THE BRETHREN CHURCH

Pastor Sabelo Dladla leads the Heavenly Grace Church in KwaNdengezi, Durban, South Africa. The church is located in a rural area on the edge of a ravine. Heavy rains in 2022 and again in 2023 caused the old church building to collapse. When Paul Stanley (Carson Oaks Community Church, Stockton, CA) and I (Scott Soden) arrived at the church, Pastor Frank led us down the narrow, winding trail, past small homes, to Pastor Sabelo's home on the edge of a steep ravine. The church, a testament to resilience, was only partially rebuilt using prefabricated concrete slabs typically used to line highways. Stronger than wood, these slabs stand as a symbol of hope and endurance, ready to face any future challenge. Mount Olive Brethren Church (McGaheysville, VA) joined with Carson Oaks and others to contribute a new concrete floor to fortify the structure's foundation and a new corrugated steel roof, coated to prevent rust, to shield against rain and sun. This church building is home to a congregation of 40 to 50 local area residents who meet on Sundays for worship and throughout the week for outreach and evangelism. The church also holds weekly children's programs essential to the community's life. Although most of the community lives far below the poverty level, Pastor Sabelo and his wife often offer relief and help as they are able, and the whole community tries to help one another as the Lord has given to them. This is a powerful reminder of the impact of our prayers and our partnership with the Brethren in South Africa, India, South America, and indeed worldwide. Your support, generosity, and prayers have been instrumental in bringing about these life-changing results and transformations. We are deeply grateful for your continued support and prayers. Scott Soden Global Partners Coordinator

Over the past nine months, I’ve had the honor of serving as a mentor in this year’s cohort of the Thriving in Church Ministry Program. Thriving in Church Ministry is a program that aims to help participants identify new ways – or refresh old ways - of developing self and soul awareness. The cohort met in person in August and April and had bimonthly virtual sessions in between. In addition to some valuable teachings to develop a few more skills, there are opportunities for individual mentorship, which was my favorite part, both last year as a participant and this year as a mentor. We tend to get caught in our regular circles of Brethren pastors or pastors from our home communities, and when our contact with the world is limited, our picture of the Kingdom of God can become too narrow. It is important that we broaden our experiences and enrich our relationships by sharing and interacting with our brothers and sisters from different areas. This year’s cohort had people from Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina, and California, as well as diverse denominational and ethnic backgrounds. This afforded a great breadth of thinking and exposed all of us to new ways of praying, thinking, and understanding one another and the challenges we face in ministry. “I loved getting to know pastors from other places and loved learning from their different experiences. This was a great way to refocus as I moved forward in the ministry,” said Reverend Melanie Wylie, who pastors Liberty Brethren Church in Quicksburg, VA. “Entering a program like this is hard for me. Getting to know myself privately is one thing. It’s another to share with others. In this program, I was able to open up and share with others, and I met with an awesome group of pastors that I now think of as friends. In the end, I believe I have a greater sense of how to thrive in ministry as a child of God who serves in ministry,” said Brethren Elder Gail Heiston, pastor of Bethlehem Brethren Church in Harrisonburg, VA about her experience. I personally appreciated the commitment to spiritual formation, the creation of a safe environment for weary pastors to be themselves, and the opportunities afforded participants to add tools to their tool belts while finding ways to apply those new skills in their own contexts. It was a joy to edify and encourage these church leaders on their journey of self-discovery and personal growth, and I look forward to the fruit that will surely follow their labor. Visit the TCM webpage to learn more about the Certificate in Thriving Church Ministries at Ashland Theological Seminary and how you can be encouraged and strengthened in your ministry. Miles Larson Director of Pastoral and Congregational Vitality