BMH Editor's Blog

Bob Shoemaker, a member of the Grace Brethren Church in Canton, Ohio (Joe Cosentino, pastor) has followed hurricane recovery work at Pearlington, Miss. since the students at Momentum 2007 participated in rebuilding efforts there. In fact, he led a group from Canton to the area in January of this year. (Click here for more details about the trip.) He provides information about the area in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.

Although I have not heard directly from Pearlington, I have heard from Waveland and Hattiesburg. They are doing well and the only damage in Waveland is in the low lying areas. When I hear from Pearlington, I will send it on.

http://www.pearlington.blogspot.com/ (This is the blog of the Pearling Recovery and Resource Center.)

The link above has some great information and will keep you up-to-date on Pearlington.

One item of interest to the teens and volunteers who helped build homes in Pearlington... ALL HOUSES ON STILTS OK!!!

Barb Wooler, of Grace Brethren International Missions, has sent an exciting update on what’s happening in ministry with the Pygmies in southern Central African Republic and northern Congo region.

Barb reports, “Our goal for blanketing the forest with Christ followers and churches is coming into focus. The new church plant in the new region of the west (fruit of the AkaLand Expedition of 2004) is going great!

"The church planting team of two couples are enjoying their new ministry. Pastor Louis (in yellow shirt) and Francois (pictured next to Louis), both of whom you may have met during their USA visit of 2000, are seeing conversions on a regular basis. They have started a literacy class in their new church and will be sending a Ngenze man to Bible Institute!

"Back at Moale the church is doing well, but not without its struggles. They have been flooded by many people from the outside. The Moale church will be sending nine couples to Bible Institute this month! This is the culmination of many years of effort; when these couples return from their training we expect the work among the forest people to catapult into a new phase of growth and health!

"These added couples also present a wonderful opportunity for involvement by small groups, ABFs, or individuals.

"1 - We are looking for seven groups or individuals to help seven of these couples attend Bible Institute this year. The cost is $800 per couple per year. Since we are not sure if all the couples will survive the year, we are only asking for one year commitments. Interested? Please call me (Barb) at 574-453-6479 or email me at bwooler@gbim.org

"2 - Can’t help with financing sponsorship? You can still make a difference. These couples will need prayer as they adjust to life “on the outside,” out of the forest. This will be as foreign to them as moving to the moon would be for you and me!

Thanks for your partnership."

CE National has announced that the deadline for applications to be part of next year's Operation Barnabas high school teams is Wednesday, November 19.

The Operation Barnabas domestic teams travel within the United States helping churches with outreach, VBS programs, camps, physical improvement projects, and more.

The Operation Barnabas International team (OBI) has traveled in Brazil twice, the Philippines and Hawaii, Mexico City, Thailand and, most recently, Cameroon. Participants on OBI receive much of the same training as domestic OBers, but OBI has a special emphasis in cross-cultural ministry.

Further information and downloadable application forms are available by clicking here.

The September-October issue of FGBC World has been mailed to churches and subscribers. FGBC World is an all-Fellowship, all-Grace Brethren newspaper that is published six times a year. In its pages you will find stories about the Grace Brethren family around the world – from individuals who are on the front line of ministry to organizations that help impact lives for Jesus.

Want to know what is happening in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches? Need to order a book (or several) to use in your Bible study? Check out the two newly redesigned Brethren Missionary Herald websites – www.fgbcworld.com and http://www.bmhbooks.com/.

The fresh face of www.fgbcworld.com is the companion site for the bi-monthly FGBC World newspaper. It now includes regularly updated news and web-only features. You'll also find a complete calendar of Grace Brethren events and an expanded Grace Brethren almanac that lists historical events.

This blog also may be easily accessed, but you’ll find so-much more – it’s the site for all things Grace Brethren.

At www.bmhbooks.com, you’ll find the new site searchable, with up-to-date bios and photos of BMH authors. You’ll also be able to follow the latest news about BMH Books – new releases, author appearances, and other information.

Bookmark these pages (or make one of them your homepage) so you can regularly visit them to learn more news about Grace Brethren churches and people or so you may easily order books by Grace Brethren authors.

Today's Roanoke, Virginia, Times carries an article about generational baptisms in the Ghent Grace Brethren Church there. Here is an excerpt--to read the entire article click here. Photo and article from Roanoke Times. EDITOR'S NOTE: "Fuzzy" Minnix is Odell, the husband of Janet Minnix, president of Women of Grace USA.

The baptism of Parker Minnix in Southwest Roanoke County's Back Creek on a warm Sunday afternoon earlier this month marked the fifth generation of his family to be immersed there.

Parker, 7, was baptized by his grandfather, 73-year-old Fuzzy Minnix, a member of the Roanoke County School Board, whose pastor, the Rev. Zach Doppelt of Ghent Grace Brethren Church in Roanoke also waded into the slow-moving but chilly water.

"The physical baptism signifies a spiritual truth," said Doppelt, who wore a black robe and sandals. "Grandpa Minnix is going to have the privilege and the honor of this tradition of grandfather baptizing grandson."

Actually, it's unclear who performed the first two Minnix baptisms in Back Creek, Minnix said. Family history has it that his father, George Minnix, was baptized in the creek at about the same spot -- a bend in the shadow of a 20-foot-tall rock formation about a mile from U.S. 220 -- in roughly 1920.

And the Minnix family isn't sure who dunked Marker Lewis Minnix, the father of George Minnix, in about 1880.

Fuzzy Minnix recalled that he was baptized in Back Creek in 1946 at age 12 by the Rev. K.E. Richardson, then pastor of Clearbrook Grace Brethren Church. Daniel Minnix, Parker's father, was baptized there by the grandfather on his mother's side, the Rev. Thomas Hammers, a pastor in Indiana at the time. The year of that ceremony was about 1978 to 1980, Fuzzy Minnix estimated.

Dan Beaver, global associate with Grace Brethren International Missions (GBIM) who serves on the island of Boracay in the South Pacific, will be honored on the weekend of September 5 and 6 at the Illinois Renaissance Celebration at the University of Illinois, where he played football.

According to his proud dad, Wayne Beaver, Dan will be among those recognized as having been the ten top players in ten different positions on the various football teams in over 100 years of Illini football.

“One of the ten is Red Grange,” says Wayne, who is a former GBIM missionary and faculty member at Grace Theological Seminary. “He held the record for most points earned during his collegiate years for over 50 years. Dan broke his record with points scored as result of his place kicking in his four years at the university. Another of the ten is Dick Butkus, who will be there and is well-known in football circles.”

Dan will be honored as the best place kicker. During his four years at Illinois (from 1973 to 1976), he kicked a number of recorded field goals over 50 yards (50, 52, 52, 55, and 57 yards). During his freshman year, as Illinois played Purdue, Dan scored five field goals, earning all the points, to beat Purdue with a score of 15 to 3. The same year, as Illinois played Michigan State, Dan scored three field goals, earning all the points, to beat the Spartans with a score of 9 to 3. He was a two-time All American and was selected to play in several post-season games. His 57 yarder is still a school record for the longest field in Illinois record.

While at Illinois, he was president of the local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The top ten athletes will be introduced on the field during the Illinois vs. E. Illinois game at Urbana-Champaign on September 6.

“We were thankful for the four years of a football scholarship that Dan got at Illinois, we being poor returnees from the African mission field at the time!” recalls Wayne. “Also we are thankful for the 19 years, he and Tori have spent as missionaries in the Philippines.”

Dan and his wife, Tori, have served in the Philippines for the past 19 years with GBIM and First Love International Ministries.

Earlier this month the Centerville (OH) Grace Brethren Church dedicated and made available to its community a lovely park including a two-acre lake, a 30-foot gazebo, and an open recreation area with a walking trail around the lake. Pastor Steve Makofka (pictured) led the dedication ceremony and gave a short message.

According to Makofka, making the church-owned park available to the community will greatly help identify the church to the local citizenry. Already there has been one wedding at the gazebo with another scheduled for the fall, and the gazebo has served as a rest stop for a multiple sclerosis Bike-a-thon. Families from the community are beginning to use the park for family pictures and reunions.

The project began, says Makofka, when a developer bought the 600-acre farm that surrounded the church and its 17-acre campus. The church sought to work with the developer to create a park-like environment. At first they envisioned a large cross statue by the lake to be used as a spiritual meditation point, but the developer felt that a gazebo might find wider use instead.

Makofka says, “The developer had a vision to work with us for the benefit of the community. They used their money for initial grading, seeding, and landscaping of the lake and the park. They also agreed to accept the cost of maintaining it.”

A local couple, David and Jeanne Rebele, had talked with Makofka about the possibility of giving a gift to the church, and when he suggested the gazebo to them, they were thrilled. “It was exactly the kind of project they were looking for,” Makofka says.

So the Rebeles provided the finances for the gazebo and the memorial plaza, which is a brick area in front of the gazebo containing the names of charter members of the Centerville church with room reserved for other memorials and commemorations.

Makofka says the lake, park, and gazebo are getting good use by the community. Currently the local high school girls’ lacrosse team uses it for practice. Makofka says, “Almost any day of the week I can look out from the church and see people walking their pets, riding bikes, or fishing.” Including some undeveloped wooded areas, the park is about 10 acres.

To see a slideshow of the dedication of the park click here.

Mary Leavitt, who attends the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus, Ohio (David Plaster, pastor) and who is known throughout Central Ohio as "The Flag Lady," has been asked to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the Republican National Convention next week in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. She is listed on this page of the RNC Web site near the bottom right. Look for her Tuesday, September 2, between 6:15 and 6:45 p.m. CST.

Mary has also been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, and has been told a story may appear in the paper next week.

Mary, who operates The Flag Lady's Store in Columbus, is also serving on a committee of small business owners for presidential candidate John McCain.

She says she is overwhelmed with the honor of being asked to participate in the business of our country in these important ways. "Mary is an amazing lady who loves Jesus and her country. Pray for her as she receives and executes this national honor," says Jim Custer, teaching pastor at the Columbus church. Please also pray for Mary's safety as she travels to the convention and that God would use her to further the Gospel through her involvement in this unique experience.

To learn more about Mary, click here.

Mike Taylor, Director of Operations for Grace Brethren International Missions in Winona Lake, Indiana, announces the appointment of Jim Folsom (at right, with his family) as the new communications officer for GBIM.

Folsom recently completed ten years as Director of Communications for the Wendell Whitman Companies in Winona Lake. He and his wife Stephanie, son Jason age 19, and daughter Deanna age 7 are pictured here.

Originally from the Yakima, Washington, Grace Brethren Church, Folsom is a graduate of Grace College and holds the M.Div. from Grace Theological Seminary. He has had prior communication experience with CE National and with the former church-planting arm of the FGBC, Brethren Home Missions Council.

For the past several years he has also moonlighted with the Brethren Missionary Herald Co. as a graphic designer and typesetter for BMH Books and related products.

Folsom will be a welcome member of the "Dream Team," the communications officers from all the Grace Brethren national organizations, who meet monthly in the BMH conference room to share resources, communicate the latest progress in their organizations, and to fellowship together.

The following information was released this week by the Church of the Brethren communications office:

The following new resources have been published as part of the
celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren:

"Back to Schwarzenau: Celebrating 300 Years of the Brethren
Movement": This video wrapup of the international celebration of the
300th Anniversary held on Aug. 2-3 in Schwarzenau, Germany, has been
produced for the Brethren Encyclopedia Board by David Sollenberger.

The video is available in DVD format and offers highlights of events as
members of the six major Brethren bodies returned to their roots on the
banks of the Eder River, where the first eight Brethren were baptized in
1708.

The DVD contains a narrated 12-minute overview of the gathering,
a three-minute collage of images from the weekend, the sermons from
the Anniversary worship service, the McPherson College choir singing
the anthem commissioned for the 300th Anniversary, a presentation by
Larry Glick as Alexander Mack Sr., and a video tour of the Alexander
Mack Museum.

Order for $29.95 plus $4 shipping and handling from Brethren Encyclopedia, Inc., 313
Fairview Ave., Ambler, PA 19002. www.brethrenencyclopedia.org

"Schwarzenau 1708-2008": A new book about the relationship between
the village of Schwarzenau and the Brethren has been released in
German and English. The book has been edited by Otto Marburger, who
served as a co-coordinator of the Schwarzenau Committee for the
international celebration of the Anniversary.

Identifying the village as the birthplace of the Brethren, authors from Schwarzenau and the Bad Berleburg region as well as from different Brethren bodies contributed to the book. Proceeds will support the Alexander Mack Museum in Schwarzenau. Order through Brethren Press for $25 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712.

For human reasons, Je’Rod Cherry probably shouldn’t want to part with his Super Bowl ring. It’s an honor to own one, it represents the struggle of his team to achieve a spot in football history, and it also signifies a personal career high.

But he’s decided to put it up for raffle to benefit needy children around the world.

Je’Rod (pictured at right with his wife, Samua) was a safety on the New England Patriots team that won three Super Bowl games within four years. Each time, team members, coaches, and staff received unique rings to commemorate the occasion.

His first ring, received in 2002 following the team’s 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, is his favorite. (He also has rings from Super Bowls XXXVII and XXXIX.)

“I had a huge impact on the game,” he recalls. Indeed, he recorded a game-high three solo special teams tackles, including dropping Rams punt returner Dre’ Bly for a one-yard loss. He also remembers that there was a greater struggle for the team to get to the Super Bowl, having been an underdog much of the 2001 season.

But now he’s ready to give it up for a higher cause. Je’Rod was in the audience at Momentum East, the annual Grace Brethren youth conference, when students and staff were challenged to give sacrificially to help feed starving children. By the time the conference was over, participants had given more than $94,000 to provide 100,000 meals for children in third world countries, build an orphanage in Cambodia, and replace the roof at Urban Hope (an inner city Philadelphia ministry), with enough left over to go towards a second orphanage in Thailand.

He knows he felt the spirit of God move that night in the auditorium at Cedarville University. After the service, he began walking out of the auditorium. “I was wrestling with finding some way to help with the building of an orphanage,” he recalls.

Friend and CE National staffer, Courtney Cherest saw him along the way and asked, almost in jest, if he was going to sell one of his Super Bowl rings. “I just may,” was his quick response, he recalls. But by the time he caught up with his wife, Samua, and they headed to meet with their youth group, he realized he’d been prompted, not by Courtney, but by God, to sell a ring. The proceeds would help the students at Momentum build and support a second orphanage in Southeast Asia. She quickly confirmed his decision.

He plans to offer the ring in a raffle this fall. He hopes to gain enough from the sale to benefit Asia’s Hope, enabling the completion of the second orphanage. Additional funds would go to Feed My Starving Children, a Christian organization that provides highly nutritious meals for severely malnourished children, and to other charities in the Boston area, where he played ball, and around his home in Macedonia, Ohio.

Looking back on the week, Je’Rod realizes that it was a divine moment. He hadn’t planned to attend the conference, but because the youth group at Grace Church, a Grace Brethren church in Macedonia, Ohio (Jason Haymaker, pastor), needed an additional man to accompany them, he offered to help. Samua, a volunteer youth staff member at the church, was already planning to attend. (The Cherrys are members of the church.)

“At first I didn’t want to go,” he remembers. It didn’t help that wasn’t a good time for him to take off from his job as a financial adviser.

But he realizes it’s an example of how God can change a man’s heart and perspective, admitting that even a year ago, he would not have wanted to part with the ring. “It was a personal pride issue,” Je’Rod remembers. Now he’s ready to use it as a way to raise funds for the greater good of society.

“I hope to raise enough money to bless a bunch of people in God’s name,” he says.