Front Page

NCC's Edgar Blasts U.S. News & World Report
for 'Smear' of Protestant Churches' Activism

October 14, 2004, NEW YORK - Calling it a case of "journalistic malpractice," National Council of Churches General Secretary Bob Edgar today challenged the content and conclusions of a U.S. News & World Report columnist who had suggested the Council's criticisms of the government of Israel were "anti-Semitic." Edgar, in a letter to the magazine's editor-in-chief Mortimer Zuckerman, pointed out that columnist John Leo, in the October 18 U.S. News edition now on newsstands, had wrongly attacked as biased criticism by four American Protestant churches and two ecumenical bodies (National Council of Churches USA and World Council of Churches) of human rights actions by both Israeli and U.S. governments. Leo had obtained his information from a conservative political group, the Institute on Religion & Democracy (IRD), but apparently had failed to check with church leaders the accuracy of the IRD's findings, which Edgar called "grievously off the mark."

Church's Future Depends on Developing Leaders, Bishop Says

October 12, 2004, NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The lack of leadership in the United Methodist Church is the top issue facing the denomination in the 21st century, says a retired bishop. Bishop Joseph Pennel of Franklin, Tenn., who retired from the active episcopacy in June, told the governing members of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry that the church is at a critical point because of the absence of strong, spiritual leaders. "Leadership determines the path and pathos of an institution and organization," he said.

Edelman Says Time to Defend Children, Poor Is Now

October 12, 2004 – Hundreds filled the pews at Riverside Church on Sunday to celebrate the Children's Sabbath and hear Marian Wright Edelman's sermon titled "A Nation and Century Defining Time: Where is America Going?" Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund, said, "If ever there was a time to stand up, speak out, and act courageously to defend our children from fear and want, this is it. The very future and soul of America are at stake." Edelman also appealed to the congregation to join her, Washington's Bishop John Bryson Chane and thousands of leaders and members of faith-based communities for an "Interfaith Service of Prayer, Hope & Action for Justice for Children and the Poor" on Thursday, October 28 at 7 p.m. at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.

General News

Congregations Reach Beyond Church for New Disciples

October 12, 2004 – There's nothing "churchy" about The Garden in Indianapolis. The satellite congregation of St. Luke's United Methodist Church uses a vacant dinner theater for a sanctuary. People mill around during worship or sit at small tables enjoying bagels and coffee. Instead of singing hymns or even contemporary praise songs, the genre is secular pop music of artists such as Billy Joel, Eric Clapton or Sarah McLachlan. Clips from movies and TV shows complement the message. And a watering can at the door is the closest thing to an offering plate. By lowering the threshold between the sacred and secular, this alternative worship experience appears to be winning souls among the "unchurched," survivors of bad church experiences and those who find traditional organized religion boring and irrelevant.

Complaint Filed Against Mission Presbytery Pastor -
Rigby Accused of Performing 'Gay Marriage Service'

October 8, 2004, CARROLLTON, Texas - The General Assembly's passionate debate over ordination and marriage standards now has faces attached to it in Mission Presbytery with the filing of a complaint against the Rev. James D. Rigby, pastor of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin. Though the source of the complaint is a surprise - a Presbyterian student at the University of Texas - Rigby said he expected such a complaint would inevitably be filed against him or a session member of the congregation nationally known for its strong stance on social justice issues. The student, a freshman, initiated the complaint when he read in the campus newspaper that Rigby performed a 'gay marriage service' during an 'equity rally.'

'Bilingual' Judicial Council to Meet in Philadelphia

October 13, 2004 – The Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church will meet in Philadelphia with a full docket of 17 cases and a new logistical challenge: a member who speaks French and Swahili ... but not English. The nine-member council, the denomination's supreme court, will hold its fall meeting Oct. 27-30 at the Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia Airport Hotel. All Judicial Council proceedings will be closed except for the oral hearings, set for 9 a.m. Oct. 28. This will be the first time when all of the council's proceedings will simultaneously be translated into French and from French into English to facilitate the participation of the Rev. Paul Shamwange Kyungu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Elected as the first clergy alternate at General Conference in Pittsburgh, Kyungu joined the council when the Rev. Larry Pickens resigned to become top staff executive of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.

'Convention Season' Underway for Dioceses Nationwide;
Rio Grande Coadjutor Election this Weekend

October 15, 2004 – During the next five weekends, almost half the Episcopal Church's dioceses will hold diocesan conventions or, in some cases, elect a new bishop. The annual "diocesan convention season" for the church started last weekend, with nine gatherings including South Dakota, North Dakota, Springfield, Colorado, Alaska, Wyoming, Eastern Oregon, Montana and Southwest Florida. Coming up this weekend will be conventions for Arizona, Bethlehem, Dallas, Kansas, Nevada, Northern Michigan, Quincy, Rio Grande, Southeast Florida, Western Kansas, Western Michigan, and Spokane.

Free Computers Motivate Students Academically, Spiritually

October 15, 2004 – The Rev. Perry Schnabel leads a youth Bible study group, but he doesn't use Bibles. Instead, his students scroll through the Bible's verses on computers they get free for keeping their end of a contract requiring them to maintain good grades, attend church and Sunday school, perform community service and stay away from drugs and alcohol. It's part of Kingdom Kids Computer Club, a two-year-old ministry at Steele United Methodist Church in Steele, N.D., that offers sixth-graders free desktop computers if they follow through on the contracts they sign at the beginning of the school year.

The "Cross and Flame" on Two Wheels

October 14, 2004, CORCISCANA, Texas - A column of 25 motorcycles roared through this small Texas town on a recent Sunday morning. People stopped and stared. Who are they? Why are they here? Are they like the Hell's Angels who are labeled as "bad-guys," they asked. No, these motorcycle riders are more concerned about getting into heaven.

Life Goes on for Two Parents after Each Loses a Son to Suicide

October 8, 2004 – Clark Taylor, a recovering alcoholic, was 33 when he killed himself on a cold January day in 1992, leaving behind a wife, 3-year-old daughter and mother Judy Collins to wonder why-and forever imagine if only. In the decade following his death, the singer and songwriter poured her grief into her journals. Those journals evolved into Sanity and Grace: A Journal of Suicide, Survival, and Strength, published in 2003 by Tarcher/ Penguin. In the book she writes, "Even as I put one foot in front of the other, show up for my life, and the lives of my loved ones, learning to survive, I shiver when someone's suicide is mentioned, and the chill makes its way from my lips to my heart as I speak of my own journey. ... Putting the journey into words is one of the only ways I have found to warm the chill in my heart ..."

Igniting Ministry Training Goes Online

October 11, 2004, NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Basic training in the United Methodist Church's welcoming and television ministry will become accessible to nearly every congregation with the launch of a new online course. The course, "Igniting Ministry 101," begins Oct. 11 and will continue through mid-November. It is being offered by United Methodist Communications, which manages the Igniting Ministry program.

Same-sex Ceremony Complaint Against Oliveto Dismissed

October 8, 2004, WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A complaint against a United Methodist pastor for performing a gay marriage ceremony in a church sanctuary has been dismissed by Bishop Beverly Shamana of the denomination's California-Nevada Conference. The Rev. Karen Oliveto officiated at a Feb. 15 ceremony for Bethany United Methodist Church parishioners Bill Hinson and Dan Johnson after they received a marriage license at San Francisco City Hall. A complaint was filed against her shortly thereafter, and has been in the "supervisory" resolution process in the seven months since.

Ecumenical News

Week of Prayer 2005: Growing Collaboration
Between WCC and the Roman Catholic Church

October 15, 2004 – The preparation of the 2005 edition of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has led to a new stage in collaboration between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Roman Catholic Church. For the first time, the text that will inspire the Week of Prayer has not only been jointly prepared but also published jointly by the WCC Faith and Order commission and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Calling it a "further, small step in the direction of Christian unity," WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia and the secretary of the Pontifical Council Bishop Brian Farrell suggested in the foreword that the joint publication of the liturgical resources will, hopefully, usher in the "birth of a new era of collaboration" between the two bodies. The theme proposed for the Week in 2005 is "Christ, the One Foundation of the Church," a reference to 1 Corinthians 3:1-23.

Support for the Fourth Sunday of September to Be the Day of the Bible

October 4, 2004, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Representatives from Catholic and Evangelical Churches signed a statement supporting a move to declare the fourth Sunday of September as the Day of the Bible in Argentina. The Argentina Bible Society has sent a petition to Congress to this end. The declaration states that in September, the Catholic Church, Evangelical Churches and other Christian organizations celebrate the Month of the Bible. It states that the Bible is a foundation book of Western culture and its impact in legislation, ethics and all areas of art have given our culture a common profile. Moreover, it is recognized by Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Faith & Values' Specials on the Hallmark Channel Mark Interfaith Awareness Month

October 8, 2004, LOUISVILLE - Faith & Values Media is presenting two upcoming television specials that explore interfaith understanding and harmony among Christians, Jews and Muslims to help mark October as Interfaith Awareness Month. The two programs - which will be telecast on the Hallmark Channel - are "On Common Grounds" on Oct. 17 and "Trust Me" on Oct. 24. They follow a two-part special, "The Quest for Peace," that was scheduled to air Oct. 3 and 10. Faith & Values Media is the nation's largest coalition of Jewish and Christian faith groups dedicated to media production, distribution and promotion. Its member association - including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - is made up of denominations, organizations and individuals who encompass more than 200,000 congregations with 120 million congregants.

Restoring All to Unity with God Remains Church's Mission

October 14, 2004, NEW YORK - "The mission of the Church," reads the Book of Common Prayer (page 855), "is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." The ways in which the Episcopal Church is living out this mission are the focus of an October 11 Episcopal News Service interview with the Rev. James B. Lemler, the Episcopal Church's newly appointed director of mission who served previously as dean of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. Following are his responses to interview questions posed by Episcopal News Service director Robert Williams.

LWF Seminar Hears 'Majority of African Christians Are Influenced by Traditional Beliefs'
"What Has Happened in the Church to Smother the Healing Power of the Gospel?"

October 14, 2004, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa/GENEVA - "The majority of African Christians are still influenced by African traditional beliefs and practices especially in times of crisis, even though they may not acknowledge it," Prof. Isabel Apawo Phiri, a lecturer in African theology told participants in a Lutheran World Federation (LWF) seminar in South Africa. Phiri, who is coordinator of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians, cited some female sangomas (healers) who were married to Christians, as an example of a seemingly free-flow of beliefs and practices between African Traditional Religion (ATR) and Christianity. Some of the sangomas claimed to hold positions of authority in Christian churches, she told delegates at the LWF Department for Theology and Studies (DTS) meeting on African spirituality and its challenges to the Lutheran ministry.

Theologians Launch Study on Bible Authority in Lutheran Churches
Failure to Deal with Emerging Tensions Could Threaten Communion's Coherence

October 15, 2004, CARTIGNY, Switzerland - "I take joy when Scripture contradicts itself, because this indicates that God's truth is far more complicated than my truth. If we use it to make life easy, we betray how Scripture makes truth work." These remarks by Prof. Diane Jacobson, were among insights shared at the first meeting of a Lutheran World Federation (LWF) study team on the "Authority of the Bible in the Life of the Church." "Our imagination and our lives are transformed as we read Scripture carefully, closely and critically, as part of a faithful community," Jacobson, who teaches Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St Paul, Minnesota, USA, told participants in the September 30*October 3 meeting convened by the LWF Department for Theology and Studies (DTS) in Cartigny, near Geneva.

Spanish News

Representantes Eclesiásticos De Corea Del Norte
Y Del Sur Examinan Las Perspectivas De Paz Y Reunificación Para Corea

13 de Octubre 2004 – Representantes de las iglesias de Corea del Norte y del Sur, así como de otras partes del mundo que están interesados en la cuestión de la reunificación de Corea, han sido invitados a una consulta que tendrá lugar del 17 al 21 de octubre, organizada por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y la Conferencia Cristiana de Asia (CCA) en Tozanzo, Japón. "La Península de Corea, punto incandescente en el Nordeste de Asia" es el tema de la reunión, que revisará y analizará la actual evolución en la Península de Corea, y de la que previsiblemente saldrá un plan común de acción para interceder en los planos nacional, regional e internacional en favor de la paz y la reunificación de la Península.

Semana De Oración Por La Unidad 2005: Creciente Colaboración
Entre El Cmi Y La Iglesia Católica Romana

15 de Octubre 2004 – La preparación de la edición 2005 de la Semana de Oración por la Unidad de los Cristianos ha conducido a una nueva fase en la colaboración entre el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y la Iglesia Católica Romana. Por primera vez, el texto que inspirará la Semana de Oración no sólo ha sido preparado conjuntamente sino que también ha sido publicado conjuntamente por la Comisión de Fe y Constitución del CMI y el Pontificio Consejo para la Unidad de los Cristianos. Considerando este hecho como "un pequeño paso más en la dirección de la unidad de los cristianos," el secretario general del CMI Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia y el secretario del Pontificio Consejo Obispo Brian Farrell manifiestan en el prefacio de esta publicación conjunta de los recursos litúrgicos la esperanza de que "alumbre una nueva era de colaboración" entre ambas entidades. El tema propuesto para la Semana en 2005 es "Cristo, fundamento único de la Iglesia" -una referencia a 1 Corintios 3:1-23.

National News

Faith Group Leaders Ask Bush, Kerry for Just New Colombia Policy
Focused on Peace and Security

October 14, 2004, Washington, DC - More than 700 Protestant and Catholic Americans are urging President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry to provide new strategy for U.S. policy on Colombia. They have sent letters to each candidate calling for a "reassessment" of existing policy. More than forty years of war in Colombia has devastated the country, killed thousands, and caused the internal displacement of three million people from their land and homes, forcing them to live as refugees in their own nation. The letters urge a "new strategy" that responds to the needs of both nations by addressing the root causes of Colombia's civil conflict in ways that strengthen the peace and security of people in Colombia and the United States.

International News

Post Graduate Theological School Program Obtains Maximum Grade

October 6, 2004, SCO LEOPOLDO, Brazil - The Postgraduate program at the Theology School (EST) obtained the maximum grade, a 7, in an evaluation carried out by the Coordinating Committee for the Perfecting of Educational Personnel (CAPES in Portuguese). Among the 1,819 postgraduate programs evaluated by CAPES three percent were disqualified, 64 percent obtained a regular grade and only 11 percent were considered excellent, CAPES said October 4.

Mix of Religion and Politics in Electoral Campaign Criticized

October 6, 2004, SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Pedro Rossello, candidate for governor of Puerto Rico for the New Progressive Party (PNP) denied that he has converted to Protestantism, but this did not stop the Catholic Bishop of San Juan, Luis Aponte Martinez, from denouncing him as a "declared apostate." Rossello denied statements made by the Rev. Wanda Rolon of the Senda Antigua Church that he had "converted to the Lord" during a service in this Church last year. "I was there and I participated in that service. They said that those who accepted Christ should come forward. I accept Christ. That is what happened. I accept Christ and here I will repeat it again, I accept Christ," said Rossello.

Church Representatives from North and South Korea
to Review Prospects for Korean Peace and Reunification

October 13, 2004 – Church representatives from North and South Korea as well as from other parts of the world involved in the issue of Korean reunification have been invited to a 17-21 October consultation organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) in Tozanzo, Japan. "Korean Peninsula - a flashpoint in North East Asia" is the theme of the meeting, that will review and analyse present developments in the Korean Peninsula, and is expected to produce a common plan of action for advocacy at the national, regional and international levels for peace and reunification of the Peninsula.

Middle East News

In Afghanistan, Religion Still Used to Intimidate Women, Report Says

October 8, 2004, NEW YORK - Afghan warlords and resurgent Taliban forces are using religion to threaten and intimidate women in the run-up to Afghanistan's Oct. 9 presidential election, according to a new report by New York-based Human Rights Watch. The report, "Between Hope and Fear: Intimidation and Threats Against Women in Public Life in Afghanistan," claims that the intimidation by religious groups and others long opposed to participation by women in Afghan public life is widespread and threatens the right of women to vote freely in the elections. "A pervasive atmosphere of fear persists for women involved in politics and women's rights in Afghanistan, despite significant improvements in women's lives since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001," the human rights monitoring group said in releasing the report Oct. 5.

Jewish Peace Group Challenges Caterpillar's Israel Business
PC(USA) Backs Shareholders' Resolution Seeking Stop to Demolitions

October 11, 2004, LOUISVILLE - A Jewish group has submitted a shareholders' resolution to Caterpillar Inc., arguing that the heavy machinery company may be risking its reputation by continuing to sell to the Israeli army bulldozers that are used to demolish the homes and orchards of Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This is the second time that Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) has aligned itself with Christian groups that oppose the ongoing use of Caterpillar equipment to commit what the international community has called human rights violations in the occupied territories, or what the shareholders' resolution describes as "the destruction of homes, land and other properties."

LWF General Secretary Urges Israelis, Palestinians to Break Cycle of Violence

October 14, 2004, GENEVA - The general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, has expressed deep concern over the escalating violence in the Gaza region, and has urged "Israelis and Palestinians alike" to break the cycle of violence through dialogue, mutual understanding and compassion. In a statement released today, Noko expresses support for a recent call by the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem, who urge both sides in the dispute to stop the violence and return to the 'Road Map' for peace. Israel's latest military operation is reportedly aimed at eliminating the threat of homemade rockets being fired by the militant Hamas group on an Israeli town beyond the northeastern borders of Gaza.

People in the News

CLAI Laments Death of Pastor Humberto

October 8, 2004, QUITO, Ecuador - The death of Pastor Humberto Ramos, killed in a car accident, has caused great consternation. Ramos was president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia (IELB) and a member of the board of the Latin American council of Churches. The accident took place around 8:00 pm on October 7 when he was returning to La Paz from Vilacaya in the department of Potosi. Pastor Juan Cevallos and Ramon Conde and Verena Welz, a German volunteer working with the IELB also died in the accident.

WCC Secretary General to Be Distinguished by Argentine University

October 4, 2004, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - The Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Rev. Samuel Kobia will be distinguished by the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) in his upcoming visit to Argentina November 14-16 with the title of "Honoris Causa." The UBA Superior Council made the decision, stating that the title is granted to "eminent individuals in the intellectual or artistic field, from the country or abroad," a title which fits the Methodist minister who was born in Kenya. The resolution was adopted at the initiative of Guillermo Jaime Etcheverry, UBA dean. In 2003 the UBA granted a Honoris Causa to Portuguese novelist Jose Saramago, 1998 Nobel Laureate for Literature.

Retired Presbyterian Minister Released from Prison
Beisswenger Trespassed on Army Base During November Protest

October 13, 2004, LOUISVILLE - A retired Presbyterian minister imprisoned earlier this year for entering an Army base during a protest has been released from jail. The Rev. Donald F. Beisswenger of Nashville, TN, was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Manchester, KY, on Oct. 1. After returning to Tennessee that day he was greeted by a group of supporters at the Nashville Peace and Justice Center, and three days later a liturgy of celebration was held for him at a local church. The retired Vanderbilt University Divinity School professor - who turned 74 on Oct. 12 - served a six-month federal prison term on a misdemeanor charge of trespassing.

Reviews

After Empire Explores Imperialism and its Alternatives

October 13, 2004, MINNEAPOLIS - A creative meditation on politics, engagement, and spirituality, Sharon Welch's latest work, After Empire: The Art and Ethos of Enduring Peace, connects the personal to the political and the ethical to the historical stream in which we all live. At a time when many progressives feel disoriented and powerless, trapped in a narrative of unbridled assertion of U.S. power, Welch looks into the positive side of the American story, the struggles of peoples to act in concert for inclusive democracy, and hard-earned insights into civic and religious life. She finds the elements of a deep, vital, and hopeful spirituality there. Through chapters on virtuosity, ceremony, audacity, laughter, and risk, she recasts the shape and rationale of personal and political engagement with insights from Native American philosophy, social-contract theory, engaged Buddhism, and the new interreligious commitment to peace..

Fortress Press Releases Wilson's Leaving the Fold

October 14, 2004, MINNEAPOLIS - Movement from one community to another can create strife, pain, and social dislocation. Stephen Wilson explores apostates and defectors in antiquity in Leaving the Fold, recently released by Fortress Press. In this astute analysis, Wilson examines the ancient sources for clues to how leaving a religious group happened, what motivated defectors, and the different ways Jews, Christians, and pagans interpreted the event. As Wilson explains, ''by and large defection was a rancorous business and provoked extreme reactions, understandably so in the case of those who became traitors or who turned violently on their former community. But even the less dramatic instances were deeply troubling.''