Front Page

Canadian Visa Refusals May Exclude Delegations from LWF Assembly

June 24, 2003, GENEVA - Will parts of the worldwide constituency of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) be excluded from the LWF Tenth Assembly, due to take place in Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003? As the LWF leadership and Assembly host, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), prepare to receive more than 800 international participants from the Federation's global network, the LWF is receiving frequent reports of rejected visa applications. About 35 percent of invited participants require visas to enter Canada. So far, participants from Bangladesh, Colombia, the Czech Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Tanzania are known to have been affected.

Christian Leaders Urge Bush to Move on Child Tax Credit Benefit

June 20, 2003, WASHINGTON, DC - Twelve leaders from Christian denominations affiliated with the National Council of Churches USA have written President George W. Bush asking him to urge Congress to restore the child tax credit benefits that were dropped from the final tax bill, which he signed into law last month. Reminding the President that he has called faith-based groups "soldiers in the armies of compassion," the religious leaders asked him to "lead us in the fight for the children of low-income families by interceding on their behalf. Without your personal intervention, this bill will surely die in Congress."

United Methodists Praise, Criticize Supreme Court Ruling

June 27, 2003 – The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that struck down a Texas law banning gay sex is being greeted by some in the United Methodist Church as a move forward for society and criticized by others as another sign of a culture out of step with Christ. "We think the court made the right decision" based on principles of privacy and equal treatment, which are supported in the United Methodist Church's Social Principles, said Kenrick Fealing, program director for civil and human rights at the United Methodist Board of Church and Society in Washington. The law should be applied evenly to all people, regardless of sexual preferences, and that wasn't the case with the Texas law that the Supreme Court struck down, he said.

Illegitimate Debt or Arbitration?
WCC Addresses Debt Campaign Divisions

June 27, 2003 – Forging a common understanding on debt campaigning is the goal of a World Council of Churches (WCC) workshop that will bring together about 30 representatives of campaign movements devoted to solving the problem of the debt of poor countries. The workshop, "Illegitimate debt and arbitration," will take place from June 30 to July 2, 2003 in the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva. Representatives from Africa, Asia, Latin America, North America, Pacific and Europe are expected to participate.

General News

Survey Says: Presbyterians Find Truth in Jesus
Church Members Tend to be Females; Leaders Tend to be Males

June 20, 2003, LOUISVILLE - Nearly three-quarters of Presbyterians believe Jesus Christ is "the only absolute Truth for humankind," but decidedly fewer think "only followers of Jesus Christ can be saved." Those were among the findings of recent survey of about 3,500 people - 1,102 members, 1,145 elders and 1,435 ordained ministers -randomly chosen for the 2003-2005 Presbyterian Panel. A new statistically representative group is assembled every three years by the Research Services Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to serve as subjects of numerous surveys on a variety of topics relevant to Presbyterians.

United Methodist Churches Receive Grants for Television Ads

June 26, 2003, NASHVILLE - The United Methodist Church has awarded matching grants totaling more than $500,000 to 68 regional church bodies to help purchase television commercials during the back-to-school and Christmas seasons. The awards are part of the denomination's national advertising campaign developed and coordinated by United Methodist Communications' Igniting Ministry office. The theme is "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors."

Church Reaches out to Children in Lithuania Through Scouting

June 23, 2003 – First United Methodist Church in Green Bay, Wis., is reaching around the world to help boys and girls in a church in Pilviskiai, Lithuania, have a successful scouting troop. Thousands of United Methodist churches sponsor Boy Scout troops, but this troop is different than most. Scouting in the former Soviet nation is coed, so boys and girls join together in all activities, and every outing includes Bible study and prayer.

Mozambique Choir Spreads Music, Good Will on U.S. Trip

June 23, 2003 – It's the life of a rock band. They take the stage, pour out their hearts through their music, greet the fans, and then head back to the tour bus with the promoters to do the same thing in another town, on another day, day after day. But this group is different. First, its venues aren't stadiums but United Methodist churches. Second, when the group members greet their fans, they are not speaking a common language. But the biggest difference is that the relationship they have with their fans is symbolic of a much larger bond that goes beyond their music.

Baptist World Relief Committee Approves Funding

June 24, 2003, RICHMOND, Va. - In semiannual session here yesterday the American Baptist Churches' World Relief Committee voted to fund a number of relief and development programs and projects in the U.S and overseas. The committee establishes policy for distribution of funds from the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering. Projects were presented by American Baptist International Ministries, American Baptist National Ministries and Baptist World Aid of the Baptist World Alliance. In his report to the committee, World Relief Officer Charles Sydnor noted that One Great Hour of Sharing receipts are down for the first five months of 2003. "A shortfall in OGHS receipts would have a major impact on our ability to respond to disasters," he said. "One Great Hour of Sharing funds are used not only to assist when disasters strike but also for development projects that help people improve the quality of their lives.

Fireflies Light the Way for this Pastor

June 20, 2003 – The ethereal light of fireflies has been a beacon in the Rev. Dwight Sullivan's life for almost 40 years. A phone call from the scientists at the Analytical Luminescence Lab in Baltimore starts Sullivan on his way to Tennessee to coordinate collecting of these tiny summer insects, known as fireflies, lightning bugs or by their scientific name, Photinus pyralis. Sullivan, a native of Oak Ridge, Tenn., is pastor of Evangelical United Methodist Church in Whittier, Calif. He was in Tennessee on a recent warm June morning to start the 2003 lightning bug collection drive. He travels to small towns across the state, usually setting up his temporary bug station at fire stations and city halls. He will return to Tennessee July 24- Aug. 1 to make his final collection.

American Baptists Test Public Service Announcement

June 24, 2003, RICHMOND, Va. - American Baptist Churches USA announced the release this week of a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) intended to raise popular awareness about local congregations and the denomination as a whole. It is being distributed to and tested in several major media markets, including Richmond during the General Board and Biennial meetings of American Baptist Churches USA here June 23-30. The spot also will be available for viewing on the ABCUSA Website-www.abc-usa.org.Entitled "Epiphany," the concept features a busy, young professional in a fast-paced urban environment who, having seen a homeless family on his daily commute, is moved to return to the family and offer assistance. The final image fades to a screen with text that asks, "Isn't it time to choose a different direction?" The name American Baptist Churches USA appears below the question.

Dual History Awards Go to U.S., German Ministers

June 24, 2003 – An agency of the United Methodist Church has, for the first time, awarded dual first prizes to assist in publication of a non-English-language manuscript and an English manuscript related to the history of Methodism. The denomination's Commission on Archives and History, with headquarters at Drew University in Madison, N.J., has announced two Jesse Lee Prizes for 2003. Last fall, the commission received its first non-English book-length manuscript. Fortunately, the commission's selection committee included a member from Germany who had credentials comparable with those of the judges of the English-language entries.

Ecumenical News

Issues of Human Sexuality Arouse Mixed Reactions

June 27, 2003 – Issues of human sexuality have had a profound impact on the Anglican Communion in recent weeks, giving a cause for celebration for some and anxiety in others. Firstly, there was the appointment of Canon Jeffrey John as the Bishop of Reading, then the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada issued a formal rite for the blessings of same sex unions and, to add insult to injury for many conservatives and fundamentalists, the Diocese of New Hampshire elected the Revd Canon Gene Robinson as its bishop. Canon Robinson is the first openly gay man to be elected bishop in the Anglican Communion. Some bishops, however, have admitted their homosexuality later in their episcopacy. Reactions to his ordination have been both strong and varied, although the landslide victory suggests that many clergy and laity in his diocese have every faith in his ministry.

Archbishop of Canterbury's Letter to the Bishops of the Church of England

June 23, 2003 – Dear Brothers in Christ: None of us will need any persuading that the recent appointment of Canon Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading has proved a controversial and challenging one. It has become a focus for a great deal of debate, in which differing views of the appointment and its significance have been widely aired, inside and outside the Church here, and indeed much further afield. At this point in the debate - particularly since some of you have already voiced serious concerns - it is important that I try to clarify basic issues, in my capacity as Archbishop of Canterbury and Chairman of the House of Bishops.

Statement Issued by Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane

June 26, 2003 – In the worldwide Anglican Communion each province is autonomous and each of us faces various issues at various times. The issue surrounding the appointment of Jeffrey John as a suffragan bishop affects, in the first instance, the diocese of Oxford and the Church in England, not the Church of the Province of Southern Africa.I have tremendous respect for the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Richard Harries. He is a man of tremendous integrity. In like manner, I have confidence in the Archbishop of Canterbury, both in his capacity as primate of All England and as the focus of unity in the worldwide Anglican community. He handles issues of this nature with tremendous sensitivity.

Encyclical to the Anglican Membership in the Church of Nigeria

June 25, 2003 – The Primate, Archbishops and Bishops, on behalf of the clergy and laity of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), received the shocking news of the ratification of the liturgy for same-sex marriages and the subsequent same-sex marriage in the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada, under the Rt Revd M C Ingham.

'Bonhoeffer' Documentary to Show in Several Cities

June 26, 2003, CHICAGO - The feature length documentary "Bonhoeffer," directed by Martin Doblmeier, is showing in several cities this summer, including a return engagement June 27-July 10 at the Gene Siskel Film Center here. The film, which ran at that theater in late March, returns in a series of national showings. The 90-minute film debuted at the Siskel Film Center in March for a "trial run" in which every show was sold out, according to Doblmeier. "It took off from there," he said. Though the film was turned down for the Sundance Film Festival, a committee there decided the film had a lot to say and provided showings for the film in local churches, Doblmeier said. From there, the film was invited for showings at congregations across the country, he said.

Spanish News

?Deuda ilegmtima o arbitraje?
El CMI busca superar las divisiones en el movimiento contra la deuda

27 de junio de 2003 – Tratar de alcanzar una comprensisn comzn de cual es la mejor solucisn al problema de la deuda de los pamses pobres es el objetivo de una reunisn de trabajo del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) a la que asistiran unos 30 representantes de movimientos involucrados en campaqas contra la deuda. La reunisn, convocada bajo el tema "Deuda ilegmtima y arbitraje," tendra lugar del 30 de junio al 2 de julio de 2003 en el Centro Ecuminico, Ginebra. Se espera la participacisn de representantes de organizaciones de Africa, Asia, Amirica Latina, Amirica del Norte, el Pacmfico y Europa.

Territorios palestinos ocupados: todavma son hogar de cristianos

24 de junio de 2003 – Es facil olvidar que Cisjordania (o Ribera Occidental), escenario hoy de tanta injusticia y violencia, fue antaqo escenario de otros acontecimientos. Fue allm -exactamente en Belin- donde nacis Jeszs. Y en Cisjordania han vivido cristianos durante cerca de 2000 aqos. Todavma hoy, en muchas ciudades y aldeas palestinas los campanarios de las iglesias recuerdan al visitante la larga historia de los cristianos palestinos en esta castigada tierra.

Religious & Civil Liberty

Church Execs Criticize White House Policy on Hiring Rules

June 26, 2003 – United Methodist officials are voicing support for a bill that would nullify a presidential order exempting some federally funded religious groups from anti-discrimination guidelines in hiring. U.S. Rep. Robert "Bobby" Scott, D-Va., announced the legislation June 25, with other members of Congress as well as religious and civil rights leaders present. President George W. Bush signed the order in December, exempting some faith-based organizations that receive federal funds from adhering to prohibitions against using religion as a criterion in hiring. The order applies to federal agencies providing direct funding to faith-based organizations. It is part of the Bush administration's broader effort to provide equal access to federal funds for social service programs operated by religious organizations.

National News

ELCA Bishops Support Lawsuit Against Concealed Weapon Law

June 23, 2003, CHICAGO - Six Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) bishops in Minnesota made a public statement June 19 supporting a lawsuit filed by the Edina Community Lutheran Church, Edina, Minn. The lawsuit against the state of Minnesota is an attempt to have concealed weapons banned from church-owned property. The Minnesota Citizens' Personal Protection Act of 2003, referred to as the "conceal and carry law" took effect on May 28 and allows concealed firearms to be carried into nongovernmental buildings by individuals who have applied for and received concealed weapon permits. For establishments - including churches - to keep firearms out, signs must be prominently posted at each entrance stating that concealed weapons are not allowed. According to the provisions in the act, church properties are considered private establishments or establishments in which concealed firearms are allowed unless otherwise posted.

Religious Leaders Urge Bush to Save Child Tax Credit Benefit

June 23, 2003 – Two United Methodists are among a dozen Christian leaders calling on President George W. Bush to ask Congress to restore child tax credit provisions that were dropped from the tax bill he signed in May. The leaders, who wrote to Bush on June 19, represent denominations affiliated with the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. They include the Rev. Robert Edgar, the NCC's top staff executive and a United Methodist, and Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, ecumenical officer for the United Methodist Council of Bishops. "The National Council of Churches urges you to call on the House leadership to restore the child tax credit benefits that were dropped from the final tax bill," the religious leaders wrote to Bush. "You have called faith-based groups 'soldiers in the armies of compassion.' As faith leaders we implore you to lead us in the fight for the children of low-income families by interceding on their behalf. Without your personal intervention, this bill will surely die in Congress."

Conference Honors Native Americans with Service

June 25, 2003, LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. - A historical moment marked the Western North Carolina Annual Conference meeting, when indigenous people led a service honoring Native Americans on land once owned by Cherokee Indians. Lake Junaluska is named after Cherokee Chief Junaluska, who led a group of 500 of his Cherokee scouts to help Gen. Andrew Jackson win the Battle of Horse Shoe Bend against the Upper Creek Indians in 1814. The United Methodist assembly in Lake Junaluska honors Chief Junaluska with a statue in front of the main auditorium. Setting the tone for the historical service on June 6, Bishop Charlene Kammerer issued a statement of reconciliation. Kammerer addressed Councilwoman Marie Junaluska and other gathered Native Americans. Junaluska is on the 12-member Tribal Council of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

International News

Consultation Urgently Calls for Peaceful Solution to Korean Crisis

June 24, 2003 – A three-day consultation on the Korean crisis ended with urgent calls for fresh talks with North Koreans in an effort to find a peaceful solution to one of the world's most dangerous confrontations. "It is our conviction that diplomacy and negotiations remain the best approach for finding durable solution," said a final statement on June 18 signed by 80 participants from churches, humanitarian agencies, the United Nations, academia and other sectors. "The conclusion of a non-aggression pact between North Korea and the United States renouncement of preemptive attack and negotiation of a peace . As well as action to address the humanitarian needs of the North Koreans.

Development in Poverty-Stricken Uganda Begins at Local Level

June 24, 2003 – Uganda, called by Winston Churchill the "pearl of Africa," is more often regarded as a blood-soaked pearl these days. A brutal civil war in the north has displaced hundreds of thousands, deepened the grinding poverty and the HIV/AIDS crisis, creating a whole new generation of orphans. In the midst of the turmoil the Church of Uganda is doing its best to address the desperate needs of those struggling to survive. The fighting in the north has created a very unpredictable situation, and "directly affected our program," according to Frank Rwakabwohe, deputy coordinator of department of Planning, Development and Rehabilitation (PDR) for the Church of Uganda. "And we don't see any end to the fighting in the near future."

Africa University Perseveres in Tough Economic Time

June 20, 2003, NEW YORK - Economic pressures continue to challenge Africa University, but the United Methodist-related school is forging ahead in its mission of educating new leaders for Africa. "In May, 179 students from 14 countries were graduated from Africa University," said Vice Chancellor Rukudzo Murapa. "They join with many other AU graduates who are a proud new cadre of young men and women making a difference on the African continent."

African Churches Support Efforts to Halt AIDS Crisis

June 18, 2003, LOUISVILLE - African churches are beginning to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic raging on their continent and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is helping those efforts. "We were seeing that AIDS was left as a program of the health department," said Caryl Weinberg, a PC(USA) regional AIDS consultant for western and central Africa. "But it is the churches that are out in the communities. It is they who will help see changes in behavior and who are taking care of people with AIDS and the orphans (whose parents die from AIDS)." PC(USA) partner churches in Africa invited the denomination to help churches with AIDS prevention. Weinberg and another mission worker, the Rev. Janet Guyer, work exclusively on the AIDS crisis in Africa. They have found the church leaders eager to tackle the challenge.

Haitian Alliance Celebrates 20 Years

June 20, 2003, VALLEY FORGE, Pa. - The Alliance of the Haitian Baptist Churches is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year as "a voice inside American Baptist Churches USA." According to Alliance Secretary the Rev. Duval Denis, "The participation of the Alliance in the annual sessions, conferences, evangelism meetings and the biennials of American Baptist Churches grows from year to year." The Alliances' representatives and musicians have taken part in Biennial Meetings since 1997; this June 27-30 the Haitian Alliance Mass Choir will perform at the 2003 Biennial Meeting in Richmond, Va.

Texas Team Gives Hope to Haitian Children

June 23, 2003 – A five-member team from the Texas Annual (regional) Conference recently brought the gift of hearing to children enrolled in five schools for the deaf in Haiti. Gil Hanke, a speech-language pathologist from Nacogdoches, led a team that tested 360 children and a few adults, and fitted 107 children with hearing aids donated by people from across the United States. "For the first time in my 15 years of going to Haiti, I can honestly say that at least some of the country has gotten better in the last year," Hanke said. "It still has a long way to go."

Middle East News

Occupied Palestinian Territories: Still Home to Christians

June 24, 2003 – It is easy to forget that the West Bank, home to so much modern injustice and violence, was once home to other events as well. It was in the West Bank - Bethlehem to be exact - that Jesus was born. And it is in the West Bank that Christians have lived for nearly 2,000 years. To this day, church steeples in many Palestinian towns and villages remind the visitor of the long history of Palestinian Christians in this troubled land. Their lives, however, have not been easy. The past century has witnessed a startling drop in the number of Christians living in the Occupied Territories (both the West Bank and Gaza). They have emigrated in large numbers. Today, no more than two percent of the population is Christian, compared to as much as 20 percent in 1948. The population of towns like Bethlehem and Ramallah were once over 90 percent Christian, but today, Bethlehem is less than 25 percent Christian while in Ramallah, the percentage is even lower. In fact, there are more Christians from Bethlehem living in Chile and Brazil than in Bethlehem. Similarly, there are more Christians from Ramallah living in the American cities of Detroit and Jacksonville than in Ramallah.

Massachusetts Delegation Calls for Day of Hope in Mideast

June 24, 2003 – A delegation of 28 peace pilgrims from the Diocese of Massachusetts, led by Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, spent 10 days in the Middle East meeting with both Israelis and Palestinians and assessing the prospects for peace. Despite the violence and anger, they found a few signs of hope. In a closing press conference on June 18, called a Day of Hope, Shaw said that the delegation was "impressed by how much worse relations between Palestinians and Israelis are today than they were when many members of our group were here a year ago. Fear and suspicion have increased" but during meetings with religious leaders "we have heard of the grassroots work that gives us hope."

People in the News

Old Faithful - Colleagues Turn out to Honor Young-at-Heart John Rhea, 92

June 24, 2003, LOUISVILLE - The Rev. John I. Rhea, one of the hardest-working full-time employees on or off the payroll, returned to the Presbyterian Center Monday to be showered with love and praise by more than 100 colleagues who have been buoyed for a decade by his extraordinary joie de vivre. Rhea, 92, who has been battling pancreatic cancer for six months, was confined to a wheelchair and tethered to a tank of oxygen, but he was nattily jacket-and-tied, as always, and glowing with the infectious smile he brought to work every day. When he was wheeled into the atrium, he was greeted with warm, sustained applause.

Lord and Lady Carey to Continue Poverty Work as Vice Presidents of Tearfund

June 25, 2003 – Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey of Clifton, and his wife, Lady Carey, are to continue their work promoting Christian action with the world's poor by accepting the posts of Vice Presidents of Christian relief and development agency Tearfund. Their visits to Christian communities in more than 90 countries during Lord Carey's decade as Archbishop of Canterbury constantly brought them face to face with poverty and inequality. Lord Carey describes visits to Rwanda and Sudan as turning points in his life.

Menaul School Loses its Head
Historic New Mexico School Launches National Search for Successor

June 20, 2003, LOUISVILLE - Michael L. Gaylor has stepped down as president of Menaul School, a Presbyterian-related college/preparatory school in New Mexico. Gaylor, whose official title was Head of School, is credited with increasing the scope and depth of the curriculum at the 122-year-old private institution near downtown Albuquerque. His last day in Menaul's top administrative position was May 31.

Reviews

Lutherlink Book Discussions Begin in July

June 20, 2003, CHICAGO - In a cooperative project of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Department for Communication and Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the ELCA, LutherLink members will begin holding online book discussions in July. LutherLink, an online network maintained by the ELCA, is part of Ecunet, a faith-based online community with over 20,000 members, said Paul Edison-Swift, director, interactive media and networks, ELCA Department for Communication. The first online book discussion will focus on "Executive Values: A Christian Approach to Organizational Leadership" by Kurt Senske. According to a message posted on the LutherLink Web site, the book provides a guide to moral Christian leadership within a variety of settings. Senske is president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the South, Austin, Texas.