in the midst of a crisis

In them midst of economic crisis there is something strange going on with the Church of the Brethren. Everyday now it seems like thousands of people are losing their jobs. Billion dollar companies are asking to be bailed out. People are losing their jobs, their money, their houses, their lives. Even in the midst of this we hear the stories about CEOs receiving million dollar bonuses with their companies imploding beneath them. There are the crooks on Wall Street swindling away millions of dollars from people and walking away ‘scott free’. What we don’t hear are the stories of giving.

And giving is what congregations of the Church of the Brethren are doing. With people and businesses beginning to think about how to save money and to cut costs, the Church of the Brethren at the beginning of 2009 began a matching grant opportunity for domestic hunger. Through support of two of the Church of the Brethren programs, Global Food Crisis Fund and Emergency Disaster Fund, allocated $50,000 to be matched towards food banks and pantries. Congregations could match up to $500.

Within the first four weeks of the grant the $50,000 has already been matched by over one hundred Church of the Brethren congregations. Congregations have come from large churches along with small churches. Youth groups have gotten involved. It has inspired churches to go beyond their limit for the love of others. Youth have encouraged their church by not leaving the church until $500 was raised to give to their local food bank. In total, congregations in twenty-one states have given over $75,000 with $50,000 that has been matched for a total of over $115,000.

The grant has been so successful and churches continue to send in requests that the Global Food Crisis Fund and Emergency Disaster Fund are working on creating another grant for $50,000 to continue to support local food banks and pantries.

The Church of the Brethren who has over a three-hundred year history continues to be a church rooted and devoted to peace in the United States and around the world. Although most of the denomination’s churches exist in Pennsylvania and Virginia, there are many spotted through the country.

For more info go to: www.brethren.org