Holy Kiss

Bethany Celebrations

Celebrations are being planned at Bethany Theological Seminary in order to both honor retiring president Gene Roop and to ring in the seminary's new logo and identity. The Bethany board officially unveiled the new logo at its recent meetings. This is the first design change since 1963, when the previous logo was created to mark the seminary’s move to its former Oak Brook (Ill.) location.

Along with remembering the highlights of Roop's career, the celebrations will also include performances by the Christian tribute band, "The Rolling Stones (away from the tomb)," along with the premiere of the independent film "The Relocation Horror Picture Show."

President Roop describes the new logo as evocative. “It has features that are clear and confessional and others less tangible, inviting imagination and wonder. It serves as an invitation to join our community, which features both of those dimensions.”

“Consistent with Bethany’s mission to educate witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross is prominent at the center of the logo, arising from baptismal waters and rehearsed in the practice of foot washing, both important worship practices in the Church of the Brethren,” said a release from the seminary. “The bottom perimeter of the symbol suggests lips and water. The lips represents the holy kiss. At the bottom of the waters is a fish, the symbol early Christians used to express their commitment to Jesus Christ, the son of God. Atop the waters is a form which lends itself to several symbolic possibilities. As a book, it denotes both Bethany’s biblical foundation and striving for academic excellence. As a dove, the lines lift up both the dove of divine presence at baptism and the dove of peace, representing one of the living testimonies of the Church of the Brethren.”

NYC Theme

Artists Sought

The National Youth Cabinet and the Youth and Young Adult Office invite Brethren artists to submit ideas for a logo representing the theme for next summer's National Youth Conference. It is the desire of the cabinet to have both a static and dynamic version of the logo, but they are not expecting artists to submit dynamic versions at this time.

The theme, just announced by the committee is "For such a time as this, come to the edge with eyes of faith and see!" Please ponder the theme as you design a logo possibility.

Drawings and explanations of logo entries must be received by the Youth and Young Adult Office no later than July 15, 2005. Submissions must be on paper size 8 1/2" x 11" or smaller. If you choose to submit a color entry, we also request one in black and white. The Church of the Brethren logo may not be used as part of the design. All entries should include the artist's name, address, and phone number on a separate sheet of paper. The National Youth Cabinet intends to select a logo at its fall meeting. The artist whose design is selected should be prepared to consult with our graphic designer for final adjustments, to participate in developing a dynamic version of the design, and to participate in production of any large scale versions (i.e. banners, worship center, etc.)

The mailing address is Youth and Young Adult Office, Attention: NYC Theme Logo, 1451 Dundee Avenue, Elgin, IL 60120.

Turkey Soda

For He Satisfies the Thirsty

First it started when the Dixon Church of the Brethren started handing out bottled water. Next summer’s workcamps use the imagery of water for their theme. Some wondered where this would lead and now we’re beginning to find out. Tying into the holiday season, several churches are providing holiday themed (no-alcoholic) beverages to help spread the Word. Branded with the COB logo, the labels also include one of several verses such as Psalm 107:9, Proverbs 25:21, and Matthew 25:35. Vegetarian options are available.

There's No Crying in Baseball Advertising

Shortly after announcing its promotion to evangelize using bases next month, the Mission and Ministries Planning Council has called a balk on itself and has abandoned its plans to evangelize on the bases of Minor League Baseball. The ads, featuring the COB logo and the "Continuing the work of Jesus" tagline were to have debuted at the July 3rd game between the Charleston Alley Cats and the DelMarva Shorebirds.

"It isn't worth, frankly, having a debate about," chair Stan "Babe" Noffsinger said. "I'm a traditionalist. The problem in sports marketing, particularly in baseball, is you're always walking a very sensitive line. Nobody loves tradition and history as much as I do."

Under the original plan, black-and-blue ads were to appear on bases - but not home plate - during games from July 3-7. The plan began to crumble when the Everett AquaSox said they would only allow the ads on bases during batting practice - and only for one game that weekend.

"The bases were an extremely small part of this program," said Chris Bowman, Annual Conference's Moderator. "However, we understand that a segment of our worshipers was uncomfortable with this particular component and we do not want to detract from the worshiper's experience in any way."

While the logos will not be put on bases during games, it's still not certain whether they will appear during warmups.

"We listened to the worshipers," said Donna Shumate, General Board Chair. "We never saw this coming, the reaction the worshipers had. It became a flashpoint - the reaction was overwhelming."

Shumate said the MPCC had approached baseball about pulling the bases promotion.

"We don't want to do anything that takes away from a worshiper's enjoyment of the game," she said. "Some people thought it was a great idea, but others saw it as sacrilegious."

"I think they made a good decision to change their minds," District Executive Donald Booz said. "I don't think it makes any sense at all. It's a clutter. It’s not simple living."

Peace Church Colleges Launch "Prozac for Peace" Campaign

Three Indiana colleges affiliated with the three historic peace churches (Manchester College, Church of the Brethren; Goshen College, Mennonite Church; and Earlham College, Religious Society of Friends) unveiled yesterday their new campaign, "Prozac for Peace." Each Institution received a grant from the Lilly Endowment of Eli Lilly and Company, manufacturer of, among other drugs, the anti-depressant Prozac.

When reached for comment, the grant administrators at each college denied any conflict of interest in receiving funding from a major corporation to assist studies which include critical analysis of corporate control of society and government. An intern close to the situation commented, "And certainly we don't see it as them meddling with the church, either. After all, how often do worship and committee meetings really improve your mood any more these days? Our opinion is that the church needs Eli Lilly. The church needs Prozac. And quite frankly, so does the President. I mean, how happy can that guy really be, having to kill hundreds of thousands to show that killing is wrong? It's an enormous burden. I'd even go so far as to say that our president's enemies need it too, after so much loss. How else are they supposed to recover their spirit, living in such horrible times?"

Eli Lilly's PR staff, when asked if the President, his enemies and victims should take Prozac, replied, "If someone in unhappy in any way, we say to them, 'Here, have some Prozac.'" The colleges seem to have taken this attitude as their cue to launch the campaign, and each will offer a new, "groundbreaking" course next semester entitled "Mental Health and World Peace." The course will focus on peace from the microcosm of personal relationships in regards to race, gender, and class, and expand the focus from there to genocide and nuclear holocaust, and how Prozac can help "increase the peace." As one professor slated to teach the new course commented, "If everyone's happy, then there will be no conflict ever again. Prozac will revolutionize the entire application of peace building theory." A Brethren congregation torn apart by conflict over U.S. foreign policy served as a test subject for the "Prozac for Peace" program. The pastor said, "Prozac changed our lives."! One parishioner asked, "War? What's war?" Tests on government officials are still inconclusive.

Allegations that officials from the Mennonite Church USA met secretly with Eli Lilly's top staff to persuade them to test the Church of the Brethren's General Offices first in order to aid the Mennonite's possibility of hostile takeover of the denomination have yet to be confirmed. Similarly, the Church of the Brethren's Annual Conference Program & Arrangements Committee could not be reached for comment regarding the strong resemblance between the 2003 Annual Conference logo and Lilly's logo for their Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medication, Strattera.