BMH Editor's Blog

The following article appeared this week in the Quad-City Times. This is a short excerpt--the entire article may be read by clicking here. Howard Johnson is pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Davenport.

U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, defended proposed reductions in spending on federal poverty programs Monday, saying that reform is needed so the poor get the help they need and the taxpayer do not get cheated.

Nussle, chairman of the House Budget Committee, visited a Head Start program at Grace Brethren Church, 3919 N. Elsie Ave., Davenport, and read to more than a dozen preschool children. Later, he met with parents, teachers and administrators.

Two weeks ago, the House passed a Nussle-sponsored bill that would cut federal spending by $50 billion over five years. That amount is less than 1 percent of the federal budget, but it is still significant, advocates for the poor say, because the needs are great.

Nussle, who is running for governor, told reporters there is a need to reform many of the programs. “They’re important services,” he said. “What frustrates so many of us is that the bureaucracy has created programs that, oftentimes, aren’t delivering quality, aren’t getting the job done.”

Evangelist Luis Palau has been in hot water as a result of remarks he recently made regarding registered churches in China. This roundup report from Baptist Press quotes Werner Burklin, founder of China Partner Ministries, as a corroborating expert. Burklin is a Grace College alumnus, having graduated in 1960 with a B.A. degree in History.

Palau issues statement after
comments on China disputed


PORTLAND, Ore. (BP)--Evangelist Luis Palau released a six-paragraph statement, dated Nov. 28, expressing a measure of regret over comments he made about religious freedom in China during a mid-November trip to the communist giant.

During the China visit, Palau was invited by President Bush to join in worship at a registered church in Beijing.

The issue was recounted by The Washington Times on Nov. 28. "Mr. Palau told reporters that some reports of religious persecution are unjustified," The Times reported, drawing from a transcript it obtained via the Web. The newspaper stated that Palau "suggested that China's unofficial churches should register to 'receive greater freedom and blessings from the government.'"

The Times reported that Palau "then compared church registration in China to American tax law. 'Even in the United States, you can't get away with defying order,' [Palau] said. 'I feel that registering is a positive thing for the followers of Jesus. Believers should live in the open, especially when the Chinese government offers it.'"

Palau continued, "Jesus said that we are the light of the world and that we should not be kept hidden or in the dark. Therefore, believers should share their faith openly. If I were Chinese, I would definitely register. Not registering only lends to misinterpretations and misunderstandings."

The Times also reported: "In a Nov. 19 interview with China Daily, posted on the newspaper's Web site, the evangelist said, 'Chinese people enjoy more religious freedom than people overseas imagine' and said he'd been allowed complete latitude in his weeklong visit.

"'Nobody told me what to say and what not to say,' he said," The Times reported.

The Times' article quoted the president of a Texas-based organization named China Aid Association as calling Palau's remarks "irresponsible and misleading."

Bob Fu, in an e-mail circulated to the news media, stated, "To equate the church-registration requirement by the IRS in the U.S.A. for tax purposes to forced registration under the Communist Party's Religious Affairs Bureau is totally misleading. Reverend Palau's China religious-freedom remarks will be much more convincing if he is allowed to do an open evangelism in the Tiananmen Square, just like what he did at the Mall in Washington, D.C., recently."

Fu's e-mail also included statements from individuals identified as pastor Zhang Mingxuan, chairman of the Chinese House Church Alliance, and evangelist "Sarah" Liu Xianzhi, a spokesperson for the South China Church. Fu's e-mail stated, "Over 1000 [South China Church] pastors, evangelists and believers were arrested and imprisoned since 2001."

Palau's full statement of Nov. 28 follows:

"I regret some of the remarks I made to reporters during my recent trip to China. It's not my role as an evangelist to suggest that churches in China should register. My role is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

"My prayer and desire remains the same ... that working together with all believers in the Lord Jesus we can see total religious freedom in China and open doors to publicly proclaim the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I love China. I love the Chinese people. I have been praying for China since I was sixteen years old. Those prayers have intensified in recent years as I constantly and continually encourage Christians worldwide to pray for China.

"It has always been one of my goals to help and protect God's people, not create problems for them. I've lived in countries where Christians endured hardship for their faith and I have nothing but the highest respect and admiration for brothers and sisters who have suffered for being faithful and dedicated followers of Jesus Christ.

"I have been permitted to preach in China now for over five years and have seen hundreds come to faith in Jesus Christ. This has been one of the greatest joys of my more than 50 years of ministry. I pray these trips are symbolic of changes taking place in China and that these changes lead to greater religious freedom.

"I was surprised, but honored when asked by President George W. Bush last weekend to join him at a Chinese-language worship service in Beijing. It is evident that Mr. Bush sees religious freedom as a very important issue concerning China-US relations as he has repeatedly expressed in public.

"I continue to appeal to Christians around the globe to especially pray for China. It would deeply pain me if any of my comments would provoke any kind of trouble for God's saints in the Peoples Republic of China. And I pray our sovereign Lord would not allow it."

Among the comments challenging Palau's remarks in China, Zhang Mingxuan was quoted by Fu as stating: "It's rather ironical that while Rev. Palau was propagating that Chinese pastors today won't get arrested unless breaking the law, but barely two weeks ago (on November 8) a Beijing house church pastor Cai Zhuohua was sentenced to three years simply because of printing bibles [sic] and other Christian literatures." Fu described Mingxuan as having been "arrested many times for his faith" and stated that he was "kidnapped in Beijing Train Station by the Chinese security agents one day before Rev. Palau's press conference."

"We demand Rev. Palau to retract his irresponsible remarks which deeply hurt the feelings of hundreds of house church prisoners and their families," Mingxuan said.

"Sarah" Liu Xianzhi was quoted by Fu as stating, "I do want to let Rev. Palau know there are still 16 pastors and evangelists from our church serving in different prisons in China now.... Rev. Palau is always welcomed to visit our church and pastors in the prisons." Fu described Xianazhi as having served six years in prison for her faith and having been "tortured severely until 2004 at the age of 34."

A report by Mission Network News, meanwhile, quoted Werner Burklin, founder of China Partner Ministries, which works with the registered church, as agreeing with Palau.

"All Christians can worship freely if they just abide by the law of the land. People are not being persecuted for their faith in China, they're prosecuted for not abiding by the law of the land in many instances," Burklin told MNN.

If all Christians in China were persecuted for the faith in Christ, Burklin said, "... millions of people in China who are Christians now would be in jail."

MNN then quoted a spokesman for Voice of the Martyrs, Tom Nettleton, as stating, "We have obviously a lot of admiration, a lot of respect for Mr. Palau and for the work that he's done around the world. However, I think in this case his comments are misguided."

Nettleton told MNN that when a church registers with the Chinese government, "[it] means that the communist party-controlled government approves who's going to lead the services. The communist party-controlled government approves when and where you can meet. Government-approved pastors are strongly discouraged from preaching on the second coming of Christ, which they call the doomsday theory. And, nobody under 18 is allowed to attend one of these registered churches."

Nettleton also stated, "The reality is, to register with the Chinese government in most cases means greatly compromising your beliefs and saying, 'The communist party comes first, my faith in Christ comes second,' and obviously as Christians that's not a compromise we should be willing to make."

Compiled by Art Toalston.

Dave Guiles (center, dark shirt) and Steve Bailey (right) are representing Grace Brethren International Missions at a first-ever gathering of mission agency executives from the USA and Brazil.

Sponsored by EFMA (the Evangelical Fellowship of Missions Agencies), the gathering seeks to promote understanding and networking between older and newer mission agencies.

Guiles is GBIM's executive director and a former missionary to Argentina, and Bailey ministers in Argentina and oversees GBIM's Latin American ministries.

Brazil was selected to host the gathering because the evangelical church there is currently sending out 3,200 cross-cultural missionaries. GBIM is one of 100 US-based members of EFMA.

For more information log onto www.gbim.org. 

This month's North Central Ohio e-mail update from district coordinator Todd Scoles includes the following licensure information. Why not pause right now to pray for these two men and their ministry?

Two Pass License Exams

Congratulations to Mo Grimm (Northwest Chapel GBC) and Phil Stoll (Powell GBC) who unanimously passed their License exams on November 17. Both men were recommended to their churches to be licensed as elders in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. Thanks to all who came to conduct the exams.

The Los Angeles Daily News is currently carrying a feature story on the football team of Grace Brethren High in Simi Valley, California (John McIntosh, pastor). Here is a short excerpt--to read the entire story click here.

Another step for G.B. Lancers continue to have success at every level
By Erik Boal, Special to the Daily News

Steve Gourley knows all about Grace Brethren of Simi Valley's football history.

From a team that lost by a combined 100 points in 8-man first- round playoff games in 1996 and 1997 to one that captured the school's first 11-man championship last season, Gourley has seen the Lancers evolve into one of Southern California's top small-school programs.

Gourley, a four-year varsity player, also knows how few people are aware of Grace Brethren's accomplishments under the guidance of his father, athletic director and head coach Terry Gourley.

"We're the team that no one believes in," said Steve Gourley, the top defensive player in Southern Section Div. XII last season.

Despite competing in four divisions the past five seasons, Grace Brethren (10-2) - which debuted this year in Div. XI - is among five Southern Section teams playing in its fifth consecutive semifinal, joining Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, Mission Viejo, South Hills of Covina and St. Bonaventure of Ventura.

The Gourleys relish the underdog role. It has suited them well. 

Longtime Grace Brethren pastor Bob Kliewer (Beaumont, California) is currently in the hospital following a heart attack. Here is the update on Monday afternoon, November 28, from Kliewer’s wife, Lillian, via pastors Dale Workman and Roy Halberg:

Bob is at Loma Linda hospital in the critical care unit. As of now doctors ask for no visitors except family.

Lil says his condition is very bad . . . only 1/3 of his heart is working.

He experienced some pain while exercising on Wednesday . . . had an appointment later that day to visit his doctor to check his pacemaker and all was OK.

Then on Saturday morning she called ambulance and Bob was sent to Loma Linda hospital where they did an angiogram and put in a stent.

Prayers for Bob will be greatly appreciated.

BMH Books' newest author, James Pearson (pictured), was featured this past week in the Fort Wayne (IN) News-Sentinel newspaper in an article by Nicole Lee on the innovative new children's ministry area in Pearson's Fort Wayne church. A short excerpt is reproduced here-to read the entire article click here.


It's not all kid's play in church renovation

Brookside adds something for whole family, new members

By Nicole Lee


Colorfully painted storefronts along a faux-cobblestone street greet you on Brookside Boulevard, a mini "children's main street" of sorts that contains a library, boutique, pet store, even a barbershop with a working red-white-and-blue pole out front.

Depending on the age, children can engage in activities on the beach, in outer space, a construction site or a racetrack. There are video games available and a unit where children can slide, tumble, climb and romp to their heart's content.

No, there's not a new amusement park scheduled to open in Fort Wayne. Rather, it's the new children's area at Brookside Community Church, and organizers say they can't wait to unveil the renovations to the congregation.

Next month, Brookside will open the 38,000-square-foot addition to its current facility, which will include the new children's area, a fellowship space and adult classrooms. The congregation will begin to use the new areas in December, but the official grand opening will be Jan. 8.

This is a multigenerational effort to engage the entire family in worshipping Christ and have the space to welcome new families moving into the area, said Brookside pastor Jim Pearson.

Pastor and author
Brookside Community Church pastor the Rev. Jim Pearson, with assistance from Kelly Hahn, has released the book "Minefields in the Marketplace: Ethical Issues Christians Face in the World of Business" (BMH Books, $10.95).

The book focuses on ways Christians can maintain their spiritual character while trying to avoid the pitfalls of materialism and ethical compromise that can occur in the corporate world.

Before entering ministry full time, Pearson worked in sales and marketing in Indiana and Ohio. His last corporate job was as a metals broker with the Fort Wayne-based OmniSource Corp.

"Minefields" is available at the Anchor Room, 4530 Lahmeyer Road. 

Your prayers will be appreciated for Terry Taylor, the recently-retired longtime pastor of the Canton, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church. The church address, for any who might wish to send a card of encouragement, is 6283 Market Ave. N., Canton, Ohio 44721.

This first [edited] message from Terry's wife, Elaine, came on October 28:

A quick update on Terry. After two visits to the ER on Saturday and Sunday with kidney stone-like symptoms, Terry was transferred via ambulance to University Hospital in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon.

The CT scan taken at Aultman revealed that the mass had increased in size from 5 cm to 10 cm. He was in a lot of pain (on his third morphine shot when he left for Cleveland).

As far as we know, the pain was indicative of the spreading cancer.

Repeated visits by multiple teams of doctors led to a change of plans. Instead of surgery on Wednesday, November 2, Terry begins chemo this morning, Friday, October 28.

This will take 96 hours so he will be there until at least Tuesday, Nov. 1.
Hopefully, at that point he will receive the second round of chemo closer to home at Aultman Hospital. Potentially, more chemo, radiation and/or surgery are on the horizon.

This is a rare form of lymphatic cancer. University sees 4-6 cases per year.

Hence, the many, many visits by various teams of doctors. He is getting excellent care. His spirits are good; he is a little frightened of the side effects of chemo; but overall, is doing well. He/We appreciate your prayers. We will continue to keep you posted.

A more recent update, as of November 23 indicated the following:

Terry is still in the hospital. The kidney problem is under control but the clot is still there (doctor said it may take months to dissolve). He will be moved to an intermediate care facility (Woodlawn -- the same one I was at after my knee surgery) to work on walking therapy before his next chemo round starts.

We were hoping it would be today (still could be), but we don't have a definitive move date (waiting for a bed to become available).

Steve/Abby and kids came last night; Mike/Angie and kids come Saturday, so we'll all be together at various times through this holiday.

We appreciate your continued prayers for all of us as a family.

Elaine Taylor

If you live anywhere in the Columbus, Ohio, metro area or surrounds, consider buying your Christmas tree at the East Side Grace Brethren Church front lawn this year.

The East Side church (Chip Heim, pastor) is seeking to raise enough money through tree sales to build a kitchen and recreation room for Asia's Hope orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. They need to sell 200 Christmas trees to reach this goal.

Trees go on sale December 2nd and will continue selling every weekend until all 200 are gone. Tree lot hours are Fridays 2pm-9pm, Saturdays & Sundays 10am-9pm.

Volunteers are also welcome to help sell trees on the weekend. Contact Karey at 861-5810 to find out open slots. The East Side Grace Brethren Church is located just off 270 at 7510 East Broad Street, Blacklick, Ohio, 43004, (614) 861-5810. 

Deb Baldwin, the art teacher at Grace Christian School in Columbus, Ohio, was selected by Ohio Governor Bob Taft as a winner in the 2005 Treasure for the Tree Competition.

Each year, there is a competition to select 50 ornaments to appear on the Christmas tree at the Ohio Governor's Mansion, and become part of the permanent collection. Nominations are received from across the state of Ohio.

Baldwin and her ornament will be officially recognized at a reception at the Governor's residence. She received news of her selection in a letter from Hope Taft, the First Lady of the State of Ohio. Mrs. Taft wrote, "Your imagination and creativity is to be commended and your brilliant ornament now has a new home!"

Grace Christian School is a ministry of East Side Grace Brethren Church, where Chip Heim is the senior pastor, and Cindy Phillips is the school administrator.

In 1999, another of the school's teachers received the Henry Salvatori Award for Teaching Excellence, a national award presented by Hillsdale College to the educator who in the opinion of the selection committee best exemplifies excellence in teaching.  

Reida and Rich Bartley, who minister to a Slavic neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio, report that as a result of an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper on their Treasure Box program, a local company has responded with great participation in preparing and packing boxes for the ministry. Here are some excerpts from the Fleet Response company e-mail newsletter reporting on their involvement:

Established in 1986, Fleet Response is a leader in custom designed fleet management services to the corporate fleet industry. They work with more than 6,000 car and truck rental suppliers providing access to over 500,000 vehicles throughout the United States, Canada, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Fleet Response is located in Cleveland, Ohio and has grown considerably from a small business to a thriving mid-size company.

Employees Donate "Treasure Boxes" to Local Schools
November 18, 2005

To assist children and their families this holiday season, Fleet Response employees donated shoe boxes full of school supplies and toys to the Village Grace Mission Center in Cleveland.

Divided into eight teams, Fleet Response employees donated the items, collected shoe boxes, and spent an afternoon filling and wrapping each package. The "Treasure Boxes" will be distributed throughout five schools in Cleveland's Slavic Village neighborhood and employees will have the opportunity to pass out the packages and meet the children receiving them.

"Everyone at Fleet Response wanted to help children in a local community this holiday season," said Scott Mawaka, Executive Vice President, Fleet Response.

"Originally our goal was to collect 24 boxes, but as enthusiasm grew, we were able to double that and donate 50 treasure boxes."

About Village Grace Mission Center

Village Grace Mission Center was founded and is operated by Rich and Reida Bartley.

The Treasure Boxes will be delivered to Mound, Union, Fullerton, Washington Park and St. Stanislaus schools in Cleveland. In addition to the annual Treasure Box Program, the mission offers Individual and Family Counseling, Financial Counseling, Computer Training, After School Tutoring and Mentoring and many other support services to the neighborhood.

www.villagegrace.org 

Pastoral changes are a constant in the FGBC. Here are a couple of the latest announcements:

Josh Holt has accepted the unanimous call to become the Associate Pastor of Grace Brethren Church in Richmond, Virginia (Dave Kennedy, pastor). Josh & his family will be relocating to Richmond in January 2006.

At Leesburg, Indiana, Pastor Chris Hay makes the following announcement:

“God has led us to resign from Leesburg GBC effective Nov 28. No problems, no difficulties. LGBC is an awesome church and any pastor would be a fool to leave. But God seems to be calling us into a different kind of ministry at this point in our lives.

“So like Paul, I am a fool for God. Briefly, the direction we are going would suit my passions much better and put us in the role of pastor to pastors. If you want to know more, check out www.broomtreeministries.org.

“I will be working in New Orleans in the immediate future. We are not moving our residence at this point in time. New Orleans work will keep me away quite a bit in the near future.

“I would appreciate your prayer for us and for LGBC. Again, this is a great church and is poised for even greater days ahead. Pray that God will provide the right man of vision and energy to lead this work forward.”

Pastor Mitch Cariaga and the Grace Community Church of Rialto, California, were featured in last Saturday's San Bernardino newspaper for their unique outreach to a younger generation. A portion of the article is reproduced here--to read the entire article click here.

RIALTO - A 50-year-old church has recast itself as a sanctuary for the thousands of young adults who feel church isn't for them. Mosaic Rialto, a trendy church that uses a smoke machine and DJ during its services, is Grace Community Church reincarnated.

The chapel, with crimson curtains and low lights, is decorated like a loft; the lobby includes a coffee bar and plush couch.

Pastor Mitch Cariaga hopes the youth-friendly atmosphere will help him reach the heart of his community.

His church is one of hundreds nationwide that have joined the Mosaic Alliance, a movement of churches that want to reach their communities by presenting the Gospel in the format best suited for its audience.

"When I took over this church six years ago, we had about 15 elderly people," Cariaga said in between the 9:30 and 11 a.m. services. "I really felt like we had to make a change or die."

The change was not subtle. The Sunday before Halloween, Cariaga stands in the front row wearing red-tinted plastic glasses, blue jeans and a loud orange-blue-and-green striped shirt. His shaved and balding head bobs in cadence with a thumping bass drum.

Pastor Mitch, as he is known, jumps onto the stage at the end of the music set. When reading from the Bible, he sits on a wooden stool as if he were reading poetry at a cafe. He sprinkles his sermon with self-deprecation.

Christ, he says, is able to "break the family curse" not only male-pattern baldness but also stubborn sin. The offering, the most uncomfortable moment of church attendance for many Christians, is lightened with the sound of a DJ scratching records on a stage being filled with the fog of a smoke machine.

It's too soon to know whether Cariaga's goal of reaching young adults will be realized. But Mosaic members have bought into his vision.

"Church should be alive and really happy," said Nadia Castaneda, who redecorated the church. "This should be a place were the average 28-year-old can come and just feel alive."

A small but enthusiastic crowd witnessed the ribbon-cutting for a new economic-development project in Jackson, Kentucky, on Monday, November 21. Named "The Happy Ship & More," the non-profit venture is the first enterprise sponsored by Grace in Action USA, an Indiana organization whose mission is to help churches assist the people of their communities by means of economic development.

The store is associated with The Happy Church, pastored by Mike Tabor (long black coat, far left in photo). Among the guests at the ceremony were Mike Miller, Jackson mayor; Jesse & Gladys Deloe, Chuck Yeager, and Ned Denlinger of Grace in Action.

John Jacobson, a local meteorologist and member of The Happy Church, is serving as enterprise coordinator of the local project, which seeks to provide employment opportunities for area residents as well as needed services for the community.

To begin, The Happy Ship will operate a FedEx depot and an eBay consignment store in a coffee shop atmosphere. Future projects may include producing specialty tee shirts and providing computer access to the community.

Information about Grace in Action is available at 574-372-6317 or at gdeloe@comcast.net. 

Six men from the Martinsburg, Pennsylvania, Grace Brethren Church (Jim Laird, pastor) left the church parking lot on October 29 bound for Gulfport, Mississippi. Their caravan consisted of an RV donated by a church member, two skid loaders and chainsaws and other tools.

One of the skid loaders was loaned to the team by a church member and the other by a business in the community. The Martinsburg Grace Brethren Church family rallied around these men with donations of supplies, equipment and money for the trip.

The 24-7 Youth group also participated by preparing 45 backpacks for students affected by Hurricane Katrina. Each backpack contained a Bible, a tract and school and personal supplies. The Martinsburg youth also wrote letters to the students who would receive their backpacks, encouraging them and sharing Christ's love.

The Martinsburg GBC Katrina Team was headquartered at the Crosspoint Church in Gulfport. (www.mycrosspoint.org) They were among 130 relief workers stationed at the church that week. A church group from Alabama was there preparing meals for the workers; a hot breakfast in the morning and a cooked dinner for supper, along with bag lunches to be sent out with the work crews during the day.

The Martinsburg team worked primarily on tree removal, since they had the skid loaders and chainsaws. Each day they would choose 3-5 work orders of residents who had contacted the church about having a team come and do work for them.

Then as they worked at the home of the person with the work order, they would also scout out the neighbors and offer to do any work they needed done as well. Each home owner was given a Bible and a business card for the Crosspoint Church.

The men were an encouragement to a very discouraged population. The devastation is huge and they were there nine weeks after Katrina hit. Life is getting back to normal on some fronts: there are stores and restaurants open, the children are back to school; but in other ways things will not be normal for a long, long time.

Many residents of Gulfport are not living in their homes. They are staying with friends or family in the area and trying to work and take care of life while dealing with the damage done to their homes. Many people are depressed and there have been suicides.

The cost of removal of debris and basic repairs is outrageous. These will not be covered by insurance or FEMA. So the work the volunteer teams do for the homeowners represents an enormous financial help, but more importantly it speaks of Christ's love for them and the love Christ's followers have for them.

The team was inspired by the other teams at Crosspoint that week. The Martinsburg GBC Katrina Team would like to see a group go to Gulfport once a month. They would also like to get local donations and send a tractor-trailer load of drywall down for one of the teams to hang.

There are already plans for a team to go the week of January 21, 2006. Other dates being discussed are the week between Christmas and New Year's (to facilitate any students who would like to go) and the first week of January. Any individuals from other churches who would like to participate in any upcoming trip can contact Rusty Russell at rkrsemex@aol.com .
 

# posted by Terry White @ 10:29 AM 0 comments

A 24-page full-color beautiful "gift catalog" giving gift ideas for Christmas, New Year, birthdays and more is now available from Grace Brethren International Missions (GBIM).

Subtitled "New Opportunities to Advance the Cause of Christ Worldwide," the catalog extends to individuals, churches, and small groups the opportunity to sponsor individuals and projects in many parts of the world.

Hunger relief, orphan care, scholarships and training, micro-enterprise development and many other categories should stimulate any gift-giver's imagination in using resources to advance the cause of Christ.

Copies are now being mailed to all Grace Brethren churches, but individuals may receive them as well. For further information, contact GBIM's chief development officer, Ted Rondeau, at (574) 268-1888, ext. 29 or by e-mail at trondeau@gbim.org. GBIM's website is www.gbim.org.
 

Matching grants for planting churches are now available for church planters in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (FGBC) according to a recent announcement from Grace Brethren North American Missions (GBNAM).

The program is designed to encourage the recruitment of church planters, the creation of ministry apprenticeships, the launching and establishing of new churches and the further development of ethnic church planting in North America.

Dr. Tim Boal, Executive Director of GBNAM, noted the immediate releasing of funds for the 2006 calendar year. "I am pleased to announce we already have $250,000 in hand and we are ready and able to disburse these funds in calendar year 2006 to eligible persons. I am hopeful these funds will spur other matching donations for the Grace Brethren church-planting cause in North America," Boal said.

More information, including an information packet, grant guidelines and applications, as well as requirements and restrictions, is being mailed to all FGBC pastors and churches. Information is also available on the GBNAM website at www.gbnam.org.

All applicants must be firmly committed to the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, agree with its Statement of Faith and be intimately connected to the FGBC via its associations and partnerships.

Longtime Southern Baptist pastor and denominational leader Adrian Rogers died earlier this week. This excerpt from a Baptist Press article includes a moving footwashing ceremony as reported by Steve Gaines, who succeeded Rogers as pastor of his 29,000-member church. [EDITOR'S NOTE TO NON-GRACE BRETHREN READERS: Footwashing is a regular part of the communion service in Grace Brethren churches]

"I can't believe [he's dead]," Gaines said. "It just happened so quickly.... I believed with all my heart that when he went into the hospital just a little over a week ago, that he would be coming home, that this was just sort of a temporary setback, that they would hook him up with some oxygen and he would be OK. And that's just not what happened."

Yet in the few short weeks that Gaines was Rogers' pastor (Rogers kept his membership at Bellevue), Rogers provided a shining example of both leadership and humility.

Immediately before Gaines preached his first sermon as Bellevue pastor Sept. 11, Rogers washed Gaines' feet on the Bellevue platform, using a basin of water and a towel as Gaines sat in the pastor's chair. It was all Rogers' idea.

"At first we were going to do it in a private time, in just a simple way," Gaines said. "He did not do that for a show or anything like that. But he and I both prayed about it, and we both felt like it would really be a wonderful thing for the church to experience."

Rogers also placed a cloth mantle on Gaines to symbolize the passing of the torch.

"After the foot washing, Dr. Rogers ... called my wife up and his wife up, and they laid hands on us and prayed for us," Gaines said.

Foot washing, Gaines said, "symbolizes the heart of a servant" and is modeled after Jesus' washing of his disciples' feet.

Rogers, Gaines said, epitomized humility.

"He was never impressed with himself. He never was one to brag about himself," Gaines said. "The Bible says, 'Let another person's lips praise you and not your own.' He never, ever brought attention to himself in any way. I believe that one of the reasons that God exalted him is because he humbled himself. That's just the way he lived.

"He was aware, obviously, that God had done great things through him. But he always gave Jesus the glory."

The executive committee of the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers (AGBM) today concludes three days of meetings in Winona Lake, Indiana.

Led by AGBM president Tim Boal (lower left in photo), the group is working through a large number of recommendations from its research and development consultant Jerry Young (center of photo, beneath window) regarding adopting new bylaws, setting up a board of directors, redefining membership, and much more.

Additional agenda items included approving an annual budget, discussing program ideas for the Celebrate 06 national conference in California, nominees for annual awards, certification procedures for licensure and ordination, and much more.

Members in addition to Boal include Dan White (York, PA), Joel Richards (Modesto, CA), Bud Olszewski (Rittman, OH), Randy Weekley (Pinellas Park, FL) and Ken Bickel (Goshen, IN). Additional participants included FGBC coordinator Tom Avey and BMH executive director Terry White--BMH is the contracted communications arm of the AGBM.

A forthcoming newsletter to the membership, to be mailed before Christmas, will include further details and updates. 

Grace Brethren churches in the Northwest District recently organized a drive to send supplies to Grace Brethren work in the Central African Republic. Jim and Debbie Momeyer participated in the dedication of the supplies, and reported the following:

"It is obvious that there is a deep love for Africa here.

"One example of this is the container that you see in the photo. The Northwest District Grace Brethren Churches spearheaded by Sunnyside Grace Brethren Church organized, filled, funded, and shipped this container for the ministry needs in Central African Republic.

"This has been a huge task and a great token of love to our African brothers and sisters. We were privileged to be at the dedication ceremony along with Eddie and Linda Mensinger."

Sunnyside pastor of senior adult ministries Chuck Winter says, "This photo [was] taken at the dedication of the 20-foot container SGBC and other NW District churches shipped to Africa--specifically to the Bible School and Seminary in the CAR.

"It left Roanoke yesterday and contains everything from printer paper to a printer, 20 bicycles, 300 pairs of shoes, clothing plus lots more and a 12-KW electric generator."

Shown here with the container are (from left) missionaries Eddie and Linda Mensinger, Sunnyside Pastor Nathan Zakahi, and Ron Curfman. (photo courtesy Jim Momeyer) 

The Evangelical Theological Society (Dr. Alva J. McClain was one of the charter founding members of ETS) begins its annual meeting today in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

The FGBC, Grace Theological Seminary, and BMH Books will be represented by a number of attendees and several participants in the program.

Among those on the program to present papers are Brent Sandy and Terry Hofecker of the Grace faculty, along with BMH authors Robert C. Clouse and Robert D. Culver.

"Christianity in the Early Centuries" will be the theme of the Evangelical Theological Society's annual meeting Nov. 16-18 in Valley Forge, Pa. Society leaders chose the topic to refute what Edwin Yamauchi, the conference's program chair, called "disinformation" about exactly how the church came to be.

Also on the agenda for the society will be a proposal to accept as part of its bylaws the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, a document drafted nearly three decades ago by a large group of leading evangelical scholars. The society's executive committee will recommend adopting the Chicago Statement in order to clarify the group's stance on Scripture.

The following article, from this morning's Akron Beacon-Journal newspaper, details continuing hurricane relief efforts being coordinated out of the Norton, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church South Campus (Bob Combs, pastor).


Operation Adoption loading up

By Jewell Cardwell


Akron's Belinda Barton hasn't forgotten Hurricane Katrina or all of the suffering left in its aftermath.

That's why the 46-year-old Gulfport, Miss., native and retired Metro Parks ranger organized the first ``Operation Adoption'' truckload of relief supplies for that region a few weeks ago. That's why she has made several trips there.

And it's why she's setting up donation sites for the people of North Gulfport, whom Barton said were already the poorest of the poor before Katrina reached land.

Barton is incensed at what she calls the blatant unfairness on the part of state (Mississippi) and federal government (FEMA). ``You still have people camped outside and cooking on the ground,'' she fumed.

``And those camping trailers some have been given aren't safe... ''

Thanks to Barton and others, a Christmas Drive fund-raiser is under way.

Dec. 10 is the deadline to drop off new or nearly new electronics, small appliances, toys, gift cards to Home Depot and Lowe's, and monetary donations during regular business hours at the following locations:

• Grace Brethren Church, 3970 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road, Norton.

• Monroe Muffler & Brake shops throughout Northeast Ohio.

• Hamrick Truck Driving School, 1156 Medina Road (State Route 18), Medina.

• J&J Sales and Service, at 817 Lafayette Road, Medina.

• Norton City Hall, 4060 Columbia Woods Drive.

No clothes, please. ``They have more than enough,'' Belinda said.

During her last visit, Belinda forged a friendship with volunteers from Colorado who are sending two planes to Akron-Canton Airport to transport the cargo to North Gulfport before Christmas.

``The same group, led by Craig Cato, also has assembled doctors and nurses to set up a medical clinic there,'' Belinda enthused. ``They're also bringing in carpenters, plumbers and electricians to give these people the decent housing they deserve.''

Interested in helping? Call Belinda Barton at 330-958-3430 or Grace Church's administrator, William Blue, at 330-825-6291.

Adrian Rogers, the three-time president of the Southern Baptist Convention widely credited with being the leader of a conservative resurgence in the SBC, died early Tuesday in Memphis. He was 74.

His death was announced by Baptist Press News and by Rogers' Love Worth Finding ministry.

Rogers was hospitalized earlier this month with pneumonia and cancer, and earlier this morning was reported to be suffering from double pneumonia.

Rogers was elected president of the SBC in 1979 as part of the conservative repositioning of the denomination.

His election turned out to a be a watershed moment for the denomination, and the 16-million-member group shifted dramatically to the right politically and theologically.

In the years that followed, conservative leaders pushed hard against abortion rights, homosexuality and women pastors.

Rogers also was elected president of the SBC in 1986 and 1987.

He was pastor of the 28,000-member Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis for 32 years, retiring this past March.

"There's no one in this country I respect more than Adrian Rogers," Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson said on Rogers' last day as pastor. "You draw me to Christ. When I'm with you, I feel closer to the Lord."
 

An article in this weekend's Waterloo, Iowa, newspaper featured the street sign postings by the Grace Brethren Church and pastor Kelvin Cooke. Here is a short excerpt--to see the entire article click here.

When Shelly Bertelli took walks along Williston Avenue, she kept an eye out for the signs posted weekly at Grace Brethren Church in Waterloo, which often sported a catchy phrase. When it came time for Bertelli and her husband to find a church home, she contacted Grace.

Two years later, the Bertellis have since moved to Independence, but still commute to the church. Bertelli assures that the signs weren't the reason she and her husband, Troy, and two children are regulars at Grace. But the slogans made a positive first impression and led to that first phone call.

"Something registered," Bertelli said.

The Rev. Kelvin Cooke of Grace church said an in-house communications team often integrates sermon themes with the outdoor message. This week's "Got questions? Ask your teen for answers while they still know everything" illustrates a series on parenting.

"Sometimes people just drive by on purpose to see the sign," Cooke said.

The communications team also consults "Your Church Sign: 1001 Attention-Getting Sayings" by Verlyn Verbrugge. When picking a message, Cooke said it's important to consider whether an unchurched person will understand the message.

Some pastors think pulling sentences straight from the holy book is the safest route.

Here's the brief report that appeared in the Des Moines Register:

Catchy church phrases draw drivers' attention

The drive-by messages in Waterloo range from humdrum to in-your-face and philosophical to just plain funny.

"Where will you be spending eternity? Smoking or nonsmoking?"

Houses of worship have long posted service times and announced sermon titles. Now a Waterloo congregation has found a wider audience for its outdoor bulletin board.

The Rev. Kelvin Cooke of Grace Brethren Church said a church team likes to integrate sermon themes with the outdoor message. This week's "Got questions? Ask your teen for answers while they still know everything" was an example.

"Sometimes people just drive by on purpose to see the sign," Cooke said. 

Former Grace College and Theological Seminary President and BMH Books author John J. Davis is featured in this morning's Fort Wayne (IN) Journal-Gazette newspaper in this article by Dell Ford entitled "New Tasks Lure Retired Achiever." (Journal Gazette photo by Dean Musser, Jr.) For online browsing and purchase of books by John Davis click here.

There is a touch of the Charlie Brown Everyman in each man and woman.
But the Everythingman is a rare breed indeed.

John J. Davis, president and professor emeritus at Grace College and Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, hasn't done it all. Just more than most men and women.

Consider the resume: preacher, teacher, author (18 books and currently working on five), archaeologist (senior supervisor of 13 tomb excavations in Israel and Jordan), avid bass fisherman, conducting fishing seminars coast-to-coast, radio color commentator (Komet hockey), radio play-by-play high school and college sports.

He drove stock cars one summer as a teenager, is a self-taught banjo and guitar player, and he conducted game-day chapel services for University of Michigan football players and coaches in the 1970s during coach Bo Schembechler's tenure.

"They never lost a game when I did chapel," Davis happily reports.

"Emeritus" means retired, and the 69-year-old New Jersey native did retire in 2004.

Retired but not idle. He still takes the pulpit on Sundays in Midwestern churches of all denominations. He still does fishing seminars "all over the country - Maine to California" focusing on largemouth bass.

And, there is the research and writing for the books.

Study, reading and writing have long been a part of who John Davis is. He recalls in 1959, when he and his wife, Carolyn, came to Indiana for his graduate study at Grace Theological Seminary. They brought with them "a 3-month-old daughter, two suitcases and a trailer full of books."

The living room of the Big Chapman Lake Home the Davises have shared for 40 years provides a full view of the lake, as does a screened-in room where the couple spend relaxing moments.

To escape the lure of the bluegill, writer Davis works in a study with floor-to-ceiling books lining one wall. He puts the number of volumes at 6,000.

It is to this room, where books share space with fishing gear and framed tributes to his many accomplishments, that Davis takes his morning coffee and settles in behind the desk shortly after 5 a.m.

If a project is pressing, he might work there until 11 a.m. five days a week. Otherwise, he's on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule.

Two of the books Davis currently is writing are expected to be published in 2006, he says. Both are expansions of already-published works: "Contemporary Counterfeits" and "Islam, Terrorism and the Middle East."

Speaking of the former, he says it will carry the subtitle "Biblical Evaluation of the World of the Occult" and will include "research into astrology, numerology and Satanism - those sorts of practices." He also mentions that for this book he has interviewed three witches.

"Islam, Terrorism and the Middle East," Davis says, "is pretty well on its way. The research is about done. It will deal with the background of Islam, its origin and basic teachings and will focus on its teachings relative to warfare and jihad and what it does and does not mean."

The 13 archaeological tomb expeditions, from 1963 to 2003, for which he served as senior supervisor, put him in day-to-day contact with Arab Muslims.

"I lived with them. I know how the average Muslim lives and thinks," Davis says.

"Some are very hospitable, once you gain their friendship. They're not to be confused with radical forms of Islam."

A third book, for which research �is about done, is tentatively titled "Where Was God When I Needed Him?"

"Why," Davis asks, "do good and godly people suffer when violent, wild and wicked people prosper - or are in good health? It's a real dilemma. Even biblical writers agonized over that same question."

Other books Davis is writing are commentaries, one on the Old Testament book of Jonah, the other on the book of Obadiah.

He enjoys writing humor - and has, mostly relative to fishing - but finds it "more challenging. Timing is everything . . . selection of phrases ... vocabulary ... effective use of exaggeration."

Fishing, Davis says, is something he's done all his life, adding, "I probably had a fishing rod in my hand before I held a spoon. It was a family affair. It's a passion that never left me. I say it's the only true biblical sport because seven of the 12 disciples were fishermen."

He and Carolyn "fish together, lots of places - lakes and rivers - and Big Chapman Lake."

While fishing has been a lifetime passion, it wasn't until 1954, when he was a student at Audubon (N.J.) High School, that Davis discovered archaeology.

He participated in a dig at a Revolutionary War military installation in South Jersey where he unearthed musket balls and domestic ware.

The Mideast tomb excavations, for which Davis supervised anywhere from five to 15 simultaneous digs, were the burial sites "of ordinary people, city officials, prominent families. The most number of rooms was three."

Davis' most exciting moment was the 1982 discovery in Tel Abila, Jordan, of his first "unrobbed, untouched Roman tomb" from the second century.

"It was the tomb of a very wealthy, prestigious family. All the walls were painted ... (showing) human beings. It tells us how people dressed," he says.

Davis' primary interest is not artifacts. He's more "fascinated by skeletal remains because we really learn something about the people themselves ... their profession, diet, height, how they died."

Walking up and down hills between tombs "in 105- to 110-degree heat, maybe 20 miles a day, I'd lose 30 to 40 pounds a summer," Davis recalls.

In high school, Davis read Lewis Sperry Chafer's seven-volume "Systematic Theology," but it wasn't until his student days at Trinity College in New Port Richey, Fla., that he considered teaching or the ministry as his life's work.

He chose the ministry.

Preacher, teacher, author, archaeologist, fisherman ... what's left for Davis to do?

He does not like being stuck in a rut. He does like the challenge of a new enterprise.

"Perhaps," he muses, "visit a part of the world I haven't been in. I have visited and taught in 39 countries."

He thinks a moment, then says, "Africa ... I've never been to Africa."
 

A compelling new book entitled Minefields in the Marketplace: Ethical Issues Christians Face in the World of Business has just been released by BMH Books of Winona Lake, Indiana.

Written by James Pearson, a Grace Theological Seminary graduate who had a successful career in sales and marketing before entering the pastorate, the book identifies six minefields in which many Christian businessmen and businesswomen get caught.

Thoroughly biblical, yet reality-based, the six issues addressed in the 116-page paperback include ethical compromise, materialism, dealing with power, sexual temptation, neglected relationships, and spiritual stagnation.

Several pages of thoughtful discussion questions for each chapter make this an ideal vehicle for small-group study or as a text for Sunday School classes and Adult Bible Fellowships.

Strong endorsements for the book come from both the business and ministry areas. Daryle Doden, president of Ambassador Steel Corporation says, "Pastor Jim draws upon his own experience and the truth of God's Word to help professionals identify and avoid the spiritual minefields waiting for the uninitiated and the unaware...an excellent read."

Mark Holbrook, chairman of the Christian Management Association, says, "From the first chapter this book will grab your mind and heart...great reading that exposes insidious workplace threats to our character...this book should be on every Christian manager's must-read list."

Minefields in the Marketplace retails for $10.99, with quantity discounts available for those wishing to purchase larger numbers to use as texts or giveaways. Log on to www.bmhbooks.com or call (toll-free) 1-800-348-2756 to order. The ISBN number is 0884693023. 

More than 40 pastors and church planters gathered today on the southwest side of Columbus, Ohio, at a "Micropolitan Church Planting Summit" organized by Tony Webb, pastor of the Southwest Grace Brethren Church in Grove City, Ohio.

The goal is to continue fostering interest and motivation for church planting in "micropolitan" areas which are the growing suburbs of larger metropolitan area. Long-range, the group has a vision to plant a church a day. (Tom Avey photo) 

From the Sebring, Florida, News-Sun:

Dennis Brown

Dennis R. Brown, 55, of Sebring, died Nov. 5, 2005, in Sebring.

Born in Des Moines, Iowa, he had been a resident of Sebring since 2003, coming from Riverside, Calif. He was pastor of Grace Brethren Church in Sebring.

Survivors include his wife, Christine; sons, Jason and Jacob, both of Lake Placid, Andrew of Los Angeles and Robby, Jesse, Micah and Ryan, all of Sebring; daughters, Crystina and Corissa, both of Warsaw, Ind., Rebecca, Amy, Katie, Emily and Laurie, all of Sebring; mother, Donna of Des Moines, Iowa; father, Cleo of Newton, Iowa; brothers, Randy of Osceola, Iowa and Rusty of Elkhart, Ind.; and two grandchildren.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Grace Brethren Church in Sebring, with the Rev. Randall Smith and the Rev. Milton Ryerson officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to Kids City Daycare, Grace Brethren Church, 3626 Thunderbird Road, Sebring, FL 33872.

Cremation arrangements are being handled by Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home, Sebring.

The following excerpt from an article on christianpost.com tells of the success of a media prayer breakfast founded by Grace alum and former staff member Larry Poland:

The "2nd Annual National Media Prayer Breakfast" convened an estimated 1,000 people in Los Angeles on Friday to pray for the "700 most powerful and influential media professionals in the world." The event represents a growing – though not new – trend: coordinated prayer for the nation's leaders.

The National Media Prayer Breakfast (NMPB) mobilizes spiritual support for media leaders and recognizes people of faith in media. A Christian event open to all faiths, NMPB is neither issues-focused nor political, according to a news release.

“The message to Hollywood’s elite is that there are millions of Christians who care enough about them to pray for them—not boycott, protest or bash them,” says Dr. Larry Poland, founder of NMPB and CEO of Mastermedia International. “We want to send media leaders a positive message of God’s love and forgiveness.”

The event opened with a prayer by former Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, who also opened the Senate with prayer each day from 1995 until his retirement in 2003. Scheduled appearances included singer and Broadway star Debby Boone and actor John Schneider – a regular on the popular TV series for teensSmallville and former Dukes of Hazard star.

The President of CBS Studio Center, Michael Klausman, joined Lori McCreary, CEO of Revelations Entertainment. Charisse McGhee-Lazarou, VP of Current Series Programming at Lifetime Television participated, and Father Michael Manning, founder of Wordnet Catholic Television, provided the closing prayer.

Only in its second year, the event represents a returning trend: prayer for the cultural and political leaders of society.

The following is excerpted from an article in yesterday's Los Angeles Times:

Wednesday is the first day for high school seniors to sign national letters of intent for all sports except football, boys' and girls' soccer, and boys' water polo.

Arizona's upset football victory over UCLA on Saturday apparently made a big impression on twins Rick and Cory Elmore from Simi Valley Grace Brethren. They committed to the Wildcats. Rick is a 6-5, 235-pound defensive end. Cory is a 6-4, 250-pound offensive lineman.

FoxSports had this to say:

It stands to reason that the Arizona Wildcats would pick up some recruiting momentum in the wake of their 52-14 thrashing of then No. 7 UCLA, and just one day after that game UA Head Coach Mike Stoops picked up a pair of verbal commitments. Twins Cory and Ricky Elmore, from Grace Brethren High School in Simi Valley, Calif., already had a pretty good idea they wanted to be Wildcats, but the 'Cats 38-point win over a top-ten school put them over the top.

"Like I said before, I was pretty sure Arizona was where I wanted to go," Ricky told Chris Bonney of CatTracks.net. "But after that game, any doubt at all was completely gone. Arizona is on its way up."

Ricky, at 6-5 and 235 pounds, will play defensive end for Stoops, while Cory, the bigger of the two at 6-5 and 255 pounds, will try his hand on the offensive line. The twins had been hotly pursued by a number of colleges with offers extended to both by Oregon, Oregon State and Utah, among others.

We have posted occasional reports from church planter Brian Williams as he and some "seed families" from the Delaware, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church have followed God's leading to plant a church in nearby Sunbury, north of Columbus. Previous reports told of another church inviting the group to merge with them, resulting in the free gift of a building and land. Here are excerpts from Brian's report of the church's recent "Grand Opening Sunday."

Midweek I was desperately trying to find someone that could do the final mudding on our drywall. I was standing in the yard looking at a donated cross with a couple of other men and a neighbor of the church building drove by, stopped and asked if we needed scaffolding to put that cross up on the building.

After some conversation with him, he said that if we needed anything to let him know. I asked if he knew anyone who did final mudding on drywall. He laughed and said, "I'm a drywall guy." He came that evening and the next and did our final mudding for us.

As we approached the weekend, the weather reports were very ominous for our events. Storms were supposed to roll across the area both on Saturday evening during our outdoor party and Sunday morning during our service time. In spite of the forecasts, the weather for both events was absolutely perfect.

We had about 100 people come on Saturday evening to eat pork and let their kids play on the Moonbounce. Four clowns did amazing balloon animals and unbelievable face painting. It was a great success from every angle.

We had 127 people in the service on Sunday morning. About 100 of those individuals were either people from the Sunbury Grace Brethren Church Launch Team, or people from the Sunbury community that were checking us out because of the flyers, the signs, the newspaper coverage or personal invitation.

Several of the people who have been visiting the church before this weekend indicated a desire to "join the family."

Continue to pray for the Sunbury Grace Brethren Church. Obviously our numbers will decrease from last week to next, but we believe there are many ways that we can build on this momentum. Pray for the peoples' stamina in this busy time.

We certainly have received an adrenaline rush from the weekend, but we want to continue to move forward.
 

As news of the sudden death by heart attack of Denny Brown (pictured) in Sebring, Florida, Saturday evening has made its way around the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, a variety of descriptions and connections have appeared as the news traveled. Here is a selection of excerpts:

From Grace College and Seminary, the note that Denny Brown, 55, was an alumnus of the school (BA73, MACSA 83) and worked in the Development and Admissions area of Grace Schools from 1978-1987.

He and his wife (Chris Ryerson, C71) have 14 children, 11 of whom are adopted, with nine still at home. Memorial service will be Thursday in Sebring-the address for Chris and the family is 725 Lin Road, Sebring, Florida, 33876.

Pastor Scott Distler of Lititz, Pennsylvania, noted Denny's connections in this e-mail note to the Lititz congregation:

We got word Sunday morning that Pastor Denny Brown passed away Saturday night of a heart attack. Denny was a former staff member at the Osceola Grace Brethren where I pastored for 9 years (his time at Osceola was prior to my years of service there). He had currently been serving as the Associate Pastor at our Sebring, FL Grace Brethren Church.

Denny's brother, Rusty, was one of my Elders back in Osceola and I served with Denny for several years on CE National's Board of Directors. Denny is survived by his wife, Christine, and their 14 children. Please be praying for Denny's family and for the Sebring Grace Brethren Church.

The CE National website reported in this way:

Denny Brown, Associate pastor at Sebring, Florida, Grace Brethren Church went home to be with the Lord Saturday evening, November 5. Denny suffered a massive heart attack Saturday evening at his home. He was with the Lord before the EMS team arrived.

Denny was in charge of the Day Care program that the Sebring Grace Brethren Church operates, and he did administrative work for the church. Denny worked at Grace College and was a school administrator in California before taking the position at Sebring.

He is a former member of the CE National Board of Directors and was a tremendous support to our ministries through the years. Denny is also the son-in-law of Milt and Sue Ryerson, retired pastor in the FGBC.

Please be in prayer for Denny's wife, Chris, their children, and their family.

The following note is from the family:

Denny passed away on Saturday night from a heart attack. We will be having a memorial service at Sebring Grace Brethren church on Thursday at 2:00pm. Our family is doing well, but of course has our ups and downs. We all know that God is good and that he has a plan for all of our lives.

We appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

 

Word has been received of the sudden death by heart attack last evening of Denny Brown, associate (administrative) pastor at the Sebring, Florida, Grace Brethren Church.

Brown was well-known in the Fellowship not only for his current work at Sebring, but also for his previous positions at Grace College and with other churches.

More details will be posted as they become available. Your prayers are requested for his wife, children, family, and the Sebring church.

Ron Carnevali, pastor of the Grace Brethren Church on Napoleon Street in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is quoted in a recent article on downtown revitalization in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat. A portion is reproduced here--to read the entire article click here.

Two decades ago, the Rev. Ron Carnevali Sr. worked with children in the neighborhood. Now, as pastor at Johnstown Grace Brethren Church on Napoleon Street, Carnevali can’t help but sense a change for the better.

“There seems to be much more community pride now,” Carnevali said.

“The homes that were not cared for look worse now,” he said. “But they’re tearing them down, and that’s a good sign.”

And “Kernville” no longer is synonymous with crime.

Prof. Donald Ogden and David S. Miller revived a "Three Bears" comedy routine from the 1960s at this morning's "GC Live" program for Grace College alumni.

The program was held in the Gordon Recreation Center on the Grace College campus in Winona Lake, Indiana.

The alumni homecoming theme is music this year, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Grace College choir. An alumni musical concert was held at 1 p.m. in the Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, featuring trumpeter Phil Norris, pianist Alex Thio, and others.

An alumni choir rehearsal will be held at 4 p.m. today in the Rodeheaver Auditorium, followed by a concert later this evening featuring favorite repertoire from the past 50 years.

Class reunions will also be held, as well as an all-alumni dinner preceding the concert. 

The following article, which reviews two new books on the most famous resident of Winona Lake, Indiana, the baseball-evangelist Billy Sunday, appears in the current Christianity Today magazine. To read the complete story, click here.

Billy Sunday , the best-known evangelist in America during the first half of the twentieth-century, used blunt language and a simple gospel message to call people to Jesus.

He beseeched people to "hit the sawdust trail" (respond to an altar call), "stay on the wagon" (abstain from alcohol), and remain faithful Christians until "the great Umpire of the Universe" said, "You're out."

From 1896 until his death in 1935, between eighty and one hundred million people heard Sunday's straight-talking message. Revered by some and reviled by others, Sunday left an indelible mark on American evangelicalism. For good or ill, he became what many Americans thought of when they heard they word "evangelist."

Two recent books offer introductions to Sunday.

The Sawdust Trail, Sunday's only autobiography, originally appeared in The Ladies Home Journal in 1932 and 1933; the University of Iowa Press has now published a new edition.

The Sawdust Trail is both a testament to God's work in Sunday's life and an American rags-to-riches success story. Sunday begins his story with his father's death in the Civil War and continues through a tough childhood (including stints in orphanages owing to his mother's financial and marital hardships) and his career as a baseball player for the Chicago Whitestockings ("I am not tooting my horn to sell you any clams, but I could steal the bases and play the outfield as well as any of 'em in my day").

During his time as a ballplayer, Sunday made two momentous decisions: He became a Christian and he married Helen "Ma" Sunday. He eventually left baseball in order to become an evangelist--a career in which he owed much of his success to the support of his wife.

Sunday's autobiography is not a smooth, well-organized narrative. If you just want the story of the evangelist's life, there are better books. But if you want a taste of his language and message, it is a great place to start.

In 86 pages, you get classic Sunday language on some of his favorite subjects. He lambastes overly intellectual preaching: "The time has come when we preachers must be something more than walking theological mummies swathed in papyrus, oozing Greek diphthongs and seven terminologies of Latin and Greek extraction."

The loose morals of the day also come in for criticism: "The modern dances are disgusting with their brazen pandering to lust. There seems to be but one idea prevalent." By the 1930s, Sunday was no longer at the apex of his evangelistic career, but the former ballplayer was still slugging with his words.

W.A. Firstenberger's new book In Rare Form: A Pictorial History of Baseball Evangelist Billy Sunday, shifts the focus from what Sunday said to what Sunday owned.

Firstenberger, the curator of the Billy Sunday Historic Site Museum in Winona Lake, Indiana, argues that people's possessions shed light on their lives. Not all readers will be interested in the methodological claims Firstenberger makes throughout the book (although it might be worthwhile to consider what your possessions say about what you value).

The pictures in the book, however, are of general interest. They give a sense of Sunday's life as well as life in early 20th-century America. Pictures of his house, for example, reveal a tendency toward simplicity. Spaces guests might see were expensively decorated. Private spaces (and the house consisted mainly of private spaces) were comfortable but plain.

The book also uncovers some interesting discrepancies between Sunday's reputation and his possessions. Some of the discrepancies are, granted, more tantalizing than important.

Firstenberger asks why a man who railed against modern dances, music, and drinking would have kept a victrola, secular dance music, and a couple of brandy snifters and cordial glasses in his house.

Fun questions--but Firstenberger has no answers.

More significant are his findings regarding Sunday's supposed materialism and his purported anti-intellectualism. Sunday was a successful evangelist--both in terms of souls converted and money made. Some people criticized Sunday's luxurious lifestyle.

On the basis of an analysis of his house, however, Firstenberger suggests that Sunday's lifestyle was more comfortable than opulent. The evangelist lived well but not as well as he could have.

Sunday may also have read more than his critics guessed. While the evangelist famously said of St. Augustine that unless he played for the National League, he would not know of him, a perusal of his library shelves reveals that Sunday read a great deal (similarities between some of the books and passages in Sunday's sermons suggest that he also "borrowed" extensively). He mainly read books that buttressed his own conservative theology, but read he did.

If you are interested in getting to know Billy Sunday in somewhat unconventional ways (there are also more conventional biographies and studies of Sunday), these two books are good places to begin.
 

The following article featuring the Hope Grace Brethren Church of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania (George Traub, pastor), appeared this morning in Gulfport/Biloxi, Mississippi.

Karen Roberts looked at her damaged home and said, "I was really in shock. I was like, 'What are we going to do now?'"

The Harrison County teacher learned a heartbreaking lesson, when Katrina flooded her home in the Oakley Manor subdivision in Gulfport.

"Everything I've had for 53 years. I sat on my front lawn and watched, as my grandson says, the 'claw' pick up everything and put it in a dumpster," Roberts said.

Roberts had no flood insurance, and worried about starting over. So imagine her surprise when volunteers from the town of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, showed up in her neighborhood.

"It was unbelievable. I cried. I realized then that prayers were answered," Roberts said.

The volunteers from "Hope Grace Brethren Church," aren't just cleaning and fixing-up the Roberts' home. They're ripping out moldy, smelly sheet rock, and repairing more than 40 houses from Gulfport to Bay St. Louis.

Darren Davis is the team leader.

"We felt like if we can come down and do one small thing for a person, if it's just raking their yard or picking up some limbs off their roof, that can give them a little hope to get going again. Personally, it's life changing to come down here."

The generosity from the people of Dillsburg involves more than just labor and supplies. They've also purchased brand, new appliances to refurnish the gutted homes.

"I got a refrigerator, and washer and dryer and range. It's not just what they wanted to bring. It's what I wanted. They asked me specifically, 'What do you want?'" Roberts said.

Roberts wonders how can she repay the volunteers who've given her so much?

"I've given lots of hugs, and I hope when we get on our feet to go to Pennsylvania and visit their town. There's a lot of people there that couldn't be here, but their hearts are here," Roberts said.

The Pennsylvania volunteers will go home at the end of next week. More teams will be arriving in South Mississippi next year -- one in February and another during the summer.

Leon Patillo--former Santana vocalist and Christian music pioneer--and his wife, Renee, escaped serious injury on Oct. 31 when their RV exploded in Barstow, Calif.

As the Patillos were driving, following concert appearances, a large explosion caused smoke and flames in the air conditioning unit. The entire front of the RV was engulfed in flames before Leon could pull the RV off the road.

The fire damaged the RV's electrical system, so none of the power-lock doors would open. Renee managed to get her door open, but due to the flames, Leon had to break a window and crawl out. The couple ran approximately 100 yards before the RV exploded and burned to a frame.

"Leon incurred scratches on his back from trying to go through the driver's window, and I have a few cuts on my fingers and some under my feet from not having any shoes," Renee said. "We did not have any burns. We inhaled a lot of smoke, but we are OK now."

The fire destroyed personal effects and the love offerings they had received at their recent concert appearances.

The couple is currently recovering at their home in Las Vegas. Leon's latest CD, Live Experience 2 (TAG Artist Group), released in August.  

Christian singer-songwriter Nichole Nordeman returned earlier this year from a couple years off the road and out of the studio with her fourth studio record, Brave.

Nordeman, known for crafting arty, poetic adult pop songs with a strong spiritual bent, seems no worse for the wait -- songs like the title track, Hold On and We Build are introspective and honest radio-friendly tunes with, at times, novel arrangements. There's even a cover of Bob Dylan's Gotta Serve Somebody.

Nordeman and Aaron Shust will play Grace Brethren Church in Westerville, Ohio, on Friday, Nov. 4. Tickets are $15. Call 431-8223.  

Rich and Reida Bartley, Grace Brethren church planting missionaries to Cleveland, are featured in yesterday's Cleveland newspaper. Rich says they've already received several calls from people wishing to help or donate. Reproduced here is a short excerpt--to read the entire article click here.

When Rich Bartley retired in 2000 from coaching and teaching in the Cleveland schools, he craved more than ever to help the district's children. Once he earned a seminary degree, he and wife Reida started a missionary outpost of sorts in Cleveland's Slavic Village to teach life skills to poor residents.

Most programs are aimed at youths since the Bartleys believe that's where they can have the strongest impact. The Sagamore Hills Township couple aren't shy about appealing to suburbanites for help with everything from mentoring kids to donating children's books.

Their holiday "treasure box" giveaway attracts the most helpers. Each child at Mound, Union, Fullerton, Washington Park and St. Stanislaus schools receives a gift-wrapped shoe box filled with school supplies and toys, plus $5 to spend however they choose.

"It's a godsend," said principal Rita Smith-Rogers of Fullerton Elementary School, especially for families who can't afford holiday gifts.

The following note is taken from the weekly 'Grace Connections' e-mail update, which comes from Judy Daniels in the Grace publications office. To subscribe, e-mail connect@grace.edu and type ADD in the subject line:

This is Homecoming Week on the campus of Grace College and Seminary, Winona Lake, Indiana, and students have already been involved in special activities prior to this weekend's main events. Tuesday was Hall Shirt Day - and Round Ball Madness and a bonfire are on the schedule for tonight. Tomorrow evening's events include the student Homecoming Banquet and Variety Show.

Alumni will arrivet this weekend to reunite with friends and attend the gatherings that have been planned by our Alumni Services Office. More than 300 alumni have already registered for reunions and there are plenty of other activities to attend, even if it's not your reunion year. Homecoming schedules are available on the Grace Web site at <http://www.grace.edu/grace/alumni/Homecoming/Index.htm> and in the fall Grace Magazine. If you visit the Web site, be sure to watch the Homecoming presentation and check out the Homecoming clock.

WHILE YOU'RE ON THE GRACE SITE, take a look at the aerial photos of campus that show the progress on the Orthopaedic Capital Center. Go to <http://www.grace.edu/athletics/stories/occ_photos.php> to see the OCC site (across from the library) and the work that being done on the property in preparation for construction of the 56,000 square foot event center.

The annual Judgment House outreach sponsored by the Norton, OH, Grace Brethren Church (pastors Bob Combs and Jeff Bogue) this year resulted in nearly 400 people making decision for Christ. The Akron contingent of the 4:12 Commission participated. Here is a short excerpt from their report -- read the entire report (with photos) by clicking here:

Judgment House is a main outreach event presented by Grace Church in Norton Ohio. As a Halloween alternative, Grace church presents a clear, laid out depiction of the gospel through a ten-scene walk-through play.

A story line captures the attention of the audience while teaching them the story of Christ, with a clear presentation of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ depicted so that many might come to know Him personally. With the help of 500 people, thousands of lives are changed.

Within this ministry, 412 has had many opportunities to use their gifts. All of the students had a chance to counsel, sharing the gospel again and again with others. Some students guided tours through Judgment House while others acted in the scenes.

It has been wonderful to see God work through our lives to encourage the believers while evangelizing. During the counseling times we have had some stretching times staying up until all hours of the night, but knowing that 385 people made first-time decisions to follow Jesus Christ as their Savior has made every struggle well worth it all.
 

The current issue of Christianity Today magazine carries an article on "Pastor M," a church leader in Baghdad for whom Christians have been praying since his abduction and disappearance--along with several others--in mid-September. Reproduced here is a short excerpt. To read the entire article, click here.

"There has been no further word about them," said Bishop Clive Handford, who is responsible for the Anglican diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. "We have to presume that they have been killed. There has been no claim of responsibility. In this case, no news is bad news."

The team of five Iraqi-born Christians had been visiting Amman, Jordan, for a church conference.

The party included: Maher Dakel, the principal lay leader and translator; his wife, Mona, who worked with the women in the church; their son, Yehya, a musician; senior assistant Firas Raad; and the group's driver.

If they had been kidnapped, Handford speculated, there would have been a ransom demand. Maybe insurgents were involved, but "there are lots of holdups with robbery, sometimes killing and sometimes not," the bishop said. "Their abduction has had a considerable impact on St. George's congregation. They are very depressed."

The Grace Brethren Church of Fort Wayne Indiana, celebrated its 50th year of ministry to the North East side of Fort Wayne on Sunday, October 23, 2005. (photos courtesy Dave Rosner)

The day was an exciting one with many former members and attenders gathering to celebrate. The theme for the day was "Continuing with Christ" based on Philippians 1:6.

Rev. Tom Julien, the first pastor of the church, gave the morning message challenging everyone to faithfully continue the work that was begun 50 years ago. The activities of the day included a carry-in meal, an afternoon concert with former members Pastor Tim and Jill Placeway and a ventriloquist act by Pastor Davy Troxel.

Following the Placeway concert, everyone went outside and launched 100 balloons with the church information inside.

Approximately 200 people attended the day's activities, with three former pastors and
several charter members present. Current pastor Bob Arenobine also shared with the crowd the exciting things that are happening and the vision the church has for the future.

The theme "Continuing with Christ" will continue to be the theme for the church in the coming year. 

Former and current pastors of the Fort Wayne, IN, Grace Brethren Church who participated in the recent 50th anniversary celebration included (from left) Davy Troxel, Bob Arenobine, Dave Rosner, Gene Witzky, and Tom Julien. 

Tom Julien, former executive director of Grace Brethren International Missions and founding pastor of the Fort Wayne, Indiana, Grace Brethren Church, was the speaker for the church's recent 50th anniversary celebration. 

Kary Oberbrunner, student ministries pastor at the Powell, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church, has written an article for Relevant magazine on how to be progressive in a stagnant church.

To read his ten suggestions on the subject, including “Embrace the Hypocrite Within” and “Realize That God Doesn’t Need You,” click here.

The November/December 2005 issue of FGBC World has now arrived in homes and Grace Brethren churches. Here are several weeks' worth of copy you may use in bulletins, worship folders, church newsletters, and websites to call attention to it. Please copy-and-paste, or e-mail me for a Word file at tdwhite@earthlink.net. Thanks


Week One

Want to be a witness in your neighborhood this Christmas season? Read how one couple uses 8,000 Christmas lights to reach out with the gospel, and how another has designed a special Christmas lawn display to portray the true meaning of Christmas. Copies of FGBC World, the bi-monthly publication of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, are now available, or log onto www.fgbcworld.com .


Week Two

Can your hobby be used to reach people for Christ? Read how one couple from Maryland uses their unique custom-made entitled �Born Again II� to attract attention and share the gospel with thousands. Copies of the November/December FGBC World, the bi-monthly publication of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, are now available, or log onto www.fgbcworld.com .


Week Three

Reponse to hurricanes Katrina and Rita by Grace Brethren churches and people has been nothing short of heroic. Read how your fellow congregations from Richmond, VA to Ripon, CA have been responding with relief supplies, back-breaking labor, and the love of Christ. Copies of the latest edition of FGBC World, the bi-monthly publication of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, are now available, or log onto www.fgbcworld.com .


Week Four

Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world today. Do you understand it? Do you know how to intelligently engage a Muslim in a conversation about faith? Get advice from the experts in the November/December 2005 issue of FGBC World, the bi-monthly publication of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, now available. Have the publication mailed to your home free, or log onto www.fgbcworld.com for more infor