Our graduates are impressive! A Brethren education is excellent preparation for graduate school or a first job. A curriculum blending the liberal arts with pre-professional studies produces skills needed for work and lessons for a lifetime. You'll find our students to be dedicated to learning. They work hard to prepare for futures that will bring them personal and professional success. They are taught and advised by faculty who bring values as well as expertise to the classroom. Our graduates leave with a commitment to use their education in the service of others. Ultimately, a Brethren education joins the world of the spirit and the world of work. A Brethren education begins with ... YOU! For more information about Brethren colleges, visit our website: www.cobcoa.org or email: [email protected] or call 1-800-323-8039 MARCH 2003 VOL.152 NO.2 WWW.BRETHREN.ORG Editor: Fletcher Farrar Publisher: Wendy McFadden News: Walt Wiltschek Advertising: Russ Matteson Subscriptions: Diane Stroyeck Design: Cedar House Group - ONTHECOVER "'0 _g Q. On Sunday, March 16, the Church of the Brethren joins in "O the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. Our church links ~ "O" with eight other denominations and the multi-denomina­ i tional Church World Service organization-together repre­ <( senting more than 55 million Christians worldwide-to focus on ministries of compassion. Helping the world's disadvan­ taged gain new skills and achieve self-respect is a lot of what the church's ministries of compassion are about. The self-development of people is at the crux of the General Board's One Great Hour of Sharing offering. And this style of ministry is pivotal to the work of the Emergency Disaster Fund and the Global Food Crisis Fund, designated outreach funds of the General Board. The offering helps persons like Anta Niang, pictured on 1O Churches and the economy the cover, achieve self-respect. Upon learning to read after Throughout the United States churches large and turning 50, she proudly writes her name in the sand. Anta is ~mall are struggling to do ministry during an one of 10 women in the village of Ganket Guent in northern economic downturn. The fact that pain is widespread Senegal who takes notes and records financial transactions gives perspective but little relief to Church of the for the local women's association. Until Church World Brethren agencies facing cutbacks. Service and its partner agency in Senegal launched a three­ year training course for women on literacy, health, and agri­ 13 'We were there' culture, no women in Ganket Guent could read. Men used to come and keep the association records, often tricking the Through the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, the women because they were illiterate. Now men come to Church of the Brethren supports ministries of learn and, by doing so, pay respect. compassion throughout the world. A special eight­ Appearing in the center section of this issue are additional page color section, produced by Howard Royer, portraits of compassion made possible by r:r.•Jrch of the General Board staff for interpretation, illustrates Brethren donors through the General Board. As a closing some of the many ways and places where we are litany on page 20 sums up, it is a story of how God leads able to reach out with love and justice to help the Brethren in partnership with others to "dig in, take hold, world's hurting people. reach out, and build up." Cover photo is by Tammi Mott/Church World Service. 22 Reconnecting in Ecuador From 1942 until 1965 the Church of the Brethren was directly involved in Brethren Service and mission work in Ecuador. Recent US visitors to a small church in Llano Grande have brought back memories and rekindled ties of faith to span the years. DEPARTMENTS 2 From the Publisher 3 In Touch Women of Llano 6 News Grande, Ecuador, 26 Letters pore over old 30 Turning Points photos from 32 Editorial Brethren missionary days. Messenger March 2003 ■ How to reach us MESSENGER 1451 Dundee Avenue Elgin, IL 60120 Subscriptions: dstroyeck_ [email protected] FROM THE PUBLISHER Phone: 847-742-5100 Fax: 847-742-6103 Display advertising: rmatteson_gb @brethren.org Phone: 800-323-8039 or several weeks, a church I pass daily had this announcement Fax: 847-742-1407 posted on its light-up sign, along with the pertinent date: "AtheismF vs. Christianity. Sunday, 5 p.m." Editorial: Vague thoughts of lions and coliseums crossed my mind. Was this to be a ffarrar [email protected] fight? A debate? A lecture? Who would show up? It hardly seemed likely that Phone: 217-525-9083 atheists would be enticed to attend. But would Christians feel any more need to Fax: 217-525-9269 be convinced? Maybe atheists are the enemy. But from the place I sit, it appears that many Subscription rates: church folks think the real antagonists are other Christians. It's as if our church $16.50 individual rate $13.50 church group plan signs read, "Christians vs . Christians." Sadly, there is no shortage of angry $13 .50 gift subscriptions brothers and sisters ready to sling arrows at each other. This is not new, of course. Way back in 1950, for example, Gospel If you move, clip address label Messenger editor Desmond Bittinger commented that some letters were so hot and send with new address to that "they almost smoked as the envelopes were opened." As long as periodicals MESSENGER Subscriptions, at the have welcomed letters from readers, they have opened themselves up to the ire above address. Allow at least five of their critics. As long as people accept positions of leadership, they steel them­ weeks for address change. selves to receive the vitriol of the disaffected. As long as there are pastors, they will be dissected over the Sunday lunch table. Connect electronically: For a free subscription to But why are Christians so un-christian? Why don't all Christians practice Newsline, the Church charity? Why is the church marked by so much mean-spiritedness, even hate? of the Brethren e-mail news Why do some reserve their most poisonous venom for people who profess the report, write [email protected]. same Lord? The problem is not in disagreeing, but in how we disagree. How can we To view the official Church of the preach the gospel "if we have not love"? If within our own tiny section of Brethren website, go to Christendom we cannot disagree civilly, then why are we surprised that the http://www. brethren.org. world bristles with weapons? If the church cannot model a way to resolve conflict in love, how can we speak peace? One recent day when millions of people around the world took part in peace rallies, several hundred gathered in a town along the Fox River in Illinois. A short distance from the crowd stood one lone counter-protestor, a veteran holding a sign that read, "War made us free." Despite the icy wind blowing off the river, he steadfastly maintained his lonely post. About an hour into the rally, one of the peace demonstrators approached MESSENGER is the official publication of the Church the veteran to offer him a cup of hot coffee. He declined. But with that kind of the Brethren. Entered as periodical postage matter gesture, the man with the coffee earned the right to pick up his peace sign Aug. 20, 1918, under Act of Congress of Oct. 17, 1917. Filing date, Nov. 1, 1984 . Member of th e once again. Associated Church Press . Subscriber to Reli gion News Service & Ecumenical Press Service. Biblical quotations, unl ess otherwise indicated, are fr om the New Revis ed Standard Version. MESS ENGERi s publi shed 11 times a year by Brethren Press, Church of the Brethren General Board. Periodical postage paid at Elgin, Ill ., and at additional mailing office, August 2003 . Copyright 2003, Church of the Brethren General Board. ISSN 0026-0355. Postmaster: Send address chan ges to MESSENG ER, 1451 Dund ee Ave., Elg in, IL 60 I 20. ~ Printed on recycled paper 'i:tl (20% post consumer) Messenger March 2003 INTOUCH- A Brethren pacifist works on Civil War movie The movie Gods and Generals, battles," he said. "I have never just after intermission in the 3 about the first two years of the pointed a gun at another per­ 1/2-hour film, rated PG-13. Civil War in Virginia, is "full of son." -Fletcher Farrar Christian values and promotes "I feel so privileged "' :," family fellowship," according to to be a Dunker u Dennis Frye, a member of the because of their a: Brownsville (Md.) Church of the extraordinary and Brethren. Frye served as associ­ unique relationship to ate producer for the film, which the Civil War," Frye opened Feb. 21 in theaters said. "This was a peo­ nationwide. ple of peace who "It is about people, not war," unwittingly hosted the Frye said. "It shows how war bloodiest day of car­ destroys homes and families." nage in the war, at Frye served as the primary his­ Antietam. torical consultant for the movie and "Dunker pacifism managed the 3,000 Civil War reen­ juxtaposed with the actors used in it. He worked 20 violence and carnage of years for the National Park Service the war is a compelling and was chief historian for the and soul-searching Harper's Ferry National Historical human story," he said. Site. Since 1994 he has been a pri­ "That's the story I've vate consultant on Civil War histo­ been telling for more ry. than 35 years." He describes himself as a paci­ Frye makes a brief fist, and one who does "living appearance in the history" rather than being a Civil movie, as a Union captain who Dennis Frye, left, on the set with Ron War reenactor.