March/April 1999

• Brooklyn Bound

The BRF-sponsored Youth Workcamp will be traveling to New York City to serve at the Brooklyn and the surrounding community. This is open to youth from ninth grade through one year after graduation. The time of this year's workcamp is June 20-27. In addition to whatever work is done, the experience will give considerable expression to inner-city life and challenges.

• West Marva -- Here We Come

September 11 is the date for the Annual BRF Meeting that will be held in the Tear Coat Church of the Brethren in the West Marva District. The theme of the day will be "Brethren Attitudes Toward Mission." This is south of the Mason-Dixon Line, so "y'all come on over."

• Available -- Dead or Alive

Brother Ron Vogel of Route 8, Box 229, Manheim, PA 17545, has been collecting an impressive number of tapes of sermons from mostly Brethren preachers, some of whom have passed on. If interested contact him for a list of tapes that are available.

• Growing a New Arm

A new arm of BRF's ministry is entitled the Brethren Mission Fund. This has been done to help stimulate and grow evangelical mission work in the Church of the Brethren. To receive a BMF Newsletter, write to

Brethren Mission Fund P.O. Box 251 Lititz, PA 17543

You will not automatically receive the Newsletter by virtue of being on the BRF Mailing List. It must be requested.

Five Hundred What?

In bygone days when Brethren were commonly called Dunkards, it was customary that several rail cars would be reserved and they would travel en masse to Annual Meeting. On one occasion a message was sent ahead that 500 Dunkards were onboard. As the train pulled in at the city of destination, the terminal was lined with police as if expecting an emergency. The message had been mistakenly sent on ahead that "500 drunkards were on board!" Everybody was surprised.

BRF Date Book

March 27, 1999 -- One Day Training Seminar, Falling Spring, Southern PA.
June 20-27, 1999 -- Youth Workcamp, Brooklyn, New York.
July 26-30, 1999 -- Brethren Bible Institute, Elizabethtown College
August 8, 1999 -- BVS-BRF Orientation begins
September 11, 1999 -- BRF General Meeting, Tear Coat Church of the Brethren, Augusta, WV.