Church of the Brethren

"The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." -Leviticus 19:34 NKJV

A US District Court judge has denied a preliminary injunction motion in Mennonite USA v. DHS, the sensitive locations lawsuit in which the Church of the Brethren is one of 27 plaintiffs.

In this issue: Remembering Tootie Long, Elsie Koehn, and Brian Roten; New & Renew is cancelled with regrets; registration opens May 1 for National Older Adult Conference; Brethren Disaster Ministries Hurricane Helene short-term project seeks volunteers; worship resources for National Youth Sunday on May 4; prayer requests for Haiti and Uganda; EYN holds its annual Majalisa; Donna Rhodes is celebrated; and much, much more.

In response to concerns raised by congregations in their districts related to potential detention and deportation among members of the Church of the Brethren, a group of church districts is working cooperatively to provide resourcing and support to affected congregations and to the whole church.

The Program and Arrangements Committee is once again holding a silent auction at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Greensboro, N.C., this summer.

Church of the Brethren Yearbook forms have been updated this year. For congregations, the three previous forms have been replaced with one form. Congregations have the option to complete this form online via webform, or via a paper form which can be mailed or scanned and emailed to the Yearbook office.

Bill and Penny Gay of Pleasant Dale Church of the Brethren in Decatur, Ind., have been volunteering in various locations in Alaska for many summers. Their work centers on community gardening and efforts to reduce food insecurity. The projects in Alaska have received support through grants from the Global Food Initiative. Here is an update on their continuing work

On March 1, 47 leaders from the Church of the Brethren districts west of the Mississippi River gathered by Zoom for the first of several planned meetups designed to enhance connection and relationships across the western Brethren.

The Church of the Brethren’s National Youth Cabinet met March 21-23 to discern the theme for National Youth Sunday 2025, scheduled for May 4, and for next year’s National Youth Conference (NYC) 2026, scheduled for July 18-23, 2026, at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colo.

Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 year. “Put your faith in action, and volunteer with BVS!” said an invitation.

In 2025, Mutual Aid Agency (MAA) proudly marks its 140th anniversary, celebrating more than a century of faith-driven service, insurance protection, and a commitment to mutual aid.

In this issue: Remembering Pierre Ferrari and George Etzweiler, New and Renew, Beyond the Signature: Living Out the Ash Wednesday Ecumenical Declaration, how Ugandans do church, job openings, and more

The historic Kurtz organ will be played in concert on Sunday, May 25, at 4 p.m. in the chapel at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill.

The following poem by Deborah Slone was submitted by pastor Larry Oneill of New Covenant Church of the Brethren in Atlantic Southeast District. He is serving this year as moderator of the district and as staff for English Speaking Ministry.

An interfaith prayer vigil on the evening of Thursday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m. (Eastern time) held both in-person at National City Christian Church in Washington, D.C., (5 Thomas Circle NW) and online via live-stream will support a court hearing in the sensitive locations lawsuit.

A Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) team of four volunteers (three from Iowa and one from Missouri) will provide disaster child care in Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARCs) in areas of Missouri hit by tornadoes last week.

This year’s first set of grants from the Brethren Faith in Action Fund (BFIA) have been announced, going to five Church of the Brethren congregations including GraceWay International Community, Harrisburg First, Highland Avenue, Ivester, and Sebring.

The Global Food Initiative (GFI) has given its latest round of grants to support well drilling by the Haiti Medical Project, an agricultural training component for students at the Great Lakes Bible School in Rwanda, and “Farming God's Way” in the Church of the Brethren in Burundi.

In this issue: The National Youth Cabinet meets, Youth and Young Adult Ministry recommends a video introduction to making communion bread, Josh Wilson concert at Camp Mardela, Jennifer Hosler named one of "12 Christian women shaping the church in 2025" by Sojourners.

A resolution on weapons transfers was adopted by the Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board at its spring meeting held March 7-9 at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Board chair Colin Scott led the meeting, assisted by chair-elect Kathy Mack and general secretary David Steele.