October 27, 2005

ELGIN, IL – A cross-cultural music tour will travel to Church of the Brethren congregations in Missouri and Kansas Oct. 29-Nov. 3 to share testimonies, Bible study, and music that emphasize God's desire for the church to reflect racial and ethnic diversity.

Participants in the tour are Gilbert Romero, pastor of Bella Vista Church of the Brethren in Los Angeles, Calif.; Don Mitchell, a music leader at First Church of the Brethren in Harrisburg, Pa.; Marilyn Montauban, a singer from First Haitian Church of the Brethren in Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Duane Grady, a staff member for the denomination's Congregational Life Teams.

The tour schedule includes worship concerts at First Central Church of the Brethren in Kansas City, Kan., on Oct. 29, at 10:30 a.m.; Messiah Church of the Brethren in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.; Cabool (Mo.) Church of the Brethren on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.; and Rochester Comunity Church of the Brethren in Topeka, Kan., on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.

On Nov. 2 the group will give two worship concerts at McPherson (Kan.) College: one at 7:30-8:30 p.m. for senior high youth from McPherson Church of the Brethren and the community; and another at 9-10 p.m. for the Brethren and Anabaptist student group. At the McPherson church, the group will join a drop-in Wednesday evening meal beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by a time for informal sharing.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nigeria.

Church of the Brethren Newsline