Church of the Brethren

Beth Sollenberger will retire on Sept. 30 as interim director of administration for the Church of the Brethren’s Atlantic Southeastern District. She has served in the position since April 1, 2024. She has been working both from her home in Goshen, Ind., as well as onsite in the district.

The 13 members of Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) Unit 339 have begun service at their project sites. The volunteers completed orientation on July 27 to Aug. 4 at Inspiration Hills Camp in Burbank, Ohio.

The latest set of grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Initiative (GFI) support ministries of congregations in Florida, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Also, global church leaders in East Africa received support to attend an agricultural training symposium.

Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed the latest round of grants, made this spring through early summer, from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF). The grants support disaster relief efforts and aid in North Carolina, Western Maryland, Ukraine, Gaza and the West Bank, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, and Cuba.

In this issue: Prayer request for flooding in Indiana, Engage: Global Mission Gathering, Children's Disaster Services trainings, Bethany Seminary accreditation visit, "Pathways to Peace and Justice," Camp Mack seeks executive director, and more.

Samuel Hupp has begun work at the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy, serving through Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS). He is a member of Manchester Church of the Brethren in North Manchester, Ind.

In action taken at a July 25 meeting, the board of the Church of the Brethren’s Southern Ohio and Kentucky District unanimously voted to offer Nick Beam a three-year contract renewal to serve as district executive minister. The announcement from the district noted that each of those three years will include a review and re-evaluation process. Also, as a part of the contract renewal, it was decided to drop “interim” from his title.

Five Church of the Brethren congregations in Pennsylvania are joining together to organize and sponsor “PeaceFest: Turning Communities Toward Peace” on Saturday, Sept. 19—the weekend closest to the International Day of Peace. This event is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lititz Church of the Brethren.

Rachel Johnson, who has completed her term as National Youth Conference coordinator through Brethren Volunteer Service, on Aug. 24 will begin a new one-year, part-time role as assistant for Church of the Brethren Youth and Young Adult Ministries. She will be working from her home in Pennsylvania.

By Carolyn Neher Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), a program of Brethren Disaster Ministries, is deploying a team of four volunteers to support families affected by the ongoing wildfires in Washington State. Brethren Disaster Ministries personnel continue to monitor the situation and remain in contact with local Church of the Brethren congregations and Pacific Northwest District

By Sharon Franzén Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM) has opened a new Rebuilding project site in Yancey County, N.C., expanding its long-term response to communities affected by Hurricane Helene in 2024. The site opened June 7, 2026, after volunteers served earlier this year in Ashe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties. Yancey County was among the communities hardest

By Ryan Braught The Church of the Brethren’s Part-Time Pastor; Full-Time Church program will sponsor Practicing the Way: The Scripture Practice this fall for multi-vocational pastors. What is the Scripture Practice? In Practicing the Way, a book by John Mark Comer, readers are introduced to nine spiritual practices—Sabbath, Solitude, Scripture, Prayer, Fasting, Generosity, Community, Service, and Witness—that help

The Church of the Brethren has named Rev. Dr. John Fillmore as director of ministry, effective Nov. 2, 2026. As part of the denomination’s Discipleship and Leadership Formation team, he will lead the Ministry Office, equipping ministers, supporting congregations and districts, and strengthening pastoral leadership across the denomination. Fillmore has served as pastor of Nampa

Dear Beloved Community of the Church of the Brethren, I write today with particular concern for our Haitian church members and their families. Following the expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) on July 27, many now face the possibility of detention, deportation, and family separation. Among those affected are approximately 300 Haitians who are part of Church of the Brethren congregations across the United States.

In this time in which many of our Haitian sisters and brothers no longer have valid work permits due to the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, it is more important than ever that the church give generously to the Legal and Mutual Aid Fund. This fund directly supports our Haitian Church of the Brethren members in the US, among others.

From Sept. 1 to Oct. 4, churches worldwide will mark the Season of Creation, at the invitation of the World Council of Churches. (The Church of the Brethren is one of the founding members of the WCC.) The Season of Creation runs for five weeks, and is given to prayer and action for the care of creation. The theme this year is “Living Water,” drawn from Ezekiel 47.

In this issue: Correction, remembering Suely Inhauser and David Jehnsen, prayer requests from around the world, Jesus in the Neighborhood videos, Brethren Volunteer Service units begin and end service, latest issue of Rooted, and much more.

The SVMC office is collecting short stories from ministers who have odd stories to tell. Maybe you remember a wedding mishap or a funeral gone awry, a hospital miracle, a bizarre Sunday morning experience, or an unbelievable moment at camp.

Fourteen of our churches participated in a Peanut Butter and Canned Food Drive challenge within our district. An amazing total of 56,490.64 ounces (3,530.67 pounds) were collected.

Crest Manor Church of the Brethren and Dismas House of South Bend, Ind., have entered into a “Shalom Partnership” to offer mutual friendship, support, and community for residents of Dismas House seeking to find their way back into society following incarceration.