January 29, 2010

ELGIN, IL – The Church of the Brethren's Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) has received donations totaling $102,154.54 for the church's relief work following the Haiti earthquake. The number represents the total of both online and by-mail donations received as of Wenesday morning.

Of the total, the online donations to Haiti earthquake relief have come to $66,167.07. So far, the church's finance staff have processed $29,527.42 of mailed-in donations, with more awaiting processing.

EDF grants already given to earthquake relief efforts total $55,000: a grant of $25,000 to support the Brethren response in Haiti, $25,000 for the work of Church World Service, and $5,000 to Haitian First Church of New York – a Church of the Brethren congregation – and the New York Disaster Interfaith Services to establish a family assistance center for Haitians relocating to the US following the earthquake.

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 celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 125,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service