Colleagues, FOBG member Jane Davis sent a review of the proceedings last week at Brookville OH that is so good that I'm sending the entire article to the List. It gives a feel for the warm flavor that we all felt who were in attendance. James Shuman jshuman@telis.org co-moderator BRETHREN WORLD ASSEMBLY [FIFTH], JULY 11-14, 2013—BROOKVILLE, OHIO. MORE THAN SHAKING HANDS The Fifth Brethren World Assembly was more than shaking hands as M. R. Zigler had expressed at the first meeting of Brethren 25 years earlier. It was a joyous experience from approaching the mall where the assembly was held to saying goodbye and leaving for our homes several days later. To this Brethren whose roots are west of the Mississippi River, seeing a mall with an attractive marquee reading “BRETHREN HERITAGE CENTER” makes my heart skip a beat, or two. I wanted to tell everyone nearby to look at that name. Just passing a Brethren sign on a highway warms me and I strain to see more. Entering the mall, a friendly man in Brethren garb sat on the open rear door of a van holding a sign saying, “BRETHREN WORLD ASSEMBLY.” Excited, I could hardly wait to park. More Brethren men in black vests and pants, white shirts, and brimmed, black hats stood in the parking lot. With motions and smiles, they greeted us, directing us to parking. One brother came to our car greeting us. Learning we were from Missouri, he remarked about a brother recently passed to his long home from Missouri. Kelly Day, a McPherson College classmate of mine, was the first young person I had ever see wearing Brethren garb. Only two Brethren elders wore the garb in the Missouri district of my childhood. To my childhood eyes, they seemed aloof and very old; I watched them from the comfort of my parent’s closeness. Evidences of hospitality abounded. Greeters opened doors for us. At registration a greeter quickly pulled my packet, handing it to me with a smile. Wandering around the meeting room before opening sessions, those wearing the garb and those not wearing the garb, greeted me. Name tags carried our given names in large letters, our family names in small letters. Brethren always like to know where other Brethren are from; but that was not on our tag. Neither could we know their Brethren group from their tag; what an encouragement to get better acquainted with those with whom we sat beside in meetings. Glancing across the room from where I stood, an arriving friend raised a hand in greeting. Anxious to visit with seldom-seen friends, we soon shared our present pilgrimages. Displays of artifacts from the collections of the center evoked memories and comments. Visitors shared stories in this area of the center throughout the conference. Remembering M. R. Zigler, who believed and hoped Brethren could get together and do more than just shake hands, and Donald Durnbaugh, historian of the early Brethren in Europe and the United States, gave us thoughtful moments. Brethren, encouraging one another by joining together in worship, fellowship, and faith sharing, stepped forth to not only shake hands with one another but to pilgrimage together every five years, holding four earlier assemblies of sharing. This year, major presentations of Brethren spirituality through their first three hundred years of living provided a solid foundation for all aspects of presentations by our various member bodies. Being inside our church buildings offered insights into similarities and variances made in church structures of today’s members. Worship services offered other insights into our understanding of what it means to be Brethren. If ever there was a mini conference for Brethren genealogists and historians tucked within a larger conference, it was the Fifth Brethren World Assembly. I soon began realizing names on name tags matched names familiar to me from the Fellowship of Brethren Genealogists website. Sitting across the table from me was James Shuman, co-moderator of the Brethren List. Looking at me, he said, “Hello, Jane Davis.” I took a deep, deep breath before answering, “Hello, James Shuman.” I had long admired his approach to the problems that sometimes surfaced on the website and desired an opportunity to tell him. Gratefully, the time we spent sharing remains a cherished memory of mine. Later, a friend of mine, introduced to an FOBG member I had admired but never met, brought the member over. Again, it became a special time of sharing, creating an unforeseen future friendship. How special it is to meet folks you knew only by name, but could now count as fellow Brethren. Being together with seven different groups of a once single union broadens our insights into the relationships with each other. Today’s Brethren youth asked us to continue to be genuine, share our understandings of being Brethren, and continue to maintain a community around them. Can we do this? Will we do this? Not surprisingly, the sharing of Brethren genealogical information was obviously present at this meeting along with our hopes and dreams for future Brethren. Can we wait another five years for the Sixth Brethren World Assembly? While waiting, perhaps we can increase our relationships, fellowships, and community with one another. —Jane Davis, FOBG member, July 19, 2013 <jneherda@msn.com>

Thank you Jane for such a glowing report of the Assembly. It was wonderful spending time with you and several other members of our Brethren-list. What a blessing for all of us. News Service of the Church of the Brethren has two links which will help those of you who did not attend, to be a part of the Assembly. www.brethren.org/news/2013/miami-valley-welcomes-brethren-world-assembly.html www.brethren.org/news/2013/quotable-brethren-soundbites.html Gale Honeyman co-director Brethren Heritage Center