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The Gift Of The Brethren

The Gift of the Brethren

By
Erin Coady

KEYWORDS
Church of the Brethren, disaster ministry, ministries, Children's Disaster Services, Critical Response Childcare, disaster auction, home rebuilding

Introduction
(1)The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination that originated in Germany. The United States Church of the Brethren has a ministry called Brethren Disaster Ministries. It is a 501(c)3 that falls under the Church General Board and provides disaster response services led by trained volunteer. Volunteers are congregates who are led by their beliefs in the teachings of Christ. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal. 6:2 NIV) “Challenged by this Biblical mandate to "carry each other's burdens..." (Brethren Disaster Ministries homepage 2008)
(2)Brethren Disaster Ministries' volunteers work in one of the following divisions: home rebuilding, children's disaster services, refugee resettlement, or material resources. They also have a fund raising program called the Brethren Disaster Relief Auction. These services are provided in the response and recovery phases of disaster. Though Church of the Brethren congregates have been active in providing aid to those in need since the civil war, Disaster Relief Ministry was formed during church members' response to Hurricane Agnes in 1972.(Misner 2006)
(3)The focus of this paper is the Brethren Disaster Ministries' roles in a natural or man-made disaster. Though the scope of refugee resettlement may be applicable in certain large-scale disasters, it will not be addressed in this paper. The routine roles this agency plays are in the response and recovery phases of disaster. Following a Disaster, the Church of the Brethren helps rebuild homes and care for children while parents organize the their families' recovery, but the true service they provide is emotional support. “The presence of these volunteers helps to ease the trauma felt in the aftermath of a...