FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Direct your questions to S. Joan Hershey at 1-800-774-3360
New Life Ministries expands its boundaries
New Life Ministries, an organization focused on evangelism and church
vitality, reaffirmed its commitment to provide resources and services to
congregations in the Anabaptist tradition but also committed itself to
increased work with mainline Protestant denominations and
congregations. The vision of a newly reorganized New Life
Ministries is to research needs, network with partners, and develop
resources and services that are culturally relevant to serve and
strengthen leaders and congregations.
This commitment is reflected in the newly reorganized board of New Life
Ministries which met together for the first time on September 5 in
Lititz, Pennsylvania. The board continues a strong Anabaptist presence
with Paul Mundey, pastor of the Frederick Church of the Brethren in
Maryland; Ed Bontrager, pastor of the
Huntington Mennonite congregation
in Virginia; Craig Smith, CoB District Executive in Pennsylvania; Fred
Bernhard, pastor of the Oakland CoB in Ohio; Dan Lawson, Director of
Congregational Ministries for
The Brethren Church; Bob Kettering, pastor
of the Lititz CoB in Pennsylvania and Earl Ziegler, a retired CoB pastor
with years of experience leading growing congregations. The new board
also includes Jeff Johnson,
Director of Evangelism for the
American
Baptist Churches, USA; David Young, who works as a consultant to
American Baptist Churches; and Steve Clapp, who is the president of
Christian Community, a research and program development organization
which works primarily with mainline congregations.
Paul Mundey was elected chairperson of the board, and S. Joan Hershey
continues as the Director of New Life Ministries. The board dealt with
various organizational matters, including the establishment of working
committees.
Plans were finalized for the 2003 Anabaptist Evangelism Council which
meets February 14-16 in Chicago, Illinois with keynote speaker Martin
Marty and workshop leader Robert Webber, who will be focusing on worship
in the life of the church. Plans are being made for new projects to be
developed cooperatively with both Anabaptist and mainline Protestant
partners.
New Life Ministries, organized in 1998, is an outgrowth of The Andrew
Center, which was a ministry of the Church of the Brethren.
Church of
the Brethren; The Brethren Church (Ashland, Ohio);
Mennonite Church
USA; Mennonite Church Canada; and the
Shalom Foundation have all
been partners with New Life Ministries from the beginning.
Christian
Community has been an historic partner in resource development. New
Life Ministries has been especially known for its resources and
workshops in the areas of hospitality, faith-sharing, and nurturing
healthy pastors. Eleven hundred congregations have utilized New Life
Ministries resources and services.
September 12, 2002
