Front Page

Event to Examine Peacemaking in a Time of Terror, War and Violence

August 31, 2004, LOUISVILLE - A national colloquium called "Peacemaking in a Time of Terror, War and Violence" will take place Sept. 27-29 at Stony Point Center in New York. The focus of the event is to help participants understand the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s position on issues of peacemaking and justice during challenging times and to discuss ways of acting. Co-sponsoring the event is the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP), the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, and Stony Point Center. Keynote speakers include the Rev. James Forbes, senior minister of The Riverside Church in New York City and Elder Rick Ufford-Chase, newly elected moderator of the 216th General Assembly of the PC(USA).

"Hunger No More" Documentary to Air Oct. 24 on ABC-TV Affiliates

August 31, 2004, NEW YORK CITY - "Hunger No More: Faces Behind the Facts," a new TV documentary, takes an unflinching look at the persistent problem of hunger in the 21st century and offers solutions. A program of the National Council of Churches USA for the ABC-TV "Vision and Values" series, the one-hour, closed-captioned special will begin airing on ABC affiliates on October 24, 2004. (Check local listings). Most of us don't often ask where our next meal is coming from. But for millions of Americans and nearly a billion people worldwide, such food insecurity is a daily reality. "Hunger No More: Faces Behind the Facts" approaches hunger from the perspective of faith, declaring that hunger is more than a social issue. "It is a moral issue that needs immediate resolution," says Burton Buller, President of Mennonite Media, who produced the program for the NCC. "The program brings to life the moral dimension of this thorny issue, and offers up a vision for a new day when hunger is eradicated from the face of the earth."

General News

Council of the Lutheran World Federation to Meet in Geneva
Agenda Includes Election of General Secretary, Priority Setting for LWF's Future Work

August 23, 2004, GENEVA - The 2004 meeting of the Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) will begin with a festive eucharistic service on Tuesday, August 31 at 16.15 hrs, in Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva, Switzerland. The theme of this year's gathering will be "Growing Together - Growing Apart." Rev. Ekkehard Lagoda, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Geneva, will preach at the opening worship. The Council begins its business sessions from September 1 to 7 in Chavannes-de-Bogis. The 49-member Council is responsible for the business of the Federation between Assemblies, held every six years. The current Council was elected at the July 2003 LWF Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada, and held its first meeting there.

Maximizing the Internet to Share the Love and Grace of Jesus Christ

September 3, 2004, CHICAGO, IL - Drawn together by a passion for using the Internet to share the good news of Jesus Christ, Christians from several countries including the United States, will be in Chicago September 14 and 15 for the Annual Meeting of the Internet Evangelism Coalition. The coalition, which came together in 1997, is an association of individuals, churches, denominations and ministries interested in or already carrying out evangelism online. Dr. Sterling Huston, chair of the IEC Executive Committee, says the IEC serves the church by helping it "fulfill its mission by creating and communicating Internet resources for evangelizing our world." Dr. Lon Allison, Director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, believes that "Internet Evangelism is one of today's most urgent arenas for gospel proclamation." Dr. Allison serves on the IEC Executive Committee and is supportive of the IEC because it "combines thinkers and practitioners to explore the ways and means to reach this enormous mission field."

Archons Launch Exciting New Website for the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle

August 31, 2004, NEW YORK, NY - The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, and members of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, launched a new and exciting website about the organization and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The website represents an intense four-month collaborative effort between the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Internet Ministries and the National Council of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle to develop a flexible and robust website to serve the global information and communications needs of the organization.

Ecumenical News

Presiding Bishop Conveys Concern about Pastoral Boundaries, Affirms LA Bishop's Ministry of Reconciliation

August 26, 2004 – Emphasizing the Anglican Primates' agreement that "bishops are to respect the boundaries of one another's dioceses and provinces," the Presiding Bishop of ECUSA, the Most Revd Frank T Griswold, today sent a letter of concern to the Archbishop of the Church of the Province of Uganda, the Most Revd Henry L Orombi, after a third Southern California congregation yesterday aligned with the Ugandan Diocese of Luweero.

Anglicans and Muslims to Meet for Dialogue in Cairo

August 27, 2004 – The third meeting of the al-Azhar al-Sharif - Anglican Communion Dialogue is to take place in Cairo, Egypt 8-9 September 2004. A team of scholars and churchpeople, nominated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, will be meeting with key representatives of al-Azhar al-Sharif in Cairo - the leading religious institution in the Sunni Muslim world. The dialogue is part of a process which provides a means for the Anglican Communion to develop and foster positive relationships of trust and co-operation with Muslim communities. The Anglican Communion's contribution to the dialogue is administered on behalf of Archbishop Rowan by NIFCON, the Anglican Communion's Inter Faith Network. At a time of continuing world tension, finding opportunities for leading Christians and Muslims to meet and talk about their faiths, what they share in common - as well as their differences - has proved rewarding for both faiths.

Lutheran-Roman Catholic Discussion on Apostolicity of the Church, New Testament Foundations

August 30, 2004, BALTIMORE - The focal topic of the recent phase of the Lutheran - Roman Catholic Commission on Unity was the Apostolicity of the Church. This year's meeting, the ninth of the fourth phase of the commission, proceeded with its work on biblical, historical and systematic theological aspects of the theme. At the July 9 to 17 meeting in Baltimore, United States of America, the commission carried out its work on the basis of revised drafts received from the drafting group, which had met in Erfurt, Germany, in April 2003 and in Rome in March 2004.

Religious & Civil Liberty

Tax-exempt Code Prohibits Political Endorsements

September 2, 2004 – As this year's general election approaches, the Synod's tax and compliance director is reminding congregations and Synod entities that any efforts to "educate voters" must comply with tax-code requirements concerning political-campaign activities. Karen Sansone, director of the Tax and Compliance Section of the Synod's Accounting Department, noted that the federal tax code "absolutely prohibits churches and other religious organizations from endorsing or opposing any candidate for public office."

National News

Prayer Requested for Organizations Based in Orlando

September 1, 2004 – The headquarters of several Christian organizations are located in Orlando, Florida - one of the cities that may be hit hard by hurricane Frances. Steve Douglass, president of Orlando-based Campus Crusade for Christ, is inviting Christians to pray with their staff. "As powerful as Frances is, it represents only an infinitesimal fraction of the power of God. Join us in praying that God will blunt the force of the storm and spare people the injury and damage that Frances has the potential to inflict."

International News

Christians Challenged to Influence Change in a World at the "Risk of Growing Apart"

August 31, 2004, GENEVA - Church representatives attending the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council were today reminded of their responsibility to social commitment and action to influence change in a world at the risk of "growing apart," due to the current challenging realities including rampant neo-liberalism. "Excessive greed for capital gain on the part of the global world has meant that many people die or live on a mare minimum. We must not let the free market direct the fight against scourge for hunger, and for a well-nourished humankind," Rev. Ekkehard Lagoda, German-speaking congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Geneva (ELCG), told participants attending the Council's opening eucharistic service at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva.

Baptist Children among Hostages at Russian School

September 2, 2004, VALLEY FORGE, Pa. - The Baptist World Alliance, in contact with Sandor Szenczy of Hungarian Baptist Aid, reports that at least eight children taken hostage in Beslan, Russia, on Wednesday are from families of Baptist clergy or lay leaders. More than a dozen heavily-armed insurgents took over a middle school in the town, which lies close to Chechnya border, shortly after the first day of school began. As many as 350 children, parents and other adults were forced to remain in the building. The militants told authorities they would kill 50 children for each hostage-taker killed, although the specific demands of the group are not known. Late-breaking news confirms that more than 30 children and women have been set free by their captors.

Justice and Peace Association Reject Plans to Make Weapons in Puerto Rico

August 25, 2004, SAN JUAN - A proposal to leave federal legislation regarding the fabrication, sale and distribution of weapons without effect, currently in place in Puerto Rico, was emphatically rejected by the civil association Caribbean Justice and Peace Project. All around the world people are demanding that Governments act firmly to control illegal weapons traffic and reduce their availability, to guarantee the protection of citizens and construct safer communities, said Wanda Colon Cortes, spokesperson for the pacifist organization established in 1973.

Pirez Esquivel Supports Complaint Against World Bank

August 27, 2004, BUENOS AIRES - 1980 Nobel Peace Laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel, together with other Argentine individuals, presented a writ with new evidence to support a complaint filed by the Argentine State against the World Bank for social economic crimes affecting millions of residents. Pirez Esquivel, Nora Cortiqas and Josi de Luca, called on Argentine justice to include the evidence that was presented and recently made public, to the complaint Argentina filed before the World Bank Arbitral Tribunal in response to a demand imposed by the US CMS firm. This company filed a suit against the Argentine state, demanding $265 million, as compensation for damages suffered due to emergency economic norms known as pesification, sanctioned by the Buenos Aires government in 2001 and 2002.

Evangelical Action in Politics must Leave a Mark, Said Representative

August 27, 2004, SAO PAULO - Preaching that is not accompanied by works is not very Evangelical, said the representative from the federal district of Brasilia, Peniel Pacheco, who participated, together with Brazilian Environmental minister Marina Silva, in a reflection forum on Brazil. The Progressive Evangelical Movement (MEP) in Sao Paulo organized the forum August 14. Silva and Pacheco are members of the Assemblies of God Church.

It Is Time for Argentina to Awaken, Said Provincial Vice Governor of Misiones

August 27, 2004, BUENOS AIRES - The Vice Governor in the province of Misiones, in northeastern Argentina, Evangelical Pastor Pablo Tschirsch, called on pastors, leaders and social Christian workers to dream of a better Argentina in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and affirmed that the country is a sleeping homeland that God could awaken. Tschirsch spoke to some 200 pastors and Evangelical leaders and social workers, coming from 15 provinces in Argentina and neighboring countries, representing 50 Churches and service entities at the inauguration of the National Encounter for Change and Social Protagonism Salt and Light, held in Buenos Aires August 19 - 21.

Ecumenical Consultation Pastoral Letter Rejects Integration That Does Not Favor the Majority

August 27, 2004, SAO PAULO - As Churches we want to address the economic implications of the Free Trade Agreements (FTA) from an integral perspective, as ethical values and human dignity are central for us, said a Pastoral Letter published by the Continental Consultation about Market Integration and Human Dignity. This consultation, convened by the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) through its Faith, Economy and Society Program, brought together close to 80 representatives from Churches and ecumenical bodies in 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries from August 20-22, along with representatives from Churches in the United States, Canada, England, Sweden and the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Lutheran Church Leader Appeals for Tolerance and Unity;
Emigration Leads to Decreased Membership

CARACAS, Venezuela - The president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Venezuela, Rev. Akos Puky, has appealed for tolerance and unity in the country, saying increasing division among the population over the past few months was destructive. Although Venezuela was endowed with natural resources, it was experiencing the highest ever poverty levels. The situation had particularly worsened in the past four years, Puky told Lutheran World Information (LWI) in an interview. The economic situation together with the political uncertainty in Venezuela had led to a major wave of emigration, stressed Puky, who was born in 1936 in Budapest, Hungary. Young people especially, unable to secure a future for themselves anymore at home, were leaving the country. The membership of the Lutheran church had almost halved over the past few years, to 2,233 members by the end of 2003. In the past year alone, the German-speaking congregation in Caracas had lost more than 100 families, most of whom had emigrated to Germany. The Venezuelan church joined the Lutheran World Federation in 1986.

Churches World-wide to Pray for Peace on 21 September

August 31, 2004 – Churches representing over 550 million Christians world-wide have been invited for the first time to mark 21 September as an International Day of Prayer for Peace.

In the framework of its Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches seeking Reconciliation and Peace (2001-2010), the World Council of Churches (WCC) has called on its member churches to pray for peace on 21 September or on the Sundays preceding or following that day.

CWS: 'More U.S., UN Support for AU Troops in Darfur'

September 1, 2004, NEW YORK, NY - As violence continues against the people of Darfur, Sudan, in what the United Nations has labeled the world's worst humanitarian crisis, global humanitarian agency Church World Service is urging Americans to contact U.S. Ambassador John Danforth and Secretary of State Colin Powell and demand that they: Apply pressure to the president of Sudan to accept African Union troops as peacekeepers in Darfur, and Urge the government of Sudan to expand the mandate of African Union troops to include protection of refugees and internally displaced people, as well as protection of humanitarian zones to ensure passage of desperately needed food and relief supplies.

People in the News

Zimbabwean Theologian Ishmael Noko Re-elected LWF General Secretary

September 1, 2004, GENEVA - The Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) today re-elected Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko as LWF General Secretary for another seven-year term. The 49-member Council elected the 60-year-old Zimbabwean theologian in a closed session at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva, where the LWF governing body is meeting, September 1-7.

Reviews

Does the Bible Justify Violence?

August 26, 2004, MINNEAPOLIS - In a new release from Fortress Press, renowned biblical scholar John J. Collins asks tough questions about the relationship between the portrayals of violence in the Bible and how they have been used throughout history. This work, Does the Bible Justify Violence, is based on his Presidential Address to the Society of Biblical Literature. In this clarifying essay, Collins reveals how the Crusaders, Puritans, and abolitionists all used the Bible to justify their use of violence-and this process continues.