Photo: Amy Porter/CWS

Tri-State CWS Celebrates Agency's 60th

Amid sounds of “Joy to the World” the Tri-State office of Church World Service celebrated CWS’s 60th anniversary at the historic First Baptist Church in downtown Hartford, Connecticut, on December 8.

Rev. Bert Marshall, CWS Northern New England Director, told the story of CWS's early beginnings. The Christmas story from Luke and Matthew was proclaimed in Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Persian, Filipino, Kirundi, and English. Clergy and officials of 11 denominations were part of the celebration. Marshall mentioned that they represented the great "cloud of witnesses" who were part of the formation of Church World Service back in 1946. Choirs and dancers from several area churches performed for the audience of about 300. Four of the Sudanese "Lost Boys" attended, and over $2,000 was collected for the CWS Water for Life/Water for All program.

Connecticut State Representative Kelvin Roldan presented a special citation from the State to Tri-State Director, Jesse Glick, and Assistant Director, Kathy Burton, commending the work of Church World Service.

With tears in his eyes, Santa Claus -- a professional one, complete with business card approached Kathy Burton following the concert to say how much the program touched him: "Hearing the Christmas scriptures read in all those languages and seeing the 'cloud of witnesses' from all those different denominations, it is proof that we can and must do more to work together."