BMH Editor's Blog

A group of 19 students, spouses, and faculty from Grace Seminary, Winona Lake, IN, left today for "the Israel Experience," a 10-day study trip to the Holy Land.

The group is being led by Dr. Jeff Gill, dean of Grace Theological Seminary, and by Dr. Terry Hofecker, adjunct professor at the seminary and pastor of Northwest Chapel in Dublin, Ohio.

Students will receive three hours of credit for the experience--the group will return on March 9.

The South Focus Retreat got off to a good start this afternoon as Scott Avey led the pastors and church leaders in worship music. Dan Allan, current moderator of the FGBC, introduced the subject of the leader's heart with opening comments on "Guard Your Heart...The Wellspring of Life." The retreat is at Haines City, Florida, and continues through Wednesday noon. 

Our from-the-heart-of-Africa reports from Miriam Pacheco and Barb Wooler continue. Here is an edited version of Sunday’s e-mail report from Miriam:

The mourning and wailing quieted Friday night in Moale, replaced with a full-fledged community “sala ngia” ~ making joy/gathering for fellowship ~ around the fire with lots of singing. We found out in the morning that the believers were there and said everything was good. What a blessing to know that in this time of deep sorrow for the community and the church, they were responding in godly ways. Thank you so much for praying for that specifically. Your prayers are having an effect on the children of the forest!

The storm finally did hit around 1 or 2 am, but it wasn’t a strong one and it settled into a steady rain that lasted until mid-morning. It was nice to have an unusually leisurely couple of morning hours. We were ready for the Moale weekend to begin.

UNTIL........Pastor BABAY and his wife brought their 14-month-old baby who has been sick for several days. Barb was giving him a treatment for malaria and also we had mixed up a rehydration drink for him because he was so lethargic and weak. He seemed to perk up a little from the drink, but he was still a sick little guy. As they told Barb the symptoms, she once again checked in her “Where There Is No Doctor” manual (that’s the greatest book!) and it seemed to indicate that he probably had a ball of worms in his intestine. The treatment for worms is relatively simple – a three-day dose of Vermox which is little tablets you chew. But the book and the medicine bottle say they are for kids two-years-old or older. So Barb was very hesitant to give it to him. The only other option was to take the parents and baby out to a dispensary for treatment. And we only had enough gas for one more trip out of the forest.

As soon as word spread that we would be leaving ~ and it seemed to take only seconds ~ there were several others who were sure they needed a ride somewhere and they came to ask. Also a young woman who had just arrived from another village came to greet us.

This young woman, Loaka Anne, was in the very first beginner’s class I taught back in the mid ‘90s when she was probably around 14 or 15, and she was a great student. She progressed very fast in reading and became a very capable teacher also. She had great potential and could have been a wonderful influence in the lives of many young people in the Moale GBC and the community.

But instead of following the pure lifestyle that Jesus commanded us to live, this energetic, beautiful young woman chose to believe the lie of Satan that sex is the thing to live your life for. She never married, bore two children, and now she is sick with AIDS. She looks very thin and is weak. It was such a heartbreak to see how she is wasting away. Her oldest child is also not well and probably has AIDS, too. I pray that her heart is right with God and that I will see her in Heaven some day. I’m certain I’ll never see her here on earth again.

We heard the sound of a truck. As we sat and talked with the people, into our yard walked a white woman and three tall Africans (villagers as opposed to Pygmies). They were speaking French and told us they were on a mission to give polio vaccinations to kids five and under. We had heard on the BBC something about that happening in CAR but figured they’d never get into the forest to find these kids. But there they were. Barb asked them about the symptoms for BABAY’s baby. They said they would start with a malaria treatment (yep!) and then if that didn’t do it they’d give a worm treatment. Barb explained that we didn’t have anything for babies that small and they said all they would give them was Vermox. SO...in telling the parents that, they decided not to leave but to go ahead with the Vermox treatment.

We were packed and the others were counting on us going. So we left! Little by little we dropped our passengers off, the last one in Bangui at the corner to catch a taxi and we arrived at the Mission about 10 pm. When we come back from the forest we always call it the Bangui Hilton. It just feels so good to get a real shower and have a nice bed to sleep in and a quiet place to gather your thoughts and not have it be like Grand Central Station.

I was sad to leave the forest so quickly without being able to complete what I thought I would be doing there, even though the work I did was important and significant. And there were some of the folks I would have liked to sit with a little longer and ask them some more questions.

But I am also glad to be back here in the capital city where life is more like how I’m used to it. I anticipate some good days ahead working with Project Hope & Charite ~ GBIM’s widow and orphan care program getting underway here.

Pastor Randy Smith of the Sebring, FL, Grace Brethren Church stands in front of a property that has been made available to the church to house the first of the "4/12 Commission" student institutes. Located at 109 W. Center Street, right on the town square of downtown Sebring, the former hotel is being renovated to include six rooms for housing, a youth center, and one large classroom. The institute will open for students in the fall--for more information log onto www.cenational.org. 

Groups of workers from the Sebring, FL, Grace Brethren Church are working long hours to hang drywall, complete wiring and plumbing, and generally prepare the Sebring church's downtown property for the opening of the first Institute class this fall.  

After Barb Wooler's AkaLand Expedition in January of 2005, Balemagna (right) talked of wanting to return to that region to help start a church where his sister (left) was. Balemagna drowned this week in a controversial incident. Church-planting and pastor-preparation are well underway, even though this week's activities have had sobering effects.

We have been posting updates from Miriam Pacheco and Barb Wooler, who are currently in the Central African Republic, working in ministry with Pygmies and with orphans. This latest dispatch from Barb contains significant drama and heartache—in one short week there have been, in Barb’s words, “adventure, death, missing bodies, murder(?), adultery, joy and sorrow, highs and lows all jumbled up three amazing days. The wild, wild west doesn't have a thing over Pygmyland!” Here are some excerpts from her explanatory e-mail:

Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 22), Pastor Martin's family was packed
up to move out to the main road where he had been called to be the pastor of
a Grace Brethren Church and also start a new Pygmy work. We figured the previous days storm had brought down some trees, but could not have imagined how many.

In all, 23 areas of the road needed to be cleared of tree, vines and debris, and we arrived at Bakota after seven long hours at 8 p.m.

By then all who had been waiting to welcome their new pastor were long gone as was all the stew and manioc prepared for the occasion; but almost instantly a crowd gathered.

Arriving home at Moale around noon on Wednesday, we washed up and took a nap. When I woke up, I opened the door--in Moale, my door being opened translates to "Open for business," and within seconds one of our evangelists was at the door.

"Mademoiselle, have you heard?" "Heard what?" I asked. He went on to tell
me the tragic news that two of our Moale men and one villager who had hired them to hunt elephants with him had drowned that same morning. The canoe they had hired to cross a river tipped over in the water that had swollen due to the rain. One of the men was BALEMAGNA Jean-Marie, one of my dearest students.

This was the beginning of troubles. Soon it became apparent that the bearer of the news was also the one who paddled the canoe. In Africa, it looks suspicious if one is in an "accident" and doesn't get hurt, especially if the ones who did get hurt or killed are lowly Pygmies. When it was evident that the messenger was the canoe paddler, he suddenly became a prisoner whose life was at risk. He was locked up in the chief’s hut as much for his own safety as for fear that he would try to escape.

Thirty minutes later Pastor Babay and I were walking into the dark, stuffy
hut where the "prisoner" had been locked into a room. The prisoner was
escorted out, and we all crammed together in the small hut as he gave his account. This man was no murderer, but he was lying. He said that our brothers had taken the canoe, and that he just saw what happened from the river bank. The further he got into his story, the tighter and more desperate his voice sounded, especially as he noticed that no one was persuaded that our guys had taken the canoe on their own. He often looked at me with eyes wide with fear as if he thought his fate rested on me.

I said, "I really wonder if this man is just lying because he is scared to death to tell the truth. We all know what fear is. It's common to all of us." At this point, the despondent "prisoner" in the adjoining room, who could hear every word, started sobbing. God was at work in this dingy little house, and hearts began softening.

Walking the rest of the way home in the moonlight, there was part of me that
was glowing in all of this heartache. I glowed with the a profound, pride for my brother, Pastor Babay, who had passed his first big test as head pastor of the Moale Grace Brethren Church, and that with less than one full day on the job!

At 1 a.m., we awoke to the sounds of a man yelling in an all-out fight. I arrived at the scene to see a young man being held back by several believers, the young man's grandmother sat on the ground trying to catch her breath. Eventually I found out that the young man, also a believer, walked into his father's house to find his married sister in bed with another man. (Most of the family was away.) After a few minutes, the young man collected himself and stormed away in the night. The next morning he and I and the pastors here determined it would be best to drop the woman off at the village where her father was, and let him deal with the problem.

Having dropped off the prisoner and the woman caught in adultery, I raced back to Moale for meetings with Jim Hocking. The Moale folks have been working for the last four months to prepare for a well to be drilled by Jim's organization. We have dug 45 outhouses, and after this meeting with Jim, our team has some more things to work on. Jim's visit not only provided more direction and encouragement to our well team, he was willing to give me enough diesel fuel in my tank to get me back to M'baiki. My extra trip out to the road had left us short.

Miriam and I came back here to help teach our evangelists, but it has been so crazy since we got here we have only had a few normal days to do so. Today (Friday) happened to be one of them. It is a pure PLEASURE to work with these men. Miriam and I team taught a advanced class on handwriting for our most promising men. It has been amazing to see their progress in just these few short days!

At 5 this afternoon we received word that the bodies had all been recovered. They were laid to rest on the banks of the river where they died.

PRAYER POINTS
Please pray that the believers in this community will be a strong testimony to others of mourning as those who have hope. There are a lot of pagan ideas surrounding death in this culture, and these ideas die slowly. Pastor Babay said the other day that the thing that sets Moale apart from all other Pygmy communities of believers that he has seen is transformed lives, people who no longer give themselves to drink and smoking pot. It would be wonderful if we can see evidence of transformation in this situation as our communities grieve for these men.

God bless and keep you. THANK YOU for your partnership in prayer,
 

Donald Hodel is retiring as president of Focus on the Family and will be succeeded by James D. Daly, the organization's current chief operating officer, it was announced Feb. 25.

Hodel, 70, had served as president and chief executive officer of Focus on the Family, the Colorado-based pro-family organization, since April 2003. The move is effective immediately and will be discussed March 2 during the organization's radio broadcast, when Hodel and Daly join Focus on the Family founder and chairman James Dobson on the program.

"Don ... has set aside numerous personal and professional obligations for the last couple of years that he feels he can no longer ignore," Dobson said in a statement. "In addition, Don believes -- and our management team is in unanimous agreement -- that the goals and objectives that were set forth for the ministry when he became president have all been met.

"... Don told me that a common temptation for leaders is to enjoy their job so much that they end up staying longer than they should. He realized that the Lord had enabled him to accomplish what he had set out to do -- and, indeed, what he felt called to do -- here at Focus, and that it would be counterproductive for him to try to carry on beyond that point."

Hodel will remain on the organization's board of directors, which he joined in 1995. Hodel previously served as president of the Christian Coalition and, earlier, as a cabinet member in President Reagan's administration, first as secretary of energy and then as secretary of the interior.

Daly has been with Focus on the Family since 1989, serving mostly in the organization's public affairs, marketing and international efforts departments. Daly became vice president of public affairs in October 2003 and then chief operating officer in November 2004.

He and his wife, Jean, have two sons.

"[T]he executive team here at Focus," Dobson said, "has been tremendously encouraged by [Daly's] strong desire to 'stay the course' in terms of doing what the ministry does best -- namely, extending a helping hand to struggling families and standing up in defense of the biblical values they hold dear. At the same time, Jim has a forward-thinking spirit of innovation that will only serve to build upon that foundation in the years ahead."
--30--
More information about the transition is available online at http://www.family.org/docstudy/newsletters/a0035609.cfm.

Grace College students Kathryn MacMillan and Rebekah Pinkham have been awarded "Honor Her" Scholarships for 2005. These scholarships are provided by Women of Grace USA (formerly WMC), a cooperating organization of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.

The scholarships are awarded to Grace College and Seminary women who have hearts for missions and are planning to be involved in cross-cultural ministry in the future.

Kathryn, who is currently studying abroad in Paris, is the daughter of Robert and Sharon MacMillan of Tracy, California. She is a sophomore, majoring in business administration and marketing. Her father is pastor of the Tracy Grace Brethren Church. Rebekah is a senior and the daughter of Timothy and Margaret Pinkham of Plainville, Indiana. She is majoring in Spanish, business administration, and international business. (source: connect@grace.edu)

Readers of FGBC World are seeing the byline of Ashley Woodworth this semester as this Grace College senior serves as editorial intern with the Brethren Missionary Herald Co. Yesterday was Ashley's birthday, which the BMH and FGBC office staff celebrated with an impromptu party. Ashley, who is from Waterloo, Indiana, is assisting with writing and editing for FGBC World and BMH Books, and with other general editorial and office duties. (Tom Avey photo) 

Walter Hawkins, Mylon Le Fevre, Evie Tornquist, The Lewis Family, Ronn Huff, Don Light and Lou Hildreth were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame Feb. 22 near Nashville, Tenn.

John W. Styll, president of the Gospel Music Association, said each is deserving of the honor "not only for their individual artistic contributions to gospel music, but for the profound influence they had on artists that followed them. Their contributions to gospel music will be forever remembered by this honor."

Hawkins first emerged in the youth choir that recorded "Oh, Happy Day" and went on to become an accomplished recording artist, songwriter and producer. Le Fevre wrote "Without Him," which was first recorded by Elvis Presley when Le Fevre was just 17 years old, according to a GMA news release. Tornquist was widely known by only her first name and is often referred to as the Amy Grant of previous generations.

The Lewis Family is known as the first family of bluegrass gospel music. Huff's arrangements have been among the recordings of artists like Bill and Gloria Gaither, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, George Strait and Sandi Patty.

Light began as a Grand Ole Opry drummer and went on to launch the first booking agency for gospel music artists. Hildreth was an artist, songwriter, publisher and television host who became the first woman to own a gospel music artist booking agency.

The GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame was established in 1971 and has inducted 125 total members including Elvis Presley, Amy Grant, the Oak Ridge Boys, Petra and Bill and Gloria Gaither.

Want to tour baseball parks with Grace alumni this summer? See details below. 

A Canadian Rockies Tour is being conducted especially for Grace College and Seminary alumni the dates of June 18-25, 2005.

To include Edmonton, Fort Edmonton Park, West Edmonton Mall, Jasper, Columbia Icefields, Lake Louise, Banff, and Calgary, the trip will include eight days and 11 meals and will cover a route first used in the 1800s by fur traders.

A special feature will be a drive through the incredible Icefields Parkway, which parallels the Great Divide and provides some of the most dramatic vistas of snow-capped mountains in all of North America. At the Columbia Icefields, a dramatic 200-square-mile stretch of land filled with glaciers, participants will have opportunity to ride across a 1,000-foot-thick glacier.

Cost is $1,999 per person (2 to a room), or $2,599 for one person to a room. Contact the Grace Alumni Services office for a complete brochure or more details. E-mail alumni@grace.edu, phone 1-866-448-3472, or log onto the alumni section of the Grace website at www.grace.edu.

Also available to Grace alumni this summer will be the “2005 Diamond Series Tour” of major league baseball games and parks in Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Arizona.

Parks include Bank One Ballpark (Padres at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.) on April 23; Miller Park (Twins at Brewers, 6:05 p.m.) on June 25; Great American Ballpark (Brewers at Reds, 7:10 p.m.) on July 22; and Citizens Bank Park (Brewers at Phillies, 7:05 p.m.) on August 5.

For more details and to register online go to www.grace.edu or contact the alumni office at alumni@grace.edu or call 1-866-448-3472.
 

A cake and a fellowship dinner celebrated the third birthday of "Happy Church" in Jackson, Kentucky, this past Sunday. Pastor Mike Tabor, who spoke at national conference this past summer about the challenges of church-planting in one of the most economically-challenged counties in the U.S., says he has reason to be encouraged.

"Good things are happening as a young married couple is starting to work with the youth and a mature believer with seminary training has moved to our area and likes what we are doing and has joined God’s work here," Tabor reports.

He continues, "Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Connie and I pray that God’s kingdom is growing, through your obedience in Him, in your Jerusalem."
 

"We just celebrated our third birthday as a church this past Sunday and had a great time with great food," writes Pastor Mike Tabor of the "Happy Church" in Jackson, Kentucky. 

AGBM, BMH Announce Partnership for Communication and Office Services

The Association of Grace Brethren Ministers has formed an agreement with Brethren Missionary Herald Co. of Winona Lake, IN, for web and print communication services and to provide an office “home” for the association, according to AGBM president Tim Boal.

Boal, who is pastor of the Penn Valley Grace Brethren Church in Telford, PA, recently led a three-day meeting of the AGBM officers and leadership at which long-range plans for expanding and broadening services to members was discussed.

The Association, which includes all licensed and ordained ministers in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, also intends to broaden its services to include other church and church/school staff members, widows of pastors, and more, according to Boal.

The Brethren Missionary Herald Co. (BMH), which publishes the Fellowship’s news organ FGBC World and operates BMH Books, the denominational publishing house, was the logical choice for contracted communication services, according to Boal.

“We are very excited about BMH's role in helping the AGBM move forward in ministry,” said Boal, in announcing the arrangement. The new AGBM website at www.agbm.net will go “live” in a few weeks, and BMH will be responsible for keeping the site’s content updated.

In addition, quarterly printed newsletters will be created and mailed to the AGBM mailing list of more than 600 individuals. The AGBM’s permanent mailing address will be P.O. Box 694, Winona Lake, Indiana, 46590, and office services and document archiving and storage will be provided by BMH at its headquarters building on Kings Highway in Winona Lake.

Much of the new direction and expanded services for AGBM is issuing from reports and recommendations made by Dr. Jerry Young, recently-retired long-term pastor of the Lititz, PA, Grace Brethren Church, who has been on contract this past year to work in research and development for AGBM. Young has traveled throughout the Fellowship, meeting with pastors, assessing current strengths and weaknesses, and formulating recommendations for future direction.

The AGBM leadership team, in addition to Young and Boal, includes Dan White of York, PA; Joel Richards of Modesto, CA; Buddy Olzewski of Rittman, OH; Ken Bickel of Goshen, IN; and Randy Weekley of Pinellas Park, FL. Lee Dice, of Wooster, OH, continues to provide administrative and financial services support to the AGBM membership.

 

The following article appeared in this morning's Hagerstown (MD) Herald-Mail newspaper, featuring a band from the Hagerstown Grace Brethren Church, Dean Pryor, pastor:

Seven-year-old Christian band releases first album
by ANDREA ROWLAND

Members of the local contemporary Christian band Forgiven use music as a means to spread their spiritual beliefs.

"We just want to get out and use our talents that the Lord's given us and share it with others " said drummer Blake Gelwicks, 51, of Hagerstown.

Forgiven's concerts always are free.

Band members - including lead vocalist and percussionist Larry Harnish; Darryl Hughes, who sings and plays guitar and keyboard; guitarist Carl Black Jr.; and Mike Jordan, who sings and plays bass guitar - recently released the group's first CD, "Lost Without God's Love." The disc features 10 original songs with lyrics centered around the benefits of turning to God for guidance and support, Gelwicks said.

He, Harnish and Hughes started Forgiven about seven years ago to spread word about Christianity to others, and to illustrate with their music and life experiences how God changes lives.

"A lot of the guys in the band had been in secular bands in the past, but we just decided that our talents would be better used to serve the Lord," Gelwicks said. "The Lord's opened a lot of doors for us that we never expected."

In addition to recording a CD, Forgiven has had the opportunity to minister through music at coffeehouses, churches and other venues throughout Western Maryland, he said. Forgiven's music has aired on radio stations including MIX 95.1 in Chambersburg, Pa., and WLTF 97.5 in Martinsburg, W.Va.

Forgiven is the house band at Hagerstown Grace Brethren Church's coffeehouse, the One Way Caf, which features guest Christian bands at 6:30 p.m. the first Saturday of each month. To learn more about the band, go to www.hagerstowngrace.com on the Web.

"Lost Without God's Love" is available from band members and at Christian Light Bookstore in Hagerstown and Chambersburg.

Miriam Pacheco (center) is assisting several of the most promising Pygmy students with their literacy lessons. GBIM missionary Barb Wooler says: "We had an opportunity to sit with three of our students to do remedial work with them yesterday afternoon. We were encouraged and amazed at how much these three fellas were able to absorb in that one hour, which makes us all the more anxious to get through this weekend and into a full week of school. By all indications, this will be a highly profitable time of ministry. We hope to see our most promising students pushing closer to the goal of becoming church planters among the forest people. In fact, I am feeling pretty confident that we are closing in on our prayer goal of having ten strong church planters. We are up to six, three of which are Bible Institute grads."

Africa Report: Arriving at M’baiki

GBIM board member Miriam Pacheco is currently in the Central African Republic for six weeks assisting GBIM missionary Barb Wooler in her ministry with the Pygmies and orphans. Here is the latest in a series of reports Miriam is e-mailing from the forest:

Bala-o aita na asewa ~

We're here in the forest and settled in Barb's little house. It's not big, but roomy enough for two cots, two chairs, a table and some shelves, and room to walk around. We pulled in late this afternoon just before it started to get dark, so there are still some things that we need to rearrange tomorrow.

When we tried out the satellite phone system and were able to send the message that we arrived safely here, I just thanked God for the amazing things He has allowed man to accomplish! What a gracious God He is!

The little house in the forest is very comfortable. I'm sitting on a folding chair with the mini-computer on the table and a battery operated fan is sitting beside me to help cool. We have three nice-size louvered windows, so there is plenty of light and we hang a net across the door so we can keep it open for more air circulation.

We also have a solar panel that charges a 12-volt battery so we have two lights --one inside and one outside. But of course we don't use them all the time. The buzzing, flying things love them! But the system also makes it possible to run/charge the computer, satellite phone, CD player and Dust Buster.

The moon and stars are absolutely gorgeous here! No other lights to interfere. The sky can seem very close when the stars are bright. And the full moon usually means we don't need flashlights to walk the paths. It is so bright! I'm glad the full moon phase is coming up while we're here.

This computer is about 8" x 5" so you know how small the keyboard and the keys themselves are. I keep hitting the wrong buttons because my fingers are long and they are used to moving certain distances to reach certain keys. But what a fantastic thing it is to have it here and be able to reach you halfway across the world from this remote place!

We left Bangui after lunch on Thursday and arrived in M'baiki in time for the last part of the afternoon session of their district conference. The guards at each stop along the road were very nice and gave us no problems ~ PTL! Barb says the current President of CAR has told them not to hassle the missionaries because they have come to help. Amen!

The church was packed and it was hot! As usual, they ushered us right up front to two seats they put there after we arrived, and soon the pastor of the church, who also happened to be the district leader right now, came and told us we would be sleeping at the Bible School. That's the old M'baiki missionary property and they use the big house for the school and for the pastor's home. We stayed in a little building behind where the guard used to live. It was three small rooms and they cleared everything out so we could put up our cots.

In the evening the Moale folks who were at conference come over and built a fire and we had sweet coffee and bread and lots of visiting. Our host brought us a bucket of water to use for washing and I was so anxious to get the dust and dirt off my feet I stuck my foot in the bucket before I washed my face. Barb had a good laugh about that! I'll learn.

It is exciting to see how the M'baiki churches are embracing the Bayaka Pygmy church ~ this has not always been so, much to their shame. In the morning we attended the final conference session and the choir (seven people) from Moale sang a special number.

When someone is to be honored, some of the women will spray perfume on their shoulders and dance around them while they're singing. That's exactly what happened to the Moale folks! Another custom is to bring money and stick it in pockets or, in this case, they tucked coins under the headscarf of the gal who was leading the choir. Both men and women took part. The Moale choir people were so happy, and Barb was having trouble keeping the tears from flowing down her cheeks. What happened there was a BIG THING!

Then we found out that BABAY Jean-Marie, one of the Moale pastors, had preached at the opening session of the conference. That, too, is a VERY BIG THING!

That final conference session lasted four hours! Four hours in a packed, hot church with little tiny windows and narrow doors which people were standing in and cutting off whatever air might have come through them. And the p.a. system was distorted and loud and also buzzed.

After two lunches within a half hour of each other ~ the conference had prepared something for pastors and guests like us, and then our host had also prepared something for us ~ of rice, casa (stew - one chicken, one pork with mburu [like spinach])and bananas, we took off for Moale with four passengers in the back seat. An old man who lived in a town we would pass through rode along. Otherwise he would have had to sleep along the road somewhere and get home the next morning. BABAY and two mamas from Moale rode, too. It saved them the three-day walk back.

We had to cross the river on a ferry near Bagandou and when we got there it was on the other side of the river. We've crossed here many times and it is a good ferry with strong cables attached to both sides of the river, so we didn't think there would be a problem. But the guys said they had to row the canoe over and hand-crank it back because something was wrong with the motor that pulls the cables.

In fact, it wasn't even on the ferry ~ it was in the shop! So BABAY joined their crew and they cranked it back. Barb drove the truck on, and we all got across. Just a bit slower than usual. We'll probably take the other route on the way out, unless we hear that the motor has been fixed and installed again on the ferry.

The road is pretty good in most places. I only banged my head on the window once! It's now about a 4 1/2 hour trip—before it would take as much as 8-10 hours to get from Bangui to Moale. Thank the Lord for wonderful blessing of graded roads!

Thanks so much for your prayers. We count on them. One of the things most Africans say to me, and especially the Bayaka people, is, "When you go home to America, please do not forget us and remember to pray for us." And I know you are.
 

Are you in reasonably good shape, enjoy long-hiking, want to mix with other cultures, get a good tan, and have opportunity to share your faith?

Our missionaries in Spain have an opportunity for you, and if you don't speak German or Spanish or French, English will get you by!

A GO Team to northwest Spain is forming for the two weeks of June 24-July 9, 2005. But the application deadline -- April 1 -- is fast approaching. So don't dally!

The "Saint James Way" experience will begin with five days in Madrid, where you will hike, learning about Europe and Spain and our missions work there, and will study the Bible and pray.

Then you'll bus up to beautiful Galicia for a seven-day hike which will follow the "Saint James Way" along the beautiful and popular "French Route" from O'Cebriero to Santiago de Compostela.

You'll see castles, ancient bridges, make new friends, stop at roadside cafes, and open conversations about life and God. In all, you will hike a total of about 95 miles, averaging approximately 13 miles per day.

You'll receive a guidebook and instructions, and will hike in groups of 2 or 3, seeking always to not only be a tourist, but also to engage in conversation with the many serious seekers who hike the Saint James Way each year.

For more information, or to apply, contact Larry DeArmey at ldearmey@gbim.org or call (574) 267-4657, ext. 12. More information is available through GBIM at www.gbim.org.

Or click one of these URLs for a poster that explains further:

http://www.gbim.org/misc_pages/madridflyer/front.pdf

http://www.gbim.org/misc_pages/madridflyer/back.pdf

GBIM's Mike Taylor and a medical team returned this week from a ministry/assessment trip to India to help tsunami victims. The report was featured on the front page of today's Warsaw (IN) Times-Union newspaper. A few paragraphs are duplicated here--to read the entire article click here.

WINONA LAKE, IN - To do what they could, several locals traveled to India recently to help with tsunami relief.

Mike Taylor and his daughter Rebekah, along with two physicans, a physician's assistant, a nurse and a post-traumatic stress counselor, traveled the approximately 9,065 miles to India Feb. 4-14 to help with tsunami relief efforts.

"We just went to help with tsunami relief, specifically medical, that was our focus," said Mike, Grace Brethren International Missions director of personnel, Africa regional director, Winona Lake.

Mike also is a physican's assistant, working part time at MedStat. Rebekah, a Warsaw Community High School senior, served as the group's "pharmacist" while on the trip, dispensing medications per doctors' orders.

GBIM's Wayne Hannah, left, consults with Thai families over lists of the missing and dead from the December tsunami disaster. 

Grace Brethren International Missions (GBIM) and Thailand Campus Crusade are combining efforts to raise up early-stage tsunami relief teams. The first one is scheduled for March, only several weeks away. Right now there are lots of openings for this team. GBIM is hoping to have a team of 20-25 individuals.

If you are interested in this team, please contact Ted Rondeau at (574)268-1888 x 29 or trondeau@gbim.org as soon as possible. If you are not interested, but know someone who would be, please pass this message on to them. For more details, see below or visit http://www.gbim.org/tsunami/xteam_march.asp. You can also visit http://www.gbim.org/tsunami/tsunami.asp to find out what else GBIM is doing to help the victims of the tsunami.

GBIM will select 20 individuals to work on the island of Prathong, home to an unreached people group called the Mokens ("Sea Gypsies"). The work will be varied, providing whatever services are necessary. Team members must be ready for:
- Rugged camping conditions (tents, bags)
- Little to no down-time
- Eat whatever is provided
- Limited or no bathing
- Physical, emotional & spiritual challenges

Brief Background Information:

The day after the tsunami hit Thailand all of GBIM Team Asia gathered just north of the devastated area for a family conference. There was no possible way for the team to be of any help at that point, but after the conference Asia Regional Director, Wayne Hannah and Ted Rondeau met with Campus Crusade staff who were developing a plan of action for early stage relief efforts.

Mike Christian, a long-time missionary to Thailand and member of the Waterloo (IA) Grace Brethren Church, invited GBIM to partner with them, both in these early efforts and in long-range evangelism and possible church planting. Hannah and Rondeau toured the relief areas and agreed to respond to the invitation.

The first phase of this effort includes several X-teams of American young adults to accompany Thai Christians to minister in any way possible to the homeless and hurting survivors. These teams could involve physical labor, will involve prayer, encouragement visits with families, distribution, assisting professional care workers as needed, etc.

The GBIM team of 20 will depart March 12 to rendezvous with as many as 200 other university students from the U.S. and Thailand. After initial training in Bangkok, the team will travel together to Prathong Island. Cost is $2,000, and a passport is required. Contact Ted Rondeau IMMEDIATELY at (574) 268-1888 x29 or trondeau@gbim.org if interested.

Jim Shipley, of the Grace College faculty, gave a seminar yesterday afternoon in Westminster Hall on how to buy a car as part of the Survival Skills Seminar series offered by the college. Organized and directed by Kathy Barnhart of the college staff, the series is open to students and alumni and offers practical, helpful hints from skilled professionals. The next seminar will be February 23 and is on the subject of "Hair Do's and Don'ts." Shipley, who comes from a family car business in the Dayton, OH, area, offers services in car buying and detailing in the Winona Lake/Warsaw, IN, area. He can be reached at (574) 267-4302 or at shipleja@kconline.com. Topics covered included buying a new vehicle, options for buying a used vehicle, online research, researching dealerships, extended warranties and service contracts, certified used vehicles, private sales, and doing a mechnical and physical inspection of a vehicle. 

GBIM board member Miriam Pacheco, in the Central African Republic for six weeks to assist missionary Barb Wooler with orphan and Pygmy ministries, is sending occasional reports. Here are exceprts from one received today:

The sun is breaking through the haze a little more today so it looks like it will be a bit warmer. But we'll be traveling just a short distance today so it won't be too bad.

We'll leave just after lunch and travel a couple hours to M'baiki, the last big town we go through before going into the forest. There is a district conference going on there so we will attend that this evening and tomorrow morning. We may be tenting for the night, which is fine with me, or we may be invited to sleep in an African home. That will be a unique experience.

When we get to the forest we'll be able to set up the satellite phone and itty-bitty little computer, both powered by a solar battery, and send some e-mail! From the middle of the rain forest!! What will they think of next?!?!

We did some shopping yesterday for our trip and the stores are quite well-stocked. There seems to be a sense of anticipation ~ there are lots of places being painted and fixed up, and there's a nifty stoplight installed at the intersection just above the mission. It's near the Catholic church and on the route that most visitors take from the airport into town. It
even has walk/don't walk symbols that light up. That is major progress here. And most of the vehicles and pedestrians that I've seen obey the light. That's progress, too. :)

The election coming up on March 13th may have something to do with all of this, but it could also be partly because the French community here is growing and a lot of the businesses may be owned or run by them.

GBIM board member Miriam Pacheco is currently in the Central African Republic on a six-week trip to assist GBIM missionary Barb Wooler with her orphan and Pygmy ministries. Here are some excerpts from yesterday's e-mail report from Miriam:

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH

Yesterday we spent relaxing some to get rid of the jet lag, and started to get some things sorted and packed for the trip into the forest. We were hoping to leave on Wednesday, but there is a conference that lasts until Friday and the Pygmy pastors are there, so we’ll wait until Thursday to go to the conference, stay the night and then take them home on Friday. We have a saying here ~ TIA, (This Is Africa) ~ and it’s loaded with meaning about how no matter what good plans you have made, they will always change. So our first stint in the forest will not be a total of two weeks, more likely 11 days, but then sometime in March we may go back and spend several more days there.

The orphan care team met today and I got to sit in on their meeting and delicious supper. They are a good group of ladies and they care a lot for the boys & girls who have been left alone after their parents’ deaths. Most of those deaths have been because of HIV/AIDS. There are millions of orphans in the continent of Africa and almost 200,000 in CAR ~ today that is. By tomorrow that number will definitely be higher! The problem is horrendous.

During March we will be visiting the orphan groups in various neighborhoods and going into additional neighborhoods to help them start groups. These groups are a support group for the children and also a help to their caregivers. The African way is for an extended family member to take them in, but the sheer numbers are so overwhelming that they are finding it very difficult to provide for so many family members.

Elizabeth Schaefer, whose husband, James, is a Grace Brethren military chaplain in Afghanistan, sends along this personal note and a link to a website that honors those who have recently made the ultimate sacrifice.

This is a hard page to look at--it is all the men we have lost from our units here in Hawaii, both from Iraq and Afghanistan. They are all part of the 25th Infantry Division. Our families have definitely made sacrifices this year, but especially these families.

Most of our troops are home from Iraq now. We will all be so grateful when we get the guys home from Afghanistan. Some of them won't be home until May or even June, so we have to keep them in our prayers.

James knows many of these guys personally, and the two guys who died on October 16th were in the crash that our friend Greg was in. Greg is home now, but still has not recovered from his injuries, but I praise God his picture is not among these...

To see the page of remembrance, click here:
http://www.25idl.army.mil/Deployment/Remembering/remembering.htm

Today's Warsaw (IN) Times-Union newspaper carried this announcement by Dr. Patrick Kavanaugh, who directs the Christian Performing Artists Fellowship and the MasterWorks Festival.

Kavanaugh Announces Formation Of Warsaw Symphony Orchestra

BY TERESA SMITH, Times-Union Staff Writer

WINONA LAKE – “Warsaw is ready for its own symphony orchestra,” said Dr. Patrick Kavanaugh. “There are so many talented musicians in this area, we will be able to perform repertoire of the highest caliber. This will take the excitement and enthusiasm we find each summer with MasterWorks Orchestra and spread it throughout the entire year, just as our Second Sunday Series now performs each month instead of just in the summer.”

As executive director, Kavanaugh brought the headquarters of the Christian Performing Artists’ Fellowship and the organization’s MasterWorks Festival here last year. The author of nine books about music also writes a column, “This Week In Music,” published in the Times-Union’s Leisure section each Thursday.

This fall Kavanaugh will be the Grace College Music Department chairman. He currently teaches a weekly music appreciation class at Grace.

The Grace Community Orchestra will fold, Kavanaugh said. It is expected that former GCO members will form the Warsaw Symphony Orchestra core group.

Kavanaugh said Warsaw is being used as a designation because most symphony orchestras are named after a city. Rehearsals and performances will be in Rodeheaver Auditorium.

Then there is that orchestra in Poland, the Warsaw Philharmonic, to which the local group can aspire.

“Per capita, there are a huge number of musicians here. It’s just a question of sounding the trumpet and getting them to come out of the closet and realize they’re real musicians. The orchestra will enable a lot more people to be involved,” he said.

Premiere performances of the WSO will take place this fall. Auditions begin this spring for violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, harp and orchestra percussion.

For more information or to set up an audition, call 574-267-1888.

How do you make your ABF series of lessons on Old Testament Survey come alive? Take the students on a field trip to the Oriental Institute Museum on the campus of the University of Chicago, of course. That's what Bruce Barlow, who has been teaching the "Real People" ABF at Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church did Saturday. Here Jim and Nancy Dougan, Dalton and Paulette Kanode, Rich and Kathy Barnhart and others listen to a tour guide describe artifacts and relate them to various Old Testament characters. An interesting highlight of the trip involved meeting--and hearing observations from--a modern-day Iraqi woman from Mosul, site of the biblical Nineveh. (Gordon Austin photo)

The concluding number of tonight's "Second Sunday Series" of free concerts at the Rodeheaver Auditorium in Winona Lake, IN, was a trio composed of Elena Dunegan, clarinet; Barbara Kavanaugh, cello; and Jennifer Jackson, piano. They played two movements from the Trio in A Minor, Op. 114 by Johannes Brahms. Other performances tonight included piano, mezzo-soprano, viola, violin, and soprano. Each performance was preceded by the reading of a poem on the theme of love, and the audience members were seated at decorated tables in soft candlelight, enjoying desserts and beverages during the program. Most of the performers are interns and faculty with the MasterWorks Festival which will meet in Winona Lake this year June 12- July 17. For more information, click here.

Each "Second Sunday" concert is concluded with a hymnsing led by Dr. Patrick Kavanaugh (third from left), director of the Christian Performing Artists Fellowship and the MasterWorks Festival. The next program is at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 13 in the Rodeheaver Auditorium in Winona Lake, IN, and it is entitled "Around the World." Succeeding Second Sunday programs will be on April 10 and May 8. All programs are free and open to the public. 

The following opinion piece by pastor Don Smith of the Cornerstone Grace Brethren Church in Mansfield, OH, appeared in today's Mansfield News-Journal.

Men, love your wives as Christ loves His church

Valentine's Day is near, and our thoughts turn to love. But what is true love? And how can a husband give such love to his wife?

Love is not simply an emotion, though it certainly involves emotions. And love is definitely not to be equated with Hollywood's depiction of it, which seldom rises above the level of self-centered lust. Rather love is primarily expressed by deeds done on behalf of the highest good of the one loved.

Regarding love, C.S. Lewis remarks: "The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him."

He continues by saying that "people . . . are told they ought to love God. They cannot find any such feelings in themselves. What are they to do? The answer is the same as before. Act as if you did. Do not sit trying to manufacture feelings. Ask yourself, 'If I were sure that I loved God, what would I do?' When you have found the answer, go and do it."

So, besides buying my wife roses or candy or taking her out to dinner for Valentine's Day, how can I truly love her all year long as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25)?

The following ways come to mind:

-I can try to understand her and respect her by listening to her and valuing her viewpoints and insights.
-As much as possible I can seek to provide for and protect her.
-I can have eyes only for her and always be faithful to her.
-I can praise her publicly.
-I can take the initiative in looking for ways to help her out and give of myself for her good and happiness.
-I can cherish her worth as a person created in the image of God.
-I can allow her the freedom to use her gifts and encourage her to become all that God has created her to be.
-I can put my arms around her and kiss her in the kitchen, not just in the bedroom.
-I can pray for her daily.

The beauty of the church is not the church itself, but it is the beauty which Christ, the Bridegroom, gives her or bestows upon her. Christ does not so much find, but makes, his Bride lovely.

And in a similar manner, the loveliness of a wife is largely due to the love shown her by her husband, and her receptivity to it. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, and chances are you will help make her become more lovely each day.

Happy Valentine's Day -- every day.

These are the opinions of the Rev. Don Smith of Cornerstone Grace Brethren Church, Mansfield. Originally published Saturday, February 12, 2005

Dr. Paul R. Bauman, 97, Vice President Emeritus for Special Ministries at LeTourneau University, Longview Texas, went to be with the Lord Tuesday morning, February 8, 2005, in Amarillo, Texas, at the age of 97. A memorial service for Bauman will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, in Speer Chapel on the LeTourneau University campus.

Bauman and his wife, Irene, moved to Amarillo last month. He was interred near Indianapolis, IN, with a graveside service on Saturday, February 12.

Dr. Bauman, the son of Dr. Louis S. Bauman, was born January 7, 1908, in Portis, Kansas to Mary Bauman, the first wife of Louis S. who died a year later in 1909. His father subsequently remarried, and the family moved to Long Beach, CA, in 1912. His grandfather, W. J. H. Bauman, was one of the organizers of the Brethren Church.

From 1926 to 1929 he studied at Ashland College, where he developed an interest in biology, and then he returned to California where he earned both the BA and MA degrees in biology from the U. of Southern California. For a time he served as assistant to his father in the First Brethren Church of Long Beach, California.

He became pastor of the Second Brethren Church of Los Angeles from 1934-1942, and in 1937 began to teach part-time at Biola where, in 1942, he was made professor of theology and apologetics. Soon afterward he became vice president of the school and eventually was honored with the D.D. degree.

In 1942 he took a world tour with Louis T. Talbot, president of Biola, and these two pioneered in the development of audio-visual materials portraying mission work. On the trip more than 20,000 feet of film was used to record the stories of various missionary ministries.

In 1947 he became vice president of Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, IN, where he helped organize Grace College. He also earned the M.Div. degree while associated with Grace Seminary.

Dr. Bauman joined the LeTourneau College (now University) faculty in August of 1962 as Vice President for Special Ministries and Bible professor. He retired in January 1977.

In 1969 he, along with Dr. Raymond Gingrich and Vernard Holsinger and their wives, co-founded the Grace Brethren Church of Longview, Texas.

Dr. Bauman was an expert in biblical prophecy and apologetics and traveled through the Holy Land leading many guided tours. Beginning in 1948, the year Israel became a state, he made more than 50 trips to the Holy Land. He also conducted tours to Europe and to the Mediterranean which followed Paul's missionary journeys. He spoke at many Bible conference and churches and was known for his illustrated sermons.

Dr. Bauman served as a charter member of the Brethren Home Missions Council (now GBNAM) and was president of the board for more than ten years. He also was a member of the American Schools of Oriental Research and was a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation. He was one the original board members of Missionary Tech Team (a missionary servicing organization) of Longview and remained on their board until his death.

The officers and leadership of the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers (AGBM) this Friday conclude a three-day strategy and planning meeting, held at the Traber Center in southeastern Pennsylvania. AGBM president Tim Boal (upper left) is convening the meeting, and much of the agenda is focused on recommendations issuing out of the study and research done by Jerry Young (lower right) during this past year. Those attending the meeting, in addition to Boal and Young, include Lee Dice, Dan White, Joel Richards, Ken Bickel, and Bud Olszewski. Randy Weekly was unable to attend because of illness.

Rick Warren, author of the best-seller "The Purpose-Driven Life," has signed on with Ladies' Home Journal to provide an exclusive monthly column called "Purpose."

The column, which debuted in the February issue, will address topics of spirituality and the search for meaning among American women and their families.

"Rick clearly has touched a chord in the country today and is able to address, in a very down to earth and universal way, people's yearning to enhance their experience of spirituality in their daily lives," said Diane Salvatore, the magazine's editor in chief. "Since our 13 million readers are already enjoying our Inner Life coverage, which explores mastery of their emotional life, teaming up with Rick was a natural fit."

Warren said he welcomes the chance to contribute to a periodical that has meant so much to his family.

"Four generations of women in my life -- my grandmother, mother, wife and daughter -- have enjoyed Ladies' Home Journal, so I'm thrilled to write for it," he said. "There is a growing spiritual hunger in our culture, and I admire Ladies' Home Journal for their foresight and commitment to address every aspect of a woman's life, including the spiritual dimension."

Melissa Moyer (right), wife of Pastor Kork Moyer, helps distribute potato soup, chili and sandwiches from a water company parking lot at the corner of Washington and Chestnut Streets in Pottstown, PA. The Moyers have been involved in this street ministry for the past 12 years, and may serve as many as 40 people some Wednesday nights. Pastor Kork, who is the coordinator for the Northern Atlantic Fellowship of the FGBC, is the church-planting pastor of the Pottstown church.

Kork Moyer (center), the church-planting pastor of Still Waters Home Church and Worship Center in Pottstown, PA, counsels with some of his parishioners during the Wednesday night soup-and-sandwich distribution in downtown Pottstown. 

Kork's "Worship Poet," aka "Lone Wolf," (right) has composed over 150 poems which Still Waters church uses in worship. They will soon be posted on the church's website at www.besidestillwaters.net. 

The following message was received this morning regarding Dr. Paul Bauman, son of L. S. Bauman, well-known as a pastor and educator in the FGBC for many years. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

I received word that Dr. Paul Bauman went to be with the Lord Tuesday morning, Feb. 8 at 7 AM. He and Irene had moved to Amarillo TX in January.

I'm not sure if he was at home or in some facility at the time of his death. Final arrangements are pending. I had heard that perhaps they would have a memorial service here in Longview at Speer Chapel on the LeTourneau University Campus where he held the title, Vice President Emeritus.

The home address is : Craig Methodist Retirement Community, 5500 W. 9thStreet Apr. 204, Amarillo TX 79106.

--Joyce Roden

(BP)--Nominees for the 36th annual Dove Awards, gospel music's top awards show, were announced Feb. 7.

Nominees from the major categories are:-- Song of the Year: "Blessed Be Your Name" (Matt Redman, Beth Redman); "Dare You to Move" (Jonathan Foreman); "Friend of God" (Israel Houghton, Michael Gungor); "Glory Defined" (Jim Cooper, Kenny Lamb, Jason Roy); "Healing Rain" (Michael W. Smith, Martin Smith, Matt Bronleewe); "Meant to Live" (Jonathan Foreman); "More" (Matthew West, Jason Houser, Kenny Greenberg); "Through the Fire" (Gerald Crabb); "Who Am I" (Mark Hall, Juan DeVevo, Melodee DeVevo, Hector Cervantes, Megan Garret, Andy Williams, Chris Huffman); and "You Raise Me Up" (Rolf Lovland, Brendan Graham).

-- Male Vocalist: Fernando Ortega, Israel Houghton, Jason Crabb, Jeremy Camp and Mark Hall.
-- Female Vocalist: Bethany Dillon, Christy Nockels, Joy Williams, Natalie Grant and Nicole C. Mullen.
-- Group of the Year: Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Selah, Switchfoot and The Crabb Family.
-- Artist of the Year: Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Michael W. Smith, Selah and Switchfoot.
-- New Artist of the Year: BarlowGirl, Bethany Dillon, Building 429, Day of Fire and Matthew West.
-- Producer of the Year: Brown Bannister, Ed Cash, Israel Houghton, Mark A. Miller and Pete Kipley.

For a complete list of the nominees in the Doves' 44 categories, visit www.doveawards.com. The 2005 Dove Awards will be April 13 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn.

Meeting at the Traber Center near Pottstown, PA, the Northern Atlantic Fellowship pastors are being taught SALT principles by Pastor Keith Shearer (right) from Myerstown, PA.

Keith Shearer, pastor of the Myerstown, PA, Grace Brethren Church and next year's moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, is teaching the SALT (Strategic Alliance for Leadership Training) strategy as part of the Northern Atlantic Fellowship pastors' retreat the first three days of this week.

Pastors from the Northern Atlantic Fellowship are gathering today, tomorrow and Wednesday at the Traber Center near Pottstown, PA, for a retreat. Relaxing here by the fire are Al Kidder (left), Jason Holt (right) and others, during an afternoon break. Pastor Keith Shearer of the Myerstown church is one of the key speakers for the retreat.

Pastor David Mitchell of the Waipio Grace Brethren Church in Mililani, Hawaii, sends along the following urgent prayer request:

Our island has been stunned and shocked to hear that 27 of the 31 Marines who died in the helicopter crash in Iraq yesterday came from our Marine base in Kaneohe, located on this island of Oahu.

The military is a big part of our lives and our churches here in Hawaii, so when something like this tragic event happens we all feel the pain, but nothing like the immediate families involved. Families are being notified and counseling places are being put into place. Tears flow quickly when we think of how many of our brave young men and women have died in this war in which the people we are trying to "save" could care less about our people's safety.

Please join us here in praying for these families and pray also that somehow something will happen that will allow our soldiers to come home sooner than projected. The only consolation is that we have a loving God Who can give comfort when one turns to Him.

To read an initial news report about the crash, click here.

Tammie Huntington, soprano, sings "Lucy's Aria" from "The Telephone" by Gian Carlo Menotti as part of the Grace College music department's faculty recital program this Sunday afternoon at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church. Also on the program were Judie Meulink, piano; Carol Streator, soprano; Elena Dunegan, clarinet; Dawn Engler, flute; Dr. Patrick Kavanaugh, guitar; and Dr. Timothy Sanborn, trombone.

From today's Chico, California, Enterprise-Record newspaper:

Grace Brethren Church, 355 Panama Ave.: ""The Whys and Hows of Church Growth," joint session of all adult Bible classes with Tom Avey and Dan Allan; 10 a.m. "It's All About Grace," from Dan Allan, moderator for Grace Brethren Churches, Winona Lake, Ind.; 11 a.m. "Power-Power-Power," from the Rev. Rick Boswell; 6 p.m. Scripture: Matthew 17.

Dr. Michael J. Easley, the new president of Moody Bible Institute, and his wife, Cindy.

Moody Bible Institute of Chicago has named Dr. Michael J. Easley, a twenty-year veteran pastor from Virginia, to succeed Dr. Joseph M. Stowell, who served as MBI's seventh president for 18 years and concludes his tenure on Feb. 28, 2005

The 119-year old Moody Bible Institute (MBI) named Easley, 47, its eighth president on February 2, during the annual Moody’s Founder’s Week Conference.

"My vision is to guard the Moody legacy," said Easley, as he was named before an audience of 3,500. "Training more men and women for Christian service; utilizing broadcasting and other technological advances to take the Gospel to more people; continuing to publish reliable, trustworthy materials. And as we look to the future, we will hold forth the Gospel clearly and impact our communities, our nation, and the world for Jesus Christ."

According to a press release, Easley was selected by the Board of Trustees after a twelve-month search process. "Michael is a devoted follower of Jesus Christ who has a passion for God's Word," said Dr. Chuck Swindoll, Chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary. "He is just the kind of President Moody Bible Institute needs--someone who can follow in the footsteps of Dr. Stowell."

Easley has a Master of Theology and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, and has served several churches, including Grand Prairie Bible Church in Texas and, since 1993, Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Va. He and his wife, Cindy, have four children.

Approximately 25 of the FGBC's top leadership people--including moderators, elected representatives and national organization representatives--are meeting yesterday, today and tomorrow in Sacramento, CA, to discuss current priorities, strategic directions for the future, and much more. Three new Fellowship Council members are attending their first meeting -- Robert MacMillan from Tracy, CA; Dan Gregory from Columbia City, IN; and Ron Smals from Ocala, FL. Ashland, OH pastor Dan Allan (right of screen, red shirt) is this year's FGBC Moderator and is conducting the Sacramento meetings. FGBC Conference Coordinator Tom Avey (under screen) this morning presented his view of the present state of the FGBC.

River City Grace Community Church of Sacramento, CA (Greg Stoever, pastor) is hosting the FGBC's Fellowship Council three-day meeting, now in progress. Today, Friday, part of the agenda was hearing brief reports from a number of the national organizations affiliated with the FGBC. 

Kurt Miller, director of church planting for Grace Brethren North American Missions, presented a stimulating and challenging report on the urgency of increasing church-planting on the part of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.  

Stacey Mayne (left) and Davada Irons (right) of Thurmont, MD, clap along with the Hagerstown Grace Brethren Praise Band at In God's Hand Coffeehouse in Thurmont. A story in today's local paper marks the one-year anniversary of the coffee house. (Gazette photo)

Here are several selected paragraphs from the story. To read the entire article click here:

Thurmont's Christian coffeehouse, known as In God's Hand, is not your typical coffeehouse.

The room downstairs in Weller United Methodist Church is dimly lit and candles flicker in the center of each table. You hear plenty of friendly chatter and see trips back and forth to the coffeepots.

Attendees include small children, teens, moms and dads, friends and grandparents, sipping coffee and sodas, eating cake and munching on snacks donated by area businesses. And as the music plays through the night, they clap their hands and sometimes reach their arms to the sky.
They are there, co-organizer Barrett Irons said, not just to drink coffee, but for fellowship and to worship God. . .

. . . Bands play every hour on the hour from 7 to 9 p.m. The first band is generally mellow and for the older crowd. The second band is the transitional band, playing contemporary worship songs. The third band is usually Christian rock for the young crowd. Last Friday, the lineup included Sherman Mason and John Olney, the Hagerstown Grace Brethren Praise Team and Jakob's Night.

None of the bands perform with the expectation of being paid, though they split evenly any cash donations received each night. They work for God, Irons said, and to share the message of Jesus Christ.

The Blog has carried several stories this past month about Chad Kackert, the standout running back from Grace Brethren High School in Simi Valley, CA. This week it was announced that Kackert has accepted an offer from University of New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell to play at UNH. Here is the announcement from the UNH football program:

Chad Kackert, a 5-8, 185-pound RB/DB from Simi Valley, Calif. comes to UNH as one of the most prolific football players in California high school history. On the way to leading his team to a perfect 13-0 record and a state title, he ran for 3,445 yards on 295 carries and scored 56 touchdowns, all in his senior season at Grace Brethren High School.

He ran for over 400 yards in a game three times in 2004 with his best performance being a 476-yard effort on 27 carries. He scored seven touchdowns in that contest. As a result of his season efforts he was named the 2004 California State Player of the Year -Small Schools, first-team All-Section, Alpha League Offensive Player of the Year, CIF Division XII Offensive Player of the Year, and Ventura County Co-Player of the Year-Small Schools.

Coach McDonnell on Kackert: "Chad has done it on both sides of the ball. His statistics speak for themselves. He will be a great addition to our skill positions in this program."

"This class will help fill many of the needs left open by our graduating seniors, said seventh-year head coach Sean McDonnell. "We feel very good about the level of skill at the running back, wide receiver and defensive back positions. Our linebacker/defensive line position needs have been met and we have added two outstanding offensive line prospects. This year's class has many players coming from winning backgrounds with four state championships that will help carry on the winning tradition here at UNH."

Kackert is the first Lancer to earn a football scholarship.

"I liked the school and I liked the coaches," Kackert said of New Hampshire, which finished 10-3 last season, including a victory over I-A Rutgers. "I'm glad it's over, because it's a tough process. One week you think you're going to one school, and that next week that all changes. I'm just glad to have that behind me."

Twelve Grace College seniors have been selected for inclusion in the 2005 edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, according to a release from the Winona Lake, IN, college.

The 12 were selected as outstanding campus leaders based on their academic achievement, service to the community, leadership in extracurricular activities, and potential for continued success.

They are: Scott Borchelt, Fort Wayne, IN; Jennifer Brook, Arthur, IL, Matthew Carter, Leesburg, IN; Timothy Eames, Norton, OH; Kristina Freel, Osceola, IN; Clinton Johnson, Warsaw, IN; Michael McCaman, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Amy Robertson, Warsaw, IN; Troy Seyfert, Warsaw, IN; Andrianne Thomas, Angola, IN; Megan Walter (finished studies in December), Colorado Springs, CO; and Nathan Zuck, Elizabethtown, PA.

For a free subscription to the weekly campus update, Grace Connection, send your e-mail address to connect@grace.edu (subject: ADD). Replies to this message go directly to Judy Daniels, Grace Connection Editor. Check out the Grace Web site at <http://www.grace.edu/> for more Grace news and information.

TIME Magazine released its list of The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America as a special feature to its Feb. 7 issue. The feature, which is prominently displayed on the magazine’s front cover, focuses on “those whose influence is on the rise or who have carved out a singular role,” according to TIME.

Topping the list of 25 was Rick Warren, who TIME dubbed as “America's New People's Pastor.” Warren, who pastors the 22,000-member Saddleback mega church in Lake Forest, Calif., is best known for his book ‘The Purpose Driven Life,’ which has sold more than 20 million copies over the past two years and is the best-selling hardback in U.S. history.

When 600 senior pastors were asked to name the people they thought had the greatest influence on church affairs in the country, Warren's name came in second only to Billy Graham's. “Although Franklin Graham is heir to the throne of the Billy Graham organization, many believe that Warren, 51, is the successor to the elder Graham for the role of America's minister,” the TIME added.

Also included in TIME’s list of 25 were prominent Christian figures such as Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries and “one of evangelicalism's more thoughtful public voices,” according to TIME; James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; Billy and Franklin Graham, dubbed by TIME as the “Father and Son In the Spirit”; Ted Haggard, who as president of the National Association of Evangelicals, represents 30 million conservative Christians spread over 45,000 churches from 52 diverse denominations; and Richard Land, “the Southern Baptist Convention's main man in Washington,” according to TIME.

The following is TIME’s List of “The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America” along with their TIME-dubbed titles, as they appear in the Feb. 7 issue:

1. Rick Warren: America's New People's Pastor
2. Howard & Roberta Ahmanson: The Financiers
3. David Barton: The Lesson Planner
4. Doug Coe: The Stealth Persuader
5. Chuck Colson: Reborn and Rehabilitated
6. Luis Cortès: Bringing Latinos To the Table
7. James Dobson: The Culture Warrior
8. Stuart Epperson: A High-Fidelity Messenger
9. Michael Gerson : The President's Spiritual Scribe
10. Billy & Franklin Graham: Father and Son In the Spirit
11. Ted Haggard: Opening Up the Umbrella Group
12. Bill Hybels: Pioneering Mass Appeal
13. T.D. Jakes: The Pentecostal Media Mogul
14. Diane Knippers: A Think Tank With Firepower
15. Tim & Beverly LaHaye: The Christian Power Couple
16. Richard Land: God's Lobbyist
17. Brian McLaren: Paradigm Shifter
18. Joyce Meyer: A Feminine Side Of Evangelism
19. Richard John Neuhaus: Bushism Made Catholic
20. Mark Noll: The Intellectual Exemplar
21. J.I. Packer: Theological Traffic Cop
22. Rick Santorum: The Point Man On Capitol Hill
23. Jay Sekulow: The Almighty's Attorney-at-Law
24. Stephen Strang: Keeper of "The Faith"
25. Ralph Winter: A Global Mission

Full details of each can be found at http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101050207/

A special highlight of this year's Southwest Focus Retreat was the baptism this afternoon, by trine immersion, of Pastor Oscar Chavez of Northridge, CA. Chavez pastors the Iglesia Biblical De Fe, an independent Hispanic congregation, which he would like to bring into the FGBC as a Grace Brethren Church. In his comments prior to being baptized by Bellflower, CA pastor Tom Hocking, Chavez gave thanks for his warm welcome and support from other Grace Brethren pastors, and indicated his desire for him and his church to become a full part of the Fellowship.

Fellowship Coordinator Tom Avey (left) and Bellflower, CA, pastor Tom Hocking (right) congratulate Oscar Chavez after his baptism by trine immersion Tuesday afternoon in the the pool at the Rancho Capistrano as part of the Southwest Focus Retreat. 

About 80 pastors, church staff members, and lay leaders have gathered the first three days of this week at Rancho Capistrano near San Juan Capistrano, CA, for the Southwest Focus Retreat. The retreat concludes Wednesday at noon. 

Robert MacMillan, pastor of the Tracy, CA, Grace Brethren Church, led off the early-afternoon session of the Southwest Focus Retreat today with a talk on "Others and My Heart...Friends and Family." The retreat is focusing on various aspects of the leader's heart and tomorrow will discuss "How to Run and Not Lose Heart."

In a just-for-fun singing time, attenders of the Southwest Focus Retreat this morning sang "His Banner Over Me Is Love" complete with hand motions.