BMH Editor's Blog

Larry Downs, a 1986 Grace College graduate, has left his job as president of Editorial Unilit to become vice president of Caribe-Betania Editores, the Spanish publishing imprint of Thomas Nelson.

Caribe-Betania is a Spanish publishing industry leader providing books based in core Christian values. The Spanish book market generates approximately $1.5 billion in annual sales with the Christian sector representing $45 million to $50 million of that total.

Editorial Unilit is a Miami-based publisher of Spanish Christian books. Downs became its president in 2003.

"Larry's many years of successful experience in nearly every facet of Spanish Christian publishing will take Caribe's publishing program to new heights," said Tod Shuttleworth, vice president and publisher of Caribe. "Larry's relationships will improve Caribe's ability to understand consumer needs and improve our service to the industry." Downs will relocate to Nashville from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Downs, who was raised in Peru, South America by missionary parents, was featured in the Summer, 2001 issue of “Grace Magazine,” published by the alumni office. Downs was introduced to his future wife, Ruth Wedertz, by Grace Brethren Pastor Paul Mutchler. He later became involved in the Fort Lauderdale Grace Brethren Church, singing in the choir, working in the singles group, discipling, serving as an elder, and being the point man on two pastor search teams, according to Mutchler.

Editorial Caribe was birthed in Costa Rica in 1949 with the support of the Latinoamericana Mission. Its mission: to publish literary works that would serve as tools to better study the Bible, as well as works that would aid in Christian growth. The company primarily published Bibles and Reference products and used a fish as its logo. In 1991, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc., the largest Bible publishing house in the English-speaking world, established in 1798, acquired Editorial Caribe.

Editorial Betania started in the 1970s as a ministry of Bethany Fellowship. In 1992, it also became part of Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc. Other product categories like inspiration, leadership, etc., were published under the Betania imprint. Its logo consists of the letters EB, depicting a butterfly.

As a result of the two acquisitions, Thomas Nelson merged the two companies into one and called it Caribe-Betania Editores. In addition to publishing books by the best American and Latin American authors, it has published important works in Spanish such as Nelson's Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible, Vine's Expository Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Caribe's Electronic Library, the Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Women of Destiny Bible, the Life Application Bible, and the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance.

Today's newspaper from the Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa, area carries a story about after-school Bible clubs and mentions several Grace Brethren women (Vivian Weimer and Rita Kehoe) who are involved. Here is a short excerpt--the entire story may be read by clicking here.

Students Learning About God After School
By TINA HINZ, For the Courier

With hands folded and heads bowed, 19 students sat in a semi-circle as Vivian Weimer led the opening prayer.

During the next hour, the kids sang spiritual praises, heard the Gospel and learned about God's word. But this isn't Sunday school. It's an after-school club in a first-grade classroom in Lowell Elementary School.

This is the first year that four Waterloo elementary schools --- Lowell, Edison, Irving and McKinstry --- are home to Good News Clubs, a ministry of the international Child Evangelism Fellowship. Clubs also have been started at elementary schools in Jesup and Manchester.

Students ages 5 through 12 who present a signed parental or guardian permission slip may attend free of charge. Bible lessons, missionary stories, songs, Scripture memorization activities and review games are packed into each weekly session, which currently draws about two dozen students per week . . .

Rita Kehoe, a first-grade teacher at Lowell and a member of Grace Brethren Church, volunteers for the Lowell club. She said the program has been well-received, and has a positive influence on the students."When you teach public school, you can't use sin and obeying God in your lesson, and it's frustrating when you see kids being disruptive and can't use the Bible as guidance," she said. "Since it's after school, you can. I really truly believe these kids will become better in their classrooms, better well-behaved and better citizens."

. . . CEF has provided Good News Clubs for more than 67 years and currently has more than 1,300 school-related clubs reaching nearly 37,000 students in almost every state.

Richard Holmes, 80, former long-time member of the Grace College and Seminary board, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, November 21 following a two-month-long illness. Holmes served a total of 34 years on the college and seminary board, beginning in 1960 and continuing through the administrations of all five of the schools' presidents (McClain, Hoyt, Kent, Davis, Manahan). He was board secretary from 1964 to 1991. He is survived by his wife, two children and grandchildren. Funeral service was held this past weekend at the Grace Brethren Church of Wooster, Ohio.

Charlie Turner, shown here earlier this year in the BMH offices with a mounted page from the 1743 Christopher Sauer Bible, went to be with the Lord Saturday, November 27, 2004 in his home in Winona Lake, Indiana. 

Former BMH editor and general manager Charles Turner, 78, was found dead in his Winona Lake, Indiana, home Saturday afternoon, apparently from a heart attack.

Turner, who was pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Rittman, Ohio, from 1957-1971, took over the Brethren Missionary Herald Company in Winona Lake in 1971. Turner steered BMH through some of its strongest years of growth and influence, retiring in 1992. His wife, June, died a little over a year ago. The Turners have one son, Jeff, of Goshen, Indiana.

Viewing will be at the Titus Funeral Home, 2000 E. Sheridan Street in Warsaw, Indiana, on Tuesday from 2-4 p.m. and from 6-8 p.m. Memorial service will be at the Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Don Wardell, 84, who was well known to generations of Grace College and Seminary students, died at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day in the Kosciusko Community Hospital in Warsaw, Indiana.

The "Wardell Ranch" at the end of Robson Road in Winona Lake was a favorite spot for those wishing to purchase fresh honey, and to chat with the naturalist/inventor/author/beekeeper whose three-acre property was dotted with buildings built by Wardell..

Wardell wrote many articles for beekeeping magazines, and was the author of several books. He printed thousands of his best-known, "Practical Help for Christian Workers" and made many cross-country trips in his van to speak and sell the book at Christian colleges and Bible institutes. Most recently he was working on a book on the Old Earth Theory of creation.

A Winona Lake resident since 1960, Wardell was born on the Six Nations Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada. He was married to the former Marcia Lowe, who preceded him in death in October of 1977. Marcia was a writer and editor who worked with Grace Brethren International Missions and the Brethren Missionary Herald Company. Services for Don Wardell will be at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 30 at the Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church. Calling is from 1-2 p.m. at the church, prior to the service.

Miriam Uphouse, former Dean of Women at Grace College, today wed David Christensen in a ceremony at Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church conducted by Pastor John Teevan. Mrs. Uphouse, 87, had known David Christensen, 89, since their college days together in Philadelphia. Each had previously lost a spouse to death, and many of their children and grandchildren participated in the ceremony. The matron of honor (left) was Mrs. Uphouse's daughter, Abigail, of Fort Wayne, IN, and the best man was Dr. David Christensen (right) of Reading, PA. The Christensens will live half the year in Winona Lake and the other half in the Poconos in Pennsylvania, where Christensen owns a home.

Clive Craigen (pictured, with boat), director of the Chicago Urban Encounter ministry under the direction of Grace Brethren North American Missions, recently reported that $13,750 has been realized from a boat auction conducted this fall to support the ministry. Seven donated watercraft were sold, some at the site of the sale in September and some over ebay auction.

Chris Armstrong, one of the editors and writers at Christianity Today magazine, shares his thoughts as the CTI staff was preparing the current special issue which focuses on some of the Anabaptist groups that figure in the history of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. His comments include:

Our hosts at the center— Steve [Scott, administrative assistant of the Young Center of Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania], director David Eller, Brethren historian Donald Durnbaugh, and historian of the Amish Donald Kraybill—convinced us that an excellent way to communicate the inner workings of the Anabaptists was to ask Anabaptists to write our articles.

This we have done in most of this issue's theme articles, and I am glad we did it this way. Through meeting these authors over the phone and reading their articles, I feel I have been introduced not just to a set of beliefs, but to a family of believers. Indeed, not just introduced, but invited to dinner—even to the famous Brethren "love feast."…

Consider the list of core values of these groups' "Old Order" branches presented by Donald Kraybill and Carl Desportes Bowman in their acclaimed book On the Backroad to Heaven (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001). These groups, the authors argue persuasively, are above all (1) relational, (2) practical, (3) constant, and (4) gentle…

The Anabaptists challenge almost every one of what Kraybill and Bowman call America's "core values": individual rights, moral autonomy, competition, success, participation in government, and the yearning for progress and material improvement.

Against such modern values, many Anabaptists espouse a church-centered, anti-individualist way of life so diametrically opposite to modern sensibilities that the fact they are able to sustain it is nearly miraculous. To read Armstrong’s full article, click here.

R.C. Sproul, founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries, a Christian educational ministry located in Orlando, Florida, has appointed Timothy A. Dick to succeed him as president of Ligonier Ministries effective immediately.

"I am proud and excited to announce that Tim Dick has been promoted from executive vice president to president of Ligonier Ministries. This move frees me from administrative responsibilities so I can devote my time to teaching and preaching," said Dr. Sproul. "Tim knows all aspects of the ministry and has done a superb job of running the day-to-day operation for the past few years. The board and I have total confidence in his ability and his devotion to the mission of Ligonier Ministries." Dr. Sproul founded Ligonier Ministries in 1971 and will continue to serve as chairman of the board of directors.

Under Dick's leadership as executive vice president for the past four years, the organization was restructured and the ministry's financial position improved significantly. Also during that time, Mr. Dick has overseen the expansion of the ministry, which includes the recent acquisition of Soli Deo Gloria Ministries. As president, Dick plans to continue with the expansion of international translations, radio broadcasts, and the placement of strategic global distribution centers in Latin, Central and South America, Germany, and the Ukraine.

Prior to working at Ligonier, Mr. Dick was a technical recruiter for eleven years with his own company, the R.K. Michaels Corporation, a specialized executive search firm working in the plastics and molding industry. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

The Bethel Brethren Church, located at 718 East Main Street, Berne, Indiana, will host a three-day Bible prophecy conference beginning Sun., Nov. 28, with evangelist Mike Wingfield of Roanoke, Virginia as guest speaker.

Wingfield is a 1975 Master of Divinity graduate of Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Ind. and has 33 years of ministry experience. Wingfield is the founder and director of Prophecy Today Ministries and is active as an author, editor, and an international Bible prophecy conference speaker.

His ministry opportunities have taken him coast to coast in 21 U.S. states and to Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Greece, Turkey, Canada, and New Zealand. He has been the featured speaker at 274 conferences in churches of various denominations in the U.S. in the last 7 years. His Bible prophecy newsletter has circulation in 47 states and 8 foreign countries. In recent years he has traveled to the Middle East 12 times and has become familiar with the political, social, economical, and spiritual trends in the region. His careful studies of the prophetic Scriptures, traveling experiences, and Scriptural analysis of world events, have given him a keen insight into current events.

The conference messages will be as follows: Sunday, 9 a.m. "Here Comes the Groom"; 10 a.m. "The Rapture of the Church"; 7 p.m. "The Global Call for Peace and Security"; Monday, 7 p.m. "Living in a Demonic Society"; and Tuesday, 7 p.m. "The Prophetic Future of Iran" Color slides on the Middle East will be shown each evening 15 minutes before the listed service times.

Wingfield's messages are colorfully illustrated with the use of computer "power-point" graphics, and demonstrate how current events are setting the stage for the end-time events, just as proclaimed by the ancient prophets of Israel. Those who have read the "Left Behind" series of novels, will want to hear these messages that give the Biblical background for these novels that have become so popular.

Pastor Joe Nass and the congregation at the Bethel Brethren Church invite the public to attend. For more information call (260) 589-3381 or (260) 589-2731.

Those wishing to receive Mike Wingfield's Bible prophecy newsletter, or receive a brochure for one of his future Holy Land tours, please send a request to: Prophecy Today Ministries, P.O. Box 210, Boones Mill, Virginia 24065.

Dr. Tim Sanborn, of the Grace College music faculty, was trombone soloist for the college's Sousa concert by the wind ensemble over this past weekend. (Al Disbro photo)

The Grace College Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Martin Becker, played a concert of Sousa numbers over the weekend. Supplemented with a few community and professional players, the ensemble played a wide selection of marches and other numbers by Sousa and Percy Grainger. One of the ensemble's tuba players, David Sanborn, had played under Grainger's direction in the 1940s and gave a personal account of that experience. The college will present a "Light of His Coming" Christmas concert at the Rodeheaver Auditorium in Winona Lake, Indiana, at 7 p.m on Friday, December 3. (Al Disbro photo) 

Tonight in Los Angeles, Billy Graham, 86, returns to the Rose Bowl to begin a crusade that will have 20,000 volunteers from over 1,200 churches representing 95 denominations working together in the four-day crusade slated for November 18-21.

It was 55 years ago, in 1949, that a young Billy Graham preached a tent revival in Los Angeles that launched him into worldwide prominence. Since then he has preached to more than 210 million people in more than 185 countries.

What is not known by most people is the role that a prayer meeting in the Rainbow Room of the Westminster Hotel in Winona Lake, Indiana, played in launching Graham’s stellar ministry.

Fred Hartley, writing in his book “Everything by Prayer,” gives details. The book, published by Christian Publications Inc., is the biography of Armin Gesswein, a Lutheran minister who was a pastor, seminary professor, associate evangelist of the BGEA, and founder of the Minister’s Prayer Fellowship and the Revival Prayer Fellowship. He passed away March 14, 2001. Here is an edited version of Hartley’s account:

“Of all the stories told that day [at Gesswein’s memorial service], perhaps the most gripping was the story of the prayer meeting that is said to have launched Billy Graham's world-impacting evangelistic ministry.

It was 3 o'clock in the morning on Wednesday, July 13, 1949. Between forty and fifty young men were gathered in the Rainbow Room of the Westminster Hotel in Winona Lake, Indiana. They had been there for five hours praying.

Evangelist Armin Gesswein of Southern California, who had been invited to conduct the prayer sessions, exhorted Billy, "If you are going to have prayer as part of your crusade, it has to be frontal not peripheral." That is exactly how an all-night prayer meeting happened to be called in the midst of a busy week-long Youth For Christ convention.

The men had been alternating prayers with praise, verses of Scripture, and requests for more prayer. Things were beginning to warm up. Hearts were poured out before God. The tide was running high. Gesswein stood to his feet. "You know," he said, "our brother Billy Graham is coming out to Los Angeles for a crusade this fall. Why don't we just gather around this man and lay our hands on him and really pray for him? Let's ask God for a fresh touch to anoint him for this work."

When it was over and the men were still kneeling, Billy Graham opened his Bible to Joel 3:13 and with deep conviction read aloud the words, "Put in your sickle, for the harvest is ripe: Come, get you down: for the press is full, and the vats overflow." Prayer went on in the Rainbow Room for another hour before the men retired.

When it all happened a few months later in Los Angeles, the reporters were there and the harvest became front-page news. But the newspapers did not report that night of prayer in the Rainbow Room.

Dr. Ted Engstrom reflected, "No one who was at that prayer meeting in Winona Lake in 1949 could possibly have forgotten it. It was one of the greatest nights that those of us present could ever remember. One aspect of it was the complete unanimity of spirit. Practically all of the men present found places of significant leadership in evangelism in the days following."

On November 7, 1983, Billy Graham stood on the corner of Washington and Hill Streets in Los Angeles at the exact spot of his prior crusade to receive an award from Mayor Bradley as a marker was erected to commemorate the historic significance of what took place in 1949.

However, the launching of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association may not have come from the preaching tent at the Los Angeles Crusade in 1949 as many have assumed, but from the pre-Los Angeles Crusade prayer meeting in Winona Lake and the Los Angeles prayer tent.

God keeps the books and when they are opened from the other side of eternity, we may be surprised to learn the invisible interplay between the private little prayer meetings and the great big public results. "

Kary Oberbrunner, student ministries pastor at the Powell, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church, today announced a national conference for 20-somethings to be held on the campus of Kenyon College, about an hour from Columbus, OH, the dates of June 15-18, 2005. Aimed at young people ages 19-29, the conference will seek to better connect and motivate an age group of Grace Brethren young people that traditionally is not well-connected with the local church. Full schedule and registration information will be available through CENational after the first of the year--watch future issues of FGBC World for more information.

ROBERT GORDON, 93, a major benefactor of Grace College and Seminary and the father of Grace College business professor Bill Gordon, went to be with the Lord on November 16.

Mr. Gordon and his wife, Frances, have been faithful friends of Grace and generous donors to the campus for many years. They donated fund to purchase the former Sofamor Danek building in Winona Lake (pictured here) which was dedicated as the school's $3 million new fitness and recreational center in October of 2003. The Gordons had also earlier given a $1.5 million donation toward the restoration of Westminster Hall, formerly the Westminster Hotel.

Calling will be from 4 - 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Titus Funeral Home in Warsaw, Indiana. The funeral will be held Saturday at Bethel Baptist Church in Springfield, Ohio, followed by burial in New Carlisle, Ohio.

Today I spent the morning with the Southern Ohio district ministerium.

We were discussing the BMH webpages (fgbcworld.com and bmhbooks.com) and one of them made an excellent suggestion.

"Show us how to make the Blog our home page," he suggested, indicating that one is much more likely to read it regularly if it pops up when you turn the computer on, rather than having to go hunt for it or click on "favorites."

So...here are the instructions.

Open your browser

Click "Tools"

Go down and click "Internet Options"

Click the "General" tab, and you should see a sentence something like this: "You can change which page to use for your home page."

It will likely say "Address" followed by a box. Use your mouse to highlight the current homepage setting, hit "delete" to wipe it out, and type into the box

http://www.fgbc-world.blogspot.com/


Click "OK" at the bottom and you're all set. Next time you open the browser, voila! Editor's Blog will be your home page.

Let me know if it works, or if you have problems.

Six Grace Theological Seminary faculty members, along a number of other theologians with Grace Brethren connections are attending the 56th annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in San Antonio, Texas, this week. The meeting, which begins Wednesday, November 17 and concludes Friday noon, is centered around the theme “What is Truth?”

Thursday morning several Grace professors will present papers. D. Brent Sandy’s paper is entitled “The Inerrancy of Illocution” and Herbert Bateman IV will present “Defining Mark’s Christology: Interpreting ‘Christ’ and ‘Son of God.’” Bateman will also serve on a panel discussion of “Second Temple Hermeneutics and Dispensationalism: The Discussion Continues” and Thursday afternoon Sandy will moderate an open session on “The Bible: Both Testaments.”

Terry Hofecker, pastor of Northwest Chapel Grace Brethren Fellowship in Dublin, Ohio, will present “The High Places of the Old Testament: A Case Study in Archaeological Apologetic” and BMH author Dr. Robert Culver will present “Antichrist, the Seventieth Week of Daniel Nine and the Canon of Faith in the Ancient Church.”

BMH Books’ interest will be represented by a sister imprint, Paternoster Publishing, at exhibit booth #35 on the exhibit floor. For more information on ETS and to see the week’s program, click here.

Jerry Polman, a recent Grace College graduate now teaching public school music in northern Indiana, was one of four featured soloists in Friday evening's Grace Community Orchestra and Festival Chorus presentation of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. Grace Prof. Ardis Faber directed the production, which was held in the Rodeheaver auditorium. (Al Disbro photo)

Ashland University (formerly Ashland College) played a key role in the history of Grace College and Seminary and of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. It was a group of Ashland faculty members--including Drs. Herman Hoyt and Alva J. McClain--who parted company with the Ohio school in the late 1930s and founded what is now Grace Seminary and Grace College. Current values and practices between the two school are quite different, but this release signals a more conservative shift in the Ohio school's hiring practices.

Church-Founded School's Hiring Policy Raises Concerns
by Mary Rettig November 12, 2004
(AgapePress) - Ashland University in North Central Ohio is returning to its religious roots by changing its hiring policies.

Founded by members of the Brethren Church in 1878, Ashland University has since maintained a tradition strongly influenced by its religious origins. That tradition has to a degree been reflected even in the university's administrative government, and its constitution has always contained references to Judeo-Christian values.

Last month, the Ohio school's Board of Trustees decided to only hire Christians or Jews as full-time faculty members. The policy also specifically mandates that the president of the university and his cabinet must be Christians. Ashland University's Steven Hannan says some current faculty members have some concerns about the new hiring policy.

"There's just been a lot of discussion," Hannan notes, adding that a number of issues have been raised about the new policy's impact on the school. "There have been concerns about academic freedom and impact on diversity," he says.

But although Ashland's decision to spell out and enforce a policy of only hiring people who profess Judaism or Christianity has generated controversy, the university spokesman contends that it is really just a reemphasis -- a return to the school's roots. "I think the Board of Trustees wanted to reinforce the university's historical ties to the church," he says.

Hannan points out that Ashland's administrative guidelines have "always spelled out the references to the Judeo-Christian values," and in this recent move, he says, the school's officials simply "decided to enforce that through the hiring policy."

Many faculty feel Ashland University's new hiring policy and its implementation warrant more thought, Hannan says. He believes the Board of Trustees will most likely revisit the issue in January for further discussion.

Yasser Arafat, who was buried today in Ramallah, clearly heard and understood the Gospel on several occasions, according to those who were present at the time. This story, from ASSIST News Service, details several occasions on which Arafat was given the message of salvation. I think you will find the details quite interesting and intriguing. Here is a short excerpt:

Recently Dr. Michael Youssef, the minister of the Church of the Apostles of Atlanta and of the TV and radio ministry ‘Leading the Way’ accepted R.T. Kendall’s invitation to visit Israel and Palestine.

During the first week of September, RT, Dr. and Mrs. Youssef and their son Joshua journeyed to Israel -- mainly to meet President Arafat and the Chief Rabbi of Israel. “Yasser Arafat had his 75th birthday only days before we saw him on September 2,” said Kendall. “I brought in a Bible -- in English and Arabic -- which he seemed very pleased to receive, and we gave him also some crystallized fruit that I knew he loves.”

Dr. Youssef said to him: “The prince of peace was born in this part of the world…and we know He is the only one who can gives us peace…it is our prayer that He may give you wisdom to achieve peace.” President Arafat was pleased to receive this word, Dr. Kendall said. “I felt led to share with President Arafat the verses that always govern me when I go into Ramallah. “For example, when you are before governors and kings ‘do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you’ (Matt.10:18-20).

“I told him I believe God gives me the words I say to him. I have always sensed the unusual leadership of the Holy Spirit every time I am with President Arafat. On at least two occasions -- when I presented the Gospel very strongly to him -- I felt I had as much anointing as in any pulpit. But each time afterwards I also feared I would never be invited back. But he has invited me back three times -- even to have lunch with him. We had over an hour with him on this occasion. I read Psalm 91:14-16, asked him permission to anoint him with oil and pray for him.

To read the entire story, click here.

November is board meeting time for several of the Fellowship national organizations. The Brethren Missionary Herald board (pictured here) is currently meeting, as is the CENational board. Grace College and Seminary board met recently in southern California, as well. BMH board members and staff pictured here include (front row, from left) Jesse Deloe, Nathan Bryant, Bob Arenobine, Barb Wooler, Nobby Enslen. Back row (from left) Pat Phillips, Bruce Barlow, Todd Scoles, Dan Thornton and Terry White. (Tom Avey photo)

Prof. Wayne Snider (left) was honored by Grace College President Ron Manahan (right) at this weekend's Homecoming activities for his 50 years of service teaching history. Manahan is holding a large notebook of congratulatory letters from Snider's students. Other Homecoming weekend activities included athletics, musical concerts, and class reunions for Grace College classes of 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, and 1999. Also a "Sounding Board Reunion," directed by Dr. Paulette Sauders, was held at noon Saturday to commemorate the college newspaper's first 50 years. Greetings were brought from former advisers Ava Schnittjer, Elener Norris Grossman, Ann Wharton Teel, and others.

Theodore Hobert Sr.
ORRVILLE , OH- Theodore Kiefer “Ted” Hobert Sr., 82, 11563 Back Massillon Road, Lot 9, was transported to Heaven through death on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004, at his home after an extended illness.

Services will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Berlin Christian Fellowship, with Pastor Tim Troyer officiating. Burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery, Millersburg. Friends may call Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at the church, or one hour prior to the services. Arrangements are being handled by Alexander Funeral Home, Millersburg. The family suggests contributions be made to Child Evangelism Fellowship, in care of the Rev. John Fitch, 7482 Lattasburg Road, Wooster 44691; or Grace Brethren International Missions, P.O. Box 588, Winona Lake, Ind. 46590.

Ted was born June 4, 1922, in Sandusky to Clarence P. and Irma (Kiefer) Hobert and married Dorothy K. Hamm on June 8, 1945. She was transported to Heaven through death on Sept. 6, 2003. Ted then married Hazel Eberly on March 1, 2004. She survives.

Ted and Dort served with Hazel as co-workers in the ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship and for more than 20 years had the Chapel on Wheels at the Wayne County Fair. Ted was a graduate and an all-American swimmer at Ohio State University and served as a swimming instructor in the U.S. Navy. He worked for Kauffman Lattimer Drug Co. for about 20 years, after which he was owner/operator and managed Wren Sales & Eternity Christian Bookstore, until retirement.

He was saved by God’s grace at the age of 40 and became a student of God’s Word. He attended Akron Bible Institute and Ashland Theological Seminary. He was active in service to the Lord as a member of First Grace Brethren Church, Wooster and later at Berlin Christian Fellowship. He led Living Water Chapel House Ministries and was a short-term missionary to Jamaica, China, Russia, Mexico and the Philippines.

Surviving in addition to his loving wife, Hazel, are children, Barbara Kathleen Summers of Chambersburg, Pa., Tad Kiefer Hobert Jr. of Dayton and David Kraig Hobert of St. Valier, France; nine grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; a brother, Dick Hobert of Lynchburg, Va.; and a stepdaughter, Pam Myers of Orrville. A brother, John Hobert, died previously.

Additional from Susie:
Hobie's dad has been in failing health for some time and we decided that once our meetings and camps were over Hobie should go to Ohio to spend time with him. He left for the U.S. on Sunday, October 31st and was able to see Emilie before heading to Ohio. He spent a rich week with his dad, new stepmom, brother and sister. His dad's health went rapidly downhill during that week, and the day that Hobie left for Washington D.C. his dad passed away. Hobie now plans to go back to Ohio for the funeral and will be coming back to France this Saturday, the 13th. We're so thankful that the Lord worked things out in such a way that they had this week together. Hobie and Ryan will be driving from D.C. to Ohio with Hobie's nephew Shawn, who is a fireman in D.C.

The Heralds of Grace Quartet, who traveled and represented Grace College and Seminary from 1959 until about 1968, were the first "alumni act" in last evening's Grace College homecoming activities. Members include, from left, David S. Miller, Dennis Beach, Garry Butt, Don Farner, and Terry White. (Sharon White photo) 

Joel Curry (left) and J. D. Woods, current Grace faculty members, are among the variety acts for a "Saturday Morning GC Live" program to be held at the Gordon Center on the Grace College campus this Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. Alumni Director Tim Ziebarth has a whole weekend of activities, including a "Sounding Board 50th Reunion" for past members of the college newspaper staff, this weekend. 

Grace College Homecoming activities began Friday night with the crowning of the homecoming queen and king, naming of the Parents of the Year, and a variety program. Clint Johnson, 23, of Warsaw, Indiana, was named Homecoming King and the Homecoming Queen is Kristina Freel, 22, from Osceola, Indiana. Johnson is a criminal justice major at Grace and Kristina Freel is a biology major.

LADIES’ HOME JOURNAL FEATURES “THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN® CHRISTMAS” BY AUTHOR RICK WARREN

The New York Times bestselling author of The Purpose-Driven® Life, Rick Warren, is featured in the December issue of Ladies’ Home Journal, with a specially-penned article, “The Purpose-Driven Christmas.” The December issue hits newsstands on November 9.

"Rick Warren delivers in his warm, wise voice, ways for all of us to make this season more meaningful, rewarding and joyful,” says Diane Salvatore, editor-in-chief of Ladies’ Home Journal. “We are excited to bring his message to our 14 million readers.”

As pastor to one of the largest churches in America, Warren gives insight to the reader on how to “get off the treadmill” of the holidays and bring purpose and meaning to your life during the Christmas season.

“I’m honored to be invited to speak to so many readers during this Christmas season,” Warren said. “My hope is that for millions, this Christmas will be less pressured and more purposeful.”

In September, The Purpose-Driven Life marked its two-year anniversary, reaching a publishing milestone of 19 million copies sold in the United States, making it the bestselling hardback nonfiction book in history. Warren recently completed a U.S. speaking and media tour in conjunction with the anniversary, including a wide range of stops from the Pentagon to a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) National Conference in Tennessee, to the kick off this fall’s 40 Days of Purpose program involving more than 10,000 churches worldwide, with nearly 20,000 churches already having completed the program.

Here's an interesting thought.

Were Grace Brethren voters a major factor--perhaps THE deciding factor--in re-electing George Bush as president?

All the world is aware of how important Ohio was in this election. And it is well-recognized that evangelicals turned out, voted, and were the major factor in his return to office.

Grace Brethren are mainstream evangelicals. Where in the US is our greatest concentration? Well...the current FGBC directory lists 59 Grace Brethren churches in Ohio. We stretch from Cleveland to Toledo to Columbus to Dayton--to some extent the multiple Grace Brethren congregations in Ohio may make it one of the "most Christian states" in the same way that Grace Brethren missions work has made Central African Republic one of the most Christian nations on earth (see article in current FGBC World). And some of our largest and most influential congregations are in Ohio.

We don't want to take credit we don't deserve--but certainly Grace Brethren people should feel good about having gotten out the vote, and having voted their consciences.

Rightly or wrongly, I'm thinking that Grace Brethren people in Ohio may have had a significant influence on the entire world's direction the next four years.

Here is an excerpt from a good interpretive post-election article from World Magazine. To read the full article (note last paragraph, in particular), click here:

Despite the hyperbole of some on the right—perhaps induced by euphoria mixed with lack of sleep—there was widespread consensus that Mr. Bush owed his reelection largely to his evangelical base. " Christian evangelical votes made the difference in this election, there's no doubt about it," said Roberta Combs, executive director of the Christian Coalition. "Four years ago they didn't really know President Bush, and they didn't turn out as strongly as they might have. But I think Christian evangelicals got to know him and trust him. They know he's a man of faith—he's spoken about it and he's practiced it."

But Matthew Spalding, director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center at the Heritage Foundation, warns that focusing on evangelicals alone misses the full impact of what the president has accomplished in terms of coalition-building. "It's not just the religious right—this is bigger. Bush got a significant portion of the Hispanic vote—42 percent. He got 11 percent of the black vote nationally and better than that in some states. He got the Catholic vote, the Protestant vote. It's now accurate to say there's a bloc—there's a group out there that takes these moral issues seriously. They're the cornerstone of the Bush coalition."

Mr. Spalding points out that one in five voters on Nov. 2 cited "moral values" as the most important issue driving them to the polls. "No one saw that coming. They expected it to be all about jobs and terrorism." Because of their religious blind spot, he says, the mainstream media "completely missed the larger movement in American politics—that is, that we are seeing a moral alignment of great magnitude for this country."

That moral alignment, he says, is "about a whole basket of issues, not just abortion. . . . We know abortion is very important, and the pro-life vote went 70 percent plus for Bush." But it was another moral issue—one that got very little attention during the campaign—that may have turned the entire election in the Republicans' favor. "This was clearly a 9/11 election," Mr. Spalding says. "I believe the post-9/11 threat was the single most important issue with most voters. But if there was a side issue that decided several states and gave Bush the presidency, it was the defense-of-marriage issue."

Indeed, constitutional initiatives limiting marriage to one man and one woman swept the board on Tuesday, winning by margins of 60 percent to 80 percent in all 11 states where they appeared on the ballot. Though gay marriage was rarely mentioned during the campaign, Mr. Bush did come out early in favor of a Federal Marriage Amendment—a position opposed by Mr. Kerry. That seemed to work in the president's favor: Of the 11 states voting on the measure, Mr. Bush carried nine of them. (Only Michigan and Oregon went to Mr. Kerry.)

But it was Ohio—the linchpin of the entire election—where the issue appeared to be most pivotal. All day, exit polls had predicted good news for the Democrats, and newscasters privy to the poll results could barely contain their glee. Then, when the polls closed in Ohio at 7:30 p.m., came the first hint that something might go seriously wrong with the Kerry momentum.
Within moments after voting ended in the Buckeye State—and more than 12 hours before Mr. Kerry was willing to admit defeat there—the networks predicted a big win for Ohio's toughest-in-the-nation ban on gay marriages and civil unions. On NBC, Tom Brokaw let out a low whistle. The implications were obvious: A 2-to-1 winning margin for the marriage amendment (known in Ohio as Issue 1) suggested a bigger GOP turnout than anyone had anticipated.

Bryan Nelson, director of music at the Lititz, PA Grace Brethren Church, recently used a Phil Keaggy concert as an outreach, inviting community guitarists to join Keaggy for a "jam." About the event, Nelson says, "Thought you'd like to see the 130 guitars from the community from our guitar jam with Phil Keaggy. Only three guitarists were from our church! God is using this event to reach those who would normally never step inside our church, especially musicians. Since the event, we've had several begin attending the church on a regular basis." (photo courtesy Tom Avey)

Grace Brethren US Army Chaplain James Schaefer (standing, right) in Afghanistan, reports, "I had the chance, with my Col. Pedersen, to lead my Muslim Mullah leaders in prayer for the Break of Fast last Thursday, 21 Oct, during our post-dusk meal during Ramadan. We had a great time to talk about the times, the families God has given us and share in general good-natured fellowship, emphasizing our common heartfelt need to see peace and order come to Afghanistan! This is the sixth meeting with the Mullahs and is very productive in working together to change the Province of Kandahar and reach the hearts of these men! I ask you to continue to pray for this country, in Jesus' Name!" Schaefer further reported, "I also visited the polling sites for the Afghan vote counting. I was not allowed as an American to view the counting, but stayed outside with the young soldiers who conducted security and exchanged kind words and gifts."
Also, PRAY for our Country and its resolve to do what is right in the eyes of God!
James E. Schaefer
CTF Bronco Chaplain
DSN: 318-841-1424/1009
DNVT: 303-523-1222
"For GOD and BRONCOS!"
 

Retired GBIM missionary Mary Ann J. Habegger, 80, a resident of Swiss Village in Berne, Indiana, died Monday, November 1, 2004 at Adams County Memorial Hospital, Decatur, Indiana. Friends and family were able to gather and say goodbye during her brief but severe illness. Born December 29, 1923, Habegger was deployed in 1952 as a registered nurse to Yaloke, Central African Republic. She spent 40 years working in Africa using her medical training and skill and retired in 1992 to Berne. The funeral will be Friday, November 5 at Bethel Brethren Church in Berne, Indiana at 10 am. Viewing will be at the Yager-Kirchhofer Funeral Home on Thursday, November 4 from 2:30-8 pm and at the church Friday from 9-10 am.

Uncle Sam leads the way to the presidential voting booth at the Hope Community Church (Raleigh, NC) Fall Family Fun Festival. Among the many festival celebrations, early "voting" for the presidential candidates was a highlight as votes were cast based on candidate likes/dislikes (favorite treats, favorite sports, etc.), while their actual names were kept off the ballots. (John Watts photo)

There's a very interesting and thought-provoking article in the October, 2004 issue of Washington Monthly by Sasha Issenberg entitled "The Simplest Life: Why Americans Romanticize the Amish." Since the Grace Brethren have some common roots with the Amish, we are reproducing here the first several paragraphs with a link to the rest of the article. At Equip05 this summer, BMH is sponsoring a "Brethren Heritage Tour" on Thursday evening which will include touring the Menno Hof Interpretive Center of Anabaptist History which explains many of the historical links.


One might have expected the uproar that ensued last February when UPN unveiled plans for a reality show called "Amish in the City." The premise--five Old Order Amish teenagers move to Los Angeles to live with six of their non-Amish peers, confronting the seductive powers of technology and libertinage--instantly aroused opposition from a coalition of Amish advocates, rural-life preservationists, and a majority of U.S. senators, who signed a letter accusing Viacom, UPN's parent company, of bigotry. "Amish in the City," these guardians of good taste insisted in newspaper ads and press conferences, would hold the Amish up to ridicule. (This was before the show had even been produced, let alone aired.) After mulling cancellation, UPN decided to air the show anyway, prompting Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-Pa.), who represents the heavily Amish Lancaster area, to tell local papers that "[t]he very nature of this program is offensive and exploitative."

Pitts needn't have worried. True, "Amish in the City" carries all the formulas of the strangers-in-house reality-show model. There are domestic struggles (who left the dishes out?), stunt-based excursions (in one episode, the Amish kids and the city kids swapped outfits and hit the streets) and direct-to-camera confessional scenes in which the participants talk about how it all makes them feel. But, with the exception of some dubious dental work among the women and some aggressively unstylish sartorial choices among the men, the show's Amish characters don't fare poorly at all.

Indeed, rather than deride its protagonists, "Amish in the City" does what Americans have always done: It admires the Amish. (to read more, click here)

To read an interesting review of an open-to-the-public meal in a northeast Ohio Amish home, click here.

The following article, featuring one of our Columbus churches, appeared in this morning's San Francisco Chronicle:

Candidates' final appeal to sway a divided electorate
ON THE OHIO TRAIL: Religious voters torn between candidates
Zachary Coile, Chronicle Political Writer
Monday, November 1, 2004

Westerville, Ohio -- Inside Grace Brethren, an evangelical Christian mega-church in the suburbs of Columbus, more than 1,000 parishioners listened to a sermon Sunday about the value of charitable giving. Outside, volunteers for President Bush were sticking religious-themed voter guides on every parked car.

"Vote your values," urge the guides from the Ohio Republican Party. "This Nov. 2, it is critical to support the candidate who works to strengthen the family and the culture of life."
The president has pinned his hopes of winning the election on millions of evangelical and conservative religious voters in Ohio and other swing states, where slogans like "culture of life" and "protecting marriage" are energizing voters.

"We're strong Bush supporters," said Jennifer Reale, a member of the church. "It's values. On the big issues, we're aligned with him."

But interviews with dozens of churchgoers at several Columbus area congregations Sunday suggested that this year's heated campaign has left a significant number of religious voters conflicted.

While many Christian voters said they support Bush because of his positions on same-sex marriage and abortion, others have grown disillusioned with his policies on the economy, health care and the Iraq war.

Michelle Corpron, a 35-year-old evangelical Christian at Grace Brethren, said social and religious issues are secondary for her this year. She recently lost her job at a local electronics assembly plant and is concerned about joining the ranks of Americans without health insurance.
"I think we need a change," said Corpron, who intends to vote for Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry. "We need someone who can do better on the economy and health issues."

Bush, a born-again Christian, has aggressively courted religious voters by signing a ban on partial-birth abortion, endorsing a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, opposing embryonic stem cell research and publicly discussing his faith. The Bush campaign has also used churches around the country to register new GOP voters.

The president's top political adviser, Karl Rove, has said Bush nearly lost the 2000 election because 4 million of an estimated 20 million evangelical voters stayed home. This year, however, religious conservatives are showing no signs of apathy.

"I want a president who believes in God, who believes in traditional marriage, who believes babies have a right to live," said Susan Purdy, a Bush supporter and member of Grace Brethren.
A few miles south off Interstate 71, at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, an African American church in the blue-collar neighborhood of South Linden, the election talk is more about Iraq and job losses than about social issues.

"If we stay in Iraq, the way I feel about it now, we're going to be in a world war," said David Simpson, 52, a retired utility worker. "To go in there and say, 'We're going to change that country,' it's ludicrous. You're just not going to do that."

Rev. Rayford Harper, the church's pastor, said many of his elderly church members are also concerned about rising prescription drug costs -- an issue he said favors the Democrats. But he said his congregation of Baptists may be more in line with the president than Kerry on social or moral issues.

"A lot of people will vote for Bush because they see this Christian morality," Harper said. "Kerry has not come out and done that."

Also on the Ohio ballot Tuesday is Issue 1, a proposed ballot measure that would define marriage as between a man and woman and preclude same-sex marriages or civil unions. Many Democrats see the measure as an effort to boost the turnout of religious voters to help Bush.
But despite polls showing the measure ahead nearly 2-1, a number of GOP leaders -- including Gov. Bob Taft and the state's two Republican U.S. senators -- have opposed the initiative, saying it could threaten domestic partners benefits not just for gays and lesbians, but for other unmarried couples, including seniors who live together.

"It's a big issue with evangelicals," said Ron Whiteside, a deacon at Northwest Bible Church, a conservative congregation north of Columbus. "I think it's going to motivate a lot of people -- both for it and against it."

At Good Shepherd, Ansul Robb said he and other African American church members are uncertain about whether to support the measure.

"The Bible states that marriage is a man and a woman, not a couple," said Robb, a Kerry supporter. But he said he fears the initiative could block gays and unmarried couples from having certain rights and benefits. "It's so open- ended on how far it really can go."

The opposition among many religious voters to same-sex marriage explains why Kerry has sought to downplay the issue, stressing that he opposes gay marriage but also opposes the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage backed by the president.

Across the street from Good Shepherd is St. Augustine and Gabriel, a Roman Catholic church that in recent years has become an almost entirely Asian congregation because of an influx of Vietnamese immigrants.

The Bush campaign sent two Vietnamese volunteers to address the congregation a month ago, reminding them that Kerry, a Catholic, is pro-choice. The Kerry campaign also sent a representative, who talked more about the Democrat's positions on the economy and health care.

Jason Nguyen, a 32-year-old computer programmer, said he listened carefully and agreed with Kerry's views on the war in Iraq and tax cuts. But, as a Catholic, he said he will vote for Bush because of his views on abortion, marriage and stem cell research.

"Kerry is a very smart guy, and he knows the issues," Nguyen said. "But he has to stick with his faith."