Alexander  Mack:     His  Thought, 

a  Model  for  the  Brethren  Church 

In   this  second  article  on  Alexander  Mack,  Dale  Stoffer  and 
Jerry   Flora  examine  the   thought  of  this  Brethren  leader. 

14     Unity  in  Love 

Charles  Beekley  asserts  that  the  church  cannot  be  mature  in 
its  faith  unless  it  is  united  in  its  love. 

16     John  Guli:     A  Nigerian  Christian  Brother 

John  Guli  shares  his  thoughts  about  his  time  in  the  U.S.  and 
his  plans  as  he  returns  to  Nigeria. 

Departments 

13  The  Salt  Shaker 

18  Update 

26  Letters 

27  Books 

NEXT  MONTH 

The  "Update"  or  news  section  of  next  month's  issue  of  The 
Brethren  Evangelist  will  consist  primarily  of  coverage  of  the  91st 
General  Conference  of  the  Brethren  Church. 


August  1979 


i? 


Houses  lining  the  valleys  and  covering  the  hills  of  Northern  Baja  California  are 
need  to  know  about  Jesus  Christ. 


photos 
filled  with 


by  Fred  Burkey 
people  who 


Catching  the  Vision  in  Mexico 

by   Frederick  T.   Burkey 


CULTURE  SHOCK"  is  the  only  way 
to  describe  the  sensation  I  felt  as  we 
left  the  U.S.A.  behind  and  crossed  into 
Mexico.  I  never  realized  Tijuana  was  such 
a  large  city  or  that  it  was  so  totally  differ- 
ent from  nearby  San  Diego. 

As  we  bounced  along  the  rough,  unpaved 
streets,  Juan  Carlos  Miranda  steered  our 
borrowed  van  unerringly  among  careening 
taxis,  noisy,  smoking  buses,  and  a  vast 
array  of  run-down  private  cars  driven  pell 
mell  by  their  impatient  Mexican  owners. 
The  streets  of  Tijuana  resembled  a  demoli- 
tion derby  being  run  along  a  track  lined 
with  hundreds  of  small  shops  whose  signs 
clamored  for  the  passers'  attention. 

As  our  van,  heavily  loaded  with  people, 
equipment,  baggage,  food,  and  water,  lum- 
bered out  of  the  business  district,  we  could 
see  private  homes  lining  the  valleys  and 
covering  the  steep,  barren  hills  of  Northern 
Baja  California.  If  you  have  never  visited 
that  area,  you  will  find  it  hard  to  visualize 
the  situation  .  .  .  thousands  of  families  liv- 
ing in  shacks,   along  dirty  streets,  under 


Dr.  Fred  Burkey,  Director  of  Religious  Affairs 
at  Ashland  College,  is  also  acting  Director  of 
Christian  Education  for  the  national  Board  of 
Christian  Education.  In  this  capacity  he  went  to 
Mexico  in  June  to  oversee  the  work  of  the  BYC 
Missionary  Interns. 


unsanitary  conditions,  and  in  poverty  .  .  . 
people  without  apparent  economic  or  spirit- 
ual hope.  No  wonder  many  of  them  can  be 
seen  sitting  each  day  along  the  border 
gazing  wistfully  toward  the  U.S.A.,  awaiting 
the  opportunity  to  dash  across  in  search 
of  a  better  life. 

Into  this  setting  the  nine  of  us  came 
(five  Missionary  Interns,  Michael  and  Juan 
Carlos  Miranda,  my  wife,  and  I),  to  join 
four  workers  already  conducting  Bible 
studies  in  several  neighborhoods  around 
greater  Tijuana. 

Having  glimpsed  the  housing,  we  were 
deeply  thankful  for  the  advance  arrange- 
ments Juan  Carlos  (a  master  organizer) 
had  made.  The  two  girls  (Judy  Gifford  and 
Barbara  French)  and  Juan  Carlos  and 
Michael  moved  into  quarters  usually  rented 
by  families  of  persons  receiving  laetrile 
treatments  at  a  clinic  owned  and  operated 
by  Christian  doctors.  The  men  (Scot 
Millhouse,  John  Black,  and  David  Kerner) 
occupied  a  small  apartment  nearby.  Marilyn 
and  I  had  a  clean  motel  room. 

Once  settled,  we  jumped  into  our 
'Tijuana  taxi"  again  and  roared  off  across 
the  city  to  Colonia  Rubio.  There  we  were 
to  meet  the  Christian  workers  recruited 
and  trained  by  Juan  Carlos — Zacarias  and 
Nazareth  Hernandez,  Nathan  Silvestri,  and 
Gallo  Hernandez  (Zacarias's  younger  broth- 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


er).  We  met  in  the  tidy  upstairs 
apartment  of  Zacarias  and  Nazareth 
Hernandez  for  a  planning  session, 
singing,  and  testimonies. 

What  a  helpless  feeling — to  meet 
new  friends  and  hear  them  laying 
plans  for  the  week  and  hardly  under- 
stand a  word!  Once  again  I  had  the 
experience  of  being  the  ''foreigner." 
Fortunately,  the  Interns  knew  enough 
Spanish  to  communicate  fairly  well 
with  the  workers,  who  cpoke  only  a 
few  phrases  of  English. 

One  thing  we  did  have  in  common 
was  a  love  of  music.  Within  a  few 
minutes  we  found  some  songs  among 
those  Juan  Carlos  had  provided  that 
everyone  knew  (or  could  read)  and 
we  all  joined  in.  How  those  fine  Mex- 
ican workers  can  sing!  I  will  never 
forget  the  next  evening  as  we  headed 


"*.  (* 


■^^■^s" 


%SKi\ 


^•^mT'^'^ 


Singing  along  with  new  friends — (left  to  right)  Nazareth 
and  Zacarias  Hernandez  (and  baby  Nazareth),  Nathan 
Silvestri,  and  Gallo  Hernandez — the  Christian  workers  serving 
in  the  Brethren  mission  to  Mexico. 


Puppets  are  popular  anywhere.  The  children  who  jammed 
this  courtyard  loved  the  Chicano  puppet  show  presented 
by  the  Missionary  Interns. 


"The  Tijuana  Taxi"  loaded  and  ready  to  roll.  Standing 
by  it  are  (left  to  right)  Michael,  Maria,  Yvonne,  and  Juan 
Carlos  Miranda,  and  the  Missionary  Interns — Scot  Millhouse, 
Barb  French,  Judy  Gifford,  John  Black,  and  (kneeling)  Dave 
Kerner. 

:  ^  5'  across  town  for  a  special  service. 
«  With   the   local   workers,    our   crew, 

«  «  and  a  couple  of  extras  (fifteen  in  all) 
in  the  van,  the  three  Mexicans  started 
playing  guitars,  and  everyone  sang 
as  we  worked  our  way  through  the 
rush-hour  traffic. 

Since  Marilyn  and  I  had  only  two 
days  to  observe  the  work,  we  had 
looked  forward  to  the  first  of  the 
special  services  scheduled  during  the 
time  the  Interns  were  to  be  in 
Tijuana.  The  setting  for  this  service 
was  a  courtyard  in  Colonia  Twenty 
de  Noviembre.  When  we  arrived  an 
hour  late,  I  expected  the  place  to  be 
deserted.  Instead  it  was  jammed  with 
at  least  40  children  and  35  or  40 
adults  who  were  already  singing! 

We  scurried  around  and  set  things 
up.  Then  came  the  puppet  show,  and 
we  were  thrilled  to  see  that  they  loved 
our  Chicano  puppets.  This  was  fol- 
lowed by  more  singing,  testimonies, 
some  eloquent  preaching  (I  guess!), 
then  thirty  adults  jammed  into  a 
small  bedroom  to  hear  Zacarias's 
Bible  study.  Finally,  after  the  old 
projector  was  partially  rebuilt,  a  Luis 
Palau  film  dealing  with  practical  fam- 
ily problems  was  screened,  followed 
by  a  sermonette  and  a  call  to  commit- 
ment. At  least  six  adults  responded 
to  the  call. 

What  potential  our  new  Mexican 
mission  field  holds!  I  saw  a  people 
who  have  deep  spiritual  needs  .  .  . 
who  are  open  to  receiving  the  Good 
News  of  God.  Also,  I  realized  that 
this  mission  field  is  near  enough  so 
that  we  can  get  personally  involved. 
I  would  like  nothing  better  than  to 


August  1979 


Kids  by  the  score  came  to  get  acquainted  with 
the  Missionary  Interns  while  the  adults  were  in  a 
Bible  study   led  by  Zacarias  Hernandez. 

return  as  part  of  a  work  team  (after  I  learn 
a  few  more  Spanish  phrases). 

I  was  deeply  impressed  with  the  friendli- 
ness and  hospitality  of  the  people  (one  lady 
baked  us  a  cake),  the  dedication  and  energy 
of  the  workers,  and  the  evidence  of  Juan 
Carlos'  administrative  and  organizational 
ability.  God  is  definitely  at  work  in  Mexico. 

There  is  much  more  I'd  like  to  say,  based 
on  just  a  couple  of  days  of  exposure  to  this 
new  mission,  but  space  precludes  it.  Instead, 
I  simply  invite  you  to  speak  to  Juan  Carlos 
and  Maria  at  General  Conference.  If  you 
wish,  the  Missionary  Interns  will  be  avail- 
able to  bring  a  special  program  on  the 
Mexican  work  to  your  church  this  fall.  If 
interested,  contact  the  Board  of  Christian 
Education. 

Whatever  you  do,  I  challenge  you  to  risk 
having  your  mission  vision  expanded  as 
mine  has  been.  In  the  months  to  come,  I  will 
be  looking  for  ways  to  again  be  personally 
involved  in  this  important  new  work.       □ 

Additiand  informafion  about 
the  Missionary  Interns 

The  five  BYC  Missionary  Interns  spent  two 
weeks  working  in  Tijuana,  Mexico,  under  the  super- 
vision of  Juan  Carlos  and  Maria  Miranda.  During 
this  time  they  taught  English  classes,  had  ''Happy 
Hour"  times  with  the  children,  and  participated  in 
four  days  of  special  services. 

Following  this  they  were  at  Fuller  Theological 
Seminary  in  Pasadena,  Calif.,  for  two  weeks.  They 
took  classes  at  the  seminary  in  the  mornings  and 
worked  with  children  and  youth  in  the  afternoons 
and  evenings.  They  also  took  time  off  to  visit  the 
three  Brethren  churches  in  Northern  California 
to  share  with  them  about  the  mission  work  in 
Mexico. 

From  Pasadena  the  Interns  traveled  to  Mexico 
City,  where  they  served  for  another  two  weeks. 
Their  activities  in  this  city  included  special  ser- 
vices, work  with  children,  and  seeing  some  of  the 
sights  of  the  area. 


6 


Biblical 


T  HAVE  READ  and  re-read  the  "Perspec- 
tives for  the  Eighties"  that  have  been 
published  in  the  Brethren  Evangelist.  I 
find  it  of  great  significance  that,  if  properly 
understood,  they  are  revealing  to  us  that 
there  are  many  perspectives  to  our  future. 
It's  like  a  precious  gem  which  has  many 
facets,  each  related  to  the  others,  and  to- 
gether making  up  the  whole.  The  facets  a 
person  sees  as  he  views  the  gem  are  deter- 
mined by  the  position  from  which  he  views 
it.  I  think  this  is  true  in  our  efforts  to  look 
into  the  eighties — a  number  of  different 
perspectives  will  be  seen  because  each 
writer  is  writing  from  a  different  view- 
point. 

It  was  also  of  interest  to  me  that,  to  date 
(the  May  issue),  all  of  the  writers  have 
been  from  Ashland,  the  ''home  base"  or 
''headquarters"  for  our  church.*  Rev.  Smith 
Rose  is  Executive  Secretary  of  the  Brethren 
Church;  Rev.  Arden  Gilmer  is  Director  of 
Home  Missions  for  the  Missionary  Board 
of  the  Brethren  Church;  Dr.  Fred  Burkey 
is  Director  of  Religious  Affairs  at  Ashland 
College;  Dr.  Charles  Munson  is  Professor 
of  Practical  Theology  at  Ashland  Theo- 
logical Seminary;  and  even  the  lone  female 
writer,  Mrs.  Dorman  Ronk,  is  a  long-time 
resident  of  Ashland  and  an  employee  of 
Ashland  College. 

These  people  wrote  from  their  position 
in  Ashland,  and  their  perspectives  are 
necessarily  determined  in  a  measure  by  that 
position  or  that  relationship  to  the  Brethren 
Church.  They  see  different  facets  of  the 
church  and  its  future  from  those  seen  by 
people  who  are  out  on  "the  front  lines" 
looking  at  the  church. 

I  also  believe  that  pastors  and  people  of 
older  churches  in  communities  where  the 

*  Both  the  June  and  July  "Perspectives  for  the 
Eighties"  were  written  by  persons  who  do  not  live 
in  Ashland.  Ed. 

The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


by   ReVo   George   W.   Solomon 


Brethren  Church  is  well-estabhshed  and 
well-known  see  different  facets  or  perspec- 
tives from  those  seen  by  pastors  and  people 
of  new  Brethren  churches  in  communities 
where  the  Brethren  Church  is  a  * 'new- 
comer." 

Having  served  for  the  past  six  years  on 
the  ''cutting  edge"  in  a  home  mission 
church,  I  think  I  have  been  privileged  to 
see  facets  of  our  future  that  were  not 
visible  to  me  from  my  position  of  22  years 
as  a  pastor  of  older,  well-established 
churches.,  So  I  want  to  try  to  articulate  my 
perspective. 

The  Brethren  Church  has  stated  as  a  part 
of  its  doctrinal  beliefs  that  the  Bible  is  the 
infallible  Word  of  God.  As  such,  it  is  ac- 
cepted by  the  church  as  the  final  rule  and 
authority  in  all  matters  of  faith  and  life. 

The  Brethren  Pastors*  Handbook  lists 
four  questions  to  which  a  new  believer 
should  give  affirmative  answers.  The  third 
is:  "Do  you  believe  the  Bible  to  be  the  Word 
of  God  and  do  you  accept  its  teaching  as 
authoritative?" 

Dr.  Charles  Munson,  in  his  article  for 
"Perspectives  for  the  Eighties,"  began  by 
quoting  Dr.  Peter  Wagner's  statement  that 


Rev.  George 
Solomon  has  been 
pastor  of  the 
Derby,  Kans., 
Brethren  Church 
for  the  past  six 
years.  He  will 
become  pastor 
of  the  First 
Brethren  Church 
of  Milledgeville, 
III.,  following 
General 
Conference. 


the  Brethren  Church  "will  grow  because 
it  has  the  gospel."  Knowing  Dr.  Wagner 
in  a  limited  way,  I  believe  that  this  is  true 
in  the  sense  in  which  he  would  have  meant 
it.  But  if  the  Brethren  Church  is  to  grow, 
it  must  not  only  possess  the  gospel,  it  must 
proclaim  and  practice  the  gospel. 

Dr.  Francis  Schaeffer  in  his  book  "How 
Should  We  Then  Live?"  traces  the  rise  and 
decline  of  Western  thought  and  culture.  In 
this  book  he  points  his  finger  at  one  crucial 
factor  in  the  Christian  church  that  has  led 
to  our  cultural  decline  —  that  is  the 
watering-down  of  the  authority  of  Scripture 
and  the  elevating  of  humanistic  philosophies 
and  human  experience  to  equality  with 
Scripture  as  recognized  authorities  for  hu- 
man life  and  behavior.  When  the  church 
gives  equal  place  to  human  experience  and 
reason,  it  destroys  the  only  absolute  to 
which  people  can  appeal  in  all  matters  of 
faith  and  life. 

Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States  Su- 
preme Court  Frederick  Vinson  defined 
clearly  what  has  happened  when  he  said, 
"Nothing  is  more  certain  in  modern  society 
than  the  principle  that  there  are  no  ab- 
solutes." You  see,  today  everything  is  rela- 
tive. Everything  is  judged  by  human  ex- 
perience rather  than  by  divine  decrees.  As 
a  result  people  often  find  that  the  church 
doesn't  have  the  answers  for  many  of  their 
questions,  even  though  these  answers  are 
in  the  Bible.  This  is  because  the  church  no 
longer  accepts  the  Bible  as  final  authority 
in  all  matters  of  faith  and  life. 

I  would  say  that  we  Brethren  do  have 
the  basis  for  meaningful  ministry  and 
church  growth  in  the  eighties  in  our  doc- 
trine. We  have  said  that  the  Bible,  as  God's 
Word,  is  our  final  authority.  This  truth, 
which  we  affirm  in  our  doctrinal  state- 
ments, must  be  proclaimed  from  our  pulpits 
and  practiced  in  our  lives. 

(continued  on  next  page) 


August  1979 


Weimve  said  that  the  Bible,  as  God's  Word,  is  our  final 
authority.  This  truth,  which  we  affirm  in  our  doctrinal 
statements,  must  be  proclaimed  from  our  pulpits  and 
practiced  in  our  lives/' 


BretHren  preachers  need  to  proclaim 
unashamedly  and  unapologetically  the 
"Thus  saith  the  Lord!"  If  they  have  been 
called  of  God  to  stand  in  the  pulpit  before 
God's  people,  let  them  read  again  Jeremiah 
1:4-10:  'The  Lord  said  to  me,  'I  knew  you 
before  you  were  formed  in  your  mother's 
womb;  before  you  were  born  I  sanctified 
you  and  appointed  you  as  my  spokesman  to 
the  world.'  'O  Lord  God,'  I  said,  1  can't  do 
that !  I'm  far  too  young !  I'm  only  a  youth ! ' 
'Don't  say  that',  he  replied,  'for  you  will  go 
wherever  I  send  you  and  speak  whatever 
I  tell  you  to.  And  don't  be  afraid  of  the 
people,  for  I,  the  Lord,  will  be  with  you  and 
see  you  through.'  Then  he  touched  my 
mouth  and  said,  'See  I  have  put  my  words 
in  your  mouth!  Today  your  work 
begins.  .  ."   (TLB). 

Dr.  William  Self,  senior  minister  of 
Wieuca  Road  Baptist  Church,  Atlanta,  Ga., 
and  author  of  several  books,  speaking  at 
the  Billy  Graham  School  of  Evangelism  in 
Kansas  City  last  year,  said,  "If  a  church  is 
dead,  it's  because  the  pulpit  is  dead;  if  the 
church  is  alive,  it's  because  the  pulpit  is 
alive."  I  have  come  to  believe  this  with  all 
my  heart  and  soul!  Our  work  in  Derby 
bears  witness  to  this  fact.  Newcomers  who 
move  into  our  community  from  all  kinds 
of  religious  backgrounds  repeatedly  tell 
me  that  they  are  looking  for  a  church 
where  the  Word  of  God  is  believed,  honored, 
lived,  and  preached  without  compromise. 

Preach   and   teach   the    Bible 

Along  with  biblical  preaching  from  the 
pulpit,  there  must  be  biblical  teaching 
throughout  the  church.  Sunday  school  ma- 
terials, youth  materials  5  everything  that  is 
used  in  the  Christian  education  of  the  peo- 
ple must  be  carefully  selected  so  that  those 
who  teach  and  those  who  preach  will  be  in 
basic  harmony — so  that  all  will  affirm  our 
acceptance  of  the  Word  of  God  as  our 
authority.  Even  the  music  of  the  church 
should  be  carefully  chosen  to  support  this 
doctrinal  stand. 

The  membership  of  the  Brethren  Church 
— both   lay   and   clergy — must   affirm   its 


faith  in  the  absoluteness  of  God's  Word  in 
daily  life  and  practice.  History  tells  us  that 
when  the  early  Brethren  had  a  question 
brought  to  them  or  when  a  difference  of 
opinion  arose  among  them,  they  would  ask, 
"What  does  the  Bible  say?"  Then,  having 
searched  the  Scriptures  with  prayer,  they 
accepted  its  directives  as  the  final  authority 
and  lived  by  that  holy  Word. 

Don't  look  to   hunnan   authority 

Today  far  too  many  professing  Chris- 
tians look  to  human  pronouncements  and 
human  laws  to  determine  their  course  of 
behavior.  If  the  U.S.  Supreme  Court  says 
it's  legal  to  have  an  abortion,  it  must  be 
all  right  to  do  so.  If  society  says  it's  accept- 
able for  a  man  and  woman  to  live  together 
without  the  benefit  of  marriage,  what's  the 
matter  with  it?  If  consenting  adults  choose 
to  enter  into  a  homosexual  relationship, 
why  should  it  upset  anyone  else? 

Since  much  of  the  church  has  not  been 
speaking  with  a  single  authority — the 
authority  of  God's  Word — many  of  its 
members  have  allowed  the  world  to  squeeze 
them  into  its  mold,  into  believing  that  in 
the  final  analysis  there  are  no  absolutes. 

For  years  experts  in  child-raising  have 
told  us  that  children  need  and  want  author- 
ity. They  say  it  is  comforting  and  reassur- 
ing for  children  to  know  that  there  are 
absolutes  and  that  when  we  say,  "No,  that's 
wrong,"  we  really  mean  it.  In  the  same 
way,  I  believe  that  in  our  confusing,  "no 
absolutes"  world,  adults  need  and  want  the 
church  to  reaffirm  the  absolutes  of  God's 
Word — its  authority  in  all  matters  of  faith 
and  life.  I  have  found  people  hungry  for  the 
Word  of  God;  and  it's  a  hunger  that  no 
humanistic  philosophizing  can  satisfy! 

The  measure  to  which  Brethren  preachers 
and  people  take  the  Word  of  God  and  make 
it  a  part  of  their  lives — walking  in  it,  living 
in  it,  preaching  it  from  the  pulpit,  and 
proclaiming  it  as  the  final  rule  for  faith 
and  life — will  be  one  of  the  most  important 
factors  for  Brethren  success  in  the 
eighties !  D 


8 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


''Ringers  of  Joy"  of  the  Tucson  First  Brethren  Church  are  (left  to  right)  Nancy 
Tolbert,  Barbara  Phillips,  Tammy  Stamper,  Kim  Cook,  Carmen  Swingle — director, 
Loretta  Fanning,  Laura  Lane,  Nancy  Dreyer,  and  not  pictured — Karen  Gayman  and 
Leslie  Mullikin.  Photo  by  George  Petrovic,  Sr. 


TN  1972  Carmen  Swingle  and  her  family 
^  returned  to  Tucson,  Arizona,  from  Wash- 
ington State.  Because  of  this  God  has 
blessed  First  Brethren  Church  of  Tucson, 
Northwest  Brethren  Chapel  of  Tucson,  and 
many  other  organizations  in  the  Tucson 
area.  This  blessing  has  come  because 
Carmen  introduced  Enghsh  hand  bells  into 
the  Tucson  First  Brethren  Church. 

Carmen's  interest  in  hand  bells  began 
while  she  was  in  Washington,  when  the 
church  she  was  attending  there  asked  her 
to  direct  a  bell  choir.  Even  though  she 
knew  nothing  about  hand  bells,  she  agreed 
to  take  on  this  new  challenge.  She  has  been 
blessed  abundantly  because  of  her  decision. 

When  Carmen  returned  to  Tucson,  her 
parents,  Gordon  and  Mary  Roberts,  know- 
ing of  Carmen's  great  interest  in  this  type 
of  music,  presented  First  Brethren  with  its 
first  set  of  hand  bells.  Two  choirs  were 
formed  in  1974 — a  senior  group  directed 
by  Carmen,  which  has  taken  the  name 
"Ringers  of  Joy,"  and  a  junior  group  direct- 
ed by  Mrs.  Roberts.  (Pastor  Stogsdill  often 
lovingly  refers  to  the  younger  group  as  his 
*'Ding-a-lings.") 

The  original  set  of  hand  bells  presented 
by  the  Roberts  consisted  of  two  octaves 
plus  four  bells.  Since  then,  through  gifts 

Patricia  Lane  is  corresponding  secretary  for  the 
First  Brethren   Church   of  Tucson,   Arizona. 


JOY 

by   Patricia    Lane 


and  fund-raising  projects,  the  choir  has 
almost  completed  the  third  octave — 37 
bells  of  varying  sizes.  Up  to  five  octaves 
are  available. 

The  "Ringers  of  Joy"  try  to  ring  one  Sun- 
day a  month  at  First  Brethren  and  have 
played  for  numerous  special  church  func- 
tions, including  Easter  sunrise  service.  They 
have  rung  at  Northwest  Brethren  Chapel, 
at  shopping  centers  during  the  Christmas 
season,  and  for  other  organizations  in 
Tucson.  The  junior  choir  has  also  performed 
outside  the  church. 

In  the  summer  of  1979  the  ''Ringers  of 
Joy"  attended  a  bell  festival  in  Albuquer- 
que, New  Mexico,  along  with  500  other 
ringers  from  five  western  states.  And  this 
spring  they  were  one  of  twelve  choirs  par- 
ticipating in  a  local  festival. 

Carmen  relates  that  the  two  most  im- 
portant assets  of  a  bell  ringer  are  an  ability 
to  count  music  and  faithfulness  in  attend- 
ing rehearsals.  Each  ringer  is  usually 
assigned  two  notes  and  the  accompanying 
sharps  and  flats.  It  is  possible  to  ring  hold- 
ing two  small  bells  in  each  hand. 

Perfecting  a  number  to  perform  takes 
hours  of  practice.  The  junior  group  re- 
hearses for  an  hour  each  Tuesday,  and  the 
senior  group  for  one  and  one-half  hours. 

Both  choirs  have  given  many  blessings 
through  their  music.  But  all  the  girls  agree 
that  they  have  received  many,  many 
more.  D 


August  1979 


HLLAniiUuri  IVIHuiVi    rllu 

a  Model  for  the  Brethren  Church 


by   Dale    R.   Stoffer  and   Jerry   Flora 


BORN  three  centuries  ago  this  summer, 
Alexander  Mack  (1679-1735)  is  gen- 
erally regarded  as  the  founder  of  the 
Brethren  Church.  The  imprint  of  his  life 
and  thought  still  marks  Brethren  at  their 
best. 

Alexander  Mack  was  no  religious  inno- 
vator. He  employed  simply  and  uncritically 
the  sources  available  to  him — Scripture,  his- 
tories of  the  early  Christians,  and  discus- 
sions with  his  contemporaries. 

Nor  was  he  a  skilled  academic  scholar. 
Rather,  as  a  "task  theologian,"  he  focused 
attention  on  the  concrete  problems  his  small 
flock  faced,  first  in  Germany,  later  in  the 
Netherlands,   and  finally  in  America. 

What  we  can  say  about  Mack  is  that  he 
was  a  devoted  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ  who 
sought  only  to  obey  Him,  following  His 
teaching  in  every  area  of  life.  By  that 
plumbline  he  judged  the  Christian  move- 
ments around  him  and  determined  to  build 
a  better  one.  In  carrying  out  this  resolve 
Mack  published  two  small  books,  Basic 
Questions  (1713)  and  Rights  and  Ordin- 
ances (1715).  We  want  to  describe  here 
some  general  contours  that  emerge  from 
study  of  these  documents. 

Basic    Principles 

Mack  did  not  write  explicitly  about  every 
Christian  doctrine.  But  the  points  he  made 
on  various  topics  show  that  the  following 
ideas  were  basic  to  his  thinking:  (1)  the 
sovereignty  of  God  in  forming  the  church, 

This  is  the  second  of  two  articles  on  Alexander 
Mack.  The  first  appeared  in  last  month's  Evan- 
gelist. Both  articles  are  an  abridgment  of  a  paper 
on  Mack  written  by  Dale  R.  Stoffer,  a  doctoral 
student  at  Fuller  Theological  Seminary.  Dr.  Jerry 
Flora,  Professor  of  Christian  Theology  at  Ashland 
Theological    Seminary,    prepared    the    abridgment. 


(2)  Jesus  Christ  as  the  church's  Lord,  (3) 
Scripture  as  our  objective  authority,  (4) 
the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  church's  director, 
and  (5)  the  early  church  as  the  binding 
pattern  for  the  continuing  church. 

In  other  words,  God  is  the  Sovereign 
Lawgiver  and  Householder  who  has  fully 
revealed  His  will  through  Jesus  Christ,  His 
Son.  Jesus  has  left  to  us  in  His  teaching 
those  "rights  and  ordinances"  which  the 
Father  desires  us  to  obey.  We  can  see  the 
living  record  of  these  teachings  in  the  ex- 
amples of  Jesus,  the  apostles,  and  the  early 
church  described  in  the  New  Testament. 

Responding  to  Christ  in  heartfelt  faith 
and  obedience,  we  are  led  by  His  ever- 
present  Spirit  (the  inner  Word).  Yet  the 
Spirit  will  never  direct  us  in  ways  contrary 
to  Scripture,  for  the  Spirit  himself  inspired 
it  (the  outer  Word). 

The  theological  structure  Mack  was 
building  can  be  termed  eclectic.  That  is,  it 
combined  several  approaches  to  Christian 
faith  and  life  used  in  his  day.  The  visible 
exterior  was  Anabaptist  because  the  early 
Brethren,  outwardly  speaking,  acted  much 
like  Mennonites.  But  the  interior  of  the 
house  called  Brethren  was  Pietistic.  That 
is,  a  personal  experience  with  Jesus  Christ 
and  a  fervent  devotional  spirit  were  indis- 
pensable. In  terms  of  today's  church,  the 
Radical  Pietists  from  whom  Mack  emerged 
might  have  been  near-charismatics. 

The  contribution  of  a  third  building  ma- 
terial. Reformed  doctrine,  lies  embedded  in 
Mack's  foundation  where  is  it  harder  to 
detect.  That  gives  Brethren  thought  its 
ties  to  general  Protestant  faith,  especially 
of  a  somewhat  Presbyterian  variety. 

The  actual  expression  of  Brethren  belief 
and  practice,  however,  is  not  along  Re- 
formed lines.  Although  scholars  of  all 
Brethren  groups  agree  on  this  point,  there 
has  been  much  discussion  on  how  the  early 
Brethren    used    the    remaining    materials. 


10 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Mack's  writings  suggest  that  Brethrenism 
is  a  balance  between  inward  piety  and  out- 
ward obedience,  between  subjectivity  and 
objectivity.  He  believed  that  a  vital  faith 
involves  both  private  illumination  and  cor- 
porate responsibility,  and  that  Scripture 
provides  for  both. 

Inner  and    Outer 

In  thinking  this  way.  Mack  was  suggest- 
ing that  a  fully  biblical  doctrine  of  salva- 
tion and  the  church  will  combine  elements 
upheld  externally  in  the  Anabaptist- 
Mennonite  movement  and  internally  among 
the  Radical  Pietists.  Mack  himself  put  it 
like  this:  "That  which  the  Holy  Spirit 
ordained  for  the  faithful  was  written  out- 
wardly. All  believers  are  united  in  it,  for 
the  Holy  Spirit  teaches  them  inwardly  just 
as  the  Scriptures  teach  them  outwardly.  .  .  . 

"Therefore,  when  a  believing  person 
whose  inner  ears  are  opened  reads  the  Holy 
Scriptures  outwardly,  he  will  hear  as  the 
Lord  Jesus  intends  his  teaching  to  be  under- 
stood. He  hears  that  which  the  apostles 
want  to  express  in  their  writings.  He  will 
also  be  impelled,  through  his  inner  hearing, 
to  true  obedience  which  makes  him  obey 
even  in  outward  matters.  Outwardly,  he 
reads  the  Scriptures  in  faith  and  hears  the 
inner  word  of  life  which  gives  him  strength 
and  power  to  follow  Jesus." 

To  follow  Jesus — that  is  what  Mack  de- 
sired above  all  else.  In  attempting  this,  he 
strove  for  a  balance  between  inward  faith 
and  outward  expression.  Where  his  con- 
temporaries divided  into  either-or  parties, 
Mack  called  for  both — and  on  the  basis  of 
Scripture. 

For  example,  we  need  both  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  the  Holy  Scriptures  (the  inner 
Word  and  the  outer  Word),  both  inward 
faith  and  outward  obedience  (fruitbearing). 
We  need  both  the  Christ  of  faith  in  the 
heart  and  the  Jesus  of  history  in  Palestine. 


Alexander  Mack's  Seal 
''In  the  center  is  the  cross,  which 
Tneans  sacrifice;  the  heart  means  devo- 
tion, and  placed  on  the  cross,  further 
means  sacrificed  in  devotion;  the 
branches  of  the  vine,  mean  fruit- 
hearing.  Thus  the  seal  reads:  a  devoted, 
fruit-bearing,  sacrificed  life.  How 
significantly  true  this  is  of  the  life 
of  Alexander  Mack!" 

George  N.  Falkenstein  in  his  History  of 
the  German  Baptist  Brethren  Church  (The 
New    Era    Printing    Company,    1901),    p.    71. 


We  need  both  personal  piety  and  corporate 
responsibility,  both  subjective  testing  and 
objective  discipline. 

Dr.  Vernard  Eller,  Church  of  the  Breth- 
ren writer,  has  observed,  'The  two  em- 
phases check  and  balance  each  other.  When 
the  Radical  Pietist  tendency  would  slide  off 
into  subjectivism,  private  inspiration,  mysti- 
cism, enthusiasm,  or  vaporous  spiritualism, 
it  is  pulled  up  short  by  the  demand  for  con- 
crete, outward  obedience  to  an  objective 
Scriptural  norm. 

''Conversely,  when  the  Anabaptist  tend- 
ency would  slide  off  into  formalism,  legal- 
ism, biblical  literalism,  or  works-righteous- 
ness, it  is  checked  by  the  reminder  that 
faith  is  essentially  a  work  of  God  within 
the  heart  of  the  individual  believer,  an 
intensely  personal  relationship  rather  than 
a  legal  one.  Thus,  within  Brethrenism, 
Anabaptist  influences  discipline  Pietism  at 
the  same  time  that  Pietist  influences  inspire 
Anabaptism." 

Alexander  Mack  could  not  always  main- 
tain this  balance  between  inspiration  and 
discipline,  for  he  tended  at  times  towards 
literalism  and  legalism.  But  he  bequeathed 
to  his  spiritual  descendants  a  conception 
of  Christian  life  that  tries  to  be  faithful 
to  Scripture  in  stressing  both  inward 
attitudes  and  outward  actions  at  the  same 
time. 

Salvation 

Mack's  understanding  of  personal  Chris- 
tian experience  differed  in  emphasis  from 
the  usual  Protestant  view  of  his  day. 

First,  he  saw  salvation  as  a  process  in 
which  works  play  a  role.  Salvation  rests 
solely  upon  God's  gracious  justification  of 
the  believer  by  faith.  But  the  faith  which 
justifies  is  a  faith  which  produces  works 
of  obedience.  This  obedience  is  a  joyous, 
willing  search  for  the  expressed  wishes  of 
the  Lord  in  order  to  show  one's  devotion 


August  1979 


11 


Alexander  Mack  wrote  two  small  books  which 
give  us  the  general  contours  of  his  thought — 
Basic  {or  Ground  Searching)  Questions  and 
Rights  {or  Rites)  and  Ordinances. 

and  love  for  Him.  All  professions  of  faith 
to  the  contrary,  where  there  is  no  obedience 
there  is  no  salvation. 

Second,  Mack  stressed  the  subjective  as- 
pect of  salvation — what  should  take  place 
in  the  believer's  inner  life  during  the  con- 
version process.  Although  he  came  from 
a  background  that  we  might  call  Calvinistic, 
he  never  stressed  predestination  or  uncon- 
ditional security.  Instead,  he  emphasized 
repentance,  faith-obedience,  baptism,  and 
sanctification  or  discipleship  (what  he 
called  regeneration). 

Thus,  Mack's  understanding  of  salvation 
had  clear  Pletistic  elements,  especially  with 
regard  to  repentance  and  faith.  Anabaptist 
themes  also  were  present — salvation  as  a 
process  and  regeneration  as  requiring  evi- 
dence in  works. 

The   Church 

But  when  it  came  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
church,  Mack's  interpretation  was  thor- 
oughly Anabaptist-Mennonite.  As  one  writ- 
er has  noted,  'The  Anabaptist  pattern  of 
the  'New  Testament'  Church  was  taken 
over  by  the  Brethren  almost  in  toto."  This 
meant,  first  of  all,  seeing  the  church  as  the 
gathered,  visible  community  of  believers 
committed  to  Jesus  Christ  and  to  one 
another.  It  also  involved  such  ideas  as 
obedience  to  outward  ordinances  and  the 
maintaining  of  corporate  discipline. 

Baptism  is  a  rite  to  be  administered  only 
to  those  who  have  responded  in  repentance 
and  faith  to  Jesus  Christ.  He  ordained  water 
baptism  (to  quote  Mack)  as  "an  efficacious 
seal  and  outv/ard  symbol  of  all  those  who 
would  believe  in  Him."  Although  Mack 
denied  that  baptism  has  any  power  to  save, 
he  viewed  it  as  more  than  a  mere  symbol. 
Trine  immersion  signals  the  believer's 
incorporation  into  the  church  by  means  of 


an  act  which  represents  our  participation 
in  the  saving  death,  burial,  and  resurrection 
of  Christ. 

Similarly,  the  Lord's  Supper  is  an  evening 
meal  intended  only  for  the  regenerate.  A 
full  meal,  it  should  be  preceded  by  the 
washing  of  the  saints'  feet  and  concluded 
with  the  sharing  of  the  bread  and  cup.  All 
are  to  examine  themselves  prior  to  the 
Supper,  and  the  congregation  is  responsible 
for  discipline  and  the  ban  if  necessary  for 
stubborn,  unrepentant  members. 

Learning   from   Scripture 

Two  other  theological  principles  in  Mack's 
thought  deserve  continuing  attention. 

He  believed  that  contemporary  expres- 
sions of  Christianity  need  continual  assess- 
ment of  their  faithfulness  to  God's  Word. 
No  theological  tradition  is  above  scrutiny 
by  Scripture.  Mack  therefore  rejected  the 
formal  legalism  of  the  Anabaptists,  the  pri- 
vate inspiration  of  the  Radical  Pietists,  and 
the  intellectual  orthodoxy  of  the  Reformed. 

But  he  firmly  upheld  such  Anabaptist 
distinctives  as  obedience,  discipleship,  be- 
lievers' baptism,  and  discipline;  the  Radical 
Pietist  stress  on  a  regenerate,  devout. 
Spirit-directed  life;  and  the  Reformed 
penchant  for  sound  doctrine.  Why  did  he 
insist  on  these?  Because  he  found  them 
taught  in  Scripture. 

Mack  and  the  early  Brethren  not  only 
re-evaluated  traditional  expressions  of 
Christianity.  They  also  tried  to  remain  open 
to  new  insights  that  the  Holy  Spirit  might 
show  them  from  the  Word.  They  lived  in 
expectancy  that  God  would  lead  them 
through  the  study  of  Scripture  into  ever 
clearer  understandings  of  the  faith. 

This  is  why  they  organized  themselves 
into  a  new  fraternity  by  trine  immersion, 
even  though  such  an  act  exposed  them  to 
persecution.  This  is  why  they  rejected  the 
Radical  Pietist  excesses  of  enthusiasm  and 
asceticism.  That  is  why  they  composed  no 
binding  creeds,  although  they  did  use  cer- 
tain credal  statements. 

Such  a  process  for  discerning  truth  places 
weighty  responsibility  upon  the  entire  body 
of  believers — a  responsibility  to  know  the 
content  of  Christian  faith,  to  critique  cur- 
rent forms  of  belief,  to  remain  open  to  the 
Spirit's  direction  both  as  individuals  and 
as  a  church.  At  the  same  time  it  can  develop 
Christians  who  possess  a  strong  mature 
faith. 

The  dissensions  which  have  divided  our 
later  history  would  probably  rend  Mack's 
heart.  But  three  hundred  years  after  his 
birth  the  thinking  of  Alexander  Mack  re- 
mains a  model  for  the  Brethren  Church.  □ 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


the  salt  shaker 


by  Alvin  Shifflett 


*:    vP  ;  For  the  Christian,  the  "end"  is  really  the  beginning. 


Prophets   of   Doom 


MODERN  DAY  doomsayers  are  men  in 
research  laboratories,  not  men  behind 
pulpits. 

In  a  book  entitled  The  Jupiter  Effect, 
two  astronomers  have  predicted  amazing 
things  for  1982.  The  phenomenon  they  call 
the  Jupiter  Effect  is  a  rare  planetary  lineup 
which  occurs  every  179  years.  It's  scheduled 
to  occur  again  in  1982.  All  the  planets  in 
our  solar  system  become  lined  up  in  a 
straight  line  with  the  sun.  This  unusual 
lineup  will  cause  a  lopsided  gravitational 
pull  on  the  sun,  producing  tremendous  sun 
storms.  These,  in  turn,  will  affect  the  planet 
earth,  as  well  as  the  other  planets. 

The  Jupiter  Effect  will  severely  influence 
the  upper  parts  of  earth's  atmosphere,  dis- 
turb radio  communications,  disrupt  weather 
patterns,  and  slow  the  earth's  rotation. 
The  last  effect  is  most  important,  for  it 
will  trigger  more  earthquakes  of  major 
proportions. 

I  recently  read  a  newspaper  account 
which  indicated  that  the  earth  experienced 
thirty-six  major  quakes  during  the  past 
year.  This  was  nearly  double  the  average. 
There  seemed  to  be  no  logical  explanation 
for  the  great  increase  other  than  the  fact 
that  Mother  Earth  is  growing  old. 

Now  will  you  allow  me  to  repeat  my 
opening  statement?  Modern  day  doomsay- 
ers are  men  in  research  laboratories,  not 
men  behind  pulpits. 

Scientists,  psychologists,  sociologists, 
and  educators  (who  probably  don't  believe 
the  Bible)  are  making  most  of  these  pre- 
dictions. It  is  precisely  because  of  who  is 
making  the  predictions  that  people  are  read- 
ing them  and  sitting  up  to  take  notice. 

A  few  years  ago  there  was  a  cry  about 
California  dropping  off  into  the  ocean.  The 
joke  was,  ''Buy  land  in  Nevada;  someday 
it'll  be  oceanfront  property!"  Some  people 


actually  moved  from  California  believing 
that  the  whole  state  would  soon  drop  off. 

Anyone  acquainted  with  the  Book  of 
Revelation  can  see  that  the  doomsayers  are 
not  far  wrong.  Prophets  (foretellers)  and 
preachers  (forthtellers)  have  been  predic- 
ting the  end  since  the  time  of  Noah.  But  no 
one  listened.  They  said  Noah  was  all  wet! 

The  doomsayers  remind  me  of  the  ques- 
tion asked  the  Lord  as  He  left  the  Temple 
one  day.  ''What  events  will  signal  your  re- 
turn, and  the  end  of  the  world?"  (Matt. 
24:3b— TLB). 

Jesus  replied  that  there  would  be  wars 
and  rumors  of  wars,  famines,  unusual  signs 
in  the  heavens  (UFO's?),  false  prophets, 
persecution,  immorality,  and  a  general  anti- 
Christian  spirit.  He  also  said  that  neither 
He  nor  the  angels  knew  when  the  end  would 
actually  come.  This  is  up  to  God.  It  appears 
that  God  has  His  own  doomsday  clock. 


"Prophets  (foretellers)  and  preach- 
ers (for+h+ellers)  have  been  pre- 
dicting the  end  since  the  time  of 
Noah  " 


But  there  is  a  difference  between  God's 
clock  and  the  one  belonging  to  our  scientific 
friends.  They  refer  to  the  end  as  a  "Samson 
Complex."  Samson,  as  you  recall,  took  all 
his  enemies  with  him  when  he  died.  Most 
scientists  agree  that  WW  III  would  be  the 
end  of  earth.  Pow!  The  End!  Samson 
Complex. 

But  God  doesn't  say,  "Pow;  the  end."  To 
Him — and  all  Christitans — it's  the  begin- 
ning. The  difference  is  in  hope.  And  that's 
what  Christianity  is  all  about!  □ 


August  1979 


13 


UNITY 


by  Charles   G.   Beekley 


THE  CHURCH  of  Jesus  Christ  can  only 
be  as  mature  in  its  faith  as  it  is  united 
in  its  love.  Each  believer  is  obligated  to 
strive  for  this  unity  in  love  as  his  church 
grows  toward  spiritual  maturity. 

The  Apostle  Paul  had  a  lot  to  say  about 
the  unity  of  believers  through  a  mature 
faith.  In  his  letter  to  the  church  at  Ephesus 
he  outlined  an  interdependency  of  personal 
growth,  love,  and  unity.  The  successful 
realization  of  these  concepts  can  only  lead 
to  corporate  growth  as  well. 

First,  let  us  look  at  the  indicators  of 
spiritual  maturity: 

,  .  .  /  urge  you  to  live  a  life  worthy  of  the 
calling  you  have  received.  Be  completely 
humble  and  gentle;  he  patient,  bearing 
with  one  another  in  love.  Make  every 
effort  to  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit 
through  the  bond  of  peace  (Eph.  4:1-3.) 

Here  Paul  is  begging  us — entreating,  urg- 
ing, insisting — that  we  make  every  effort 
to  develop  a  spiritually  mature  attitude 
toward  our  brethren.  The  believer  has  been 
called  into  a  special  relationship  with  the 
Creator,  and  we  must  live  a  life  that  dem- 
onstrates this  unique  relationship.  Perhaps 
this  way  of  life  could  be  expressed  in  an 
algebraic-like  formula : 


H 


G) 


(P  ^   L) 


PEACE 


Consider  the  elements  of  this  formula. 
The  '*H"  stands  for  humility.  Be  on  guard 
against  giving  yourself  too  much  credit 
and  of  always  assuming  that  what  you 
think  is  the  only  answer  to  a  situation. 
When  progress  or  achievement  comes  your 
way,  realize  where  the  credit  belongs.  The 
humble  person  is  free  from  pride  in  himself 
or  his  accomplishments.  He  is  sure  to  as- 
cribe the  credit  to  God  and  to  His  Spirit 
acting  in  and  through  him. 

Looking  again  at  the  formula  we  see  that 
added  to  "H"  (humility)  must  be  *'G" 
(gentleness).  Humility  should  be  seasoned 
with    gentleness.    Gentleness    can    best    be 


characterized  as  the  absence  of  rudeness 
or  harshness.  One  can  be  firm  in  beliefs,  yet 
gentle  in  attitude  and  manner.  Paul  is  sug- 
gesting a  gentle  mental  attitude  toward  our 
brothers  and  sisters  in  Christ. 

Now  the  second  part  of  our  formula: 
''(P  X  D" — patience  multiplied  by  love. 
Patience  is  the  quality  of  mind  that  allows 
us  to  bear  without  complaint  or  malice 
those  of  our  number  who  speak  against  us 
or  our  ideas.  By  coupling  patience  with  the 
instruction  to  ''bear  one  another  in  love," 
Paul  is  suggesting  that  patience  is  to  be  an 
active  force.  We  are  directed  to  develop  an 
uncomplaining  steadiness  in  our  patience. 
We — as  Christians  seeking  to  develop  a 
spiritual  maturity — should  not  waiver  in  the 
patience  we  exhibit  toward  our  fellow 
believers. 

Now — as  good  mathematicians — let  us 
consider  the  other  side  of  the  equation 
(which  equals  the  first  side).  The  result  of 
adding  humility  plus  gentleness  to  patience 
multiplied  by  love  is  a  blessed  peace  between 
believers.  Peace  is  an  attitude  between  per- 
sons that  demonstrates  to  the  world  that 
we  have  a  unique  relationship  to  each  other 
because  of  our  unique  relationship  to  God. 
We  say  to  each  other,  in  effect,  *1  submit 
myself  to  you  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  who 
will  lead  our  thinking  and  determine  the 


Charles  Beekley 

is  a  student  at 

Ashland  Theological 

Seminary  and 

moderator  of  the 

Park  Street 

Brethren  Church. 

This  article  is 

a  condensation  of 

a  sermon  he 

preached  at  Park 

Street  Church. 


14 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


direction  we  will  take  as  we  serve  Him."  We 
will  seek  the  will  of  God  in  spiritual  unity, 
at  peace  with  one  another. 

None  of  these  virtues  is  easily  and  auto- 
matically attained.  To  attain  them  requires 
a  conscious  effort  and  a  reliance  upon  the 
Holy  Spirit  as  we  struggle  in  God's  work. 

It  should  be  noted  that  unity  does  not 
equal  uniformity.  No  matter  how  much  we 
strive  and  study,  we  will  still  have  differ- 
ences. There  will  be  different  ideas  and 
opinions  about  every  issue  that  arises.  But 
how  we  approach  those  differences  will  in- 
dicate whether  or  not  we  have  developed 
the  correct  mental  attitude.  If  we  insist  that 
what  we  say  is  correct  and  that  it  can  be 
no  other  way,  we  are  failing.  We  are  failing 
Paul,  we  are  failing  our  brethren,  and  cer- 
tainly, we  are  failing  our  God.  Our  goal 
must  be  to  develop  the  correct  mental 
attitude  toward  our  differences. 

This  is  where  the  ''unity  of  spirit"  comes 
in.  Our  churches  and  the  individuals  who 
make  up  our  churches  demonstrate  their 
spiritual  maturity  to  the  world  by  the  de- 
gree of  unity  of  spirit  they  exhibit. 

Dr.  James  C.  Fernald,  a  leading  author 
of  language  books  and  dictionaries  in  the 
early  part  of  this  century,  offers  a  defini- 
tion of  unity  that  can  serve  us  well  as  we 
seek  unity  within  our  churches: 

Unity  is  oneness  .  .  .  especially  of  that 
which  .  .  ,  cannot  be  conceived  of  as 
resolved  into  parts  .  .  .  (unity  is)  when 
a  single  purpose  or  ideal  is  so  subserved 
by  all  that  their  possible  separateness  is 
lost  sight  of.  .  .  .^ 

While  we  will  have  our  differences,  we  must 
develop  a  state  of  being  one  as  we  serve 
our  God. 

In  Ephesians  4:14-16  Paul  develops  the 
result  of  living  in  unity.  In  the  preceding 
verses  he  talked  about  the  various  aspects 
of  the  body — its  divergence  of  abilities  but 
its  unity  of  purpose.  He  concludes  this  dis- 
cussion in  verses  14  to  16. 

As  our  lives  develop  in  Christian  unity, 
we  will  grow  just  as  children  grow.  We  will 
develop  an  ability  to  deal  with  interpersonal 
challenges  in  a  way  that  does  not  tear  down 
other  persons.  We  will  develop  a  maturity 
of  faith  that  allows  us  to  contribute  to  the 
unity  of  spirit.  We  will  develop  a  maturity 
of  faith  that  will  demonstrate  to  the  world 
that  we  are  a  loving,  caring  community  in 
a  world  that  really  doesn't  care  much  about 
individuals.  We  may  even  contribute  to  sav- 
ing  the    lives — physical    and    spiritual — of 

*  James  C.  Fernald,  Funk  &  Wagnalls  Standard 
Handbook  of  Synonyms,  Antonyms,  and  Prep- 
ositions (New  York:  Funk  &  Wagnalls,  1947), 
p.  428. 


persons  seeking  something  that  leads  them 
to  cults  like  the  one  at  Jonestown. 

This  point  is  made  by  Mel  White  in  his 
book  Deceived,  in  which  he  reviews  and 
analyzes  the  tragedy  of  Jonestown.  Near 
the  end  of  this  book.  White  lists  several 
resolutions  that  may  enable  Christians  to 
help  the  world  avoid  a  repeat  of  what  hap- 
pened at  Jonestown.  Consider  the  first  two : 
/  will  do  my  best  to  help  make  my 
church  a  more  loving  community .  .  .  . 

I  will  do  my  best  to  help  make  my 
church  a  more  caring  community  to  the 
real  human  needs.  .  .  .t 

You  and  I  have  an  obligation  to  follow 
Paul's  formula  for  peace,  speaking  to  one 
another  in  love,  ''growing  up  into  Him  who 
is  the  Head  .  .  .  Christ."  Perhaps  as  we 
strive  to  develop  this  environment  of  love, 
we  will  help  avert  another  Jonestown.  And 
we  will  demonstrate  our  love — and  our 
spiritual  unity — to  the  world  as  we  struggle 
toward  maturity  in  our  relationships  with 
other  believers. 

The  result  of  growth  in  love  within  the 
body  will  be  growth  of  the  corporate  body 
as  well.  As  we  demonstrate  to  the  outside 
world  that  we  love  one  another,  that  we  are 
united  in  God,  we  are  saying  to  the  world 
that  we  have  something  special.  As  a  result 


'The  believer  has  been  called  into 
a  special  relationship  with  the 
Creator,  and  we  musf'  live  a  life 
that  demonstrates  this  unique 
relationship." 


people  who  might  flock  to  someone  like 
Jim  Jones  will  come  to  us.  They  will  not  be 
turned  off  by  our  infighting  or  turned  away 
by  our  false  smiles.  They  will  come  to  enjoy 
our  genuine  love  for  one  another,  which 
grows  from  our  unity  and  peace  because  of 
our  unique  relationship  to  God.  They  will 
come  to  our  churches  and  will  grow — even 
as  our  church  is  growing. 

We  must  strive — Paul  points  out  the  ur- 
gency— to  develop  a  unity  with  our  fellow 
believers.  Through  this  unity,  based  on  our 
special  relationship  with  God,  we  will  reach 
spiritual  maturity.  We  will  grow  together — 
individually  and  corporately — unto  Him, 
Jesus  Christ. 

The  church  of  Jesus  Christ  can  only  be 
as  mature  in  its  faith  as  it  is  united  in  its 
love.  □ 

t  Mel  White,  Deceived  (New  Jersey:  Spire  Books, 
1979),  pp.  184-185. 


August  1979 


15 


John  Guli: 

A  Nigerian 

Christian  Brothe 


i?ev.  /o/i«  Guli,  his  wife  Elizabeth,  and  their  youngest  son 
Njameba. 


AFTER  a  year  of  study  in  the  United 
States,  Rev.  John  Guh,  a  Nigerian 
churchman,  returned  to  Nigeria  on  July 
12,  1979.  He  had  been  studying  at  the 
School  of  World  Mission  at  Fuller  Theo- 
logical Seminary  under  the  sponsorship  of 
the  Missionary  Board  of  the  Brethren 
Church. 

John  is  a  member  of  the  Ekklesiyar 
Yan'uwa  a  Nigeria  (Church  of  the 
Brethren  in  Nigeria),  the  church  which 
Brethren  missionaries  have  served  and 
Brethren  people  have  supported  since  1948. 
He  is  from  the  Higi  tribe,  in  which  much 
of  the  Brethren  work  was  concentrated. 
Because  the  mission  established  a  church 
in  his  area,  John  became  a  Christian,  went 
to  mission  schools,  and  became  a  strong 
Christian.  He  has  now  risen  to  a  place  of 
leadership  in  that  church.  He  came  to  the 
U.S.  to  receive  training  in  missiology  and 
church  growth  which  would  enable  him  to 
better  serve  the  church. 

While  in  the  U.S.  John  completed  his 
work  at  Fuller  for  a  master  of  arts  degree 
in  missiology.  He  had  begun  work  toward 
this  degree  four  years  ago  when  he  spent 
16  months  studying  at  Fuller  (Sept.  '75  to 
Dec.  '76),  also  under  the  Brethren  Mission- 
ary Board's  sponsorship. 

In  addition  to  his  work  at  Fuller  during 
the  past  year,  John  also  took  courses  at 
Azusa  Pacific  (College.  By  transferring  some 
of  his  courses  from  Fuller  and  some  of  the 
work  he  had  done  at  the  Theological  Col- 
lege of  Northern  Nigeria,  John  was  able  to 
meet  the  requirements  for  a  bachelor  of 
arts  degree  at  Azusa,  which  he  received 
May  5,  1979. 

After  completing  his  work  at  Fuller  in 
June,    John    spent    several   weeks    visiting 


former  missionaries,  mission  executives, 
and  other  friends  before  returning  to 
Nigeria.  He  spent  three  days  in  Ashland, 
and  during  this  time  he  agreed  to  share 
some  of  his  thoughts  about  his  time  in  the 
U.S.  and  his  plans  as  he  returns  to  Nigeria. 
The  following  is  a  summary  of  what  he 
shared. 

When  asked  for  his  impressions  of  the 
United  States,  John  commented  on  our 
hurried  way  of  life.  ''It  seems  to  me  here 
that  everything  has  to  go  in  a  kind  of  a 
haste."  He  added,  ''You  don't  have  really 
enough  time  to  just  spend  time  talking. 
You  go  to  Nigeria,  you  find  people  just 
sitting  talking." 

On  the  other  hand,  John  did  find  people 
in  the  U.S.  very  friendly.  And  he  said,  "I 
didn't  have  any  problem  adjusting  to  the 
way  people  lived  here  or  even  the  food  or 
anything,  except  that  sometimes  I  didn't 
like  the  food  in  the  school  cafeteria." 

When  asked  if  there  were  aspects  of 
American  life  he  didn't  like,  John  directed 
his  comments  specifically  to  the  church. 
Before  coming  to  America,  he  was  under 
the  impression  that  everybody  in  the  United 
States  was  a  Christian.  He  was  disappointed 
to  find  that  only  about  half  of  the  church 
members  in  the  U.S.  attend  services. 

He  was  particularly  surprised  to  find 
that  "you  can't  teach  Christianity  in 
schools."  He  said,  "We  thought  that 
America  is  a  Christian  country,  but  yet 
nobody  can  give  any  instruction  concerning 
Christianity  in  a  public  school."  He  con- 
trasted this  with  Nigeria,  where  people 
are  hired  to  teach  Christianity  in  the  public 
schools  and  the  government  subsidizes  their 
salaries.  In  general,  John  expected  America 
to  be  more  Christian  than  it  is. 


16 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


During  the  last  two  months  of  his  stay 
in  the  U.S.,  John  was  joined  by  his  wife, 
Ehzabeth,  and  his  youngest  child,  Njameba 
(age  5) .  (John  and  Elizabeth  have  six  other 
children,  all  of  whom  are  in  school.)  Their 
visit  to  the  U.S.  was  made  possible  by  two 
former  missionaries  to  Nigeria,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gerald  Neher. 

John  was  happy  to  have  his  wife  with 
him  in  America  so  that  she  could  experi- 
ence something  of  American  life.  Because 
of  this  visit  she  would  now  understand 
many  of  the  things  that  he  had  tried,  with 
little  success,  to  tell  her  about  after  his 
earlier  time  in  the  U.S.  He  wanted  her  in 
particular  to  understand  the  struggles  he 
went  through  in  his  studies  at  Fuller.  He 
noted  that  she  got  a  good  taste  of  this, 
since  when  she  first  arrived,  he  was  finish- 
ing the  term  at  Fuller.  Because  of  his 
workload,  he  didn't  have  much  time  to 
spend  with  her! 

John  believes  that  his  time  studying  at 
the  School  of  World  Mission  at  Fuller 
Theological  Seminary  was  time  well  spent. 
'1  think  I  really  gained  a  lot  from  Fuller," 
he  said.  ''I  see  that  my  training  at  Fuller 
is  going  to  help  me  to  help  other  people." 

John  hopes  to  apply  what  he  learned  to 
the  church  situation  in  northeastern 
Nigeria.  The  goal  of  his  training  has  been 
to  discover  *'how  best  can  we  help  the 
church  to  grow."  He  must  now  determine 
the  specific  needs  in  his  own  church  and 
apply  what  he  has  learned  to  those  needs. 


f% 


pw 


■fH^^ 


:  i 


^ 


.^.:?^| 


Njameba,  age  5,  enjoyed  his  visit  to 
the  United  States  and  made  friends 
wherever  he  went. 


He  also  feels  a  responsibility  to  pass  on 
what  he  has  learned  to  others.  '1  would 
like  to  communicate  what  I  have  received 
from  Fuller  to  some  of  the  church  leaders 
in  Nigeria."  He  realizes  that  in  order  to  do 
this,  ''I  have  to  come  to  their  own  frame 
of  reference.  ...  I  have  to  identify  myself 
with  them.  ..." 

As  to  the  specific  work  he  will  be  doing, 
John  has  been  asked  by  the  executive 
committee  of  the  Nigerian  church  to  teach 
and  be  the  principal  at  Kulp  Bible  School 
(which  trains  Nigerian  pastors  and  church 
workers).  At  the  time  of  the  interview,  he 
had  not  replied  to  this  request.  The  other 
possibility  he  was  considering  was  to  return 
to  his  own  area  of  the  church  (the  Eastern 
Gunduma)  to  resume  his  former  position 
as  Gunduma  (area)  secretary.  Before  a 
final  decision  is  made  about  his  work,  he 
wants  the  executive  committee  to  evaluate 
the  needs  of  the  whole  church  and  to  set 
priorities. 

John's  ideas  of  evaluating  needs  and 
setting  goals  and  priorities  also  apply  to 
mission  involvement  in  Nigeria.  He  would 
like  to  see  mission  representatives  and 
Nigerian  church  leaders  meet  together  to 
evaluate  what  has  been  accomplished  and 
what  remains  to  be  done  in  evangelism  and 
church  planting  in  Nigeria.  Then,  from  this, 
a  plan  could  be  made  to  reach  the  people  of 
Nigeria  who  have  not  yet  been  evangelized. 

In  this  connection,  he  believes  there  is 
still  a  place  for  missionaries  in  Nigeria. 
He  agrees  that  nationals  can  do  much  of 
the  work,  but  feels  that  there  may  be  cer- 
tain tasks  missionaries  are  in  a  position  to 
do  because  of  their  skill  or  experience. 

John  indicated  that  he  and  other  Nigerian 
church  leaders  have  appreciated  the  coop- 
eration that  has  existed  between  the 
Nigerian  church  and  the  mission  groups 
that  have  worked  with  the  church.  It  is 
their  hope  that  this  cooperation  can  con- 
tinue as  church  and  missions  work  together 
to  strengthen  the  church  and  to  reach  those 
people  who  have  not  yet  been  evangelized. 

REV.  JOHN  GULI  has  made  many 
friends  in  the  United  States.  Many 
Brethren  people  have  learned  to  know  and 
love  him.  He  has  been  an  ambassador  par 
excellence  for  his  country  and  for  the 
EYN  church. 

As  he  returns  to  Nigeria  to  continue  his 
work  for  the  Lord,  our  prayers  go  with 
him.  We  pray  not  only  for  him,  but  for 
other  Nigerian  church  leaders  and  the 
church  which  they  serve,  that  the  church 
may  grow  stronger  and  evangelize  the 
thousands  in  that  area  of  Nigeria  who  do 
not  know  Christ.  R.C.W. 


August  1979 


17 


UPDATE 


news  from   the   Brethren   Church 


Moderator's   Report 

by   Rev.   Duane   Dickson 


Another  Conference  year  has  passed,  and 
only  time  will  determine  whether  we  have 
progressed,  remained  static,  or  regressed  as  a 
church.  It  is  my  prayer  that  this  year  was  not 
wasted  in  nonprofitable  busywork.  God's  time 
is  too  precious  to  waste! 

I  have  had  the  privilege  of  visiting  all  the 
district  conferences,  and  I  have  received  a  very 
warm  welcome.  The  Brethren  certainly  have 
the  gift  of  hospitality! 

I  have  also  been  greatly  encouraged  by  the 
general  change  of  direction  of  the  church. 
Brethren  are  showing  an  ever -increasing  desire 
to  reach  out  into  the  various  communities  to 
win  people  to  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  in  reality  the 
primary  objective  of  the  church.  Anything  less 
than  a  total  commitment  to  reach  the  lost  of 
the  community  is  hindering  the  mission  of  the 
church.  We  have  started — now  we  need  to  build 
on  the  foundation.  The  church  must  grow. 

I  want  to  take  this  opportunity  to  say  "Thank 
You."  It  has  been  necessary  for  many  people 
to  take  time  out  of  their  busy  days  to  meet  me 
at  the  airport.  Many  families  have  opened  their 
homes  to  me,  providing  a  comfortable  place 
to  sleep  and  excellent  meals.  I  have  had  the 
privilege  of  visiting  with  many  people  across 
the  nation  and  of  sharing  mutual  concerns 
about  the  work  of  Christ  through  the  Brethren 
Church.  I  feel  that  I  have  profited  more  than 
all. 

I  would  also  like  to  thank  the  Walcrest 
Church  for  the  consideration  it  has  shown  me 
this  past  year.  In  spite  of  my  many  days  away, 
the  church  is  continuing  to  grow  because  its 
members  have  accepted  the  challenge  to  evan- 
gelize. And  even  greater,  they  have  accepted 
the  biblical  command  to  love.  I  also  appreciate 
very  much  the  men  on  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee. This  has  been  a  very  demanding  year 
with  many  extra  meetings  and  new  respon- 
sibilities. You  have  been  excellent  co-workers! 

Let's  remind  ourselves  constantly  of  the 
challenge  of  Jesus  to  go  into  the  harvest  fields. 
We  have  the  power  of  God  in  our  lives,  the 
saving  grace  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  direction  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  instruction  of  God 
through  the  Scriptures.  Let's  get  out  into  the 
world  and  catch  men  alive! 

WE  CAN— IF  WE  WILL! 


David  L  Powell 


ordame 


Fort  Scott,  Kans. — David  L.  Powell  was  ordained 
into  the  gospel  ministry  of  the  Brethren  Church 
on  July  6,  1979.  The  service  was  held  at  the  Fort 
Scott  Brethren  Church,  where  Powell  serves  as 
pastor. 

Brethren  elders  participating  in  the  service  were 
Rev.  George  Solomon,  pastor  of  the  Derby,  Kans., 
Brethren  Church,  and  Rev.  Jim  Cole,  a  member  of 
the  Derby  congregation.  Rev.  Solomon  presented 
the  sermon  for  the  service,  and  both  men  con- 
ducted the  ordination  of  Rev.  Powell. 

Also  participating  in  the  service  was  Clifford 
Lyman,  moderator  of  the  Fort  Scott  Church. 
Special  music  was  presented  by  Amy  Earnest,  and 
the  prelude  and  postlude  were  played  by  Marilyn 
Minor. 

David  Powell  was  born  on  November  10,  1938, 
at  Decatur,  111.,  the  son  of  William  and  Mary 
Porter  Powell.  He  was  graduated  from  Mt.  Zion 
High  School  in  Mt.  Zion,  111.  He  spent  42  months 
in  the  army,  28  of  these  in  the  European  Com- 
mand, Seventh  U.S.  Army  Artillery. 

David  has  completed  the  Schofield  Bible  Course 
at  the  Moody  Bible  Institute,  Chicago,  111.  Present- 
ly he  is  enrolled  in  the  Pastoral  Training  Course 
from  the  American  Bible  College,  Pineland,  Fla. 

On  June  18,  1960,  David  married  Shirley  Ryder 
in  Cerro  Gordo,  111.  They  now  have  three  children, 
Mary  13,  Jeffrey  12,  and  Gerald  6. 

The  Powells  were  members  of  the  Cerro  Gordo 
Brethren  Church  before  they  moved  to  Fort  Scott 
in  July  of  1977.  David  pastored  the  Paint  Creek 
Church  of  the  Brethren  for  five  months  and  has 
pastored  the  Brethren  Church  at  Fort  Scott  for 
two  years. 


Rev.  and 

Mrs.  David 

L.  Powell 


18 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Winding  Waters  takes  fresh  look  at  missions; 
gives  $1,234  for  mission  to  Mexico 


Elkhart,  Ind.  —  The  Winding  Waters  Brethren 
Church  is  taking  a  fresh  look  at  world,  home,  and 
community  missions.  Helping  it  to  do  so  is  the 
recently  formed  Ministry  of  Missions  of  the 
church. 

Under  the  inspiring  leadership  of  Mrs.  Catherine 
White,  director  of  the  Ministry  of  Missions,  sev- 
eral task  forces  were  formed  to  tackle  the  prob- 
lems of  developing  a  mission  consciousness  within 
the  church.  Task  forces  were  set  up  for  world, 
home,  and  community  needs,  and  these  task  forces 
began  to  develop  strategies  to  present  these  needs 
to  the  church.  They  are  also  seeking  to  find  ways 
the  church  can  help  meet  these  needs. 

The  Task  Force  on  World  Missions  (Catherine 
White — director,  Gladys  Hossler,  Blanche  Frink, 
and  Donna  Jepson)  met  and  decided  to  present 
as  a  missions  project  the  new  ministry  in  Mexico, 
which  is  being  developed  under  the  leadership  of 
Juan  Carlos  Miranda.  They  also  chose  April  as 
missions  month. 

This  decision  was  unanimously  approved  by  the 
Board  of  Directors  of  the  church,  and  the  task 
force  went  to  work.  Classroom  bulletin  boards 
were  decorated  with  maps  and  pictures  of  people 
of  Mexico.  A  giant  fish  net  decorated  the  narthex, 
with  blow-ups  of  the  workers  and  facilities  of  the 
new  work  in  Mexico.  Different  missions  repre- 
sentatives went  from  class  to  class  giving  a  per- 
sonal appeal.  Coins  from  Mexico  were  passed  out 
to  all  in  attendance  on  Easter  morning  to  help 
people  identify  with  the  citizens  of  Mexico.  And 
a  goal  of  $1,000  was  set  for  the  last  Sunday  in 


Members  of  the  task  force  which  promoted  the 
mission  emphasis  on  Mexico  were  (left  to  right) 
Catherine  White — director,  Gladys  Hossler,  Blanche 
Frink,   and  (not  pictured)  Donna  Jepson. 

April  to  give  the  project  one  last  thrust. 

It  worked!  When  the  offering  was  counted,  it 
totaled  $1,234.41.  A  check  in  that  amount  was  sent 
to  the  Missionary  Board  of  the  Brethren  Church. 

The  church's  mission  task  forces  are  now  look- 
ing into  other  forms  of  mission  outreach.  For 
example,  a  Food  Pantry  has  been  set  up  at  the 
church  for  needy  families  or  for  crisis  situations. 
The  members  of  the  Winding  Waters  Church  have 
found  that  their  outreach  to  the  people  of  Mexico 
has  awakened  a  desire  in  their  hearts  to  touch 
others  with  their  lives. 


Park  Street  women  sponsor  billboard 


Ashland,  Ohio — As  an  outreach  to  the  community, 
the  Thursday  women's  Bible  study  group  of  the 
Park  Street  Brethren  Church  recently  initiated 
a  billboard  ministry.  The  12  women  had  been 
collecting  a  faith  offering  and  were  seeking  an 
effective  way  to  confront  fellow  Ashlanders  with 
the  gospel. 


t  ff«re 


PARK  SI  iRrrHftfrcllcH' 


The  interest  in  a  billboard  ministry  was  sparked 
by  the  group's  disapproval  of  a  continuing  full- 
page  advertisement  in  the  local  newspaper.  The 
advertisement  was  the  introduction  of  a  new 
cigarette.  Realizing  that  commercial  enterprises 
effectively  use  mass  communication  techniques 
and  that  the  church  generally  doesn't,  the  group 
decided  to  use  a  commercial  means — a  billboard — 
to   announce   the  Christian  message. 

With  the  advice  of  Rev.  Harold  Walton,  whose 
church,  the  Johnstown  Second  Brethren  Church, 
is  sponsoring  a  billboard  ministry  (featured  in 
the  July  1978  Evangelist),  a  poster  was  ordered 
from  Billboards  for  Jesus.  A  contract  was  made 
with  a  local  advertising  company  to  display  it.  The 
billboard  used  was  on  Claremont  Avenue,  an 
Ashland  thoroughfare  and  the  location  of  several 
shopping  centers. 

The  impact  of  a  billboard  ministry  is  difficult 
to  evaluate.  It  is  known,  however,  that  the  mes- 
sage, "Jesus  is  a  life  savior,"  has  confronted  hun- 
dreds of  Ashland  motorists. 

—Kitty  Winfield 


August  1979 


19 


The  new  church  building  of  Northwest  Brethren  Chapel  in  Tucson  is  located  at  the 
base  of  the  Catalina  mountains.  The  building  will  seat  160  persons.  Rev.  William  Curtis 
is  pastor  of  the  Northwest  Brethren  congregation.  photos  by  Arden  Gilmer 

Northwest  Chapel  dedicates  new  building 


Northwest  Brethren  Chapel,  the  new 
Brethren  Church  in  Tucson,  Arizona,  dedi- 
cated its  new  church  building  on  Sunday, 
June  24,  1979,  just  three  years  and  five 
months  after  beginning  services  in  January 
1976.  One  hundred  and  forty-nine  people, 
representing  all  three  Arizona  churches, 
attended  the  dedication,  and  about  120 
people  enjoyed  a  sumptuous  fellowship 
dinner  held  afterwards. 

Arden  Gilmer,  Director  of  Home  Missions 
for  the  Missionary  Board  of  the  Brethren 
Church,  read  the  Scripture  selection,  lead 
in  the  dedicatory  prayer,  and  brought  words 
of  greetings  and  encouragement  from  all 
Brethren  churches.  Rev.  Clayton  Berkshire, 
pastor  of  the  Papago  Park  Brethren  Church 
in  Tempe,  Ariz.,  gave  the  invocation.  Mr. 
Francis  Ellis  represented  the  Northwest 
Brethren  congregation  in  bringing  the 
words  of  welcome.  And  Rev.  Vernon  Grisso, 
the  founding  pastor  of  Tucson  First 
Brethren  Church,  gave  the  closing  prayer. 

The  dedicatory  message  was  delivered  by 
Rev.  Clarence  Stogsdill,  pastor  of  the  First 
Brethren  Church  in  Tucson.  His  message 
was  entitled  ''Showing  Your  A.G.E."  He 
stated  that  three  vital  ingredients  for  the 
new  church  to  come  of  age  were  attitude, 
goals,  and  energy. 

The  architect,  Jeff  Chow,  the  engineer, 
Jim  Burke,  and  the  contractor,  John  Kline, 
were  honored  for  their  work  on  the  build- 


by   Rev.  Arden    E.   Gilmer 

ing.  Mr.  Kline,  a  tremendous  Christian, 
served  the  church  admirably  as  contractor 
and  used  his  expertise  to  save  the  church 
at  least  $10,000  off  the  original  bid. 

The  key  to  the  new  building  was  present- 
ed by  Mr.  Kline  to  the  church  moderator. 
Jack  Edgerton.  Upon  receiving  the  key,  Mr. 
Edgerton  expressed  the  appreciation  of  the 
people  of  Northwest  Brethren  Chapel  for 
the  support  and  encouragement  they  have 
received  from  the  sponsoring  church  and 
from  the  Brethren  across  the  country.  He 
especially  expressed  thanks  to  members  of 

(continued  on  next  page) 


The  contractor,  John  Kline  (center),  presents  the 
keys  to  the  new  building  to  Northwest  Brethren 
Chapel  moderator.  Jack  Edgerton,  while  Wes 
George  watches  on. 


20 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


A  Brethren  success  story  at  Derby,  Kansas 


While  many  Brethren  churches  find  their  mem- 
bership growing  smaller,  staying  the  same,  or,  at 
best,  creeping  slowly  forward,  the  Brethren 
Church  of  Derby,  Kansas,  presents  a  picture  of 
success. 

Over  the  past  six  years,  under  the  ministry  of 
Rev.  George  Solomon,  the  membership  of  the 
Derby  church  has  grown  from  29  (as  of  July  1, 
1973)  to  130  (on  June  30,  1979).  During  this  period 
average  Sunday  school  attendance  went  from  28 
in  1973  to  85  in  the  first  six  months  of  1979,  and 
average  Sunday  morning  worship  attendance  in- 
creased from  28  to  122. 

Local  giving  has  also  shown  tremendous  growth. 
In  1973  total  local  giving  was  $8,230.  The  budget 
for  1979  is  $37,000,  and  at  the  halfway  mark  (June 
30),  the  congregation  was  $336.59  ahead  in  its 
giving.  This  has  enabled  the  congregation  to  move 
from  annual  mission  support  of  about  $8,000  in 
1973  to  a  position  of  total  self-support  in  1979. 

While  going  from  mission  support  to  self  sup- 
port, the  congregation  has  also  carried  out  other 
projects.  The  Derby  Brethren  built  a  new  par- 
sonage in  1976,  then  renovated  the  old  parsonage 
and  made  it  into  a  Sunday  school  annex.  They  are 
currently  in  the  process  of  purchasing  new  pews 
and  carpet  for  the  sanctuary  and  of  enlarging  the 
sanctuary  seating  capacity  to  about  200  persons. 

Certainly  God  has  blessed  this  congregation 
and  its  hard  work,  and  the  church  is  a  success. 

In  a  sense,  the  success  of  the  Derby  Brethren 
Church  is  a  success  we  Brethren  can  all  share,  for 
we  have  had  a  part  in  it. 

Until  this  year,  the  Derby  Brethren  Church  was 
a  Home  Mission  Church,  receiving  part  of  its 
finances  from  the  national  Missionary  Board. 
Therefore  any  individual  or  church  that  gave  to 
the  work  of  Brethren  Heme  Missions  was  helping 
in  the  work   of   the   Derby   church.   Members   of 


Northwest  Brethren  Chapel 

the  Growth  Partners  Club  whose  response 
assisted  in  securing  the  land  and  meeting 
some  of  the  building  costs. 

A  dedication  offering  was  received  dur- 
ing the  service  and  amounted  to  $676.20. 
The  offertory  and  special  music  were  pro- 
vided by  the  "Ringers  of  Joy,"  the  excellent 
bell  choir  from  Tucson  First  Brethren. 

Following  the  service  Rev.  Stogsdill,  pas- 
tor of  the  mother  congregation,  commented, 
''The  people  of  First  Brethren  Church  praise 
God  as  we  see  our  daughter  church  finally 
settled  into  its  new  building,  and  we  pray 
His  constant  care  upon  the  new  congrega- 
tion, and  that  God  will  bless  them  and  mul- 
tiply them  in  the  work  of  our  most  excellent 
Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ." 


the  Growth  Partners  Club  (formerly  the  Ten 
Dollar  Club)  had  a  special  opportunity  to  share 
in  this  work  by  contributing  to  the  club  calls  for 
Derby  in  1963  ($9,070.26)  and  1971  ($10,090.00). 

Brethren  people  working  together  through  the 
Missionary  Board  provided  the  funds  to  begin  this 
work  and  to  support  it  during  its  years  of  growth 
to  self  support.  The  church  couldn't  have  done  it 
without  our  help. 

This  is,  in  fact,  what  Home  Missions  is  all  about. 
Pooling  our  resources  as  Brethren  to  start  new 
churches  and  to  help  them  along  the  way  so  that 
they  can  grow  and  become  self-supporting  con- 
gregations. At  Derby,  this  goal  has  been  achieved. 
Therefore  we  rejoice  together  in  the  success  story 
of  the  Derby,  Kansas,  Brethren  Church. 

— R.  C.  W^infield 

Flora  yout-h  visit  Opryland,  U.S.A. 

Flora,  Ind. — ^Ten  members  of  the  Senior  BYC  of 
the  Flora  First  Brethren  Church  made  a  weekend 
trip  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  June  1-3.  The  big  event 
of  the  trip  was  an  all-day  visit  to  Opryland, 
U.S.A.,  on  Saturday,  June  2.  On  Sunday  the  youth 
attended  the  Twin  River  Baptist  Church. 

The  group  traveled  to  Nashville  on  Friday  and 
returned  to  Flora  on  Sunday.  The  two  nights  at 
Nashville  were  spent  in  a  campground  about  15 
minutes  outside  the  city.  Two  campers  and  tents 
provided  sleeping  quarters.  Each  night  at  the 
campground  the  group  held  a  campfire  service. 

To  raise  money  for  the  expenses  of  this  trip,  the 
youth  had  a  car  wash  (from  which  they  made 
$135)  and  a  chili  supper  (which  brought  in  $214 
by  free-will  offering). 

Accompanying  the  youth  on  their  trip  to  Nash- 
ville were  Rev.  Alvin  Grumbling,  pastor  of  the 
Flora  First  Brethren  Church,  and  youth  sponsors 
Mr.   and  Mrs.  Donald  Clingenpeel. 


Flora  senior  BYC  nienihers  and  their  advisors. 


August  1979 


21 


update 


SISTERHOOD  AT 
LOREE 


by   Norma   Waters 


What  do  you  think  of  when  you  hear  the 
word  "Sisterhood"?  Do  names  hke  Amigas 
and  Lumieres  mean  anything  to  you?  Well, 
they  mean  a  lot  to  the  girls  of  the  Loree, 
Indiana,  Brethren  Church. 

Thanks  to  dedicated  women  who  have 
given  extra  time  and  effort,  Loree  has  four 
very  active  Sisterhood  groups.  They  have 
been  using  the  new  SMM  materials  that 
were  adopted  by  our  churches  last  summer, 
and  it's  been  an  exciting  year  for  them.  The 
materials  are  a  balanced  mixture  of  Bible 
learning,  crafts  and  skills,  personal  im- 
provement goals,  and  missionary  emphasis. 

Coleen  Zerbe,  patroness  of  the  Little 
Sisters  group,  says,  ''Boy!  Are  they  excited 
about  Sisterhood!  They're  learning  about 
the  Bible  in  a  new  and  exciting  way."  Since 
these  first  through  third  graders  had  been 
studying  about  the  creation  of  the  world, 
they  did  a  short  play  for  their  church  about 
creation  as  part  of  the  Sisterhood  public 
service  in  April. 

Amigas  patroness  Darlene  Porter  says 
that  her  fourth  through  sixth  graders  really 
enjoy  the  missionary  skits  and  lessons  at 
their  monthly  meetings.  (Amigas  is  the 
Spanish  word  for  friends.)  Each  meeting 
also  includes  business,  Bible  lessons,  mem- 
ory verses,  crafts,  and  games.  Darlene  says, 
"It  is  fascinating  to  observe  the  enthusiasm 
and  eagerness  of  this  (age)  level.  It  is  my 
desire  for  the  Amigas  to  gain  understanding 
and  applicable  knowledge  of  serving  Jesus 
through  missionary  projects  and  fellowship 
with  one  another." 

Lumiere  is  the  French  word  for  light, 
and  is  the  name  of  the  junior  high  group  of 
Sisterhood.     Loree's     Lumiere     patroness, 

Mrs.  Norma  Waters  is  Office  Manager  for  the 
national   Board   of   Christian   Education. 


Sharon  Zerbe,  reports  that  her  girls  are 
working  hard  on  their  goals.  They  already 
have  "learned  how  to  make  perfect  pie 
crust,"  and  had  guest  speakers  on  the  topics 
of  marriage  and  first  aid.  They  were  work- 
ing on  their  memorization  of  the  book  of 
Colossians  and  were  planning  a  cook-out, 
a  bike  hike,  and  a  camp-out  for  the  summer. 
(Sharon  thinks  they're  just  trying  to  wear 
her  out!) 

The  senior  high  girls  are  led  by  Shirley 
Childers.  Their  name  is  Charis,  which  is 
Greek  for  grace.  Shirley  admits  that  the 
Bible  lessons  take  some  "study,  thought, 
and  prayer  on  the  part  of  the  patroness." 
But  they  also  involve  the  girls'  thoughts  and 
discussion,  and  "the  more  we  each  share, 
the  more  of  His  Spirit  we  each  take  home." 
Shirley  states  that  "God  has  never  failed 
to  provide  time,  material  needs,  interested 
girls,  and  the  richest  of  blessings." 

As  we  look  at  the  influences  that  our  girls 
receive  in  school,  sports,  and  other  com- 
munity activities,  it  is  clear  that  we  need 
to  influence  them  also  for  the  things  of 
the  Lord.  Sisterhood  is  a  program  of  learn- 
ing, growth,  and  self-enrichment.  It's  also 
enough  fun  that  girls  (and  patronesses!) 
love  it. 

The  Loree  church  thinks  that  Sisterhood 
is  great.  Sisterhood  is  important  for  your 
church,  too.  Your  girls  are  worth  the  effort. 

Many  of  our  other  churches  besides  Loree  have 
strong  Sisterhood  groups.  Does  your  church?  If 
not,  be  sure  to  look  over  the  display  of  Sisterhood 
materials  at  National  Conference — the  materials 
can  be  ordered  there.  Or  write  to  the  Board  of 
Christian  Education,  524  College  Ave.,  Ashland, 
Ohio  448O5  and  ask  for  more  information.  You 
can  start  a  Sisterhood  this  fall! 


22 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Mission  Center  seeks  ways  to  reach 
2   billion   "hidden   people" 


If  every  Christian  in  the  world  were  to  win 
his  neighbors  to  Christ,  there  would  still  be  over 
two  billion  non-Christians  left.  Why?  Because  two 
billion  of  the  world's  people  have  no  Christian 
neighbors. 

Yes,  over  two  billion  people — Hindus,  Muslims, 
Chinese,  and  tribal  members — ^still  have  no  Chris- 
tian church  in  their  local  culture.  Furthermore, 
these  people  are  separated  by  language,  culture, 
and  often  by  animosity  from  those  communities 
where  there  is  a  church.  They  are  locked  behind 
invisible  cultural  barriers,  still  beyond  the  reach 
of  present  mission  and  national  church  strategies. 
They  are  "the  hidden  people." 

If  we  are  to  fulfill  the  Great  Commission,  ways 
must  be  found  to  reach  these  "hidden  people" 
With  the  gospel.  Finding  these  ways  is  the  goal 
of  the  U.S.  Center  for  World  Mission  of  Pasadena, 
California. 

The  Center,  which  was  founded  by  former 
missionaries  and  mission  leaders  under  the  direc- 
torship of  Dr.  Ralph  D.  Winter,  has  three  major 
focuses : 

(1)  Major  strategy  institutes  at  the  Center 
study  the  unreached  segments  of  the  world's 
population  to  determine  the  most  advantageous 
ways  to  approach  these  people  with  the  gospel. 

(2)  Mobilization  offices  seek  to  arouse  the  in- 
terest of  churches,  students,  and  mission  agencies 
to  the  task  of  reaching  "the  hidden  people." 

(3)  The  Institute  of  International  Studies  of 
the  Center  seeks  to  share  the  mission  vision  with 
evangelical  students  from  secular  colleges  and 
universities  throughout  the  United  States.  This 
is  done  by  offering  fully-accredited,  one-quarter 
and  one-semester  undergraduate  and  graduate 
programs  to  these  students  in  order  to  give  them 
a  Christian  perspective  on  the  world. 

The  center  is  not  trying  to  compete  with  exist- 
ing mission  agencies  and  boards,  but  to  serve 
them.  All  its  efforts  at  research,  mobilization,  and 
training  are  meant  to  funnel  new  facts,  money, 
and  missionary  candidates  into  these  agencies. 

To  carry  out  its  program,  the  Center  purchased 
in  September  of  1978  an  entire  college  campus  in 
Pasadena,  Calif.  The  story  of  how  the  Center 
edged  out  a  religious  cult  in  order  to  purchase 
the  17-acre  campus  and  how  it  was  able  to  raise 
the  $1.5  million  to  make  the  downpayment  is  a 
story  of  miracles.  Now  the  Center  is  making  a 
massive  push  to  raise  $13.5  million  more  to  pay 
off  the  debt  on  the  campus  and  to  establish  the 
Center  as  a  self-supporting  agency. 

A  unique  approach  is  being  used  to  raise  this 
money.  Center  leaders  feel  God  would  have  a 
million  people  give  $15.95  each.  This  amount  will 
not  be  a  great  burden  on  any  one  person,  and 
furthermore,  in  this  way  a  million  people  will  gain 
an  insight  into  the  task  that  remains  if  we  are 
to  reach  "the  hidden  people."  The  $15.95  is  a  one- 
time   gift,    with    Center    leaders    promising    that 


those  who  give  this  amount  will  not  be  asked  for 
more  money. 

At  the  moment,  the  Center  faces  a  major  hurdle. 
On  September  15  the  last  really  large  quarterly 
payment  on  the  college  campus  is  due — $660,000. 
There  will  be  other  quarterly  payments  after  this 
one,  but  they  will  be  considerably  smaller.  So  far 
over  11,000  people  have  made  $15.95  donations, 
but  44,000  more  must  do  so  if  the  Center  is  to 
make  the  quarterly  payment.  If  the  payment  is 
not  made,  the  Center  will  not  only  lose  the  prop- 
erty, but  its  entire  downpayment  of  1.5  million 
dollars. 

It  will  take  a  miracle  to  raise  this  money  in 
the  time  that  remains,  but  God  has  worked 
miracles  for  the  Center  before. 

For  more  information  about  the  Center  for  World 
Mission,  contact  Dick  W infield,  do  The  Brethren 
Publishing  Company. 


Brethren   Church    Bulletin    Service 
now   used   In   40   churches 

A^hlatnd,  Ohio — ^The  Brethren  Church  Bulletin  Ser- 
vice is  now  used  in  40  churches  and  is  seen  by 
4,775  Brethren  weekly,  according  to  Ron  Waters. 

The  bulletin  service  was  started  in  1976  by  the 
Brethren  Publishing  Company.  Such  a  service, 
with  regular  messages  about  the  Brethren  Church 
and  its  ministries,  had  been  requested  by  a  num- 
ber of  Brethren.  A  cooperative  agreement  was 
arranged  with  Cathedral  Art  Folders  of  Long 
Prairie,  Minnesota,  to  include  one  Brethren  mes- 
sage each  month. 

"We  should  top  the  5,000  mark  during  General 
Conference  week.  A  number  of  churches  each 
year  switch  to  the  service  at  that  time,"  Waters 
said. 

"Frequently  we  find  churches  have  been  using 
Cathedral  bulletins  for  years  but  have  not  been 
receiving  them  through  us.  So  they  haven't  been 
receiving  the  specific  Brethren  Church  messages. 

"But  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  tranfer  these 
churches  to  our  account,"  Waters  added.  "It  simply 
requires  a  letter  to  me,  saying  the  church  would 
like  to  receive  its  Cathedral  bulletins  through 
us  to  take  advantage  of  the  specific  Brethren 
messages." 

Brochures  depicting  the  1980  series  of  bulletins 
will  be  available  at  General  Conference  from  the 
Brethren  Publishing  Company. 

Membership  Growth 

Flora:     3  by  baptism 

Sarasota:     5  by  baptism,  1  by  transfer 

South  Bend:     6  by  baptism,  2  by  transfer 

North  Manchester:     1  by  baptism 


August  1979 


23 


update 

Bates  retires  from  Brethren  Quarterly; 


new  writers  named 


Ashland,  Ohio — After  20  years  writing  for  The 
Brethren  Bible  Class  Quarterly,  Rev.  Henry  Bates 
has  retired  as  contributor  of  the  "Lesson  Back- 
grounds." The  backgrounds  in  the  current  (sum- 
mer) quarterly  are  the  last  written  by  Rev.  Bates. 

Bates,  a  former  professor  at  Ashland  Theo- 
logical Seminary  (1S50-55),  drew  upon  his  deep 
knowledge  of  the  Bible  in  preparing  these  "Lesson 
Backgrounds." 

During  his  years  of  writing  for  the  quarterly, 
Rev.  Bates  served  as  pastor  of  the  Vinco,  Pa., 
Brethren  Church  and  then  the  Wayne  Heights 
Brethren  Church  in  Waynesboro,  Pa.  He  continues 
to  pastor  the  Wayne  Heights  church  and  also 
teaches  part  time  at  the  Broadfording  Christian 
College  near  Hagerstown,  Md. 

The  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  which  pub- 
lishes The  Brethren  Quai^terly,  has  greatly  appre- 
ciated Rev.  Bates'  faithful  service  as  a  writer. 
And  Brethren  people  have  been  richly  blessed  by 
the  insights  he  has  provided  on  the  Word  of  God. 

Rev.  Bates  continues  to  serve  the  Brethren 
Publishing  Company  as  a  member  of  the  Board 
01  Trustees  and  as  vice  president  of  that  board. 

Taking  Rev.  Bates'  place  as  background  writer 
for  the  quarterly  will  be  Rev.  Rodney  Thoirias, 
pastor  of  the  Huntington,  Ind.,  Brethren  Church. 

Rev.  Thomas,  who  has  pastored  the  Huntington 
church  since  1974,  is  also  assistant  secretary  of 
the  General  Conference  of  the  Brethren  Church. 
He  is  the  son  of  Rev.  Carl  Thomas,  who  is  also 
a  Brethren  pastor. 

Rev.  Thomas'  contributions  to  the  quarterly  will 
first  appear  in  the  fall  quarter. 

A  second  change  in  the  fall  quarterly  will  be 
the  introduction  of  Rev.  William  Anderson  as 
writer  of  the  "Lesson  Exposition"  section.  Rev. 
Anderson  is  pastor  of  the  Manteca,  Calif.,  Breth- 
ren Church,  which  he  has  served  since  1970.  He 


Rev.  Henry  Bates 


has  also  served  Brethren  churches  in  Sergeants- 
ville  and  Calvary,  N.J.,  Pleasant  Hill,  Ohio,  Johns- 
town,  Pa.    (Third  Church),  and  Nappanee,  Ind. 

This  is  not  Rev,  Anderson's  first  experience 
writing  for  the  quarterly.  After  15  years  he  is 
returning  as  writer  of  the  "Lesson  Exposition," 
a  position  he  filled  from  1962  to  1964. 

Rev.  W.  St.  Clair  Benshoff,  who  has  been  writing 
the  exposition  section  of  the  quarterly,  will  be 
contributing  the  "Lesson  Applications"  beginning 
with  the  fall  quarter.  He  will  be  replacing  Rev. 
Charles  Lowmaster,  who  has  written  this  section 
since  1976.  Rev.  Lowmaster  will  no  longer  be 
writing  for  the  quarterly  because  of  the  press  of 
other  work. 

Rev.  Benshoff  is  pastor  of  the  College  Corner 
Brethren  Church,  Route  3,  Wabash,  Ind.  He  has 
been  contributing  the  "Lesson  Expositions"  since 
December  of  1973,  but  his  involvement  with  the 
quarterly  dates  back  much  further  than  that. 
From  1953  to  1963  he  was  editor  of  publications 
for  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company  and,  as 
such,  editor  of  The  Brethren  Quarterly. 

Rev.  Benshoff  is  also  president  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company. 


Rev.  Rodney  Thomas 


Rev.   William  Anderson 


24 


Rev.   W.  St.  Clair  Benshoff 

The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Grefna  Bible  school  sets  record 


Bellefontaine,  Ohio — The  news  at  Gretna  Brethren 
Church  in  June  was  kids,  kids,  and  more  KIDS! 

The  church  had  its  most  successful  vacation  Bible 
school  program  ever  this  year. 

Average  attendance  for  the  Vi^eek  (June  11-15) 
was  97,  with  a  high  of  100  on  the  last  day.  To  put 
this  into  perspective,  two  things  need  to  be  noted 
about  this  church.  One,  it  is  located  in  the  open 
country,  not  in  a  town  or  city.  Second,  average 
Sunday  morning  worship  attendance  runs  less 
than  100. 

Not  only  did  attendance  at  the  VBS  set  a  new 
record,  but  so  did  the  offering.  A  total  of  $150 
was  received  during  the  week,  almost  double  the 
offering  of  last  year.  The  money  will  be  used  to 
help  support  the  weekday  religious  education  pro- 
gram in  the  public  schools  in  the  county. 

VBS  director  for  the  week  was  Pauline  West- 
lake.  She  was  assisted  by  Jane  Solomon.  They 
were  expecting  about  80  children  on  the  first  day, 
so  you  can  imagine  their  surprise  when  96  chil- 
dren appeared. 

According  to  Rev.  Leroy  Solomon,  pastor  of  the 
Gretna  congregation,  "The  beautiful  part  of  the 
whole  week  was  that  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
was  taken  into  several  homes  it  hadn't  been  into 
before.  From  this  week  of  Bible  school  we  have 
made  contacts  with  about  15  unchurched  families. 
About  half  of  them  have  expressed  a  real  interest 
in  our  church.  Praise  the  Lord!" 

Rev.  Solomon  adds,  "Anyone  who  questions  the 
value  of  VBS,  send  them  to  us — we  would  love 
to  share  with  them.  We  can't  wait  till  next  year!" 


A  few  of  the  100  children  who  attended  Bible 
school  at  the  Gretna  Brethren  Church. 

Dennis  Grumbling  called 
to  the  ministry 

Flora,  Ind. — Dennis  Grumbling  has  been  called 
to  the  Christian  ministry  by  the  congregation  of 
the  First  Brethren  Church  of  Flora,  Ind.  The  call 
was  extended  on  Sunday,  June  10. 

Dennis  is  the  son  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Alvin 
Grumbling.  He  will  be  a  senior  at  Ashland  College 
this  fall,  and  plans  to  enter  Ashland  Theological 
Seminary  after  completing  college. 

This  summer  Dennis  has  been  preaching  on 
Sunday  mornings  at  the  Flora  Church  of  the 
Brethren. 


Film   of  Joni   Eareckson  to   be 
released   in   September 


Burbank,  Calif. — Joni  is  the  title  of  a  film  to  be 
released  in  September  by  World  Wide  Pictures. 
The  movie  will  present  the  story  of  Joni 
Eareckson,  a  quadriplegic  who  broke  her  neck  in 
a  diving  accident  12  years  ago. 

Many  Christians  know  of  Joni  from  her  two 
books,  Jom  and  A  Step  Further,  and  from  her  art- 
work, which  appears  on  Christian  stationery.  Her 
book,  A  Step  Further,  written  with  Steve  Estes, 
was  chosen  by  Religion  In  Media  to  receive  the 
1978  Angel  Award. 

The  film,  in  which  Joni  plays  herself,  follows 
her  progress  from  the  moment  she  broke  her 
neck.  It  traces  the  steps  along  her  road  to  recov- 
ery as,  drawing  on  her  faith  in  God,  she  overcame 
the  emotional  and  psychological  trauma  of  the 
accident  and  became  an  accomplished  artist  (  hold- 
ing a  pen  in  her  mouth),  a  dynamic  speaker,  and 
the  author  of  two  best-selling  books. 

Joni  will  be  premiered  in  September  in  many 
parts  of  the  country.  The  film  will  be  shown  in 
theaters,  civic  auditoriums,  and  churches. 


Congratulating  Joni  Eareckson  on   her  receipt  of 

the    Angel   Award   for    the    best  religious    book    of 

1978-79  is  TV  star  Ted  Knight.  Joni  plays  herself 
in  a  new  movie  entitled  Joni. 


August  1979 


25 


update 


Weddings 

Beth  Ann  Gross  to  Brian  Kent  Bargerhuff,  July 
7,  at  the  Loree  Brethren  Church,  Bunker  Hill,  Ind. ; 
Stephen  Cole,  pastor,  officiating.  Members  of  the 
Loree  Brethren  Church. 

Donna  Klutz  to  Steve  Beaver,  June  30,  at  the  First 
Brethren  Church,  North  Manchester,  Ind.;  Wood- 
row  A.  Immel,  pastor,  and  Rev.  Robert  Bischoff 
officiating.  Members  of  the  North  Manchester 
First  Brethren  Church. 

Roberta  Penrod  to  Ted  Nichols,  June  24,  at  the 
First  Brethren  Church,  North  Manchester,  Ind.; 
Woodrow  A.  Immel,  pastor,  officiating.  Members 
of  the  North  Manchester  First  Brethren  Church. 
Melanie  Stanze  to  Brian  Pierce,  June  24,  at  the 
First  Brethren  Church,  Gratis,  Ohio;  Gene 
Hollinger,  pastor,  officiating.  Bride  member  of 
Gratis  First  Brethren  Church. 

Debbie  Britt  to  Wayne  Robison,  June  16,  at  the 
First  Brethren  Church,  North  Manchester,  Ind.; 
Woodrow  A.  Immel,  pastor,  officiating.  Groom 
member  of  North  Manchester  First  Brethren 
Church. 

Wanda  Underwood  to  Dale  C.  Hagerich,  June  2,  at 
Vinco  Brethren  Church,  Mineral  Point,  Pa.;  Carl 
H.  Phillips,  pastor,  officiating.  Groom  member 
of  the  Vinco  Brethren  Church. 
Debra  Kay  Gable  to  Robert  Kent  Swihart,  May 
26,  at  the  Loree  Brethren  Church,  Bunker  Hill, 
Ind.;  Rev.  Austin  Gable  officiating.  Bride  member 
of  the  Loree  Brethren  Church. 


BEFORE  YOU  MOVE 

...  please  let  us  know. 

1.   Give  old  address: 


Name 

Address 

City                                             State 
2.    Fin  in  new  address  below: 

Zip 

Name 

Address 

City                                            State 

Zip 

Date  new  address  in  effect 

3.    Mail  this  form  to: 

Address  Correction 

Brethren  Publishing  Company 

524  College  Avenue 

Ashland,  OH     44805 


Goldenaires 

William  and  Ruth  Meinke,  65th,  June  24.  Members 
of  the  First  Brethren  Church,  South  Bend,  Ind. 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Don  Leckey,  52nd,  June  21.  Members 
of  the  Vinco  Brethren  Church,  Mineral  Point,  Pa. 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  George  A.  Leidy,  56th,  June  12.  Mem- 
bers of  the  Vinco  Brethren  Church,  Mineral  Point, 
Pa. 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Charles  E.  Ford,  55th,  June  6.  Mem- 
bers of  the  Vinco  Brethren  Church,  Mineral  Point, 
Pa. 


In  Memory 


Kenneth  J.  Benshoff,  31,  July  10.  Member  of  the 
Sarasota,  Fla.,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services 
by  Chaplain  Navy  Capt.  Lacy  Harwell  and  Dr. 
J.  D.  Hamel,  pastor. 

Leslie  "Ted"  Stutzman,  75,  June  28.  Member  of 
the  Johnstown,  Pa.,  Third  Brethren  Church.  Ser- 
vices by  Clarence  R.  Kindley,  pastor. 

Bay  iSmith,  92,  June  20.  Member  of  the  South 
Bend,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services  at  the 
Winding  Waters  Brethren  Church,  Elkhart,  Ind. 

Mrs.  J.  Raymond  (Salena)  Sohutz,  85,  June  15. 
Member  for  59  years  of  the  North  Manchester, 
Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Woodrow 
Immel,  pastor,  and  Dr.  A.  Blair  Helman.  (Mrs. 
Schutz  was  the  widow  of  Dr.  J.  Raymond 
Schutz,  pastor  for  22  years  at  North  Manchester.) 
Alice  Zimmerman,  72,  June  10.  Member  of  the 
Gratis,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services  by 
Gene  Hollinger,  pastor. 


Liked   July   "Perspectives" 

I  wanted  to  take  this  opportunity  to  thank  you 
for  printing  Clarence  StogdiU's  excellent  article 
"Building  on  Bedrock"  in  the  July  issue  of  the 
Evangelist. 

The  thoughts  and  ideas  are  clearly  stated  and 
come  out  of  his  experience,  I'm  sure.  The  subject 
is  timely,  pertinent  and  "right  on"  for  us  Brethren. 

I  greatly  appreciate  such  articles  of  truth, 
thought  and  biblical  backgrouaid. 

This  was  a  real  perspective  for  the  eighties! 

— ^Bev  Summy 
Ashland,  Ohio 


26 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


hooks 


The  U.S.  Senator  from  Ida  Grove 


Harold  E.  Hug^hes,  The  Man  from  Ida  <jlTOve  by 

Harold  E.  Hughes  with  Dick  Schneider   (Chosen 
Books.   1979,  346  pp.,  $10.95  hardback). 

This  book  tells  the  life  story  of  Harold  E. 
Hughes,  former  governor  of  Iowa  and  former 
United  States  Senator. 

Hughes  w£is  a  poor  farm  boy  who  won  the 
struggle  against  poverty.  As  a  teenager  he  began 
to  drink.  He  continued  drinking  while  serving  in 
World  War  II,  and  his  desire  for  alcohol  became 
worse  after  he  was  discharged.  He  reached  the 
point  where  he  felt  the  world  would  be  better  off 
without  him,  but  as  he  prepared  to  commit  sui- 
dde,  God  spoke  to  him.  This  call  changed  his  life. 

At  that  time  Hughes  was  employed  by  a  truck- 
ing firm.  His  job  involved  him  in  working  out 
problems  with  the  Iowa  Commerce  Commission. 
This  led  to  his  being  employed  by  that  commis- 
sion, which  in  turn  led  to  the  governorship  of 
Iowa  and  eventually  to  the  U.S.  Senate.  Many 
seemingly  impossible  situations  were  completely 
turned  around  for  Hughes  because  he  allowed 
God  to  take  control. 

During  his  years  in  politics,  Hughes  was  always 
concerned  with  the  underprivileged  and  alcoholics 
and  did  much  to  benefit  them.  He  is  presently 
involved  in  a  ministry  to  alcoholics. 

In  reading  this  book,  I  was  impressed  by  the 
way  Hughes  allowed  God  to  work  in  his  life  and 
by  the  fact  that  he  is  not  ashamed  to  testify  of 
his  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  not  only  to  national  lead- 
ers but  also  to  leaders  of  the  entire  world. 

I  would  recommend  this  book  to  anyone  who 


would  like  the  assurance  that  we  do  have  some 
Christian  leaders  in  our  country. 

— Pat  Dovey 

Pat  Dovey  is  an  employee  of  the  Brethren  Publish- 
ing Company  and  a  member  of  the  Ashland  Garber 
Brethren  Church. 


Love   and   Perseverance 

My  Son  Johnny  by  John  Edmund  Haggai  (Tyn- 
dale  House,  1979,  240  pp.,  $4.95  paperback). 

This  is  the  story  of  John  Haggai,  Jr.,  a  brain- 
damaged dhild  who  until  his  death  at  age  24  was 
unable  to  feed  himself  and  could  utter  only  two 
syllables.  It  tells  of  a  boy  with  a  beautiful  spirit 
in  an  inadequate  body. 

It  is  also  the  story  of  Christine,  Johnny's 
mother,  whose  love  for  her  son  made  the  crushing 
task  of  caring  for  him  a  channel  of  God's  grace. 
Through  her  unshakeable  faith  she  was  able  to 
draw  from  Johnny  responses  others  thought 
impossible.   Her  patience  was  remarkaiWe, 

For  those  who  suffer  or  must  watch  others 
suffer,  this  book  speaks  of  God's  sovereignty  and 
of  the  power  of  persevering  prayer.  Its  aiuthor, 
John  Haggai,  is  also  author  of  the  best-seller. 
How  to  Win  Over  Worry. 

— JuHe  Flora 

Julie  Flora  is  a  member  of  the  Park  Street 
Brethren  Church  and  a  part-time  employee  of  The 
Carpenter's  Shop, 


L 


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August  1979 


27 


God^s  Means  of  (jrace 

by  C.   F.  Yoder 


k  ■         ■ 

|»  Pictured    is    an     original     copy    of 

f  Voder's  book  handed  down  from   Rev. 

Ml  ' 

'n  James   R.   Black  to  his  son  James   F. 


$12.50 


Black. 


This  treasured  volume  is  available 
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"r^The   Brethren  ^    • 

bvangelis 


Sepfember    19 


1979  Conference  Report 
beginning  on  page  11 


WORLD 
RELIEF 


ACTION 


Rev.  Prasanth  Kumar  distributes  buckets  to  cyclone  victims. 


Here  are  samples  of  compassion  and  aid  we  Brethren  have  been  a  part  of  in  recent 
months  through  the  World  Relief  Corporation  of  the  National  Association  of  Evan- 
gelicals. Our  concern  and  dollars  do  count  to  help  extend  the  hand  of  Christ  in  these 
ways. 

Brethren  giving  in  the  first  6  months  of  1979  was  about  $800  short  of  the  pace  for 
the  $31,650  in  our  record-breaking  year  of  1978.  I  hope  we'll  respond  well  this  fall  to 
rise  even  higher  .  .  .  and  help  even  more  in  1979. 

Phil  Lersch,  Chairman,  Brethren  World  Relief  Board 


India 

On  May  12th  a  devastating  cyclone  hit  the 
coastal  districts  of  Andhra  Pradesh  (where  our 
Brethren  missionaries,  the  Kumars,  live)  destroy- 
ing nearly  half  a  million  homes.  Although  there 
was  some  damage  to  the  Brethren  Mission  prop- 
erties, it  was  light  in  comparison  with  other  areas. 
Furthermore,  the  total  loss  of  life  was  only  about 
300,  which  is  also  low  by  comparison  to  previous 
cyclones  and  tidal  waves.  But  many  people  were 
suffering  for  want  of  food,  drinking  water,  and 
medical  supplies. 

The  World  Relief  Corporation  responded  with 
$3,000  (sent  through  our  Brethren  Mission  Board) 
for  relief  work  directed  by  Prasanth  and  Vijay 
Kumar.  These  brothers  surveyed  the  cyclone- 
affected  areas  and  selected  those  most  in  need 
of  medical  assistance,  food  supplies,  and  clothing 
— which  they  distributed  in  the  name  of  Christ. 


Uganda 


On  the  heels  of  an  8-year  blood  bath  by  Idi 
Amin,  Jerry  Ballard  flew  to  Africa  on  April  20th. 
His  mission  was  to  evaluate  the  needs  of  suffer- 
ing thousands  whose  lives  were  ravaged  by  terror- 
ism and  war.  Ballard  met  with  government  and 
church  leaders  to  arrange  the  most  effective  and 
expeditious  means  of  channeling  aid  to  the  people. 

WRC  shipped  1,250  pounds  of  medical  supplies 
into  the  area,  including  medicines  and  much  need- 
ed surgical  instruments.  They  also  pledged  an 
initial  $100,000  to  relief  effort  in  Uganda. 

A  religious  leader  recently  stated:  "It  is  essen- 
tial that  a  Christian  ministry  of  reconciliation 
accompany  the  relief  effort.  There  is  a  great  need 
in  Uganda  for  spiritual  healing  as  well  as  meeting 
physical  needs  of  our  people."  To  accomplish  this 
goal,  World  Relief  is  channeling  its  aid  primarily 
through  the  churches  of  Uganda. 


Boliva 

Floods  swept  across  Bolivia  in  February,  dis- 
placing hundreds  of  families  and  causing  exten- 
sive damage  to  buildings  and  crops.  WRC  respond- 
ed with  $10,000  for  food,  clothing,  and  medical 
supplies — as  well  as  needs  relating  to  immediate 
reconstruction  and  rehabilitation.  The  grant  was 
channeled  through  the  association  of  evangelicals 
in  Bolivia. 

Jerry  Ballard,  executive  director  of  World  Relief, 
stated,  ""Heartwarming  stories  have  already  come 
out  of  this  situation  which  tell  of  poor  but  gen- 
erous Christicms  of  Bolivia  taking  flood  victims 
into  their  homes,  sharing  what  little  they  have 
in  this  time  of  crisis." 


Jackson,    Mississippi 

In  April  disastrous  flooding  in  Jackson  prompt- 
ed a  swift  response  from  World  Relief.  Even  be- 
fore flood  waters  crested  above  18  feet,  WRC  ad- 
vanced $;35,OO0  to  aid  in  the  relief  of  flood  victims 
forced  from  their  homes. 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church,  cooperating  with 
the  Salvation  Army,  provided  hundreds  of  meals 
served  daily  at  the  church.  Seventy-five  volunteers 
worked  in  shifts  to  prepare  food  for  distribution. 
Additional  hundreds  of  meals  were  taken  to  other 
locations  by  means  of  Salvation  Army  mobile 
units. 

An  estimated  17  to  20  thousand  persons  were 
evacuated  from  affected  areas,  in  what  was  the 
worst  flood  in  the  history  of  Jackson  in  terms  of 
water  depth,  damage  to  property,  and  dislocation 
of  people.  Jerry  Ballard  stated:  "The  world  served 
by  World  Relief  begins  at  home.  Christian  com- 
passion recognizes  no  nationality.  In  the  spirit 
of  Jesus  Christ  we  want  to  share  with  as  many 
as  we  can  in  relieving  suffering  in  times  of 
distress." 


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I  V    ^  The    Brethren  ^    •  j 

Evangelist 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 
(USPS  064-200) 

Editor: 

Richard  C.  Winfield 

Consulting  Editors: 

John  D.  Rowsey 
Ronald  W.  Waters 

Contributing  Editor: 
Alvin  Shifflett 

Editorial  and 
Business  Office: 

524  College  Ave. 
Ashland,  Ohio     44805 
Phone:    (419)   289-2611 

Published  monthly  for  the  Brethren  Church 
by  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 
One  year  subscription  rates:  $6.00  for 
100%  church  lists;  $6.50  for  church  lists 
of  5  or  more  names;  $7.00  for  individual 
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least  three  w^eeks  in  advance,  using  the 
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Publishing   Company. 

Queries  and  manuscripts  should  be  ad- 
dressed to  the  editor.  A  writer's  packet 
with  query  tips  is  available  upon  written 
request. 

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Cover 

During  the  1979  General 
Conference  the  conditional 
theme,  "If  My  People  Will," 
became  the  assertion,  "My 
People  Will!"  See  the  special 
Conference  report  beginning  on 
page  11. 
Cover  design  by  Howard  Mack 


Vol.  101,  No.  9 


September  1979 


4     Pro-Life  vs.  Abortion: 

Putting  God's  Law  Above  Man's 

by  Harold  Walton 

6     I  Am  the  Church 

by  Susan  E.  White 

Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 
8     Being  What  God  Intends 

A  portion  of  Moderator  Duane  Dickson's  address  to  the  91st 
General  Conference  of  the  Brethren  Church. 

1979  CONFERENCE  REPORT 

11  Introduction  and  Monday 

Opening  service;   Children's  conference. 

1 2  Tuesday 

BYC  Moderator's  address;  Ashland  Theological  Seminary 
inspirational  service;  1979  Crusader  review. 

1 4     Business 

Introduction;  Publishing  Company  endowment  fund  plan; 
Moderator's  recommendations;  Proposed  denominational  organ- 
ization; Expression  of  support  for  Ashland  College. 

1 6     Wednesday 

Messages  by  Rev.  Sanford  C.  Mitchell;  Ashland  College 
inspirational  service. 

1 8     Auxiliaries 

Woman's  Missionary  Society;  National  Laymen's  Organization; 
National  Ministerial  Association;  Sisterhood  of  Mary  and 
Martha. 

20     Thursday 

Laymen's  inspirational  service;  Board  of  Christian  Education 
inspirational  service;  ABCT  luncheon. 

22     BYC  Convention 

Overview;  Project  report;  Officers;  Anything  Goes  competition. 

24     Friday 

W.M.S.  inspirational  service;  Children's  musical;  All-Conference 
banquet;  Fasting  banquet. 

26     Conference  Miscellaneous 

"My  People  Will!";  1980  Conference  theme;  Board  of  Church 
Properties'  report;  New  Conference  officers. 


September  1979 


PRO-LIFE  vs.  ABORTION 

Putting  God's  Law  Above  Man's 


by   Rev.  Harold  W.  Walton 


ABORTION  is  one  of  the  great  moral 
issues  of  our  time.  Currently,  over 
1,000,000  babies  are  being  aborted  each 
year — approximately  one  out  of  every  four 
that  are  conceived. 

As  Bible-believing  Christians,  we  stand 
against  this  moral  outrage,  just  as  the 
church  has  consistently  done  down  through 
the  centuries.  God's  law  stands  above  man's 
law.  When  His  law  is  flagrantly  and  re- 
peatedly violated,  we  warn  men  of  the 
divine  judgment  that  will  inevitably  fall 
upon  them  unless  they  repent. 

The  Bible  teaches  that  the  life  in  the 
womb  is  indeed  a  human  person.  (See  Gen- 
esis 25:23;  Jeremiah  1:4-5;  Psalm  51:5; 
139:13-16;  Matthew  1:20;  and  Luke  1:15, 
31,  41,  44.)  Without  question,  human  life 
begins  at  conception — at  the  union  of  the 
sperm  and  egg.  A  new  person  is  formed  at 
that  moment,  programmed  for  and  moving 
toward  maturity  as  an  adult  human  being. 
The  child  is  dependent  on  his  mother  for 
food  and  a  protected  environment,  but  he  is 
a  distinct  person  from  his  mother.  At  18- 
25  days  the  child's  little  heart  begins  to 
beat,  using  his  own  blood  supply  and  cir- 
culatory system.  Brain  waves  can  be  de- 
tected before  the  end  of  the  second  month 
of  pregnancy. 

Abortion  kills  this  innocent  human  life 
and  is  therefore  a  violation  of  the  sixth 
commandment,  ''You  shall  not  murder" 
(Exodus  20:13).  God  says  that  we  do  not 
have  the  prerogative  of  deliberately  taking 
innocent  human  life.  The  Supreme  Court 
now  says  abortion  is  permissible,  but  God's 
law  is  above  man's  laws. 

What  are  some  of  the  reasons  given  for 
a  woman's  right  to  an  abortion?  We  are 
told  that  a  woman  has  the  right  to  the 
privacy  and  control  of  her  body.  According 
to  this  argument,  the  fetus  is  part  of  the 
woman's  body.  Therefore  she  can  do  with 
it  as  she  pleases.  But  the  developing  child 
is  not  strictly  part  of  a  woman's  body.  It 
is   a  separate   human  being  whose   rights 

Rev.  Harold  W.  Walton  is  pastor  of  the  Second 
Brethren  Church,  Johnstown,  Pa. 


must  also  be  considered.  A  woman's  right 
to  control  her  body  does  not  give  her  the 
right  to  kill  her  developing  child.  Once  a 
child  is  conceived,  abortion  is  not  a  private 
matter  between  a  womain  and  her  doctor 
but  a  public  moral  matter,  since  another 
human  life  is  involved. 

The  vast  majority  of  abortions  are  per- 
formed today  for  no  other  real  reason  than 
that  the  woman  so  chooses.  This  is  abortion 
on  demand.  Those  who  support  these  abor- 
tions say,  ''If  the  child  isn't  wanted,  isn't 
it  better  for  it  to  be  killed?"  Since  when  is 
"convenience"  or  "wantedness"  a  higher 
value  than  the  sanctity  of  innocent  human 
life  ?  If  the  baby  is  unwanted,  it  can  be  given 
up  for  adoption,  not  killed.  Many  homes 
would  gladly  receive  an  "unwanted"  child. 

What  about  cases  where  the  life  of  the 
mother  is  at  stake.  This  is  a  rare  problem 
today.  With  modern  medical  techniques, 
almost  never  is  the  life  of  the  mother 
threatened  by  her  child.  But  in  the  few 
cases  when  it  is,  I  believe  everything  pos- 
sible should  be  done  to  save  both  the  life 
of  the  mother  and  the  child.  If  in  seeking 
to  save  the  life  of  the  mother,  the  conceived 
child  dies,  then  the  principle  of  double  effect 
applies  (an  undesired  bad  effect  comes  as 
a  result  of  seeking  a  good  effect). 

We're  told  that  many  times  for  the 
mental  well-being  of  the  mother  she  should 
have  an  abortion.  In  other  words,  avoiding 
psychological  pressure  is  more  important 
than  the  sanctity  of  an  innocent  human 
life.  One  thing  that  is  somehow  left  out  of 
this  argument  is  the  tremendous  feeling  of 
guilt  experienced  by  many  who  have  had 
an  abortion.  Greater  psychological  damage 
results  from  having  an  abortion  than  from 
allowing  the  child  to  be  born  and  giving  it 
up  for  adoption. 

What  if  the  parents  can't  afford  the 
child?  Isn't  abortion  permissible?  In  other 
words,  is  avoiding  economic  difficulties 
more  important  than  human  life?  No.  Most 
families  in  America  can  "get  by"  with 
another  child  if  they  want  to.  If  not,  the 
child  can  be  placed  up  for  adoption  if 
necessary. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Five  Brethren  from  the  Johnstown,  Pa.,  area  participated  in  a  "March  for  Life"  in  Washington,  D.C., 
on  January  22,  1979.  The  insert  shows  (left  to  right)  Fern  Yarnick  and  Byron  Phillips  from  the  Vinco 
Brethren    Church,    and   Rev.    Walton,    pastor   of  Johnstown  Second. 


Instances  of  rape  and  incest  are  certainly 
tragic,  but  pregnancies  resulting  from  these 
are  rare.  Even  then,  two  wrongs  don't  make 
a  right. 

In  regard  to  retarded  or  deformed 
babies,  I  still  insist  that  the  abortionist 
does  not  have  the  right  to  destroy  their 
lives.  Taking  innocent  human  life  is  a 
prerogative  that  belongs  only  to  God. 

We're  told  that  if  a  human  life  amend- 
ment were  passed,  women  would  die  at  the 
hands  of  ill-qualified,  criminal  abortionists. 
Reasoning  this  way,  we  would  conclude  that 
if  you  can't  stop  murder,  then  legalize  it. 
If  you  can't  stop  illegal  abortion,  then 
legalize  the  immorality  of  abortion. 

The  low  premium  placed  upon  human 
life  by  the  Supreme  Court  (Roe  versus 
Wade)  will  very  possibly  lead  in  the  not 
too  distant  future  to  euthanasia.  If  unborn 
children  can  be  killed  because  they  are  un- 
wanted, what  of  unwanted  old  folks  whose 
lives  are  no  longer  "meaningful"?  What  of 
those  whose  biological  worthiness  does  not 
meet  certain  standards?  Pretty  soon  we're 
into  a  Nazi  mentality. 

Dr.  Everett  Koop,  a  famous  pediatrician, 
in  his  book  The  Right  to  Live;  The  Right 
to  Die  recognizes  that  in  ministering  to 
patients,  errors  in  judgment  are  possible. 
Therefore  he  tries  to  err  only  on  the  side  of 
life.  Oh,  that  this  had  been  the  spirit  of  the 
Supreme  Court.  It  has  made  a  tragic  de- 
cision from  which  America  will  reap  a  ter- 
rible harvest.  God  is  alive!  He  sees  and  will 
judge!   As  Christians,   let  us  support  and 


work  for  a  Human  Life  Amendment  to  the 
Constitution  protecting  the  lives  of  the 
unborn.  Elect  reputable,  pro-life  candidates, 
and  don't  give  up  until  the  victory  is  won! 

In  conclusion,  let  us  remember  that  abor- 
tion on  demand,  which  is  so  common  in 
America  today,  is  just  one  symptom  of  a 
deeper  ailment  that  is  plaguing  our  country. 
America  is  rejecting  the  God  of  the  Bible, 
the  great  truths  of  historic  Christianity, 
and  the  simple  gospel  message  of  Christ's 
death  for  our  sins  and  His  offer  of  forgive- 
ness and  eternal  life  to  all  who  will  believe 
in  Him. 

A  Human  Life  Amendment  is  not  enough. 
The  real  problem  is  deeper  than  this — in  the 
heart  of  man.  He  is  a  sinner  and  needs  to 
be  saved.  God's  offer  of  mercy  extends  to 
all  who  will  come  to  Him.  Let  us  not  only 
support  the  pro-life  movement  against 
abortion,  but  also  God's  pro-life  movement 
with  regard  to  salvation.  He  desires  all  to 
experience  that  gift  of  eternal  life  through 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.  Praise  be  to 
Him!  n 

Recommended  reading: 

Brown,    Harold   O.   J.     Death   Before    Birth. 
New    York:   Thomas  Nelson,   Inc.,    1977. 

Koop,   C.   Everett.     The   Right  to   Live;  The 
Right  to  Die.      Wheaton,  III.:  Tyndale,  1976. 

Shoemaker,  Donald.     Abortion,  the  Bible,  and 
THE  Christian.     Grand  Rapids,  Mich.:  Baker, 
1976. 
For  pro-life  material  contact: 

Helen  Boyer,  4OO  Constable  Ave. 

Johnstown,   PA    15904     Phone:  HI 4-266-4819 


September  1979 


I  AM  THE  CHURCH 


by  Susan   E.  White 


Artwork  by  Susan  White 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


I 


AM  THE  CHURCH.  Although  I  am 
usually  associated  with  the  period  of 
time  following  the  ministry  of  Christ,  my 
beginnings  actually  stretch  far  back  in  the 
corridors  of  time.  All  those  who  in  sincerity 
have  joined  with  God  in  covenant  and  have 
partaken  of  His  Holy  Spirit  are  a  part  of 
me.  The  Book  of  Hebrews,  chapter  11,  lists 
some  of  my  great  leaders  of  early  days, 
including  Abraham,  Sarah,  Moses,  Samuel, 
and  David,  just  to  mention  a  few. 

It  is  with  the  time  of  the  New  Testament 
that  I  become  most  apparent  as  a  struc- 
tured entity.  For  it  is  then  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  offered  with  power  to  all  who 
believe.  Up  until  this  time  the  followers  of 
Yahweh  were  comprised,  for  the  most  part, 
of  members  of  the  Jewish  nation.  This  was 
the  boundary  which  defined  them.  Christ 
came  to  bring  salvation  and  reconciliation 
with  God  to  all  mankind.  Therefore  the  old 
Jewish  boundary  was  shattered  and  new 
boundaries  were  established  encompassing 
those  from  every  nation.  I,  the  church,  was 
formed. 

To  describe  me  adequately  is  indeed  a 
difficult  task.  I  am  a  creation  of  the  divine 
mind,  designed  for  eternal  purposes.  There- 
fore, human  descriptions  are  imperfect. 
This  should  not  lead  to  despair,  however, 
for  much  can  be  understood  about  me 
through  the  various  images  used  to  describe 
me  in  God's  Word. 

I  am  like  a  royal  kingdom,  with  Christ 
as  my  King  righteously  ruling  over  those 
who  would  be  a  part  of  me.  I  am  like  a 
grapevine,  with  its  roots  held  firmly  in  this 
earth.  Christ  is  its  strong,  central  Vine  from 
which  all  the  branches  proceed  and  receive 
that  which  is  necessary  for  their  susten- 
ance. I  am  similar  to  a  flock  of  sheep  whose 
wise  Shepherd  is  Christ,  guiding  and  direct- 
ing their  lives  from  day  to  day. 

I  am  like  a  family  of  children  who  have 
been  adopted  by  a  loving  Father,  and  who 
have  received  the  same  inheritance  as  their 
noble  Brother,  Jesus.  I  resemble  an  army, 
being  led  out  by  its  strong,  courageous 
General — the  Lord  Jesus — against  the  evil 
one.  I  function  like  a  human  body  made  up 
of  countless  cells  which  perform  their  own 
tasks,  yet  which  cannot  function  without 
the  direction  of  their  Head,  Jesus  Christ.  I 
resemble  a  bride,  prepared  for  and  devoted 
only  to  one  Husband,  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom 
I  give  all  my  love. 


Susan  White  is  an  Ashland,  Ohio,  resident 
and  a  member  of  the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church. 
She  received  a  master  of  arts  degree  in  hibUcal 
studies  from  Ashland  Theological  Seminary  this 
past  June. 


All  of  these  images  help  to  describe  my 
various  aspects.  Within  them  is  revealed 
my  passivity  and  my  activity,  my  duty 
and  my  devotion.  Yet  there  are  two  things 
which  cannot  go  unnoticed  in  each — the 
unity  of  the  believers  and  the  Lordship  ox 
Christ. 

That  which  has  been  called  by  my  namo 
throughout  the  centuries  has  often  been  a 
very  distorted  image  of  me.  A  political 
organization  run  by  corrupt,  power-hungry 


"My  purpose  is  first  of  all  to  pro- 
claim the  spiritual  Good  News  of 
Christ  to  all  people." 


men  whose  goal  is  the  suppression  of  others 
is  not  the  church.  A  building,  no  matter  how 
glorious  or  "holy,"  no  matter  how  simple 
and  "pious,"  is  not  me.  Neither  a  system 
of  rituals  nor  a  book  of  rules  expresses  my 
desires. 

I  am  the  ecclesia,  the  "called  out  ones," 
called  out  to  actively  believe  in  Christ,  mak- 
ing him  manifest  to  the  world.  My  purpose 
is  first  of  all  to  proclaim  the  spiritual  Good 
News  of  Christ  to  all  people.  This  is  accom- 
plished by  the  multitude  of  mission  work 
carried  out  by  my  members,  and  more  im- 
portantly by  the  unity  of  love  which  is  made 
manifest  to  the  world.  Being  present  in  the 
world,  I  must  also  instruct  society  in  right- 
eousness, justice,  and  morality. 

My  purpose  is  also  to  overcome  the  evil 
one  in  whatever  way  he  manifests  himself. 
This  "holy  war"  against  evil  fought  within 
the  context  of  the  life  of  love  includes  feed- 
ing those  who  are  hungry,  caring  for  ones 
who  are  sick,  providing  shelter  and  clothing 
for  those  in  need.  Perhaps  these  things  do 
not  sound  very  "spiritual,"  but  I,  as  Christ's 
body  on  the  earth,  must  reach  out  as  He  did 
and  minister  to  the  needs  of  the  whole 
person. 

Oh,  how  important  is  the  unity  of  love 
within  me !  By  this  the  world  can  see  Christ. 
The  Spirit  who  fills  each  believer  binds 
these  believers  together  and  causes  them  to 
be  one.  My  responsibility  is  to  teach  them 
to  grow  and  mature  in  that  oneness.  This  is 
accomplished  through  the  various  gifts  of 
the  Spirit  manifested  within  my  members. 
Although  my  visible  structure  has  become 
split  and  divided  as  various  denominations 
have  been  formed,  the  unity  of  all  true  be- 
lievers under  the  Lordship  of  Christ  cannot 
be  destroyed. 

One  way  which  the  unity  is  demonstrated 
is  through  the  symbols  which  Christ  left 


September  1979 


for  us.  Each  believer  goes  through  the 
common  experience  of  baptism  as  he  enters 
into  me.  Baptism  does  not  ''do"  anything 
to  the  individual,  but  it  does  dramatize 
various  aspects  of  his  entrance  into  the 
life  in  Christ.  It  is  first  of  all  a  sign  of  the 
covenant,  just  as  circumcision  was  a  sign 
of  the  old  Jewish  covenant.  The  believer 
demonstrates  his  obedience  as  he  goes 
through  this  ritual,  declaring  his  agreement 
to  the  covenant.  This  act  symbolizes  the 
cleansing  of  the  old  sin  nature  and  the 
purity  with  which  he  may  now  begin  his 
new  life. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  down  through  the 
years  my  members  have  distorted  the  intent 
of  baptism,  looking  at  it  as  if  that  act  itself 
accomplished  salvation.  They  have  also 
hindered  the  unity  of  the  body  as  the  mode 
of  baptism  became  a  disputed  issue.  In 
reality  the  manner  in  which  it  is  done  is 
not  important  to  me,  as  long  as  the  meaning 
is  not  lost  in  the  process. 

The  other  symbol  reveals  the  unity  of 
my  members  even  more  vividly,  so  much  so 
that  it  is  even  sometimes  called  the  ''Com- 
munion." On  the  last  night  before  Jesus' 
crucifixion,  He  explained  that  He  was  to 
bring  in  the  new  covenant  by  His  blood, 
through  His  death.  He  passed  the  wine, 
representing  His  blood,  for  all  to  drink ;  He 
passed  the  broken  bread,  representing  His 
body,  for  all  to  eat.  Together,  sharing  this 
common  symbolic  meal,  they  became  par- 
takers in  this  new  covenant.  "Do  this  in 
remembrance  of  Me,"  Jesus  told  them.  And 
so  my  members  over  the  years  have  remem- 
bered and  taken  part  in  this  common  ex- 
perience of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Although  for  the  disciples  it  was  a  time 
of  sadness,  knowing  that  their  Lord  would 
soon  be  facing  a  time  of  suffering,  it  is  now 
a  Eucharist — a  time  of  thanksgiving  for 
believers.  As  with  the  symbol  of  bap- 
tism, the  symbolic  act  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
has  also  been  distorted.  To  many  it  has 
become  almost  a  magical  rite,  taking  on 
more  significance  in  itself  than  the  Lord 
it  represents. 

My  life  in  this  world  has  not  been  an  easy 
one.  There  are  those  who  have  persecuted 
me  in  an  effort  to  destroy  me.  I  have  suf- 
fered and  been  torn  by  controversies  and 
schisms  within  my  members.  At  times  it 
looked  as  if  I  would  be  overwhelmed  by  the 
political  structure  which  surrounded  me. 
But  I  have  always  survived  and  have  come 
out  stronger  because  of  it  all.  I  will  not  be 
crushed,  for  within  me  flows  the  life  of  the 
living  Christ,  and  He  who  began  this  good 
work  in  me  will  perfect  it  in  the  day  of 
Christ  Jesus.  Q 


:4-vft'4vwc). ,  ^g^      ^ 


photo  by  Bruce  Ronk 
Moderator  Duane  Dickson 


T  WANT  you  to  know  that  this  message 
grows  out  of  a  deep  love  and  concern 
for  the  Brethren  Church.  Therefore  I  make 
my  own  brief  statement  of  faith.  I  believe 
that  the  Bible  in  its  entirety  is  the  inspired 
Word  of  God,  and  I  believe  the  practices 
of  the  Brethren  Church  best  fit  the  man- 
dates of  the  Scriptures.  That's  the  reason 
I  am  a  Brethren! 

I  want  to  see  the  Brethren  Church  become 
a  growing  church,  actively  reaching  out  to 
all  who  need  Christ  and  leading  men  and 
women  to  a  closer  walk  with  Him.  We  can 
be  what  God  intends  us  to  be  if  we  are 
willing  to  pay  the  price.  The  question  is, 
Are  we  going  to  do  it? 

Problems 

I  don't  like  to  talk  about  problems! 
Nevertheless,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
inspect  ourselves  critically  if  we  are  to 
properly  diagnose  ourselves  and  prescribe 
a  proper  cure.  Therefore  I  would  like  to 
discuss  several  things  I  have  observed 
about  our  church. 

We  are  often  majoring  in  the  minors.  We 
tend  to  focus  our  efforts  on  the  things  we 
cannot  do  or  are  unproductive  at  doing,  and 
neglect  the  things  we  can  and  should  be 
doing.  How  can  we  win  more  people  to 
Christ  and  keep  them?  We  had  better  be 
finding  an  answer  to  this  question! 

Let's  put  the  incidentals  in  the  proper 
place  on  our  priority  list.  I'm  tired  of 
attending  conferences  and  meetings  to  bs 
entertained  by  some  cute  or  innovative  pro- 
gram when  I  am  surrounded  by  people  who 
need  and  want  the  tools  to  be  good  disciples. 
We  need  a  revival!  Let's  get  out  of  our 
spiritual  never-never  land. 

We  seem  at  times  to  be  afraid  to  take  a 
stand  on  moral  issues.  We  have  to  be  very 
careful  here  or  we  can  again  become  legal- 
istic, but  there  are  certain  statements  in 
Scripture    that    dictate    how    a    Christian 


8 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


Being  What  God  Intends 


should  conduct  his  life.  If  God  has  spoken 
plainly  on  an  issue,  then  we  had  better 
listen  and  mold  our  lives  around  His  re- 
quirements. When  God  speaks  plainly,  we 
had  better  act  boldly. 


"We  can  be  what  God  intends  us 
to  be  if  we  are  willing  to  pay  the 
price. 


There  are  churches  throughout  our  de- 
nomination where  opportunity  to  publicly 
accept  Christ  is  not  given  regularly,  if  at 
all.  We  believe  that  man  is  lost  without 
Christ.  This  belief  should  mandate  a 
planned  program  to  lead  people  to  Christ 
and  give  them  the  opportunity  to  publicly 
accept  Him.  Our  worship  services  should  be 
planned  with  this  evangelistic  thrust  clearly 
in  mind. 

In  some  areas  of  the  church  there  seems 
to  be  a  total  lack  of  commitment  to  the 
commission  of  Christ.  The  need  to  involve 
more  people  in  the  church  is  recognized, 
but  when  new  people  are  reached,  accept 
Christ,  become  members  of  the  church,  and 
seek  to  become  involved,  they  are  often 
pushed  aside.  Some  of  our  beloved  brethren 
seem  to  be  afraid  of  losing  their  positions 
of  power  in  the  church.  The  contrast  be- 
tween commission  and  self-interest  is 
obvious. 

We  need  to  learn  to  love  one  anoother. 
We  need  to  concentrate  on  developing  and 
enhancing  brotherly  love  at  the  denomina- 

Rev.  Dickson  is  pastor  of  the  Walcrest  Brethren 
Church  in  Mansfield,  Ohio,  and  for  the  past  year 
served  as  Moderator  of  the  Brethren  Church.  This 
article  is  part  of  his  Moderator's  address  to  the 
91st  General  Conference  of  the  Brethren  Church. 

September  1979 


by   Rev.   Duane   Dickson 


tional,  local,  and  individual  levels.  It  must 
be  love  without  qualification.  It  must  be 
love  that  brings  trust.  When  we  become  a 
concerned,  caring  people  expressing  Christ's 
love  openly  to  one  another,  we  will  then 
be  open  to  be  used  by  Christ. 

In  some  churches  we  have  had  a  terrible 
misuse  of  spiritual  gifts.  Groups  of  people 
have  taken  one  spiritual  gift  and  have  based 
their  whole  theology  on  that  gift.  Churches 
have  been  torn  apart.  Christians  have  been 
turned  against  Christians.  Christ's  work 
has  been  seriously  hindered  and  even  de- 
stroyed. Satan  is  the  great  imitator.  He  can 
take  that  which  is  good  and  use  it  to  his 
advantage.  If  churches  are  being  torn  apart, 
then  Satan  most  certainly  has  his  hand  in 
it.  God  does  not  want  His  church  torn 
apart ! 

We  have  stewardship  problems.  Incomes 
are  up,  but  church  giving  is  down.  When 
church  giving  is  down,  denominational  pro- 
grams suffer  first.  Most  of  our  national 
boards  are  using  up  reserves  rapidly.  If  we 
are  going  to  continue  to  build  churches 
and  send  missionaries,  we  had  better  eval- 
uate our  giving  to  some  of  the  other  in- 
terests that  constantly  bombard  us  and 
begin  supporting  the  Brethren  Church. 
And  we  had  better  begin  using  the  tithe  as 
a  basis  for  our  giving.  I  know  that  the 
major  denominational  boards  are  presently 
examining  their  spending  patterns  to  insure 
you  the  most  for  your  money. 

The    positive    side 

I  don't  want  to  allow  our  self-examination 
period  to  become  an  obsession  and  to  spend 
all  our  time  staring  at  the  freckle  on  our 
big  toe.  Self-examination  is  necessary  and 
good  if  used  as  a  tool  to  direct  us  in  future 
actions.  Let  us  therefore  look  at  some  of 
the  positive  things  that  are  happening  in 
our  church. 

Some     of    our    churches     are     showing 


u 


When  we  become  a  concerned,  caring*  people  express- 
ing Christ's  love  openly  to  one  another,  we  will  then 
be  open  to  be  used  by  Christ/' 


growth,  and  I  want  to  commend  them  for 
their  faithful  service.  They  are  an  example 
to  the  rest  of  us  that  church  growth  is 
possible  if  proper  principles  are  used. 

We  are  also  beginning  to  plant  new 
churches  in  areas  where  there  are  multi- 
tudes of  people  who  need  Christ.  This  is 
where  we  should  focus  our  efforts,  our 
money,  and  our  best  leaders.  We  have 
learned  from  experience,  and  great  progress 
is  evident.  Careful  planning  and  training 
coupled  with  concentrated  outreach  will  al- 
ways give  results. 

Another  area  with  positive  outreach  po- 
tential is  our  work  in  Colombia  and  Mexico. 
Here  the  harvest  is  truly  ripe,  with  multi- 
tudes of  people  eager  to  hear  and  respond 
to  the  gospel.  Our  potential  in  these  mission 
fields  is  limited  only  by  financial  resources 
and  qualified  workers.  The  men  and  women 
working  in  these  areas  are  highly  qualified, 
dedicated,  and  willing,  but  they  are  only  a 
few  in  a  vast  area.  We  need  to  continue  to 
support  them  with  our  prayers  and  our 
dollars.  We  also  need  to  train  our  young 
men  and  women  from  childhood  to  recog- 
nize the  call  to  missions,  whether  it  is  next 
door,  through  financial  giving,  or  by  direct 
participation  on  the  mission  field. 

A   Brethren    revolution 

Let's  start  a  revolution  in  the  Brethren 
Church!  It  must  begin  in  the  local  church. 
It  cannot  be  brought  about  by  legislation  at 
the  national  level.  It  requires  a  revival  at 
the  local  level.  This  revolution  must  begin 
with  our  will  or  determination.  We  must 
first  will  or  determine  that  we  can  accom- 
plish what  Christ  has  commissioned  us  to 
do,  and  we  must  recognize  that  our  first 
and  major  responsibility  is  to  build  His 
church.  We  must  determine  the  course  of 
action  that  will  guarantee  that  Christ's 
message  is  proclaimed  in  our  community 
and  then  be  willing  to  pay  the  cost  of  ac- 
complishing that  goal.  We  must  totally 
focus  all  our  available  resources  to  the  task 
at  hand. 

We  have  the  available  resources.  We 
have  Christ  dwelling  within  us.  Our 
strength    is    the    strength    He    gives.    Our 


wisdom  is  the  wisdom  He  gives.  Our  power 
is  the  power  He  gives.  I  am  thoroughly 
convinced  that  He  is  able  and  willing  to 
provide  all  that  we  need  to  make  the 
Brethren  Church  grow.  Our  capability  for 
growth  is  limited  only  by  how  well  we 
respond  to  His  command  to  serve. 

We  have  the  loist  multitude  around  us. 
We  face  the  reality  that  we  are  living  in  a 
pagan  world.  We  are  totally  outnumbered 
by  the  non-Christians.  This  means  that  the 
field  for  evangelism  is  unlimited!  It  would 
seem  from  accumulated  evidence  that  we 
do  not  believe  the  biblical  message,  are  not 
willing  to  commit  our  lives  to  the  gospel 
mandate,  are  letting  the  world  dominate 
our  lives,  or  do  not  really  know  what  it 
means  to  be  lost,  God  has  chosen  us  to 
proclaim  to  the  lost  of  our  communities 
the  truth  about  salvation  through  Christ. 
The  indictment  is  there:  WE  HAVE  NOT 
BEEN   PERFORMING  VERY  WELL. 

We  have  the  instrument  to  proclaim  the 
gospel.  This  instrument  is  a  church  that 
is  committed  to  Jesus  Christ,  founded  on 
the  truth  of  the  Scriptures  and  the  Great 
Commission.  The  direct  and  primary  re- 
sponsibility of  the  church  is  to  find  lost 
people  and  lead  them  to  the  point  where 
they  can  discover  Christ  and  learn  to  follow 
Him. 


As  I  traveled  throughout  our  denomi- 
nation during  the  past  year  and  visited 
the  various  district  conferences,  I  sensed  a 
genuine  concern  about  the  Brethren  Church. 
Out  of  this  growing  concern  is  developing 
the  concept  that  THE  BRETHREN 
CHURCH  CAN  GROW.  It  is  my  earnest 
prayer  that  we  will  fan  this  spark  of  desire 
into  a  flame  of  evangelism  that  will  per- 
meate the  entire  church. 

God  does  have  a  plan  for  the  Brethren 
Church.  That  plan  is  GROWTH.  Whether 
or  not  that  plan  is  fulfilled  is  going  to  de- 
pend on  our  response  to  God's  command  to 
evangelize.  We  have  the  people;  we  have 
the  church.  All  we  need  is  the  personal 
commitment  to  accomplish  what  God  has 
demanded  of  us.  O 


10 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


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The  Conference  banner,  painted  by  Howard  Mack,  proclaimed  the  Conference  theme.  Photo  by  Bruce  Ronk 

7979  Conference  Report 


The  1979  General  Conference  of  the  Brethren 
Church,  held  August  13  through  17  on  the  Ashland 
College  campus,  is  now  history. 

What  happened  during  this,  the  91st  General 
Conference  of  the  Brethren  Church?  This  is  the 
question  this  special  report  seeks  to  answer. 

Assisting  the  Evangelist  staff  in  providing  answers 


to  this  question  were  a  number  of  helpful  reporters. 
Their  names  appear  at  the  conclusion  of  their  re- 
ports. Reports  without  names  were  written  by  the 
editor. 

It  is  our  hope  that  this  special  report  will  provide 
you  an  overview  of  what  happened  at  the  91st 
General  Conference  of  the  Brethren  Church. 


Opening  service  sees  Brethren  kneeling 


The  opening  program  of  the  91st  General  Con- 
ference of  the  Brethren  Church  was  a  "Service  of 
Scripture  and  Song"  centering  on  the  Conference 
theme  text,  II  Chronicles  7 :  14. 

Scripture  texts,  read  by  Charles  Eeekley,  were 
Psalm  100,  Habakkuk  3:2-19,  I  Chronicles  28:1-9, 
IJohn  1:5—2:2,  and  Isaiah  53:1-5.  Rev.  Peter 
Roussaki  gave  a  brief  commentary  on  each  of 
these  texts. 

Songs  for  the  service  were  sung  by  the  congre- 
gation and  by  a  choral  ensemble  directed  by  Brad 
Weidenhamer,    which    sang    the    anthem    "If    My 


People  .  .  ." 

The  service  also  included  congregational  prayer, 
a  brief  time  of  testimonies,  and  a  World  Relief 
filmstrip. 

Of  interest  about  the  service  was  that  all  present 
kneeled  for  the  congregational  prayer.  One  woman 
commented  during  the  testimonies  that  this  was 
the  first  time  she  had  ever  seen  the  Brethren  at 
Conference  kneel  to  pray. 

The  service  was  sponsored  by  the  Worship 
Committee  of  General  Conference  in  cooperation 
with  the  World  Relief  Board. 


Children's    conference 
a    success 


Something  new  was  added  to  General  Confer- 
ence this  year.  It  was  Conference  sessions  for 
grade-school  age  children,  sponsored  by  the  Board 
of  Christian  Education.  Two  sessions  were  held 
daily,  Tuesday  through  Friday,  at  the  Park  Street 
Brethren  Church. 

Heading  up  the  children's  conference  were  Linda 
Beekley  and  Jeff  and  Nancy  Lentz,  assisted  by  a 
number    of    Brethren    people    from    Ashland. 

The  theme  for  the  week  was  the  fruit  of  the 
spirit.  During  the  morning  sessions  the  children 
engaged  in  a  variety  of  activities  designed  to  teach 
them  about  bearing  spiritual  fruit.  During  the 
afternoon  sessions  they  learned  the  songs  to  "The 
Music  Machine,"  a  musical  about  the  fruit  of  the 
spirit.  They  also  practiced  for  a  performance  of 
the  musical,  which  they  presented  on  Friday 
afternoon. 

A  total  of  39  children  from  14  different  church- 
es participated  in  the  children's  conference,  with 
25  attending  for  the  entire  week. 


photo  by  Bruce  Ronk 
Jeff  Lentz  teaches  the  children  a  song  from  "The 
Music   Machine"    during    children's   conference. 

Judging  from  the  enthusiastic  response  of  the 
children,  the  fine  musical,  and  the  comments  from 
parents,  this  first  children's  conference  was  a 
success — and  should  become  a  continuing  part  of 
General  Conference. 


September  1979 


11 


Fuesday 


BYC  Moderator  addresses 
youth  and  adults 


As  a  Conference  first,  this  year's  BYC  Mod- 
erator, Mr.  David  Kerner  of  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana, 
presented  his  Moderator's  address  to  a  combined 
audience  of  youth  and  adults.  Mr.  Kerner,  a  senior 
at  Ashland  College  majoring  in  religion,  addressed 
the  Conference  on  Tuesday  afternoon. 

The  Youth  Moderator,  who  is  often  teased  about 
being  short,  began  his  message  by  likening  himself 
to  the  Old  Testament  governor  of  the  Jews, 
Nehemiah   (knee-high  miah). 

In  a  more  serious  vain,  David  noted  that  he  had 
grown  up  with  a  Christian  background.  Neverthe- 
less, when  he  went  to  college  and  began  rooming 
with  a  devout  Christian,  David  realized  that  his 
own  Christianity  was  a  veneer  and  that  his  cross 
was  a  balsa  wood  cross.  Since  that  time,  and  par- 
ticularly through  his  experience  as  a  Summer  Cru- 
sader and  Mission  Intern,  ministry  has  become  a 
way  of  life  for  him. 

The  Youth  Moderator  read  several  verses  from 
Haggai  chapter  one,  in  which  the  prophet  chastizes 
the  Jews  for  living  in  paneled  houses  while  the 
Temple  lies  in  ruins.  Mr.  Kerner  applied  this  to 
America,  where  Christians  live  in  comfort  while 
the  world  lies  in  ruins.  The  world  is  the  temple, 
and  the  poor  are  those  whose  house  is  not  built. 

Having  spent  the  summer  in  Mexico  where  he 
saw  poverty  first  hand,  David  commented  that 
we  in  America  need  to  appreciate  what  we  have 
in  this  nation  of  plenty.  He  added,  "So  often  we 
don't  appreciate  anything:  we  have,  let  alone  all 
that  we  have." 

He  concluded  his  remarks  to  the  adults  in  the 
audience  with  the  remark,  "My  challenge  to  you 
as  adults  is  to  consider  what  we  are  doing  in  our 
denomination  with  our  time,  our  talents,  and  our 
resources." 

Turning  to  the  youth,  the  BYC  Moderator  called 
their  attention  to  Isaiah's  vision  in  the  Temple 
(Isaiah  6).  He  drew  three  points  from  Isaiah's 
experience. 

First,  Isaiah's  vision  came  in  a  common  experi- 
ence of  life,  not  in  the  spectacular.  Isaiah  lived  in 
Jerusalem  and  often  went  to  the  Temple.  Likewise 
God  can  meet  us  in  our  regular  worship  services, 
not  just  in  some  special  convention  or  evangelistic 
service. 

Second,  when  he  saw  the  Lord,  Isaiah  saw  his 
own  sinfulness.  God  is  holy  and  is  calling  us  to  a 
righteous  lifestyle.  Third,  Isaiah's  commitment  to 
go  was  a  response,  not  a  reaction.  We  should  like- 
wise respond,  not  just  react,  to  God's  call. 


^,/^P*WP 


photo  by  Bruce  Ronk 
BYC  Moderator  David  Kerner 

In  the  final  portion  of  his  address,  the  Youth 
Moderator  made  several  recommendations  to  the 
BYC  Convention.  These  included  the  need  for 
better  communications  between  national,  district, 
and  local  BYC  organizations;  the  need  for  better 
communications  between  the  national  Moderator 
and  the  district  BYC  organizations;  the  need  for 
each  district  to  evaluate  its  organization  and  to 
make  necessary  changes;  and  finally  the  need 
to  extend  the  influence  of  National  BYC  so  that 
it  is  not  limited  to  one  big  "poof"  at  the  national 
Convention. 

Mr.  Kerner  concluded  his  message  with  a 
challenge  to  the  youth  that  they  "consider  what 
the  Lord  is  doing  in  your  life  and  what  He  is 
calling  you  to  do." 


Listen,  respond, 


The  excitement  of  good  music,  the  voice  of  an 
unseen  spokesman,  and  the  challenge  of  three  pro- 
fessors set  a  mood  of  expectancy  during  Tuesday's 
Ashland  Theological  Seminary  inspirational 
service. 

Music  was  presented  four  times  throughout  the 
service  by  seminary  student  Ron  Williams  and  his 
choral  ensemble.  Selections  included  original  com- 
positions by  Williams  and  fresh  arrangements  of 
traditional  hymns. 

"The  Voice"  introduced  each  of  the  three  sec- 
tions of  the  program — listen,  respond,  and  pro- 
claim— ^with   appropriate  Scripture  texts. 

Dr.  Jerry  Flora  said  the  Brethren  Church  and 
Ashland  Theological  Seminary  have  been  called 
to  be  the  people  of  God  and  to  accomplish  His 
purposes.  "The  church  is  not  anything  or  anyone 
that  begins  with  human  beings,"  he  said.  "The 
church  begins  with  God." 

He  noted  that  love  is  the  central  theme  in  God's 
plan.  "But  love  is  not  empty-headed.  It  has  sub- 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


About  half  the  134   crusaders  from   the  past  10  years  were  present  for  the  10th  anniversary  celebration. 

1979  Crusader  Review 


One  of  the  outstanding  programs  of  Conference 
was  the  Crusader  Review  on  Tuesday  night.  This 
imaginative  service  —  organized  and  emceed  by 
Mr.  Mark  Baker,  assistant  to  the  Director  of 
Christian  Education  —  impressed,  amused,  and 
thrilled  the  full  house  that  witnessed  it. 

Crusader  Review,  as  the  name  suggests,  was 
primarily  a  look  back  at  the  1979  Summer  Cru- 
sader and  Intern  program  of  the  Brethren  Church. 
This  year's  Crusaders  and  Interns  used  a  variety 
of  means  to  tell  about  their  summer  work. 

Both  the  Ed  North  Crusaders  and  the  Mission- 
ary Interns  used  slide  presentations  to  relate  their 
experiences.  The  Ed  North  group  combined  some 
zany  slides  with  more  serious  pictures  of  their 
summer  work,  thereby  both  informing  and  amus- 
ing the  audience.  The  Missionary  Interns  took  a 
unique  approach.  Their  slide  presentation  was 
narrated  by  Satan,  who  viewed  the  Interns'  work 
in  Tijuana,  Pasadena,  and  Mexico  City  as  a  threat 
to  his  hold  over  people's  lives. 

The  Crusader  team  Ed  South  recounted  their 
experiences  in  rhythm  and  rhyme.  They  read  a 
poem  they  had  written  which  gave  the  highlights 
(and  some  of  the  lowlights)  of  each  week  of  their 
summer. 

The  musical  unit  Promise  used  puppets  to  nar- 
rate   their    crusading    activities.    Their    summer 


reminiscences,  which  might  have  been  boring  had 
they  related  them,  were  a  delight  when  put  in 
the  mouths  of  their  puppets. 

The  two  Camp  Crusaders  livened  up  their 
account  of  their  six  weeks  in  two  different  camps 
with  bits  of  humor  and  some  congregational  sing- 
ing of  camp  songs.  Then  followed  the  Church 
Staff  Interns.  After  Mary  Ellen  Bates  gave  a  good 
report  of  her  work  at  Brethren  House,  Evan 
Bridenstine  nearly  brought  down  the  house  with 
his  musical  rendition  (he  sang  and  played  the 
piano)  of  his  summer  as  an  intern  at  the  Pitts- 
burgh Brethren  Church. 

These  young  people  are  to  be  commended,  not 
only  for  their  Christian  service  this  past  summer, 
but  also  for  the  creative  way  they  reviewed  their 
service  for  the  1979  General  Conference. 

This  was  the  tenth  anniversary  of  the  present 
Crusader  program.  Therefore  following  the  pres- 
entation by  this  year's  Crusaders,  a  birthday  cake 
was  lit  and  the  congregation  sang  "Happy 
Birthday."  At  this  time  Dr.  Fred  Burkey,  retiring 
Director  of  Christian  Education,  was  honored  for 
his  leadership  of  the  Crusader  program  during 
the  past  ten  years. 

Recognition  was  also  given  to  all  the  134 
Crusaders  and  Interns  who  have  served  during 
these   ten   years. 


proclaim — themes  of  seminary  service 


stance."  And  quoting  Matthew  22:37,  he  empha- 
sized that  loving  God  includes  "with  all  thy  mind." 

"Ashland  Theological  Seminary,  as  an  arm  and 
a  creation  of  the  Brethren  Church,  has  the  oppor- 
tunity to  be  a  model  of  the  church  and  a  model 
for  the  church  in  demonstrating  that  kind  of  love," 
he  said. 

Dr.  Charles  Munson  spoke  on  God's  specific 
call  to  men  and  women  to  serve  Him.  He  cited 
three  examples  of  churches  and  individuals.  Com- 
mon to  each  was  a  deep  concern  that  young  people 
be  open  to  a  call  from  God,  and  an  active  involve- 
ment  in  helping   them  hear  and  respond. 

"Our  homes  and  churches  must  be  'hearing- 
aids'  for  God's  call.  .  .  .  Our  churches,  our  homes, 
and  the  seminary  help  our  young  people  to 
develop,  but  the  call  comes  from  someplace  else," 
he  said. 

Speaking  on  proclamation.  Dr.  Richard  Allison 
said,  "Preaching  is  neither  the  preparation  nor 
the  opportunity  to  display  that  preparation.  .  .  . 


It  is  not  the  delivery  of  sermons." 

Instead,  he  said,  preaching  begins  with  the 
preparation  of  self.  "There  must  be  something  of 
substance  to  share." 

He  also  noted  the  importance  of  the  body  of 
believers.  "Preaching  is  an  act  of  the  community 
of  believers.  God's  Spirit  is  speaking  to  all  His 
people.  It's  the  function  of  the  speaker  to  'strike 
the  spark'  in  each  one  that  sets  them  aflame." 

Dr.  Joseph  R.  Shultz  closed  the  service  with 
remarks  about  the  past  year  at  the  seminary. 
Noting  the  diversity  of  backgrounds  found  in  the 
student  body,  he  observed,  "Somehow  God  has 
brought  to  the  seminary  a  spirit  of  love  and 
ecumenicity  that  all  the  church  organizations  have 
been  unable  to  bring  about  in  30  or  40  years.  My 
only  regret  is  that  the  Brethren  Church  has  not 
grasped  this  same  openness." 

"God  cannot  bless  His  people  if  we're  not  open, 
loving,  and  gracious,"  Shultz  concluded. 

— Ronald  W.  Waters 


September  1979 


13 


Business 


Conference  conducts  business, 
holds  elections,  hears  reports 


A  total  of  486  delegates  registered  for  the  91st 
General  Conference  of  the  Brethren  Church.  This 
was  31  more  than  last  year,  which  may  reflect 
the  change  made  in  the  Manual  of  Procedure 
in  1978  giving  each  local  church  an  additional 
delegate  to  Conference.  (On  the  other  hand,  if 
every  church  had  taken  advantage  of  this  change, 
the  delegate  total  would  have  increased  by  more 
than  100.) 

Conference  business  sessions  were  held  each 
morning,  Tuesday  through  Friday,  from  10:00  to 
11:30. 

Much  of  the  work  of  General  Conference  is  done 
by  its  officers  and  by  its  various  boards  and 
committees.  Therefore  much  of  the  time  during 
business  sessions  was  taken  up  with  elections  and 
v/ith  reports  of  the  work  of  these  officers,  boards, 
and  committees. 

The  Conference  did  take  significant  action  in 
several  areas.  In  addition  to  acting  on  the  recom- 
mendations of  Moderator  Duane  Dickson,  the 
Conference  also  approved  implementation  of  one 
phase  of  a  proposed  change  in  denominational 
organization,  passed  two  motions  concerning 
Ashland     College,     and     approved    the     Brethren 


Publishing  Company's  plan  to  establish  an  en- 
dowment fund.  Each  of  these  actions  is  dealt  with 
in  greater  detail  in  separate  articles  on  these  two 
pages. 

Pyblishing  Company  plan 

for  endowment  fund  approved 

General  Conference  approved  the  plan  of  the 
Brethren  Publishing  Company  to  set  up  an  en- 
dowment fund  to  help  finance  Brethren  publica- 
tions. 

According  to  this  plan,  the  Publishing  Company 
would  seek  to  secure  gifts  and  bequests  which 
the  company  would  invest  in  the  Revolving  Loan 
Fund  of  the  national  Missionary  Board  to  be  used 
to  help  build  Brethren  churches.  The  interest  from 
this  investment  would  then  be  applied  toward  the 
annual  deficit  of  the  Brethren  Evangelist. 

According  to  the  plan,  once  the  endowment  fund 
is  large  enough  (approximately  $450,000)  so 
that  the  interest  could  cover  the  yearly  deficit 
on  the  Evangelist  and  the  annual  Publication  Day 
Offering,  it  would  no  longer  be  necessary  to 
receive  the  annual  offering. 


Moderator's    Recommendations 


The  General  Conference  Moderator  presented 
his  address  to  the  Conference  on  Tuesday  morn- 
ing. A  portion  of  this  address  is  printed  on  pages 
8  through  10. 

In  his  address,  the  Moderator  presented  five 
recommendations  to  the  Conference.  These 
recommendations,  with  the  action  taken  upon 
them,  were  as  follows: 

1.  I  recommend  that  the  National  Ministerial 
Association  consider  the  possibility  of  a  min- 
isterial accreditation  procedure  and  guidelines  on 
the  national  level.  (There  is  a  provision  for 
annual  review  on  the  district  level  of  ministerial 
standing  in  the  Manual  of  Procedure,  ch.  2,  sec. 
1,  art.  8).  Perhaps  provision  could  be  made  to 
channel  this  information  into  a  national  com- 
mittee. I  feel  that,  in  the  interest  of  congrega- 
tional government,  facility  of  interview,  and 
convenience,  the  district  examining  boards  should 
remain  intact.  I  feel  that  a  committee  should  be 
formed  out  of  the  National  Ministerial  Associa- 
tion to  review  standing,  difficult  situations,  and 
r.ny  problems  relating  to  ministerial  needs. 

The  Conference  referred  this  recommendation 
to   the   National  Ministerial  Association. 

2.  I    recommend    that   we   review   and    renew 


our  commitment  to  the  basic  biblical  stand  of  the 
Brethren  Church,  and  that  we  present  the 
Brethren  in  a  positive  way  to  our  respective 
communities. 

The  Conference  referred  this  recommendation 
to  local  Brethren  churches  that  each  local  church 
might  review  its  commitment  in  its  community . 

3.  I  recommend  that  the  1981  Conference  focus 
on  the  positive  aspects  of  the  Brethren  Church. 

This  recommendation  was  referred  to  the  Confer- 
ence Executive  Committee. 

4.  I  recommend  that  we  establish  growth 
priorities  for  the  denomination  on  a  national, 
district,  and  local  level,  and  that  we  establish 
means  for  fulfilling  these  priorities.  This  is  ab- 
solutely essential. 

This  recommendation  was  also  referred  to  the 
Executive  Committee  in  cooperation  with  the 
retiring  Moderator  and  in  consultation  with  na- 
tional, district,  and  local  leaders. 

5.  I  recommend  that  all  organizations  request- 
ing special  rooms  for  meetings  (at  Conference) 
assume  the  cost  of  renting  the  rooms  they  use, 
beginning  with  the  1980  Conference. 

This  recommendation  was  accepted  and  will  be 
implemented  beginning  with  next  year's  Conference. 


14 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Conference  approves  first  phase 

of  proposed  denominafional   organization 


A  matter  of  business  which  generated  consid- 
erable interest  was  a  proposed  change  in  denom- 
inational organization. 

According  to  this  proposal,  three  denominational 
executives  would  be  established  by  General  Con- 
ference through  its  executive  committee,  instead 
of  the  present  single  executive.  The  three  would 
be  a  director  of  pastoral  ministries,  a  director  of 
denominational  business,  and  a  director  of  de- 
nominational ministries. 

The  director  of  pastoral  ministries  would  work 
in  the  area  of  pastor-church  relations,  serve  as  a 
counselor  to  pastors,  and  assist  churches  which 
are  seeking  new  pastors.  (He  would  not,  however, 
act  as  a  "bishop"  and  place  pastors  in  churches.) 
He  would  also  work  with  a  coordinating  com- 
mittee made  up  of  the  chairmen  of  the  district 
boards  of  evangelists   (or  their  equivalents). 

The  director  of  denominational  business  would 
attempt  to  coordinate  the  business  interests  of 
the  denomination.  He  would  work  in  particular 
with  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  the  Retire- 
ment Board,  and  the  Stewardship  Committee. 


The  director  of  denominational  ministries  would 
serve  as  a  coordinator  of  the  ministries  of  the 
denomination,  particularly  the  ministries  of  the 
Board  of  Christian  Education,  the  World  Relief 
Board,  the  Benevolent  Board,  and  the  Missionary 
Board. 

This  proposal  does  not  do  away  with  anything 
in  the  present  denominational  structure.  It  only 
attempts  to  provide  men  who  can  coordinate  the 
present  structure  so  that  it  will  function  better. 
Also,  only  one  phase  of  this  proposed  organiza- 
tion was  presented  for  enactment  this  year — the 
establishment  of  a  director  of  pastoral  ministries. 

After  considerable  discussion,  the  Conference 
delegates  voted  to  accept  the  report  of  the  pro- 
posed denominational  organization  and  to  imple- 
ment the  first  phase,  the  establishing  of  a  direc- 
tor of  pastoral  ministries.  It  was  reported  later 
in  the  Conference  that  funds  in  excess  of  $20,000 
are  available  for  implementation  of  this  phase. 

(An  article  giving  further  information  about  the 
proposed  denominational  organization  is  planned  for 
the  November  Evangelist.     Ed.) 


Conference  expresses  support 
for  Ashland  College 


During  the  two  weeks  preceding  Conference,  the 
executive  committee  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
Ashland  College  found  it  necessary  to  grant  AC 
President  Arthur  L.  Schultz  a  leave  of  absence 
and  to  appoint  Dr.  Joseph  R.  Shultz  as  interim 
president.  (See  the  article  on  Ashland  College 
night  on  page  17  for  more  information.) 

These  distressing  times  for  the  college  prompted 
Rev.  Dale  RuLon  to  make  the  following  motion: 

We,  the  Brethren,  gathered  in  the  91st  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  the  Brethren  Church,  wholly 
support  Dr.  Joseph  R.  Shultz  as  Interim 
President  of  Ashland  College.  We  support  him 
with  our  prayers  and  our  finances  as  he  assumes 
the  leadership  of  the  college. 

We  pledge  our  support  to  the  purpose  of 
Ashland  College,  that  of  training  young  men 
and  women  in  their  vocation  with  a  strong 
foundation  of  biblical  principles  upon  which 
they  may  mold  their  lives. 

We,  as  The  Brethren  Church  assembled  in 
Ashland,  Ohio,  on  August  15,  pledge  our  sup- 
port to  the  administration,  faculty,  and  trustees 
of  Ashland  College. 

May  God  richly  bless  Dr.  Joseph  R.  Shultz 
as  he  assumes  the  presidency  of  Ashland 
College. 

During  discussion  of  this  imotion,   a  substitute 


motion,  that  the  Conference  stand  in  prayer  and 
pledge  its  prayerful  following  of  the  situation 
as  it  has  confronted  Ashland  College,  was  intro- 
duced. After  considerable  discussion,  the  substi- 
tute motion  was  defeated  and  the  original  motion 
was  passed. 

Later  in  the  week,  Mr.  Thomas  Stoffer,  on 
behalf  of  the  AC  Board  of  Trustees,  presented 
the  following  response  to  the  action  taken  by 
the  Conference:  "The  Board  of  Trustees  of 
Ashland  College  expresses  its  deepest  apprecia- 
tion for  the  resolution  of  concern  and  support 
of  the  college  at  this  time  in  its  history." 

Mr.  Stoffer  also  reported  that  in  their  meeting 
the  trustees  unanimously  approved  a  resolution 
that  "the  Board  of  Trustees  pledges  itself  to  its 
best  efforts  not  only  to  the  continuance  but  also 
the  upbuilding  of  Ashland  College  toward  the 
traditions  upon  which  it  was  founded." 

Mr.  Stoffer  further  stated  that  the  board  ex- 
pressed its  concern  at  some  of  the  campus 
activities  and  indicated  its  willingness  to  help  the 
administration  in  the  review  and  modification  of 
the  rules  that  govern  student  activity. 

Following  this  report  from  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  a  motion  was  made  from  the  Conference 
floor  and  passed  by  the  delegates  that  "this 
Conference  go  on  record  as  supporting  the 
trustees  and  administration  of  Ashland  College 
in  any  effort  to  eliminate  alcoholic  beverages  from 
the  campus." 


September  1979 


15 


Wednesday 


Conference  speaker  asks. 
"Does  God  Yell?" 


"Does  God  yell?  .  .  .  Does  the  Lord  of  all  the 
universe  have  to  rely  on  raising  His  voice?"  These 
were  questions  raised  by  Rev.  Sanford  C.  Mitchell, 
pastor  of  Trinity  Lutheran  Church  of  Ashland, 
Ohio,  in  the  first  of  his  three  inspiring  and 
challenging  messages  to  the  1979  General 
Conference.  * 

Pointing  to  instances  in  the  lives  of  such  biblical 
personalities  as  Samuel,  Abraham,  Elijah,  and 
Saul  (Paul),  Rev.  Mitchell  asserted  that  God  does 
yell.  Loudly  and  insistently  God  tries  to  break 
through  our  stubbornness,  our  pride,  and  our  lack 
of  attention. 

After  presenting  the  biblical  evidence.  Rev. 
Mitchell  then  asked,  "Does  God  yell  now  days?" 
"I  think  he  does,"  he  answered.  God  is  yelling  at 
us  through  our  polluted  lakes,  the  energy  crisis, 
the  breakdown  of  families,  and  the  decline  in 
church  membership.  God  yells  at  us  individually 
by  increasing  our  opportunities  or  by  putting 
obstacles  in  our  paths. 

"The  Lord  does  try  to  get  through  to  us,"  said 
Rev.  Mitchell.  "He  will  try  again  and  again.  He 
will  cry  louder  and  louder  until  He  is  yelling  in 
our  ears." 

According  to  Rev.  Mitchell,  God  not  only  yells 
at  us,  calling  us  insistently  to  do  His  work,  but 
He  also  provides  us  the  power  to  do  that  which 
He  wishes  to  have  done.  In  his  second  message 
Rev.  Mitchell  set  forth  three  truths  about  this 
power. 

"We  have  the  raw  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  .  .  . 
You  have  the  power  of  the  risen  Christ.  And  there 
is  no  power  in  this  world  it  won't  conquer,"  Rev. 
Mitchell  declared.  This  is  the  power  that  enabled 
Peter  and  John  to  heal  the  cripple  in  the  Temple 
(Acts  3)  and  to  speak  boldly  before  the  Sanhedrin 
(Acts  4). 

The  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  at  work  not  only 
in  us,  but  in  a  host  of  believers  whom  God  has 
raised  up  to  support  and  strengthen  us.  Therefore 
we  should  never  feel  alone  or  that  the  Lord's  work 
is  going  badly  because  it  is  going  badly  for  us. 
The  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  at  work  in  the 
saints  throughout  the  world. 

Furthermore,  we  and  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  are  a  combination  that  cannot  be  beat.  "We 
are  going  to  win,"  Rev.  Mitchell  proclaimed. 

Rev.  Mitchell  concluded  this  message  by  asking 
"So  what?"  We  have  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
So  what?  He  gave  three  answers:   (1)  We  should 

*  Rev.  Mitchell  spoke  in  the  place  of  the  scheduled 
Conference  inspirational  speaker,  Rev.  Peter  Unruh, 
who  was  unable  to  attend  the  Conference.  With  only 
two  week's  notice,  Rev.  Mitchell  was  able  to  prepare 
three  exceptionally  fine  messages. 


'=^'- 


■'f- 


4 


**v 


«1     s 


X: 


photo  by  Bruce  Rcnk    ,| 
Following  one  of  his  three  messages,  Rev.  Mitchell 
(left)  visits  with  one  of  the  Conference  delegates. 

hear  the  Lord  and  obey,  for  He  will  support  us 
with  His  power.  (2)  We  should  take  our  gifts  to 
Jesus ;  Plis  power  will  multiply  them  to  accomplish 
His  will.  (3)  We  should  never  be  discouraged.  We 
have  the  best  and  highest  gift  in  the  world — the 
Holy  Spirit — and  in  that  gift  we  shall  prevail. 

In  his  final  message  Rev.  Mitchell  began  by 
saying  that  God  not  only  calls  us  and  gives  us 
the  power  to  do  His  work.  He  also  comes  to  us 
with  the  reminder  that  we  are  the  redeemed  of 
the  Lord — ^and  it  should  show. 

He  told  of  two  men  who  worked  side  by  side  in 
an  office.  Only  after  many  years,  and  quite  by 
accident,  did  they  discover  that  they  both  were 
Christians  and  members  of  the  same  denom- 
ination. 

According  to  Rev  Mitchell,  the  fact  that  these 
men  had  worked  together  year  after  year  and 
their  Christian  faith  had  never  shown  through 
was  "unmitigated  disaster."  Then  he  asked  his 
audience,  "On  your  job  can  you  remember  the 
last  time  your  faith  broke  through?" 

"Our  personal  lives  should  radiate  the  joy  of 
the  Lord,"  Rev.  Mitchell  said.  This  joy  should 
be  shown  by  the  things  we  do  (not  just  what  we 
say),  by  the  things  we  don't  do,  and  by  our  good 
works. 

The  fact  that  we  are  the  redeemed  of  the  Lord 
should  also  show  in  our  congregations.  The  lives 
of  our  congregations  should  radiate  the  love  of 
the  Lord,  Rev.  Mitchell  said.  This  love  of  the  Lord 
should  be  seen  in  our  worship  services,  in  com- 
munity outreach,  and  in  our  loving  attitudes 
toward  one  another.  We  are  the  redeemed  of  the 
Lord,  and  it  should  show. 


16 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


t^ 


;r 


j?fr.f '  "3 


Joseph  Shultz  presented 
as  AC  Jnferim  president 


pnoto  by  Bruce  Ronk 
Dr.  Joseph  Shultz 

The  Ashland  College  presentation  on  Wednesday 
night  opened  with  enthusiastic  singing  followed 
by  comments  by  Dr.  Frederick  Burkey,  AG's 
Director  of  Religious  Affairs  and  Campus  Min- 
istry. Dr.  Burkey  reported  on  the  progress  and 
activities  of  the  ministry  on  campus  during  the 
past  year,  and  looked  to  the  opportunities  ahead. 

"I  believe  that  the  time  is  right  for  us  to  have 
a  good  ministry  on  our  campus,"  he  stated.  He 
reported  that  his  work,  along  with  that  of  his 
associates  Jim  Miller  and  Judy  Gifford,  had  fol- 
lowed a  low-key  course  stressing  friendship 
evangelism.  Progress  was  definitely  made,  for 
throughout  the  year  individuals  came  to  Christ 
through  small  group  activities,  Bible  studies  held 
in  the  dorms,  and  personal  interaction. 

In  looking  over  some  statistics.  Dr.  Burkey 
found  that  those  individuals  most  involved  in  the 
church  had  come  through  Ashland  College.  "I'm 
convinced  that  the  Brethren  Church  will  benefit, 
as  it  has  already  benefited  in  the  past,  by  con- 
tinuing to  work  with  Ashland  College  to  make 
and  keep  it  the  kind  of  school  for  our  young 
people,"  he  stated.  He  went  on  to  encourage  the 
Brethren  by  presenting  ways  they  could  help  bring 
more  Brethren  students  to  AC.  One  of  these  ways 
is  to  face  the  college  as  it  is — a  place  to  minister 
and  to  be  ministered  to,  as  well  as  a  place  to 
receive  a  valuable  education.  The  second  way  is 
by  helping  to  support  the  Brethren  students  more 
with  their  ever-rising  college  expenses. 

Next,  Elton  Whitted,  Chairman  of  the  Ashland 
College  Board  of  Trustees,  shared  about  the  time 
of  crisis  which  the  college  had  just  gone  through. 
He  said  that  even  though  Dr.  Arthur  Schultz  had 
met  a  need  when  he  became  president  of  Ashland 
College  by  helping  to  restore  unity  between  the 
college  and  the  church,  nevertheless  he  was  unable 
to  develop  the  community  spirit  and  trust  needed 
to  lead  the  campus.  This  resulted  in  a  loss  of 
confidence  in  his  leadership  on  the  part  of  the 
college  faculty  and  staff.  When  this  loss  of  con- 
fidence was  brought  to  the  attention  of  the 
executive  committee  of  the  board,  this  committee, 
after  much  prayer  and  consideration,  made  the 
decision  to  release  Dr.  Schultz  from  his  position. 

The  next  formidable  question  was,  who  could 
fill  the  void  and  serve  as  interim  president?  After 
considering  many  factors,  the  executive  committee 
selected  Dr.  Joseph  Shultz  as  the  right  man  for 


the  job.  The  factors  considered  were:  1)  The 
position  needed  to  be  filled  as  quickly  as  possible. 
2)  Dr.  Joseph  Shultz  was  the  senior  vice-president, 
had  a  long  association  with  the  college,  and  knew 
the  problems  as  well  as  anyone.  3)  He  had 
proven  administrative  and  fund-raising  abilities. 
4)  He  could  maintain  improved  relations  with  the 
Brethren  Church.  Dr.  Whitted  stated  that  the 
board  had  pledged  renewed  and  continued  support 
to  the  college  and  to  Dr.  Shultz  with  a  commit- 
ment to  be  more  aware  of  the  problems  being 
faced.  He  expressed  his  hope  that  the  Brethren 
Church  would  do  the  same. 

Dr.  Joseph  Shultz's  opening  comment  was  re- 
ceived with  a  burst  of  applause,  as  he  said  con- 
fidently, "My  first  job  is  to  make  a  success  of  it. 
God  doesn't  begin  things  to  have  them  aborted." 
He  encouraged  the  Brethren  not  to  get  overly 
concerned  that  things  at  the  college  will  fall  apart, 
but  to  look  at  the  cycles  of  up's  and  down's  that 
institutions  go  through. 

Dr.  Shultz  went  on  to  say  that  it  is  time  to 
think  realistically  about  how  to  represent  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  liberal  arts  college  of  today.  The 
college  is  not  a  church  whose  job  is  to  teach  the 
specifics  of  the  faith  and  to  baptize  individuals. 
Rather,  it  is  a  place  to  live  out  the  Christian  life 
in  ethics,  science,  philosophy,  music,  and  every 
other  area — for  they  are  all  created  by  God.  All 
the  facts  of  the  world  are  of  God,  and  as  they  are 
taught,  they  should  be  taught  from  a  Christian 
perspective.  This  means  that  when  faculty  and 
staff  are  hired,  their  personal  religious  back- 
ground needs  to  be  considered  to  see  if  they  can 
fit  into  a  Christia,ii  liberal  arts  college. 

Dr.  Shultz  confidently  affirmed  that  it  is  God 
who  moves  us  forward  according  to  his  eternal 
plan,  and  this  point  of  history  has  also  been 
brought  together  by  God.  "We  live  in  a  day  of 
unparalleled  opportunity,"  he  said.  "Truth  is  so 
needed  in  the  world  in  every  segment.  This  is  our 
challenge."  He  closed  by  having  the  Conference 
join  him  in  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving  and  commit- 
ment to  the  work  God  has  entrusted  to  them. 

The  final  part  of  the  program  was  a  resolution 
of  appreciation  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  honor 
of  Clarence  King  of  the  Smithville  Brethren 
Church  for  his  20  years  of  service  as  a  loyal 
member  of  that  board. 

— Susan  White 


September  1979 


17 


Auxiliaries 


We  are  Goof's  People! 
is  W,M.S,  fheme 


I  I 


"We  are  God's  people!"  This  declaration  was 
the  theme  for  the  233  delegates,  officers,  and 
guests  of  the  Woman's  Missionary  Society  during 
the  1979  General  Conference  of  the  Brethren 
Church. 

When  the  women  gathered  each  afternoon,  they 
entered  into  a  time  of  devotion  guided  by  women 
from  the  Ohio,  Indiana,  Pennsylvania,  and  Florida 
districts  respectively.  Each  devotion  featured  a 
different  aspect  of  the  text  from  II  Chronicles  7:14. 

W.M.S.  president,  Mrs.  St.  Clair  Benshoff,  pre- 
sided over  the  daily  business  meetings.  On  Tues- 
day she  also  presented  her  presidential  challenge 
to  the  women.  She  asked  if  we  have  a  "bug's-eye 
view"  or  a  "God's-eye  view"  of  our  mission  on 
earth.  She  stated  that  we  need  to  get  up  from  our 
comfortable,  safe  surroundings  and  see  the  needs 
of  the  world!  We  can  do  this  by  getting  involved, 
by  sharing  our  faith,  and  by  giving,  praying,  and 
reading  God's  Word.  These  things  will  help  us  to 
know  just  what  our  mission  is.  Mrs.  Benshoff 
said,  "We  can't  see  the  greatest  work  God  has  for 
us  unless  we  get  the  God's-eye  view!" 

Four  special  features  of  the  women's  conference 
were: 

(1)  A  daily  morning  prayer  time  in  which  we 
were  to  "ask,  seek,  and  knock"  as  we  entered  into 
His  presence. 

(2)  The  W.M.S.  luncheon  held  in  the  college 
library.  Here  we  "wove"  many  friendships  and 
selected  prayer  partners  for  the  year. 

(3)  An  "Involvement"  workshop,  led  by  Mrs. 
Donald  Rowser,  who  challenged  us  to  reach  those 
young  mothers  in  our  churches  by  involving  them 
in  the  W.M.S.  work  in  a  variety  of  ways. 

(4)  A  public  service,  featuring  Rev.  Kenneth 
Solomon,  Missionary  to  Colombia. 

The  week  brought  cause  for  much  praise  and 
thanksgiving!  Here  are  a  few  of  the  reasons: 
— The  women  chose  to  support  a  new  evangelistic 

outreach   in   Argentina   in   the   coming   year. 
— Over  500  blankets  were  gathered  to  be  sent  to 

the  World  Relief  Corporation. 
— Over  $10,000  was  collected  for  Operation  Impact 

in  Florida. 
— A    "Praise    the    Lord"    offering    for    missions 

totaled  over  $3,000. 
—The  regular  Thank  Offering,  also  designated  for 

mission  work,  brought  in  nearly  $10,000. 

Yes,  there  were  many  reasons  to  be  thankful 
as  the  women  fellowshipped  with  one  another 
during  Conference  week.  As  their  theme  suggests, 
"We  are  God's  people,  born  of  His  spirit."  There- 
fore, as  we  enter  into  a  new  year  of  Woman's 
Missionary  Society  work,  may  we  give  our  gifts 
to  God  (whether  they  be  serving,  teaching,  caring. 


''■W%': 

As  the  W.M.S.  societies  brought  their  project 
offerings  for  Operation  Impact,  oranges  were  picked 
to  symbolize  this  "harvest  of  ingathering"  for  home 
mission  work  in  Florida.  Approximately  $10,000 
was  received.  photo  by  Dick  Winfield 

giving,  working,  or  praying)  so  that  His  work  on 
earth  will  be  done! 

— Karen  Weidenhamer 

Laymen    continue    support 
for    Campus    MJnisfry 

The   National   Laymen's   Organization    (N.L.O.) 
met    daily,   with    President    George   Schuster   and 
Vice  President  Richard  Morris  presiding.  Follow- 
ing is  a  run  down  of  their  sessions. 
Tuesday 

Dr.  Fred  Burkey,  Ashland  College's  Director  of 
Religious  Affairs  and  Campus  Ministry,  reviewed 
the  Campus  Ministry  activities  for  the  past  year 
and  set  forth  the  plans  for  this  year.  He  thanked 
the  laymen  for  their  support  and  asked  for  their 
continued  backing.  He  also  explained  plans  for  an 
Ashland  College  Christian  Center,  to  be  located  in 
the  AC  chapel. 

Jim  Miller,  Dr.  Burkey's  assistant,  spoke  of 
the  joy  he  has  experienced  working  with  students. 
Wednesday 

Rodger  Geaslen  conducted  a  memorial  service 
for  12  laymen  who  died  during  the  past  year. 

Virgil  Barnhart  reported  that  the  Task  Force 
on  Boys'  Brotherhood  is  recommending  use  of 
Christian  Youth  Crusader  materials  in  Boys' 
Brotherhood  meetings.  Mr.  Barnhart  also  empha- 
sized the  need  for  strong  leadership  for  boys  in 
the  local  church. 
Thursday 

During   the  Ingathering   for  the   1979  laymen's 

(continued  on  page  20) 


18 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Brethren  mJnisfers  hear  speakers; 
conduct  business 


Brethren  ministers  met  each  afternoon,  with 
Ministerial  Association  President  Gene  Hollinger 
presiding  over  business  and  offering  challenging 
thoughts  to  open  each  session. 

During  the  first  meeting  some  precious  moments 
were  spent  remembering  the  influence  of  ministers 
who  passed  away  during  the  past  year. 

A  discussion  of  "Forum"  revealed  that  while 
most  pastors  wish  to  read  articles  by  other 
Brethren  pastors,  few  feel  they  have  the  time  for 
research  and  writing.  It  was  suggested  that  a 
topic  be  chosen  for  each  issue  and  deadlines  set 
to  stimulate  a  more  effective  sharing. 

The  change  in  the  retirement  plan  drew  much 
discussion.  There  was  much  praise  for  the 
efficiency  of  the  present  hospitalization  plan. 

With  evangelism  to  be  the  heart  of  the  1S80 
General  Conference,  a  presentation  by  John  Dillon 


of  the  Billy  Graham  Evangelistic  Assn.  on  evan- 
gelistic campaigns  was  well  received. 

Of  the  many  reports,  perhaps  the  most  stimu- 
lating was  the  presentation  by  Juan  Carlos 
Miranda  and  the  Mission  Interns  on  the  work  in 
Mexico.  The  work  is  young,  but  the  response  is 
great.  It  challenges  us  to  step  out  in  faith  believ- 
ing that  Christ  will  bless  our  efforts. 

Kenneth  Solomon  spoke  of  the  need  of  the 
"Hidden  Ones"  in  Colombia — people  of  the  middle 
and  upper  classes  who  appear  self-assured  yet 
lack  God's  presence  in  their  lives.  These,  too,  are 
responding  after  careful  nurture.  Rev.  Solomon 
invited  Brethren  to  come  and  not  only  see  the 
work  in  Colombia  but  to  share  in  it. 

Officers  elected  for  the  coming  year  were  Kent 
Bennett  —  pres.,  Gerald  Barr  —  sec.-treas.,  and 
John  Shultz — asst.  sec.-treas. 

— Larry  Bolinger 


Girl  of  the  Year  presentafion 
Kighlighl-  of  Sisterhood  meetings 

National  Sisterhood  meetings  were  held  each 
afternoon  at  General  Conference  this  year.  Al- 
though the  attendance  was  not  large,  those  girls 
and  patronesses  who  came  had  an  enjoyable  time. 
The  theme  for  the  week  was  that  each  of  us  is 
a  unique  creation  of  God  and  we  should  get  to 
know  ourselves  better.  The  program  leader  was 
Elma  Delagrange,  national  SMM  patroness. 

At  the  first  meeting  we  talked  about  our  local 
and  district  SMM  groups.  Churches  from  several 
districts  were  represented,  and  we  had  a  helpful 
time  of  sharing  problems  and  progress.  Many 
good  comments  were  made  about  the  materials 
that  our  Sisterhoods  are  using. 

On  the  second  and  third  days,  we  worked  in 
eight-member  groups,  answering  short  discussion 
questions,  filling  out  questionnaires,  and  studying 
the  Bible.  In  this  way  we  got  to  know  and  appre- 
ciate each  other  better. 

The  last  day  was  given  over  to  evaluation  and 
awards.  Past  SMM  president  Linda  Zerbe  present- 
ed an  excellent  devotional,  and  we  discussed  sug- 
gestions for  next  year's  Conference  program.  The 
highlight  of  the  day  was  the  presentation  of  the 
Girl  of  the  Year  award  to  the  young  lady  who 
accomplished  the  most  in  SMM  in  the  past  year. 
Kathleen  Wilson,  president  of  the  Pennsylvania 
district  SMM,  received  the  award,  and  Clista 
Azbell,  an  officer  in  the  Indiana  district  SMM, 
was    honored    as    runner-up.    Both    girls    deserved 


% 


photo  by  Dick  Wmfield 
Kathleen  Wilson  {left)  of  the  Masontown,  Pa., 
Brethren  Church  was  chosen  Sisterhood  Girl  of  the 
Year,  and  Clista  Azbell  of  the  College  Corner 
Brethren  Church  {near  W abash.  Ind.)  was  Jionored 
as  runner-up. 

these  honors  for  their  work  and  commitment  to 
SMM. 

We  closed  our  last  meeting  with  a  circle  of 
prayer,  thankful  for  Sisterhood  and  committed 
to  service  through  SMM  in  the  future. 

— Norma  Waters 


September  1979 


19 


Laymen's  sessions 

(continued  from  page  18) 
project  $1,716  was  received  for  the  Ashland 
College  Campus  Ministry.  This  was  only  a  part 
of  the  total  amount  received,  since  laymen's  organ- 
izations have  been  sending  in  their  money  through- 
out the  year. 

Mr.  Archie  Nevins,  recipient  of  the  1979  laymen's 
scholarship  for  a  seminary  student,  sang  and 
brought  a  message,  as  he  expressed  his  thanks 
to  the  laymen  for  their  help. 

The  laymen  adopted  as  their  1980  project  $6500 
for    the    Ashland    College    Campus    Ministry    and 
$500  for  a  scholarship  for  a  seminary  student. 
Friday 

Officers  were  elected  as  follows:  President — 
Richard  Morris;  Vice  President — James  Payne; 
Secretary — ^Rodger  Geaslen;  Assistant — Sam  An- 
derson; Treasurer — ^Jack  Stombaugh;  Assistant — 
Owen  Nye. 

Dr.  Jerry  Flora  presented  a  message  on  the 
great  truths  in  the  hymn  "Amazing  Grace."  He 
also  related  the  story  of  John  Newton,  who  wrote 
the  words  to  this  hymn. 

Following  his  message,  Dr.  Flora  installed  the 
1979-80  N.L.O.  officers. 


Church    Growth    Models 

Four  growing  Brethren  churches  made  presen- 
tations as  models  of  church  growth  on  Wednesday 
afternoon  of  Conference. 

Two  of  these  growing  churches  are  located  in 
Indiana — ^^the  First  Brethren  iChurch  of  Nappanee 
and  the  Jeffersoo  Brethren  Church  near  Goshen. 
Rev.  Alvin  Shifflett,  pastor  at  Nappanee,  made  the 
presentation  for  that  church.  The  program  and 
activities  of  the  Jefferson  church  were  described 
by  its  pastor.  Rev.  Jack  Oxenrider. 

The  other  two  models  of  church  growth  were 
Ohio  churches — the  Gretna  Brethren  Church  near 
Bellefontaine  and  the  Garber  Brethren  Church  of 
Ashland.  Rev.  Leroy  Solomon  made  the  presenta- 
tion of  the  work  of  the  Gretna  church,  assisted  by 
Mrs.  Phyllis  Jerviss.  Jack  Dovey,  vice  moderator 
of  the  Garber  church,  told  of  the  progress  of  that 
congregation. 

These  four  churches  will  be  highlighted  in 
coming  issues   of  the  Brethren  Evangelist. 


'/■^^ 


Xhursday 

Laymen's    speaker    urges 

"God's    people"    to 
abstain    from    the    world 


One  of  the  most  basic  yet  inspiring  programs 
of  Conference  was  the  Laymen's  Public  Inspira- 
tional Program,   held  on  Thursday  afternoon. 

The  program  began  with  an  invocation  by 
Floyd  Benshoff,  who  then  led  the  congregation  in 
singing  "Rise  Up  O  Men  Of  God."  Dick  Morris, 
vice  president  of  the  National  Laymen's  Organ- 
ization, then  introduced  the  "Gospel  Sounds,"  a 
musical  group  froim  the  Akron,  Ohio,  area.  These 
musicians  treated  the  audience  to  a  series  of  con- 
temporary gospel  songs,  including  "God's  Wonder- 
ful People,"  "He  Touched  Me,"  and  "Through  It 
All." 

The  speaker  for  the  service  was  Lieutenant 
Glenn  Walp  from  the  Greensburg  Barracks  of  the 
Pennsylvania  State  Police,  who  is  also  an 
ordained  elder  in  the  Christian  Church.  In  his 
message  Lt.  Walp  pointed  out  that  numerous 
times  in  the  Bible  we  find  the  statement,  "I  will 
be  their  God,  and  they  will  be  my  people."  This 
theme,  "My  People,"  permeated  his  whole 
message,  as  he  cited  numerous  texts  from  both 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments  which  proclaim  this 
truth. 

Lt.  Walp  challenged  his  listeners  to  remember 
that  they  are  God's  people,  and,  as  such,  that  they 
should  lead  lives  that  would  be  pleasing  to  Him. 
He  illustrated  his  message  with  personal  insights 
gained  from  serving  on  the  State  Police  force. 
Concerning  their  life  with  God,  the  listeners  were 
told,  "Don't  fool  around."  Also  in  reference  to  the 
opportunities  of  the  Conference  sessions,  Lt.  Walp 
said,  "Don't  leave  Conference  empty-handed."  In 
general,  Lt.  Walp  urged  his  hearers  to  abstain 
from  the  world  because  we  are  God's  chosen 
people. 

The  message  of  this  enthusiastic  speaker  pro- 
vided everyone  present  with  a  challenge  to 
examine  his  own  personal  lifestyle. 

The  program  was  closed  with  a  benediction  by 
Dick  Morris. 

— Kenneth  Hunn 


Seven  workshops  were  held  during  Conference. 
These  included  workshops  on  "Boys'  Brotherhood 
Ministry,"  "Developing  a  Disciplined  Life,"  "WM.S. 
Involvement,"  two  on  "Sunday  School  in  the  80's," 
and  two  on  "Music  with  Children  and  Youth."  Three 
workshops  on  "Leadership  in  the  Growing  Church" 
were  canceled  because  the  leader.  Rev.  Peter  Unruh, 
was  unable  to  attend  Conference. 

Pictured  is  Mr.  Virgil  Barnhart  (right)  as  he  leads 
the  workshop  on  "Boys'  Brotherhood  Ministry." 
photo  by  Bruce   Ronk 


20 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Rodney  Toews  speaks  af  BCE  service; 
Beverly  Baer  is  Educator  of  the  Year 


The  Goshen,  Indiana,  church  walked  away  with 
outstanding  honors  at  the  service  sponsored  by 
the  Board  of  Christian  Education. 

Miss  Beverly  Baer  was  honored  as  the  1979 
Christian  Educator  of  the  Year.  Beverly  has  been 
active  in  the  W.M.S.,  a  SMM  patroness,  church 
school  teacher  of  several  different  ages,  and  a 
Christian  participant  in  the  community.  She  is  a 
school  teacher  during  the  winter,  but  has  used 
her  summer  vacations  as  a  volunteer  at  Krypton, 
Ky.,  and  Herndon,  Va.  Recently  she  organized  a 
children's   summer  program   in  her  home  town. 

Runners-up  for  the  award  were  Patricia  Andress 
of  the  Garber  congregation  in  Ashland,  Helen 
Gillis  of  County  Line,  Jack  Tobias  of  Nappanee, 
and  Bonnie  Roberts  of  Roanoke. 

In  addition  to  Miss  Baer,  the  staff  of  the  Goshen 
church  school  was  lauded  for  its  outstanding  and 
successful  program.  The  Reverend  Brian  Moore 
presented  the  Sunday  School  of  the  Year  Award 
to  the  team:  Pastor  Spencer  Gentle,  Assistant 
Pastor  Dan  Gray,  and  Superintendent  Mrs.  Rosalie 
Miller,  who  shared  the  recognition,  just  as  they 
have  shared  plans,  implementation,  and  achieve- 
ments. Congratulations  were  given  to  the  Lanark 
church  school  as  the  runner-up. 

Special  recognition  was  given  to  Linda  Beekley, 
and  Jeff  and  Nancy  Lentz  for  their  children's 
ministry  during  Conference  week,  and  to  Dr. 
Frederick  Burkey,  the  outgoing  Director  of  the 
Board.  Dr.  Burkey,  in  turn,  recognized  those  with 
whom  he  worked:  Brian  Moore,  the  outgoing 
president  of  the  board,  and  the  office  staff:  Norma 
Waters  and  Mark  Baker.  Norma  will  become  a 
domestic  engineer,  and  Mark  will  conclude  his 
education  at  the  Ashland  Theological  Seminary. 
Included  in  this  fall's  term  for  Mark  are  eight 
weeks  in  Medellin,  Colombia. 

Charles  Beekley  was  introduced  as  the  new 
Director  of  Christian  Education.  Charlie  pledged 
his  efforts  in  cooperation  with  God,  the  Board, 
and  us — ^the  Brethren  Church — for  a  successful 
ministry  together.  At  the  present  time,  Charlie 
does  not  plan  to  add  new  programs,  but  will  build 
upon  those  already  established.  He  looks  upon  his 
work  as  an  exciting  challenge,  and  an  awesome 
responsibility. 

The  address  for  the  program  was  preseinted  by 
the  Reverend  Rodney  Toews,  vice  president  of 
ministries  at  Gospel  Light  Publications  in  Glen- 
dale,  Calif.  Mr.  Toews  used  the  verses  preceding 
the  Conference  text  (IlChron.  7:14),  particularly 
II  Chronicles  7:3:  ".  .  .  all  .  .  .  worshiped  and  gave 
thanks  to  the  Lord,  saying,  'For  he  is  good,  for 
his  steadfast  love  endures  for  ever.' "  He  then 
presented  three  principles  from  the  Conference 
text:  You  are  commissioned  to  present  the  Word 


^  ^*l%'*£ 


P 


At  the  hcjnmn^  of  his  achhcss^  Rev.  Rodney 
Toews  acknowledged  his  striking  resemblance  to  the 
TV  personality  "Kojak"  by  putting  a  sucker  in  his 
mouth.  photo  by  Bruce  Ronk 

of  God  in  its  fullness;  let  nothing  move  you;  and 
give  yourself  fully  to  the  work  of  the  Lord. 

Mr.  Toews  believes  and  practices  that  the  areas 
which  affect  a  man's  life  should  be  in  the  proper 
perspective:  God,  wife,  children,  and  church. 
When  these  priorities  are  in  order,  time  will  be 
adequate  for  other  opportunities  for  service. 

Mr.  Toews  concluded  by  reading  the  Conference 
text:  "If  my  people  .  .  .  will  humble  .  .  .  pray  .  .  . 
seek  .  .  .  turn  .  .  .  then  will  I  heal.  .  .  ."  through 
the  ministry  of  Jesus  Christ  through  your  life. 

Special  music  for  the  program  was  presented 
by  Promise,  the  Summer  Crusader  music  unit. 
Brian  Moore  presided  over  the  service,  and  Richard 
Allison,  the  new  C.E.  Board  president,  prayed  the 
benediction. 

— Joan  Ronk 

Third  annual  ABCT  Luncheon 

The  third  annual  ABCT  Luncheon  was  held 
August  16th  at  General  Conference.  About  150 
people  attended,  and  all  enjoyed  the  buffet  lunch 
served  by  Fern  Smith. 

Following  the  meal,  Charlie  Beekley,  the  new 
Director  of  Christian  Education,  asked  each  person 
present  to  fill  out  a  form  evaluating  and  making 
suggestions  for  the  work  of  the  Association  of 
Brethren  Church  Teachers.  Then  the  group  was 
led  in  devotions  and  singing  by  Rev.  Rod  Toews 
of  Gospel  Light  Publications.  All  present  were 
well  fed,  both  physically  and  spiritually. 

— Norma  Waters 


September  1979 


21 


BYC    Convention 

Youth  Convention  includes  Bible  study 
business,  fellowship,  and  fun 


The  1979  National  Brethren  Youth  Convention 
was  held  in  Ashland,  Ohio,  August  13  through  17. 
Nearly  two  hundred  youth  attended  and  explored 
the  theme  "Seeking  and  Serving  .  .  .  Where  God 
Calls."  The  Convention  offered  many  opportun- 
ities for  fellowship,  fun,  and  serious  Bible  study, 
in  addition  to  the  business  sessions. 

The  week  began  with  a  time  for  getting  ac- 
quainted and  fellowship  on  Monday  evening, 
following  the  General  Conference  opening  service. 
Small  group  Bible  studies  held  each  evening  on 
every  dorm  floor  provided  the  youth  an  oppor- 
tunity to  study  God's  word  in  a  personal  way  each 
night. 

Tuesday  evening  saw  the  presentation  of  the 
1979  Summer  Crusader  teams  in  "Crusader  Re- 
view," which  topped  off  a  day  which  included 
the  opening  business  session,  the  youth  march, 
and  Moderator  Dave  Kerner's  address  to  the 
General  Conference.  * 

Wednesday,  Dr.  Jerry  Flora,  professor  of  Chris- 
tian theology  at  Ashland  Theological  Seminary, 
presented  an  inspirational  message  to  the  Con- 
vention on  "Seeking."  "Harmony,"  a  eontemporary 
Christian  musical  group,  presented  a  concert  in 
the  evening. 

The  youth  were  up  bright  and  early  on  Thurs- 
day for  the  kick-off  of  the  1979  "Anything  Goes" 
competition.  That  afternoon  Mr.  Archie  Nevins, 
pastor  of  the  Columbus,  Ohio,  Brethren  Church, 
spoke  to  the  youth  concerning  "Serving."  Conclud- 
ing the  day  was  the  observance  of  Communion  at 

*  For  a  report  of  BYC  Moderator  Kerner's  address, 
see  page   12. 


,  % 


photo  by  Bruce  Ronk 

Dr.  Jerry  Flora  presented  a  mesage  to  the  youth 
on  ''Seeking." 

the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church.  The  209  youth 
attending  this  service  were  challenged  to  full 
commitment   to   Christ  and  His  calling. 

Friday  was  the  concluding  day  of  the  Conven- 
tion, with  the  final  competition  of  "Anything 
Goes"  in  the  morning.  That  afternoon,  "Anything 
Went,"  the  closing  session  of  the  Convention,  saw 
the  presentation  of  the  awards  for  individual  youth 
group  accomplishments,  "Anything  Goes"  winners, 
and  the  installation  of  the  1979-80  BYC  officers. 

— ^Mark  Baker 


BYC  surpasses  project  goal 


During  the  1979  National  Brethren  Youth  Con- 
vention, the  national  youth  organization  held  its 
Ingathering  for  the  1979  budget /project.  This 
year  $13,838.81  was  received,  surpassing  the  goal 
of  $13,300.00.  It  is  expected  that  total  monies  col- 
lected and  pledged  will  reach  the  $14,000.00  mark 
by  the  October  31st  deadline,  making  this  the 
highest  amount  reached  by  the  national  youth 
organization. 

The  Sarasota  BYC  received  recognition  as  the 
number-one  contributor  to  the  Ingathering,  bring- 
ing $1715.16.  Park  Street  BYC  gave  the  second 
highest  with  a  total  of  $1500.00.  St.  James  was 
third  with  $1000.00. 

Over  the  past  year  these  monies  were  raised 
to  support  the  national  youth  organization  and  its 


various  areas  of  ministry.  Monies  are  dispersed 
to  cover  part  of  the  operational  costs  of  the 
organization,  as  well  as  to  provide  travel  aid  for 
delegates  attending  the  National  BYC  Convention. 
However,  the  major  emphasis  of  the  budget  is  the 
national  project,  which  this  past  year  ^vas  the 
new  mission  work  in  Mexico. 

BYC  organizations  have  already  begun  raising 
support  for  the  newly  adopted  budget  of  $13,300.00 
for  1980.  The  National  BYC  has  chosen  the  en- 
dowment fund  of  the  Brethren  Publishing  Com- 
pany and  the  Summer  Crusader  Program  as  its 
new  project.  Over  $6,000.00  will  be  designated  to 
these  projects  for  the  coming  year. 

— Mark  Baker 


22 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Dave  Kerner  elected  to  second  term 
as  Youth  Moderator 


The  1979  National  BYC  Convention  re-elected 
David  Kerner,  a  senior  at  Ashland  College,  as  its 
Moderator  for  a  second  term.  The  election  of 
officers  took  place  on  Thursday  of  the  BYC  Con- 
vention week.  Kerner  is  from  Fort  Wayne,  Ind., 
where  his  father  is  the  pastor  of  the  Meadow 
Crest  Brethren  Church.  His  father,  Rev.  William 
Kerner,  will  serve  as  the  General  Conference 
Moderator  for  1980. 

Elected  to  serve  as  Vice  Moderator  was  Jean 
Troup,  also  from  the  Meadow  Crest  Brethren 
Church.  Jean  will  be  a  junior  at  Anderson  College, 
where  she  is  majoring  in  Christian  Education.  She 
is  also  currently  serving  as  president  for  the 
Northern  Indiana  District  BYC. 

Susie  Rowsey,  who  served  this  past  year  as 
Assistant  Secretary,  will  serve  as  Secretary  for 
the  coming  year.  Susie  is  a  senior  at  Williamsport 
High  School  and  a  member  of  the  St.  James,  Md., 
Brethren  Church. 

The  new  Assistant  Secretary  for  National  BYC, 
Margaret  Ronk,  will  enter  Ashland  College  this 
fall.  Margaret  is  from  Ashland,  Ohio,  where  she 
is  a  member  of  the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church. 
She  will  major  in  music  at  AC. 


.^ 


iSr 


7 


David 
Kerner 

photo  by  Bruce  Ronk 


Russell  King,  from  the  County  Line  Brethren 
Church,  will  serve  as  Treasurer.  Russ  lives  in 
Peru,  Ind.,  and  will  be  teaching  math  this  fall  at 
Maconaquah  Junior  High  School. 

Serving  as  Statistician  will  be  John  Crowe.  John 
is  from  Bremen,  Ind.,  and  a  member  of  the  Nap- 
panee,  Ind.,  Brethren  Church.  He  will  be  a  fresh- 
man at  Ball  State  University  majoring  in  business. 

— ^Mark  Baker 


Florida  wins  "Anything  Goes" 
competition 

Florida  was  again  named  the  winner  of  the 
"Anything  Goes"  competition  this  year  at  the  1979 
National  BYC  Convention,  after  sweeping  most 
of  the  events  with  a  number-one  placing.  The  team 
from  Florida  was  also  the  winner  of  the  1978 
competition. 

County  Line  was  named  first  runner-up  for  the 
event,  with  Maurertown  placing  third. 

The  "Anything  Goes"  competition  was  a  part 
of  the  overall  activities  of  the  National  Brethren 
Youth  Convention.  The  Ashland  College  intra- 
mural field  served  as  the  playground  for  the 
games.  Youth  were  involved  in  such  events  as 
"The  Jello  Mold,"  "Blindman's  Basketball,"  "Great 
Galloping  Box  Cars,"  "The  Hunt,"  and  an  obstacle 
course.  These  tested  both  the  skills  and  endurance 
of  the  participants. 

Those  churches  with  youth  participating  in  the 
1979  "Anything  Goes"  were  Sarasota,  Bradenton, 
Town  and  Country,  Burlington,  Cerro  Gordo, 
North  Manchester,  Lanark,  Winding  Waters,  St. 
James,  Mount  Olive,  Maurertown,  Park  Street, 
Bryan,  Milford,  Garber,  County  Line,  Ardmore, 
Masontown,  Roann,  Lanark,  and  Washington,  D.C. 

— Mark  Baker 


photo   by   Bruce   Ronk 

One  of  the  hif^hlights  of  the  BYC  Convention 
each  year  is  the  youth  Communion  service.  This 
year  the  service  was  held  on  Thursday  nii^ht  with 
209  youth  attending.  During  the  service  approx- 
imately 190  of  these  young  people  committed  them- 
selves to  serve  Christ. 


September  1979 


23 


Friday 

Women  the  unsung  heroes  of  the 
missionary  cause,  Ken  Solomon  claims 


"Where  was  the  Woman's  Missionary  Society 
in  the  time  of  Jesus?"  was  the  leading  question 
of  Rev.  Kenneth  Solomon's  message  at  the  W.M.S. 
Inspirational  Service  on  Friday  afternoon.  Re- 
ferring to  Luke  8:1-3,  Rev.  Solomon  answered  that 
there  were  women  using  their  resources  to  help 
Jesus  during  His  earthly  ministry.  Those  women 
then,  just  as  the  women  of  the  Woman's  Mission- 
ary Society  today,  were  sacrificing  to  advance 
Jesus'  work. 

Rev.  Solomon,  a  Brethren  missionary  to 
Colombia  for  the  past  5V2  years,  thanked  the 
Woman's  Missionary  Society  for  its  active  sup- 
port of  Brethren  missions  in  Medellin,  Colombia. 
He  reported  that  there  are  172  baptized  members 
of  the  newly  organized  Colombian  Brethren 
Church  and  many  home  Bible  studies  ministering 
to  people's  spiritual  needs.  He  cited  several 
Colombian  "sisters  in  the  faith"  who  are  leading 
others  to  Christ.  He  commented  that  these  women, 
like  the  W.M.S.,  are  the  unsung  heroes  of  the 
missionary  cause. 

The  Inspirational  Service  was  also  a  time  for 
music  and  prayer.  The  music  included  a  violin 
solo  by  Margaret  Ronk,  a  piano  prelude,  and 
group  singing.  Mrs.  Judi  Gentle  led  the  prayer 
time  in  which  the  needs  of  each  Brethren  mission 
area  were  specifically  remembered. 

—Kitty  Winfield 


''•A     $, 


photo  by  Dick  Winfield 
Rev.  Kenneth  Solomon 


m  % 


On  Friday  afternoon  children 
who  had  attended  the  Conference 
sessions  for  children  presented 
"The  Music  Machine,"  a  musical 
about  the  fruit  of  the  spirit. 
Standing  by  the  music  machine 
above  are  (left  to  right)  Jenny 
Baker,    Glenn    Black,    and   Jeff 
Lentz,  who  presented  the  spoken 
parts.  Soloists  for  the  performance 
were  Chrissy  Sullivan,  Andy 
DeVeny,  Joe  Gilmer,  Steve  Gentle, 
and  Jenny  Baker. 

photos  by  DicK  Winfield 


24 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


photo  by  Howard  Mack 

"Your  body  and  mine  is  worth  $6.50  in  chemicals 
until  you  add  life.  .  .  .  The  church  is  just  another 
club  until  you  add  life— life  through  Jesus  Christ," 
Dr.  Paul  Hiebert  told  those  attending  the  mission- 
ary banquet  which  concluded  the  1979  General 
Conference. 

Dr.  Hiebert  was  born  of  missionary  parents  in 
India  where  he  also  served  later  as  a  missionary 
of  the  Mennonite  Brethren  Church.  He  is  now  a 
professor  at  Fuller  Theological  Seminary. 

Dr.  Hiebert  went  on  to  say  that  life  is  not,  as 
some  think,  in  the  city  or  in  the  church,  but  it 
is  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  we  must  get  close  to  Him. 
Our  task  as  Christians  is  to  give  life  to  one 
another,  to  build  up  the  body.  The  body,  in  turn, 
is  called  to  give  life  to  the  world.  As  Christ's  body 
we  should  be  reaching  out  in  friendship  and 
evangelism. 

Earlier  in  the  program  Jeff  and  Nancy  Lentz, 
new  tentmakers  to  Brandon,  Florida,  gave  a  clear 
ringing  testimony  through  the  hymn  "My  Faith 
Looks  up  to  Thee."  Then  just  before  Dr.  Hiebert's 
message,  Bill  Skeldon,  pastor  of  the  Oak  Hill 
Brethren  Church,  reminded  us  of  Jesus'  command 
to  be  His  followers  through  a  beautiful  rendition 
of  the  song  "Follow  Me." 

Spencer  Gentle,  president  of  the  Missionary 
Board,  presented  the  following  special  guests  who 
made  brief  remarks:  Ken  Solomon,  missionary  on 
furlough  from  Colombia,  asked  us  to  think,  act, 
and  pray  for  missions.  Missionary  Juan  Carlos 
Miranda  told  of  the  openness  to  Christianity  he 
has  found  in  Mexico.  Dave  Kemer,  Mission 
Intern,  who  worked  with  the  Mirandas  this  sum- 
mer, thanked  the  church  for  this  opportunity. 

Rev.  Gentle  also  presented  Donald  Rowser  and 
J.  D.  Hamel,  who  had  served  18  and  14  years 
respectively  on  the  Missionary  Board.  Each  of 
these  men  received  a  plaque  for  his  service  to 
the  board. 

This  year's  Conference  offering  goal  was  $15,000, 
designated  for  the  work  in  Mexico.  The  amount 
received  at  the  banquet  was  $11,300.  (You  may 
still  give  to  help  reach  the  goal  by  sending  your 
contribution  to  the  Missionary  Board.) 


The    church    just    another    club 
until   you   add   life   thru   Christ, 
mission    speaker    says 


Virgil  Ingraham,  General  Secretary  of  the 
Missionary  Board,  spoke  briefly  of  the  partner- 
ship that  must  exist  between  the  local  church  and 
the  board.  Bill  Kemer,  the  new  Conference  Mod- 
erator and  also  vice  president  of  the  Missionary 
Board,  presented  the  Conference  theme  for  the 
coming  year,  John  14:1.  The  huge  banner  at  the 
front  of  the  banquet  room  which  depicted  this 
theme  was  designed  by  Ann  DeVeny.  It  showed 
the  continents  of  the  world  over  which  were 
written  the  words  of  Jesus,  "I  am  the  way,  the 
truth,  and  the  life."  This  same  design  was  on  the 
buttons  which  functioned  as  banquet  "tickets." 

As  we  left  the  banquet  hall  our  buttons  flashed 
with  greater  meaning  than  before.  We  know  Jesus 
is  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life.  We  have  that 
life.  He  is  expecting  us,  as  part  of  His  body,  to 
give  life  to  others. 

As  Dr.  Hiebert  said,  "In  addition  to  winning 
our  children  and  our  neighbors,  we  must  win 
those  of  different  cultures,  different  languages. 
We  must  send  out  missionaries.  God  give  us  that 
vision  for  another  year." 

— Alberta  Holsinger 


World  Relief  Board  announces 
new  emphases  at  fasHng  banquet 

The  World  Relief  Fasting  Banquet  was  held  at 
noon  on  Conference  Friday.  The  informal  pro- 
gram, which  followed  a  meal  of  rice  and  water, 
included  singing,  a  song  by  Shipshewana  1978 
senior  campers,  a  sharing  of  ideas  from  the  book 
Hunger  Awareness  Dinners  written  by  Aileen  Van 
Beilen,  and  a  litany  emphasizing  our  need  to 
respond  to  the  world's  suffering  and  need. 

During  the  banquet  World  Relief  Board  Presi- 
dent Phil  Lersch  announced  that  the  board  is 
adding  two  new  emphases  to  its  efforts  at  world 
relief. 

The  first  of  these  is  an  emphasis  on  refugee 
resettlement.  Brethren  churches  will  be  receiving 
information  on  how  they  can  aid  in  resettling  dis- 
placed families,  working  through  the  refugee  ser- 
vice of  the  World  Relief  Corporation. 

The  second  emphasis  is  a  program  of  domestic 
disaster  relief,  in  which  Brethren  men  and  women 
could  travel  to  the  scene  of  a  domestic  disaster 
(flood,  hurricane,  tornado,  etc.)  to  participate  in 
the  relief  operation.  The  board  is  exploring  the 
possibility  of  working  with  the  Church  of  the 
Brethren,  which  already  has  this  kind  of  program 
in  operation. 


September  1979 


25 


Conference  Miscellaneous 


HODERAT 


CONFEREHCE 


//  Chronkies  7/4 


On  the  concluding  day  of  Conference,  the  newly  installed  Moderator,  Rev.  William  Kerner,  chal- 
lenged the  Brethren  Church  to  translate  this  year's  conditional  theme,  "If  My  People  Will  .  .  .  ,"  into 
the  reality — "My  People  Will/"  Delegates  from  every  local  church  were  given  signs  to  take  home  and 
hang  on  their  pulpits  the  following  Sunday  stating  "My  People  Will/"  photo  oy  Bruce  Ronk 


%■  fe'  "■. 


■r 


Brethren  Church  Properties,  Inc. 
announces  sole  of  properties 

Upon  the  advice  of  numerous  Brethren 
officials  at  the  national  level,  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  Brethren  Church  Properties,  Inc., 
has  concluded  that  the  time  is  not  "ripe"  for 
proceeding  with  a  national  church  offices 
building.  Hence  the  properities  have  been  sold 
with  option  to  repurchase. 

Individual  letters  to  recent  contributors  will 
be  forthcoming.  But  the  board  is  taking  this 
opportunity  to  announce  that  until  further 
notice,  no  additional  monies  for  this  project 
should  be  sent  to  the  board. 

Our  thanks  go  to  those  who  have  already 
contributed. 

Dorothy  I.  Carpenter,  Secretary 


The   theme 
for  the  1980 
General 
Conference 
will  be  "/  am 
the  Way" 
from  John 
14:6.  The 
Conference 
is  scheduled 
for  August  11 
through  15, 
1980,  at 
Ashland 
College.  The 
new  theme 
was  introduced 
at  the  all-conference  banquet,   which  concluded 
the  1979  Conference.  Pictured  is  the  theme  banner 
used  at  that  banquet,  which  was  made  by  Ann 
DeVeny  of  Ashland,  Ohio.  photo  by  Howard  Mack 

THOSE  WHO  WILL  LEAD 


At  the  conclusion  of  the  final 
business  session,  retiring  Moderator 
Duane  Dickson  (left)  installed  the 
new  Conference  officers. 

Moderator  for  the  coming  year 
is  Rev.  William  Kerner  (at  right 
of  picture),  pastor  of  the  Meadow 
Crest  Brethren  Church  in  Fort 
Wayne,  Ind. 

Other    Conference    officers    are 
(right    to     left)    statistician — Rev. 
Larry  Baker,  pastor  of  the  South 
Bend  Brethren  Church;  secretary — 
Mrs.   Jeanie  Shultz,   of  the   Tiosa 
Brethren   Church;  moderator-elect — Rev.   Brian  Moore,  pastor  of  the  Ardmore  Brethren  Church; 
— Mr.  George  Snyder,  of  the  Ashland  Park  Street  Brethren   Church;  secretary — Mr.   Fred  Horn 
the  Ardmore  Brethren  Church;  and  assistant  treasurer — Mr.  Charles  Beekley  (not  shown),  of  the 
Park  Street  Brethren  Church.  photo  by 


treasurer 

,   Sr.,   of 

Ashland 

Bruce  Ronk 


26 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


photo  by  Bruce  Ronk 


II 


I  can't  imagine  a  Brethren  without  it." 


One  Brethren  Evangelist  reader  wrote  a 
letter  to  the  editor  in  which  she  said,  **I 
have  been  a  subscriber  of  the  Evangelist 
for  many,  many  years.  Can't  imagine  a 
Brethren  being  without  it." 

Many  excellent  Christian  magazines  are 
available  today.  But  only  the  Brethren 
Evangelist  gives  you 

— articles  on  Brethren  history  and 
doctrine ; 

— news  about  Brethren  churches  and 
people ; 

— a  forum  for  sharing  Brethren 
concerns ; 

— ^information  about  Brethren  ministries. 

The  Brethren  Evangelist  is  a  ministry 
of  information — informing  Brethren  people 
about  the  Brethren  Church.  The  responsi- 
bility for  carrying  out  this  ministry  has 
been  assigned  to  the  Brethren  Publishing 
Company. 

Support  for  this  ministry  comes  in  part 
from  subscription  fees.  A  small  amount 
comes    from    advertising    and    from    con- 


'Y'^The    Brefhren  -f    ®  j 

Evangelist 


tributions  by  the  other  denominational 
boards.  The  remainder  must  come  from  the 
Publication  Offering — through  gifts  from 
Brethren  churches  and  individuals. - 

The  woman  who  wrote  the  letter  said 
that  she  couldn't  imagine  a  Brethren  with- 
out the  Evangelist.  Frankly,  we  can't  either. 
At  least  not  a  Brethren  who  is  really  in- 
terested in  the  church. 

But  in  order  to  continue  this  ministry 
of  information,  we  need  your  help.  You  can 
help  keep  the  Brethren  Evangelist  coming 
to  Brethren  homes 

— by  persuading  other  Brethren  people 

to  subscribe; 
— by  encouraging  your  church  to  include 
the  Publication  Offering  in  its  budget 
and/or  by  recommending  that  a 
special  offering  be  taken  for  the 
Evangelist ; 
— by  sending  a  personal  gift  for  this 
ministry. 

Thank  you  for  your  support. 


524  College  Ave. 
Ashland,  Ohio     44805 


«»|«»j««^«»^«»|«»|«»^««]«»^«»|«»|»»|«»^w»^«»^«»|«»^'»2»»2»»2«»|«»|«'2«»^«»j«'^«'|«'|»»|''2«»2««|''^«»2'«|«»|»»j»»|'»|«»^«»2'«^«»^'»2«»2»»j«»j«»|«»^»»^»»j»'|««|«»2»»j««|»»^«»|«^^ 


NEW  BROCHURE  AVAILABLE 


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focuses  on: 

— Our  History 

— Our  Lifestyle 

— Our  Ministry 

—Our  Faith 

with  an  open  panel  on  back  for 
imprinting*  information  on  your  local 
church. 


Excellent  for  use  in: 
— Visitation 

— ^Introducing  prospects  to  the 
Brethren  Church 

— Helping  members  of  your  church 
gain  a  new  outlook  on  our  life 
and  thought  as  a  church 

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Order  from: 

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"Contact  Ron  Waters  for  details  on   imprinting. 


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Help  Wanted 


Married  couple  (those  with  children  accepted) 
to  accept  a  full-time  relief  houseparent  position 
available  at  a  home  for  troubled  boys  located 
70  miles  southecist  of  Chicago  on  a  rural  105 
acre  Indiana  setting. 

Responsibilities  are  child  care  related  only 
and  include  a  full  package  of  fringe  benefits. 

For  more  information,  please  call  219-956-3125. 
Christian  Haven  Homes,  Rt.  1,  Box  17,  Wheat- 
field,  IN  46392. 


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October 


update 

Ex.  Com.  announces  plan  for  implementing 
phase  1  of  denominational  reorganization 


!    ! 


The  General  Conference  Executive  Committee, 
moving  toward  implementation  of  Phase  I  of  the 
denominational  reorganization  plan — the  establish- 
ment of  a  Director  of  Pastoral  Ministries — 
developed  a  course  of  action  at  its  meeting,  held 
September  28-29  at  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.  The  essence 
of  the  plan  involves  a  gradual  changeover  during 
the  calendar  year  1980,  as  illustrated  by  the  chart. 


day-to-day  affairs  of  the  General  Conference 
office  while  coordinating  the  search  for  and  transi- 
tion to  a  Director  of  Pastoral  Ministries.  That  task  , 
should  be  accomplished  in  time  for  the  new  direc- 
tor to  be  introduced  to  the  1980  General  Confer- 'i 
ence.  The  director  would  then  begin  his  work 
September  1,  1980.  ! 

The   General  Conference  Executive  Committee 


Mr.  John  Rowsey  will  co- 
ordinate the  transition  to  a 
Director  of  Pastoral  Min- 
istries. He  will  work  with 
Rev.  Smith  Rose  until  Rev. 
Rose's  termination  on  March 
31st  and  will  assist  the  new 
Director  of  Pastoral  Minis- 
tries as  he  phases  into  his 
responsibilities  beginning  Sep- 
tember 1st. 


Interim  General 

Conference  Coordinator 

Mr.  John  Rowsey 


Executive 

Secretary 

Rev.  Smith 

Rose 


L 


director 
of 
Elfetoral  Ministries 


■*■■ 


Jan.  1 
1980 


March  31 
1980 


Sept.  1 
1980 


Dec.  31 
1980 


The  Reverend  Smith  Rose  has  indicated  his 
desire  to  conclude  his  role  as  Executive  Secretary 
of  the  Brethren  Church  at  the  end  of  March  1980. 
Until  that  time  he  will  be  assisting  in  the  initial 
reorganization.  Rev.  Rose  will  be  joined  in  his 
office  January  1,  1980,  by  Mr.  John  Rowsey,  who 
will  work  on  a  part-time  basis  as  Interim  General 
Conference  Coordinator.  Rowsey  recently  an- 
nounced the  impending  conclusion  of  his  affilia- 
tion with  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company. 

As   Interim   Coordinator  John   will   handle   the 


Help  Wanted 

Married  couple  (those  with  children  accepted) 
to  accept  a  full-time  relief  houseparent  position 
available  at  a  home  for  troubled  boys  located 
70  miles  southeast  of  Chicago  on  a  rural  105 
acre  Indiana  setting. 

Responsibilities  are  child  care  related  only 
and  include  a  full  package  of  fringe  benefits. 

For  more  information,  please  call  219-956-3125. 
Christian  Haven  Homes,  Rt.  1,  Box  17,  W^heat- 
field,  IN  46392. 


selected  John  Rowsey  as  coordinator  of  the 
transition  effort  because  of  his  in-depth  knowl- 
edge of  Brethren  polity  and  organization.  An 
additional  consideration  was  the  fact  that  John 
is  available  on  a  part-time  basis  throughout  1980 
and  has  a  high  degree  of  flexibility  in  his  personal 
schedule. 

Upon  acceptance  of  the  role  of  Interim  General 
Conference  Coordinator  John  said:  "This  first 
phase  of  our  reorganization  affords  us  an  oppor- 
tunity to  minister  to  the  pastors  and  congregations 
of  our  denomination  in  new  ways  .  .  .  ways  that  i 
we  believe  will  help  us  build  a  stronger  church, 
serving  our  God.  I'm  fortunate  to  be  able  to  play 
a  small  part  in  helping  bring  it  about." 

The  Executive  Committee  is  also  indebted  to 
Rev.  Smith  Rose,  who  volunteered  to  step  aside 
nine  months  prior  to  the  expiration  of  his  contract. 
Rev.  Rose  said  his  only  goal  is  to  cooperate  with 
the  Brethren  "in  any  way  that  I  can  to  help  in 
the  reorganization." 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Executive  Committee, 
scheduled  for  November  23-24,  1979,  in  Ashland, 
the  job  description  of  the  Director  of  Pastoral 
Ministries  will  be  finalized,  and  a  timetable  for 
seeking  applications  and  interviews  will  toe 
established. 

— Rev.  W^illiam  Kerner,  Gen.  Conf.  Moderator 
and  Mr.  Charles  Beekley,  Asst.  Treas. 

The  Brethren  Evangelist 


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T^^^  The    Brethren 


m    ^  ihe    Brethren  ■  I 

bvangelist 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 
(USPS  064-200) 

Editor: 

Richard  C.   Winfield 

Consulting  Editors: 

John  D.  Rowsey 
Ronald  W.  Waters 

Contributing  Editor: 
Alvin  Shifflett 

Editorial  and 
Business  Office: 

524  College  Ave. 
Ashland,  Ohio     44805 
Phone:    (419)    289-2611 

Published  monthly  for  the  Brethren  Church 
by  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,   Ohio  44805. 

One    year    subscription    rates:      $6.00    for 

lOQf/o   church   lists;   $6.50  for  church   lists 

of  5   or  more   names;   $7.00  for   individual 

subscriptions. 

Single-copy  price:      70  cents 

Change  of  address:  Please  notify  us  at 
least  three  weeks  in  advance,  using  the 
form  provided  in  each  issue. 
Authors'  views  are  not  necessarily  those 
of  the  Brethren  Church  or  the  Brethren 
Publishing    Company. 

Queries  and  manuscripts  should  be  ad- 
dressed to  the  editor.  A  writer's  packet 
with  query  tips  is  available  upon  written 
request. 

Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  also  welcome. 
However,  the  publisher  assumes  no 
responsibility  for  return  of  unsolicited 
material  not  accompanied  by  a  stamped, 
self-addressed  envelope. 

Second    class    postage    paid    at 
Ohio. 

Postmaster:      Please    send    Form 
the     Brethren     Publishing     Company, 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 

Member,  Evangelical  Press  Association 


Ashland, 

3579    to 
524 


Cover 

For  the  Beauty  of  the  Earth. 

Every  season  of  the  year  has 
its  beauty  and  declares  the  glory 
of  God,   who  created  it  all. 


Vol.  101,  No.   10 


October  1979 


4     Wednesday  After-School  Special 

Kay  Winfield  walks  you  through  this  unusual  weekday  ministry 
of  the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church. 


Some  Myths  About 

"Finding  God's  Will  for  Your  Life 

James  R.  Coggins  analyzes  some  myths  and  presents  some  prac 
tical  guidelines  for  determining  God's  will  for  our  lives. 


■I 


Special  Feoture:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 
9     Catching  a  Vision  of  What  We  Can  Do 

Larry  R.  Baker  looks  at  what  we  are  doing  and  what  we  could 
do  as  a  Brethren  denomination. 


Ashland  College 

12  Crisis,  Challenge,  Christ 

by  Dr.  Joseph  R.  Shultz 

13  Crisis:     Brethren  Student  Aid 

by  Dr.  Frederick  T.  Burkey 

14  Challenge:     Effective  Campus  Ministry 

by  Dr.  Frederick   T.  Burkey 

15  Crisis,  Challenge,  Opportunity 


Departmen+s 

16  The  Salt  Shaker 

17  Update 

ABOUT  THIS  ISSUE 

Because  of  the  special  Conference  report  in  last  month's  Brethren 
Evangelist,  that  issue  contained  no  "Update"  section,  llierc/orc  this 
month's  issue  includes  an  extended  section  of  news  from  Brethren 
churches.  We  hope  you  will  enjoy  reading;  these  extra  pai^'es  of  "news 
of  the  Brethren." 


October  1979 


by   Kay  Winfield 


WALK  into  the  Park  Street  Brethren 
Church  fellowship  hall  on  a  Wednes- 
day afternoon  with  me.  Before  we  open 
the  door,  we  hear  children's  voices  and  a 
general  commotion. 

Opening  the  door  we  see  the  source  of 
the  noise — fifty  children  busily  involved  in 
a  variety  of  activities.  Out  attention  is 
immediately  drawn  to  a  somewhat  tooth- 
less grinning  youngster  sitting  on  top  of 
a  six-foot  stepladder.  He's  sitting  directly 
below  a  sign  taped  to  the  ceiling  labeled 
"Heaven." 

You  can't  help  but  hear  the  next  group — 
a  table  full  of  shouting  children  furiously 
exchanging  cards.  As  you  watch  you  realize 
that  the  game  they're  playing  is  like  'Tit"; 
however,  the  cards  aren't  oats  and  hay, 
but  contain  God's  promises.  It's  a  wild 
game,  but  according  to  the  players,  defin- 
itely fun! 

The  table  in  the  far  corner  is  a  welcome 
contrast  to  the  game  table.  It's  quiet.  Here 
eight  children  are  wired  for  sound  (wear- 
ing earphones)  and  sixteen  eyes  are  focused 


Mrs.  Winfield  is  an  instructor  in  the  Ashland 
College  Center  for  Eni^dish  Studies.  She  also  assists 
in   the    Wednesday  After-School  Special. 


on  a  filmstrip  of  a  Bible  story.  A  fifth- 
grader  has  pulled  rank  on  the  others  and  is 
operating  the  small  filmstrip  projector. 

Writing  on  the  graffiti  board  against  the 
wall  seems  to  be  a  community  project. 
See  those  older  girls  helping  Angi,  a 
first-grader,  spell  her  dog's  name  — 
SHIVERS.  That's  what  she's  thankful 
for  today.  If  we  come  back  later,  we'll 
probably  see  a  picture  of  Shivers  there 
also. 

Over  there  are  Pastor  Beekley  and 
Robbie,  a  fifth-grader,  still  working  on  a 
Bible  puzzle.  That's  been  a  five-week 
project  for  them.  Robbie  probably  won't 
remember  Rev.  Beekley's  sermons,  but  he 
will  recall  the  hours  they  spent  working 
together  on  that  puzzle. 

"Baaa  .  .  .  Baaa.  .  .  "  Careful,  we  almost 
became  part  of  a  flock  of  sheep!  Those 
sheep  look  deceptively  like  children  in 
sheep's  clothing,  and  the  shepherd  (the  one 
with  the  towel  slipping  over  her  eyes)  like 
my  daughter. 

Let's  not  get  too  close  to  the  craft  table. 
I'm  not  very  talented  at  putting  glitter  on 
walnuts,  are  you?  Instead,  let's  get  away 
from  all  this  activity  and  join  the  little 
girl  looking  at  books  on  the  furry  rug  in 
the  corner. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


From  this  quiet  oasis  you  might  ask,  "Is 
there  a  purpose  and  plan  to  all  this  noisy 
activity?"  Yes,  there  is.  The  purpose  of  this 
program,  called  the  Wednesday  After-School 
Special,  is  to  present  Jesus  Christ  to  these 
children.  The  children  are  not  just  from  the 
Park  Street  congregation,  but  come  from 
many  denominational  backgrounds.  Some 
have  not  received  any  religious  training.  All 
the  children  were  invited  through  the  use 
of  a  flyer*  sent  to  the  neighborhood  elemen- 
tary school. 

Mrs.  Alberta  Holsinger,  who  conceived  and 
directs  the  Wednesday  After-School  Special, 
sees  this  weekday  children's  ministry  as 
having  two  functions.  The  first  is  to  give 
additional  Bible  teaching  to  the  children  of 
the  Park  Street  congregation.  The  second 
is  to  provide  Christian  training  for  neigh- 
borhood children  and  to  draw  the  unchurched 
into  our  fellowship.  These  are  the  purposes 
of  this  program. 

There  is  also  a  plan.  Each  week's  activities 
are  centered  on  a  truth  from  a  Bible  story 
or  passage.  The  truth  is  taught  through 
many  mediums:  games,  filmstrips,  crafts, 
worksheets,  music,  puzzles,  graffiti  boards, 
drama,  and  memorization. 

After  sitting  in  a  highly  structured  class- 
room all  day,  the  children  enjoy  the  freedom 
to  choose  the  activities  they  want  to  take 
part  in.  Some  move  quickly  from  one  to 
another;  others  enjoy  lingering  over  only 
a  few.  The  children  know  that  they  do  not 
need  to  stay  for  the  entire  two  hours. 

The  role  of  the  adult  staff,  stationed  near 
the  activities,  is  not  so  much  to  lead  as  to 
assist.  Sometimes  the  adults  participate  in 
the  activities,  especially  in  the  games  and 
drama.  The  children  seem  to  especially 
appreciate  the  presence  of  men.  Since  this 
is  a  late  afternoon  program,  some  men  on 
shift  work  are  available  to  help.  Retired 
men  with  patience  and  stamina  are  also 
tapped  for  this  special  ministry. 

It's  true  that  some  noise  and  commotion, 
and  sometimes  some  dirt,  go  with  the 
Wednesday  After-School  Special.  Neverthe- 
less, the  purpose  and  plan  of  this  unusual 
weekday  ministry  make  it  very  worthwhile. 
The  Wednesday  After-School  Special  is  an 
invitation  from  the  Park  Street  Brethren 
Church  to 

''Come,  my  young  friends,  and 
listen  to  me, 
and  I  will  teach  you  to  have 
reverence  for  the  Lord." 
Psalm  34:11    (Good  News  Bible) 

*  The  drawing  by  Howard  Mack  on  the  opposite 
page  was  the  flyer  used  to  invite  children  to  the 
Wednesday    After-School    Special. 

October  1979  c 


•        1     • 


Some  Myths 

about 

"Finding  God's 

Will 

tor  Your 

^  Lite" 


drawing  by  Floward  Mack 


WITH  so  many  opportunities  and 
choices  facing  them  in  the  modern 
world,  the  young  people  of  our  present 
generation  have  a  desperate  need  for  guid- 
ance. One  of  the  tenets  of  popular  modern 
theology  developed  to  satisfy  this  need  is 
an  overemphasis  on  "the  will  of  God." 
According  to  this  theology,  God  has  a  plan 
for  every  Christian's  life,  occupation,  place 
of  residence,  life's  partner,  and  even  what 
to  do  this  weekend.  We  are  told  that  it  is 
up  to  the  Christian  to  find  that  plan  and 
fulfill  it. 

This  popular  theology  has  laid  an  oppres- 
sive burden  upon  many  young  Christians. 
They  have  engaged  themselves  in  a  fruitless 
and  agonizing  search  for  "the  plan."  They 
avoid  responsibility  by  expecting  God  to 
tell  them  secrets  that  He  has  not  chosen 
to  reveal.  They  are  unhappy  and  uncertain, 
fearful  that,  even  if  they  have  made  a  good 
decision  or  performed  a  good  deed,  it  may 

Mr.  Coggins  is  a  free-lance  writer  from  Langley, 
British  Columbia. 

This  is  an  Evangelical  Press  Association  syndi- 
cated article.  It  is  presented  to  stimulate  your  think- 
ing. If  you  have  comments  on  this  article  or  views 
on  this  subject  you  would  like  to  share,  please  send 
them  to  the  editor.  The  author's  views  are  not 
necessarily  those  of  the  Brethren  Church  or  the 
Brethren  Publishing  Company. 


by  James    R.   Coggins 

not  have  been  "the  right  decision"  or  "the 
right  deed."  They  are  always  looking  over 
their  shoulders  to  see  if  God  is  going  to 
punish  them  for  not  following  an  unknown 
plan,  an  undisclosed  will. 

Does  God  really  want  us  to  ask  for 
specific  directions  in  every  little  thing? 
And  will  He  tell  us? 

We  are  not  robots.  God  has  given  us 
minds  and  wills.  We  are  a  living  creation. 
Jesus  said,  "I  came  that  they  might  have 
life,  and  might  have  it  abundantly"  (John 
10:10  NASV).  Young  Christians  today  have 
been  taught  to  expect  concrete  divine  direc- 
tion for  every  decision  they  make.  As  a 
result,  they  are  not  free.  They  do  not  know 
how  to  live.  Unless  there  is  a  direct  une- 
quivocal revelation,  commandment,  or  direc- 
tion from  heaven,  in  short,  a  miracle,  they 
have  no  idea  of  how  to  make  a  decision. 

The  popular  theology  which  overempha- 
sizes "the  will  of  God"  is  not  all  bad.  It 
was  developed  to  counter  some  dangerous 
tendencies.  There  was  a  trend  among  many 
people  to  consider  their  jobs,  their  mar- 
riages, and  what  they  did  between  Sunday 
services  to  be  of  no  interest  to  God.  They 
were  free  to  make  money  dishonestly  as 
long  as  they  tithed  on  Sunday.  But  God  is 
vitally  interested  in  such  things.  He  de- 
mands that  our  secular  lives  and  choices  be 
holy,    moral,    honest,    and   loving.    He    has 


6 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


''Just  because  God's  omniscience  is  greater  than  your 
knowledge  will  ever  be,  don't  rely  on  Him  to  hand  you 
all  the  answers  without  effort/' 


given  His  guidelines  for  such  living  in  His 
revealed  will,  the  Bible. 

The  fact  remains,  however,  that  the  pop- 
ular theology  is  based  on  a  misinterpreta- 
tion of  Scripture.  It  results  from  a  mis- 
guided effort  to  reconcile  the  sovereignty 
of  God  with  the  free  will  of  man. 

The    sovereignty   of   Sod 

The  doctrine  of  the  sovereignty  of  God 
says  not  just  that  God  is  able  to  do  any- 
thing but  that  in  fact  He  does  plan  and  do 
everything  that  happens.  It  is  widely  based 
in  Scripture.  We  find  one  of  its  broadest 
expressions  in  Ephesians  1:11:  ''Also  we 
have  obtained  an  inheritance,  having  been 
predestined  according  to  His  purpose  who 
works  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  His 
will."  It  is  equally  evident  from  Scripture 
that  man  has  been  given  a  will  and  the 
responsibility  to  make  decisions  (Deuteron- 
omy 30:19;  Revelation  22:17). 

These  two  biblical  doctrines  constitute  a 
glorious  paradox,  a  truth  that  lies  beyond 
our  comprehension.  "How  unsearchable  are 
His  judgments  and  unfathomable  His 
ways!"  (Romans  11:33).  Too  often  we  fail 
to  marvel  at  the  mysteries  of  God  but  seek 
to  reduce  them  to  the  understanding  of 
man.  In  a  vain  attempt  to  reconcile  and 
understand  this  particular  paradox,  some 
have  altered  the  doctrines.  "God  indeed 
does  have  a  plan  and  purpose  for  every- 
thing," they  say,  "but  the  sinfulness  of 
man  can  thwart  that  purpose.  God  has  a 
plan  for  your  life.  It  is  up  to  you  to  find  it 
and  accept  it." 

Inherent  in  the  biblical  view  is  the  con- 
cept of  the  duality  of  God's  will.  God's 
hidden  will  is  that  by  which  He  plans  and 
carries  out  everything  that  occurs  in  crea- 
tion. Secondly,  there  is  His  revealed  will. 
His  commands  for  holy  living.  We  cannot  do 
otherwise  than  obey  the  hidden  will.  We 
choose  whether  to  obey  His  revealed  will. 

The  popular  tendency  is  to  combine  these 
two  wills,  to  lower  the  hidden  will  from  its 
absolute  nature  and  elevate  the  revealed 
will  to  universality —  and  say  that  they 
are  identical.  The  popular  theology  says 
that  God  has  a  plan  for  every  part  of  one's 
life,  a  plan  that  He  will  reveal.  I  can  find 


no  scriptural  support  for  this  belief. 

The  result  of  the  popular  theology  is 
confusion  and  anguish  as  young  Christians 
seek  pat  answers  instead  of  wisdom  and 
demand  a  direction  that  will  not  be  given. 
They  have  never  learned  to  make  moral, 
just,  holy,  or  rational  decisions. 

For  young  Christians  a  particularly 
thorny  application  of  these  popular  mis- 
conceptions is  in  the  area  of  "finding  God's 
will  for  your  life."  They  are  told,  "You 
should  expect  God's  calling  as  much  if  you 
are  to  be  a  banker  or  teacher  or  garbage 
collector  as  you  should  if  you  are  to  be  a 
missionary."  This  may  sound  pious,  it  may 
increase  the  number  of  missionaries,  but 
it  is  not  scriptural. 

The  term  "vocation"  comes  from  the 
Latin  Voce,  "I  call."  Since  the  Reformation, 
the  "calling"  has  been  taken  as  referring  to 
one's  job  or  worldly  position.  This  is  not  the 
biblical  sense.  In  I  Corinthians  1:26  Paul 
talks  about  the  calling:  "For  consider  your 
call,  brethren,  that  there  were  not  many 
wise  according  to  the  flesh,  not  many 
mighty,  not  many  noble".  The  calling  here 
is  not  one's  occupation.  We  are  not  called 
to  be  wise  or  foolish,  noble  or  common, 
politicians,  doctors,  or  lawyers.  As  I  Corin- 
thians 1:2  makes  clear,  we  all,  doctors, 
lawyers,  and  garbage  collectors,  are  called 
to  be  "saints"  (Christians).  The  only  place 
in  the  New  Testament  where  the  calling 
refers  to  an  occupation  is  Acts  13:2,  where 
Paul  and  Barnabas  are  "called"  to  be  mis- 
sionaries. But  even  on  his  missionary 
journeys  Paul  worked  as  a  tentmaker 
(Acts  18:30). 

Ask  for  wisdom 

James  1:5  says,  "But  if  any  of  you  lack 
wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God,  who  gives  to 
all  men  generously  and  without  reproach, 
and  it  will  be  given  to  him."  This  suggests 
that  we  should  ask  for  wisdom  rather  than 
pat  answers.  The  way  some  Christians  make 
decisions  is  not  wise.  In  fact,  it  is  totally 
irrational.  They  do  not  seek  the  wisest 
course.  Instead,  they  seek  signs  and  fleeces. 

We  should  have  the  courage  to  face  up 
to  our  responsibilities,  to  make  decisions,  to 
live.  "For  God  has  not  given  us  the  spirit 


October  1979 


u 


Unless  you  are  specifically  called  by  God,  don't  choose 
a  job  that  will  not  pay  you  enough  to  live  on  and  depend 
on  God  to  make  up  the  difference/' 


of  timidity,  but  of  power  and  love  and 
discipline"  (II  Timothy  1:7).  But,  no  matter 
how  trivial  the  problem,  we  frequently  pass 
off  the  responsibility  to  God.  This  often 
leaves  us  groping  in  the  dark,  clutching  at 
straws  and  hints  instead  of  analyzing  facts. 
Too  many  Christians,  if  offered  a  job  in 
Timbuktu,  would  not  consider  whether  the 
job  would  satisfy  their  needs,  develop  their 
abilities,  be  useful  to  people,  or  glorify 
God.  Their  decision  would  be  determined  by 
the  color  of  the  envelope  the  offer  came 
in,  whether  it  came  on  a  Thursday,  and 
whether  anyone  has  told  them  lately,  ''You 
know,  you  really  should  move  to  Timbuktu." 
This   is   superstition,   not   Christianity. 


Fl 


eeces   a 


nd 


signs 


Fleeces  and  signs  have  a  place  in  the 
Christian's  life,  but  that  place  is  not  the 
making  of  every  decision  he  faces.  Gideon 
laid  a  fleece  to  seek  direction  for  his  life.  It 
was  not,  however,  to  choose  a  vocation.  (He 
was  a  farmer  before  and  after  his  battle 
against  the  Midianites.)  He  laid  the  fleece 
to  decide  on  a  specific  campaign,  but  he  laid 
the  fleece  only  after  God  had  told  him  to 
undertake  that  campaign.  (Perhaps  this 
was  a  testing  of  the  spirits  similar  to  that 
advocated  in  IJohn  4:1.)  Any  campaign 
undertaken  at  God's  direction  on  behalf  of 
God's  chosen  people  was  of  necessity  a 
spiritual  undertaking.  Moreover,  when 
Gideon  laid  the  fleece,  he  prayed  that  God 
would  use  it  to  give  him  a  sign.  Too  many 
modern  practitioners  not  only  lay  a  fleece 
for  too  many  things,  but  they  do  not  pray. 
They  say,  ''If  God  wants  me  to  do  this,  such 
and  such  will  happen."  And  they  never 
ask  God!  The  prayer  of  faith  will  be  an- 
swered (James  5:15),  but  God  has  not 
promised  to  honor  our  assumptions.  (Inci- 
dentally, we  should  never  doubt  the  power 
of  a  loving  God  to  circumvent  our  carefully 
considered  machinations  and  give  an  inclu- 
sive answer  to  an  inappropriate  or  uncalled- 
for  fleece.) 

This  search  for  signs  and  a  will  that  has 
not  been  revealed  can  also  transform  Chris- 
tians into  a  race  of  quitters,  a  people  who 
lack  determination  and  discipline.  When  the 
going  gets  tough,  the  tough  get  going.  We 


give  up  in  the  face  of  adversity.  It  is  almost 
a  doctrine  among  some  Christians  that,  if 
circumstances  hinder  them,  if  things  do  not 
run  smoothly  from  the  first,  "it  must  not  be 
God's  will" — and  they  quit.  Perhaps  we 
could  call  this  doctrine  the  perversity  of 
the  saints.  It  is  not  a  biblical  concept: 
Paul  and  Barnabas  told  new  Christians, 
"Through  many  tribulations  we  must  enter 
the  kingdom  of  God"   (Acts  14:22). 

The  quitting  attitude  is  well  illustrated 
in  a  story  told  by  a  friend  of  mine.  A  group 
of  young  people  were  debating  whether  to 
start  out  on  a  trip  in  the  middle  of  a  mild 
snowstorm.  "Well,"  said  one  girl,  "let's  go 
down  to  the  car.  If  it  doesn't  start,  it  must 
mean  that  we're  not  supposed  to  go."  Any 
normal  person,  remarked  my  friend,  would 
have  had  it  repaired  and  gone  anyway. 

One  of  the  purposes  of  man  is  to  glorify 
God.  There  is  nothing  so  glorious  in  creation 
as  the  mature,  rational,  courageous,  com- 
mitted man  accomplishing  terrestrial  won- 
ders. How  do  we  glorify  God  by  denying 
our  God-given  reason,  our  powers,  and  our 
maturity  and  by  whining  for  direction  on 
how  to  cook  our  beans? 

How   should   we    make   decisions? 

It  would  be  dangerous  and  misleading  to 
leave  the  impression  that  God  never,  or 
even  rarely,  gives  specific  guidance.  But  it 
is  equally  misleading  to  demand  that  He 
always  give  it.  How  then  should  Christians 
make  their  decisions?  Here  are  some 
suggestions : 

1.  Seek  relevant  infoFmation — and  seek 
diligently.  Use  your  energies  to  seek  infor- 
mation instead  of  signs.  Just  because  God's 
omniscience  is  greater  than  your  knowledge 
will  ever  be,  don't  rely  on  Him  to  hand  you 
all  the  answers  without  effort.  Ignorance 
is  not  a  virtue. 

2.  Obey  God's  revealed  will  in  the  Bible. 
Don't  pray  for  guidance  on  whether  to  take 
an  immoral,  dishonest,  or  illegal  job.  You 
have  already  got  it.  Study  the  Bible  and 
make  sure  you  know  what  it  says.  Study  it 
prayerfully,  rationally,  thoroughly,  and 
consecutively.  Don't  seek  a  verse  out  of 
context  to  solve  your  immediate  dilemma. 

3.  Make  rational  decisions  based  on  the 


h 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


evidence  and  on  the  absolute  moral  law  of 
God.  If  you  have  talents  and  they  do  not 
conflict  with  your  responsibihties,  develop 
them.  If  you  love  her  (or  him)  and  are 
compatible,  if  your  motives  are  good,  marry 
her.  (The  Bible  tells  us  a  lot  about  how  to 
love  a  wife  but  practically  nothing  on  how 
to  choose  one.  Maybe  the  latter  is  not  im- 
portant.) If  you  don't  know  if  you  love  her, 
don't  expect  someone  else  to  tell  you. 

4.  Don*t  make  stupid  decisions  or  avoid 
making  decisions  by  "waiting"  until  it  is 
too  late  on  the  assumption  that  God  will 
fix  up  everything  if  you  are  wrong.  It  is 
true  that  ''God  causes  all  things  to  work 
together  for  good  to  those  who  love  God, 
to  those  who  are  called  according  to  his 
purpose"  (Romans  8:28).  But  one  of  those 
things  that  is  supposed  to  be  working  is 
you!  (Cf.  Proverbs  6:6-11.)  You  have  a 
responsibility  to  earn  a  living  in  this  world. 


Unless  you  are  specifically  called  by  God, 
don't  choose  a  job  that  will  not  pay  you 
enough  to  live  on  and  depend  on  God  to 
make  up  the  difference. 

5.  Emulate  Balaam's  ass.  Keep  an  eye 
out  for  angels.  But  remember,  it  is  angels 
you  are  looking  for,  not  rocks  or  mountains. 
Prophets  should  be  able  to  recognize  angels. 
Balaam  could  not  see  the  angel  because 
he  was  deliberately  disobeying  a  command 
of  God. 

6.  Don't  omit  to  pray  for  guidance,  direc- 
tion, and  blessing.  "Every  good  thing 
bestowed  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from 
above,  coming  down  from  the  Father  of 
lights"  (James  1:17).  Acknowledge  it.  "The 
steps  of  a  good  man  are  established  by 
the  Lord."  After  you  have  prayed  and  made 
a  decision,  believe  it.  But  don't  depend  on 
bricks  from  heaven.  Too  many  bricks  can 
incapacitate  the  brain.  □ 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


Catching  a  Vision 
of  What  We  Can  Do 


M 


ANY  Brethren  look  at  our  denomina- 
tion's decreases  in  membership  and 
attendance  and  are  worried.  We  should  be! 
But  Brethren  need  to  look  beyond  that  to 
what  we  are  doing  in  the  United  States 
and  around  the  world.  And  we  need  to 
catch  a  vision  of  what  we  can  be  doing 
tomorrow  with  God's  help  if  we  will  humble 
ourselves  and  pray  and  seek  God's  face  and 
turn  from  our  wicked  or  unrighteous  ways. 
Some  people  emphasize  that  the  Brethren 
Church  only  has  15,082  members  and  that 
some    individual    congregations    of    other 


Rev.  Baker  is  pastor  of  the  First  Brethren 
Church  of  South  Bend,  Ind.  He  is  also  the  national 
statistician  for  the  Brethren  Church.  Much  of 
the  information  in  the  first  part  of  this  article 
("What  we  are  doing")  was  presented  in  his  statis- 
tician's report  at  General  Conference. 


by   Larry   R.   Baker 

denominations  have  a  membership  of  that 
many  people.  That  statement  may  be  true 
of  a  handful  of  super  churches,  but  these 
congregations  cannot  do  what  the  Brethren 
Church  is  doing  today!  Let  me  tell  you  a 
few  of  these  things! 

What  we  are  doing 

1)  The  Brethren  have  123  congregations 
across  the  United  States  in  9  districts  and 
in  18  States  and  the  District  of  Columbia. 

2)  The  Brethren  presently  support  eight 
missionary  famiUes  and  mission  work  in 
six  countries. 

3)  The  Brethren  are  soundly  biblical  and 
evangelical.  We  accept  the  Bible  as  God's 
Word  and  Jesus  Christ  as  God's  Son  and 
the  Lord  of  our  lives. 

4)  The  Brethren  are  members  of  the 
National   Association   of   Evangelicals,    an 


October  1979 


I  i 


''We  need  to  thank  God  for  what  He  has  done  in  and 
through  us,  and  we  need  to  continue  to  move  out  in 
faith  for  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ!'' 


organization  that  does  much  to  present  a 
strong  evangelical  voice  in  Washington, 
D.C.,  and  throughout  our  country. 

5)  The  Brethren  contribute  over  $30,000 
annually  to  the  World  Relief  Corporation 
of  N.A.E.,  besides  donations  to  individuals, 
community  agencies,  and  other  relief  agen- 
cies such  as  World  Vision. 

6)  The  Brethren  operate  a  Summer  Cru- 
sader program  with  over  30  high  school 
and  college  students  involved  annually.  This 
program  provides  both  services  to  the  local 
churches  and  opportunities  for  ministry 
and  spiritual  growth  for  these  students. 

7)  The  Brethren  are  involved  in  some 
manner  in  the  operation  of  two  retirement 
facilities  and  nursing  homes  and  in  the 
planning  and  construction  of  two  more. 

8)  The  Brethren  have  begun  six  new 
churches  in  the  past  three  to  four  years. 

9)  The  Brethren  operate  and  support  a 
church-related  seminary,  Ashland  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  that  not  only  trains  our 
own  Brethren  pastors  and  leaders  but  pro- 
vides training  for  many  other  evangelical 
pastors  as  well. 

10)  The  Brethren  operate  and  support 
a  church-related  college,  Ashland  College, 
that  is  providing  quality  education  for 
many  Brethren   and   non-Brethren  adults. 

11)  The  Brethren  contribute  $3,500,000 
per  year  to  the  ministry  of  the  Brethren 
churches,  and  we  have  property  holdings 
in  excess  of  $20,000,000. 

12)  The  Brethren  publish  a  denomina- 
tional magazine.  The  Brethren  Evangelist, 
that  contains  both  spiritual  and  intellectual 
substance  that  faces  today's  life  situations 
from  a  Christian  perspective. 

13)  The  Brethren  operate  a  Christian 
bookstore,  the  Carpenter's  Shop. 

14)  The  Brethren  operate  a  publishing 
company  to  meet  our  printing  needs  and  the 
needs  of  others  in  the  Ashland  area. 

15)  The  Brethren  are  involved  in  two 
mission-related  educational  ministries.  Riv- 
erside Christian  Training  School  in  the 
mountains  of  Kentucky  and  a  Christian 
education  laboratory  and  outreach  in  St. 
Petersburg,  Florida,  called  Brethren  House. 

16)  The  Brethren  have  an  organization 
for  the  training,  maturation,  and  encour- 


10 


agement   of   our   Sunday   school   teachers  I 
called  the  Association  of  Brethren  Church 
Teachers.  This  association  provides  news- 
letters,   materials,    and   workshops   across 
the  denomination. 

17)  The  Brethren  have  national,  district, 
and  local  organizations  for  their  youth, 
men,  and  women. 

18)  The  Brethren  have  at  least  20  stu- 
dents training  for  ministry  at  this  moment 
in  colleges  and  seminaries. 

19)  The  Brethren  have  people  willing  to 
relocate  and  become  ''tentmakers"  to  help 
begin  new  Brethren  churches  in  the  U.S.A. 

20)  The    Brethren    own   five    camps   in 
various   parts   of  the  U.S.A.   and  operate  | 
camps    in   all    districts,    thus    providing   a  - 
summer  camping  experience  for  our  chil- 
dren and  youth. 

21)  The  Brethren  have  various  radio 
ministries  across  the  U.S.  The  most  widely 
circulated  of  these  is  'The  Brethren  Hour," 
with  Dr.  J.  D.  Hamel,  produced  by  the  First 
Brethren  Church  of  Sarasota,  Florida. 

22)  The  Brethren  have  national  church- 
es in  Nigeria,  India,  Malaysia,  Argentina, 
Colombia,  and  Mexico  that  could  add  many, 
many  more  ministries  to  this  list. 

For    a    denomination    of    15,082    we   do  i 
extremely    well    humanly    speaking.    Men 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


'The  Brethren  could  be  one  of  God's  instruments  to 
help  turn  our  country  and  the  world  upside  down  with 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ/' 


have  had  more  and  done  a  lot  less  with  it. 
We  need  to  thank  God  for  what  He  has 
done  in  and  through  us,  and  we  need  to 
continue  to  move  out  iii  faith  for  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ! 

We  have  done  well,  but  the  task  of  reach- 
ing the  lost  world  is  still  unfinished.  It  will 
require  all  of  our  resources,  time,  and 
people.  We  must  invest  all  that  we  have  as 
local  churches  and  as  a  denomination  into 
following  Jesus'  command  to  make  disciples 
of  all  people.  We  must  not  be  content  with 
''just  holding  the  fort,"  because  Jesus  said: 

//  any  one  wishes  to  come  after  Me,  let 
him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross,  and 
follow  Me.  For  whoever  wishes  to  save  his 
life  shall  lose  it;  but  whoever  loses  his  life 
for  My  sake  shall  find  it.  .  .  .  For  the  Son 
of  Man  is  going  to  come  in  the  glory  of  His 
Father  with  His  angels;  and  will  then  recom- 
pense every  man  according  to  his  deeds. 
(Matthew   16:24-27  NASB.) 

As  we  look  ahead  with  faith  at  what  God 
wants  the  Brethren  Church  to  accomplish 
in  the  next  few  years,  let's  consider  some 
possibilities. 


What  we  can  do 


1)  The  Brethren  could  continue  to  plant 
churches  in  the  ''sunbelt"  of  the  U.S.,  as 
well  as  in  other  rapidly  growing  areas  such 
as  the  Rocky  Mountain  region.  We  could 
catch  a  burden  and  vision  for  church 
planting.  (We  must  do  this  in  order  to  do 
the  following.) 

2)  The  Brethren  could  continue  to  ex- 
pand their  mission  outreach,  especially  in 
the  Americas  from  Mexico  to  the  tip  of 
South  America. 

3)  The  Brethren  work  with  the  Chinese 
in  Malaysia  could  eventually  lead  us  to  the 
mainland  of  China  with  the  gospel. 

4)  The  Brethren  could  produce  television 
spots  and  programs  from  the  studios  of 
Ashland  College.  Some  of  these  could  be 
used  as  public  service  announcements 
calling  attention  to  the  social  problems  of 
our  day.  Others  could  be  used  as  advertis- 


ing for  local  congregations.  One  program 
could  be  a  children's  program  using 
muppets. 

5)  The  Brethren  through  local  churches 
could  establish  counseling  centers  to  aid  the 
many  troubled  people  in  our  country  who 
need  a  caring  person  to  listen  to  them. 

6)  The  Brethren  could  put  together  a 
national  advertising  campaign  to  make 
people  more  aware  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
and  the  Brethren  Church. 

7)  The  Brethren  could  operate  radio 
stations  or  produce  radio  programs  that 
offer  a  Christian  alternative  to  the  depress- 
ing music  and  the  traditional  organ-type 
hymns  presented  by  many  Christian  sta- 
tions today. 

8)  The  Brethren  could  develop  and  im- 
prove their  local  Christian  education  pro- 
grams to  meet  the  needs  of  many  more 
people. 

9)  The  Brethren  could  establish  a  pro- 
gram for  retired  Christians  who  want  to 
serve  their  Lord  in  home  and  foreign 
missions  and  in  other  programs  of  the 
church.  These  people  are  a  tremendous 
untapped  resource. 

10)  The  Brethren  could  continue  to 
develop  tangible  ways  for  children,  youth, 
and  adults  to  express  their  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ  and  to  serve  Him  in  meaningful 
ministry. 

11)  The  Brethren  could  be  one  of  God's 
instruments  to  help  turn  our  country  and 
the  world  upside  down  with  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ! 

The  list  is  endless!  These  need  not  be 
idle  dreams.  They  can  be  faith  projections 
for  the  Brethren.  Many  ministries  in  which 
we  are  involved  today  did  not  seem  possible 
ten  years  ago.  We  know  that  all  things  are 
possible  through  Jesus!  We  are  limited 
only  by  our  lack  of  faith. 

Brethren,  let  us  be  willing  to  grasp  the 
vision  of  God  for  the  Brethren  Church! 
Let  us  commit  ourselves  to  God,  take  stock 
of  our  resources,  organize  in  unity  and  love, 
set  faith  goals,  make  plans  to  reach  those 
goals,  and  deploy  every  available  material 
and  spiritual  resource  to  accomplish  God's 
work  until  Jesus  comes!  D 


October  1979 


11 


ashland  college 


Crisi 


risis 


GhdII 


enge 


Christ 


Dr.  Joseph  R.  Shiiltz 

/CHRISTIANITY  is  an  "incarnation" 
V-^  religion.  Christ  the  Messiah  came  from 
h3aven  and  was  incarnated  in  human  flesh 
in  the  world.  All  other  religions  try  to 
remove  their  gods  from  the  world  to  keep 
them  clean.  Christ  came  to  take  upon 
himself  the  *'sins  of  the  world." 

Therefore,  the  Christian  movement, 
through  the  example  of  Christ,  is  in  the 
world  experiencing  the  crises  of  society. 
The  social  crises  of  the  world  are  of  ephic 
proportions.  As  a  result,  the  college  and 
the  church  are  both  affected  in  one  way 
or  another. 

Two  chief  factors  contribute  to  the  crises 
of  our  age.  One  of  these  is  the  vast  con- 
centration of  power — which  is  either  under 
capitalism  or  communism.  Because  of  this 
concentration  of  power,  social  evil  is  man- 
ifested on  a  larger  scale.  Human  pride, 
greed,  and  cruelty  to  persons  continually 
emerge.  An  aspect  of  this  crisis  is  the 
momentum  or  inertia  of  huge  organizations, 
which  diminishes  their  ability  to  act  morally 
and  accountably. 

The  second  factor  is  that  society,  as  a 
whole  dominated  by  technology,  is  likewise 
more  controlled  by  a  momentum  of  its  own 
than  in  previous  years.  While  technology 
enables  men  to  use  nature  to  greater 
human  benefit,  it,  at  the  same  time,  in- 
creases the  possibilities  for  destruction. 

Ashland  College — a  liberal  arts  college 
related  to  the  Brethren  Church — lives  in 
this  world.  The  yearning  for  the  ideal 
situation  and  the  "good  old  days"  is  unreal. 
The  ideal  situation  does  not  exist.  God  has 
called  us  to  this  day — knowing  full  well 
what     this     day     in     history     was     like 


by  Dr.  Joseph  R.  Shul+z 

Ashland   College   Interim   President 


even  before  the  foundation  of  the  world. 
The  crises  of  society,  in  part,  have  become 
the  crises  of  the  college  and  the  church. 

What  is  our  response  to  these  crises? 
While  visiting  one  of  the  trustees  I  noticed 
a  sign  on  the  wall  next  door.  It  said, 
"Problems  are  but  challenges  in  work 
clothes."  Paul  admonishes  us,  ".  .  .  in  due 
season  we  shall  reap,  if  we  faint  not." 
Winston  Churchill  gave  this  message  to 
his  boyhood  prep  school:  "Never  give  up 
.  .  .  never,  never,  never!" 

How  does  the  Brethren  Church  minister 
through  its  liberal  arts  college?  (1)  Spirit- 
ually. By  prayer  and  encouragement;  by 
sustaining  the  spirit ;  by  upholding  the  good 
and  employing  the  gospel  with  the  bad;  by 
faith,  hope,  and  love — the  greatest  gifts  of 
the  Spirit.  (2)  Financially.  God's  love  was 
proven  in  the  gift  of  his  Son;  God's  spirit 
was  shown  in  creation.  Prayer  and  spiritual 
"best  wishes"  without  gifts  must  be 
brought  into  question. 

The  Ashland  College  Offering  is  the 
church's  means  to  give  to  the  operation 
of  the  college.  This  is  a  long-standing  tra- 
dition of  the  Brethren  Church  and  Ashland 
College.  Please  consider  doubling  your 
offering. 

The  Christian  Campus  Ministry  plus 
student  scholarships  are  a  direct  way  for 
the  Brethren  Church  to  contribute  to  the 
life  and  heart  of  Ashland  College. 

God  has  never  called  us  to  a  work  for 
which  he  hasn't  also  provided  the  resources. 
The  resources  are  in  your  hands.  May  your 
gifts  be  used  for  the  "incarnate"  work  of 
the  church  on  the  college  campus. 

Thank  you  for  your  support.  Q 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Crisis:  Brethren  Student  Aid 


FOR  more  than  a  decade,  the  youth  of 
the  Brethren  Church  have  occupied  a 
significant  place  in  my  Hfe  and  work.  I  have 
received  great  satisfaction  from  seeing 
dozens  of  our  finest  Brethren  youth  mature 
into  responsible  church  men  and  women. 

Since  1970,  more  than  130  of  the 
churches'  promising  young  people  have 
invested  at  least  one  summer  in  the 
Crusader/Internship  program.  Many  of 
them  devoted  two  or  more  summers  to 
various  Christian  ministries.  A  high  per- 
centage of  those  who  served  committed 
their  lives  to  some  form  of  Christian  ser- 
vice. For  many,  the  fulfillment  of  this 
commitment  required  college  training. 

Fortunately,  the  Brethren  Church  has 
maintained  a  relationship  with  Ashland 
College  since  the  school  was  founded  in 
1878.  In  recent  years,  an  increasing  num- 
ber of  Brethren  families  have,  at  consid- 
erable cost,  sent  their  children  to  Ashland 
College.  Since  the  academic  year  1976-77, 
the  number  of  Brethren  students  has  grown 
from  27  to  more  than  50  in  the  current 
year.  Many  have  come  as  a  direct  result 
of  the  Crusader/Internship  program  and 
the  commitments  they  made  while  in 
Christian  service.  Others  have  come  be- 
cause their  friends  had  enrolled.  Still  others 
have  come  because  they  compared  and 
found  that  Ashland  offers  superior  aca- 
demic programs. 

Whatever  their  reasons  for  coming,  this 
growing  core  of  students  is  important  both 
to  the  church  and  to  the  college.  For  the 
church,  they  represent  potential  leaders 
who  are  frequently  exposed  to  the  challenge 
of  Christian  ministry.  Today,  we  have  more 
prospective  Brethren  missionaries  on 
campus  than  the  church  has  produced  in 
many  years.  The  same  can  also  be  said  of 

Dr.  Burkey  is  Director  of  Religious  Affairs  and 
Campus  Ministry  for  Ashland  College. 


by   Dr.    Frederick  T.    Burkey 

prospects  for  pastoral  and  Christian  educa- 
tion ministries.  For  the  college,  they  repre- 
sent a  desirable  influence  amid  a  highly 
diverse  student  body. 

Because  both  the  church  and  the  college 
benefit  from  the  enrollment  at  Ashland 
of  as  many  Brethren  students  as  possible, 
I  feel  we  must  issue  an  S.O.S.!  In  this  case 
the  S.O.S.  stands  for  SUPPORT  OUR 
STUDENTS.  This  year  you  can  designate 
any  part  of  your  Ashland  College  Offering 
for  Brethren  Student  Scholarships.  Funds 
so  designated  will  be  deposited  in  a  special 
college  account.  Half  will  be  invested;  half 
will  be  available  for  immediate  award  to 
deserving  undergraduate  students.  Awards 
will  be  decided  by  the  Campus  Ministry 
Advisory  Council,  appointed  by  General 
Conference. 

Church  support  is  badly  needed  now!  A 
full-time  resident  student  faces  annual  fees 
totaling  $5,495.00.  Naturally,  we  are  doing 
everything  we  can  to  help  our  students 
secure  financial  aid  in  the  form  of  grants 
and  scholarships,  college  work-study,  loans, 
and  part-time  employment.  Even  so,  the 
costs  are  burdensome  for  most. 

At  the  present  time,  the  total  of  church- 
endowed  awards  for  Brethren  students 
yields  only  $2,690.00  per  year,  or  about 
nine-tenths  of  one  percent  of  the  total  need 
of  our  students.  So  I  think  the  S.O.S.  is  in 
order. 

It  is  our  hope  that,  over  the  next  few 
years,  a  sizable  fund  can  be  accumulated 
to  help  our  young  people  cross  the  first 
great  hurdle  in  fulfilling  their  Christian 
commitment — completion  of  a  college  de- 
gree. You  can  help  by  designating  any  part 
of  your  Ashland  College  Offering  for 
''Brethren  Student  Financial  Assistance." 
Such  contributions  should  be  directed  to: 
Office  of  Religious  Affairs,  Ashland  Col- 
lege, Ashland,  Ohio  44805,  to  insure  proper 
crediting. 

We  hope  you  will  respond  to  our  S.O.S.  D 


October  1979 


13 


ashland  college 


Challenge: 

Effective   Campus   Ministry 


AMERICAN  YOUTH  are  heading  into  a 
moral  and  ethical  morass  when  they 
enter  most  colleges  and  universities.  So  the 
prestigious  Carnegie  Council  on  Policy 
Studies  in  Higher  Education  asserts  in  a 
blistering  report  of  its  findings  in  a  nation- 
wide survey  of  public  and  private  colleges 
and  universities. 

In  sum,  the  Carnegie  report  says  that 
cheating,  stealing,  misuse  of  financial  aid, 
grade  inflation,  and  misleading  advertising 
constitute  an  ethical  crisis  that  is  under- 
mining academic  life.  To  various  degrees, 
"most  institutions  of  higher  education" 
were  included  in  the  charge. 

Much  of  this  growing  problem  can  be 
traced  to  declining  enrollments.  Because 
higher  education  has  become  a  big  business 
dependent  on  both  increasing  enrollments 
and  government  money,  compromises  in 
quality  apparently  seem  justifiable  to  most 
institutions.  The  result,  for  many  colleges, 
has  been  a  lowering  of  academic  and  be- 
havioral standards  to  ''keep  the  bodies  in 
school"  so  the  business  can  go  on.  This  is 
a  nation-wide  phenomenon. 


by   Dr.   Frederick  T.   Burkey 

The  struggle  to  achieve  balance  among 
moral,  ethical,  academic,  spiritual,  and 
financial  considerations  is  an  enormous, 
ongoing  battle.  Ashland  College  is  not 
exempted  from  this  struggle  .  .  .  we  have 
our  share  of  battles  to  fight. 

One  of  the  most  difficult  aspects  of 
developing  an  effective  campus  ministry  is 
the  appalling  religious  ignorance  among 
today's  students.  'Weird"  is  the  best  word 
to  describe  many  students'  perceptions  of 
the  Christian  faith.  Many  come  from  homes 
with  no  religious  influence  at  all.  Others' 
views  are  warped  by  the  religious  "odd- 
balls" they  have  seen  on  television  or  met 
on  the  street.  It  is  apparent  that  they  have 
encountered  little  "normal  Christianity"  as 
expressed  by  people  living  out  their  faith. 
In  that  sense,  our  campus  is  probably  a 
representative  cross-section  of  American 
life.  It  is  a  mission  field,  an  opportunity  for 
the  church  and  college  to  cooperate  in  the 
education  of  the  whole  person  in  body,  mind, 
and  spirit. 

The  Brethren-sponsored  Campus  Minis- 
try is  making  headway  in  meeting  the  spir- 


al C  student  Jim  Amstutz  (center) 

makes  a  point  during  a  discussion 

led  by  Jim  Miller  (right),  while 

Kelly  St  ran  ford  looks  on.  Jim 

Miller,  a  student  at  Ashland 

Theological   Seminary,    is   also 

Assistant  to  the  Director  cf 

Religious  Affairs  at  AC  and 

Coordinator  of  Men's  Ministries. 


14 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


pc: 

TW-iliBfr-       -A-^, 

*?*** 

£.' 

^ 

,♦     (f^* 

^ 

.    ,     X  ^4" 

^-  ^r 

Judy  Gifford,  Assistant  to  the  Director  of 
Religious  Affairs  and  Coordinator  of  Women's 
Ministries,  talks  with  Emery  Herd,  last  year's  AC 
valedictorian  who  is  now  a  student  at  Ashland 
Theological  Seminary. 


itual  needs  at  Ashland  College.  We  are 
reaching  out  in  a  variety  of  ways :  through 
recreation,  education,  worship,  counseling, 
writing,  and  just  plain  caring. 

To  enhance  our  effectiveness,  we  are 
trying  to  raise  funds  to  remodel  the  base- 
ment of  Memorial  Chapel  into  a  "campus 
Christian  center."  We  are  also  arranging 
a  counseling  program  for  troubled  students 
and  exploring  new  ways  of  opening  com- 


munication with  students. 

We  are  fortunate  to  have  the  Brethren 
Church's  support  for  this  ministry.  It  fills 
a  vital  need.  We  have  outstanding  people 
in  Judy  Gifford  and  Jim  Miller,  who  are 
both  capable  teachers  and  counselors.  Also, 
the  Dean  of  Students  Office  has  employed 
four  persons  from  the  Coalition  for  Chris- 
tian Outreach,  who  assist  our  regular  staff 
in  campus  ministry. 

So,  while  there  are  problems,  the  Campus 
Ministry  team  is  responding  to  the  chal- 
lenge. There  is  good  reason  for  optimism, 
for  we  see  progress  in  many  areas  of  our 
work.  We  thank  the  church  for  supporting 
this  important  student  service.  D 


AC  Enrollmenf  Up 

The  total  fall  enrollment  for  Ashland  College 
and  Ashland  Theological  Seminary  is  2,510 
students.  This  is  an  increase  of  221  over  the  fall 
of  1978. 

Programs  contributing  significantly  to  this 
increase  are  the  Master  s  in  Business  Adminis- 
tration, Master  s  in  Education,  and  combined 
seminary  programs.  On-campus  enrollment  is 
1,473. 

The  increased  enrollment  is  on-target  for  the 
1979-80  college  budget.  This  factor  and  positive 
working  relationships  between  faculty,  students, 
staff,  and  administration  promises  a  successful 
and  significant  academic  year. 


Crisis,  Challenge,  Opportunity 


Today  Ashland  College  faces  both 
"crisis"  and  "challenge."  But  we  are 
confident  that  God  is  fully  in  control 
and  that  He  still  has  an  educational 
mission  for  us. 

Young  people  need  to  be  infornned 
about  the  faith  and  given  opportunities 
to  practice  it.  This  is  acconnplished 
through  the  Campus  Ministry  progrann. 

Workers  are  needed  for  God's  har- 
vest .  .  .  the  fields  are  white.  Scholar- 
ship funds  will  help  equip  the  workers. 

A   training    center    is    essential   to    a 


growing  church.  Since  1878,  Ashland 
College  has  been  our  school,  educating 
pastors,  nnissionaries,  teachers,  busi- 
nessmen and  women,  artists,  and 
scientists.  For  more  than  a  century, 
Ashland  College  has  been  a  far- 
reaching  ministry  of  the  Brethren 
Church.  Contributions  for  current  op- 
erations will  help  secure  its  future. 

General  Conference  has  established 
a  goal  of  $5.00  per  member  in  support 
of  our  educational  ministry.  Your  par- 
ticipation is  needed! 


October  1979 


15 


the  salt  shaker 


by  Alvin  Shifflett 


r 


,■»      « 


>  •  • . 


:  >  A  nuts  and  bolts  approach  to  the  subject  of  free  will. 


Skeptics,  Robots,  and  Free  Will 


THE  SKEPTIC  yells,  "Why  did  God  give 
us  free  will?"  Even  the  skeptic  has 
learned  that  free  will  is  a  blessing  and  a 
curse. 

But  if  God  hadn't  created  us  with  free 
will,  where  would  we  be?  We'd  all  be 
marionettes,  like  Pinocchio,  or  puppets  on 
a  string.  No  one  would  be  out  of  step,  but 
we'd  be  like  dummies,  saying  only  what  the 
ventriloquist  makes  us  say.  Is  that  what 
the  skeptic  wants?  I  think  not.  Neither 
does  God.  I  think  the  skeptic  enjoys  his 
free  will  just  as  much  as  the  Christian. 

Here  is  how  I  see  it.  Suppose  a  brilliant 
scientist  builds  two  fantastic  robots.  He 
names  them  Adam  and  Eve.  These  robots 
are  built  to  serve  the  scientist,  but  being  a 
benevolent  person  he  has  programmed  with- 
in them  the  ability  to  choose.  Most  unusual. 
He  has  also  programmed  within  them  many 
of  his  own  characteristics — goodness,  intel- 
ligence, love,  etc. — although  they  possess 
these  traits  to  a  far  less  degree  than  he. 
These  traits  are  merely  the  scientist's 
fingerprints  upon  the  robots'  parts.  By  far 
the  most  important  trait  is  free  will — the 
ability  to  move  in  any  direction,  to  make 
choices. 

The  inevitable  happens.  The  robots  rebel 
and  move  away  from  the  master-scientist. 
Now  they're  on  their  own.  But  these  robots 
are  smart.  They  soon  build  other  robots. 
And  it  is  quite  evident,  as  time  wears  on, 
that  some  robots  are  good  and  others  are 
bad.  But  always  a  minority  give  allegiance 
to  the  master-scientist. 

The  good  ones  plead  with  the  others  to 
choose  the  right  way,  mostly  to  no  avail. 
The  robots  love  their  freedom  more  than 
their  master-scientist.  Some  say,  '*A  robot 
should  enjoy  life  to  the  fullest  while  his 
computer  lasts." 


On  occasion  one  robot  rises  up  and 
smashes  the  nuts  and  bolts  of  another  one. 
Finally,  laws  have  to  be  made,  as  things 
get  out  of  hand.  ''Whosoever  shall  drain 
the  oil  of  a  robot,  of  him  shall  his  oil  be 
drained,"  is  established.  Later  on  it  is 
taught,  under  the  Robotic  Code,  ''Nut  for 
nut  and  bolt  for  bolt." 

Some  of  the  more  intelligent  robots  de- 
velop their  own  theories  and  teach  them 
to  others:  "We  have  evolved  from  nuts  and 
bolts.  It  all  began  in  a  pool  of  oil,  and  over 
the  course  of  time  there  came  together  a 
primitive  robot,  who  could  do  none  of  the 
things  we  do  today."  Others  become  doctor 
robots  and  give  oil  transfusions,  even 
reaching  the  point  where  they  transplant 
parts  from  defunct  robots.  But  eventually 
every  robot  wears  out  and  goes  to  the  place 
where  all  robots  go — the  junkyard. 

Finally,  the  master-scientist  does  the 
ultimate.  It's  unbelievable!  He  makes  him- 
self into  a  robot  to  save  robot-kind  from 
sure  annihilation.  He  teaches  them,  "You 
have  heard  it  said,  nut  for  nut  and  bolt 
for  bolt.  But  I  say  unto  you,  resist  not  evil. 
Whosoever  shall  smite  you  on  your  right 
bolt  turn  to  him  your  left  as  well."  He  even 
suggests  that  all  violence  begins  in  one's 
own  computer.  Finally,  they  can  take  it  no 
longer.  They  kill  him.  That  ends  it. 

But  no,  it  doesn't!  The  master-scientist 
had  programmed  himself  to  come  back  to 
life.  He  rises  from  the  junkyard  and  re- 
turns to  his  office.  His  followers  carry  on, 
awaiting  his  promised  return.  In  fact,  they 
pray  for  his  return,  for  that  will  mean  an 
end  to  all  rebellion.  And  when  the  master- 
scientist  returns,  that'll  be  it.  The  conclu- 
sion of  the  story.  The  moment  he  walks  out 
of  his  office  and  into  the  workshop,  the 
world  will  end.  The  nuts  and  bolts  will 
fly.  D 


16 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


UPDATE 


news   from   the   Brethren   Church 


Dutchtown  breaks  ground  for  new  sanctuary 


Warsaw,  Ind. — The  Dutchtown 
Brethren  Church,  situated  seven 
miles  northeast  of  Warsaw, 
Ind.,  broke  ground  on  July  29, 
1979,  for  the  construction  of  a 
new  sanctuary.  The  new  build- 
ing will  be  an  extension  of  the 
present  church  facilities. 

The  new  structure  will  be 
6780  square  feet  in  size.  It  will 
contain  a  sanctuary  capable  of 
seating  312  persons,  pre-school 
classrooms,     and     offices. 

Rev.  Jim  Sluss,  pastor  of  the 
Dutchtown  Church,  officiated  at 
the  groundbreaking  service.  He 
was  assisted  in  the  groundbreak- 
ing by  Al  Engelberth — chairman 
of  the  building  committee, 
Arden  Rhoades — church  mod- 
erator, Norm  Hagg — chairman 
of  the  building  finance  com- 
mittee, Willis  Kreider — chair- 
man of  the  trustees,  and  Roger 
Stump^ — chairman  of  the  board 
of  deacons. 

The  original  building  of  the 
Dutchtown  Church  was  built 
and  dedicated  in  1898.  Rev.  B.  H. 
Flora  was  the  first  minister  to 
serve  the  congregation.  During 
Rev.  Flora's  revival  services  in 


Breaking  ground  for  a  new  sanctuary  for  the  Dutchtown  Brethren 
church  are  (left  to  right)  Arden  Rhoades,  Willis  Kreider,  Pastor  James 
Sluss,  Al  Engelberth,  and  Roger  Stump. 


late  1898  and  early  1899,  65 
persons  were  converted.  One  of 
these  was  Thomas  Plew,  who 
was  later  ordained  to  the  min- 
istry and  served  as  pastor  of  the 
church  for  15  years. 


In  1958,  during  the  ministry 
of  George  Pontius,  an  annex 
was  added  to  the  building,  in- 
creasing the  seating  capacity  of 
the  sanctuary  to  150  persons. 
— Jan  Lucas,  Church  Sec'y. 


MilJedgeville  welcomes   new   pastor 


Milledgeville,  111.— The  Milledge- 
ville  Brethren  Church  held  a 
reception  for  its  new  pastor. 
Rev.  George  W.  Solomon,  on 
Sunday,  September  2.  The  event 
took  place  at  noon,  following 
the  morning  worship  service, 
which  was  Rev.  Solomon's  first 
as  pastor  of  the  Milledgeville 
Church. 

A  fine  program  was  presented 
by  the  Deacon  Board,  which 
featured  the  singing  of  the  Stan 
Dennis  family.  During  the  pro- 
gram, the  interim  pastor,  Rev. 
T.  S.  Cleworth,  was  presented 
with  a  gift — a  copy  of  the  New 
International  Version  of  the 
Bible — in  recognition  of  his  fine 
service  to  the  church. 


Mr.  Sheldon 

Livengood 

(left),   the 

church's 

moderator, 

welcomes 

Rev.  and 

Mrs.  George 

Solomon  to 

the  pastoral 

ministry  of 

the  First 

Brethren 

Church  of 

Milledgeville, 

111. 


>%^^ 


October  1979 


17 


update 


Jefferson  Church  burns  mortgage 


Goshen,  Ind.  —  The  Jefferson 
Brethren  Church  concluded  its 
10th  anniversary  year  celehra- 
tion  with  a  mortgage-burning 
service  on  Sunday  morning, 
September  9th. 

The  church  has  celebrated 
throughout  the  year  using  the 
theme  "Celebrating  10  Years  of 
Ministry."  In  January  the  con- 
gregation had  a  birthday  cele- 
bration, followed  by  an  anniver- 
sary banquet  and  worship  ser- 
vice in  March. 

The  $100,000  mortgage  on  the 
Jefferson  Brethren  Church  was 
paid  off  in  only  seven  and  a 
half  years.  This  was  made  pos- 
sible by  an  increase  in  member- 
ship from  71  charter  members 
to  375  members  in  ten  years. 

Rev.  Jack  Oxenrider,  pastor 
of  the  Jefferson  Church,  pre- 
sented the  message  for  the 
mortgage-burning  service.  A 
multi-media  slide  presentation 
was  also  given,  which  reviewed 
the  history  and  growth  of  the 
church.  A  new  10th  anniversary 
church  directory  was  also  dis- 
tributed during  the  service. 

Following  the  worship  ser- 
vice, a  fellowship  dinner  was 
held  at  the  "Blessin'  House," 
sponsored  by  the  Ministry  of 
Fellowship  of  the  church. 


Eight   baptized 
at  Tlosa 

Rochester,  Ind.  —  On  Sunday 
July  29  the  congregation  of  the 
Tiosa  Brethren  Church  held  a 
worship  service  and  baptism  fol- 
lowed by  a  picnic  at  the  Tippe- 
canoe  River. 

Those  baptised  by  Rev.  John 
Shultz,  pastor  at  Tiosa,  were 
Jeff  Lewis,  Jennifer  Lew^is, 
Missy  White,  Pam  Flowers, 
Kathy  Rhoades,  John  Dudgeon, 
Bill  Bradley,  and  Cathy  Snipes. 

On  Sunday  morning,  August 
5,  these  eight  people  and  also 
Gary  Snipes  were  taken  into 
membership  at  Tiosa. 

— ^Catherine  Lewis, 
correspondent 


Robert  Kropf  (left)  and  Pastor  Jack  Oxenrider  watch  as  Vice  Mod- 
erator R.  J.  Smith  burns  the  Jefferson  mortgage. 

National  BCE  plans  fall  nneeting 


The  national  Board  of  Chris- 
tian Education  will  hold  its  fall 
meeting  November  1-3  at  the 
Park  Street  Brethren  Church  in 
Ashland,  Ohio. 

The  meeting  will  be  conducted 
in  three  phases.  On  Thursday, 
November  1,  the  chairmen  of  the 
district  boards  of  Christian  edu- 
cation will  meet  to  continue  to 
explore  and  develop  the  cooper- 
ation   needed    in    the    various 


levels  of  administration  in  Chris- 
tian education  and  youth  work. 

On  Friday,  November  2,  the 
task  forces  of  the  BCE  will  meet 
to  discuss  their  plans  and  pro- 
grams. The  four  task  forces  of 
the  board  are  Family  'Life, 
Discipleship,  Sunday  School 
Growth,  and  ABCT. 

Finally,  on  Saturday,  Novem- 
ber 3,  the  entire  board  will  con- 
vene, beginning  at  9:00  a.m. 


Lawrence  Canterbury  recognized 
for  23  years  of  perfect  aftendance 


Oak  Hill,  W.  Va.  —  Lawrence 
Canterbury  of  the  Oak  Hill 
Brethren  Church  has  not  missed 
Sunday  school  for  twenty-three 
years.  This  is  an  outstanding 
record. 

In  recognition  of  this  accom- 
plishment, Mr.  Canterbury  was 
presented  a  Sunday  school 
attendance  bar  from  the  Oak 
Hill  church  on  Sunday,  Septem- 
ber 9. 


In  addition  to  attending  his 
class,  Lawrence  always  comes 
early  to  church  to  greet  people 
and  hand  out  bulletins.  Accord- 
ing to  Mrs.  Ollie  Foy,  "We  all 
look  forward  to  Sunday  morn- 
ing when  we  can  go  in  church 
and  have  Lawrence  greet  us. 
We  just  praise  the  Lord  for 
this  fine  young  man  who  is  serv- 
ing the  Lord  in  our  church  and 
is  a  member  of  our  church." 


18 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Norma  Waters  and  Mark  Baker  complete 
service  with  Bd.  of  Ch.  Ed. 


update 


Two  valuable  Board  of  Chris- 
tian Education  workers  are  mov- 
ing on  to  other  areas  of  work 
and  ministry.  Norma  Waters 
and  Mark  Baker  have  com- 
pleted their  terms  of  service  as 
staff  in  the  BCE  office.  The 
pair  were  honored  recently  at 
a  dinner  in  the  national  offices 
of  the  Brethren  Church. 

Both  Mark  and  Norma  have 
a  long  history  of  association 
with  the  BCE  and  BYC  pro- 
grams. Each  served  the  church 
through  the  Crusader/Intern- 
ship program,  including  a  sum- 
mer in  Medellin,  Colombia,  for 
Mark  in  1977.  Mark  worked  for 
the  pa^t  three  years  as  Assistant 
to  the  Director,  responsible 
primarily  for  the  BYC  program 
and  youth  publications,  Morning: 
Star  and  More  Mail. 

Norma  has  been  secretary  and 
Office  Manager  for  the  BCE, 
coordinating  the  various  ave- 
nues of  service  to  the  denom- 
ination, including  the  ABCT 
Seminars  and  the  Crusader/ 
Internship  program. 

During  the  year  between  the 
resignation  of  Dr.  Fred  Burkey 
and  appointment  of  Charles 
Beekley  as  the  new  director, 
Mark  and  Norma  managed  the 
work  of  the  Board  as  part-time 
employees.  Both  the  outgoing 
director  and  the  newly  appoint- 
ed director  praised  the  work 
done  by  the  two  departing 
employees. 

Mark  will  continue  his  studies 
at  Ashland  Theological  Semin- 
ary this  fall.  This  will  include  a 
tour  to  Colombia  as  part  of  an 
independent  study  in  foreign 
missions.  Norma  will  pursue  an 
active  role  as  homemaker  until 
some  other  leading  is  discerned. 
She  will,  however,  continue 
supervision  and  coordination  of 
the  Sisterhood  program,  a  min- 
istry of  the  W.M.S.  administered 
by  the  BCE. 


Nearly  half  of  all  children 
born  today  will  spend  part  of 
their  lives  before  age  18  with 
only  one  parent,  according  to 
the  U.S.   Bureau   of  Census. 


Mark  Baker  and  Norma  Waters  hold  a  farewell  cake  as  they  con- 
clude their  service  with  the  Board  of  Christian  Education.  The  cake 
was  baked  and  decorated  by  Mark. 

David    Stone    named    editor 
of    Morning    Star 

Ashland  College  freshman 
David  Stone  is  the  new  editor 
of  Morning  iStar  magazine,  ac- 
cording to  an  announcement  by 
the  office  of  the  Board  of 
Christian  Education.  David,  a 
member  of  the  Sarasota  First 
Brethren  Church,  will  be  respon- 
sible for  the  overall  production 
of  the  Brethren  youth  magazine 
beginning  with  the  October 
issue.  Included  in  his  task  is 
recruiting  writers  from  within 
the  ranks  of  the  national  BYC 
organization,  editing  their  work, 
and  designing  the  layout  of  the 
magazine. 

Dave  plans  to  major  in  so- 
ciology while  at  Ashland  Col- 
lege, with  the  intention  of  en- 
tering the  Brethren  ministry. 
His  Christian  commitment  be- 
came more  real  to  him  this  past 
summer  when  he  served  as  a 
Crusader,  performing  with  the 
musical   team    "Promise." 

Director  of  Christian  Educa- 
tion Charles  Beekley  said,  upon 
the   naming   of   Dave   Stone   as 


David  Stone 

editor,  "We  needed  someone  de- 
pendable and  creative,  with  an 
ability  to  draw  the  best  out  of 
other  people.  We're  sure  Dave 
can   do   it." 


October  1979 


19 


update 

Maurertown  celebrates  1st  year  in  new  unit; 
dedicates  new  piano  and  organ 


Maurertown,  Va. — ^On  July  2, 
1978,  the  Maurertown  Brethren 
Church  dedicated  the  John 
Locke  Memorial  Unit,  an  edu- 
cational, multi-purpose  addition 
to  the  church  building.  One  year 
later,  in  July  1979,  the  Maurer- 
town congregation  celebrated  its 
first  year  in  this  new  facility. 

Over  200  people  participated 
in  the  day's  activities,  which  in- 
cluded Sunday  school,  worship, 
an  appreciation  dinner,  and  an 
afternoon  service. 

A  special  activity  of  the  after- 
noon service  was  the  dedication 
of  a  new  grand  piano  and  a  new 
Baldwin  organ.  Both  instru- 
ments were  memorial  gifts  to 
the  church. 

The  beautiful  Kawai  piano 
was  presented  in  memory  of 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  D.  L.  Shaver  by 
their  son  Duke  and  his  wife 
Lillian. 

The  organ  was  given  by  the 
descendants  of  E.  B.  Shaver, 
founding  father  of  the  Maurer- 
town church  and  of  several 
other  churches  in  the  South- 
east  District. 

Former  Maurertown  pastor 
Doc  Shank  brought  the  after- 
noon message.  Mike  and  Barba- 
ra Woods  and  Dean  Minnick, 
talented  new  members  of  the 
congregation  presented  special 
music,  as  did  Holly  Finks  and 
Donna  Bennett,  who  both  pre- 
sented vocal  solos.  Mr.  Lee 
Finks  served  as  worship  leader. 

An  offering  was  taken  during 
the  afternoon  service  to  reduce 
the  indebtedness  on  the  new 
unit.  The  leaders  of  the  congre- 
gation had  set  an  offering  goal 
of  $10,000  for  the  day.  To  every- 
one's amazement  and  delight, 
the  160  people  present  gave 
$9,656.  Gifts  received  shortly 
thereafter  brought  the  total  to 
over  $10,000. 

On  dedication  Sunday  one 
year  before,  the  360  members 
and  friends  who  attended  the 
dedication  service  contributed 
$12,000  toward  the  indebtedness. 
Many  other  gifts  were  received 
during  the  year  between  July  1, 
1978,  and  July  1,  1979.  As  a  re- 
sult the  congregation  now  owes 
less    than    $10,000    on    the    new 


unit,  furniture,  and  land- 
scaping. 

This  exceptional  congregation 
has  thus  given  over  $150,000  to 
the  work  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
just  one  and  one-h£df  years. 
Approximately  $115,000  of  this 
was  for  the  new  building  and 
improvements,  and  over  $40,0C0 
went  to  the  regular  church 
budget.  This  excellent  giving  is 
more  remarkable  in  light  of  the 
low  pay  scale  and  the  higher 
than  average  cost  of  living  in 
the  area.  According  to  a  church 
spokesperson,  the  people  of  the 
Maurertown  Brethren  Church 
"are  thrilled  at  what  the  Lord 
can  do  through  faithful  people 
who  love  Him  and  reach  out  to 
others   in  His   name." 

If  churches  desire  to  fulfill 
the  Great  Commission,  they 
must  provide  adequate  room  for 
new  people.  This  includes  ade- 
quate  sanctuary  seating,   class- 


room area,  and  parking  space. 
The  Maurertown  Brethren 
Church  is  seeking  to  be  faithful 
to  the  orders  of  Jesus  Christ 
the  Lord  and  so  has  expanded 
in  all  three  of  these  areas.  As 
a  result,  the  Lord  is  blessing. 

Before  building  its  addition, 
the  Maurertown  Sunday  school 
was  averaging  142.  Since  build- 
ing it  is  averaging  157.  Like- 
wise worship  service  average 
attendance  has  gone  from  158 
to  164.  In  the  last  six  years  the 
Lord  has  added  110  new  people 
to  this  vital,  ministering  body 
of  caring  Christians. 

The  church  is  already  looking 
ahead  and  seeking  to  discern 
God's  will  for  its  eontinued 
growth.  Knowing  that  doing  His 
will  requires  room  to  grow,  the 
church  purchased  another  one 
and  one-half  acres  of  land  right 
after  the  first  anniversary 
service!     . 


it 


-^'.'":;j^> 


'"^^ 


^ 


^1 


?*=  !>^i  *>-', 


:,,^./: '/  ^'.'*  ,u  -'  ^. 


^       ,-,     •'- 


The  Vinco  Brethren  Church  is  praising  the  Lord  for  having  an 
opportunity  to  share  in  world  relief.  The  congregation  contributed 
over  $750  to  the  relief  of  the  poor  of  the  world  through  its  Love  Loaf 
program.  The  children  were  encouraged  to  bring  their  Love  Loaves 
to  the  altar  during  the  dedication  service.  The  church  feels  that  family 
cooperation  in  the  programs  of  the  church  helps  make  the  love  of 
Christ  more  real  to  the  children. 

In  the  picture  are  representatives  of  the  congregation — {from  left) 
George  Straub,  church  treasurer;  Rev.  Carl  H.  Phillips,  pastor;  Mrs. 
George  Cooper  and  her  son  Bradley. 


20 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 

Ohio  Brethren  churches  display  fruits  of  God's 
blessing  at  district  "Harvest  Festival" 


On  Saturday  September  15  the 
Ohio  Conference  of  the  Breth- 
ren Church  held  its  district 
meeting  at  the  Asbury  United 
Methodist  Church  in  Delaware, 
Ohio. 

The  conference  began  at  9:30 
a.m.  with  a  short  business  meet- 
ing, presided  over  by  the  district 
moderator.  Rev.  Donald  Rine- 
hart.  During  the  business  ses- 
sion, the  Ohio  District  Board  of 
Christian  Education  led  the 
conference  in  honoring  Mrs. 
Fern  Smith.  Mrs.  Smith  was 
given  recognition  for  her  many 
years  of  service  to  the  young 
people  of  the  Ohio  District  as  a 
kitchen  staff  worker  at  Camp 
Bethany.  (See  the  separate  news 
story  about  Fern  Smith  on 
this  page.) 

Another  important  Item  of 
business  was  the  acceptance  of 
the  new  Brethren  Bible  Church 
of  Louisville  as  a  member 
church  in  the  Ohio  District. 

Following  the  business  ses- 
sion, the  day's  program  began, 
with  the  theme,  "Who  Cares? 
Brethren  Do!"  This  program, 
conducted  by  Dr.  Charles  Mun- 
son  and  Rev.  Leroy  Solomon, 
was  a  "Harvest  Festival"  of  the 
fruit  of  God's  blessings.  The 
Ohio  churches  demonstrated 
that  Brethren  do  care  and  that 
God  is  working  in  their  midst 
by  presenting  their  "harvest" 
of  testimony  and  song  before 
God  and  their  fellow  Christians. 

During  this  harvest,  one 
woman  told  how  God  had  res- 
cued her  from  drinking  and 
drugs  and  brought  her  into  the 
fellowship  of  the  church.  A  pas- 
tor related  how,  during  two 
months  of  a  recent  illness,  he 
had  the  new  experience  of  being 
ministered  to  by  others  rather 
than  of  ministering  to  them. 

One  church  reported  that  the 
men  of  that  church  are  reaching 
out  by  knocking  on  doors  and 
witnessing  to  others.  As  a  result 
that  church  is  25%  larger  this 
year  than  last  year.  Another 
church  told  how  God,  in  His 
wisdom,  took  care  of  the  con- 
gregation during  a  recent  time 


of  division  in  the  church. 

During  the  course  of  the  pro- 
gram, three  new  pastors  were 
presented  to  the  conference. 
Rev.  Arden  Gilmer  was  intro- 
duced as  the  new  pastor  of  the 
Ashland  Park  Street  Brethren 
Church,  Rev.  John  Brownsberg- 
er  as  the  new  pastor  oi 
the  Louisville  First  Brethren 
Church,  and  Rev.  James  Black 
as  the  new  pastor  of  the  Dayton 
Hillcrest  Brethren  Church. 

During  the  morning  and  after- 
noon sessions,  other  churches 
told  of  special  ministries  they 
are  conducting  and  of  ways  God 
is  blessing  their  congregations. 
Various  individuals  told  how 
God  is  working  in  their  lives, 
bringing    victory    over    sin    or 


physical  heahng.  And  inter- 
spersed among  these  testimonies 
were  musical  numbers  presented 
by  people  from  the  various 
churches. 

Due  to  lack  of  time  some 
churches  were  unable  to  share 
all  the  wonderful  things  God  is 
doing  in  their  midst  and  to 
present  the  special  music  they 
brought   to   the  meeting. 

By  the  end  of  the  conference, 
the  Brethren  knew  that  God  is 
at  work  changing  lives  and 
bringing  blessings  in  the  church- 
es of  the  Ohio  District. 

The  conference  program  con- 
cluded with  several  musical 
numbers  by  Harmony,  a  Chris- 
tian singing  group  from 
Ashland. 


Fern    Smifh    honored 
by    Ohio    District 


On  September  2,  the  Ohio 
District,  through  its  Board  of 
Christian  Education,  paid  special 
honor  to  Fern  Smith.  Mrs. 
Smith  was  honored  for  her 
many  years  of  dedicated  service 
to  the  youth  of  the  district 
through  her  work  in  the  kitchen 
at  Camp  Bethany.  Mrs.  Smith 
set  up  the  kitchen  facilities 
when  the  camp  was  begun,  and 
she  has  served  in  the  kitchen 
each  summer  since  that  time. 

In  recognition  of  Fern's  faith- 
ful service,  the  Camp  Bethany 
kitchen  and  dining  hall  were 
named  in  her  honor.  Also,  a 
plaque  is  being  placed  in  th2 
dining  hall  as  a  lasting  reminder 
of  her  work. 

Leading  the  recognition  cere- 
mony, which  took  place  during 
family  camp  held  on  Labor  Day 
weekend,  were  Charles  Beekley, 
denominational  Director  of 
Christian  Education,  and  Lynn 
Shellenberger,  Program  Direc- 
tor for  Camp  Bethany.  Their 
remarks  centered  on  Fern's  con- 
tinued service  not  only  to  Camp 
Bethany,  but  to  her  home  church 
(the  Park  Street  Brethren 
Church  in  Ashland)  and  to  the 
entire  denomination. 


rr-i 


Fern  Smith 

During  her  response,  Fern  re- 
called the  beginning  of  the  camp 
and  her  struggles  to  get  the 
food  service  facilities  into  opera- 
tion. She  also  expressed  her 
gratitude  to  God  for  allowing 
her  opportunities  to  serve. 

The  recognition  ceremony  was 
re-enacted  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Ohio  Conference  on  September 
15. 


October  1979 


21 


update 


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.-^  **-„ 


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photo  by 


LaVerge 


Stone 


Participating  in  the  Sarasota  mortgage-burning  service  were  (left  to  right)  Raymond  Maxson,  Wayne 
Funkhouser,  George  Giltner,  Roy  Black,  Moderator  Leo  Elliott,  Harley  Rathburn,  Eugene  Robbins, 
Senior  Pastor  Dr.  J.  D.  Hamel,  Claude  Gardner,  and  Associate  Pastor  Robert  Dillard,   Jr. 


Mortgage  burned  af  Sarasota  Church 


Sarasota,  Fla. — The  First  Breth- 
ren Church  of  Sarasota  burned 
the  mortgage  on  its  present 
sanctuary  during  the  imorning 
worship  service  on  July  15.  The 
mortgage-burning  ceremonies 
included  a  farewell  message 
from  the  mortgage,  delivered 
by  Senior  Pastor  Dr.  J.  D. 
Hamel,  and  a  responsive  service 
by  Pastor  Hamel  and  Rev. 
Robert  Dillard,  Jr.,  Associate 
Pastor. 

The  burning  of  this  mortgage 
was  the  conclusion  of  a  chapter 
in  the  Sarasota  Church's  history 
which  began  in  1970.  In  that 
year  a  building  program  was 
started  with  a  special  fund  drive 
which  brought  in  over  $35,000. 
An  additional  loan  of  $115,000 
was  secured  to  pay  for  the  new 
building.  This  was  a  15  year 
loan,  but  it  was  fully  paid  in 
nine  years.  According  to  Pastor 
Hamel,  "We  praise  God  for  the 
good  news  that  the  mortgage 
payments  have  been  fully  met 
in  just  nine  years  on  a  15  year 
loan  from  the  bank." 

During  the  nine  years  when 
this  mortgage  was  being  paid. 


the  Sarasota  church  also  began 
a  daughter  congregation  in 
Bradenton,  Fla.  This  church 
held  its  first  services  on  May 
27,  1973,  and  is  now  self- 
supporting. 

The  Sarasota  First  Brethren 
Church  was  begun  on  November 
7,  1954,  in  the  home  of  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  Fred  Vanator  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Carl   (Esther)   Mohler 


with  ten  Brethren  people.  It  now 
has  a  membership  of  approx- 
imately 700  and  a  debt  free 
property  valued  at  over  $500,000. 
Dr.  J.  D.  Hamel  has  served 
the  congregation  for  19 1^  years. 
During  this  time  he  has  bap- 
tized 808  members  and  has  re- 
ceived over  200  into  the  church 
by  letter  from  other  Brethren 
churches. 


Oak  Hill  Church  hosts 
Southeast  District  Conference 


Oak  Hill,  W.  Va.— The  First 
Brethren  Church  of  Oak  Hill 
was  host  to  the  Southeast  Dis- 
trict Conference,  which  met 
July  26-28.  This  was  a  great 
conference  and  those  who 
attended  received  many  spiritual 
blessings. 

Rev.  Kenneth  Solomon  and 
Rev.  Richard  Allison  were  the 
main  speakers,  and  Mrs.  Solo- 
mon spoke  to  the  W.M.S.  The 
Solomons  also  showed  slides  of 
the  work  they  are  doing  in 
South  America. 


The  conference  was  also  priv- 
ileged to  have  Rev.  Virgil  Ingra- 
ham  and  his  wife  Alice,  and 
Rev.  Smith  Rose  and  his  wife 
Florence  present  for  the  meet- 
ing. 

This  conference  was  well 
attended  by  all  the  churches  in 
the  district.  There  were  approx- 
imately 70  delegates. 

Rev.  William  Skeldon,  pastor 
of  the  Oak  Hill  Brethren 
Church,  was  moderator  of  the 
conference. 

— Mrs.  Ollie  Foy 


22 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Theron  Smith  joins  seminary  staff 


Ashland,  Ohio — A  new  member 
has  been  added  to  the  Ashland 
Theological  Seminary  faculty 
and  staff.  He  is  Theron  H. 
Smith,  former  pastor  in  the 
United  Methodist  Church.  Rev. 
Smith,  as  director  of  academic 
services,  will  administer  and 
coordinate  the  seminary's  exten- 
sion programs.  These  branch 
campuses  include  the  well- 
established  programs  in  Cleve- 
land, the  year-old  program  in 
Toledo,  and  the  brand  new  pro- 
grams in  Akron  and  Wooster. 

Along  with  his  administrative 
functions.  Smith  will  also  be 
teaching  courses  on  United 
Methodist  history  and  polity  re- 
quired of  the  Methodist  students 
for  their  ordination.  He  will 
occasionally  teach  pastoral  min- 
istry courses  as  well. 

Although  only  on  the  job  for 
a  short  time,  Smith  is  able  to 
make  some  observations  about 
the  seminary  and  his  work 
there.  "Above  all  else,"  he 
stated,  *T  am  greatly  impressed 
with  the  quality  of  the  faculty 
and  staff  at  Ashland,  without 
exception.  Often  at  schools  you 
will  find  a  couple  of  'weaklings,' 
but  here  they  are  all  excep- 
tional." 

Secondly,  he  likes  the  flexi- 
bility and  openness  which  he 
sees  in  the  seminary's  approach 
to  theolog^ical  training.  After 
looking  at  the  programs  offered 
by  other  seminaries,  he  feels 
that  Ashland  may  very  well  be 
a  "leader  in  the  development  of 
theological  education  for  our 
day  among  seminaries." 

Finally,  he  is  excited  about 
the  opportunity  to  be  a  part  of 
a  place  where  the  intensity  of 
graduate  study  is  coupled  with 
the  desire  to  serve  people 
through  Christian  ministry. 

Smith  admits  that  he  does 
have  one  real  misgiving  as  he 
takes  on  this  new  job.  "I've 
pastored  now  for  over  25  years. 
Being  constantly  involved  with 
a  congregation  that  loved  me 
and  was  connected  to  me  in  a 
special  way  has  been  great. 
There  is  such  a  joy  in  being  a 
pastor  and  sharing  in  their  lives 


Theron  H.  Smith 

at  birth,  during  youth,  through 
marriage  and  maturing,  and 
even  through  suffering  and 
death.  So,  right  now  I  can't 
imagine  anything  being  as  ful- 
filling as  the  pastoral  ministry." 
The  opportunity  to  share  his 
love  for  the  ministry  with  stu- 
dents promises  to  be  equally 
rewarding,  especially  since  he 
feels  certain  that  Ashland  is 
the  place  to  which  God  has 
called  him  now. 


Rev.  Smith  was  ordained  by 
the  Methodist  Church  in  June 
of  1952,  and  has  pastored  in  the 
West  Ohio  Conference  of  the 
church  ever  since.  In  addition 
to  ministering  in  the  United 
States,  he  served  two  years  on 
a  special  mission  assignment  in 
the  Orient. 

He  was  graduated  from  As- 
bury  College  in  Kentucky  with 
a  bachelor  of  arts  degree,  from 
Oberlin  Graduate  School  of 
Theology  with  a  bachelor  of 
divinity  degree,  and  from  Van- 
derbilt  University  in  Tennessee 
with  a  master  of  divinity  de- 
gree. His  home  is  Gowanda, 
New  York. 

Rev.  Smith  and  his  family 
have  now  settled  into  the  Ash- 
land community,  living  at  531 
Center  Street.  His  wife  Betty,  a 
specialist  in  instructing  children 
With  learning  disabilities,  is 
tutoring  in  the  Ashland  city 
schools.  Their  three  children 
are:  Jocelyn,  a  graduate  student 
in  psychology  and  counseling  at 
the  University  of  Akron;  Kevin, 
a  senior  at  Ashland  College  ma- 
joring in  business;  and  Todd,  a 
freshman  at  Asbury  College. 

— Susan  White 


Newark  church  shows  growth; 
puts  emphasis  on  children 


Newark,  Ohio  —  The  Newark 
Brethren  Church  has  shown  a 
30  percent  increase  in  morning 
worship  attendance  in  recent 
months.  Average  prayer  meet- 
ing attendance  is  also  showing 
an  increase. 

A  particular  emphasis  of  the 
church  at  the  present  is  reach- 
ing children  for  Jesus  Christ.  A 
part  of  this  effort  is  the  recent 
organization  of  a  "Mini  Church" 
for  children.  Mrs.  Erma  Bennett, 
the  wife  of  the  pastor,  is  leading 
this  "Mini  Church."  The  chil- 
dren have  adopted  the  new 
work  in  Mexico  as  their  mission- 
ary thrust  and  are  giving  money 
for    this    work.     Mrs.     Bennett 


brought  $25  to  Ashland  at  Con- 
ference time  as  their  first 
offering. 

In  its  work  with  children,  the 
Newark  Church  also  had  a  very 
successful  vacation  Bible  school 
during  the  summer.  Seven  pre- 
teens  and  teenagers  were  won 
to  Christ  through  the  Bible 
school.  These  were  baptized  and 
received  into  membership,  mak- 
ing a  total  of  11  children  and 
teenagers  won  in  the  past  year. 

An  evangelistic  campaign  is 
scheduled  for  the  Newark 
Church  in  October.  Rev.  James 
Clinton  of  Clearfield,  Pa.,  is  to 
be   the   evangelist. 


October  1979 


23 


update 


Gretna  Church  dedicates 
new  addition 


Bellefontaine,  Ohio — The  mem- 
bers of  the  Gretna  Brethren 
Church  dedicated  a  new  addition 
to  their  sanctuary  and  an  exten- 
sion to  their  church  parking  lot 
on  August  26. 

The  new  addition  to  the  sanc- 
tuary increases  the  seating 
capacity  by  50.  In  the  remodel- 
ing that  went  along  with  the 
addition,  the  sanctuary  was  re- 
versed. The  new  construction 
was  added  at  what  was  the  back 
of  the  church,  and  this  has  now 
become  the  pulpit  area. 

The  extension  of  the  parking 
lot  almost  doubles  the  parking 
area. 

The  theme  for  the  dedication 
service  was  "Anyone  Could, 
But.  ,  .  ."  The  primary  Sunday 
school  class  presented  a  play 
centered  on  this  theme,  and 
Rev.  Leroy  Solomon,  pastor  of 
the  church,  used  this  theme  as 
the  basis  of  his  sermon.  In  his 
message.  Rev.  Solomon  said 
that  anyone  can  build  a  build- 


Rev.  Leroy  Solomon 

stands  in  the  new 

pulpit  area,  part  of 

the  addition  to  the 

Gretna  church 

building. 

ing,  but  who  is  going  to  fill  it 
with  God's  people?  He  explained 
that  the  true  church  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  people,  and  that 
these  people  are  the  "building" 
that  God  is  really  interested  in. 

Special  music  for  the  service 
was  presented  by  Steve  McPher- 
son  and  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paul 
Deardurff.  Attendance  for  the 
service  was  126. 

According  to  Pastor  Solomon, 
the  Gretna  people  are  praising 
the  Lord  for  the  growth  the 
church  is  experiencing.  As  ex- 
amples of  this  growth,  he  re- 
ports that  Sunday  school  attend- 
ance in  August  of  this  year 
averaged  83  compared  with  55 


in  August  of  1978.  Worship 
attendance  averaged  100  in  Aug- 
ust, compared  with  76  the  year 
before.  For  the  first  three  Sun- 
days of  September,  the  Sunday 
school  average  attendance  was 
97  and  the  worship  service 
average  was  115. 

Rev.  Solomon  also  notes,  "The 
spirit  is  warm  and  friendly,  the 
people  are  growing  in  grace  and 
knowledge,  and  they  are  begin- 
ning to  see  what  happens  when 
they  trust  the  Lord  to  witness 
in  the  community.  We  know 
that  next  year  is  even  going  to 
be  a  better  year!"  And  he  adds, 
"We  are  dreaming  and  planning 
our  next  addition  already." 


Four  Brethren  students  in  cast  of  AC  musical 


Ashland,  Ohio — Four  Brethren 
Ashland  College  students  Will 
perform  in  the  hit  musical 
"Carousel,"  Ashland  College 
theatre's  first  production  of  the 
1979-80  season.  They  are  Evan 
Bridenstine,  Debbie  Munson, 
Chuck  Bowers,  and  Tim  Rowsey. 

Evan  Bridenstine,  who  will 
play  the  part  of  Enoch  Snow, 
one  of  the  lead  characters  in 
the  musical,  is  a  sophomore  at 
Ashland  College  from  Smith- 
ville,  Ohio.  Evan  was  a  Brethren 
Youth  Summer  Crusader  in 
1978,  and  this  past  summer  was 
a  BYC  Summer  Intern,  serving 
in  the  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  Brethren 
Church. 

Debbie  Munson,  a  senior  at 
AC,  is  from  Ashland  and  a 
member  of  the  Park  Street 
Brethren  Church.  She  served  as 
a  BYC  Summer  Crusader  in 
1975,  '76,  and  '77,  and  is  a  mem- 

24 


ber  of  "Harmony,"  a  Christian 
vocal  group  from  Ashland 
which  has  sung  in  many  Breth- 
ren churches. 

Chuck  Bowers,  from  St. 
James,  Maryland,  is  a  sopho- 
more at  Ashland  College.  Chuck 
spent  his  1977  and  1978  sum- 
mers as  a  Crusader  for  Breth- 
ren Youth  and  last  school  year 
was  the  art  editor  for  "Morning 


Star,"  the  official  magazine 
of  National  Brethren  Youth. 
Chuck's  artwork  has  also 
appeared  in  the  Brethren 
Evangelist. 

Tim  Rowsey,  also  from  St. 
James,  Maryland,  is  a  junior  at 
AC.  Tim  served  as  a  BYC  Sum- 
mer Crusader  in   1976  and   '78. 

Performances  will  be  given 
October  19,  20,  26,  and  27. 


ShipsheWana  campers  spend  week  in  canoe 


Flora,  Ind. — Shipshewana  sum- 
mer camp  included  something 
different  this  year.  Twelve  teen- 
agers (seven  boys  and  five 
girls),  along  with  camp  dean 
Rev.  Alvin  Grumbling  and  coun- 
selors Dennis  Grumbling  and 
Jim  Miller,  traveled  to  Michigan, 
where    they    canoed    down    the 


Ausable  River. 

The  campers  spent  the  week 
on  the  river,  stopping  at  night 
to  sleep  in  campsites  along  the 
way. 

Evening     activities     included 
gathering     firewood,      fetching  j 
drinking  water,  vesper  services, 
and  singing. 

The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Pleasant  View  BYC  receives  plaque  for 
contributing  to  children's  hospital 


Vandergrrift,  Pa.— The  Brethren 
Youth  Crusaders  (BYC)  of  the 
Pleasant  View  Brethren  Church 
were  awarded  a  plaque  by  the 
Vandergrift  Ministerial  Associa- 
tion recently.  They  received  the 
plaque  for  their  contribution  of 
$1575  to  Pittsburgh's  Children's 
Hospital. 


This  was  the  fourth  year  the 
Pleasant  View  BYC  has  partici- 
pated in  the  drive  to  raise  funds 
for  the  hospital.  During  these 
four  years  the  youth  have  col- 
lected a  total  of  $6490. 

The  youth  started  their  par- 
ticipation in  memory  of  two 
young  people  from  the  church, 


1^        f^ 


The  Brethren  Youth  Crusaders  of  the  Pleasant  View  Brethren 
Church  with  the  plaque  they  received  from  the  Vandergrift  Ministerial 
Association. 


Wendy  Crytzer  and  Jimmy 
Swenk.  For  the  first  three  years 
they  took  the  money  to  Pitts- 
burgh. 

During  the  1978  drive,  the 
youth  participated  with  the 
Kiski  Area  High  School  and  the 
Unity  Day  sponsored  by  the 
Vandergrift  Ministerial  Associa- 
tion. The  Ministerial  Association 
presented  the  plaque  to  the 
church  giving  the  largest  dona- 
tion. This  plaque  is  in  memory 
of  Father  Gervase  Chutis,  late 
pastor  of  St.  Casmir's  Church 
of  Vandergrift. 

The  Pleasant  View  youth 
raised  their  offering  by  collect- 
ing donations  door  to  door  and 
by  receiving  an  offering  at  a 
Wendy  Crytzer-Jimmy  Swenk 
Memorial  Benefit. 

Rev.  William  Walk,  pastor  of 
the  Pleasant  View  Brethren 
Church,  stated,  "We  at  Pleasant 
View  are  proud  of  our  youth 
and  their  efforts  on  behalf  of 
others." 


Mr.  &  Mrs.  Louis  Snyder 
renew  vows  after  50  years 

Louisville,  Ohio  —  Louis  and 
Ruth  Snyder  celebrated  their 
50th  wedding  anniversary  in 
the  Louisville  First  Brethren 
Church  on  August  19,  1979. 

The  celebration  began  with 
the  couple  renewing  their  vows 
before  the  congregation  with 
Rev.  John  Brownsberger  offici- 
ating. A  shiny  1938  Buick  Road- 
master  picked  them  up  at  their 
home  and  took  them  to  the 
church,  where  they  were  greeted 
by  200  of  their  many  friends. 

The  occasion  was  planned  by 
their  two  daughters  and  the 
daughters'  husbands — Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Douglas  (Carol)  MacLean 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jack  (Avonne) 
Eusa — and  by  their  five  grand- 
children. 

Ruth  and  Louis  were  married 
by  the  late  Rev.  A.  E.  Whitted 
on  August  17,  1929,  in  their 
home  while  the  Louisville  First 


Brethren  Church  building  was 
being  renovated.  They  have  been 
very  active  at  the  First  Brethren 
Church  during  their  50  years  of 
marriage. 

— ^Mrs.  Wade  Johnson 

Hillcrest  church 
holds   farewell 
for   Brownsbergers 

Dayton,  Ohio— On  June  16,  1979, 
the  congregation  of  the  Hill- 
crest  Brethren  Church  had  a 
farewell  party  honoring  John, 
Joyce,  Beth,  Steve,  and  Jeff 
Brownsberger.  This  was  in  prep- 
aration for  the  Brownsberger's 
move  to  Louisville,  Ohio,  where 
Rev.  Brownsberger  has  since 
become  pastor  of  the  Louisville 
First   Brethren   Church. 

A  cookout  was  held,  with  lots 
of  good  food.  A  program  fol- 
lowed, with  different  members 
of  the  congregation  paying  their 
farewells  to  each  member  of 
the   Brownsberger   family.    The 


"Prof"  Herschel  Winfield  bids 
the  Brownsbergers  farewell. 

church      also      presented      the 
Brownsbergers  with  a  farewell 

gift. 

—Candy  Aldstadt 


October  1979 


25 


update 


f 


Weddings 


In  Memory 


Sandra  Dils  to  Russell  Harringrton,  October  7,  at 
the  Bryan,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church;  Marlin 
L.  McCann,  pastor,  officiating.  Bride  a  member 
of  the  Bryan  First  Brethren  Church. 

Brenda  Dinger  to  David  Rusk,  October  6,  at  the 
Bryan,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church;  Marlin  L. 
McCann,  pastor,  and  Rev.  Russell  Dinger  officia- 
ting. Groom  a  member  of  the  Bryan  First  Breth- 
ren Church. 

Marilyn  Chrisman  to  Virgil  Fry,  September  12,  at 
the  Bryan,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church;  Marlin 
L.  McCann,  pastor,  officiating.  Bride  a  member 
of  the  Bryan  First  Brethren  Church. 
Sue  Tharp  to  Robert  Earl  Rogers,  August  25,  at 
the  Bryan,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church;  Marlin 
L.  McCann,  pastor,  officiating.  Groom  a  member 
of  the  Bryan  First  Brethren  Church. 
Terry  Lynn  Shoff  to  Christopher  Albert  Plant, 
August  25,  at  the  home  of  the  bride's  parents; 
Alvin  Grumbling,  pastor  of  the  Flora,  Ind.,  First 
Brethren  Church,  officiating.  Bride  a  member  of 
the  Flora  First  Brethren  Church. 

Debra  Zachrich  to  Dan  Nofziger,  August  11,  at 
the  Bryan,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church;  Marlin 
L.  McCann,  pastor,  officiating.  Bride  a  member 
of  the  Bryan  First  Brethren  Church. 

Vicky  Ridenour  to  Charles  Moerhiman,  August  10, 
at  Napoleon,  Ohio.  Bride  a  member  of  the  Bryan, 
Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church. 

Kathy  Rhoades  to  Mike  Pritchett,  August  5,  at 
the  Tiosa  Brethren  Church,  Route  5,  Rochester, 
Indiana;  John  Shultz,  pastor,  officiating.  Mem- 
bers of  the  Tiosa  Brethren  Church. 

Mary  Kay  Benson  to  Paul  Chester  Cornett,  July 
27,  at  the  College  Corner  Brethren  Church,  Route 
3,  Wabash,  Indiana;  Rev.  St.  Clair  Benshoff,  pas- 
tor, officiating.  Bride  a  member  of  the  College 
Corner  Brethren  Church. 

Cheryl  Yvonne  Buffington  to  Ronald  Brian 
Maring,  June  23,  at  the  Pipe  Creek  Church;  Rev. 
J.  August  Borlies  officiating.  Groom  a  member 
of  the  Linwood,   Maryland,   Brethren   Church. 

Mary  Jane  Quinn  to  John  Wayne  Kelle>,  June  3, 
at  the  Johnstown,  Pa.,  Third  Brethren  Church; 
Clarence  R.  Kindley,  pastor,  officiating.  Members 
of  the  Johnstown  Third  Brethren  Church. 

Kristine  Kerr  to  James  Lowe,  Jr.,  May  19,  at  the 

home  of  the  groom;  Marlin  L.  McCann,  pastor  of 
the  Bryan,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church,  offici- 
ating. Bride  a  member  of  the  Bryan  First  Breth- 
ren Church. 

Janet  Sue  Lainib  to  Richard  Douglas  Boyer,  April 
21,  at  the  Waterloo,  Iowa,  First  Brethren  Church; 
Ronald  Waters,  pastor,  and  Rev.  Donald  Snell 
officiating.  Bride  a  member  of  the  Waterloo  First 
Brethren  Church.  ,; 

Eloise  Maxine  Blaoksten  to  Raymond  Joseph 
Sheedy,  III,  February  2,  at  the  Linwood,  Md., 
Brethren  Church;  Robert  Young,  pastor,  offici- 
ating. Bride  a  member  of  the  Linwood  Brethren 
Church. 


Arvilla  Morton,  72,  September  6.  Member  since 
1931  of  the  Bryan,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church. 
Services  by  Marlin  L.  McCann,  pastor. 

Mrs.  Lucille  Milbum,  74,  August  26.  Member  of 
the  Flora,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services  by 
Alvin  Grumbling,  pastor. 

Clarence  Howard,  74,  August  18.  Long  time  mem- 
ber and  trustee  of  the  Johnstown,  Pa.,  Third 
Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Clarence  R.  Kindley, 
pastor. 

Clara  A.  Yarian,  76,  August  14.  Member  of  the 
Roann,  Indiana,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services 
by  Donald  Wagstaff,  pastor. 

Bessie  M.  Zellers,  84,  August  11.  Member  of  the 
North  Manchester,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church. 
Services  by  Woodrow  Immel,  pastor. 
Walter  Verdenburgh,  43,  August  11.  Member  of 
the  Johnstown,  Pa.,  Third  Brethren  Church.  Ser- 
vices by  Clarence  R.  Kindley,  pastor. 
Guy  R.  Brown,  93,  August  8.  Member  since  1912 
of  the  Bryan,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church.  Ser- 
vices by  Marlin  L.  McCann,  pastor. 

Duane  Hill,  59,  August  7.  Member  of  the  Highland 
Brethren  Church,  Route  1,  Marianna,  Pa.  Services 
by  Richard  Craver,  pastor,  and  Rev.  Carl  Phillips. 
Oris  Williaims,  79,  July  28.  Member  for  29  years 
of  the  Gretna  Brethren  Church  near  Bellefontaine, 
Ohio.  Services  by  Leroy  Solomon,  pastor. 
Walter  P.  Wantz,  70,  July  28.  Member  of  the  Lin- 
wood, Md.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Robert 
Young,  pastor,  and  Rev.  Hays  K.  Logan. 
Willard  Little,  81,  July  27.  Member  of  the  North 
Manchester,  Ind.,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services 
by  Woodrow  Immel,  pastor. 

Bertha  Mackall,  78,  July  12.  Member  of  the  Vinco, 
Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Carl  H.  Phillips, 
pastor. 

Mrs.  Clara  Bradfield,  87,  July  8.  Member  of  the 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services 
by  Ronald  Waters,  pastor. 

Mrs.  Fannie  C.  Pottenger,  94,  June  29.  Member 
of  the  North  Manchester,  Ind.,  First  Brethren 
Church.  Services  by  Woodrow  Immel,  pastor,  and 
Rev.  Richard  Craig. 

Emery  Hudson,  84,  June  26.  Life  long  member  and 
deacon  of  the  Gretna  Brethren  Church  near  Belle- 
fontaine, Ohio.  Services  by  Rev.  Clarence 
Brubaker. 

Mrs.  F:rnfia  Lubbs,  85,  June  23.  Member  of  the 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services 
by  Ronald  Waters,  pastor.  ,     .,    .-  - 

Donovan  W.  Dietz,  72,  June  5.  Member  of  the 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  First  Brethren  Church.  Services 
by  Ronald  Waters,  pastor. 


Membership  Growth 

Corinth:     3  by  baptism 
Tiosa:     8  by  baptism,  1  by  transfer 


26 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Ashland,  Ohio  —  Park  Street 
Brethren  Church  installed  Arden 
E.  Gilmer  as  pastor  on  Sunday, 
August  26,  during  the  morning 
worship  service.  Dr.  Jerry  Flora, 
professor  at  Ashland  Theolog- 
ical Seminary,  presented  the 
message,  using  Matthew  16:13- 
20  as  his  text. 

Commenting  on  the  church 
Christ  builds,  Dr.  Flora  noted 
that  some  pastors  are  known  for 
building  buildings.  "I  don't  know 
if  our  new  pastor  will  build  in 
steel  and  stone,  but  I  do  know 
he  will  build  in  people." 

In  challenging  the  congrega- 
tion, Dr.  Flora  said,  "God  never 
asked  His  people  to  be  success- 
ful. He  only  called  them  to  be 
faithful.  And  He  promised  that 
the  gates  of  hell  would  not  pre- 
vail against  them.  Are  you  ready 
to  be  faithful  in  ways  that  you 
have  never  been  faithful 
before?" 

Following  the  message.  Mod- 
erator Charles  Beekley  posed  a 
series  of  questions  to  Pastor 
Gilmer  and  to  the  congregation. 
He  then  led  the  congregation 
in  a  litany  of  dedication  especi- 
ally prepared  for  this  service. 

Rev.  Gilmer  responded  by 
sharing  his  thoughts  on  the 
relationship  of  the  pastor  and 
the  church,  using  I  Peter  5:1-4 
as  the  basis  of  his  remarks.  He 
said,    "I    go    on    record    that    I 


update 

Arden  GUmer  insfalled 
as  Park  Street  pastor 


Before  leading  the  closing  prayer,  Rev.  Gilmer  (middle)  asked  the 
people  of  the  congregation  to  join  hands  to  show  their  unity  in  the 
Lord  and  their  desire  to  work  together. 


desire  to  be  a  good  and  faithful 
shepherd  of  the  sheep."  He 
noted  that  the  shepherd's  role  is 
one  of  providing  protection, 
care,  leadership,  tenderness, 
warmth,  and  love. 

He  said,  "The  only  compulsion 
that  constrains  me  is  the  love 


of  Christ.  I  am  eager  and  zeal- 
ous that  we  might  serve  to- 
gether." 

Richard  DeVeny,  chairman  of 
the    deacon    board,    led    in    the 
morning    prayer.    A   ladies'    en- 
semble provided  special  music. 
— Ronald  W.  Waters 


World  Relief  sends  aid 
to  areas  ravaged  by 
Hurricane  David 

Wheaton,  III.  —  In  response  to 
Hurricane  David's  ravagement 
of  the  Caribbean  islands  of 
Dominica  and  the  Dominican 
Republic,  World  Relief  imme- 
diately committed  over  $20,000 
for  relief  efforts.  ,  The  funds 
were  allocated  for  the  purchase 
of  food  and  transportation. 
It  is  estimated  that  90  percent 


of  the  crops  on  these  two  islands 
were  destroyed,  with  over  two 
billion  dollars  worth  of  dam- 
ages. "Thousands  of  people 
have  been  left  homeless  and 
without  food,"  stated  Jerry  Bal- 
lard, executive  director  of  World 
Relief.  "The  people  of  Dominica 
and  the  Dominican  Republic 
have  desperate  immediate 
needs." 

World  Relief's  Hurricane 
David  relief  efforts  in  the  Carri- 
bean  are  being  carried  out  in 
cooperation    with    JAARS,    the 


aviation  arm  of  Wycliffe  Bible 
Translators.  The  grant  was 
channeled  through  evangelical 
churches  in  the  ravaged  areas. 
(Brethren  churches  or  individ- 
uals wishing  to  assist  with  these 
relief  efforts  should  send  their 
gifts,  over  and  above  regular 
giving,   to: 

Brethren  World  Relief 
George  Kerlin,   Treas. 

1318  E.  Douglas 

Goshen,  IN     46526 

Mark  checks  "Hurricane  David.") 


Goldenoires 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Tracy,  50th,  October  2.  Mem- 
bers of  the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church,  Ashland, 
Ohio. 

Eric  and  Esther  iColditz,  60th,  September  20.  Mem- 
bers of  the  First  Brethren  Church  of  Ardmore, 
South  Bend,  Ind. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carl  Dillman,  52nd,  September  14. 
Mrs.  Dillman  a  member  of  the  Corinth  Brethren 
Church,  Twelve  Mile,  Ind. 


Rev.  and  Mrs.  Delbert  Flora,  50th,  September  2. 
Members  of  the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church, 
Ashland,  Ohio. 

Rev.  and  Mrs.  Elmer  Keck,  50th,  August  29.  Mem- 
bers of  the  Park  Street  Brethren  Church,  Ashland, 
Ohio. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrew  York,  66th,  September  1. 
Members  of  the  Loree  Brethren  Church,  Bunker 
Hill,  Ind. 

George  and  Wilma  Bunn,  50th,  July  9.  Members 
of  the  First  Brethren  Church  of  Waterloo,  Iowa. 


October  1979 


27 


^^^I^^^^I     ^^^^^^^^^^I^^I^^^^I^^^'!^•I^^^^I^•r^^^^I^^^^I^^I^^I^^I^^^^^^^^I^^^^^^I^^^^I^^^^^^^^I^^^^^^^^^^I^ 

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The  Brethren  Publishing  Company 


The    Brethren 


November    1979 


Brethren  Building  for  tlie  Lord 


Following ...  THE  WAY  in  the  summer  of  '80 

Tentative  plan  for  the  . .  . 

1980  Cmsader/Internsliip  Program 


TIMETABLE: 

November  30,  1979 — applications  available. 

January  31,  1980 — closing  date  for  receipt  of  applications. 

March  1,  1980 — notification  to  applicants. 

June  19,  1980 — beginning  of  term  of  service. 

August  15,  1980 — conclusion  of  term  of  service. 


i  UNITS  INVOLVED: 
^2  Educational — Teach  in  VBS,  camp,  church  school;  lead/participate  in 

Jj  worship  services;  survey  work. 

f.  J  Camp — Counsel  and  teach  in  summer  camp,  family  camp,  retreats ; 

"'  lead/participate  in  worship  services. 

kl  Musical — Presentation   of  worship   services,   including  music,   devotional 

i'  messages,  puppetry  in  a  variety  of  situations. 

» i<  ■.•■,.■. 

[i  INDIVIDUAL  INVOLVEMENT: 

*  -  Church  Staff  Internship — Each  assignment  designed  to  provide  maximum 

benefit  to  the  individual  and  the  church. 


j;  Missionary  Internship — Opportunity  for  short-term  mission  service. 

/'  Location  of  service  to  be  announced. 


*  f 


PARTICIPATION  CRITERIA: 

General — ^^Teaching  skills  and  experiences ;  willingness  to  meet  strangers ; 
informal  speaking  skills;  ability  to  work  under  pressure. 

Specific — able  and  willing  to  share  Christian  experience. 
— completed  at  least  junior  year  of  high  school. 
— Interns  must  be  at  least  20  years  old. 
— Mission  Interns  must  have  a  reading  knowledge  of  Spanish. 

SPONSORSHIP: 

The  Crusader/Intern  program  is  sponsored  by  the  Board  of  Christian 
Education  of  the  Brethren  Church.  Communication  regarding  the  program, 
including  requests  for  applications,  should  be  sent  to  the  Board  at  524 
College  Avenue,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 

PLEASE  NOTE:  Successful  implementation  of  this  plan  is  dependent 
upon  levels  of  participation  by  both  personnel  for  service  and  the  denom- 
ination in  prayer  and  financial  support. 


EThe    Brethren 
van 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 
(USPS  064-200) 

Editor  : 

Richard  C.  Winfield 

Consulting  Editors: 

John  D.  Rowsey 
Ronald  W.  Waters 

Contributing  Editor: 
Alvin  Shifflett 

Editorial  and 
Business  Office: 

524  College  Ave. 
Ashland,  Ohio     44805 
Phone:    (419)   289-2611 

Published  monthly  for  the  Brethren  Church 
by  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 
One  year  subscription  rates:  $6.00  for 
100%  church  lists;  $6.50  for  church  lists 
of  5  or  more  names;  $7.00  for  individual 
subscriptions. 

Single-copy  price:  70  cents 
Change  of  address:  Please  notify  us  at 
least  three  weeks  in  advance,  using  the 
form  provided  in  each  issue. 
Authors'  views  are  not  necessarily  those 
of  the  Brethren  Church  or  the  Brethren 
Publishing    Company. 

Queries  and  manuscripts  should  be  ad- 
dressed to  the  editor.  A  writer's  packet 
with  query  tips  is  available  upon  written 
request. 

Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  also  welcome. 
However,  the  publisher  assumes  no 
responsibility  for  return  of  unsolicited 
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self-addressed  envelope. 
Second  class  postage  paid  at  Ashland, 
Ohio. 

Postmaster:  Please  send  Form  3579  to 
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Member,  Evangelical  Press  Association 


K^over 

Building  new  Brethren  church- 
es adds  new  life  to  the  Brethren 
Church.  Read  the  special  report 
on  Brethren  Home  Missions  be- 
ginning on  page  12. 


Vol.  101.  No.  11 


November  1979 


4     Keeping  in  Sfep  with  the  Holy  Spirit 

An  exposition  of  Galatians  5:13-26  by  Rev.  Brian  H.  Moore. 


6 


"What's  It  AH  About.  Aiphie?" 

Dr.  Charles  Munson  presents  the  background  to  the  proposed 
plan  for  denominational  organization  that  was  brought  before 
the  1979  General  Conference. 


8     ItTaplementing  Phase  One 

John  Rowsey  brings  us  up  to  date  on  the  implementation  of 
phase  one  of  the  plan  for  denominational  organization. 

Special  Feature:  Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 
10     Putting  Our  House  in  Order 

John  Rowsey  believes  that  keeping  sound  financial  records  will 
be  a  necessity  for  the  Brethren  in  the  eighties. 


Brethren  Home  Missions — ^Building  for  the  Lord 

12  The  Opportunities  Continue! 

by  Rev.  Arden  E.  Gilmer 

13  Ups  and  Downs  at  Town  and  Country 

by  Rev.  Dale  P.  RuLon 

14  Medina  Bible  Fellowship:     Practicing 

Healthy  Evangelism  for  Church  Growth 

by  Rev.   Terry  Lodico 

16  Progress  at  Brandon 

by  Rev.  P.  Keith  Bennett 

17  Special  Ministries 

Reports  on  the  ministries  at  Krypton,  Brethren  House,  Pasadena, 
and  Riverside  Christian  Training  School 

18  The  Hunger  Issue  in  Twelve  Points 

A  report  of  hunger  facts  taken  from  the  book  Have  You  Ever 
Been  Hungry? 


Departments 

9     The  Salt  Shaker 
20     Update 


November  1979 


Keeping 


in 


Step . 


photo  courtesy  of  Ashland  College 


with 


th 


Holy 


Spirit 


An  exposition  of  Gala+ians 
5:13-26  by  Rev.  Brian  H. 
Moore. 


4 


WHEN  I  was  a  teenager,  I  had  the  good 
experience  of  playing  in  the  Marianna, 
Pennsylvania,  Community  Band.  Our  per- 
formances were  almost  entirely  for  outdoor 
parades,  which  meant,  of  course,  marching. 
Furthermore,  our  performances  were  usual- 
ly evaluated  by  a  group  of  judges. 

At  a  certain  point  on  the  parade  route 
there  would  be  an  officials'  stand  upon 
which  the  judges  were  positioned,  carefully 
scrutinizing  the  band.  They  listened  to  the 
quality  of  the  music,  observed  whether  or 
not  the  lines  were  straight,  and  checked 
to  see  if  the  marchers  were  all  in  step.  For 
we  band  members  it  was  a  real  challenge 
to  keep  our  eyes  on  the  music,  watch  our 
own  lines  with  peripheral  vision,  maintain 
the  proper  distance  from  the  line  ahead  of 
us,  and  stay  in  step  with  everyone  else! 

Keeping  in  step — that  was  important! 
But  who  determined  which  foot  should  be 
coming  forward  when?  That  was  the  re- 
sponsibility of  the  head  majorette!  She 
marched  out  in  front  of  everyone  else,  and 
her  steps  determined  everyone  else's  steps. 

There  may  not  seem  to  be  much  similar- 
ity between  a  head  majorette  and  the  Holy 
Spirit.  But  when  Paul  writes,  '*.  .  .  let  us 
keep  in  step  with  the  Spirit"  (Gal.  5:25 
N.I. V. ) ,  we  begin  to  get  the  point.  The  Holy 
Spirit,  alive  and  active  as  He  is,  is  out  in 
front  of  God's  people,  setting  the  pace, 
leading  the  way,  giving  the  cues,  marching 
on  before.  Our  responsibility,  as  the  people 
of  God,  is  to  follow  His  directions,  letting 
His  movements  determine  our  actions.  As 
the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  led  Israel  in  the 
wilderness,  calling  them  to  move  or  to  stay, 
so  the  Holy  Spirit  leads  the  church. 

The  passage  under  consideration  specifies 
what  this  means  in  practical  terms.  But 
before  we  examine  this  further,  we  must 
consider  the  situation  which  prompted  this 
letter  to  the  Galatians. 

The  Galatian  problem  could  be  sum- 
marized in  two  words:  religious  ext«r- 
nalism.  The  church  was  being  tempted  to 
regress  to  the  Law  of  Moses,  a  regression 
that  involved  relying  on  the  law  to  com- 
plete the  achievement  of  a  right  relation- 
ship with  God.  The  Galatian  Christians 
were  beginning  to  regard  the  law  as  im- 
portant as,  if  not  more  important  than, 
the  sacrificial  work  of  Jesus  Christ  on  the 
cross.  Paul  was  trying  to  show  these  people 
that  Christ  was  all  and  enough.  He  was 
striving  to  convince  them  that  Christian 
living  is  not  a  matter  of  outward  conform- 
ity to  certain  rules  and  regulations,  but  a 

Rev.  Moore  is  pastor  of  the  Ardmore  First 
Brethren  Church  of  South  Bend,  Ind.,  and 
Moderator-Elect  of  General  Conference. 

The  Brethren  Evangelist 


matter  of  the  inner  life — life  springing  out 
of  the  heart  of  a  man  who  is  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Believers  today  frequently  need  to  be 
reminded  of  this  basic  message.  Our  Chris- 
tianity can  all  too  easily  become  an  external 
matter,  based  on  outwardness  rather  than 
inwardness.  We,  too,  can  be  guilty  of  plac- 
ing trust  in  ourselves  and  our  actions 
rather  than  letting  the  life  of  God  flow  from 
within.  We  can  let  baptism,  attendance, 
giving,  serving,  teaching  become  new  ex- 
pressions of  the  law  by  which  we  seek  to 
save  ourselves.  Paul's  message  is  contem- 
porary! We,  too,  need  to  keep  in  step  with 
the  Spirit.  This  will  mean: 


I.     Responsible    use    of   freedom 

In  verses  13-15  Paul  points  to  the  respon- 
sible use  of  freedom  as  one  derivative  of 
keeping  in  step  with  the  Spirit.  For  those 
of  us  who  have  ever  been  subject  to  it,  we 
know  that  religious  externalism  gets 
''heavy"!  Trying  to  keep  up  that  outward 
conformity  produces  a  lot  of  pressure.  Paul 
calls  that  "bondage  to  the  law."  Freedom 
from  this  bondage  would  be  a  great  relief! 

But  the  pendulum  can  swing  so  easily  to 
the  other  extreme.  If  I  am  free  from  rules 
and  regulations,  I  can  easily  drift  to  the 
opposite  pole,  where  I  am  apt  to  lose  my 
sense  of  morality,  decency,  and  spiritual 
obligation.  But  if  I  keep  in  step  with  the 
Spirit,  this  will  not  happen. 

The  Christian  does  not  break  the  moral 
law  of  God!  He  keeps  it  just  as  faithfully 
as  the  legalist,  but  for  a  very  different 
reason.  He  keeps  it  because  the  Spirit  pro- 
duces in  him  self-control  (''do  not  use  your 
freedom  to  indulge  your  sinful  nature"), 
loving  service  ("serve  one  another"),  and 
obedience  ("the  entire  law  is  summed  up  in 
a  single  command:  'Love  your  neighbor  as 
yourself.'  ")  Following  love  will  mean  that  I 
will  obey  the  law  because  the  law  delineates 
what  it  means  to  love  God  and  neighbor. 

The  church  that  preaches  and  teaches 
freedom  from  the  law  is  teaching  the  truth. 
But  freedom  from  the  law  without  the  re- 
sponsible use  of  that  freedom  will  lead  to 
mortal  error,  which  will  be  more  disastrous 
than  the  legalistic  approach  to  morals. 
Keeping  in  step  with  the  Spirit  will  mean 
a  responsible  use  of  freedom. 


II.     Resistance    to    the    flesh 

In  verses  16  through  21  Paul  expands  on 
what  he  had  just  said.  The  person  in  step 
with  the  Spirit  will  not  only  use  his  free- 


dom responsibly,  but  in  doing  so  he  will 
resist  the  pull  of  his  lower  nature. 

Have  you  ever  had  the  urge  to  do  some- 
thing nasty,  unkind,  perhaps  even  violent 
or  immoral?  (If  you  say,  "Never,"  you  must 
be  lying.  See  IJohn  1:8!)  Why  didn't  you 
do  it?  (I  am  assuming  that  you  didn't,  of 
course!)  Perhaps  it  was  the  civil  law  that 
restrained  you.  (You  might  get  arrested 
and  fined  or  jailed!)  Perhaps  it  was  social 
pressure  that  constrained  you.  (You  need 
to  keep  your  reputation  intact.)  Or,  per- 
haps your  own  sense  of  self-respect  would 
not  allow  you  to  follow  that  lower  impulse. 

But  the  deepest  and  strongest  restraining 
force  in  the  Christian  is  the  presence  and 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  His  presence 
within  us  enables  us  to  directly  confront 
the  sinful  tendencies  of  the  flesh.  In  fact, 
it  is  because  of  His  presence  that  there  is 
a  genuine  confrontation  at  all!  The  flesh 
and  the  Spirit  are  irreconcilably  antagon- 
istic !  They  pull  in  opposite  directions.  There 
is  a  continual  tug-of-war  in  our  inner 
beings.  What  we  are  by  our  old  nature  is 
in  constant  tension  with  what  we  are  be- 
coming by  the  new  nature  in  Christ.  But 
as  we  keep  in  step  with  the  Spirit,  we  find 
that  we  can  effectively  resist  the  urges  of 
the  flesh. 


111.     Reaiizafion    of    the    fruit 

Perhaps  what  I  have  said  thus  far 
appears  rather  negative.  I  have  spoken  in 
terms  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  restraint  for 
our  protection.  But  in  verses  22-26  Paul 
presents  the  positive  aspects  of  the  presence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  As  we  keep  in  step  with 
the  Spirit,  the  products  of  His  life  begin 
to  appear  in  us  without  our  necessarily 
noticing  them.  The  qualities  and  virtues 
which  characterize  Jesus  Christ  begin  to 
emerge  within  us  and  to  bloom  forth  from 
our  lives.  These  qualities  are  listed  for  us 
in  verses  22  and  23. 

In  these  days,  characterized  by  a  great 
deal  of  confusion  and  conflict  over  the 
ministry  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  is  refreshing 
and  informative  to  experience  once  again 
the  true  qualities  of  the  Holy  Spirit's 
presence,  which  are  meant  for  all  believers. 
If  we  have  "crucified  the  sinful  nature" 
(v.  24),  and  "live  by  the  Spirit"  (v.  25), 
then  we  have  every  right  to  expect  a  har- 
vest of  fruit. 

Keeping  in  step  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
the  key  to  living  a  happy,  healthy,  balanced 
Christian  life.  It  is  the  answer  to  legalism 
on  the  one  hand,  and  to  the  light  dismissal 
of  all  morality  on  the  other.  Keeping  your 
eye  on  Him,  let  His  fruit  grow.  □ 


November  1979 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 
COMMITTEES 


EXECUTIVE   COMMITTEE 


DIRECTOR  of  DENOM- 
INATIONAL MINIST. 


W.M.S.  & 
UYMEN 


DIRECTOR  of  DENOM- 
INATIONAL BUSINESS 


ADMIN(S), 
STAFF 


COOR.COMM 
(BD.PRES) 


ADMIN(S), 
STAFF 


COOR.COMM 


I  -v.-  - 


2 


ASHLAND  COLLEGE   and 
THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


DIRECTOR   of  PASTOR. 
AL  MINISTRIES 


COOR.COMM 


ADMIN(S), 
STAFF 


NAT'L 
MIN.ASSN, 


BD.    of 

CH.   ED. 


WORLD 
RELIEF 


BEIMEVO- 
LENT   BD. 


MISSION- 
ARY     BD. 


PUBLISH. 
COMPANY 


tEVANGELISH 
1 


BOOK 
STORE 


RETIRE- 
WENT 


STEWARD- 
SHIP 


DIST.BDS. 
EVAN. (9) 


"'^\\ai'i  \i  All  Khowi,  Alphfe?" 


THIS  TITLE  to  a  popular  song  of  a  few 
years  ago  describes  the  attitude  of 
many  people  toward  a  group  of  people 
known  as  Committee  13  and  toward  a  pro- 
posal this  committee  brought  before  the 
1979  General  Conference.  In  this  article 
I  will  attempt  to  explain  the  origin  of  this 
committee  and  of  its  proposal. 

In  my  position  as  a  professor  at  Ashland 
Theological  Seminary,  I  have  been  granted 
time  by  the  seminary  administration  to 
make  a  study  of  the  Brethren  Church.  In 
making  this  study,  I  felt  it  would  be  helpful 
to  work  with  a  number  of  people  with  a 
variety  of  lifestyles  and  experiences.  In  this 
way  we  could  get  at  some  of  the  needs  in 
the  Brethren  Church  and  find  some  possible 
solutions. 

So  twelve  people  were  chosen  whom  it 
was  felt  were  capable  of  taking  a  good, 
hard  look  at  the  denomination.  The  names 


Dr.  Munson  is  Professor  of  Practical  Theology 
at  Ashland  Theological  Seminary. 


by  Dr.   Charles   Munson 

of  the  members  of  Committee  13  (a 
designation  with  no  significance  necessari- 
ly) are  printed  in  the  Conference  minutes.* 
The  committee  was  not  appointed  by  Gen- 
eral Conference  and  has  no  official  status, 
but  it  is  a  legitimate  entity  since  any 
members  of  the  denomination  can  meet 
together  for  purposes  of  study  if  they  so 
desire. 

The  committee  met  rather  regularly  and 
began  discussing  and  investigating  certain 
problem  areas  in  the  denomination.  Work- 
ing as  a  committee  and  in  teams,  we  studied, 
identified  needs,  and  proposed  solutions. 
Every  person  on  the  committee  was  con- 
vinced of  the  viability  of  the  Brethren 
denomination  for  our  times  and  of  its 
responsibility  to  meet  the  demands  of  the 
times.  So  we  met  and  studied. 

'^The  members  of  Committee  13  are  Charles 
Munson,  Richard  Allison,  Kent  Bennett,  John 
Brownsberger,  Fred  Burkey,  Fred  Finks,  Arden 
Gilmer,  Jack  Oxenrider,  Smith  Rose,  Donald 
Rowser,  John  Rowsey,  Alvin  Shifflett,  and  George 
Snyder. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


In  an  early  spring  meeting,  the  com- 
mittee developed  an  organizational  plan 
which  it  felt  could  meet  some  of  the  basic 
needs  of  the  denomination.  Since  plans  of 
organization  had  been  proposed  before,  our 
work  was  made  somewhat  easier  by  the 
groundwork  which  had  been  laid. 

We  then  presented  our  plan  to  the 
Executive  Committee  of  General  Conference 
and  to  the  ministers  of  the  various  districts 
in  their  district  conference  meetings.  From 
these  various  groups  ideas  were  accepted 
and  a  reformulation  of  the  plan  made. 
Because  of  these  meetings  we  assumed  that 
most  pastors  would  be  informed  and  that 
most  Brethren  people  would  have  details 
about  the  proposal  before  General  Con- 
ference. 

Just  prior  to  the  1979  General  Confer- 
ence, our  committee,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Executive  Committee,  presented  our 
proposal  to  the  members  of  the  various 
denominational  boards.  Then,  under  the 
leadership  of  the  Executive  Committee,  we 
presented  the  proposal  to  a  session  of 
General  Conference. 

But  what's  it  all  about  ?  Well,  essentially, 
the  committee  discovered  that  there  are 
three  particular  areas  of  need  in  the 
Brethren  Church.  The  first  and  most  critical 
of  these  is  the  need  for  a  cooperative  and 
supportive  network  of  pastoral  care  for 
ministers.  So  we  proposed  that  a  Director 
of  Pastoral  Ministries  be  employed  by  the 
denomination. 

The  duties  of  the  Director  of  Pastoral 
Ministries  would  include  advising  and  aiding 
in  pastoral  placement,  meeting  regularly 
with  pastors,  developing  a  program  for 
creative  pastoral  ministry,  and  counseling 
with  pastors  on  problems  that  arise  from 
interpersonal  relationships,  including  pas- 
tors' relationships  with  their  churches.  The 


Director  of  Pastoral  Ministries  would  en- 
hance the  work  already  being  done  by 
various  local,  district,  and  national  boards 
and  committees. 

The  second  need  discovered  by  the  com- 
mittee was  in  the  area  of  denominational 
business.  So  we  proposed  that  a  Director  of 
Denominational  Business  be  employed.  This 
person  would  give  trained,  experienced 
leadership  to  the  management  of  the  busi- 
ness and  financial  affairs  of  the  denomina- 
tion. He  would  seek  to  make  available 
necessary  services  for  a  more  efficient 
operation  of  our  national  interests  and 
offices — such  services  as  a  secretarial  pool, 
a  central  receptionist,  printing,  addressing, 
mailing,  accounting,  cooperative  purchas- 
ing, and  so  on. 

The  Director  of  Denominational  Business 
would  also  coordinate  promotion  for  Gen- 
eral Conference,  its  boards,  and  its  in- 
terests. He  would  establish  and  develop  a 
program  to  encourage  financial  support 
through  all  kinds  of  giving  for  local,  dis- 
trict, and  denominational  ministries.  The 
Carpenter's  Shop  and  the  Brethren  retire- 
ment and  insurance  programs  would  also  be 
areas  of  his  responsibility. 

In  the  third  place,  the  committee  sug- 
gested the  need  for  a  Director  of  Denom- 
inational Ministries.  This  person  would 
coordinate,  guide,  and  assure  the  effective 
and  efficient  implementation  of  the  pro- 
grams of  the  Benevolent  Board,  the  Board 
of  Christian  Education,  the  Missionary 
Board,  and  the  World  Relief  Board.  His 
duties  would  include  developing  a  compre- 
hensive ten-year  plan,  supervising  person- 
nel in  these  areas  of  ministry,  guiding  in 
staff  development,  meeting  regularly  with 
the  various  boards,  and  helping  to  promote 
their  work.  The  Director  of  Denominational 

(continued  on  next  page) 


General  Conference  approved  imple- 
mentation of  the  first  phase  of  the  pro- 
posed plan  of  denominational  organiza- 
tion— the  establishment  of  a  Director  of 
Pastoral  Ministries. 

As  the  diagram  shows,  the  Director  of 
Pastoral  Ministries  will  work  with  a 
coordinating  committee  made  up  of  the 
chairpersons  of  the  nine  district  boards 
of  evangelists  and  with  the  National  Min- 
isterial Association.  In  time  he  may  be 
assisted  by  an  administrator  or  staff 
person. 

His  duties  will  include  meeting  with 
and  counseling  pastors,  developing  a 
program  for  creative  pastoral  ministry, 
and  aiding  in  pastoral  placement. 


DILl^CTOH  UF  PA:.T0KAL  MINISTRIKJ 


COORDINATING  COMMIT- 
TEE (CHAIRPERSONS, 
DISTRICT  BOARDS  [9] 
of  EVANGELISTS) 


ADMINISTRATOR  (: 
and/or  STAFF 


NATIONAL 
MINISTERIAL 
ASSOCIATION 


DISTRICT  BOARDS 
of  EVANGELISTS  (9) 


November  1979 


Ministries  would  also  maintain  contact  with 
local  churches  to  encourage  their  support, 
to  develop  annual  goals  for  supporting  pro- 
grams, and,  in  general,  to  coordinate  the 
work  of  the  boards. 

This  proposal  was  presented  to  the  1979 
General  Conference  with  a  motion  that  the 
first  phase — the  establishment  of  a  Director 
of  Pastoral  Ministries — be  adopted  for 
implementation.  The  motion  was  passed  by 
the  Conference. 

Questions  are  asked  about  money. 
What's  that  all  about?  Well,  we  see  phases 
II  and  III  as  being  somewhere  down  the 
road.  But  we  see  the  implementation  of 
phase  I  as  being  feasible  through  the  monies 
currently  coming  to  the  Brethren  National 


Office    through    the    General    Conference 
apportionment.     It     is     conceivable     that 
enough  money  is  available  to  support  the 
Director  of  Pastoral  Ministries  and  some 
office  help. 

Obviously,  considerable  work  has  to  be 
done  to  make  this  program  work.  The  pro- 
posal is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  Executive 
Committee,  which  has  the  responsibility 
of  implementing  phase  one. 

So  when  you  ask,  ''What's  it  all  about?" 
I  answer  that  Committee  13  provided 
information  and  impetus  to  the  Executive 
Committee  in  the  hope  that  the  Brethren 
Church  might  be  enabled  to  better  serve  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  □ 


Implementing  Phase 

John  Rowsey  brings  us  up  to  date  on  the  implennentation  of 
phase  one  of  the  plan  for  denonnlnational  organization. 


THE  91st  General  Conference  of  the 
Brethren  Church,  meeting  in  August 
1979,  approved  the  implementation  of  the 
first  phase  of  the  denominational  change 
proposed  by  Committee  13.  The  preceding 
article  gives  the  background  of  this  com- 
mittee and  tells  why  it  made  this  proposal. 
This  article  is  directed  to  what  comes  next. 

I  am  vitally  interested  in  this  subject, 
for  I  am  a  member  of  Committee  13  and  a 
member  of  the  General  Conference  Execu- 
tive Committee — which  has  been  assigned 
the  responsibility  of  implementing  this 
change.  Furthermore,  beginning  January 
first  I  am  to  be  a  part-time  employee  of 
the  Executive  Committee  to  help  in  the 
transition. 

One  of  the  first  questions  the  Executive 
Committee  had  to  grapple  with  was  the 
matter  of  finances.  Under  the  present  Gen- 
eral Conference  structure,  economics  would 
not  allow  the  addition  of  a  new  Director  of 
Pastoral  Ministries.  In  Executive  Committee 
a  suggestion  was  made  that  Rev.  Smith 
Rose,  our  present  Executive  Secretary  of 
General  Conference,  could  assume  the  duties 
of  the  Director  of  Pastoral  Ministries,  with 
others  picking  up  some  of  his  administra- 
tive responsibilities.  Rev.  Rose  is  a  member 
of  Committee  13,  so  was  aware  of  the  ex- 
pectations for  this  position,  and  because  of 

Mr.  Rowsey  is  Executive  Director  of  the  Brethren 
Publishing  Company.  At  the  beginning  of  next 
year  he  will  become  Interim  General  Conference 
Coordinator  for  the  Brethren  Church. 


his  years  of  service  to  the  denomination, 
knows  our  pastors  and  churches.  Rev.  Rose 
felt,  however,  that  it  would  be  in  the  best 
interest  of  the  proposal  for  a  different  per- 
son to  assume  the  new  position.  Therefore, 
in  order  to  make  funds  available  to  support 
a  new  Director  of  Pastoral  Ministries,  Rev. 
Rose  resigned  his  position  effective  March 
31,  1980.  He  expects  to  return  to  the 
pastorate. 

The  Executive  Committee  plans  to  hire 
a  Director  of  Pastoral  Ministries  to  begin 
work  September  1,  1980.  I  will  be  working 
part  time  throughout  1980  as  Interim  Gen- 
eral Conference  Coordinator.  From  January 
1  to  March  31  I  will  work  with  Rev.  Rose. 
Then  from  September  1  to  December  1  I 
will  work  with  the  new  Director  of  Pastoral 
Ministries.  During  the  period  April  1  to 
August  31  I  will  be  the  only  person  in  the 
General  Conference  office,  and  since  I  will 
be  working  only  part  time,  this  will  help 
to  compensate  for  the  overlap  of  personnel 
during  the  rest  of  the  year. 

The  Executive  Committee  wishes  to  ex- 
ercise good  stewardship  of  the  General 
Conference  funds.  At  the  same  time,  we 
want  to  move  forward  in  the  task  of  imple- 
menting phase  one  of  the  denominational 
reorganization.  Your  prayers  are  requested 
and  will  be  especially  appreciated  during 
this  time  of  transition.  Please  pray  for  me, 
for  Rev.  Rose,  and  also  for  the  new  Director 
of  Pastoral  Ministries. 

Watch  the  Brethren  Evangelist  for  furth- 
er information  about  implementation  of 
phase  one  as  the  year  progresses.  □ 


8 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


the  salt  shaker 


by  Alvin  Shifflett 


f     >:   •  •  • 


Facing  one  of  the  facts  of  the  high  cost  of  dying. 


CASKET  for  hire,"  proclaimed  the  radio 
announcer.  It  sounded  intriguing.  Why 
would  anyone  rent  a  casket?  You  couldn't 
be  buried  in  a  rental,  that  much  is  obvious. 

A  lot  of  money  is  spent  on  caskets  these 
days.  We  never  think  about  picking  one 
out  until  it's  too  late.  Then  someone  picks 
it  out  for  us.  I  suppose  we  want  to  avoid 
thinking  about  death  as  long  as  possible. 

Sentiment  is  for  the  expensive  casket.  But 
what  difference  does  it  make  whether  your 
box  is  expensive  or  not?  Why  should  I  care, 
as  long  as  you  don't  end  up  in  my  drinking 
water  ? 

The  distraught  widow  cries,  ''What 
would  people  think  if  I  buried  George  in  a 
cheap  box?"  The  truth  is,  we  should  ap- 
plaud the  judgment  of  the  wise  widow  who 
does  just  that!  George  doesn't  need  to  go 
out  like  King  Tut  in  an  air  tight,  cedar- 
lined  hole  filler.  So  what  if  water  leaks  in — 
George  won't  drown! 

George  will  never  see  the  box.  And  it 
won't  make  him  a  bit  more  comfortable. 
Pay  no  attention  to  what  others  think.  Be- 
sides, George  may  need  a  box  lined  with 
asbestos. 

In  fact,  what's  wrong  with  building  your 
own  casket?  Seriously,  you  have  a  lifetime 
to  work  on  it.  For  some,  of  course,  that  may 
not  be  long!  You  could  inquire  about  state 
and  local  laws,  then  proceed  from  there. 
You'd  be  sure  to  fit — simply  lie  down  in  it 
and  see.  If  you're  not  a  carpenter,  then  hire 
one  and  give  him  your  plans.  Never  mind 
how  he  looks  at  you. 

* 'Casket  for  Hire"  is  a  booming  new 
business  in  Texas.  It  seems  this  man  ended 
up  with  a  repossessed  casket.  An  under- 


taker's business  got  so  dead  that  the  caskets 
were  repossessed.  This  one  was  a  beautiful 
pine  box.  He  paid  $250  for  it.  Another  man 
had  bought  it  for  $750  and  sold  it  to  him. 
He  now  rents  it  out  for  parties,  and  the 
thing  is  booked  solid. 

This  man,  with  an  eye  for  business, 
claims  he  has  no  competitors.  He  has  a 
corner  on  the  market.  Can  you  imagine 
throwing  a  party  with  a  casket  as  a  conver- 
sation piece?  People  are  dying  to  get  their 
picture  taken  in  it!  Halloween  is  his  peak 
season.  His  card  reads,  "Have  Casket.  Will 
Travel." 

Maybe  we  need  to  face  the  truth  about 
our  values  in  this  country.  Recently  I  heard 
of  a  young  preacher  who  arranged  for  an 
empty  casket  to  be  brought  into  the  evening 


"The  disfraught  widow  cries,  'What 
would  people  think  if  I  buried 
George  In  a  cheap  box?'  The  truth 
is,  we  should  applaud  the  judgment 
of  the  wise  widow  who  does  just 
that!" 


church  service.  Then  he  asked  the  congrega- 
tion to  file  past  the  casket.  Inside  was  a 
mirror.  Each  saw  his  own  image.  The 
preacher  then  preached  a  sermon  in  which 
he  proceeded  to  lambaste  their  dead  spirits. 
He  got  his  point  across! 

But  two  weeks  later  the  church  met  and 
fired  him.  Q 


November  1979 


9 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


John  Rowsey  believes  that  keeping  sound  financial  records 
will  be  a  necessity  for  the  Brethren  in  the  eighties. 


DURING  the  years  that  I  have  been 
involved  with  various  aspects  of  ad- 
ministration in  the  church,  I  have  become 
disturbed  by  the  disorganized  way  the 
church  cares  for  its  business.  I  am  not 
speaking  of  just  the  Brethren  Church,  for 
I  have  been  involved  with  a  number  of 
groups  ranging  from  local  churches  to 
interdenominational  organizations. 

In  the  1980's  we  all  may  be  forced  to  do 
a  better  job  of  organizational  housekeeping. 
I  do  not  want  to  be  negative  about  this 
because  I  beheve  good  organization  can  be 
maintained  easily  once  begun  and  that  it 
is  possible  to  begin. 

Contemplating  the  problem,  I  believe  I 
understand  the  reason  for  this  state  of 
affairs.  When  organizations  begin,  they 
usually  have  too  few  people  to  do  all  of  the 
work.  As  a  result  those  involved  concen- 
trate on  the  primary  purpose  of  the  organ- 
ization (the  reason  for  which  it  was 
created),  and  ''housekeeping  chores"  (such 
as  keeping  good  records)  are  done  at  a 
minimal  level  or  not  at  all.  The  church  is 
no  exception  to  this  practice. 

If  the  organization  is  a  business,  how- 
ever, it  usually  soon  comes  into  contact 
with  the  record-keeping  requirements  of 
the  Federal  Government.  The  result  is  that 
the  business  begins  to  practice  better 
record-keeping.  The  church  and  other  tax- 
exempt  organizations,  on  the  other  hand, 
have  not  generally  been  forced  to  keep 
records. 

As  I  look  at  the  eighties,  particularly  in 
light  of  the  Tax  Reform  Act  of  1969,  I  see 
the  need  for  all  tax-exempt  organizations 
to  improve  the  quality  of  their  records. 
Organizations  in  existence  at  the  time  this 
reform  law  was  enacted  were  given  a  grace 
period  through  1975  in  which  to  comply. 
Now,  however,  the  IRS  has  begun  looking 

Mr.  Rowsey  is  Executive  Director  of  the  Brethren 
Publishing  Company. 


at  tax-exempt  organizations,  and  local 
churches  may  eventually  be  included.  Last 
year  the  IRS  conducted  an  audit  of  the 
1975  and  1976  books  of  the  Brethren  Pub- 
lishing Company  (which  we  passed),  so 
I  am  well  aware  of  the  importance  of  good 
records. 

But  aside  from  government  requirements 
and  inspections,  there  are  other  reasons 
for  keeping  good  records  in  the  church.  We 
have  heard  much  in  recent  years,  particu- 
larly from  interdenominational  mission 
agencies,  about  the  need  for  Christian 
organizations  to  practice  good  accounting 
procedures  so  that  they  can  give  reports 
to  their  donors.  If  I  give  to  an  organization, 
I  expect  that  donation  to  be  used  as  I  in- 
tended. The  only  way  this  can  be  verified 
is  if  good  records  are  kept. 

Decision-making  is  another  reason  for 
keeping  good  records.  I  have  been  reminded 
more  than  once  that  the  Brethren  Publish- 
ing Company  is  a  business.  I  also  under- 
stand that  to  properly  run  a  business,  infor- 
mation is  necessary  for  management 
decisions.  This  information  can  only  be 
available  if  records  are  kept.  The  same  is 
true  in  the  local  church.  I  realize  that  many 
churches  emphasize  that  they  are  not 
businesses  and  so  should  not  operate  in  a 
business-like  fashion.  But  I  can't  help  but 
ask,  "Doesn't  God  want  us  to  manage  His 
money  as  well  as  we  do  our  own?" 

I  believe  efficient,  effective  organizations 
can  be  used  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  such  a 
way  that  we  get  full  value  from  the  re- 
sources we  have  available.  I  further  believe 
that  we  can  maintain  good  organizational 
structure  with  a  minimum  of  effort.  This 
will  not  distract  us  from  our  primary 
purpose,  but  will  instead  strengthen  our 
efforts  to  carry  out  the  Great  Commission. 
I  would  urge  all  of  our  Brethren  tax-exempt 
organizations  (local,  district,  and  national) 
to  take  a  good  look  at  their  record-keeping. 

Most    of    our    organizations    keep    good 


10 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


donor  records,  which  are  required  if  one 
of  the  donors  is  audited  by  the  IRS.  Most 
of  our  organizations  also  know  what  their 
habihties  are  if  they  owe  money  outside 
the  organization.  However,  too  few  have 
payment  plans  to  eliminate  these  liabilities. 

One  of  my  strong  disappointments  is  the 
way  church  organizations  keep  records  of 
their  assets.  Do  we  know  when  furniture 
and  equipment  were  purchased  and  for 
how  much?  Do  we  know  if  these  assets 
are  still  with  us?  And  if  they  are  no  longer 
around,  do  we  know  how  long  they  lasted? 

Another  weak  area  is  the  costing  out 
of  programs.  Do  we  know  how  much  is 
being  invested  in  our  youth  programs,  our 
outreach  ministries,  our  Sunday  schools, 
our  buildings  ? 

At  the  district  and  national  levels,  do  we 
know  how  much  specific  ministries  cost  and 


whether  they  are  funded  sufficiently?  Can 
we  go  to  our  members  or  donors  with 
specific  needs,  or  do  we  simply  ask  for 
offerings  because  we  are  in  the  hole? 

It  just  makes  good  sense  to  know  where 
we  are  as  we  plan  where  we  are  going.  It's 
also  a  good  feeling  to  know  we  have  the 
answers  to  questions  that  might  be  asked 
by  the  government.  Best  of  all,  there  is  a 
peace  in  knowing  we  can  say,  ''Lord,  we 
have  conducted  Your  business  in  a  way  that 
will  bring  honor  to  Your  name." 

Brethren,  let's  enter  the  eighties  with 
plans  to  get  our  house  in  order.  It  doesn't 
cost  a  lot  of  money.  It  doesn't  take  a  lot  of 
time.  But  it  makes  good  sense.  Sloppy 
records  are  for  people  who  don't  care  or 
who  are  trying  to  hide  something.  Let's 
move  out  in  confidence  that  we  can  do  a 
job  worthy  of  Children  of  the  King.       □ 


Advertisement 


Pastor  Jim  Black 


We  weighed  past-Moderator  Jim  Black 
at  General  Conference  in  August!  He  did 
lose  weight  during  the  previous  year  and 
kept  it  off.  For  those  who  were  present, 
you  already  know  the  results.  But  for 
others,  this  is  the  ''official"  tabulation: 
243  -  Weight  in  August  1978 
210  -  Weight  in  August  1979! 


33  -  pounds  off 
1  -  add  one  pound  for  clothing 


34  -  POUNDS  LOST!!! 
By  the  end  of  Conference  25  people  had 
already  contributed  $953  to  World  Relief 
for  this  project.  Some  were  people  who 
signed  up  the  year  before  and  pledged 
$1.00  per  pound  lost;  others  were  not  on 
any  list,  but  just  contributed  anyway.  Some 
gave  $34  on  the  nose,  while  others  gave 
more  or  less — entirely  voluntarily.  Then, 
during  the  fall  months  another  20  or  so 
people  are  responding  with  their  contri- 
butions. 

If  you  also  would  still  like  to  be  a  part 
of  this  "pounds  lost  for  World  Relief" 
venture,  send  contributions  of  any  amount 
(with  a  note)  to: 

WORLD  RELIEF 

Phil  Lersch,  Chm. 

6301  56th  Avenue,  N. 

St.  Petersburg,  FL     33709 

Two    new   thrusts    of   the   World   Relief 


Relief  aains 

-8^ 


Board  will  receive  wide  publicity  in  the  near 
future : 

(1)  DOMESTIC  DISASTER  RELIEF, 
whereby  those  interested  and  available  will 
be  able  to  help  with  clean-up  and  rehabili- 
tation (short  term)  following  disasters  here 
in  the  United  States. 

(2)  REFUGEE  RESETTLEMENT, 
whereby  churches  and  individuals  will  be 
encouraged  to  help  resettle  in  our  commun- 
ities refugees  from  Southeast  Asia. 


The  1979  Moderator,  Diiane  Dickson,  checks 
Rev.  Jim  Black's  weight  and  Rev.  Phil  Lersch 
announces   the    residts.  Photo  by  Bruce  Ronk 


November  1979 


11 


Brethren  Home  Missions 


The 


■  ■  ■ 

11111116 


CHRIST  .  .  .  loved  the  church  and  gave 
Himself  for  it"  (Eph.  5:25).  Every 
Christian  needs  to  come  to  terms  with  this 
text.  If  Jesus  loved  the  church,  so  should 
I. 

The  ministry  and  labor  of  Brethren  Home 
Missions  is  dedicated  to  love  for  Christ  and 
for  His  church.  Love  for  Christ  and  for  His 
church  naturally  generates  a  love  for 
people — those  for  whom  Christ  died.  Christ, 
the  church,  people — all  are  of  utmost  im- 
portance in  Brethren  Home  Missions. 

To  appreciate  Home  Missions  we  must 
understand  the  importance  of  the  local 
church.  The  local  church  is  the  primary 
group  through  which  the  ministry  of  Christ 
is  fulfilled.  If  local  churches  ceased  to  exist, 
all  the  ministries  of  para-church  organiza- 
tions, the  electronic  church,  the  mass 
evangehsts,  and  the  denomination  would 
fold  hke  a  house  of  cards. 

The  ministry  of  the  local  church  attracts 
people  to  Christ,  provides  avenues  for 
Christian  growth,  encourages  Christian 
fellowship,  and  leavens  the  community. 
Vibrant  local  churches  are  the  final  hope 
for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  United 
States. 

Local  churches  come  in  different  shapes, 
sizes,  and  stages  of  development.  Youth 
adds  vigor  to  any  enterprise.  New  churches 
often  set  the  pace  in  evangelism.  Dr.  C. 
Peter  Wagner,  a  keen  observer  of  the 
church,  believes  that  planting  new  churches 
is  the  most  effective  and  efficient  means 
of  evangelism  today.  Several  studies  indi- 
cate the  superiority  of  new  churches  in 
reaching  people  for  Christ.  While  older 
churches  subtly  shift  to  survival  goals,  new 
churches  energetically  pursue  mission  goals. 

Rev.  Gilmer  is  pastor  of  the  Ashland  First 
Brethren  Church  and  chairman  of  the  Church 
Extension  Commission  of  the  national  Missionary 
Board. 


by   Rev.  Arden    E,   Gilmer 

New  churches  have  more  conversions 
per  capita  than  older,  more  established 
churches. 

Faithfulness  to  God  and  the  opportunities 
of  our  era  require  a  diligent  Brethren 
church-planting  enterprise.  The  goal  of  ten 
new  churches  in  five  years  expresses  our 
response  to  the  current  challenge. 

What  kind  of  churches  should  we  start? 
All  kinds !  Where  should  we  plant  churches  ? 
Where  people  are!  The  people-flow  con- 
tinues towards  urban  and  southern  areas. 
New  population  growth  is  also  taking  place 
in  western  mountain  regions. 

As  I  see  it,  one  of  our  crucial  needs  is 
the  development  of  pastoral  leadership 
which  can  thrive  in  the  complexities  of 
urban  and  suburban  cultures.  Most  of  our 
pastors  come  from  rural  backgrounds. 
Therefore,  we  must  make  intentional  efforts 
to  develop  urbanized  leadership.  Urban 
pastors  must  be  deeply  committed,  highly 
resourceful,  winsomely  bold,  and  unawed  by 
problems  and  obstacles.  They  must  know 
how  to  attractively  preach  the  Word,  wit- 
ness in  diverse  situations,  and  get  along 
with  people.  I  challenge  Brethren  young 
people  to  set  their  sights  on  becoming  this 
kind  of  leaders. 

Now,  Brethren,  let  me  challenge  you  to 
intensify  your  support  for  our  home  mission 
churches  and  pastors.  Prayer  is  essential. 
Throughout  the  year  pray  for  home  mis- 
sions. Designate  a  church  and  a  pastor  for 
special  prayer  during  specific  months. 
Pressures  common  to  all  local  churches  are 
more  intense  in  a  mission  church.  These 
pressures  include  the  struggle  with  limited 
resources,  the  shock  of  losing  a  family,  the 
turmoil  caused  by  a  negative  thinker,  the 
financial  stresses  faced  by  the  pastoral 
family,  and  the  burden  of  constantly  min- 
istering to  people  with  all  kinds  of  problems. 
These  are  some  of  the  reasons  your  prayers 
are  essential.  Your  prayers  make  a  differ- 
ence. 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Building  for  the 


Then,  also,  your  generous  giving  provides 
additional  resources  to  mission  churches 
to  help  them  grow  into  self-sustaining 
churches. 

The  next  few  pages  will  give  you  plenty 
of  information  on  what  has  happened  in 
Brethren  Home  Missions  in  the  past  year. 
Read  with  a  pencil  in  hand.  Underline  items 
of  praise  and  prayer. 

As  you  read,  you  should  also  know  that 
plans  are  also  underway  for  continued 
church  planting.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Merle  Abe, 
their  daughter  Connie,  and  their  son  and 
his  wife  (Stephen  and  Sue  Abe)  have  settled 
in  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  to  begin  a  new 
work  at  the  Camp  Wyandotte  location. 
While  providing  their  own  livelihood,  they 
will  work  evenings  and  week-ends  to  bring 
together  a  nucleus  for  a  Brethren  church. 

The  Northern  California  District  is  in- 
volved in  preliminary  work  for  establishing 
a  new  church.  The  Central  District  Confer- 
ence voted  in  July  to  begin  planning  for  a 
new  church.  The  Indiana  District  Mission 


Board  has  made  some  initial  inquiries  into 
the  greater  Indianapolis  area,  expressing 
its  desire  to  begin  a  new  work. 

Other  opportunities  exist  in  many  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  country.  Many  of  them  are 
being  missed  because  of  limited  pastoral 
leadership  and  limited  financing.  More  and 
more  of  the  work  load  must  be  shifted  to 
the  district  level,  utilizing  the  guidelines 
developed  in  recent  years  by  the  national 
Missionary  Board. 

For  the  time  being,  I  will  function  as  a 
member  of  the  national  Missionary  Board 
in  a  volunteer  capacity,  giving  assistance 
to  continuing  church-planting  efforts. 
Working  together  we  can  continue  a 
dynamic  Home  Missions  ministry. 

Thanks  for  your  total  support  and  re- 
sponse to  the  November  Home  Missions 
Offering.  Our  Home  Mission  needs  total 
$120,000.00  —  $87,000.00  for  Church 
Extension  and  $33,000.00  for  Special 
Ministries.  □ 


Ups  and  Downs  at  Town  and  Country 


OCTOBER  2,  1979,  was  the  second 
anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the 
Town  and  Country  Community  Church.  The 
past  two  years  have  been  filled  with  ups 
and  downs.  We  have  seen  people  come  and 
then  move  out  of  the  area.  People  have 
attended  and  then  decided  that  this  isn't 
where  they  want  to  worship  permanently 
and  have  gone  elsewhere. 

We  have  built  a  core  group  with  the  help 
of  Gene  and  Sue  McConahay.  They  have 
been  a  gift  to  us  from  God.  Their  responsi- 
bilities have  included  teaching,  caring  for 
youth  activities,  taking  care  of  the  finances 
of  the  church,  and  providing  music.  More 
of  the  people  of  our  congregation  are  now 
involved  in  the  program  of  the  church,  for 
which  we  are  thankful. 

Cliff  Vandemark  was  with  us  nine  months 
helping  with  the  youth,  and  he  did  a  great 
job.  Donna  Shank  will  join  us  this  fall  if 

Rev.  RuLon  is  pastor  of  the  new  Town  and 
Country  Community  Church  in  Tampa,  Florida. 


by   Rev.   Dale    P.   RuLon 

everything  works  out  for  her. 

At  this  time  we  have  9.6  acres  of  land 
on  a  major  thoroughfare  in  Town  and 
Country  (Hillsborough  County).  We  are 
trying  desperately  to  pay  off  the  $90,000 
debt  so  that  we  may  begin  to  build  our  first 
building.  It  is  frustrating  to  have  to  rent 
facilities  for  worship  and  to  have  to  take 
our  materials  back  to  our  home  every  week. 
We  are  unable  to  leave  the  Sunday  school 
and  church  supplies  in  the  building. 

Our  goal  for  the  next  nine  months  is  to 
average  32  in  Sunday  school  and  50  in 
Sunday  morning  worship.  We  also  have  a 
goal  for  one  conversion  per  month  or  10 
new  converts  by  June  1980,  and  20  members 
by  that  date. 

Long  term  goals  include  the  possibility  of 
a  Christian  high  school  on  our  property 
sponsored  and  directed  by  the  church,  a 
drop-in  center  for  young  people,  and  an 
activity  center  for  the  area  to  help  meet 
the  many  needs  of  the  people  in  the  Town 
and  Country  area.  □ 


November  1979 


13 


Brethren  Home  Missions 


Medina  Bible  Fellowship: 

Practicing  Healthy  Evangelism 
for  Church  Growth 


A  YEAR  ago,  most  of  us  at  Medina  Bible 
Fellowship  were  new  to  the  community. 
Since  we  knew  few  people,  our  opportunities 
for  sharing  the  gospel  were  minimal.  This 
pressed  upon  us  the  need  for  a  plan.  How 
could  we  reach  out?  To  whom  should  we 
reach  out? 

We  began  to  answer  these  questions  by 
first  examining  church  growth  statistics. 
These  statistics  indicate  that  the  highest 
percentage  of  prospects  are  (1)  people  who 
visit  the  church,  and  (2)  people  who  are 
new  to  the  community.  Since  this  is  the 
case,  these  people  have  become  our  target 
group.  Out  of  this  target  group,  we  have 
prayed  for  Jesus  to  lead  us  to  (1)  people 
who  are  searching,  and  (2)  ''harvest  work- 
ers"— that  is,  people  who  have  a  love  for 
the  Lord  and  who  would  be  interested  in 
helping  us  establish  this  ministry  (Matt. 
9:38). 

To  help  us  with  this  goal,  we  receive 
monthly  lists  of  people  who  have  moved 
into  the  area.  We  send  a  letter  of  welcome 
to  them  that  introduces  them  to  the  gospel 
and  the  church.  Follow-up  letters  are  then 
sent  with  messages  of  how  Christ  can  meet 
specific  needs,  such  as  overcoming  loneli- 
ness and  depression.  These  letters  and  local 
advertising  work  together  to  make  us 
known  to  the  community.  This  paves  the 
way  for  our  personal  visits. 

To  prepare  our  visitation  team  for  these 
personal  contacts,  a  nine-week  training 
course  was  conducted.  In  these  training 
courses  we  discovered  four  principles  that 
have  molded  our  philosophy  of  visitation: 

(1)  People  have  needs.  We  must  be 
concerned,  listen,  and  care.  We  should  also 

Rev.  Lodico  is  pastor  of  the  Medina  Bible 
Fellowship,  the  new  Brethren  church  being 
established  in  Medina,  Ohio,  by  the  Ohio  District 
Mission   Board. 


by   Rev.  Terry   Lodico 

share  how  Jesus  Christ  has  met  some  of 
our  needs. 

(2)  We  need  to  earn  the  right  to  be 
heard.  We  gain  this  right  by  communicating 
a  spirit  of  acceptance.  This  is  accomplished 
by  being  a  friend,  willing  to  listen  and  care. 

(3)  We  are  not  salesmen.  We  want  to 
share  the  good  news  as  friends,  not  sell  it. 
This  understanding  affects  the  spirit  of  our 
approach. 

(4)  Our  primary  goal  is  to  share  Jesus 
Christ,  not  the  church.  We  are  a  group  of 
people  who  have  discovered  a  meaningful 
life  in  Him.  If  the  person  we  are  visiting 
shows  an  interest  in  what  we  are  sharing, 
we  then  introduce  him  or  her  to  our  church 
as  people  helping  one  another  grow  in  our 
relationship  with  Christ.  With  this  under- 
standing, we  invite  the  person  to  come  and 
grow  with  us. 

As  we  began  our  initial  contacts,  we  dis- 
covered how  important  it  is  to  discern  the 
type  of  person  to  whom  we  are  speaking. 
This    discernment    helps    us    minister    and 


5^  y^--'^"^-^     '^"F'T'I^"  '"<  ; 


photos  by  Joe  Elsaesser 
Morning   worship   service   of   the  Medina   Bible 
Fellowship.   Services  of  this  new  Brethren  church 
are  held  in  the  Medina  YM/YWCA. 


14 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


share  more  effectively.  Specific  goals  for 
people  we  encounter  are  as  follows: 


Type 
Person 

A 

professing 
Christian 


A  nominal 
Christian 


A  seacher 


A  person 
with  a 
specific 
need 


A 

nominally 
interested 
person 


Goals 

Share  your  joy  in  the  Lord. 
Invite  the  person  to  church 
if  he  has  no  church  commit- 
ment. Communicate,  if  neces- 
sary, that  we  believe  the 
Bible  to  be  God's  Word  and 
our  guide.  Our  unity  is  in 
our  love  for  Jesus  Christ, 
not  in  a  particular  doctrinal 
statement.  Nevertheless,  we 
pray  that  our  doctrine  will 
be  seen  in  our  lives  and  felt 
through  our  love  as  the  Holy 
Spirit  works  in  us,  perfect- 
ing us  in  Christ. 

Listen,  trying  to  discern 
where  the  person  is  in  his  or 
her  faith.  Give  encourage- 
ment and  invite  the  person 
to  grow  with  us  if  he  or  she 
is  not  committed  to  a  church. 

Help  the  person  work 
through  his  or  her  thoughts 
by  listening  and  reflecting 
what  you  hear  him  or  her 
saying.  Explain  the  Chris- 
tian faith  in  the  context  of 
the  conversation  by  being 
sensitive  to  the  person  and 
to  the  leading  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

Encourage  the  person  to  talk 
about  his  or  her  need  with 
your  goal  being  to  share 
how  Christ  is  able  to  meet 
our  needs.  Seek  personal 
ways   to   be   of  help. 

Plant  a  seed.  Share  some  of 
your  testimony  if  it  is  appro- 
priate. Leave  information 
and  seek  permission  to  visit 
again. 


A  flatly  Seek  to  be  a  friend  in  the 

uninterested     neighborhood  in  hopes  that 

person  a  door  may  open  for  you  or 

another  person  in  the  future. 

Our  aim  is  to  learn  to  know  each  person 
as  well  as  we  can  and  to  share  a  little  about 
ourselves.  In  addition,  we  seek  permission 
for  continued  follow-up.  Here  is  an  example 
of  how  we  seek  permission  for  a  follow-up 
visit : 

''Mrs.  Green,  it  has  been  good  to  get 
to  know  you.  You  have  lived  an 
interesting  life.  We  would  very  much 
like  to  visit  again.  May  we  do  that?" 

We  have  found  visitation  to  be  essential 
for  our  church  growth,  and  we  are  continu- 
ing to  develop  and  improve  our  efforts.  In 
the  past  year,  our  growth  has  gone  from 
five  families  to  fourteen,  from  an  average 
attendance  of  eighteen  to  an  average  of 
thirty-eight.  Many  of  our  people  have  indi- 
cated that  our  visitation  was  a  key  to  their 
coming  to  Medina  Bible  Fellowship. 

Visiting  is  essential.  At  the  same  time, 
it  is  important  to  visit  with  a  spirit  of 
friendliness.  People  have  fears  and  they 
need  to  feel  accepted.  If  we  approach  them 
with  this  healthy  attitude,  with  a  willing- 
ness to  care,  we  are  one  step  closer  to 
sharing  God's  Good  News.  □ 


i  ""^ 


Pastor  Terry  Lodico  (right)  prays  for  nwnihers 
of  the  visitation  team  of  tJic  Medina  Bible 
Fellowship. 


November  1979 


15 


Brethren  Home  Missions 


Progress  at  Brandon 


PROGRESS  is  much  in  evidence  as  the 
Lord  Jesus  continues  to  build  the 
Brandon  Brethren  Church.  The  year  1979 
has  been  the  best  yet. 

Progress  is  interesting.  It  involves 
people's  lives,  needs,  and  responses  of  many 
kinds.  It  includes  statistics  with  regard  to 
attendance,  conversions,  finances,  and  new 
activities.  It  entails  training  and  using 
people  and  taking  old  and  new  approaches 
to  the  community.  It  encompasses  plans 
for  and  activities  related  to  the  construc- 
tion of  buildings.  At  Brandon,  progress  has 
been  made  in  all  of  the  above  mentioned 
areas. 

We  have  seen  growth  and  spiritual  de- 
velopment in  the  lives  of  many.  This  is 
shown  by  their  willingness  to  attend  and  to 
become  involved  in  various  activities.  It  is 
reflected  statistically  by  the  fact  that  since 
January  1  our  average  in  worship  has  been 
36.  Our  Sunday  school  attendance  is  some- 
what behind,  but  is  averaging  close  to  25. 
Compare  this  with  a  year  ago,  when  wor- 
ship was  about  18  and  Sunday  school  was 
12,  and  you  see  the  progress. 

Our  membership  at  the  first  of  the  year 
was  12.  Fifteen  new  members  have  been 
added  so  far  in  1979,  making  27  members 
now.  More  than  30  confessions  of  faith  have 
been  made  in  the  homes  and  in  the  church. 
Two  people  accepted  Jesus  as  Savior  and 
Lord  this  week.  Membership  classes  for  all 
who  become  members  have  and  will  take 
place. 

In  addition,  17  people  have  been  involved 
this  year  in  the  Evangelism  Explosion 
International  III  (EE  III)  training  pro- 
gram. One  participated  as  a  teacher,  4  as 
trainees,  and  12  as  prayer  partners.  Two 
of  the  trainees  are  now  working  at  Lost 

Rev.  Bennett  is  pastor  of  the  new  Brethren 
church   in  Brandon,   Florida. 


by   Rev.   P.   Keith    Bennett 

Creek,  Ky.  This  was  the  first  semester  of 
a  three  year  plan.  Each  semester  will  in- 
volve and  train  more  people. 

Our  Christian  education  program  is 
growing.  As  of  September  9,  we  had  six 
classes — the  most  ever — with  the  best 
teaching  staff  ever.  Our  music  program, 
which  was  already  good,  is  greatly  en- 
hanced with  the  coming  of  Jeff  and  Nancy 
Lentz.  This  fine  couple  will  be  helping  in 
the  EE  III  program,  the  Sunday  school, 
with  music,  and  in  leading  a  12-week  Bible 
study  music  program  for  children  called 
'The  Music  Machine."  We  thank  God  for 
sending  us  Jeff  and  Nancy.  We  also  have 
Rob  Grumbling  here  who  is  providing  fine 
leadership  of  many  kinds. 

God  has  answered  our  prayers  by  giving 
us  many  valuable  tentmakers  for  limited 
periods  of  time — -the  Dave  Sticklers,  the 
John  Turleys  (who  will  probably  return 
here  in  January),  the  Eric  van  Leeuwens, 
and  the  Steve  Abes.  Each  has  done  much 
to  honor  the  Lord  in  our  midst. 

Another  exciting  development  is  the 
soon-to-be-started  first  unit,  for  which  the 
Growth  Partners  call  was  made.  We  are 
finishing  details  with  the  bank,  the  lawyer, 
and  the  contractor — John  McLeod.  John  is 
working  at  a  considerably  reduced  rate  in 
order  to  make  possible  the  erection  of  this 
first  unit.  Pray  for  John  and  all  the  details 
of  this  building. 

In  conclusion,  we  have  much  reason  to 
thank  God  and  that  portion  of  the  body  of 
Christ  known  as  the  Brethren  for  so  many 
kinds  of  help.  We  are  not  without  problems 
and  discouragements,  and  at  times  the 
progress  seems  too  slow.  But  looking  back 
always  gives  a  better  perspective,  and  we 
are  convinced  that  God  is  on  the  move  in 
our  midst.  Thank  you  for  your  excellent 
support.  We  need  you.  May  God  richly  give 
you  all  lives  of  spiritual  usefulness.         D 


16 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Building  for  the 


Special  Ministries 


Krypton 


'T^E  humanitarian,  church-related  ser- 
1  vices  directed  by  Miss  Margaret  Lowery 
have  been  in  operation  for  twenty-six  years 
this  past  October.  We  need  to  look  for  more 
career-minded  missionary  candidates  like 
Miss  Lowery. 

Several  Brethren  have  helped  this  year 
in  some  major  repairs,  including  installing 
a  new  furnace  in  the  church  and  a  new  fuel 
oil  tank.  A  crew  from  Lanark  took  on  the 
task  of  painting  the  church. 

Let  us  not  forget  our  ministry  in 
Krypton.  May  our  prayers  be  unceasing 
for  this  work.  □ 


reinren 


H 


ouse 


PiE  Brethren  House  Ministry  is  teamed 
by  Phil  and  Jean  Lersch  and  Bonnie 
Munson.  Since  the  beginning  of  this  min- 
istry, the  team  members  have  experimented 
with  new  ideas  and  materials.  During  the 
past  several  years  Brethren  House  has 
developed  into  a  ''learning  and  doing" 
center  of  education. 

The  work  at  Brethren  House  has  accel- 
erated rapidly.  Many  hours  are  spent  pre- 
paring materials  and  then  giving  workshops 
in  various  churches  across  the  nation.  An 
illustrated  newsletter  is  sent  five  times  a 
year  to  workers  of  many  denominations  in 
all  50  States  and  15  other  countries.  During 
the  last  six  years,  the  team  has  conducted 
212  Bible-teaching  workshops  in  16  denom- 
inations throughout  25  States. 

The  staff  has  also  produced  books,  film- 
strips,  Bible-teaching  games,  and  cassette 
tapes  for  teacher-training. 

The  work  at  Brethren  House  is  progres- 
sing steadily  toward  the  scheduled  goal 
of  becoming  a  self-supporting  ministry. 
Jean  Lersch  has  written  a  more  detailed 
report  which  will  appear  in  the  November 
INSIGHT.  Don't  miss  it.  \J 


Pasadena 

JUAN  MIRANDA  continues  to  direct 
church  growth  seminars,  produce  new 
literature,  translate  other  materials  into 
Spanish,  and  develop  additional  resources 
for  Hispanics  in  evangelism  and  church 
growth.  Being  loaned  to  Fuller  Evangelistic 
Association  by  our  Missionary  Board, 
Juan's  broad  ministry  among  evangelical 
churches  enlarges  our  own  ministry  to 
Spanish-speaking  people. 

The  church  work  in  Pasadena  has  opened 
up  more  rapidly  than  expected.  Services 
are  now  being  held  in  a  rented  portion  of  a 
church  in  the  area,  with  about  25  in  attend- 
ance each  week.  A  radio  program  for 
women  is  being  prepared  for  weekly  broad- 
cast, ending  with  an  invitation  to  attend 
services  in  the  Pasadena  church.  It  is  hoped 
that  a  trained  worker  from  Mexico  might 
soon  be  moved  to  Pasadena  to  work  with 
the  people  more  extensively.  □ 

Riverside  School 

ADMINISTRATOR  Doran  Hostetler  re- 
ported that  the  roof  of  the  gymnasium/ 
classroom/library  building  was  leaking  very 
badly,  causing  interior  damage.  The  repair 
of  the  roof  was  approved  and  has  been 
completed.  A  burned-out  oil  furnace  is  also 
being  replaced  in  the  Louffer  residence. 

A  crew  of  volunteers  will  be  going  to 
Riverside  and  will  contribute  their  time 
and  talents  in  building  an  addition  to  the 
maintenance  building.  This  addition  will 
provide  space  for  the  school's  clothing  sale, 
which  is  its  largest  money-making  project. 

Cooperation  from  the  local  people  has 
been  tremendous.  They  helped  with  side- 
walk repairs  and  the  construction  of  the 
new  library,  which  was  built  entirely  with 
local  labor.  This  support  from  the  local 
people  is  strengthening  the  school. 

(continued  on   pcii^e   19) 


November  1979 


17 


Xhe  Hunger  Issue 

in 
X^s^elve  Points 


This  report  of  hunger  facts  is  taken  from  the 
book  Have  You  Ever  Been  Hungry?  by  Patricia 
L.  Kutzner  and  Linda  StoerkeL*  The  authors  com- 
piled these  facts  from  several  reliable  sources  in 
an  effort  to  highlight  for  all  of  us  the  key  factors 
in  the  hunger  issue. 

This  report  is  provided  by  Rev.  Phil  Lersch, 
chairman  of  the  Brethren  World  Relief  Board. 
Italics  have  been  added  for  emphasis. 


(1)  About  10,000  men,  women,  and 
children — especially  children — die  of  star- 
vation everyday,  even  when  there  is  no 
world  food  crisis  on  T.V.  Seme  of  them  are 
Americans :  mainly  the  very  old  or  the  very 
young — many  of  them  are  on  Indian  reser- 
vations, in  the  rural  south,  or  in  inner-city 
rooms. 

(2)  The  number  of  people  in  the  tvorld 
tvho  live  constantly  in  a  state  of  undernour- 
ishment is  more  than  ttvice  the  entire  pop- 
ulation of  the  United  States  and  four  times 
the  population  of  Canada,  according  to 
United  Nations  research.  They  may  die  of 
something  as  mild  as  measles  or  diarrhea. 
They  die  because  their  bodies  are  always 
weak.  People  in  such  a  state  begin  to  starve 
quickly  when  anything  happens  to  reduce 
the  food  supply  still  more — such  as  a 
drought,  a  flood,  or  a  hurricane^ — because 
their  bodies  have  no  reserves.  Some  of  these 
people  live  in  the  United  States.  Govern- 
ment statistics  estimate  that  as  many  as 
14  million  U.S.  citizens  go  to  bed  hungry 
every  night. 

(3)  People  may  be  MALNOURISHED  be- 
cause advertising  encourages  them  to  eat 
unhealthy  foods  or  because  they  are  too 
poor  to  obtain  the  right  balance  in  their 
diet.  Three  out  of  every  five  people  in  the 
developing  world,  along  with  many  Ameri- 
cans, are  malnourished.  Preschocl  children 
and  mothers  who  are  pregnant  or  nursing 
are  more  vulnerable  to  malnutrition  than 
any  other  population  group. 

(4)  People    are    undernourished      be- 

"" Copyright    1978    by    the    United    Church    Press. 
Reprinted  by  permission. 


cause  they  do  not  have  enough  food  of  any 
kind.  Thus  they  do  not  have  sufficient 
calories  for  the  energy  to  stay  alive  or 
enough  protein  to  build  and  rebuild  body 
tissues.  About  one  person  in  every  five  in 
the  Third  World  is  undernourished. 

(5)  Today  no  one  who  has  enough 
money  to  buy  food  ever  has  to  go  hungry 
for  long,  because  enough  food  is  produced 
to  feed  the  whole  tvorld.  But  not  everyone 
has  enough  money  to  buy  the  needed  food. 
In  recent  years  worldwide  problems  of  ! 
inflation  and  unemployment  have  made  i 
millions  of  people  poorer  and  hungrier  than  i 
they  once  were.  The  gaps  between  rich  and 
poor  are  growing  wider  and  wider.  This 
is  true  in  North  America  and  it  is  true  in 
most  of  the  rest  of  the  world. 

(6)  Most  of  the  world's  people  live  on 
grain-based  diets,  which  can  be  healthy  if 
the  diet  is  properly  balanced.  Rice,  wheat, 
corn,  and  soybeans  are  the  most  i7nportant 
foods  for  eliminating  tvorld  hunger.  Any- 
thing that  reduces  the  supply  of  these  or 
sends  their  prices  skyrocketing  drives 
millions  of  people  closer  to  undernourish- 
ment and  starvation. 


Unless  population  growth  slows 
down  drastically  there  will  not  be 
enough  food  to  go  around  in  to- 
morrow's world." 


(7)  Until  after  World  War  II  (about 
1945),  almost  all  American  beef  cattle 
were  raised  on  grass.  Grain-fed  beef  has 
become  the  standard  in  the  United  States 
and  Canada  only  in  the  last  two  genei-ations. 
United  States  citizens  in  1976  ate  about 
twice  as  much  beef  per  capita  as  in  1950. 
The  custom  of  eating  more  grain-fed  beef 
is  spreading  through  all  the  wealthier 
countries.  In  recent  years  the  amount  of 
grain  fed  to  U.S.  livestock  (including  pigs, 


18 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


''In  recent  years  worldwide  problems  of  inflation 
and  unemployment  have  made  millions  of  people 
poorer  and  hungrier  than  they  once  were/' 


chickens,  and  cattle)  was  as  much  as  that 
eaten  by  the  ivhole  population  of  India  or 
China.  It  is  estimated  that  the  average 
North  American  consumes  five  times  as 
much  grain  as  the  average  resident  of  a 
Third  World  country,  most  of  it  indirectly 
through  meat,  dairy  products,  and  eggs. 

(8)  Food  production  in  developing  na- 
tions in  Asia,  Africa,  and  Latin  America 
has  increased  more  rapidly  in  the  past 
twenty  years  than  it  has  in  the  United 
States,  hut  much  of  the  increase  is  for 
export  to  wealthier  nations  —  especially 
fruits,  vegetables,  peanuts,  and  fish. 

(9)  People  who  are  too  poor  to  buy  their 
food  in  the  open  market  must  increase  their 
food  production  still  more  rapidly.  The 
increase  must  not  depend  on  the  expense  of 
petroleum-driven  machinery  or  petroleum^ 
based  fertilizers,  since  poor  people  cannot 
buy  and  maintain  such  equipment  or  use 
such  methods.  Most  of  them  already  know 
how  to  farm,  though — women  as  well  as 
men — ^and  they  are  eager  to  learn  how  to 
do  things  better  for  themselves  as  long  as 
the  technology  lies  within  their  means  and 
fits  their  environment.  This  accounts  for 
the  importance  of  aid  that  stresses  * 'inter- 
mediate" or  ''appropriate"  technology. 
Organic  farming,  which  does  without 
chemical  fertilizers  and  pesticides,  is  an 
important  concept  for  a  technology  appro- 
priate to  farmers  with  little  or  no  capital 
available.  Also  important  are  the  use  of 
animals  for  plowing,  better  hand  tools, 
wheelbarrows,  better  hand-operated  water 
pumps,  rodent-proof  food  storage  devices, 
and  many  other  simple  devices. 

(10)  Unless  population  growth  slows 
down  drastically  there  will  not  be  enough 
food  to  go  around  in  tomorrow's  world. 
History  everywhere  shows  that  a  rise  in 
basic  economic  security  and  health  must 
precede  success  in  slowing  the  population 
grotvth  rate.  When  parents  can  be  sure  that 
the  children  they  have  will  live  to  be  full- 
grown  adults;  when  parents  are  able  to 
save  for  their  old  age  or  when  they  can 
depend  on  their  society  to  take  care  of 
them  if  they  become  too  old  or  sick  to  work ; 
and  when  a  society  gives  women  enough 
education  and  opportunities  to  earn  both 


income  and  respect  in  roles  other  than 
motherhoiod — when  these  three  things  hap- 
pen, smaller  families  will  occur  voluntarily. 
Otherwise,  the  reasons  for  having  children 
outweigh  the  reasons  for  not  having 
children. 

(11)  All  the  countries  of  the  Third  World 
that  are  called  the  'least  developed"  (LDC) 
or  that  are  the  "most  seriously  affected" 
(MSA)  by  inflation  and  focd  shortages 
either  were  once  colonies  of  a  First  World 
nation  such  as  England,  France,  the 
Netherlands,  Belgium,  Spain,  or  Portugal, 
or  have  been  dominated  by  a  more  powerful 
nation,  such  as  the  United  States.  Many  of 
the  reasons  for  the  poverty  of  Third  World 
nations  can  be  traced  to  the  nature  of 
colonialism.  Our  present  "split-level"  world 
began  there.  American  Indians  are  begin- 
ning to  see  their  experience  as  that  of  a 
people  whose  land  was  colonized  by  white 
settlers  from  Europe  and  their  descendants. 
They  are  the  pcorest  group  in  the  U.S. 

(12)  There  are  many  ways  to  increase 
both  food  production  and  the  ability  of 
poor  people  to  buy  what  they  need.  All  these 
ways  require  an  increase  of  resources 
available  to  the  poor.  Most  ways  require 
changes  in  governmental  policies  both  in 
developing  countries  and  in  developed 
countries  like  the  United  States.  People  in 
churches  can  do  much  to  help  through 
direct  aid  to  long-range,  self-help  projects 
among  the  poor  at  home  and  abroad.     □ 


Riverside  School 

(continued  from  page  17) 

Riverside  Christian  Training  School 
plans  to  keep  on  updating  and  upgrading 
the  courses  it  offers  in  order  to  continue 
meeting  State  accreditation  standards. 
Many  fine  young  people  are  becoming 
achievers  in  the  Lord's  work  because  of 
R.C.T.S.  May  we  continue  to  be  supportive 
in  prayer  for  the  teachers  at  the  school. 

The  Missionary  Board  provides  facilities 
and  major  maintenance  for  R.C.T.S.  as 
well  as  contributing  toward  the  school 
program.  □ 


November  1979 


19 


UPDATE 


news   from   the   Brethren   Church 


Virgil  Ingraham  attends  consultation  In  Nigeria 


Rev.  Virgil  Ingraham,  General 
Secretary  of  the  Missionary 
Board  of  the  Brethren  Church, 
recently  attended  a  three-day 
consultation  with  leaders  of  the 
Church  of  the  Brethren  in 
Nigeria  (Ekklesiyar  Yan'uwa  a 
Nigeria)  and  representatives  of 
two  other  cooperating  overseas 
missions.  The  consultation  was 
held  September  18-20  at  the 
Nigerian  church  headquarters  in 
northeastern  Nigeria.  The  pur- 
pose of  the  meeting  was  to  con- 
sider areas  of  future  cooperation 
between  the  mission  agencies 
and  this  rapidly-growing  church. 

Consideration  was  given  to 
relationships,  policies,  and  pro- 
grams for  the  future.  The  Ni- 
gerian church,  which  is  an  inde- 
pendent body,  is  responsible  for 
its  own  government,  program, 
reproduction,  and  support.  The 
cooperating  overseas  missions 
assist  the  national  church  in 
areas  of  high  priority,  especially 
in  evangelistic  outreach  and 
leadership  training,  within  the 
programs  projected  by  the 
church. 

The  consultation  resulted  in 
clarification  of  some  issues, 
including  one  related  to  prop- 
erty. Church  leaders  had  con- 
cerns about  certain  aspects  of 
the  government's  take-over  of 
schools,  hospitals,  and  dispen- 
saries, which  took  place  over  the 
past  several  years.  Misunder- 
standings which  arose  during 
the  transition  of  responsibility 
from  mission  to  church  were 
also  dealt  with. 

Other  matters  which  came 
under  consideration  included 
such  items  as  financial  support, 
use  of  missionary  personnel, 
help  to  certain  areas,  scholar- 
ship policy,  establishing  church- 
es in  urban  areas,  review  of 
Kulp  Bible  School,  sharing  of 
information,  and  other  matters 
of  mutual  concern. 

A  few  of  the  problems  found 

20 


no  easy  solution.  Significant 
progress  was  made,  however, 
and  agreements  were  reached 
which  will  enhance  working 
relationships.  The  consultation 
participants  also  recognized  the 
need  for  other  such  open  con- 
ferences in  the  future  in  order 
to  achieve  the  accord  which  is 
needed  for  maximum  effective- 
ness. Another  consultation  has 
been    tentatively    projected    for 


next  year.  ! 

The  overseas  groups  working  ! 
with  the  Nigerian  church  are  ! 
(1)  the  Church  of  the  Brethren,  I 
which  first  established  the  work  j 
more  than  fifty  years  ago;  (2)  | 
the  Brethren  Church,  which  be- 
gan providing  missionary  per- 
sonnel in  1948;  and  (3)  Basel 
Mission  of  Switzerland,  which 
also  began  its  participation  at  a 
later  date. 


Jomes    Miller    licensed 
Brefhren    minisfry 


Johnstown,  Pa.  — ■  James  Miller 
was  licensed  for  the  gospel  min- 
istry by  the  Second  Brethren 
Church  of  Johnstown  on  Sunday 
afternoon,  September  16.  The 
speaker  for  the  licensing  service 
was  Dr.  Fred  Burkey,  with 
whom  Mr.  Miller  works  in  the 
Campus  Ministry  of  Ashland 
College. 

Other  Brethren  elders  partici- 
pating in  the  service  were:  Rev. 
Richard  Craver,  secretary  of  the 
Pennsylvania  District  Minis- 
terial Examining  Board;  Rev. 
Clarence  Kindley,  chairman  of 
the  District  Ministerial  Examin- 
ing Board;  Rev.  Carl  Phillips, 
pastor  of  the  Vinco  Brethren 
Church;  and  Rev.  Harold  Wal- 
ton, pastor  of  the  Second  Breth- 
ren Church. 

Jim  is  the  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
James  Miller  of  Johnstown.  He 
is  a  1974  graduate  of  the  Greater 
Johnstown  Central  Senior  High 
School  and  a  1978  graduate  of 
Geneva  College,  where  he  ma- 
jored in  religion.  Currently  he 
is  a  student  at  Ashland  Theo- 
logical Seminary  and  Assistant 
to  the  Director  of  Religious 
Affairs  at  Ashland  College.  He 
is  also  listed  in  Who's  Who  in 
American  Colleges  and  Univer- 
sities. 


From  1973  through  1978  Jim  i 
was  involved  as  a  summer  cru- 
sader in  the  Crusader/Intern 
program  of  national  Brethren 
Youth.  He  also  served  as  the 
1977-78  national  Brethren  Youth 
Moderator. 

Special  music  for  the  licensing 
service  was  presented  by  Denny 
and  Linda  Albertson  and  by  a 
vocal    group    called    "Sharing."  ^ 
Curt  Hamel,  moderator  of  the  | 
Johnstown  Second  Church,  pre-  | 
sented  a  check  to  Jim  for  his 
seminary  training. 

The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Brethren  couple  serving 
in   Christian  radio  ministry 


Sarasota,  Fla.  —  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Tim  Solomon,  a  Brethren  couple 
of  the  Sarasota  First  Brethren 
Church,  are  both  involved  in 
the  ministry  of  Christian  radio 
station  WKZM  FM  of  Sarasota. 
Tim  is  a  producer  and  announ- 
cer for  the  radio  station.  He  is 
a  licensed  1st  class  radio  en- 
gineer, and  also  co-owner  of 
"Land-Sea    Productions"     com- 


mercial phofography.  Tim  is  the 
son  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Kenneth 
Solomon,  Brethren  missionaries 
to  Colombia,  South  America.  As 
an  "MK"  (missionary  kid),  he 
spent  the  first  years  of  his  life 
in  South  America. 

Tim's  wife  Jan  is  producer 
and  hostess  for  the  children's 
programming  on  Saturday 
mornings  for  WKZM.  She  plays 


children's  favorite  songs  and 
Bible  stories  on  "Hi,  Kids!"  Jan 
also  works  at  Fame  Nursery, 
attends  the  University  of  South 
Florida,  and  is  a  3rd  class  radio 
engineer.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Pastor  and  Mrs.  J.  D.  Hamel  of 
the  Sarasota  First  Brethren 
Church  . 


Tim  Solomon 
(left)  is  a  pro- 
ducer and  an- 
nouncer for 
Christian  radio 
station  WKZM 
./  FM.  His  wife 
^\  Jan  is  producer 
f^  and  hostess  of 
-'''    a  children's  pro- 


'''■'.■2%.- 

',',»    -•  .t 

■    '  <?    '' 

'J 

^     *» 

^  \^  r. 

*  »  .;  ', 

f^^"*^; 

^^ 

^f>m^:.mM^^r    '  Sram. 


■  .A 

-    9 

:  .V'  ■  ■ 

AC   professors   co-author 


Ashland,  Ohio  —  Two  Ashland 
College  professors.  Dr.  Bernard 
R.  Henniger,  chairman  of  the 
earth  science  department,  and 
Dr.  Philip  A.  Mariotti,  associate 
professor  of  earth  science  and 
geology,  have  co-authored  a 
book  entitled  the  Earth  Science 
Lab  Manual. 

Published  by  the  Wallace  Pub- 
lishing Co.  of  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky, the  manual  is  designed 
to  be  used  as  the  main  resource 
for  an  introductory,  one- 
semester  college  earth  science 
course.  It  is  hoped  that  the  book 
will  have  national  distribution. 

The  lab  manual  covers  all  five 


of  the  major  areas  of  earth 
science  —  astrono'my,  climatol- 
ogy, geology,  meterology,  and 
oceanography.  Most  manuals 
now  being  used  are  either  obso- 
lete or  incomplete  in  the  breadth 
of  material   covered. 

Another  definite  strong  point 
is  the  last  chapter  dealing  with 
environmental  problems,  which 
applies  the  area  of  earth  science 
to  practical  life  experiences. 

Dr.  Henniger's  other  work  at 
Ashland  College  has  included 
the  development  of  an  interdis- 
ciplinary pilot  study  and  a  sum- 
mer program  in  physical  ocean- 


ography and  marine  biology,  the 
organization  of  field  trips  to  the 
Bahamas  and  Dry  Tortugas 
Islands,  and  the  initiation  of  a 
scuba  training  program  for  AC 
students.  He  was  named  to  the 
15th  edition  of  Who's  Who  in 
the  Midwest  and  the  1976  vol- 
ume of  American  Men  and 
Women  of  Science. 

Dr.  Mariotti,  a  faculty  mem- 
ber since  1975,  has  published 
other  articles  including  a  recent 
paper  in  the  journal  of  the 
Geological  Society  of  America 
which  gives  a  formula  by  which 
a  pocket  calculator  can  help  plot 
the  composition  of  rocks. 


November  1979 


21 


update 


Laymen's  mission  tour  bears  fruit 


The  National  Laymen's  tour 
to  Brethren  mission  fields  in 
South  America,  which  took  place 
this  past  February,  is  still 
bearing  fruit.  Karen  Myers  and 
Phil  Payne,  two  young  people 
included  in  the  tour,  have  both 
moved  closer  to  the  Lord  and  at 
General  Conference  in  August 
made  new  commitments  to  God. 

All  19  persons  who  went  on 
the  tour  were  inspired  by  the 
rich  fellowship  experienced  dur- 
ing the  work  periods  and  the 
Communion  service  with  the 
Christian  brothers  and  sisters 
in  Colombia. 

In  addition  to  the  two  young 
people,  three  ministers  and  their 
wives  and  thirteen  lay  persons 
made  the  trip  to  Argentina  and 
Colombia,  South  America.  The 
ministerial  couples  were  Rev. 
Duane  and  Helen  Dickson  of 
the  Walcrest  (Mansfield),  Ohio, 
Brethren  Church,  Rev.  Gene  and 
Judy  Eckerly  of  the  Pleasant 
Hill,  Ohio,  Brethren  Church,  and 
Rev.  Gerald  and  Linda  Barr  of 
the  County  Line  Brethren 
Church  near  Lakeville,  Ind.  Lay 
persons  were  LaVergne  and 
Martha  Stone,  and  Porter  and 
Ora  Perkins  of  Sarasota,  James 
and  Naomi  Ford  of  County  Line, 


photos  from   LaVergne   Stone 

Members  of  the  work  and  worship  tour  to  South  America  painted 
33  chairs  and  9  benches  and  did  various  other  tasks. 

Dale  and  Pauline  Hawley,   and  — constructing  three  long 
Verna  Randal  of  Warsaw,   and  benches 

Jim      and     Arlene     Payne      of  — painting  nine  benches 

Burlington.  — ^painting  33  chairs 

This  was  a  work  and  worship  — making  6  teachers  smocks 

tour,  and  those  on  the  trip  did  — roofing  1000  square  feet  of 
labor    for    the    Lord.    Work    ac-  classroom, 

complished  included:  — James  Payne 


Pictured  are 

the  members 

of  the  work 

and  worship 

tour  to  South 

America  with 

Brethren 

missionaries 

to  Colombia 

Ken  and  Jan 

Solomon  and 

Mark  and 

Chantal  Logan. 


22 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Dir.  of  Ch.  Ed.  Charles  Beekley  attends 
National  Youth  Workers  Convention 


Director  of  Christian  Educa- 
tion Charles  Beekley  participa- 
ted in  the  10th  National  Youth 
Workers  Convention  October  9- 
12,  1979,  in  San  Diego,  Califor- 
nia. The  four  days  of  meetings 
were  sponsored  by  Youth  Spe- 
cialties, Inc.,  as  part  of  its 
efforts  to  provide  youth  workers 
with  ideas  and  direction  in  the 
broad  areas  of  youth  ministries. 

Included  on  the  program  were 
individuals  from  all  over  the 
United  States  with  experience  in 
various  aspects  of  youth  work. 
Dr.  Anthony  Campolo  from 
Eastern  College  in  Pennsylvania 
was  the  keynote  speaker.  He 
focused  the  convention's  think- 
ing on  the  "me  decade"  of  the 
1970's,  pointing  out  that  the 
church  has  been  seduced  by  the 
current  pop  sociology  of  "find- 
ing oneself"  rather  than  finding 
the  needs  of  others  and  serving 
mankind. 

Thirty  other  well-known 
youth  workers  lead  workshops 
and  seminars,  including  Mike 
Yaconelli  and  Wayne  Rice, 
founders  of  Youth  Specialties 
and  the  Youth  Workers  Con- 
vention. Over  800  youth  workers 
from  the  U.S.  and  Canada 
attended. 

One  of  the  highlights  of  the 


week  was  a  production  of  The 
Crucible  by  the  Lamb's  Players 
Theatre  of  San  Diego.  This  was 
especially  significant  for  Beek- 
ley because  Martha  Deardurff 
from  the  Gretna  Brethren 
Church  is  on  the  full-time  staff 
of  the  Lamb's  Players.  Beekley 
and  Ms.  Deardurff  were  able  to 
visit  for  a  few  minutes  after 
the  production. 
As  a  part  of  his  trip,  Beekley 


also  visited  the  six  Brethren 
churches  in  California  and  Ari- 
zona. He  worshiped  with  the 
Lathrop,  Calif.,  Brethren  Church 
and  the  First  Brethren  Church 
in  Tucson,  Ariz.,  and  met  with 
pastors  and  leaders  of  the 
Northgate  Community  (Man- 
teca,  Calif.),  Scottsdale  (Calif.), 
Papago  Park  (Tempe,  Ariz.), 
and  Northwest  Chapel  (Tucson, 
Ariz.)  Brethren  churches. 


id-West  District  Conference 


The  Mid-West  District  Con- 
ference was  held  at  Falls  City, 
Nebraska,  October  11-13,  1979. 
Theme  for  the  Conference  was 
"Press-On,"  taken  from  Philip- 
pians   3:14. 

Forty-one  delegates  attended 
the  conference  from  the  seven 
churches  in  the  district.  Rev. 
David  Powell,  pastor  of  the  Fort 
Scott,  Kansas,  Brethren  Church 
was  the  moderator  and  conduct- 
ed the  business  sessions. 

Special  speakers  for  the  con- 
ference were  Rev.  Smith  Rose, 
Executive  Secretary  of  the 
Brethren  Church;  Rev.  Virgil 
Ingraham,  General  Secretary  of 
the  national  Missionary  Board; 
and  Rev.   Bill   Kerner,   General 


Conference  Moderator.  Messa- 
ges were  also  presented  by 
Moderator  Powell  and  by  the 
vice  moderator.  Rev.  Albert 
Curtright. 

A  special  feature  of  the  con- 
ference was  the  setting  apart 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Merle  Abe, 
their  daughter  Connie,  and  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  Stephen  Abe  for  the 
new  church-planting  work  at 
Kansas  City,  Kans.  The  Abe 
family  is  working  together  to 
begin  a  new  church,  using  the 
Mid-West  District  Camp  Wyan- 
dotte  as   a   base   of   operations. 

A  youth  retreat  was  also  held 
in  connection  with  the  Mid- West 
District   Conference. 


1980  Work  &  Worship 
four  planned 

A  1980  work  and  worship  tour 
to  Colombia,  South  America,  is 
being  planned  for  March  7-16. 
Organizing  the  tour  are  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  Eugene  Beekley. 

According  to  tentative  plans, 
the  tour  group  would  arrive  in 
Bogota,  Colombia,  on  Saturday, 
March  8,  1980,  and  travel  to 
Medellin,  location  of  our  Breth- 
ren missionaries,  on  the  follow- 
ing day.  Tour  members  would 
spend  one  week  in  Medellin  and 
return  to  the  U.S.  on  Sunday, 
March   16. 

For  more  information  about 
the  tour,  contact  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
Eugene  Beekley,  3912  Chapel 
Drive,   Sarasota,   FL  33580. 


ATS    enrollimenf    375 

Enrollment  for  the  fall  quar- 
ter at  Ashland  Theological  Sem- 
inary totals  375  students.  The 
full-time  student  equivalency  is 
321.  Included  in  the  total  are: 
31  women  and  90  men  working 
on  a  master  of  arts  degree;  37 
women  and  147  men  studying 
toward  a  master  of  divinity 
degree;  and  1  woman  and  16 
men  in  the  doctor  of  ministry 
program. 

In  addition  to  students  from 
the  United  States,  the  seminary 
enrollment  includes  students 
from  seven  foreign  countries. 

Ashland  Theological  Seminary 
is  now  the  largest  seminary  in 
Ohio. 


Its     n    rieces 

Mrs.  Nellie  Knepper  was  re- 
cently recognized  for  another 
year  of  perfect  church  school 
attendance  by  the  Berlin  Breth- 
ren Church.  This  is  Mrs. 
Knepper's  42nd  year  of  perfect 
attendance. 

According  to  the  Berlin 
Church  bulletin,  Mrs.  John 
Hepler,  a  dedicated  member  of 
the  Berlin  Brethren  Church, 
plans  to  serve  in  the  Town  and 
Country  Church  in  Tampa,  Fla., 
this  winter.  She  will  assist  the 
new  church  with  Sunday  school 
teaching,  visiting,  office  work, 
and  in  other  ways  as  needed. 


November  1979 


23 


update 


Miami  Valley  Laymen  look  at  past 
present  &  future  of  Brethren  Church 


A  meeting  of  the  Miami  Val- 
ley (Ohio)  Laymen  was  held  at 
the  Columbus  Brethren  Church 
on  Monday  evening,  October  15. 
Forty-one  men  attended  the 
rally,  including  representatives 
of  the  New  Lebanon,  Gretna, 
Dayton  Hillcrest,  and  Columbus 
Brethren  churches,  and  guests 
from  the  Ashland  Park  Street 
and  Garber  Brethren  churches. 

Speakers  for  the  meeting  were 
Rev.  Smith  Rose,  Executive  Sec- 
retary of  the  Brethren  Church, 
and  Rev.  Virgil  Ingraham,  Gen- 
eral Secretary  of  the  Missionary 
Board  of  the  Brethren  Church. 
They  spoke  on  the  past,  present, 
and  future  of  the  Brethren 
Church  and  Brethren  missions. 

An  election  of  officers  was 
held,  and  Duane  Clark  was 
elected  president,  David  Black 
vice  president,  Jerry  Blosser 
secretary,  and  John  Deardurfi 
treasurer. 

Supper  was  served  by  the 
women  of  the  Columbus  church, 


General    Conference 
Publications 

The  1979  General  Conference 
Annual  will  be  coming  off  the 
presses  soon  and  copies  will  be 
sent  to  delegates  who  attended 
the  Conference  this  past  August. 
These  delegates  will  also  receive 
copies  of  the  1980  Brethren 
Directory  and  next  year's  Con- 
ference   program    booklet. 

Others  who  desire  these  three 
publications  may  subscribe  to 
them  for  $5.00.  In  the  past  these 
publications  were  sent  free  to 
all  who  requested  them,  but  this 
can  no  longer  be  done  because 
of  increased  printing,  address- 
ing, and  mailing  costs. 

If  you  were  not  a  1979  Confer- 
ence delegate  but  would  like  to 
receive  the  Annual,  the  Direc- 
tory, and  next  year's  Confer- 
ence program  book,  send  your 
request  with  $5.00  to  General 
Conference  Publications,  The 
Brethren  Publishing  Company, 
524  College  Ave.,  Ashland,  OH 
44805. 


with  a  free-wiU  offering  being 
taken  to  pay  for  the  meal. 
Rather  than  accept  the  $70 
offering,  however,  the  women 
voted   to  donate   the  money   to 


the  Ashland  College  Campus 
Ministry,  to  be  used  for  re- 
modeling the  basement  of 
Memorial  Chapel  for  use  as  a 
campus  Christian  center. 


Urbana  79  theme:  That  All  Might 
Believe  and  Obey  Jesus  Christ 


More  than  17,000  college  stu- 
dents, faculty,  and  pastors  are 
expected  to  attend  "Urbana  79," 
the  Twelfth  Inter-Varsity  Stu- 
dent Missions  Convention,  to  be 
held  December  27-31  at  the 
University  of  Illinois. 

Theme  for  the  convention  is 
"That  All  Nations  Might  Believe 
and  Obey  Jesus  Christ."  Fifty 
speakers  from  around  the  world 
will  be  expounding  Scripture 
and  experiences  relating  to  this 
theme. 

Registrations  for  this  triennial 
conference  are  running  consid- 
erably ahead  of  those  for  the 
'76  convention,  reflecting  what 
appears  to  be  a  growing  interest 
in  missions  on  the  part  of  North 
American  young  people. 


The  significance  of  this  con- 
vention was  expressed  by  Billy 
Graham,  one  of  this  year's 
speakers,  who  said,  'T  know  of 
no  other  place  where  college 
students  receive  such  qualified 
instruction  and  challenge  on 
World  Missions." 

In  addition  to  special  speakers 
and  daily  small-group  Bible 
studies,  sixty  elective  workshops 
will  be  presented  at  the  conven- 
tion, exposing  the  students  to 
issues  of  broad  concern  in  mis- 
sions today.  These  workshops, 
which  will  be  led  by  specialists 
in  each  area,  will  cover  four 
general  categories:  issues  in 
missions;  ministry  in  missions; 
the  world  of  missions;  and  chal- 
lenges in  missions. 


^1 


N  Eyes  For  The  Needy 


Recycle  old  eyeglasses  to 
bring  better  sight  to  the  poor? 
Why  not?  Recycling  may  seem 
like  a  new  conservationist  idea, 
but  a  group  of  volunteers  in 
Short  Hills,  N.  J. — many  of  them 
housewives — has  been  doing  it 
for  years — ever  since  1S32. 
Called  New  Eyes  For  The 
Needy,  Inc.,  this  non-profit 
organization  has  helped  over 
one  million  persons. 

Last  year  over  one  million 
pairs  of  old  glasses  were  sent 
to  New  Eyes,  where  groups  of 
volunteers  sorted  and  classified 
them. 

Simple,  non-astigmatic  lenses 
are  sent  to  medical  missions 
abroad  (since  Federal  law  pro- 
hibits their  redistribution  in  the 
U.S.).  Simple  sunglasses  go  to 
bright,   hot   countries. 


Metal  frames  go  to  a  refiner 
to  be  melted  down,  along  with 
other  scraps  of  precious  metal 
from  old  watches,  broken  jew- 
elry, spare  cufflinks,  earrings, 
and  old  silver,  which  the  organ- 
ization also  receives. 

The  money  realized  from  re- 
fining goes  to  establish  special 
eye  funds  for  hospitals  and  wel- 
fare agencies  throughout  the 
United  States  to  purchase  new 
prescription  glasses  for  those 
who  can't  afford  them. 

Since  its  inception  47  years 
ago,  New  Eyes  has  asked  only 
for  old  eyeglasses  and  precious 
metal  articles,  never  for  a  cent 
in  donations.  So  if  you  have 
glasses  or  jewelry  that  you  no 
longer  need,  send  them  to  New 
Eyes  For  The  Needy,  Inc.,  Short 
Hills,  NJ  07078. 


24 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


NAE  dedicates  new  headquarters  building 


Wheaton,  111.  —  Approximately 
200  evangelical  leaders  from 
across  the  country  attended  the 
dedication  service  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Center  in  Wheaton, 
Illinois,  on  October  3.  Rev.  Smith 
Rose,  Executive  Secretary  of  the 
Brethren  Church,  represented 
the  Brethren  denomination  at 
the  dedication  service. 

The  Evangelical  Center  is  the 
new  headquarters  building  of 
the  National  Association  of 
Evangelicals  (NAE).  The  eco- 
nomical, two-story  structure 
houses  the  association's  execu- 
tive, business,  information,  and 
field  services  offices;  a  print 
shop,  computer,  and  warehous- 
ing facilities;  and  NAE's  Evan- 
gelical Purchasing  Service,  Uni- 
versal Travel  Service,  Encounter 


^;«^^ 


'J 


The  Evangelical  Center  of  the  National  Association  of  Evangelicals. 


Ministries,  Inc.,  and  the  World 
Relief   Corporation. 

"Men   and   women   from   sev- 
enty denominations  have  shared 


STATEMENT   OF   OWNERSHIP,    MANAGEMENT,    AND    CIRCULATION 

(Required   by  39  U.S.C.   3685) 

Title  of  publication:     The  Brethren  Evangelist 

Publication  no.:     064-200 

Date  of  filing:     October  1,   1979 

Frequency  of  issue:     Monthly 

No.  of  issues  published  annually:      12 

Annual  subscription  price:     $7.00 

Location  of  known  office  of  publication,  and  location  of  the  headquarters  or  general  business 

offices    of    the    publishers:      524    College    Ave.,    Ashland,    OH    44805 
Names   and   complete   addresses   of  publisher,    editor,   and   managing  editor:     Publisher,   The 
Brethren    Publishing    Company;    Editor,    Richard    C.    Winfield;    Managing    Editor,    none;    524 
College    Ave.,    Ashland,    OH    44805 
Owner:      The    Brethren    Publishing    Company,    524   College   Ave.,    Ashland,    OH   44805 
Known   bondholders,   mortgagees,   and  other  security  holders  owning  or  holding  1   percent  or 

more   of   total    amount   of   bonds,    mortgages,   or   other   securities:      none 
The   purpose,   function,   and  nonprofit  status  of  this  organization  and  the  exempt  status  for 

Federal    income   tax   purposes   have   not  changed   during  the   preceding   12   months. 
Extent   and    nature   of   circulation: 
Total  no.   of  copies  printed 

Average  for  preceding   12   months  3940 

Single   issue   nearest  filing  date  3536 

Paid   circulation — sales  through   dealers  and   carriers,   street  vendors,   and   counter   sales 

Average  for  preceding  12  months  0 

Single   issue  nearest  filing  date  0 

Paid  circulation — mail   subscriptions 

Average  for  preceding   12   months  3596 

Single   issue   nearest  filing   date  3462 


Total  paid   circulation 


Free    distribution 
free   copies 


Total  distribution 


by 


Average  for  preceding   12   months  3596 

Single   issue   nearest  filing   date  3462 

mail,    carrier,    or    other    means — samples,    complimentary, 


and    other 


Average  for  preceding  12  months 
Single   issue  nearest  filing  data 


Average  for  preceding  12   months 
Single  issue   nearest  filing  date 

Copies    not    distributed — office    use,    left    over,    unaccounted. 
Average  for  preceding   12  months 
Single   issue  nearest  filing  date 

Copies    not    distributed — returns    from    news    agents 

Average  for  preceding  12  months 
Single  issue  nearest  filing  date 


Total 


Average  for  preceding  12  months 
Single   issue   nearest  filing   date 


47 
47 

3643 

3509 

spoiled    after 

297 

27 

0 
0 

3940 
3536 


printing 


I    certify   that   the    statements    made   by   me    above   are   correct   and   complete. 

(signed)    Ronald    W.    Waters,    General    Manager 


in  the  vision  of  the  Evangelical 
Center,"  said  NAE  Executive 
Director,  Dr.  Billy  A.  Melvin, 
at  the  dedication.  "Therefore, 
unlike  a  shrine  to  one  organ- 
ization, this  Center  is  an  effort 
on  behalf  of  all  evangelicals.  A 
building  serving  the  cause  of 
Christ  in  fulfilling  the  Great 
Commission." 

"This  building  is  meant  to  be 
a  distribution  center,"  said  NAE 
president,  Dr.  Carl  H.  Lund- 
quist.  "From  this  base  we  can 
reach  out  with  the  good  news 
of  Jesus  Christ  to  a  world  which 
has   lost   its   common   sense." 

The  dedication  service  was 
highlighted  by  special  recogni- 
tion of  Dr.  Clyde  W.  Taylor.  Dr. 
Taylor  was  honored  for  his 
thirty  years  of  leadership  in  the 
cause  of  evangelical  cooperation 
through   NAE. 

Waterloo    observes 
family   monfh 

October  was  family  month  for 
the  Waterloo,  Iowa,  First  Breth- 
ren Church.  Each  Sunday  a 
different  family  assisted  in  the 
morning  worship  service.  Social 
events  for  families  were  planned 
for  Sunday  evenings. 

The  social  event  for  Sunday, 
October  7,  was  an  ice  cream 
social,  with  85  people  enjoying 
the  homemade  ice  cream,  pies, 
cakes,  etc. 

— Barbara  A.  Lamb,  Cor.  Sec. 


November  1979 


25 


update 


Leslie  Zatkos  to  Randy  Hagerich,  September  14, 
at  St.  John  Vianney;  Father  James  Quinn  offi- 
ciating. Groom  a  member  of  the  Vinco,  Pa.,  Breth- 
ren Church. 

Donna  Jean  Ford  to  Jay  Lynn  Haigerioh,  Septem- 
ber 8,  at  the  Vinco,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church;  Carl  H. 
Phillips,  pastor,  officiating.  Members  of  the  Vinco 
Brethren  Church. 

Angela  Burkey  to  Robert  Bayusli,  August  25,  at 
the  Vinco,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church;  Carl  H.  Phillips, 
pastor,  officiating.  Bride  a  member  of  the  Vinco 
Brethren  Church. 

JuUe  Lynn  Slabaugfh  to  Thomas  Edward  Schiefer, 

August  25  at  the  Goshen,  Ind.,  First  Brethren 
Church;  Spencer  Gentle,  pastor,  officiating.  Bride 
a  member  of  the  Goshen  Brethren  Church.  (Both 
now  members  of  the  Ashland  Park  Street  Brethren 
Church.) 

Kim  Cobaugh  to  Rick  Furnari,  August  17,  at  the 
bride's  home;  Frank  Brosius,  officiating.  Bride  a 
member  of  the  Vinco,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church. 

Jayne  Barnes  to  Wayne  Grumbling',  August  4,  at 
the  Shannon,  111.,  United  Methodist  Church;  Bride's 
pastor  officiating,  assisted  by  David  Cooksey, 
pastor  of  the  Lanark,  111.,  First  Brethren  Church. 
Groom  a  member  of  the  Waterloo,  Iowa,  First 
Brethren  Church. 

Christine  Layton  to  Robert  Parks,  July  29,  at  the 
Franklin  Street  Methodist  Church,  Johnstown,  Pa. ; 
Rev.  John  W.  Stevenson,  officiating.  Groom  a 
member  of  the  Vinco,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church. 


BEFORE  YOU  MOVE 

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26 


Goldenaires 

Mick  and  Huth  Lamb,  50th,  October  21.  Members 
of  the  Waterloo,   Iowa,   First  Brethren  Church. 
Hattie    and    George    Padgett,    55th,    October    27.  j 
Members   of   the   First   Brethren    Church,    South 
Bend,  Ind. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lester  Leidy,  51st,  October  18.  Mem- 
bers of  the  Vinco,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church. 
Lee  and  Elva  Voorhe«s,  50th,  September  15.  Mem- 
bers of  the  First  Brethren  Church,  Flora,  Ind. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  I&ussell  HUdebrand,  51st,  August  2. 
Members  of  the  Vinco,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church. 

In  Memory 

Ruth  A.  Shultz,  89,  September  29.  Member  of  the 
Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Ralph 
E.  Mills,  pastor. 

Howard  Davis,  80,  September  27.  Member  since 
1920  of  the  Bryan,  Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church. 
Services  by  Marlin  L.  McCann,  pastor. 
George  Winton  Spielman,  87,  September  21.  Long- 
time member  of  the  Hagerstown,  Md.,  First 
Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Harold  E.  Barnett, 
pastor. 

Encil  R.  Wade,  80,  September  14.  Member  of  the 
Cameron,  W.  Va.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by 
Jeffrey  L.  Brown,  pastor. 

Alfred  (Ted)  Schrock,  66,  September  12.  Member 
of  the  Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by 
Ralph  E.  Mills,  pastor. 

Lucy  D.  Ourtright,  89,  September  8.  Charter  mem- 
ber of  the  Cheyenne,  Wyo.,  Brethren  Church.  Ser- 
vices  by  Albert  O.   Curtright,  pastor. 

Edna  Belle  Boyer,  87,  August  13.  Member  of  the 
Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Ralph 
E.  Mills,  pastor. 

Judith  L.  Whitted,  31,  July  31.  Member  of  the 
Ashland  Park  Street  Brethren  Church.  Services  by 
Arden  Gilmer,  pastor. 

Myra  Kimmel,  84,  July  24.  Member  of  the  Berlin, 
Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Ralph  E.  Mills, 
pastor. 

John  A.  Hepler,  67,  June  4.  Member,  deacon,  and 
trustee  of  the  Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Ser- 
vices by  Ralph  E.  Mills,  pastor. 

Evelyn  Bridegum,  May  13.  Member  of  the  Berlin, 
Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Ralph  E.  Mills, 
pastor. 

Richard  Layding,  57,  March  24.  Member  of  the 
Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Ralph 
E.  Mills,  pastor. 

Charles  Delancy,  69,  January  3.  Member  of  the 
Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church.  Services  by  Rev. 
Charles  Sigler. 

Membership  Growth 

Cheyenne:     7  by  baptism 
Flora:     2  by  baptism 

The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Puterbaugh,   Weldenhamer  honored 
as  outstanding  AC  alumni 


Ashland,  Ohio  —  Two  members 
of  the  Brethren  Ohurch  were 
among  the  five  persons  honored 
as  outstanding  alumni  of  Ash- 
land College  on  October  20th. 
They  are  Dr.  Milton  Puterbaugh 
and  Mr.  Harry  E.  Weidenhamer, 
both  of  Ashland  and  both  mem- 
bers of  the  Park  Street  Brethren 
Church. 

Dr.    Milton    Puterbaugih    was 

graduated  from  Ashland  College 
in  1922.  In  the  fall  of  that  year 
he  joined  the  AC  faculty  to 
teach  chemistry,  becoming  the 
college's  first  full-time  professor 
of  chemistry,  a  post  he  held 
until  1943.  He  also  served  as 
registrar,  dean  of  students,  and 
acting  dean  of  the  college  from 
1942  to  1943. 

Puterbaugh  left  the  college  in 
1943,  but  returned  in  1960  to 
become  director  of  the  science 
division.  He  held  this  position 
until  his  retirement  in  1972.  He 
is  presently  AC  Professor  Emer- 
itus in  Chemistry. 

In  addition  to  his  work  at  AC, 
Dr.  Puterbaugh  held  appoint- 
ments at  Hiram  College  and  the 
University  of  Kansas  City  and 
was  a  visiting  professor  at 
Drake  and  Ohio  State  univer- 
sities. His  graduate  degrees  are 
from   Northwestern   University. 

Dr.  Puterbaugh  has  held  vari- 
ous offices  in  the  Park  Street 
Church  and  served  the  denom- 
ination as  a  member  of  the 
National  Laymen's  Organization 


Dr.  Milton  Puterbaugh 

and  the  National  Sunday  School 
Association. 

Mr.  Harry  Weid^nliamer  is  a 

1929  graduate  of  Ashland  Col- 
lege. He  served  on  the  Ashland 
College  faculty  for  34  years, 
first  as  professor  of  chemistry 
and  later  as  head  of  the  earth 
science  department.  He  now 
holds  the  title  of  Professor 
Emeritus.  He  is  also  an  Ohio 
Academy  of  Science  Visiting 
Lecturer  to  High  Schools  and  is 
listed  in  American  Men  of 
Science.  He  holds  a  master  of 
science  degree  from  Ohio  State 
University. 

An  active  member  of  Park 
Street  Church,  Weidenhamer 
has  served  as  teacher,  church 
moderator,  church  school  super- 
intendent,  and  deacon. 


Harry  E.   Weidenhamer 

The  other  three  outstanding 
AC  alumni  for  1979  were: 

Hayden  S.  Garber,  class  of 
1927.  A  native  of  Ashland,  Gar- 
ber has  been  counsel  to  the  U.S. 
Congress  from  1934  to  the 
present. 

Charles  K.  Hill,  class  of  1957. 
Hill  is  president  of  the  Hillwood 
Manufacturing  Company,  the 
Cozier  Lumber  and  Box  Com- 
pany, and  Walker  Nail  Com- 
pany. 

Dr.  Donald  Nikolaius,  class  of 
1951.  Nikolaus  was  honored  for 
his  outstanding  work  as  a  fam- 
ily physician,  which  resulted  in 
national  recognition  in  1978  by 
Good  Housekeepinig  and  the 
American  Academy  of  Family 
Physicians. 


Help  Wanted 

Married  couple  (those  with  children  accepted) 
to  accept  a  full-time  relief  houseparent  position 
available  at  a  home  for  troubled  boys  located 
70  miles  southeast  of  Chicago  on  a  rural  105 
acre  Indiana  setting. 

Responsibilities  are  child  care  related  only 
and  include  a  full  package  of  fringe  benefits. 

For  more  information,  please  call  219-956-3125. 
Christian  Haven  Homes,  Rt.  1,  Box  17,  Wheat- 
field,  IN  46392. 


Wonted:     Ohio  District 
Comp  ond  Youth  Director 

The  Ohio  District  Christian  Education  Board  is 
seeking  a  district  Camp  and  Youth  Director. 

Basically  this  person  would  be  expected  to  help 
develop  and  implement  the  summer  camp  pro- 
gram of  the  Ohio  District.  This  is  primarily  a 
summer  job.  It  is  a  paid  position. 

In  addition  to  being  a  believer  in  Christ  and  a 
member  of  the  Brethren  Church,  the  director 
must  be  of  high  integrity  and  have  some  leader- 
ship ability. 

To  apply  or  secure  further  information,  contact 
Rev.  Leroy  Solomon,  Rt.  1,  Bellefontaine,  OH  43311 
(phone  513-592-9161  or  513-592-9168). 


November  1979 


27 


Brethren  Home  Missions: 


Brethren  Building  for  tlie  L 


Home  Missions  Specid  Ministries 

$87,000.00  $33,000.00 


Additional  ^'Construction" 

10   new  churches  in   5  years 

Increase   Growth   Partner  membership 

to   2,000 

Increased   gifts   and   investments  to 

total   $15,000  this   coming   year  to 

Revolving   Fund   for  church   extension. 


Missionary  Board  of  the  Brethren  Church 
530  College  Avenue,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805 


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'W''^  The    Brethren  1    *  I 

Evangelist 

C^  December    1979 


INTRODUCING  A  BRIGHT  NEW  IDEA  IN 
TAKE-HOME  PAPERS  FROM  GOSPEL  LIGHT ! 


Adventure 


thru 
tlie 


AOVINTURE  THBOUOH  THl  BIBLE  presents  an  ,,,,^ 

overview  of  the  entire  Bible.  wis 

Each  paper  contains  a  Bible  story  illustrated  v^ith  12  full-color 
pictures  and  an  easy -to-read  script.  In  just  16  quarters  children, 
grades  1-6,  receive  an  overview  of  the  Bible-Genesis  through 
Revelation.  1 

AOVEHTURB  THBOUOH  THE  BIBLE  reinforces  Bible  story  1 
fiicts  and  concepts. 

A  variety  of  fascinating  activities  encourage  children  to  think        ■ 
about  the  Bible  story.  And  here's  an  added  bonus-one  activity 
is  always  geared  to  the  non-reader. 

ADVENTUEE  THBOUQH  THE  BIBLE  involves  the  entire  fomily. 
The  "Family  Scrapbook"  section  provides  family-time  activities, 
discussion  starters,  parent-child  relationship  ideas-all  related  to 
the  Bible  story-designed  to  help  the  entire  family  develop  and 
maintain  a  Christian  life-style. 

So  if  you  want  a  take-home  paper  that  encourages  spiritual  growth 
in  each  family  member,  we've  got  what  you're  looking  for! 


GIS^' 


Order  from: 


The  Brethren  PubHshing  Company 
524  College  Avenue 
Ashland,  Ohio     44805 


Crusaders  in  the  Summer  of  '80 


FOLLOW  THE  DIRECTIONS  to  a  sum- 
mer of  service  to  our  Lord  and  God! 

Complete   the   form   below   and   send 
it  to: 

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524  College  Avenue 
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^^■^  The    Brethren  ^j    •  j 

Evangelist 


Beginning  its  second  century  of  ministry 
to  Christ  and  the  Brethren  Church. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 
(USPS  064-200) 

Editor: 

Richard  C.  Winfield 

Consulting  Editors: 

John  D.  Rowsey 
Ronald  W.  Waters 

Contributing  Editor: 
Alvin  Shifflett 

Editorial  and 
Business  Office: 

524  College  Ave. 
Ashland,  Ohio     44805 
Phone:    (419)   289-2611 

Published  monthly  for  the  Brethren  Church 
by  the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 
One  year  subscription  rates:  $6.00  for 
100%  church  lists;  $6.50  for  church  lists 
of  5  or  more  names;  $7.00  for  individual 
subscriptions. 

Single-copy  price:  70  cents 
Change  of  address:  Please  notify  us  at 
least  three  weeks  in  advance,  using  the 
form  provided  in  each  issue. 
Authors'  views  are  not  necessarily  those 
of  the  Brethren  Church  or  the  Brethren 
Publishing    Company. 

Queries  and  manuscripts  should  be  ad- 
dressed to  the  editor.  A  writer's  packet 
with  query  tips  is  available  upon  written 
request. 

Unsolicited  manuscripts  are  also  welcome. 
However,  the  publisher  assumes  no 
responsibility  for  return  of  unsolicited 
material  not  accompanied  by  a  stamped, 
self-addressed  envelope. 
Second  class  postage  paid  at  Ashland, 
Ohio. 

Postmaster:  Please  send  Form  3579  to 
the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524 
College  Ave.,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 

Member,  Evangelical  Press  Association 


Cover 

The  lighted  candles  of  Christ- 
mas remind  us  that  a  Baby  was 
born  to  be  the  Light  of  the 
world.  That  Light  still  shines  in 
the  darkness  of  our  times.  See 
article  beginning  on  page  6. 


Vol.  101.  No.  12 


December  1979 


4     Broken  Walls 

God  broke  down  the  walls  in  Rahab's  life,  just  as  her 
Descendant  breaks  down  the  walls  of  sin  for  all  who  follow 
Him — by  Susan  White. 

6     The  Crisis  of  Our  Times 

Dr.  Carl  F.  H.  Henry  affirms  that  God's  Light  is  still  shining 
in  the  moral  darkness  of  our  times. 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 
10     A  Call  to  Mobilization 

Dr.  J.  D.  Hamel  asserts  that  nothing  is  more  important  for 
the  Brethren  Church  in  the  eighties  than  our  complete  mobiliza- 
tion for  evangelism. 


The  Board  of  Christian  Education 

13  Building,  Caring,  Equipping 

The  Board  of  Christian  Education  is  endeavoring  to  assure 
that  the  1980' s  will  be  a  period  of  building,  caring,  and  equip- 
ping in  the  Brethren  Church. 

14  Research,  Planning,  Implementation 

To  serve  the  Brethren  Church  more  effectively  in  the  eighties, 
the  Board  of  Christian  Education  plans  this  three-phase  process. 

16  A  Forward  Look 

18     The  Brethren  Publications/ 

Home  Missions  Endowment  Fund 

Ronald  W.  Waters  explains  the  new  plan  for  supporting  the 
Brethren  Evangelist  that  was  approved  by  General  Conference. 

Departments 

12     The  Salt  Shaker 

1 7  Books 
20     Update 

27     Finally,  Brethren 


December  1979 


Broken 
Walls 


Drawing  by  Susan  White 


by  Susan  White 


NEW  LIFE!  That's  what  she  had  re- 
ceived— new  hf e.  The  shameful  walls  of 
existence  which  had  once  enslaved  her  had 
been  broken.  She  was  now  free.  Free  to 
laugh — a  lilting,  joyous  laughter  which 
bubbled  up  from  deep  inside  of  her.  Free 
to  love — to  know  what  it  meant  to  give 
herself  totally,  in  sacrificial  service  to 
others.  Free  to  live! 

A  warm  tear  slid  down  Rahab's  cheek 
to  touch  the  corner  of  her  smiling  lips, 
matching  the  warmth  she  felt  in  her  heart. 
The  gods  she  had  once  served  had  forced 
her  into  a  life  of  corruption  and  self- 
degradation.  In  their  religion  there  was  no 
harm  in  selling  one's  body  as  any  other 
merchant  would  sell  his  or  her  wares.  No 
harm,  so  they  said.  But  she  knew  the  cold, 
ugly  life  which  followed — the  darkness  and 
the  loneliness. 

But  that  had  all  changed.  Yahweh  had 
called  her  to  follow  Him.  He  had  pledged 
His  faithfulness  to  her,  to  Rahab  the  harlot 
of  Jericho,  even  as  one  of  His  chosen  chil- 
dren of  Israel. 

'*He  has  made  me  His  own,"  she  whis- 
pered. "Even  me!" 

Standing  in  the  sunlight,  she  reflected 
on  the  events  that  had  brought  it  all  about. 
The  day  had  begun  like  any  other  day — 

Susan  White  is  the  administrative  assistant  to 
the  director  of  communications  of  Ashland  College. 
She  is  a  frequent  contributor  to  the  Brethren 
Evangelist. 


that  day  the  two  spies  from  the  Israelite 
camp  had  come.  Wearily  she  had  answered 
the  door,  expecting  to  find  the  same  sort 
of  men  as  were  always  there.  But  that  day 
was  different,  marking  the  beginning  of  a 
lifetime  of  different  days. 

"Hebrews!"  she  had  gasped  when  she 
opened  the  door.  Their  bearded  faces  and 
strange  garments  betrayed  their  identity. 
The  stories  of  these  people  and  their  mighty 
God  were  familiar  to  her  as  they  were  to 
the  other  inhabitants  of  Jericho.  The  city- 
dwellers  told  of  Israel's  mighty  deeds  with 
trembling  lips.  They  spoke  of  the  Hebrew's 
one  God,  Yahweh,  in  terror,  for  they  knew 
of  the  wrath  He  had  poured  forth  on  other 
enemies. 

Rahab  also  feared  this  powerful,  living 
God.  But  in  her  fear  she  was  drawn  to  Him. 
She  had  heard  of  His  wrath,  but  she  had 
also  heard  of  His  love. 

The  Hebrew  people  were  really  no  differ- 
ent from  any  other  group,  yet  Yahweh  had 
chosen  to  make  His  covenant  with  them, 
caring  for  them  faithfully.  Ever  since  she 
had  first  heard  of  this  special  love  a  God 
could  have  for  His  people,  she  had  sensed 
a  longing  deep  within  her  heart  to  serve 
Him.  She  was  tired  of  paying  homage  to 
those  man-hewn  pieces  of  stone  to  which 
all  of  Jericho  bowed  down.  So,  in  that 
moment,  as  her  eyes  rested  on  the  two 
foreigners  at  her  door,  Rahab  knew  that 
she  had  been  given  a  priceless  opportunity. 

Quickly  Rahab  ushered  them  into  her 

The  Brethren  Evangelist 


tiny  house  built  upon  the  city  wall.  'The 
time  for  surprise  is  over,"  she  thought.  **I 
must  hide  these  men  from  the  rest  of  the 
city." 

Throughout  the  day  she  offered  them 
shelter  and  what  information  she  could  give 
about  the  city  and  its  inhabitants.  They, 
in  turn,  told  her  about  their  people  and  the 
long  wanderings  which  had  finally  brought 
them  to  the  land  which  God  had  promised 
to  their  fathers.  They  recounted  stories  of 
Moses  and  his  great  leadership,  and  of  the 
deeds  of  his  successor,  Joshua. 

Rahab's  sincerity  was  put  to  the  test 
when  a  loud  knock  at  the  door  interrupted 
their  conversation.  Quickly  and  quietly  she 
hid  the  spies.  Strengthened  by  her  desire 
to  know  the  Hebrews'  God,  she  sent  the 
king's  soldiers  away  without  betraying  the 
men  on  her  roof. 

When  darkness  had  spread  its  cover  of 
protection  over  the  countryside,  the  men 
prepared  to  leave. 

''Now  then,"  she  began  with  a  slight 
tremor  in  her  voice,  "please  swear  to  me 
by  the  Lord  that  you  will  show  kindness 
to  my  family,  because  I  have  shown  kind- 
ness to  you.  Promise  me  that  you  will  spare 
the  lives  of  my  father  and  mother,  my 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  all  who  belong 
to  them,  and  that  you  will  save  us  from 
death." 

"Our  lives  for  your  lives!"  the  men 
assured  her.  "If  you  don't  tell  what  we  are 
doing,  we  will  treat  you  kindly  and  faith- 
fully when  the  Lord  gives  us  the  land." 

Rahab  carefully  lowered  the  spies  down 
from  her  window  with  a  strong  scarlet 
rope.  They  left  her  with  the  instructions 
to  tie  this  cord  of  scarlet  in  the  same  win- 
dow, as  a  sign  of  their  oath  and  as  a  mark 
to  set  her  house  apart. 

The  days  passed  slowly  for  the  anxious 
inhabitants  of  the  city  who  viewed  the  dis- 
tant army  with  terror.  Even  strong  drink 
and  constant  sacrifices  to  their  stone-faced 
gods  could  not  ease  their  fear.  For  Rahab, 
the  days  were  filled  with  anticipation  as  she 
dared  to  hope  for  a  new  life. 

"They  march  to  Jericho!"  the  towns- 
people cried  on  that  first  morning  when 
the  Israelite  army,  commanded  by  Joshua, 
silently  encircled  the  city.  But  excitement 
gave  way  to  disappointment  for  Rahab  as 
she  watched  the  army  turn  back  to  its 
camp. 

"Yahweh  will  be  victorious,"  she  assured 
herself  and  the  family  members  gathered 
with  her. 

Seven  days  later  the  victory  came.  No 
longer  was  the  army  silent.  Amid  shouts 
and  the  sounds  of  trumpets,  Jericho  went 
crashing  down  in  defeat.  The  city's  thick 


walls  cracked  and  splintered  as  if  torn 
apart  by  giant  unseen  hands.  Those  inhab- 
itants who  did  not  meet  death  through 
falling  rubble  or  panic  were  soon  slain  by 
the  mighty  soldiers  of  Yahweh. 

Yet  in  the  midst  of  death  and  destruc- 
tion, one  small  piece  of  the  wall  remained 
untouched.  When  the  two  spies  returned 
to  the  house  of  the  scarlet  cord,  they  found 
a  new  woman.  For  Rahab,  the  walls  of  sin 
and  harlotry  in  her  life  had  been  cast  down 
by  the  same  unseen  hand,  burying  the  past 
which  had  once  enslaved  her. 


Little  did  Rahab  know  that  sev- 
eral hundred  years  after  her  life- 
tinne  on  earth  was  finished,  her 
Descendant  would  bring  freedonn 
to  all  who  would  serve  Hinn. 


So  Rahab  lived  among  the  children  of 
Israel,  a  free  woman,  all  the  days  of  her 
life.  In  her  freedom  she  married  and  gave 
birth  to  a  son.  The  child,  Boaz,  grev/  into 
a  fine,  strong  man,  one  who  was  looked  to 
as  a  leader  among  the  people.  He  never  for- 
got the  stories  his  mother  told  of  the  kind- 
ness which  had  been  shown  to  her,  a 
foreigner.  Perhaps  those  same  teachings 
prompted  him  to  show  a  similar  kindness 
to  a  widow  from  Moab  who  entered  his  field 
to  glean.  His  kindness  grew  into  love,  and 
Boaz  offered  Ruth  the  shelter  of  his  home 
and  took  her  for  his  wife. 

Offspring  from  this  union  was  to  yield, 
in  three  generations,  a  son  who  would  be- 
come the  greatest  ruler  of  the  nation  of 
Israel.  But  David  was  not  the  only  king  to 
claim  these  two  and  Rahab  as  his  distant 
kin.  A  King  would  be  born  to  surpass  all 
other  earthly  rulers,  whose  kingdom  would 
have  no  end. 

Little  did  Rahab  know  that  several 
hundred  years  after  her  lifetime  on  earth 
was  finished,  this  King  would  bring  freedom 
to  all  who  would  serve  Him.  This  Child,  her 
descendant,  would  grow  to  become  a  second 
and  greater  "Joshua."  Even  His  name, 
Jesus,  would  be  a  Greek  translation  of  the 
Hebrew  name,  Joshua,  meaning  "salvation." 

This  greater  Joshua  would  also  break 
down  walls — walls  of  sin  and  separation 
from  God.  This  One,  God's  perfect  Son, 
would  bring  life  to  a  dying  world.  His  light 
would  banish  the  darkness  of  lonesome 
lovelessness.  And  just  as  the  scarlet  cord 
of  Rahab  marked  her  as  set  apart  for  life, 
so  His  blood  would  sanctify  all  who  would 
come  under  it  for  life  eternal.  □ 


December  1979 


»  I 

■■I  « 


111    1 


V    ,1 


« « 

V  ''■■ 


"For    the    crisis   of   our    times,    the    light    that 
shines  in  darkness  is  still  more  than  adequate." 


THE 
CRISIS 
OF  OUR 
TIMES 


by  Dr.   Carl    F.   H.   Henry 


THE  opening  chapters  of  two  great  New 
Testament  books  keep  running  through 
my  mind.  One  is  the  classic  prologue  of 
John's  Gospel;  the  other,  that  awesome 
first  chapter  of  Paul's  letter  to  the  Romans. 
Both  deal  with  God's  creation  and  its 
despoilment  by  sin ;  both  hold  out  the  alter- 
natives of  salvation  or  judgment. 

John's  prologue  twice  mentions  darkness, 
each  time  sweepingly  enough  to  cover  not 
only  man's  fall  and  sinfulness,  but  also  the 
darkness  of  Crucifixion  Day,  and  even  that 
of  our  own  declining  civilization.  How 
graphically  this  word  "darkness"  brings 
into  focus  the  moral  malignancy  and  spirit- 
ual sham  of  the  human  race!  ''The  light 
shineth  in  darkness,"  we  read,  "and  the 
darkness  comprehended  it  not"  (1:5,  KJV). 
Other  versions  stress  the  point  that  no  fury 
of  darkness  can  overcome  or  extinguish 
God's  light;  until  end- time  judgment  over- 
takes us,  the  light  of  God's  living  Word  will 
continue  to  expose  human  wickedness  for 
what  it  is. 

Romans  chapter  one  is  much  more 
specific  about  moral  evil.  The  exploding 
wickedness  of  the  Gentile  nations  supplies 
a  sort  of  Richter  scale  of  civilizational  de- 
cline, a  measure  of  the  slide  of  men  and 
nations  into  the  abyss  of  iniquity.  As 
shocks  and  aftershocks  of  ethical  earth- 
quake surge  over  modern  life,  Paul's  letter 
speaks  not  only  to  the  Romans  but  to  us 
also  about  the  crucial  crisis  of  our  times 
and  the  judgment  that  lowers  above  us. 

The  theme  of  Paul's  epistle  and  of  John's 
Gospel  is  the  same,  namely,  that  the  light 
of  God  is  shining  through  the  darkness  of 
human  history  and  is  penetrating  the  very 
mind  and  conscience  of  even  a  rebellious 
age.  While  it  may  suppress  the  truth  of 
God,  fallen  mankind  can  in  no  way  eradi- 
cate it.  God's  light  and  truth  remain  and 
continue  to  unmask  what  we  are. 

I  spoke  of  a  Richter  scale  of  declining 
civilization.  It  works  something  like  this. 
First  there  is  a  public  awareness  and  re- 
tention of  divine  principles  of  righteousness, 
but  alongside  this  awareness  comes  a  grow- 
ing public  disposition  to  violate  them.  We 
have  seen  this  in  our  own  century:  an 
earlier  generation  that  was  more  largely 
aware  of  biblical  and  Christian  roots  con- 
ceded, for  example,  that  God  approves  life- 
long monogamous  marriage  and  forbids 
extramarital  sin. 

Yet     as     society    increasingly    violates 

Dr.  Carl  F.  H.  Henry  was  the  founding  editor 
of  Christianity  Today  magazine.  Time  magazine 
called  him  "the  leading  theologian  of  the  Evan- 
gelical flank."  He  is  the  author  of  25  books. 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


''God's  Logos  is  still  lighting  every  man,  still  shining  in 
the  darkness;  the  truth  of  God  is  still  penetrating  the 
mind  and  conscience  of  even  the  most  wicked/' 


divine  principles,  such  transgression  soon 
becomes  a  matter  of  common  practice  and 
public  acceptance.  In  our  day  sexual  im- 
morality outside  marriage  runs  rampant. 
Last  year  our  country  reported  a  million 
abortions,  many  of  them  the  price  of  lust 
and  immorality.  Deterioration  of  the  family 
is  a  recognized  problem  of  modern  society, 
yet  many  educators  and  even  some  clergy- 
men see  abortion  only  in  terms  of  the  right 
to  avoid  unwanted  children,  and  all  to 
seldom  emphasize  the  duty  to  uphold  sex- 
ual fidelity. 

Accelerating   moral    rebellion 

Moral  rebellion,  the  Bible  warns  us,  runs 
a  quickly  accelerating  course.  When  repeat- 
ed compromise  erodes  God's  norms  of 
decency,  respect  for  God  soon  yields  to  false 
gods  that  encourage  sin  and  accommodate 
evil.  God  will  permit  a  rebellious  generation 
to  suffer  "the  vileness  of  their  own  desires 
and  the  consequent  degradation  of  their 
bodies,  because  they  have  bartered  away 
the  true  God  for  a  false  one"  (1:25,  NEB). 

Refusal  to  honor  God  leads  inevitably  to 
destructive  aftershocks:  ''thinking  ends  in 
futility,  misguided  minds  are  plunged  in 
darkness"  (Rom.  1:21).  God  gives  them 
over,  Scripture  says,  to  ''a  base  mind,  and 
to  improper  conduct"  (1:28,  RSV),  to  ''their 
own  irrational  ideas  and  to  their  monstrous 
behavior"  (JB),  to  a  "reprobate"  mind 
(KJV),  to  a  "degenerate"  mind  (Phillips), 
to  a  "corrupted"  mind  (TEV),  to  a  "de- 
praved" mind  (NIV).  The  Greek  word 
adokimos  identifies  that  which  has  failed 
the  test.  We  will  fail  life's  comprehensive 
exams^ — not  only  the  Christian  heritage  but 
also  the  imperative  apostolic  call — unless 
with  God's  help  we  discipline  our  minds  to 
follow  Paul's  challenge:  "Whatsoever 
things  are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are 
just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatso- 
ever things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things 
are  of  good  report;  if  there  be  any  virtue, 
and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these 
things"   (Phil.  4:8). 

I  emphasize  the  importance  of  the  mind 
because  the  mind  is  always  a  crucial  aca- 
demic concern.  The  mind  of  man,  as  both 
John  and  Paul  emphasize,  is  God's  creation : 


by  creation  the  Logos  "lights  every  man" 
(John  1:9a),  and  despite  our  sinful  state 
God's  revelation  penetrates  our  very  mind 
and  conscience  (Rom.  1:19-21;  2:15).  Yet 
we  read  of  mankind  that  "knowing  God 
they  refused  to  honor  him  as  God,  or  to 
render  him  thanks"  (Rom.  1:21,  NEB). 
Today  the  mind  no  less  than  the  will  of 
modern  man  is  in  dire  trouble.  Having  lost 
the  meaning  of  meaning,  our  radically 
secular  age  cannot  make  up  its  mind  about 
the  truth.  "Let  not  a  double-minded  man," 
says  the  New  Testament,  "think  that  he 
shall  receive  anything  of  the  Lord"  (James 
1:7-8). 

We  need  to  remember  a  very  important 
fact:  the  Bible  links  the  moral  decline  of 
nations  with  reprobate  minds.  Training  the 
mind  is  an  essential  responsibility  of  the 
home,  the  church,  and  the  school.  Unless 
evangelicals  prod  young  people  to  disci- 
plined thinking,  they  waste,  even  under- 
mine, one  of  Christianity's  most  precious  re- 
sources. Leaders  of  the  Protestant  Refor- 
mation were  all  university- trained ;  they 
knew  the  Bible,  the  languages,  philosophy, 
theology,  and  much  else.  Secular  liberal 
education  today  fails  our  generation  in  the 
matter  of  consensus  about  either  God  or 
truth  or  moral  values.  Many  campuses  seem 
unable  to  preserve  respect  for  such  basic 
ethical  virtues  as  repaying  student  loans, 
returning  borrowed  library  books,  taking 
examinations  or  preparing  term  papers  with 
honesty. 

Replacing   God   with   man 

Man's  first  step  in  defecting  from  God 
who  makes  known  His  holy  will  is  to  replace 
the  immortal  God  with  mortal  man  (Rom. 
1:23).  The  ancients  worshiped  emperors, 
even  their  statues;  today  moderns  worship 
the  self  as  the  measure  of  all  things.  This 
self -worship  is  actually  a  divine  judgment 
upon  us  for  rejecting  the  one  true  God. 
Such  deliberate  idolatry  of  the  self  quickly 
moves  on  to  the  unbridled  passion  charac- 
teristic of  our  times.  Paragons  of  permis- 
sive morality  are  welcomed  as  folk  heroes 
to  campuses,  to  television,  and  to  the  stage. 

Who  would  have  dreamed  that  the  gen- 
eration of  the  Graham  crusades  would  also 


December  1979 


''Multitudes  today  are     ^' 

thirsting  for  a  personal 

faith;  many  are  looking     I 

for  a  messiah.  They  mu^t      " 

be  turned  from  false      . 

christs  to  the  risen  and     ^ 

returning  Lord." 


become  the  generation  where  many  cham- 
pion homosexuahty  and  lesbianism  as  no 
less  moral  than  heterosexuality,  and  others 
flee  divinely  created  orders  of  sexuality  to 
become  transvestites.  If  one  has  guilt  feel- 
ings, there  is  always  some  psychiatrist  at 
hand  to  exorcise  guilt. 

From  a  hit  or  miss  consensus  on  values, 
society  quickly  moves  to  total  disconsensus. 
''They  were  filled,"  writes  Paul  of  earher 
pagans,  ''with  all  manner  of  wickedness, 
evil,  covetousness,  malice.  Full  of  envy, 
murder,  strife,  deceit  .  .  .  haters  of  God, 
insolent,  haughty,  boastful,  inventors  of 
evil  .  .  ."  (Rom.  l:29ff.).  Reflect  if  you  will 
on  the  ruthless  violence  of  our  own  day; 
raping  of  helpless  elderly  women,  young 
wives,  even  schoolchildren;  street  attacks 
on  the  elderly  and  the  bhnd;  senseless 
snipers  that  cut  down  innocent  people,  the 
gruesome  murder  and  burial  of  young  males 
by  someone  like  Dacey,  the  Chicago  sex 
maniac.  The  stench  of  moral  decay  fouls 
the  air  as  society  is  victimized  by  its  own 
self-destructive  vices.  A  new  generation 
considers  itself  beyond  fixed  moral  dis- 
tinctions, and  indeed  refuses  to  recognize 
them;  many  academicians — both  Marxist 
and  nonmarxist — dismiss  objective  values 
as  a  prejudice  of  the  establishment. 

Small  wonder  that  Soviet  dissidents  like 
Alexander  Solzhenitsyn  and  Alexander 
Ginsburg,  while  finding  grateful  refuge 
among  us  from  communist  repression,  none- 
theless reserve  the  right  to  warn  us  con- 
cerning the  moral  flabbiness  and  vagabond- 
age of  the  West.  You  and  I  know,  of  course, 
that  much  yet  remains  in  America  for  which 
to  thank  God — not  least  of  all,  the  freedom 
and  opportunities  envied  by  oppressed  mul- 
titudes in  many  parts  of  the  world.  And  we 
know  that  the  day-to-day  decency  and  good 


will  of  a  multitude  of  God-fearing  citizens 
seldom  get  the  attention  and  headlines 
largely  preempted  by  the  seamy  side  of 
national  life.  We  should  be  grateful  that 
divine  providence  has  gifted  us  with  life  in 
this  land. 

President  Carter  has  every  right  to  crit- 
icize a  controlled  society  like  Russia  that 
seeks  to  seduce  people  "from  God  .  .  . 
through  the  television  (and)  through  the 
schools."  But  how  much  constructive  influ- 
ence do  secular  education  and  television  in 
the  free  world  actually  wield  for  fixed  truth 
and  good  in  today's  life  of  the  people?  The 
Russian  social  critics  in  our  country  seem 
to  realize  this  peril  better  than  we  do.  It 
is  not  enough  to  say  that  things  are  better 
in  America  than  elsewhere;  in  every  great 
world  power  that  has  marched  off  the  map 
things  once  seemed  better  than  anywhere 
else. 

Recently  a  special  sale  catalogue  came 
in  the  mail  from  a  large  American  publisher 
of  college  and  university  texts.  Among  the 
1000  listings  in  philosophy,  religion,  politics, 
psychology,  and  other  disciplines,  only  one 
title  was  premarked  "sold  out."  What  vol- 
ume, you  ask,  was  in  such  special  academic 
demand?  The  title,  believe  it  or  not,  was 
Understanding  the  Female  Orgasm. 

An   impenitent   generation 

An  impenitent  generation,  the  Apostle 
Paul  tells  us,  "receives"  its  "due  penalty," 
divine  recompense  proportionate  to  its  own 
priorities.  To  suppress  the  knowledge  of 
God  will  skew  right  and  wrong  with  devas- 
tating final  consequences.  The  fault-line 
that  opens  our  land  to  impending  disaster 
seems  increasingly  to  penetrate  the  very 
heart  of  modern  culture.  The  tremors  that 
presage  God's  final  shaking  of  the  earth 


8 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


''Even  in  the  midst  of  this  dark  hour,  the  Christian 
community  is  called  upon  to  sound  the  call  of  repent- 
ance, forgiveness  and  God's  triumph/' 


reflect  ever  more  blatant  sin  and  indecency. 
Explosive  forces  are  rumbling  at  the  core 
of  modern  life;  our  civilization  too  may 
soon  collapse  into  the  same  debris  of  hu- 
man corruption  that  engulfed  all  past 
civilizations. 

Amid  the  awesome  prospects  of  a  nu- 
clear age,  the  Bible  speaks  almost  apoca- 
lyptically of  God's  ''meltdown"  of  his  foes. 
Yahweh's  warning  against  the  sins  of 
ancient  Jerusalem  should  strike  terror 
among  today's  rebellious  nations  that  now 
rattle  missiles  instead  of  swords,  and  whose 
horrendous  unleashing  of  nature  against 
mankind  God  despises:  "As  men  gather 
silver,  copper,  iron,  lead  and  tin  into  a 
furnace  to  melt  it  with  a  fiery  blast,  so  will 
I  gather  you  in  my  anger  and  wrath  and  put 
you  inside  the  city  and  melt  you.  I  will 
gather  you  and  I  will  blow  my  fiery  wrath, 
and  you  will  be  melted  inside  her  .  .  .  and 
you  will  know  that  I  have  poured  out  my 
wrath  upon  you"  (Ezek.  22:17-23,  NIV). 
Who  of  us  can  say  that  this  nuclear  genera- 
tion is  less  worthy  of  God's  terrible  judg- 
ment than  were  Sodom  and  Gemorrah,  Tyre 
and  Sidon,  disobedient  Israel  and  Judah? 

Rejection   of  divine   principles 

As  a  nation  we  have  gone  far  beyond 
merely  the  neglect  of  God's  moral  principles 
to  a  routine  violation  of  them.  We  have  gone 
even  farther  to  outright  rejection  of  those 
divine  principles  in  the  name  of  modernity. 
We  are  writing  our  own  codes  of  right  and 
wrong;  man  in  place  of  God  ventures  to 
define  the  true  and  the  good,  and  does  so 
in  the  name  of  personal  creativity  and 
selfism.  Today  our  nation  is  held  together 
more  by  a  network  of  governmental  con- 
trols than  by  a  shared  consensus  of  values. 
Many  of  our  universities  have  all  but  turned 
their  backs  on  the  Judeo-Christian  her- 
itage of  revealed  truth  and  divine  command- 
ments, and  have  forsaken  the  pursuit  of 
objective  values.  Are  we  as  a  nation  en- 
couraging and  inviting  the  cataclysmic 
disaster  that  will  plunge  not  only  Western 
culture  but  all  human  history  into  final 
judgment  ? 

Even  in  the  midst  of  this  dark  hour,  the 
Christian  community  is  called  upon  to 
sound  the  call  of  repentance,  forgiveness 


and  God's  triumph.  God  is  still  active  in 
our  secular  society;  He  not  only  warns  the 
impenitent  masses  of  dire  judgment,  but 
prods  them  also  toward  faith,  and  even  pre- 
pares some  for  salvation.  Multitudes  today 
are  thirsting  for  a  personal  faith ;  many  are 
looking  for  a  messiah.  They  must  be  turned 
from  false  christs  to  the  risen  and  returning 
Lord. 


n 


larkness 


God's  Logos  is  still  lighting  every  man, 
still  shining  in  the  darkness;  the  truth  of 
God  is  still  penetrating  the  mind  and  con- 
science of  even  the  most  wicked.  Even  some 
who  seem  hopelessly  given  over  to  iniquity 
may  come  by  God's  grace  to  new  life  and 
hope  and  joy.  God  is  still  at  work  in  our 
world.  He  is  manifesting  the  consequences 
of  rebellion  by  abandoning  the  impenitent 
wicked  to  licentiousness,  and  by  allowing  a 
long-privileged  West  to  revert  to  paganism. 
But  God  is  also  lifting  to  His  Savior  Son 
those  who  seek  refuge  from  the  nihilism 
of  daily  life  without  Christ.  In  His  mercy 
God  enables  even  the  desperate  to  embrace 
Christ  as  the  rescuer  from  ruin  and  despair. 

When  Paul  wrote  his  letter  to  the  Ro- 
mans, this  planet  was  overwhelmingly 
pagan.  All  the  Christians  to  be  found  in 
the  ancient  empire  city  of  Rome  could  have 
squeezed  into  a  few  small  homes.  But  Paul 
knew  something,  something  that  no  one  had 
taught  him  at  the  University  of  Tarsus. 
Paul  knew  the  reality  and  power  of  the 
Risen  Christ.  He,  the  Risen  Christ,  can 
turn  a  vagrant  intellectual  and  a  vagrant 
world  right  side  up,  can  restore  recognition 
of  the  Lord  of  nature,  of  history,  and  of 
conscience.  If  hope  is  to  prevail  in  our  time, 
we  who  know  God's  transforming  mercy 
and  power  must  become  roving  tentmakers 
in  the  service  of  Christ  who  pitched  His 
tent  in  a  terrible  wicked  world  and  unveiled, 
for  us  to  see,  the  glory  of  our  life-renewing 
God. 

Let  us  call  individuals  and  nations  to  a 
new  vision  of  justice  and  righteousness.  Let 
us  invite  a  vagabond  race  to  share  with  us 
the  joys  of  life  redeemed  and  fit  for  eter- 
nity. For  the  crisis  of  our  times,  the  light 
that  shines  in  darkness  is  still  more  than 
adequate.  □ 


December  1979 


Special  Feature:     Perspectives  for  the  Eighties 


A  Call  to  Mobilization 


by  Dr.  J.  D.  Hamel 


T  BELIEVE  that  we  are  at  the  dawn  of 

the  world's  greatest  tomorrow.  Nothing 
is  more  important,  humanly  speaking,  for 
the  life  of  the  Brethren  Church  in  the 
eighties  than  our  complete  Mobilization  for 
Evangelism.  To  present  Christ  without 
shame  or  bias  to  the  community,  the  nation, 
and  the  world  as  Savior  and  Lord  is  our 
sacred  duty.  As  Christians  we  cannot  do 
less. 

The  Brethren  Church  looks  to  the  future. 
What  is  the  future?  What  are  our  plans? 
What  is  the  job  toward  which  we  roll  up 
our  sleeves  and  to  which  we  look  forward? 
What  is  the  victory  which  we,  on  bended 
knee,  ask  God,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  to  enable  us  to  achieve? 

The  Brethren  Church  must  continue  to 
speak  to  men  and  women  of  their  deep  need 
for  radical  healing,  calling  them  to  accept 
God's  love  through  Jesus  Christ.  The  church 
must  move  into  action  as  it  seeks  to  (1) 
interpret  the  gospel,  (2)  exemplify  the 
gospel,  (3)  organize  to  communicate  the 
gospel,  and  (4)  challenge  its  entire  con- 
stituency to  witness  to  this  gospel.  Just  as 
"Prayer  is  the  breath  of  the  soul,"  even  so 
''Evangelism  is,"  and  must  ever  be,  "the 
outward  expression  of  its  life." 

I  believe  that  every  sacrifice  we  make  will 


Dr.  Hamel  is 
pastor  of  the 
700  member 
First  Brethren 
Church  of 
Sarasota,  Fla., 
the  largest 
church  in  the 
Brethren 

denomination.  He 
is  also  founder 
and  speaker  for 
the  international 
radio  broadcast, 
"The  Brethren 
Hour." 


/'f' 


so  enrich  us  in  the  future  that  our  only 
regret  will  be  that  we  did  not  sacrifice  the 
more.  The  world  has  never  been  in  more 
dire  need  of  the  healing  and  saving  touch 
of  Christ,  His  love  and  understanding,  His 
compassion  and  salvation.  We  Brethren 
want  to  give  our  lives  to  something  that 
counts,  something  that  lasts! 

To  see  our  members  exploding  with  life 
and  vitality,  reaching  out  and  winning 
people  and  making  disciples  and  responsible 
members,  expanding  our  horizons  and 
getting  involved  in  the  ministry  and  out- 
reach of  our  church  —  that's  Church 
Growth.  And  it's  happening  all  across  the 
denomination.  Prayers  of  generations  of 
Christians  are  being  answered  and  the 
gospel  is  going  forth  in  a  strong  tidal  wave 
of  evangelism! 

Mobiliza+ion 
Through   Sharing   and   Caring 

One  of  the  special  challenges  of  the 
eighties  is  the  opportunity  for  Brethren  to 
join  with  their  older  loved  ones  in  an  effort 
to  make  life  in  the  later  years  more  mean- 
ingful. Our  society  is  experiencing  a 
marked  increase  in  the  number  of  elderly. 
Almost  21  million  persons  65  years  of  age 
and  above  are  found  in  the  United  States. 
By  1980  one  person  in  eight  will  be  a  senior 
citizen.  The  aging  have  a  special  need  for 
assurance  of  God's  continuing  love  and  pro- 
tection, release  from  anxiety  about  illness 
and  death,  spiritual  growth  through  new 
experiences  with  the  Lord,  and  a  continuing 
feeling  of  usefulness  in  the  work  of  the 
church. 

Mobilization 
Through   the    Printed    Page 

As  workmen  for  God  we  Brethren  want 
to  continue  to  prepare  ''tools"  for  the  indi- 
vidual Christian  to  use  in  his  work  of  wit- 


10 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


nessing  for  Christ.  Tracts,  booklets,  man- 
uals, and  books — to  inform,  instruct,  and 
inspire — these  must  continue  to  roll  in  an 
unending  stream  from  the  BRETHREN 
PUBLISHING  COMPANY  presses.  Our 
Brethren  publications  have  had  a  powerful 
influence  in  molding  our  past.  They  will 
even  more  largely  shape  our  future.  Chris- 
tian books,  journals,  and  periodicals  are  the 
bulwark  of  our  moral  and  spiritual  stamina, 
and  their  flow  must  be  kept  constantly  im- 
proving and  enlarging. 

Mobilization 
Through   Global   Missions 

When  we  look  to  Christ,  we  see  the  world 
as  it  is — His  world,  to  which  He  came  and 
for  which  He  died.  It  is  filled  both  with 
great  hopes  and  with  disillusionment  and 
despair.  Some  nations  are  rejoicing  in  new 
freedom  and  power,  some  are  suffering  be- 
cause freedom  is  denied  them,  and  some 
are  paralyzed  by  division.  Everywhere 
there  is  an  undertone  of  fear.  Millions  are 
hungry;  millions  have  no  home,  no  country, 
and  no  hope.  Over  all  mankind  hangs  the 
peril  of  nuclear  war. 

But  there  is  a  word  from  God  for  our 
world.  It  is  that  the  world  is  in  the  hands 
of  the  living  God  whose  will  for  it  is  that 
all  should  be  saved.  Through  Christ  Jesus, 
His  Incarnate  Word,  who  lived  and  died  and 
rose  from  the  dead,  God  has  broken  the 
power  of  evil  once  and  for  all  and  opened 
for  everyone  the  gate  into  freedom,  salva- 
tion, and  joy.  We  Brethren  must  continue 
to  urgently  make  this  gospel  known  to  the 
whole  world.  We  must  call  on  all  men  to 
believe  in  Christ,  to  live  in  His  love,  and  to 
look  for  His  coming.  Our  Brethren  mission 
program  is  established  worldwide  with 
strong,  mature,  Holy-Spirit  anointed 
leaders. 

Mobilization 

Through   Church    Extension 

"A  Call  to  Mobilization"  must  also  con- 
sider areas  in  our  own  or  nearby  commun- 
ities where  many  are  unchurched.  Those 
who  would  benefit  from  a  Sunday  school 
or  a  home  Bible  study  fellowship  include 
migrant  workers,  language  groups,  retirees, 
and  apartment  house  and  mobile  home 
dwellers.  A  vital  need  also  exists  for  a 
genuine  Christian  concern  for  neighbor- 
hoods of  disadvantaged  people  as  well  as 
children's  homes,  hospitals,  and  retirement 
homes.  Reaching  people  where  they  are  is 
a  basic  teaching  of  the  Bible  and  the 
Brethren  Church. 


Mobilization 
Through   Our  Youth 

Our  Brethren  Youth  and  the  Board  of 
Christian  Education  are  responding  not 
only  to  Christ's  call  to  salvation,  but  also 
to  His  summons  for  service  at  home  and 
abroad.  Our  youth  are  probably  the  best 
trained  we  have  ever  had,  academically  and 
spiritually,  and  they  are  thoroughly  dedi- 
cated to  Christ.  They  see  through  the  tinsel 
of  materialism  in  our  time  and  are  willing 
to  go  anywhere  in  the  service  of  our  Lord 
and  Savior. 

Mobilization   Through 
Our  College   and    Seminary 

In  the  eighties  there  will  be  an  even 
greater  need  for  highly  educated  spiritual 
leaders — men  and  women  full  of  grace,  full 
of  faith,  full  of  power,  full  of  Holy  Spirit 
wisdom.  Let  us  continue  to  support  Ashland 
College  and  Theological  Seminary  as  we 
ask  God  to  give  us  anointed,  dedicated,  sac- 
rificial leaders — leaders  who  will  so  speak 
for  Christ  that  multitudes  will  believe. 

Mobilization   ior   Ac+ion 

A  new  day  has  dawned  in  evangelism, 
one  we  hardly  dared  dream  possible  ten 
years  ago.  Open  doors  confront  the  church 
everywhere — on  university  campuses,  in 
business,  in  political  life,  through  the  use 
of  such  means  of  mass  communication  as 
radio,  television,  and  current  literature ;  and 
in  the  willingness  of  the  man  on  the  street 
to  listen.  WHAT  A  DAY  FOR  THE 
CHURCH  TO  WORK!  Our  evangelism  must 
reach  beyond  an  initial  commitment  to 
Christ  and  aim  for  the  maturity  of  Chris- 
tian  character  emphasized  in  the  New 
Testament.  The  Good  News  of  the  gospel 
refers  not  only  to  that  from  which  we  have 
been  saved,  but  to  that  for  which  we  have 
been  saved.  Only  this  kind  of  personal 
evangelism  will  be  adequate  for  the  spirit- 
ual needs  of  America. 

As  Brethren,  let  us  renew  and  revitalize 
our  faith  in  the  power  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ  to  transform  individual  lives.  Let  us 
refresh  our  spirits  continually  in  deeper 
fellowship  with  God  through  prayer.  Let  us 
fully  dedicate  our  keenest  intellects,  our 
finest  talents,  and  our  financial  resources 
to  the  tasks  which  await  us  in  the  eighties. 
As  Brethren,  let  us  live  courageously,  wit- 
ness daringly,  and  give  sacrificially  that  His 
Kingdom  may  come  more  fully  in  America 
and  around  the  world. 

Brethren,  let  us  mobilize  for  the 
eighties !  □ 


December  1979 


11 


r 


•  I 


the  salt  shaker 


by  Alvin  Shifflett 


The   real  Star  of  Christmas  was  not  the  one  that 
shone  on    Bethlehenn. 


The  Star  of  Bethlehem 


MATTHEW'S  account  of  the  birth  of 
Christ  has  generated  considerable 
discussion.  What  was  that  ''unidentified 
flying  object"  that  arrested  the  attention 
of  the  wise  men  (or  Magi)  and  motivated 
them  to  travel  to  the  Holy  City  of 
Jerusalem  ? 

Modern  "wise  men,"  equipped  with  elec- 
tronic computers,  can  turn  back  the  astral 
clock  to  explain  that  manifestation  known 
as  the  **star  of  Bethlehem." 

Jim  Rostirola,  planetarium  director  at 
Bellevue  Community  College,  is  a  modern 
day  wise  man.  With  the  help  of  an  organi- 
zation known  as  Friends  of  the  Planetari- 
um, Bellevue  Community  College  has  been 
celebrating  the  Christmas  season  every  year 
since  1975  by  using  a  stellar  time  machine. 
Rostirola  can  show  you  exactly  how  the 
heavens  looked  during  that  momentous  time 
in  history.  He  is  able  to  compress  about 
2000  years  of  stellar  activity  into  a 
40-minute  program. 

The  astra-machine  reveals  that  there  was 
a  remarkable  conjunction  of  the  planets 
Saturn  and  Jupiter  around  7  B.C.  (Conjunc- 
tion is  the  term  used  when  planets  are  so 
close  together  that  they  appear  to  be  a 
single,  brilliant  celestial  body.) 

Archaeological  evidence  also  points  to 
the  year  7  B.C.  as  the  probable  date  of  the 


nativity.  In  1920  archaeologists  unearthed 
tablets  which  revealed  that  Herod  ordered 
a  census  for  tax  collection  purposes  in  8 
B.C.  Since  those  things  usually  took  a  year 
or  two  to  get  underway,  it  is  likely  that 
Joseph  and  Mary  didn't  make  the  70  mile 
trip  from  Nazareth  to  Bethlehem  to  register 
until  7  B.C. 

Now  I  know,  and  you  do  too,  that  God 
is  sovereign  over  the  universe.  It  is  nothing 
for  Him — no  task  at  all — to  make  a  special 
star  or,  millenniums  in  advance,  to  schedule 
an  orderly  conjunction  of  planets  to  an- 
nounce the  birth  of  His  Son.  (In  fact,  the 
conjunction  occurs  about  every  800  years.) 

With  one  pronouncement  or  flash  of 
thought.  He  flings  a  star  into  space  or 
arranges  a  conjunction  of  planets.  Twenti- 
eth century  wise  men  probe  and  astra- 
machines  discover,  even  re-enact,  a  celes- 
tial phenomenon  of  centuries  ago.  And 
such  scientific  confirmation  strengthens  the 
faith  of  many. 

But  Christian  faith  is  not  dependent  upon 
astra-machines  and  computers  devised  by 
modern-day  magi.  Christian  faith  goes  be- 
yond human  ingenuity — to  the  resurrected 
Christ. 

Still,  one  has  to  admit  (and  I'll  be  the 
first  to  do  so)  that  it'd  be  nice  to  have  a 
Christmas  Eve  candlelight  service  under  the 
simulated  celestial  brilliance  of  2000  years 
ago!  But  therein  lies  the  rub. 

Many  are  more  than  ready  to  rely  on 
simulated  experience  (and  that's  exactly 
what  it  is)  than  on  a  quiet  but  brilliant 
encounter  with  God's  Word. 

People  prefer  to  be  so  heavenly  minded — 
looking  only  for  the  star— that  they  miss 
the  whole  point.  The  star  in  the  heavens 
was  just  a  sign.  The  real  Star  was  in  the 
manger.  D 


12 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


OARD  OF 


HRISTIAN 


DUCATION 


uildlng 


anng 


•      • 


quipping 


The  I970's  saw  the  evangelical  community  gaining  head- 
lines everywhere  in  the  United  States  as  the  media 
turned  their  attention  toward  the  renewed  efforts  evan- 
gelicals were  making  to  spread  the  gospel.  Leading  evan- 
gelical preachers  were  seen  on  magazine  covers,  TV  talk 
shows,  and  best-selling  book  jackets.  Spreading  the  Good 
News  was  an  important  part  of  the  decade  that  draws  to  a 
close  this  month. 

The  success  the  evangelical  communify  enjoyed  in  the 
past  decade  mandates  that  in  the  1 980's  we  must  work  with 
those  who  were  reached  in  the  seventies  and  build  a  church 
of  fervent  disciples! 

The  challenge  is  to  build  up,  care  for,  and  equip  those 
who  have  been  reached — and  will  yet  be  reached — by  our 
evangelical  community.  Not  to  respond  to  this  challenge,  or 
to  respond  with  less  than  complete  dedication,  would  be 
to  fall  short  in  our  service  to  God. 

The  Board  of  Christian  Education  has  begun  a  struggle 
to  meet  this  challenge  on  the  denominational  level.  Our  part 
in  meeting  the  challenge  of  the  I980's  will  be  to  develop 
an  array  of  resources  and  programs  that  will  help  Brethren 
churches  to  build  up,  care  for,  and  equip  those  newly  won 
to   Christ. 

On  the  next  few  pages  you'll  find  a  sample  of  our  ideas 
and  plans.  It  is  our  hope  that  by  the  grace  of  God,  and  with 
the  prayerful  and  practical  support  of  the  Brethren  Church, 
the    I980's  will  be  viewed  in  history  as  a  period  of   .   .   . 

Building  .  .  .  Caring  .  .  .  Equipping. 


December  1979 


13 


R 


esearc 


h 


PI 


anning 


Implementation 


AS  we  enter  the  1980's,  we  on  the 
Board  of  Christian  Education 
must  move  through  a  three-phase 
process:  First,  we  must  determine 
the  present  status  of  the  discipling 
programs  of  the  various  Brethren 
churches  and  determine  their  needs. 
Secondly,  we  must  construct  plans 
and  programs  geared  toward  meeting 
the  needs  that  are  demonstrated. 
And  thirdly,  we  must  implement 
those  plans  and  programs. 

The  first  step  is  the  most  impor- 
tant— examining  the  present  status 
of  the  denomination  in  order  to  de- 
termine the  needs  in  the  area  of 
Christian  Education.  The  board  sees 
itself  poised  on  the  threshold  of 
activitv  in  service  to  the  Brethren 
Church,  But  we  must  be  sure  this 
activity  is  moving  us  in  the  right 
direction,  and  meeting  the  needs  that 
are  present  in  the  churches. 

Traditionally  we  have  relied  on  our 
intuition  or  experience  to  guide  our 
decision-making.  In  our  own  local 
churches  —  where  we  are  acutely 
aware  of  the  true  needs  —  this 
approach  usually  works.  On  the  de- 
nominational level  ^ — where  we  are 
not  aware  of  the  true  needs  in  the 
churches  —  this  approach  leads  to 
frustration  as  often  as  it  leads  to 
success.  We  have — at  times — found 
ourselves  dealing  with  problems  that 
were  non-existent  or  finding  solutions 
to  problems  that  were  not  correctly 
identified. 


The  missing  element  in  the  plan- 
ning of  the  usual  denominational 
program  is  research.  It  is  the  intent 
of  the  Board  of  Christian  Education 
to  add  this  missing  element  in  the 
months  ahead. 

Therefore,  our  first  step  will  be  to 
survey  the  denomination  to  deter- 
mine the  true  areas  of  need.  We  have 
within  our  church  capable  persons 
who  are  trained  in  the  area  of  design- 
ing surveys.  These  people  will  be 
called  upon  to  help  us  prepare  a  sur- 
vey that  will  reveal  the  needs  of  the 
denomination.  The  exact  timing  of 
our  survey  and  its  content  are  being 
determined  this  month.  Information 
regarding  it  will  be  carried  in  the 
Brethren  Evangelist. 

second  step  is  planning.  At 
1980  meeting  of  the  Board 
of  Christian  Education,  the  results 
of  the  survey  will  be  analyzed  and 
studied.  The  various  Task  Forces  of 
the  board  will  determine  those  areas 
of  our  church  life  that  can  be  min- 
istered to  through  the  activities  of 
the  board  and  then  formulate  pro- 
grams and  projects.  These  programs 
will  then  be  presented  to  the  1980 
General  Conference. 

Of  course  the  third  step — imple- 
mentation— will  be  delayed.  Only 
after  we  carefully  study  the  survey 
results  and  develop  a  comprehensive 
program  of  ministry  will  we  be  able 
to  move  decisively. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  certain 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


plans  have  been  formulated  that 
should  fit  smoothly  into  the  coor- 
dinated program  which  will  grow  out 


of  the  comprehensive  survey.  Several 
projects  are  being  considered  and  are 
in  various  stages  of  development: 


Filmstrip  Library :  In  cooperation 
with  the  Brethren  Publishing  Com- 
pany— which  supplies  most  of  the 
Sunday  school  curriculum  materials 
for  Brethren  churches — the  Board  of 
Christian  Education  will  attempt  to 
coordinate  the  filmstrip  library  with 
the  two  curriculums  approved  by 
General  Conference.  A  new  catalog, 
to  be  published  in  early  1980,  will 
indicate  which  filmstrips  correlate 
with  the  courses  offered  by  David  C. 
Cook  and  Gospel  Light. 


Discipleship  pamphlets  for  new 
converts:  This  will  be  a  series  of 
seven  short  exercises  that  develop 
the  new  Christians'  awareness  of 
God  and  His  role  in  their  lives.  This 
program  is  being  developed  by  Rev. 
Ken  Sullivan  in  Lathrop,  California, 
and  will  be  used  in  his  local  ministry 
beginning  early  in  1980.  Refinement 
will  follow  their  use  in  California,  and 
the  revised  pamphlets  will  be  avail- 
able late  in  1980  for  general  use  in 
the  denomination.  Basic  Christian 
concerns  will  be  developed  in  the 
pamphlets,  with  particular  attention 
given  to  traditional  Brethren  prac- 
tices. 


Workshops:  Four  workshops  are 
planned  for  the  1980  General  Confer- 
ence that  will  aid  pastors  and  lay 
people  in  developing  a  strong  pro- 
gram of  discipleship  in  the  local 
church.  These  workshops  are  the  re- 
sponsibility of  the  Discipleship  Task 
Force  of  the  board,  which  is  chaired 
by  Rev.  Norman  Long. 

ABCT  Seminars:  The  1980  se- 
quence of  seminars  will  take  place  in 
the  autumn  of  the  year.  The  number 
of  seminars  will  be  increased,  but  the 
faculty— and  course  offerings — will 
vary  with  each  one.  The  content  of 
each  day-long  meeting  will  be  deter- 
mined bv  the  needs  of  the  area  in 
which  the  seminar  is  being  conducted. 
Those  needs  will  be  determined  by 


December  1979 


means     of     the     survey    mentioned 
earlier  in  this  report. 

ABCT  Newsletter:  The  Newslet- 
ter will  take  on  a  different  format 
beginning  in  January  of  1980.  The 
changes  are  three: 

(1)  It  will  be  monthly.  It  is  our 
hope  that — when  the  need 
arises — the  newsletter  can 
be  more  current,  in  terms  of 
seasons  of  the  Christian 
calendar. 

(2)  It  will  be  shorter,  most  of 
the  time  only  one  sheet, 
front  and  back — about  half 
the  size  of  the  current  News- 
letter. 

(3)  It  will  be  in  loose-leaf  note- 
book style.  Each  month- 
ly issue  will  have  holes 
punched  in  it  for  assemblage 
in  a  three-ring  binder;  thus, 
at  the  end  of  a  year,  you 
will  have  a  complete  booklet. 

In  addition,  a  renewed  effort  will 
be  made  to  make  the  Newsletter  more 
"Brethren"    in   orientation.   We   will 


j^Bcq- 


■    NU.b, 


,.""'  %., 


"thy    2-2  *'» 

.^!?°'t  Plan 


"   ^i*-thy  2:2 


.M.-;   "«  »"     fr  ""ion  ;„"«.B».rd  of  CK, 


"•^''"""^.'/."."■•"^^'i 


-"-- .p«t;° -/-. 


"  ">UM.  •"">  M.y"  "'"n*  Ik,  ,,. 

''  stor.-e  .„T       "  "id.  A« 


""  i..;r' 

'  ""•loplnj  ,1,,  .  '•'•'-K,  ,„ 

■>   A  ,...    .  "   '"'  •■or,':,'"!"'-'!,  .,,„.  ""•  "— : 


n.Ms  Of  ,^; 


"  >"iicl, 


t.r»i, 


■»=ue  of  thf,  u         '"•»• 


aikf 


-^^^ ' 


continue  to  offer  ideas  and  resources, 
but  activities  of  Brethren  churches 
in  the  area  of  Christian  Education 
will  be  given  greater  prominence.  □ 


A  Forward  Look 


THE  material  on  the  preceding 
three  pages  deals  with  the  future 
— as  we're  sure  you've  noticed.  This 
is  a  change  from  the  usual  procedure 
for  these  pages,  which  was  to  review 
the  work  of  the  past  year. 

In  light  of  the  new  administration 
of  the  Board  of  Christian  Education 
and  a  new  emphasis  on  the  work  of 
the  Task  Forces  of  the  board,  it 
seemed  prudent  to  look  forward  rath- 
er than  backward. 

The  first  three  months  of  the  new 
administration  have  been  spent  get- 


ting acclimated  to  the  challenges 
presented  and  a  feeling  for  how  the 
Brethren  can  best  be  served  by  the 
Board  of  Christian  Education. 

It  is  our  hope  that  one  year  from 
now  we  can  reflect  on  the  aspirations 
presented  here  and  find  that  we  have 
been  successful.  We  are  confident 
that  with  the  prayerful  and  practical 
support  of  the  Brethren,  December 
of  1980  will  be  a  review  of  our  first 
efforts  at  a  broad,  coordinated  pro- 
gram of  BUILDING,  CARING,  and 
EQUIPPING.  D 


16 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


hooks 


When  Faith  Is  a  Life-and-Death  Issue 


A    Distant    Grief    by    F.    Kef  a    Sempangi    (Regal 
Books,  1979,  190  pp.,  $3.85  paperback). 

Out  of  the  bloody  regime  of  Idi  Amln  comes 
another  tale  of  bloodshed  and  grief,  but  also  a 
tale  of  victory  and  the  power  of  the  living  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Pastor  Sempangi  is  the  founder  and 
pastor  of  the  14,000  member  Redeemed  Church  of 
Uganda.  This  is  his  story — how  his  congregation 
came  into  being  and  how  his  fellow-believers  suf- 
fered under  the  barbarous  persecution  unleashed 
by  Idi  Amin. 

Some  of  the  facts  reported  are  gruesome — 
there  are  details  which  the  public  media  did  not 
or  could  not  cover.  It  is  difficult  for  us,  in  our 
comfort  and  security,  to  imagine  what  others 
must  face  in  order  to  be  faithful  to  Jesus  Christ. 
This  little  book  will  open  our  eyes  to  see  just  how 
wicked  people  can  be  when  driven  by  the  forces 
of  evil. 

But  Kef  a  is  careful  not  to  make  the  book  just 
a  bloody  account  of  suffering.  The  meat  of  the 
book  is  how  the  power  of  Christ  triumphed  in 
situation  after  situation.  It  will  strengthen  the 
reader's  faith  to  see  how  God  brought  relief  in 
the  face  of  gravest  danger  and  threat.  At  many 
a  point  in  the  book  I  had  to  stop  and  pray,  "Lord, 
help  thou  my  unbelief!"  The  book  will  also  give 
the  reader  a  greater  sympathy  for  those  for  whom 
faith  is  a  life-and-death  issue.  And  it  will  lead  us 
to  give  thanks  for  our  security  on  earth  and  to 
pray  for  the  suffering  church. 

This  book  is  recommended  reading  for  high 
school  age  folks  on  up.  The  style  is  easy,  even  to 
the  point  of  being  compelling.  A  certain  blessing 
awaits  anyone  who  takes  this  book  in  hand  and 
reads  with  prayerful  perception. 

— Brian  H.  Moore 


Pilgrim  Aflame  by  Myron  S.  Augsburger  (Herald 
Press,  1977,  $2.25  paperback). 

Not  many  readers  will  have  the  chance  or  take 
the  opportunity  to  acquire  a  book  presenting  the 
beginnings  and  history  of  the  Anabaptist  move- 
ment. The  question  might  be  asked,  Is  there  a  way 
to  make  history  available  just  for  sheer  enjoy- 
ment? The  answer  is,  Yes.  Myron  S.  Augsburger, 
President  of  Eastern  Mennonite  College  and  a 
widely  known  evangelist  and  theologian,  has  pro- 
vided the  reading  public  with  a  fine  example  of 
how  it  is  done. 

Pilgrim  Aflame  would  properly  be  classified  a 
historical  novel,  historical  accounts  enhanced  by 
a  vivid  imagination.  It  is  the  story  of  Michael 
Sattler,    a    Roman    Catholic    priest    who    left    his 


religious  orders  to  be  obedient  to  Jesus  Christ  as 
he  understood  Him.  He  was  harassed  and  hounded 
by  authorities  until  in  May  1527,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-two,  he  was  captured  and  burned  at  the 
stake. 

Michael  Sattler  was  the  primary  mind  behind 
the  Schleitheim  Confession,  an  evangelical  state- 
ment of  faith  adopted  by  the  early  Swiss  Brethren, 
as  the  first  Anabaptists  were  known.  His  preach- 
ing and  teaching  helped  give  shape  to  the  budding 
movement  and  his  witness  in  death  stimulated  the 
faith  of  countless  others  as  they  sought  to  follow 
Jesus  Christ  faithfully. 

His  witness  lives  on,  not  only  in  the  Schleitheim 
Articles  (which  are  included  in  the  text  of  this 
book),  but  also  in  the  radiant  testimony  he  gave 
to  His  Master  in  life  and  in  death,  so  vividly  com- 
municated to  us  through  Pilgrim  Aflame.  This  is 
recommended  reading  for  high  school  age  onward. 

— Brian  H.  Moore 

Rev.  Moore  is  pastor  of  the  Ardmore  First  Breth- 
ren  Church  of  South   Bend,  Ind. 


Secrets   of   Friendship 

The    Friendship    Factor    by    Alan    Loy    McGinnis 
(Augsburg,   1979,   192  pp.) 

Dr.  McGinnis  is  a  counselor  in  Glendale,  Califor- 
nia. In  this  book  he  shares  the  secret  of  how  to 
love  and  be  loved.  From  the  book  we  learn  how 
to  be  a  warmer,  more  lovable  person,  how  to  com- 
municate better,  how  to  resolve  tension  in  our 
relationships. 

In  four  sections  the  author  deals  with  five  ways 
to  deepen  your  relationship,  five  guidelines  for 
cultivating  intimacy,  two  ways  to  handle  negative 
emotions  without  destroying  a  relationship,  and 
what  happens  when  your  relationships  go  bad. 

Many  outstanding  personalities  are  used  in 
illustrations  and  quotes,  including  Charlie  Shedd, 
C.  S.  Lewis,  Bruce  Larson,  and  Paul  Tournier. 
The  author  also  includes  personal  family  experi- 
ences as  well  as  examples  from  some  of  the  people 
he  has  counseled. 

At  the  heart  of  a  relationship,  says  McGinnis, 
is  the  friendship  factor,  the  essential  ingredient 
of  warmth  and  caring.  The  clues  he  gives  for 
better,  closer  relationships  apply  to  friends,  hus- 
band and  wife,  parent  and  child. 

— Julie  Flora 

Mrs.  Flora  is  an  Ashland,  Ohio,  honietnakef  a(id 
a   frequent   contributor   to    t/w    Brethren    Evangelist. 


December  1979 


17 


The  Brethren  Publications/ 
Home  Missions  Endowment  Fund 


Ronald  W.  Waters  explains  the  plan  for  supporting 
the  Brethren  Evangelist  that  was  approved  by  General 
Conference. 


FOR  YEARS  the  Brethren  Church  has 
been  faced  with  a  continuing  dilemma: 
how  to  finance  the  pubHcation  of  its  de- 
nominational magazine,  the  Brethren  Evan- 
gelist. In  August,  General  Conference  took 
the  first  steps  to  solving  that  dilemma. 

With  few  exceptions,  church  magazines 
do  not  pay  for  themselves.  They  must  be 
subsidized  in  one  way  or  another. 

Subscriptions  cover  slightly  less  than 
half  the  production  costs  of  the  Evangelist. 
The  subsidy  comes  from:  gifts  from  indi- 
viduals and  churches  (Publications  Offer- 
ing) ;  contributions  from  church  ministries 
in  return  for  the  promotional  value  they 
receive  from  the  magazine;  advertising; 
and  funds  allotted  from  the  profits  of  the 
Brethren  Publishing  Company. 

The  Publications  Offering  has  grown  in 
recent  years,  and  we  are  grateful  for  this 
new  awareness  and  commitment.  And  the 
denominational  boards  and  ministries  have 
been  supportive  at  a  time  when  they  are 
facing  their  own  tight  budgets. 

But  production  costs  have  continued  to 
rise.  So  the  annual  deficit  of  the  Evangelist 
has  hovered  between  $6,000  and  $7,000. 
This  annual  drain  on  Brethren  Publishing 
Company  profits  prevents  the  company 
from  making  necessary  capital  improve- 
ments and  retiring  long-term  indebtedness. 

A  number  of  possible  solutions  were 
examined  by  the  Publishing  Compfany 
board,  in  consultation  with  the  General 
Conference  Executive  Committee.  But  only 
one  proposal  appeared  to  provide  a  per- 
manent solution  without  adding  another 
offering  emphasis.  That  proposal,  which 
was  endorsed  by  General  Conference,  was 
this : 

Mr.  Waters  is  General  Manager  of  the  Brethren 
Publishing  Company. 


The  creation  of  an  Endowment  Fund  of 
$450,000  over  10  years,  to  be  invested 
so  the  interest  received  each  year  will 
cover  the  difference  between  production 
costs  and  subscription  prices. 
Here's  how  it  will  work: 

1.  The  Brethren  Publishing  Company 
will  solicit  gifts  for  the  Publications/Home 
Missions  Endowment  Fund. 

2.  Funds  received  will  be  deposited  in 
the  Brethren  Home  Mission  Revolving 
Fund.  The  interest  rate  will  be  set  each 
year  by  the  Missionary  Board  and  the 
Brethren  Publishing  Company. 

3.  The  Missionary  Board  will  lend  the 
money  to  new  congregations  according  to 
established  guidelines  and  policies  of  the 
Brethren  Home   Mission   Revolving  Fund. 

4.  The  interest  received  annually  by  the 

How  the  Brethren  Evangelist 
Is  Currently  Financed 


18 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Brethren   Publishing   Company   from   this 
investment  will  be  used  as  follows: 

a)  First,  to  reduce  the  amount  the 
company  must  contribute  toward 
the  current  Evangelist  deficit; 

b)  Then,  to  reduce  the  amount  con- 
tributed by  denominational  boards 
toward  production  costs; 

c)  And  finally,  to  reduce  the  amount 
needed  each  year  from  the  Publi- 
cations Offering. 

Some  may  ask,  "Why  invest  the  Endow- 
ment Fund  monies  in  the  Home  Mission 
Revolving  Fund?  Couldn't  you  get  a  higher 
return  by  investing  elsewhere?" 

Yes,  we  probably  could.  But  the  genius 
of  the  proposal  is  that  the  Endowment 
Fund  can  benefit  the  Brethren  Church  in 
two  ways:  by  supporting  Brethren  publica- 
tions and  by  making  more  money  available 
to  help  young  Brethren  churches.  We  think 
this  two-pronged  approach  is  the  best 
stewardship  of  resources  the  Lord  will 
provide. 

How  will  the  money  be  raised  ?  I'll  admit, 
$450,000  is  a  lot  of  money.  But  we  believe 
the  funds  can  be  raised  without  asking  for 
an  additional  annual  offering.  Instead,  we 
intend  to  raise  the  money,  with  God's  help, 
in  three  ways: 

1.  Through  wills  and  bequests.  We  be- 
lieve that  Brethren  people  will  want  to  pro- 
vide the  kind  of  gift  that  will  continue  to 
support  the  Lord's  work  after  they  have 
entered  His  presence. 


2.  Fund-raising  projects.  The  National 
Brethren  Youth  Crusaders  made  the  first 
significant  pledge  to  the  Endowment  Fund 
by  setting  $3,000  as  their  1980  project.  I 
believe  other  national,  district,  and  local 
organizations  will  also  lend  their  support. 

3.  One-time  gifts  of  significant  amounts. 
We  will  encourage  individuals  to  give  over 
and  above  their  regular  offerings,  as  the 
Lord  prospers  them  in  special  ways. 

Donations  of  $1,000  or  more  will  be  hon- 
ored by  placing  the  donor's  name(s)  on  a 
plaque  to  be  displayed  in  the  national  offices 
of  the  Brethren  Church. 

Let  me  note  that  the  Publications  Offer- 
ing will  not  be  discontinued  immediately. 
The  offering  will  still  be  needed  each  year 
until  the  Endowment  Fund  is  fully  funded. 
Then  it  can  be  discontinued. 

However,  as  the  return  from  the  invested 
endowment  grows  to  the  point  that  the 
offering  exceeds  the  amount  needed,  the 
extra  money  from  the  offering  will  be  in- 
vested as  additional  principle  in  the  Endow- 
ment Fund. 

Contributions  and  bequests  should  be 
addressed  to  the  Brethren  Publications/ 
Home  Missions  Endowment  Fund,  in  care  of 
the  Brethren  Publishing  Company,  524  Col- 
lege Avenue,  Ashland,  Ohio  44805. 

I  will  be  happy  to  answer  questions  about 
the  Endowment  Fund  and  provide  other 
assistance  that  might  help  you  or  your 
group  in  supporting  the  Fund.  H 


FEEL  COMPELLED? 

Are  you  successful  in  what*  you  are  doing? 

Do  you  feel  there  is  something  more? 

The  Church  Needs  You! 

Can   you   teach   others? 

Can   you   care  for   persons? 

Do   you   feel   a   connpelling   pull  to   change? 

BE  A  PASTOR.  YOU  CAN  CHANGL 

Talk   It   over  with   your   pastor,   or  contact: 

The  Ncatjonal  Ministerial  Recruitment  Committee 
c/o  Charles  Munson,  910  Center  St. 

Ashlandg     Ohio    44005  presented  as  a  public  service 


December  1979 


19 


UPDATE 


news   from   the   Brethren   Church 


Jeffrey  L  Geaslen  ordained 


i  i 


North  Georgetown,  Ohio  —  Mr. 

Jeffrey  L.  Geaslen  was  ordained 
into  the  ministry  of  the  Breth- 
ren Church  on  Sunday  morning, 
November  4.  The  service  oi 
ordination  was  held  at  the  North 
Georgetown  Brethren  Church, 
where  Mr.  Geaslen  is  the  pastor. 

Rev.  Geaslen  is  the  son  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Harry  Geaslen.  He  was 
born  in  Front  Royal,  Virginia, 
October  3,  1951.  As  a  youth  he 
was  active  in  Boy  Scouts  and 
was  awarded  the  rank  of  Eagle 
Scout. 

After  graduation  from  Worth- 
ington,  Ohio,  High  School  in 
1970,  Jeff  entered  Miami  (of 
Ohio)  University.  There  he  met 
Diane  Cowman,  whom  he  later 
married.  Diane  is  the  daughter 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Cow- 
man of  Dayton,  Ohio.  While  in 
college  Jeff  and  Diane  found 
salvation  and  new  life  in  Jesus 
Christ.  Both  Jeff  and  Diane 
were  graduated  from  Miami 
University  in  1974. 

In  obedience  to  the  Lord's 
leading,  Jeff  then  entered  Ash- 
land Theological  Seminary  to 
train  for  the  pastoral  ministry. 
While  in  seminary  he  served  for 
two  years  as  pastor  of  St.  John's 
United  Church  of  Christ  near 
Ashland.  Also  during  his  time 
in  seminary,  Jeff  and  Diane 
became  the  parents  of  two  sons, 
Joshua  Daniel  and  Benjamin 
David. 

Following  his  graduation 
from  seminary  in  June  of  1978, 
Jeff  chose  to  join  the  ministry 
of  the  Brethren  Church  and  ac- 
cepted a  call  to  serve  as  pastor 
of  the  North  Georgetown  con- 
gregation. 

Bringing  the  message  in  the 
ordination  service  for  Mr. 
Geaslen  was  Dr.  Charles  Mun- 
son,  professor  of  practical 
theology  at  Ashland  Theological 
Seminary.  The  ordination  pro- 
cedures were  led  by  Dr.  Munson 


Mrs.  Diane  and  Rev.  Jeffrey  Geaslen 


and  by  Dr.  Jerry  Flora,  also  a 
professor  at  Ashland  Theolog- 
ical Seminary  and  secretary  of 
the  Ohio  District  Ministerial 
Examining  Board. 

Also  participating  in  the  wor- 
ship service  of  ordination  were 
Mr.  Lynn  Mercer,  a  second-year 
seminary  student  from  the 
North  Georgetown  Church,  and 


Mr.  David  Heestand,  moderator 
of  the  North  Georgetown  con- 
gregation. 

Special  music  included  a  vocal 
duet  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heestand, 
a  selection  by  the  church  choir, 
and  a  vocal  solo  by  Mr.  David 
Hoenig.  The  prelude  was  played 
by  Mr.  Hoenig  and  Mrs.  Sandy 
Blessing. 


Loree,  Jones  Mills  churches  host 
S.S.  curriculum  seminars 


Ashland,  Ohio  —  Sunday  School 
curriculum  seminars  were  re- 
cently held  at  the  Loree,  Indi- 
ana, Brethren  Church  and  at  the 
Jones  Mills  Brethren  Church  in 
Pennsylvania. 

The  seminars  were  conducted 
jointly  by  the  national  Board 
of  Christian  Education  and  the 
Sunday  school  department  of 
the  Brethren  Publishing  Com- 
pany. 

Charles  Beekley  of  the  Board 
of  Christian  Education  and  John 
Rowsey  of  the  Publishing  Com- 


pany were  invited  by  these 
churches  to  make  curriculum 
presentations.  They  demonstrat- 
ed both  David  C.  Cook  mate- 
rials, recently  endorsed  by  the 
Board  of  Christian  Education, 
and  Gospel  Light  materials,  en- 
dorsed by  General  Conference 
and  used  by  Brethren  churches 
for  many  years. 

These  seminars  were  designed 
to  help  these  local  churches 
evaluate  their  Sunday  school 
programs  and  their  curriculum 
needs. 


20 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


Bryan   Brethren  celebrate  at 
All   Church   Birthday  Party 


update 


Bryan,  Ohio — One  hundred  and 
sixty  members  of  the  Bryan, 
Ohio,  First  Brethren  Church 
celebrated  their  birthdays  at  an 
All  Church  Birthday  Party  held 
October  28.  This  special  event 
was  organized  by  Susan  Stom- 
baugh,  Linda  Lockhart,  and 
Dawn  Ellis. 

For  the  occasion  the  church 
fellowship  room  was  decorated 
with  12  large  calendars — one  for 
each  month.  On  these  each  in- 
dividual's name  was  written  on 
the  day  of  his  or  her  birth. 
Crepe  paper  and  balloons  added 
to  the  festive  decor,  and  12 
tables  were  appropriately  deco- 
rated to  represent  the  twelve 
months  of  the  year.  Gracing 
each  table  v^as  an  equally 
appropriate  birthday  cake. 

The  festivities  began  with  a 
carry-in  supper  at  6  p.m.  This 
was  followed  by  entertainment 
presented  by  each  of  the  12 
months. 

The  first  month  represented 
was  April,  with  Fae  Musser 
very  ably  presenting  a  humor- 
ous skit,  "A  Bus  Tour."  Next 
came  July,  with  Rev.  Marlin 
McCann  leading  the  group  in 
three  camp  songs — "Kookabur- 
ra," "Hey  Ho,  Nobody  Home," 
and  "A  Ram  Sam  Sam."  A 
humorous  poem,  "My  Get-Up-&- 
Go  Has  Got  Up  &  Went,  '  read 
by  Doris  Peugeot,  was  January's 
contribution.  This  was  followed 
by  June,  the  traditional  month 
of  weddings.  Dawn  Ellis  read 
an  Edgar  A.  Guest  poem,  "At 
Her  Wedding,"  Willa  Connin 
read  the  poem,  "Brighten  Your 
Corner,"  and  the  whole  group 
sang  "In  the  Good  Old  Summer- 
time." 

For  October  Gina  Stombaugh 
and  a  fishing  puppet  entertained 
with  a  song,  "God  Loves  to  Talk 
to  Boys  While  They're  Fishin'." 
And  for  August,  Gene  Lockhart, 
Ronnie  McBride,  Mary  Man- 
ning, Alice  Hancock,  Marcia 
Sander,  Steve  McCann,  Donna 
Sheppard,  Philip  Stratton,  and 
Bob  Lockhart  presented  a  real 
tear-jerker  skit  entitled,  "Susan 
and  Linda  Said  We  Are  to  Have 
a  Skit  and  We  Don't  Have  One." 


Then  came  February,  valen- 
tine month,  with  Dennis  Wis- 
niewski  leading  a  group  discus- 
sion on  "Types  of  Love."  May's 
representative.  Jack  Stombaugh, 
read  a  poem,  "Young  at  Heart," 
followed  by  the  song,  "Will  You 
Love  Me  in  December  as  You 
Do  in  May?"  accompanied  by 
Jill  Stever.  On  behalf  of  Sep- 
tember, Kent  Freyman  sang 
"Shine  on  Harvest  Moon,"  with 
Norma  Stombaugh  accompany- 
ing. 

December's  contribution  was 
by  Mike  McCann,  who  read  a 
poem  entitled  "Christmas."  He 
also  led  the  group  in  singing 
"We  Wish  You  a  Merry  Christ- 
mas." Anna  Moog,  representing 
March,  brought  the  wit  of  Edgar 
A.  Guest  by  reading  his  poems, 


"Saturday  Night  Bath"  and 
"That  Cold  Bug."  The  conclud- 
ing month  was  November,  with 
Eloise  Gilbert,  Lindsay  Brandon, 
Stacy  Ellis,  Marianne  Tharp, 
and  Cindy  Watson  constructing 
a  flannelgraph  turkey  with 
feathsrs  depicting  things  for 
which  we  are  thankful.  Carolyn 
Brandon  also  presented  a  flan- 
nelgraph,  "The  First  Thanks- 
giving." 

Following  the  entertainment, 
candles  were  lit  on  the  12 
birthday  cakes  and  all  present 
sang  "Happy  Birthday"  and 
bloW  out  the  candles.  The  cakes 
were  then  cut  and  served,  along 
with  homemade  ice  cream. 

— Louise  Bishop 

Corresponding   Secretary 


Forf    Scott    Brethren    Church 
dedicates    new    building 


li11|Wiii!ii'|[|i|i||{|.Hi '  ipB  i'i|]]|lli|BTrp"\'?Tt  ' ';irff'W'''f"^""''''7''''^''''"*j7'r"f''jii;T''°y'""jM 


Fort  Scott,  Kans.  —  The  Fort 
Scott  Brethren  Church  dedicated 
its  new  church  building  on 
November  4,  1979.  Approxi- 
mately 40  people  attended  the 
dedication  service,  which  was 
held  at  2  p.m.,  following  the 
Sunday  morning  worship  ser- 
vice and  a  noon  fellowship  meal. 
Leading  the  service  of  dedica- 
tion was  Fort  Scott  pastor, 
David  L.  Powell.*  Presenting 
the  message  for  the  service  was 
Rev.  Stephen  Abe,  who  is  serv- 
ing as  a  tentmaker  at  Kansas 
City,  Kans.,  in  the  nev^'  church- 


planting  effort  being  sponsored 
by  the  Midwest  District. 

The  sanctuary  in  the  new 
building  measures  44  feet  by  35 
feet.  The  new  building  also  con- 
tains a  pastor's  office,  a  nur- 
sery, one  classroom,  a  fellow- 
ship hall,  and  a  kitchen.  The 
fellowship  hall  can  be  made  into 
three  classrooms  using  folding 
dividers. 

The  cost  of  the  new  building 
was  $32,000. 

"^Since  the  dedication,  Rev. 
Powell  has  become  pastor  of  the 
Miilvane,  Kan.,  Brethren  Church. 


December  1979 


21 


update 


Oldest  members.  Cradle  Roll 
by  Berlin  Brethren  Church 


honored 


Berlin,  Pa.— The  Berlin  Breth- 
ren Church  honored  both  its 
oldest  and  its  youngest  "mem- 
bers" in  October. 

On  Sunday  October  21st  the 
church  honored  all  its  members 
who  have  held  church  member- 
ship for  thirty  or  more  years. 
This  included  more  than  100 
people.  These  members  were 
given  special  recognition  and  a 
gift  during  the  morning  wor- 
ship service. 

Honored  for  having  the  long- 
est church  membership  was 
Mrs.  Mary  Musser  Werner.  Mrs. 
Werner,  94,  has  been  a  church 
member   for   82   years.    In   her 


remarks  she  stated  that  she 
delights  in  seeing  the  children 
in  the  church  and  in  seeing 
parents  doing  their  best  to  bring 
up  these  children  in  the  right 
way. 

Mrs.  Werner  also  said  that 
she  remembers  attending  the 
wedding  of  the  second  longest 
church  member,  Rev.  D.  C. 
White.  That  wedding  took  place 
in  1909.  Rev.  White,  who  was 
also  honored,  is  95  and  has  been 
a  church  member  for  74  years. 
He  still  teaches  the  Golden  Age 
Sunday  School  Class  and  assists 
Berlin  pastor,  Rev.  Ralph  Mills, 
with  prayers  during  the  Sunday 


Rev.    Albert   J.    Wollen 
presents    seminary    lectures 


Ashland,  Ohio — Rev.  Albert  J. 
Wollen  was  the  featured  speak- 
er for  this  year's  fall  lectures  at 
Ashland  Theological  Seminary. 
The  sessions,  held  from  Novem- 
ber 14  through  16  in  the  Ronk 
Memorial  Chapel,  dealt  with 
"The  Growing  Church,"  "The 
Nature  of  Man,"  and  "Exposi- 
tory Preaching." 

Wollen  is  the  pastor  of  the 
Cedar  Mill  Bible  Church  of  Port- 
land, Oregon,  where  he  has 
served  since  1951.  During  the 
past  28  years,  the  church  has 
developed  a  vital  outreach  to 
the  community  and  has  grown 
from  an  attendance  of  80  to  a 
constituency  of  1,600.  Programs 
of  the  church  include  a  large 
Sunday  school,  boys'  and  girls' 
clubs  meeting  weekly  during  the 
school  year,  and  many  thriving 
home  Bible  studies. 

From  his  wealth  of  experi- 
ence Wollen  shared  with  those 
in  attendance  his  insights  on 
such  vital  areas  as  discipleship 
training,  growing  as  a  pastor, 
layman  reproduction  in  evan- 
gelism, and  development  of  a 
strong  preaching  ministry.  In  a 
special  session  on  Thursday 
night  at  Park  Street  Brethren 
Church,  he  discussed  guidelines 
for  developing  an  effective  min- 


Photo  by  Ken  Hyland 
Rev,  Albert  J.   Wollen 

istry  through  Bible  studies  con- 
ducted within  the  home  by  the 
lay  people  of  the  church. 

Wollen,  a  native  of  Saskatch- 
ewan, Canada,  is  a  graduate 
of  Gordon  College  and  Gordon- 
Conwell  Theological  Seminary 
in  Massachusetts.  He  is  general 
director  of  Home  Bible  Class 
Ministry,  Inc.,  organized  to  min- 
ister to  pastors  and  laymen  for 
the  development  of  Home  Bible 
Class  programming.  He  has  also 
taught  in  Central  America,  Scot- 
land, England,  and  Norway. 

— Susan  White 


morning  worship  services  and 
at  Communion. 

In  addition  to  the  recognition 
given  to  the  30-years-or-more 
members,  a  special  dinner  was 
prepared  for  all  those  with  50 
or  more  years  of  church  mem- 
bership. There  were  33  such 
members  who  attended  this 
dinner,  which  was  sponsored  by 
the  Young  Adult  Class. 

The  following  Sunday  (Octo- 
ber 28th)  was  observed  as 
Cradle  Roll  Day  in  the  Berlin 
Church.  On  that  day  27  children 
under  the  age  of  3  had  their 
handprint  impressed  on  a 
ceramic  plaque.  Members  of  the 
Christian  Pioneer  Class  spon- 
sored the  event,  with  Paul  J. 
Coleman  doing  the  handprinting 
and  providing  the  materials. 

— Donna  L.  Paul 

Marfha  Deardurff 

makes  debut 

with  Lamb's  Players 

National  City,  Calif.  —  Martha 
Deardurff,  who  has  been  serv- 
ing with  the  Christian  theatre 
group,  Lamb's  Players,  as  a 
costumer  for  the  past  year,  is 
now  an  official  Lcimb's  Players 
performer.  Martha  makes  her 
debut  in  The  Festival  of  Christ- 
mas, an  original  show  produc- 
ed, directed,  and  performed  by 
Lamb's  Players.  The  perfor- 
mances begin  December  5th  and 
run  through  December  22nd. 

Martha  is  a  member  of  the 
Gretna  Brethren  Church,  a 
former  Brethren  Youth  Crusa- 
der, and  a  graduate  of  Ashland 
Colege.  She  told  how  she  be- 
came a  part  of  the  Lamb's  Play- 
ers' ministry  in  an  article, 
"Theatre  for  the  Lord,"  which 
appeared  in  the  February  1979 
Evangelist. 

Bits   'n   Pieces 

By  mid-November,  37  people 
had  participated  in  the  "Jim 
Black  Weight  Loss  for  World 
Relief"  project.  The  37  contrib- 
uted a  total  of  $1,307! 


22 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


World  Relief  acts  swiftly 
in  Cambodian  crisis 


update 


World  Relief  Corporation  has 
launched  a  major  emergency 
feeding  program  in  famine 
stricken  Kampuchea  (Cambo- 
dia), A  companion  program  in 
the  Thailand  border  area,  in- 
cluding both  feeding  and  med- 
ical assistance  to  Cambodian 
refugees,  is  also  in  operation. 

"A  human  tragedy  of  horri- 
fying proportions  is  unfolding 
in  Kampuchea,"  stated  President 
Carter  in  an  October  15  press 
release.  "I  want  to  commend  the 
private  voluntary  agencies 
which  have  moved  so  quickly 
to  deal  with  this  emergency," 
he  added. 

World  Relief,  the  internation- 
al relief  and  development  arm 
of  the  National  Association  of 
Evangelicals  throug^h  which 
Brethren  offering's  are  chan- 
neled, is  one  of  the  agencies 
that  has  acted  swiftly  and  quiet- 
ly behind  the  scene  to  aid  an 
estimated  two  and  one-half 
million  Cambodians  who  are 
facing  starvation. 

"We  felt  we  had  to  move  de- 
cisively to  aid  desperate  Cam- 
bodians trapped  and  doomed  to 
starvation  inside  their  war-torn 
homeland,"  stated  Jerry  Ballard, 
executive  director  of  World  Re- 
lief. "We  arranged  through  in- 
termediaries to  ship  food  into 
Kampuchea  knowing  we  were 
taking  a  risk  of  at  least  some 
supplies  being  siphoned  off  to 
governmental  units.  The  situa- 
tion is  now  improved,  and  we 
are  able  to  continue  supplying 
emergency  relief  with  greater 
guarantees  that  the  assistance 
will  reach  starving  civilians." 

Mr.  Ballard  further  noted  that 
in  addition  to  its  shipments  of 
rice  and  high  protein  biscuits, 
World  Relief  is  also  sending 
seeds  and  hoes  to  enable  the 
people  to  prepare  the  soil  and 
plant  crops  for  a  new  harvest. 

World  Relief's  initial  action 
occurred  in  early  October  when 
arrangements  were  made  for 
the  shipment  of  500  tons  of 
rice  and  30  tons  of  high  protein 
biscuits  into  Kompong  Som 
harbor  in  Kampuchea.  These 
actions  were  taken  in  coopera- 


tion with  three  European  relief 
agencies,  TEAR  Fund  (The 
Evangelical  Alliance  Relief 
Fund)  of  the  United  Kingdom 
and  Holland,  and  Oxfam  of 
England.  Agency  personnel  ac- 
companied the  shipment,  exert- 
ing every  possible  effort  to  in- 
sure that  food  reached  starving 
civilians.  Some  food  containers 
carried  the  message  in  the  Cam- 
bodian language,  "A  gift  from 
the  evangelical  churches  of 
Cambodia." 

An  additional  500  tons  of  rice 
is  being  purchased  by  World 
Relief  for  shipment  through 
established  channels.  Another  25 
tons  of  food  has  been  sent  into 
the  border  areas  in  southeastern 
Thailand  and  distributed  to  ref- 
ugees. An  additional  100  tons  is 
enroute  to  Thailand. 

Two  to  three  million  of  the 
original  eight  million  Cambo- 
dians were  systematically  mur- 
dered or  otherwise  eliminated 
since  the  Khmer  Rouge  govern- 
ment took  power  four  and  one- 
half  years  ago.  Hundreds  of 
thousands  have  fled  overland 
since  1975,  across  the  border 
into  Thailand. 

Latest  reports  indicate  that 
200,000  Cambodians  have  crossed 
the  border  into  Thailand  since 
October  1,  with  another  200,000 
expected  to  follow.  Special 
camps  are  being  readied  to  care 
for  this  massive  influx  of 
refugees  who  are  fleeing  mili- 
tary actions  in  their  homeland. 
World  Relief  is  constructing 
field  hospital  facilities  to  care 
for  the  worst  cases  of  malnu- 
trition, malaria,  and  bleeding 
dysentery.  Medicines  are  being 
made  available  through  the  In- 
ternational Red  Cross  while 
World  Relief  is  rushing  in 
medical  teams  to  help  Thailand 
cope  with  the  emergency.  World 
Medical  Mission,  headed  by 
Franklin  Graham,  is  cooperating 
with  World  Relief  in  recruit- 
ment of  medical  personnel. 

"We  are  engaged  in  a  relent- 
less, almost  frantic  effort  to 
keep  up  with  the  massive  influx 
of  refugees,"  says  Reg  Reimer, 
World  Reliefs  director  in  South- 


east   Asia. 

World  Relief  has  arranged 
and  processed  sponsors  for 
around  5,000  Southeast  Asian 
refugees  in  the  United  States 
since  March  of  this  year.  Spon- 
soring groups,  particularly 
churches,  are  urgently  needed  to 
aid  in  sponsoring  an  increasing 
avalanche  of  refugees  from 
Southeast  Asian  camps.  For  fur- 
ther information  on  how  to 
sponsor  a  refugee  family, 
write  World  ReUef  Refugee  Ser- 
vices, P.O.  Box  WRC,  Nyack, 
New  York  10960.  Or  phone  914- 
353-0640. 

Dear  Brethren: 

Christmas  is  an  excellent  time 
to  consider  giving  to  the  Cam- 
bodian relief  efforts.  But  I  sug- 
gest THAT  IT  BE  DONE  BY  REDUC- 
ING    OR     ELIMINATING     SOME     OF 

OUR  USUAL  Christmas  expend- 
itures. For  two  reasons:  (1)  So 
such  giving  will  not  diminish  our 
response  to  the  needs  and  appeals 
of  either  the  Board  of  Christian 
Education  in  December  or  of  our 
own  local  churches'  offerings;  and 
(2)  so  that  our  giving  might  have 
maximum  personal  meaning  be- 
cause we  have  "done  without 
something"  to  make  possible  a 
significant  gift. 

If  able  to  respond,  mark  your 
check  "For  Cambodia"  and  eith- 
er send  it  through  your  church 
treasurer  or  directly  to  Brethren 
World  Relief,  George  Kerlin, 
treasurer,  1318  E.  Douglas,  Gosh- 
en, Indiana  46526. 

Some  of  Jesus'  announced  pur- 
poses when  he  came  to  earth 
were  to  "bring  good  news  to  the 
poor"  and  "proclaim  liberty  to 
the  captives"  and  "set  free  the 
oppressed."  (Luke  4:18,  19).  As 
the  body  of  Christ  in  this  1979-80 
world,  it's  obvious  that  our  calling 
is  to  do  what  Jesus  would  do  if 
He  had  our  resources  to  use. 
Join  me  .... 

— Phil   Lersch,    Chairman 
Brethren  World 
Relief  Board 


December  1979 


23 


updd' 


Ashland 

Theological 

Seminary 

completes 

addition 


Ashland,  Ohio — Sighs  of  relief 
may  be  heard  from  students  and 
faculty  alike  now  that  the  sem- 


Photos  by  Ken  Hyland 

inary  has  some  extra  breathing 
room.  Through  the  construction 
of  a  new  addition,  space  at  the 
seminary  has  been  expanded  to 
include  a  large  classroom  and  an 
enlarged  entry  way. 

The  new  entrance,  complete 
with  an  attractive  "Ashland 
Theological  Seminary"  name- 
plate  and  lovely  potted  plants, 
provides  an  appropriate  wel- 
come to  the  many  individuals 
who  pass  through  it  each  day. 

The  36  by  44  foot  classroom, 
which  will  seat  125,  was  much 
needed  to  accommodate  many 
of  the  seminary's  larger  classes. 
The  size  and  location  of  the 
room  also  allow  it  to  conven- 
iently serve  other  functions, 
such  as  a  special  lecture  room 
for  guest  speakers,  reception 
hall,  or  fellowship  dining  room. 

The  addition  was  constructed 
by  Carl  Kauffman,  general  con- 
tractor, of  Ashland. 

— Susan  White 


Mt.   Olive   Brethren   Church   shows   growth; 
Rev.   Gene   Hollinger  to  become   pastor 


Pineville,  Va.  —  The  Mt.  Olive 
Brethren  Church  is  growing! 
Five  new  members  this  year. 
Also,  a  new  well  was  drilled  at 
the  parsonage  with  full  pay- 
ment being  made  in  six  weeks. 

Our  prayers  have  been  an- 
swered— the  Lord  has  led  Rev. 
Gene  Hollinger  to  our  congre- 
gation. After  much  prayer,  the 
Hollingers  have  accepted  our 
call  and  will  be  moving  from 
Gratis,  Ohio,  to  Virginia  in  early 
January.  Rev.  Hollinger  will  be- 
gin   his    ministry    on    Sunday, 


January  13. 

We  at  Mt.  Olive  are  very  for- 
tunate and  grateful  to  have  had 
Larry  Tyner  serve  as  our  in- 
terim pastor  this  year.  A  sem- 
inary student  at  Eastern  Men- 
nonite  College,  Larry  has  been 
a  constant  source  of  encourage- 
ment and  inspiration  since  join- 
ing our  flock.  We  will  forever 
be  indebted  to  him  for  his 
ministry. 

Our  junior  (Children  of  God) 
and  senior  youth  groups  con- 
tinue to  uplift  the  entire  congre- 


gation with  their  enthusiastic 
participation.  They  recently 
hosted  a  very  successful  South- 
east District  Youth  Rally,  over- 
coming many  obstacles — includ- 
ing a  watery  basement  and  a 
malfunctioning  bus.  We  are  in- 
deed proud  of  our  young  people 
and  the  many  good  works  they 
accomplish. 

Continue  to  pray  for  Mt.  Olive 
and  the  Hollingers  as  together 
we  begin  another  phase  of  the 
Lord's  work. 

—Mrs.  Odessa  B.  Shelton 


24 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


update 


Trustees  act  to  assure  financial  future 
of  Ashland  College 


Ashland,  Ohio  —  The  Ashland 
College  Board  of  Trustees,  in  its 
meeting  on  November  15,  took 
action  to  assure  the  financial 
future  of  the  college  by  approv- 
ing a  capital  fund  campaign  and 
by  endorsing  a  recommendation 
of  college  administrators  which 
will  result  in  savings  and  new 
revenue  of  almost  $600,000. 

The  capital  fund  campaign 
will  begin  in  1980.  The  goal  of 
the  campaign  will  be  determined 
early  in  the  year  with  the  aid 
of  a  fund-raising  consulting 
firm.  Monies  raised  will  be  used 
to  eliminate  debt  and  to  increase 
endowment  funds. 

The  recommendation  for  sav- 
ings and  new  revenue  came 
from  the  college's  Academic 
Affairs  Council.  The  savings,  be- 
ginning this  year,  will  be 
achieved  throughout  the  198C-81 
budget  in  the  academic  areas 
without  reduction  in  the  number 
of  programs.  The  savings  are 
estimated  to  total  $246,000. 

Another  $337,200  is  expected 
to  be  generated  without  an  in- 
crease in  tuition.  Fees  will  be 
increased  in  areas  where  they 
are  warranted  by  the  cost  of 
equipment  or  private  instruc- 
tion. Those  areas  are  art,  sci- 
ence, music,  radio  and  TV,  edu- 
cational media,  and  the  speech 
and  hearing  clinic. 

On  the  basis  of  the  council's 
report,  the  board  stipulated  that 
$50,000  should  be  added  to  the 
college's  financial  aid  budget, 
which  is  available  to  qualified 
students  in  all  departments  to 
help  meet  their  financial  needs. 

Dr.  Joseph  Shultz,  interim 
president,  commended  the  Aca- 
demic Affairs  Council  for  its 
report.  "This  is  the  most  con- 
crete of  many  long-range  studies 
undertaken  by  Ashland,  begin- 
ning in  1974.  And  it  is  the  most 
constructive.  For  instance,  un- 
like its  predecessors,  the  report 
does  not  recommend  the  aboli- 
tion of  any  programs,"  Dr. 
Shultz  said. 

In  other  business,  the  board 
received  the  accreditation  report 
of  the  North  Central  Association 


of  Schools  and  Colleges.  The 
report  lauded  the  fine  programs 
at  Ashland  and  advised  admin- 
istrators to  communicate  that 
excellence  and  the  institution's 
heritage,  rather  than  dwell  on 
problems. 

The  trustees  also  approved  the 
appointment   of   a   search   com- 


mittee for  a  president  of  the 
college.  The  committee  is 
charged  with  determining  the 
method  of  its  search  and  criteria 
for  applicants.  Membership  on 
the  committee  will  be  comprised 
of  six  trustees,  four  faculty 
members,  two  administrators, 
and  three  students. 


Pennsylvania   District  Laymen 
report  year's  activities 


Mineral  Point,  Pa ^The  Penn- 
sylvania District  Laymen  are 
alive  and  well  and  doing  the 
will  of  the  Lord,  according  to 
Jacob  S.  Mackall,  their  secre- 
tary. Activities  during  the  past 
year  have  included  the  follow- 
ing: 

—On  April  20th,  39  laymen 
attended  the  spring  rally  held 
at  the  Vinco  Brethren  Church. 
The  main  part  of  the  program 
was  pictures  of  the  destruction 
caused  by  an  earthquake  in 
Central  America.  Several  friends 
of  some  of  the  laymen  had 
journeyed  to  the  area  and  had 
helped  rebuild  a  church  de- 
stroyed by  the  earthquake. 

—On  May  18  and  19  the 
annual  men  and  boys  spring 
retreat  was  held  at  Camp 
Peniel.  Approximately  100  men 
and  boys  enjoyed  a  Christian 
film  on  Friday  evening  and 
trout  fishing,  skeet  shooting, 
and  playing  softball  on  Satur- 
day. 

— July  19-21  the  lajrmen  were 
a  part  of  the  89th  Pennsylvania 
District  Conference,  also  held  at 
Camp  Peniel.  In  addition  to 
their  two  business  sessions,  the 
laymen  sponsored  the  inspira- 
tional service  on  Friday  eve- 
ning,  July  20th. 

— October  4th  was  the  date  of 
the  fall  rally,  held  at  Mason- 
town,  with  21  in  attendance. 
During  their  business  session 
the  men  held  a  short  memorial 
service  for  9  district  laymen 
who  had  gone  to  be  with  the 
Lord   during   the  year.   Follow- 


ing the  business  meeting,  the 
men  joined  the  Woman's  Mis- 
sionary Society  for  lunch  and  a 
joint  inspirational  service,  with 
Rev.  James  Black  as  speaker. 

— Two  work  days  were  also 
held  at  Camp  Peniel.  Laymen 
from  several  churches,  with  the 
help  of  a  few  women,  painted 
six  cabins  (inside  and  out), 
painted  the  chapel  roof,  welded 
bunks  which  had  been  broken, 
and  did  a  number  of  other  jobs. 

Activities  planned  for  1980  in- 
clude a  spring  rally  to  be  held 
at  the  Pittsburgh  Brethren 
Church  on  April  18th,  a  spring 
retreat  at  Camp  Peniel,  district 
conference,  and  a  fall  rally.  The 
district  laymen's  project  for  1980 
is  $1,000,  with  $500  to  go  to  dis- 
trict missions,  $250  to  Camp 
Peniel,  and  $250  for  Pennsyl- 
vania Brethren  Care. 


Publishing  Company 
receives  bequest 

Ashland,  Ohio  —  The  Brethren 
Publishing  Company  recently 
received  a  sizable  gift  from  the 
estate  of  Mr.  Floyd  Wirth.  The 
late  Mr.  Wirth  was  a  member 
of  the  New  Lebanon,  Ohio, 
Brethren  Church. 

Mr.  John  Rowsey,  Executive 
Director,  expressed  the  com- 
pany's great  appreciation  for 
Mr.  Wirth's  interest  in  the  min- 
istry of  the  Brethren  Publishing 
Company  and  for  his  gift  to  the 
support  of  this  ministry. 


December  1979 


25 


update 


In  Memory 

Freda  Vamer,  82,  October  21.  Life-long  member 
of  the  Vinco  Brethren  Church,  Mineral  Point,  Pa. 
Services  by  Carl  H.  Phillips,  pastor. 
Clarenoe  W.  Davis,  82,  October  17.  Member  for  45 
years  of  the  Pleasant  View  Brethren  Church, 
Vandergrift,  Pa.  Services  by  William  D.  Walk, 
pastor. 

Ethel  Louthain,  76,  October  10.  Member  of  the 
Corinth  Brethren  Church,  Twelve  Mile,  Ind.  Ser- 
vices by  Frederick  Snyder,  pastor. 
Charles  B.  Baug^hman,  58,  September  5.  Member 
of  the  College  Corner  Brethren  Church,  Rt.  3, 
Wabash,  Ind.  Services  by  St.  Clair  Benshoff, 
pastor. 

Mrs.  Perry  Hoover,  97,  September  2.  Member  for 
74  years  of  the  First  Brethren  Church,  Milford, 
Ind.  Services  by  Jeffrey  A.  Carroll,  pastor. 

Otto  L.  Wiffgrs,  74,  August  15.  Member  of  the  First 
Brethren  Church,  Milford,  Ind.  Services  by  Jeffrey 
A.  Carroll,  pastor. 

Membership  Growth 

Oarber:  6  by  baptism,  4  by  transfer 
Berlin:  16  by  baptism,  4  by  transfer 
Muncie:     15  by  baptism,  2  by  transfer 


BEFORE  YOU  MOVE 

. . .  please  let  us  know. 

1.    Give  old  address: 


Name 

Address 

City                                             State 
2.    Fill  in  new  address  below: 

Zip 

Name 

Address 

City                                             State 

Zip 

Date  new  address  in  effect 

3.    Mail  this  form  to: 

Address  Correction 

Brethren  Publishing  Company 

524  College  Avenue 

Ashland,  OH    44805 


Goldenaires 

Mr.   &   Mrs.  Herrell  Waters,   53rd,  December  24. 

Members  of  the  Loree  Brethren  Church,  Route  1, 

Bunker  Hill,  Ind. 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Edward  Lippold,  55th,  November  27. 

Members  of  the  Loree  Brethren  Church,  Route  1, 

Bunker  Hill,  Ind. 

Mr.    &    Mrs.    Elton   Metzger,    54th,    November   6. 

Members  of  the  Vinco  Brethren  Church,  Mineral 

Point,  Pa. 

Mr.    &   Mrs.   Ralph  Sausaman,   59th,    October  30. 

Members   of  the   First  Brethren   Church,   Roann, 

Ind. 

Clifford    and    Zenna    Bowser,    50th,    October    27. 

Clifford  a  member  of  the  Brethren  Church,  New 

Lebanon,  Ohio. 


Weddings 

Susan  Miller  to  Thomas  Blosser  II,  November  2, 
at  the  New  Lebanon,  Ohio,  Brethren  Church; 
Donald  E.  Rowser,  pastor,  officiating.  Members 
of  the  New  Lebanon  Brethren  Church. 
Diane  Piatt  to  Jeffrey  Lynn  Lape,  October  27,  at 
the  Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church;  Ralph  E.  Mills, 
pastor,  officiating.  Bride  a  member  of  the  Berlin 
Brethren  Church. 

Cynthia  Irene  Lawson  to  Steven  Alan  Hodson, 
October  21,  at  the  College  Corner  Brethren 
Church,  Rt.  3,  Wabash,  Ind.;  St.  Clair  Benshoff, 
pastor,  officiating.  Members  of  the  College  Corner 
Brethren  Church. 

Terri  Getchen  to  John  Gourley,  October  20,  at  the 
Pleasant  View  Brethren  Church,  Vandergrift,  Pa.; 
William  D.  Walk,  pastor,  officiating.  Groom  a 
member  of  the  Pleasant  View  Brethren  Church. 
Susan  Jeanine  Phillips  to  Raymond  Devore 
Hagerich,  October  13,  at  the  Vinco  Brethren 
Church,  Mineral  Point,  Pa.;  Carl  H.  Phillips,  pas- 
tor, officiating.  Members  of  the  Vinco  Brethren 
Church. 

Vicki  VanGilder  to  Paul  William  Menhom,  Sep- 
tember 29,  at  the  Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church; 
Ralph  E.  Mills,  pastor,  officiating.  Members  of 
the  Berlin  Brethren  Church. 

Sandra  Kinunel  to  Robert  Seifert,  August  4,  at 
the  Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church;  Ralph  E.  Mills, 
pastor,  officiating.  Bride  a  member  of  the  Berlin 
Brethren  Church. 

Hazel  Ackerman  to  James  Hillegass,  June  15,  at 
the  Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church;  Ralph  E.  Mills, 
pastor,  officiating.  Bride  a  member  of  the  Berlin 
Brethren  Church. 

Cindy  Lytle  to  James  E.  Wyant,  May  26,  at  the 
Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church;  Ralph  E.  Mills, 
pastor,  officiating.  Groom  a  member  of  the  Berlin 
Brethren  Church. 

Karen  Miller  to  Donald  Hittie,  April  7,  at  the 
Berlin,  Pa.,  Brethren  Church;  Ralph  E.  Mills, 
pastor,  officiating.  Bride  a  member  of  the  Berlin 
Brethren  Church. 


26 


The  Brethren  Evangelist 


finally^  hrethren 

.  .  .  some  thoughts  to  take  with  you! 


A  Christmas  Letter  to  God 


from    Rebecca    Nul 


Dear  God, 

Well,  God,  here  it  is  almost  Christmas 
again. 

I  think  I've  remembered  everyone  on  our 
Christmas  list.  You  know,  it  gets  more 
difficult  each  year!  I  can  think  of  so  many 
things  I'd  like  to  give,  but  we  can't  afford 
them.  So  we'll  just  do  with  what  we  have. 
I'm  reminded  of  Paul's  words  to  the  Chris- 
tians at  Philippi  in  Philippians  4:11,  *'Not 
that  I  speak  in  respect  of  want;  for  I  have 
learned,  in  whatsoever  state  I  am,  there- 
with to  be  content." 

It  seems  ironic,  God !  It's  your  Son's  birth- 
day, and  He  is  often  the  last  one  to  be 
remembered.  Forgive  us.  I  guess  this  is  the 
first  Christmas  I've  really  given  more 
thought  to  your  Son.  Thanks  for  helping 
me  over  that  hump!  But  you  know  better 
than  I  how  much  further  we  have  to  go.  I 
know  you'll  be  there  when  I  goof  some- 
thing up — as  I'm  accustomed  to  do  more 
times  than  I  care  to  admit.  Thanks  for  Your 
unselfish  Son.  I've  come  to  hang  on  to  Him 
with  my  life. 

With  the  new  year  at  hand  and  so  many 
things  wrong  in  this  old  world,  the  future 
sure  doesn't  look  very  bright.  But  then, 
I've  never  been  one  to  get  too  worried  about 
things.  Only  this  year  I've  not  worried  for 
a  different  reason.  I  knew  You'd  be  there 
to  take  care  of  every  genuine  need — if  only 
we  had  faith  (the  kind  of  faith  we  have 
when  we  flick  the  light  switch  and  know 
there  is  going  to  be  light;  or  even  the  faith 


we  have  when  we  get  into  that  rattle-trap 
of  an  automobile  with  the  expectation  that 
we'll  get  where  we're  going  safely).  That 
kind  of  faith  seems  to  be  so  easy  to  accept 
— but  why  is  it  that  accepting  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  and  the  promise  of  eternal  life 
is  so  difficult? 

It  has  taken  me  so  long  to  think  of  Christ- 
mas and  Your  Son's  birthday  in  the  same 
thought.  For  me  they've  often  been  separate 
events.  Your  Son's  birthday  was  December 
25th.  Christmas  was  a  time  of  overwork, 
broken  toys,  noisy  kids,  heaps  of  torn  wrap- 
pings, too  much  to  eat,  nervous  tension,  re- 
covering from  a  strained  budget,  returning 
gifts,  and  all  other  self-centered  descrip- 
tions. Boy,  did  it  take  a  long  time!  How 
sorry  I  am  and  how  sad  you  must  have  been. 
Forgive  me. 

God,  I'm  glad  you  took  the  time  to  look 
over  my  shoulder  while  I  was  writing  this 
letter.  This  season  must  be  an  extra  busy 
one  for  You — listening  to  all  those  prayers 
for  a  peaceful  and  prosperous  world.  But 
help  us  understand  that  it  will  be  when  You 
want  it  to  be.  If  we  understand  this,  then 
we  can  wait — and  be  more  content  in 
waiting. 

May  Your  Son's  birthday  be  the  most 
joyful  ever,  as  You  accept  more  souls  to 
Your  throne.  And  may  Your  blessings  be 
abundant  and  Your  peace,  love,  joy,  and 
hope  divine  touch  the  hearts  of  men  the 
world  over — here  at  Christmas  time. 

In  awe  and  love  for  Your  son, 
Becky 


Mrs.  Null  is  a  member  of  the  College  Corner 
Brethren  Church  in  Indiana.  She  wrote  this  "letter'' 
several  years  ago  for  a  Sunday  evening  service  at 


her  church.  A  copy  of  the  "letter"  was  recently 
sent  to  the  Brethren  Evangelist  by  Mrs.  Helen 
Dickson. 


December  1979 


27 


• « 


And  the  angel  said  unio  ibcm,  Fear  f 
not  for,  behold.  I  bring  you  good \ 
lidmgs  o(  great  joy.  which  shalj^ 
be  to  all  people  "  Luke.  2  10 


^ 


ay  the  peace  and 
joy  which  radiates 
from  the  heart  of 
the  Holy  Child  fill 
you  and  yours  with  all  the 
wonder  and  splendor  of  this 
Blessed  Season.  And  may 
the  miracle  of  His  love  be  an 
inspiration  and  comfort  to 
you  always. 

h^ay  the  meaning  of  the 
holiday  be  deeper,  its 
friendships  stronger  and 
its  hopes  brighter  as  its 
memory  comes  to  you 
during  the  coming  months. 


i 


Shoo. 


We'd  like  to  take  this 
opportunity  to  express  our 
gratitude  and  appreciation 
to  our  many  friends  and 
patrons    for    their  support. 

And  hope  the  glow  of  this 
joyous  season  remains  with 
you  through  the  year. 

/^^ \    \^    wish   you    all    a 
\§     I    J  merry       Christmas 
^^^^  and   a   very   happy 
and  prosperous  New  Year. 

Brethren  Publishing 


^ 


Company 


-oxS 


()'■ 


Announcing: 


Ohio  Conference 
of  file  Brethren  Church 

Annual   Business   Meeting 
March  8,  1980 

Asbury  United   Methodist  Church 
Delaware,   Ohio 


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For  Reference 


Not  to  be  taken  from  this  room 


^  Manchester  College  ^ 

4 

4 

^  Brethren    Historical  4 
C^  Library  ^ 

2i  NPRTH    MANCHESTER,     |HD.  ^ 


For  Reference 


Not  to  be  taken 


from  this  library 


il  ^^^      IN 


JAN  82 

MANCHESTER, 
DIANA  46962