BMH Editor's Blog

Known as “A Preacher’s Preacher,” Dr. Stephen Olford, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Olford Ministries International, passed away late Sunday night, August 29, 2004, having suffered a massive stroke.

According to a press release received by ASSIST News Service (ANS), Dr. Olford was born on in Zambia on March 29, 1918, as the son of missionaries, Frederick and Bessie Olford. Dr. Olford was raised in Angola, where he committed his life to Christ and witnessed first-hand the transforming power of God and His Word.

Dr. Olford spent his college years in the United Kingdom. After receiving ministry training, he was appointed an Army Scripture Reader during Word War II, and he launched a Young Peoples Christian fellowship in Newport, South Wales. After the war, Dr. Olford was involved in extensive evangelistic and preaching ministry throughout the U.K. and overseas.

In 1953, Dr. Olford’s years of pastoral ministry began by serving the Duke Street Baptist Church in Richmond, Surrey, England (1953-1959) and then the Calvary Baptist Church in New York City (1959-1973). He pioneered a Christian TV program, Encounter, in New York, and his Sunday morning services were broadcast around the world on radio. His weekly half-hour radio program, also called Encounter, is still aired in the United States and some overseas countries.

Dr. and Mrs. Olford, and their son David, moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1985 to develop a training program and Center to encourage and equip preachers and teachers of God’s Word. In 1988 the Stephen Olford Centre for Biblical Preaching was dedicated, and it remains the headquarters of Olford Ministries International, at 4000 Riverdale Rd., Memphis, TN.

Olford’s influence upon thousands of pastors and preachers cannot be measured. He has had a significant role in the lives of many, including his long-time friend, Dr. Billy Graham. He has been called “The Preacher’s Preacher.” A public memorial service will take place at Bellevue Baptist Church at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 8.The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to “Olford Ministries International” to further the work of OMI.

A very long (2,242 words) and mostly favorable article by staff writer John Silcox featuring Jerry Jenkins, co-author of the "Left Behind" fiction series, appears on page 1 of the C section of today's Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

Jenkins, who is giving $60,000 of his own money to Taylor University/Fort Wayne's professional writing program for scholarships, is coming to the Fort Wayne campus to teach and make personal appearances early in November.

Along with all the success (60 million copies of "Left Behind" alone), the article mentions that he "runs a writer's guild that seeks to deepen the pool of Christian authors." The purpose of the Guild, Jenkins says, is to mentor Christian writers and to advance quality Christian literature. "I'd like to restock the pool of Christian writers," Jenkins says.

What is NOT said in the article is that the Guild Jenkins now runs was founded by Norm Rohrer, Grace Seminary graduate, who essentially worked his way through Grace by writing and selling free-lance stories. Norm, who is a brother-in-law to former Grace president Homer Kent, Jr., ran the Guild for many years out of his home in California and was well-known for his ad "I Fire Writers."

After selling the Guild to Jenkins, Rohrer became dean of the faculty of the Guild, which now employs dozens of professional journalists and editors (including Your Intrepid Blogger) as mentors in the Guild's online writing course. Designed in 50 lessons to take two years, the course is organized so that each student is assigned a mentor who will critique/comment on each lesson and generally coach the writing student through the entire 50-lesson program. Details are available at www.christianwritersguild.com.

To read today's Journal Gazette article, click here.

The Heralds of Grace ride again! The quartet, originally formed 44 years ago in the fall of 1960, traveled and sang on behalf of Grace College and Seminary for about seven years in the 1960s. The group got together Friday night for a cookout and songfest in central Ohio--they'll be singing during the Grace Homecoming this November. Dennis Beach, left, is a guidance counselor in a high school in Springfield, OH. Don Farner, second from left, pastors a Grace Brethren Church in Ankenytown, OH. Gary Butt, second from right, is retiring Monday from a career in retail furniture sales near Youngstown, OH. David S. Miller, right, teaches English in a high school near Columbus, OH. The group traveled with Dean Arnold Kriegbaum, as well as independently, and sang in virtually all U.S. Grace Brethren churches during its career.

For the complete news release, click here.

CHICAGO - (Aug. 26, 2004) On Aug. 26, Moody Bible Institute (MBI) President Dr. Joseph M. Stowell announced to students, faculty and staff his resignation effective February 2005.

He told those gathered in Torrey-Gray Auditorium, on Moody's campus, that his decision was guided by a growing sense of calling that the next season of his life should be focused more strategically on using his gifts to encourage the Church and advance the cause of Christ through the preaching and teaching of God's Word.

In his statement, Dr. Stowell explained, "God has laid on my heart a calling that I cannot deny. Over the last few years I have had a growing and now unshakable conviction that God is calling me to give myself singularly to His Word and its life-changing impact though the ministry of preaching and teaching."

Dr. Stowell plans to pursue this calling through being fully engaged in a local church, as well as an ongoing involvement with writing and speaking at conferences.

Laura Bloomingdale, who will graduate from Grace College after this semester, began working today as the BMH editorial intern for the fall semester. In a program arranged by Dr. Paulette Sauders of the college's journalism program, Laura (known to her online friends as "Dr. Laura") will assist with writing and editing for FGBC World, BMH Books, and other general publication duties throughout the fall. A member of the Basore Road Grace Brethren Church in Dayton, Ohio (Pastor "Skip" Brian White), Laura has also written for the college newspaper, for the Warsaw Times Union, and for Major League Baseball's website.

This stimulating entry appears on the current blog of WORLD magazine. How do we, as Grace Brethren, react? Should we be setting numerical goals for conversions and baptisms? Is our over-arching goal of every church being a church-planting center realistic, reachable, and biblically defensible?

If we are to continue the Progressive Brethren tradition, we need a big, big vision! Let's see what God wants us to do and be in the coming year.

Evangelistic goal-setting
The new president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has set an ambitious goal for the nation’s largest Protestant group: Rev. Bobby Welch says he wants to see the churches in the convention baptize 1 million people per year. Welch plans to promote the campaign by traveling more than 18,000 miles in a chartered bus emblazoned with the slogan “Everyone Can!” Rev. Welch said the idea isn’t to get “scalps on our belts” but to reach lost souls with the Gospel. Though the SBC has never baptized even 500,000 people in a year, Welch said the million-mark is attainable: “If we can ever get in a unified direction, a million baptisms will be routine for Southern Baptists.” The SBC has long been commendably zealous in its evangelism efforts, but the new campaign raises serious questions: Should Christians set numerical goals for conversions and baptisms? What constitutes success?

Your intrepid blogger is out of town for a few days on a mission that is more personal than Grace Brethren.

Sharon and I have been in Knoxville, Tennessee, this weekend, playing piano and organ for a wedding at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church. We attended this great church Sunday morning, and reconnected with some friends from times past. The bride was Jenny Woodruff, daughter of our friend and fellow-deacon at Potomac Baptist Church, who died of stomach cancer several years ago at age 48. Many friends, elders and former deacons from PBC were at the wedding and it was great to re-connect.

One of them was TM Moore, a writer, teacher and columnist for Prison Fellowship, who is now on the teaching staff of the church. Another was Daryl Armentrout, a classmate who went to Grace with us back in the early 1960s.

Daryl was from the Limestone, TN, Grace Brethren Church, and he reminded me that he was the layout editor of the Grace College newspaper, "The Sounding Board," when I was the editor. He has now had a 30+ year career with Tennessee Valley Authority as a civil engineer and is an elder at Cedar Springs. We had a great time doing "catchup" and discussing former classmates and roommates such as Dan and Eloy Pacheco, Tim Farner, Doug Horney, and others.

Today we're in Asheville, North Carolina. We'll have brunch with one of America's fine Christian novelists, Penelope J. Stokes, and then will stop in for a visit with Joel Belz, the publisher of WORLD magazine. Joel and I were classmates at the U. of Iowa and have had a long association together through the Evangelical Press Association.

Should be back in Winona Lake on Wednesday afternoon. Our Grace College intern for the fall, known in Xanga blogging circles as "Dr. Laura," starts with us later this week.

The Fresno Bee newspaper has a full accounting of the rescue story. Here are the first few paragraphs. To read the entire story, click here.

Experienced searchers say it's the third day when worry turns to dread.On Sunday, the second night that Bob Gnewuch was lost in Sequoia National Park, rescue teams planned an inch-by-inch search of rugged terrain for the next morning. They would look for any clue of what had happened to him, instead of only looking for a moving person.

Ed Trenner, Gnewuch's pastor of 20 years, stopped feeling confident that his strong, stubborn-willed friend would emerge from the woods at any moment and in his prayers "surrendered Bob to God's hands."

And Gnewuch, trying to hike to a ridge and finding himself blocked by a thundering waterfall, took a pen and wrote his name, address and phone number on his hand -- in case he died before rescuers found him.

The current blog of Christianity Today carries this interesting item on efforts to make amends for the persecution our Anabaptist forebears endured:

Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed churches are seeking to make amends for persecuting Anabaptists in the 16th and 17th centuries. A Vatican-appointed delegation last fall concluded five years of meetings with a group from Mennonite World Conference, the global Mennonite fellowship. Similarly, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has finished a two-year series of meetings this spring with the Mennonite Church U.S.A., and on June 26 the Reformed Church in Zurich held a reconciliation ceremony with participation by Anabaptist descendants from around the world. Also on June 26, Pope John Paul II met with Johann Christoph Arnold, an elder of the Bruderhof Communities, in Rome.

To see an article from the Mennonite Weekly Review on a recent meeting of the Mennonites and Roman Catholics on the legacy of Anabaptist martyrdom, click here. See also the August 7 post in this blog on "Exploring our Anabaptist Roots."

Good news! Pastor Steve Shipley, from the Fort Myers, Florida, Grace Brethren Church, sends this post-Charley report:

Thanks for your concern. While everyone here had much debris from fallen limbs and were inconvenienced with power outages ranging from day one until the present (four days; my home was off two and 1/2; the church three days), there was minimal damage and no injuries to anyone from our church as presently reported.

Had Charley not turned sharply north upon hitting Sanibel Island, things may have been much worse. As it is, Punta Gorda took the brunt of its force.

We praise the Lord for sparing us, but hurt for those to the north. There has been a spirit of neighborhood cooperation and we hope opportunity for our people to make additional contacts for the Lord.

Again, thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.

How did Hurricane Charley affect our churches in Florida?

Very little news has been coming out, with phones inoperative and e-mail not working, but our inquiries did get this reponse from Bill Smith, pastor of Grace Christian Ministries in Maitland, in the Orlando area:

"We fared well and are praising the Lord. We talked to the two pastors in Ft. Myers and though there was some damage, the people are doing pretty well. (Couldn't get through to them til Sunday.) Have not talked to Sebring yet. So far, everyone seems to be coping OK. Sure appreciate the concern."

Stefan Bos, in a release through ASSIST News Service, gives a general summary that is excerpted here:

PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA (ANS) -- Churches and Christian relief organizations stepped up efforts Monday, August 16, to prevent an outbreak of disease among over one million Americans, who were left without power and proper sanitation after Florida's fiercest hurricane in 12 years, which killed at least 16 people.

Several people were reportedly unaccounted for, including church music and youth ministers, their families, and a pastor. Tens of thousands of people in especially coastal areas became homeless since the 145-miles per hour winds of Hurricane Charley smashed ashore on Friday, August 13.

People were seen shifting through the rubble on locations where once their houses or mobile homes stood.

"I feel like I am losing part of my family," said a woman close to tears. "I have been living here for 11 years, and there are lot memories there," she told the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), as her husband comforted her.

Bill Horan, President and Chief Operating Officer of the relief group Operation Blessing, told CBN's The 700 Club that his organization teamed up with the Salvation Army to feed the hungry and give moral support to those in need. He said trucks were delivering food and other supplies, including ice and mobile kitchens to the Salvation Army, the world famous Protestant humanitarian aid organization.

More than 70 Southern Baptist disaster relief units from 11 states had been activated as of mid-afternoon Aug. 16 to assist with cleanup and recovery efforts in southwest Florida in the wake of Hurricane Charley, Baptist Press (BP) reported.

Despite widespread destruction around them, Baptists began counting their blessings outside Eastside Baptist Church in Punta Gorda, Fla., one of the hardest-hit areas, BP noted. "Community service at 11 a.m. Come as you are," a spray-painted sign reportedly said. As people gathered in the church's parking lot, United States President George W. Bush apparently passed by in his motorcade, rolled down the window and gave them a thumbs up before continuing his route to survey the damage.

Another Baptist church member, Jim Schaaf, missed his scheduled baptism on August 15 because of the storm. Instead, he and his wife, Joan, spent his birthday and what was to be his baptism day roaming through the deserted and disheveled property of First Baptist Church in Punta Gorda, Fla. the Florida Baptist Witness newspaper said.

Although the main building suffered what appeared to be superficial damage -- with the steeple snapped off its base and lying on the roof, the church parsonage seemed to have significant damage, including the loss of a large portion of its second story, a reporter noted.

As of Sunday morning Aug. 15, the whereabouts of the staff ministers and the church pastor, Paul Russell, and his family, was unknown, the newspaper reported."JUST PRAYING"

Damage of the storm is estimated to run as high as 18 billion dollars.

C. Dayton Cundiff, 86, went to be with the Lord at 9:20 p.m. Friday, August 13 from Grace Village Healthcare Facility in Winona Lake, Indiana. Services are at 10 a.m. today (Tuesday, 17 August) at Titus Funeral Home in Warsaw.

A native of Union, Iowa, Cundiff was a graduate of Whitworth College in Spokane, WA, Grace Seminary in Winona Lake, and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Most of his working life he was a pastor in various churches in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. He moved to Winona Lake from Roanoke in 1997.

His wife, Velma, died in 2001. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Craig (Marlene) Byers of Pierceton, Indiana, and Mrs. Stan (Margaret) Gatherum of Texas.

Bob's Back!

This page was last updated: Monday, 8/16 at 6:21pm

Bob Gnewuch was discovered around 5:40pm. He has been airliftedback to the Dorst Creek Campground where he has been re-united with family and friends!

On behalf of the Gnewuch family,thank you all for your prayers and encouragement during this ordeal.To the National Park Service crew,Yosemite Search and Rescue,and everyone else who helped bring him back, "Thank you" does not adequately express our deep gratitude for the work you've done.

Mon., 8/16, 2:30pm
Ed Trenner called in from the field to report that the SAR team has found Bob's name and a date along the creek they were following. It was dated 8/15 (yesterday), but this is the first solid evidence we have that this is really Bob's trail. Good news!

Mon., 8/16, 1:16pm
Alex Pickavet, park Public Information Officer, reports that there are still no major changes. She has spent some time with Diane and says that she is doing well. There are currently 55-60 professionals on the ground involved in this search. One canine team had a prior commitment and will be assigned elsewhere today. She emphasized that this seach and rescue operation is not unusual and they are well-equipped for this situation. The park has received many, many calls regarding this Search and Rescue operation, and to help keep the information flowing to all of Bob's friends, any news that the Information Office receives will be reported here as news comes in from the field. Again, Unless you are direct family, please do NOT come up to the campground. There is no need for volunteers at this time and there are several people already here to support the Gnewuch family.

Mon., 8/16, 1:30pm
Rachel Gnewuch and Jennifer Christian spoke with one of the SAR team members not long ago. They report that a team is still tracking Bob's footprints from earlier today. He seems to be moving along a creek and moving quickly. This likely means that he is strong, healthy, and determined to get home! This information has not been confirmed by an official source yet.

AP: Cave Found Linked to John the Baptist
KIBBUTZ TZUBA, Israel (AP) - Archaeologists said Monday they have found a cave where they believe John the Baptist anointed many of his disciples - a huge cistern with 28 steps leading to an underground pool of water. During an exclusive tour of the cave by The Associated Press, archaeologists presented wall carvings they said tell the story of the fiery New Testament preacher, as well as a stone they believe was used for ceremonial foot washing.

Sun., 8/15, 10pm
The team from GCO was able to get into the campground. The search was called off for the night, but will be re-grouping at 6:30am Monday. The Dorst Creek campground was evacuated due to contaminated water, but all the Gnewuch family and their friends were allowed to remain. Arrangements for another helicopter were made, and Yosemite Search and Rescue was notified.

Mon., 8/16, 10:45am
3 footprints that match Bob's shoes were found in the area of the previous footprint. The search teams are focusing their attention to this area, trying to "box in" the area to make sure that he cannot leave that vicinity without being seen. Yosemite Search and Rescue has responded with an addition 10-16 people. There are two canine units on the scene; these are rescue dogs, not tracking dogs. A helicopter from California Highway Patrol was called in; it is equipped with sensors that can detect a person's body heat. The Search and Rescue teams are very optimisitic, saying that this scenario has worked out successfully many, many times. Local authorities have stated that they do not need any volunteers at this time. Bob's employer has been notified and is spreading the word. George and Lupe Martin live about 80 miles from the campground and have opened their home to anyone who needs it.

This urgent prayer request message came in this morning from Don Byers, former pastor at Grace Church, Orange, CA. Current pastor Ed Trenner is on the scene--check website for updates.

We just learned that a good friend from our church in CA is lost in the Sequoia National Forest. It's almost been 48 hours and they have not found him yet. Bob Gnewuch (knee-wah) and Diane were teenagers in our church in Orange, California. God has done some tremendous things in their lives over the years...and Bob is a wonderful young man. Now Bob is a deacon and father of five. He headed up a church family camping trip into the Kings Canyon and when his wife, Diane, didn't come back from a "run"...went looking for her. Diane ended up coming back safely...but now Bob is lost. Search and rescue, including helicopters, are on the scene...as well as many from the church, who drove seven hours to be there. But nothing yet. Our hearts are grieving for this family and we would appreciate any and all prayers on their behalf. Please feel free to pass along this e-mail.There is already a website established for updates. You can view it at http://home.pacbell.net/jslazas/

Here is part of the update as of noon Monday (ET).


Bob has still not been found, and has been out in the forest since Saturday morning. Bob, his family, and several other families from Grace Church of Orange were camping in the Dorst Creek Campground in the Sequoia National Park. He is not equipped for a long stay in the forest, since he only intended on taking a short walk. The weather in the forest has been favorable, with daytime temperatures in the mid-80's and nighttime temperatures dropping only into the mid-50's. There are a several small creeks in the area and the terrain is generally not hazardous.

Please pray for:
- Bob's safety
- The Lord's guidance for the rescue teams
- Comfort for the Gnewuch family: Diane, Rachel, Jacob, Ben, Anna, and Abby - all are still at the campground

Today is Monday, 16 August, 2004. BNYC and National Conference are over, and the beginning of the school year and the fall are bearing down on us fast.

This weekend was filled with a number of interesting and enlightening activities. I met for nearly three hours on Saturday morning with Jerry Young, who is on his way west, to eventually end up in Tucson.

Jerry, who retired at the end of June from his long-term pastorate in Lititz, Pennsylvania, is on a contract with the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers to study how that organization might be more effective and contribute to the ongoing health and growth of ministry professionals in the FGBC.

Based on Jerry’s report to the AGBM at national conference, we talked about BMH assisting with a newsletter, and how that effort may integrate with a proposed website that the new AGBM president, pastor Tim Boal from Penn Valley, PA, will soon be mounting. Lee Dice has been preparing and mailing the AGBM newsletter for a number of years, but he finds the schedule and work increasingly burdensome and so we’re looking at how BMH might be able to come alongside the AGBM and provide some communication services which are our core competency, not theirs, and thus relieve AGBM to go on and do other internal developmental work.

Tom Julien gave me a copy of his Seize the Moment book this weekend, which I had not seen before. Published several years ago by Grace Brethren International Missions, is it partly an analysis of the growth and high points of the Grace Brethren missions movement, and partly a collection of outstanding anecdotes and personalized stories of mission pioneers and changes of direction and thought as GBIM has developed over the some 104 years of its existence.

I’m excited about all GBIM is doing, and found Tom’s book to be very helpful in gaining background. Parts of it may even find their way into future FGBC World issues, as we try to have some historical piece in each issue to help give background and perspective to the Grace Brethren movement.

Issue #5 (September/October) of FGBC World has gone off to press and should be arriving in homes and churches on or about September 1. We had far too much content for this issue, and so had to delay some of the good stories we were planning to run. A two-page photo essay on BNYC and National Conference provides an overview of these once-a-year highlight meetings for the FGBC and CENational. A slightly expanded version of the new copy is currently up on www.FGBCWorld.com and will stay there until a new issue is ready.

Yesterday Sharon and I drove about 45 miles northeast to Rome City, Indiana, for the Gene Stratton Porter Chautauqua Days festival. Porter, the novelist and naturalist who was popular early in the last century, is commemorated there each August at a national historical site—her writer’s cabin and visitor’s interpretive center are on Sylvan Lake. We saw artifacts from her life, an interpretive impersonator who gave first-person background and information on the author of the “Girl of the Limberlost” and much more.

I continue to feel that some similar kind of museum/interpretive/history center for the Grace Brethren movement would be a good and helpful thing. After touring the MennoHof center on Anabaptist history, and now seeing how much enthusiasm and volunteer effort goes into the commemoration of this author (who died in 1924), I feel more strongly than ever that some good initiatives ought to be started to help capture, display and commemorate the roots and historical movements of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. It will get done eventually—this is the time to evaluate options, formulate some dreams, gather resources, and coordinate those who have similar interest and motivation.

Jesse Deloe finished working with Dr. Homer Kent, Jr. on editing and revising his new manuscript for a commentary on the book of Mark this past week. Now, after some intensive proofreading, it will go off to our publishing partner and hopefully will appear on the national market about the first of November.

BMH Books is still feeling its way into what its place should be in the publishing world, but project-by-project it’s becoming clearer what our niche might be. We continue to have contact with perhaps 20 potential authors whose manuscripts may eventually find the light of day as BMH Books projects. And we are talking with some of the other national organizations—particularly CE National and GBIM—about the possibility of playing a role in helping their publications appear in print, as well.

Grace College students are beginning to filter into town. Local elementary and secondary schools are beginning their school years—Lakeland Christian Academy began Friday and others begin this week.

Most family vacations are over, and Sunday-after-next Pastor John Teevan will give his annual “State of the Church” address for Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church.

There’s something both sad and exciting about turning the corner from summer and entering fall. Tom Avey and the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches office will soon be moving in with us here at BMH, and we anticipate a good working relationship and sharing of efforts—especially in communication—that will benefit us all.

Through my open window I hear the backhoe cleaning up the site of the Gamma Dorm fire across the street—and this week we expect King’s Highway to be milled, repaved, and widened from here down to Wooster Road. Traffic will be a mess during the construction, but the finished product will be nice.

Reflecting back on nearly a year of re-entering and re-learning the Grace Brethren church (I started at BMH October 1, 2003), I continue to feel very blessed and positive about the strong, motivated people in the FGBC, about the creative ways churches are reaching out to share the gospel, and about the excellent world-consciousness FGBC people have about spreading the gospel and the Word of God around the globe.

There’s lots to be excited about, and lots to affirm as the FGBC continues to seek the most effective way to fulfill the Great Commission.

Chris goes off to seek his fortune. Chris Solyntjes (center) finished his summer internship with BMH this Friday the 13th. A 2004 graphic arts graduate from Grace College, he will be working for a television production firm in the Cleveland area. Chris is from the Grace Brethren Church in Sebring, Florida, and during his summer with BMH was responsible for designing and implementing the website www.fgbcworld.com, re-designing and implementing credit-card buying capability at www.bmhbooks.com, and accomplishing a number of other graphic arts projects, including the new signage on the office door. Celebrating with Chris were (left) Ann Myers, project manager and Jesse Deloe, Director of Operations for BMH.

Linda and Eddie Mensinger, veteran missionaries to Africa, last night told a gripping and emotional story of their recent time in Africa as Eddie closed out his official ministry there as a seminary and Bible Institute teacher. After spending three months in the Cameroon, Eddie was able to return to the war-torn area of the Central African Republic to teach for five final weeks, courses in Brethren Beliefs and Practices, Major Prophets, Church History, and more. Though their former housing--and much of the mission compound--had been destroyed in the fighting, Eddie stayed in student housing and told of students who had only enough food for one meal a day, few or no books or notes, and other hardships. He participated in the Bible Institute and Seminary graduation that saw 81 graduates, including approximately 40 going into pastorates, conclude their schooling in a ceremony held indoors because of the rain--2,000 attended but the chapel would seat only 200. Only a few were able to attend the graduation banquet because of a lack of food, and many of the graduates told stories of being beaten, clubbed, threatened with assassination and other great hardships. Teachers are many months behind in their pay. Three prayer requests, according to Eddie, are (1) funds to renovate housing by the opening of school on October 1, (2) funds to print lessons for the students, and (3) each student must bring 1/3 of their tuition in order to be permitted to begin schooling in the new semester.  

This group of veteran missionaries to Africa were part of the Wednesday evening Global Prayer Group that heard Eddie Mensinger's report. Back row, from left, included Roy and Ruth Snider, Marvin Goodman and Linda and Eddie Mensinger. Front row, from left, included Dorothy Goodman and Miriam Uphouse. According to Eddie, there have now been 200 Grace Brethren missionaries who have given parts of their lives to service in Africa, where there are some 900 Grace Brethren churches--nearly three times the number of churches in the U.S.

Gamma A in the pre-fire days.  

Grace College's Gamma Hall men's dorm, a perimeter dorm located on King's Highway in Winona Lake, Indiana, was completely destroyed by fire Monday night. Tuesday morning workmen pushed in the rubble after nearly 40 firemen from Winona Lake and Warsaw fought the blaze for 50 minutes in the middle of the night. Lightning is suspected as the cause of the fire in the 80-year-old building, which was unoccupied. (demolition photos by Jesse Deloe)

Fortunately, the dorm was unoccupied. The fire was discovered by a fireman (the Winona Lake fire station is less than a block away) who smelled smoke upon returning from a medical call. 

No cause for the fire has been determined, but a vigorous thunderstorm moved through Winona Lake about midnight Monday. The fire was discovered at 12:15 a.m., and the presumed cause was a lightning strike. 

Tuesday morning firemen watched as the rubble of the Gamma Dorm was pushed into the foundation. Some 18 Grace College men were to have occupied it next week for the coming school year. 

Too close for comfort! The former Gamma Dorm is directly across the street from the Brethren Missionary Herald offices, the Herald Bookstore, and the Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church. Here's the view of the rubble from BMH's front door! 

The 80-year-old former residence, according to the Warsaw Times-Union, is a total loss at about $200,000. Dean of Students Jim Swanson says, "We're fine as far as adequate housing. We're making plans to reassign the students from Gamma--our goal is to keep as many of the guys from the dorm together as possible."

This pile of rubble is all that's left of Gamma Dorm A as of Tuesday afternoon, August 10. There was also surge damage to the electrical panel at Beta Hall, but no other damage is known. Several area residents contacted the college after the fire offering to open their homes to students if housing was needed.

Want a wonderfully informative and interesting historical presentation of the Anabaptist roots of the Grace Brethren movement? Visit the Menno-Hof complex on the west side of Rt. 5 just south of Shipshewana, Indiana, about 40 miles north and east of Winona Lake. We visited it yesterday--what a delightful experience, and so informative! Opened in 1988, the complex has now hosted more than 500,000 visitors who learn church history, focusing mainly on the Anabaptist movement that led to the development of three strands--the Amish, the Mennonites, and the Hutterites. The tour costs $5 ($2.50 for children) but is well worth it. It has 23 stations or stops, many of them interactive, beginning with a 13-minute multimedia show introducing the Anabaptists (the word means "rebaptizers" and traces to Zurich, Switzerland, in January of 1525). Among the exhibits are a dungeon portraying the terrible 16th century persecution of Anabaptists, a replica of the 17th century sailing ship in which Anabaptists first migrated to Penn's Woods (Pennsylvania), a complete reproduction of a printship which helped build community, and a rocking, shaking Tornado Theater which details disaster relief efforts of Anabaptists. Though there is not much Grace Brethren-specific material, historical charts do note Alexander Mack, Christopher Sauer, and the founding of the Fellowship in 1940. Open 10-5 Monday through Saturday, the display has plenty of child-friendly areas. To see for yourself, log onto www.mennohof.org.

The bags have arrived at Schofield! Dick and Kay Kessler (shown here) from the Western Reserve Grace Brethren Church in Macedonia, Ohio, were among the hundreds of national conference attendees who helped stuff goody bags for military wives at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, which Grace Brethren Chaplain James Schaefer serves. A note from Beth Bryant in Canada, originator and coordinator of the project, confirms that the more than 2,000 bags (31 cartons), shipped free as a charity contribution from FedEx, have arrived. The base newspaper, she said, is excited about the project and wants photos and information for an article--so we have shared all the photos we have of the operation. Now it will be fun to wait for responses from some of the wives who have received the thoughtful gifts, personal notes, and bags containing toiletries, candy, and more. 

It was a three-missionary night! Wednesday night at Global Prayer Group, Dave and Sue Griffith (right), veteran missionaries to LeCreusot, France, showed a PowerPoint presentation and gave updates on their ministry. They will be visiting supporting churches in Indiana and Michigan, in addition to getting their youngest son, Jeremy, started as a freshman at Grace College. Like all European missionaries, they are facing a need for increased support due to the drop in value of the Euro against the dollar. Barb Wooler (left), will leave Friday to return to the Central African Republic for three months. First she will be drawing a blueprint for AIDS orphan care and will soon be looking for sponsors for the children. Then she will spend September and October at Moale in the Pygmy forest, continuing to teach literacy and WalkThru the Bible materials to the 70+ Pygmies who have volunteered for literacy and church-planting training. She expects to return to the U.S. in late October. 

About taking a little time off for fishing with the grandkids...here's Chad, 10, with a largemouth bass he's just pulled out of Heritage Lake. We're havin' fun now!

And here's Todd, 13, with one of his catches from the wiley deep.

Miriam McKeefery Uphouse was honored last week at the Kosciusko (IN) County Fair in the "Our Lady of Kosciusko" event. Mrs. Uphouse, 86, received the award for her accomplishments and involvement in family, community, world and church activities. She was Associate Dean of Students at Grace College from 1964-1984 and, after the death of her husband, Norman, served with Grace Brethren International Missions for a year in Brazil and for nearly nine years in the Central African Republic before being forced to evacuate as a result of civil strife in the country. She currently serves as a volunteer pianist at Grace Village Retirement Center, as a receptionist at GBIM, and is an assistant adult Sunday School teacher and member of the Care Commission of the Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church. This Thanksgiving (2004) she plans to marry a long-time acquaintance from her students days at Philadelphia College of the Bible. A full feature story on her will appear in the November/December 2004 issue of FGBC World.

The July 31, 2004 issue of WORLD magazine carries a very expansive (2,055 word) four-page article on the MasterWorks Festival recently held in Winona Lake, Indiana, in conjunction with Grace College.

Founded by Patrick Kavanaugh, who will join the college music department faculty this fall, the festival drew brilliant young musicians and dedicated Christian professional music faculty from all over the world.

The article may be found on page 30 of the July 31 issue, and was written by Gene Edward Veith, cultural editor for the magazine and a college professor in Wisconsin. It contains a number of photos, several taken in Rodeheaver Auditorium the night of the recent Fourth of July patriotic concert.

Here is a brief excerpt, taken from the middle of the article:

The Christian Performing Arts Fellowship (CPAF), a group of professional musicians scattered throughout the world’s orchestras and ensembles, is among the ministries that work to overcome both kinds of isolation. The group has started MasterWorks, a program designed to help young musicians grow in their art and in their faith and to help them realize that the two can go together, hand in hand.

Patrick Kavanaugh - composer, conductor, and author of The Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers - founded CPAF in 1984, along with his wife, Barbara, and some fellow musicians.

Local CPAF chapters hold Bible studies for orchestra members, drawing in non-Christian colleagues with bulletin board invitations to studies of issues artists struggle with (e.g., “What does the Bible say about stage fright?”). CPAF members have put together “evangelistic concerts” for the public, performing in Washington, D.C., Russia, and the Middle East for both Jewish and Muslim audiences.

These Christian musicians began to see the importance of building up the next generation of Christian artists. So in 1997, CPAF started MasterWorks, a four-week music festival designed to give young musicians intensive, high-level training in their craft and in their Christian callings.

Students from high schools, colleges, and conservatories must pass rigorous auditions. Those selected study with CPAF faculty and guest instructors, all of whom are committed Christians who have found success in their fields. These include some big names: Stephen Clapp, the dean of Juilliard; Midori, the virtuoso violinist; Jahja Ling, the international conductor; Christopher Parkening, the classical guitarist; and other performers from America’s greatest orchestras and artistic companies.

MasterWorks students take lessons on their instruments from these masters; they play in orchestras and chamber ensembles; they put on operas; and they study the Bible.

During its first years, MasterWorks was held at Houghton College in upstate New York, but for the last three years, it has found a home at Winona Lake, Ind., site of the old Billy Sunday “Christian Chautauqua” cultural programs. Local businessmen working to revive the community’s cultural heritage invited CPAF and the festival to come to Winona Lake, where Grace College contributes the facilities and members of the local community crowd into the concerts.

This year, 185 students studied at MasterWorks, taught by 70 faculty. Another MasterWorks Festival, which has been attracting more and more international students, will be held later this summer in London.