Raymond Brown elected to DHS post

The Disciples of Christ Historical Society Board of Trustees has elected Dr. Raymond Brown to serve as chair of the Board for 2007-2008.  He becomes the first African American to hold that position in the 65-year history of DCHS. Already a member of the DCHS Board, Brown, in his new role, will oversee new programming and initial stages of restoration to the historic T.W. Phillips Memorial, home of the Society in Nashville, Tenn.

Brown studied at Jarvis Christian College and Drake University. During his career, Brown has served in a number of posts, including senior vice president at Church Extension and interim president at Disciples Home Missions. Now retired, he and his wife Suzanne (who also is retired from DHM) are members of Downey Avenue Christian Church, Indianapolis. In 2003, DHM honored Brown with its Distinguished Leadership Award.

Disciples of Christ Historical Society is a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and also serves Churches of Christ and Christian Churches/Churches of Christ.

Disciples donate refrigerator

The Carter family consists of seven family members. Germaine is the head of the household with two disabled dependants. They are from Kenner, La. When Katrina came they were stranded at their home until helicopters took them to Baton Rouge. It was not until December of 2005, that this family moved to Dallas and in January 2006 were able to move into a small apartment. This April, Germaine was able to move into a larger three bedroom duplex in Richardson, Texas.

The extra room and spacious living quarters offered exactly what this large and lively family needed. The one thing the duplex did not provide was a refrigerator. Since April the family has been using a styrofoam ice cooler with ice to keep their food cool. Through DHM's Refugee and Immigration Ministries program, the Carter family are the proud owners of a brand new refrigerator.

An entire city of Disciples congregations welcomes refugees

With the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas comes the reminder that Jesus and his family were also refugees. Joseph fled with Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape persecution by King Herod. With this in mind, members of the eight Disciples churches in Lincoln, Neb., will have a more meaningful Christmas this year. Every congregation in Lincoln has joined in partnership to resettle four refugee families from the Ukraine-a total of 19 people. One family of six people arrived before Thanksgiving, and it is anticipated that the other three families will arrive by the end of 2006.

Church members have agreed to furnish homes for the families, take them for appointments, orient them to life in America, enroll the children in school, teach them English, and help them find jobs. Bonds of friendship will be formed as support is provided to assist these families as they rebuild their lives in America. The families are coming to Lincoln to join a sister, who cried when she learned how Disciples churches are reaching out to share God‘s love and to welcome her family members to Lincoln.

To learn how your congregation can be involved in this ministry of hospitality with refugees, contact Linda Williamson, program assistant for Refugee Resettlement in DHM's Refugee and Immigration Ministries Program, at (888) 346-2631 or lwilliam@dhm.disciples.org.

Linda Williamson, Program Assistant for Refugee and Immigrations Ministries, lives in Indianapolis and belongs to Allisonville Christian Church.