Front Page

CBS, NBC Refuse to Air Church's Television Advertisement
UCC Ad Highlighting Jesus' Extravagant Welcome Called 'Too Controversial'

November 30, 2004, CLEVELAND - The CBS and NBC television networks are refusing to run a 30-second television ad from the United Church of Christ because its all-inclusive welcome has been deemed "too controversial." The ad, part of the denomination's new, broad identity campaign set to begin airing nationwide on Dec. 1, states that - like Jesus - the United Church of Christ (UCC) seeks to welcome all people, regardless of ability, age, race, economic circumstance or sexual orientation. According to a written explanation from CBS, the United Church of Christ is being denied network access because its ad implies acceptance of gay and lesbian couples - among other minority constituencies - and is, therefore, too "controversial." "Because this commercial touches on the exclusion of gay couples and other minority groups by other individuals and organizations," reads an explanation from CBS, "and the fact the Executive Branch has recently proposed a Constitutional Amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, this spot is unacceptable for broadcast on the [CBS and UPN] networks."

Faith-based Communicators React to CBS, NBC Nixing of Church Ad

December 3, 2004, NEW YORK CITY - Responding to the refusal of the CBS and NBC television networks to air a message from the United Church of Christ, a nationwide group of faith-based communicators has issued a statement challenging the networks' action as "arbitrary" and contrary to the principles of freedom of speech and equal access to media. The statement was drafted yesterday by the Communication Commission of the National Council of Churches USA, an ecumenical association of professional communicators serving a wide range of Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox faith groups.

Stroud Holds Hope for United Methodist Church, Despite Verdict

December 3, 2004, PUGHTOWN, Pa. - Irene Elizabeth "Beth" Stroud may have lost her ministerial credentials, but she has not given up on the United Methodist Church. The former Philadelphia clergywoman, whose sexual orientation led to a Dec. 2 guilty verdict by a church trial court, had not expected to win her case, but she expressed hope afterward "that in time and through God's spirit, the United Methodist Church will change its (Book of) Discipline." Because Stroud, 34, had publicly acknowledged that she was living in a committed relationship with another woman, she was found to have violated the church's law book, which forbids the participation of "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" in the ordained ministry. The trial court - or jury - of 13 clergy members voted 7-6 to withdraw her credentials. "In the divided vote, I feel the dividedness of the church, but I feel hopeful," Stroud said. She considers the trial to be a "teaching moment" for the denomination, she said.

General News

Commentary: World must Unite in Fighting AIDS

November 30, 2004 – The prevention of HIV infection and the care and treatment of AIDS patients is a major medical mission priority of the United Methodist Church. General Conference, the legislative branch of our church, has recognized the importance of, and encouraged congregations to engage in, HIV/AIDS-related ministries. General Conference encourages United Methodist participation in World AIDS Day through education, special offerings and direct services. The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, the church's international mission agency, has been involved in HIV/AIDS ministries for many years, with a particular focus at the present on sub-Sahara Africa, where a huge percentage of the cases are found. We monitor every aspect of the global AIDS picture, and we are alarmed by what we see at the end of 2004.

2004 Clergy-Laity Congress Workshops Now Available Online

December 1, 2004, NEW YORK, NY - Audio recordings of 40 educational workshops and sessions of the 37th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress are now available on the Archdiocesan web site in both Real Audio and Quicktime formats. The workshops were held this past summer at the meeting of the Congress in New York City, July 25-30. Also included with many of the workshops are PDF files of the session presentation materials. These include outlines, powerpoint presentations, and handouts that accompanied the presentations. More of these materials will be made available in the coming weeks.

Advent Pastoral Letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury

November 29, 2004 – As we move towards the Advent season once again, I write with love and concern for the well-being of our Communion and the future of our common discipleship. In II Tim.4.8, the apostle speaks of the Lord's promise 'to all those who wait with love for him to appear' - or, in the older translation - 'all them also that love his appearing'. The Church is - in human terms - the assembly of those who 'love his appearing'. We are drawn together by love and gratitude for what we see in Christ's first appearing - his birth in humility, his ministry, his saving death and glorious resurrection - and by loving hope for his coming again. We look forward, praying (in the words of one of the most profound of the Christmas collects) 'that we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our judge.'

Regional Executive Ministers Address Homosexuality

December 2, 2004, VALLEY FORGE, Pa. - At their Regional Executive Ministers Council meeting Nov. 20 in Green Lake, Wis., American Baptist regional executive ministers voted (20 yes, 3 no, 3 abstentions) to issue a pastoral letter that addresses homosexuality and homosexual practice. The document was distributed to the American Baptist Churches USA General Board during its meeting at Green Lake.

Remembering World War I: Maryland Bishop Rededicates One-of-a-Kind Chapel

December 3, 2004 – As the bishop of Maryland was rededicating "the only" World War I chapel in the nation Nov. 14, a young woman walked up the aisle of a small Odenton, Md., church, pulling along a 4-year-old boy. She came to say she heard the church bells ring announcing the Armistice - the end of World War One - and came to say a prayer of thanks that her husband, the boy's father, would be coming home. Years later, that boy, Tom MacNemar, remembered running to the church.

Remembering World War II: Presiding Bishop Visits Pearl Harbor Church

December 3, 2004 – In advance of the 63rd anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor December 7, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold visited St. George's Church, Pearl Harbor, on December 2 as part of his weeklong pastoral visit to the Diocese of Hawaii. Praying a collect for peace and for those in the armed forces and singing the Navy hymn, Griswold participated in a short memorial prayer service to honor those who died on December 7, 1941, and for those who serve in wars today. Surrounded by two dozen of the church's preschool children and a few military parents, Griswold was clearly moved by his surroundings and the historical context. As leader of a church which speaks out against policies of war, Griswold said he found he was deeply mindful, looking into fresh faces of three-year olds and their vulnerable young parents,

Remembering Active Military Personnel: Episcopal Prayer Books Available

December 3, 2004 – From Iraq to Afghanistan, U.S. military personnel currently deployed can be supplied with copies of A Prayer Book for the Armed Services. The pocket-size spiritual resource for Episcopalians serving in the military is available via the Episcopal Parish Services online catalog.

Syracuse Scout Troop Offers Answers to Youth in Difficult Setting

November 29, 2004 – An aging chapel in a working-class neighborhood sits among cracked walkways, peeling paint and broken spirits. Brown Memorial United Methodist Church will soon be the only Protestant church in the Near West Side community of Syracuse, N.Y. It's in an area that has high unemployment, a burgeoning immigrant community and dilapidated dwellings. These problems cultivate high crime and little comfort for the Near Westside residents. But sometimes the worst problems can have relatively simple solutions. For Brown Memorial, one of the solutions comes in the form of Boy Scout Troop 14. The small troop is under the Boy Scouts of America's "Scoutreach" umbrella. It was formed for disadvantaged youth.

Ecumenical News

Relics of Holy Church Fathers Restored to Their Original Resting Place - a Positive Step Towards Reconciliation and Unity Between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches

November 28, 2004, CONSTANTINOPLE - The day of November 27, 2004 will forever mark a new beginning in the calendar of the two great cities Rome and Constantinople and will be a focus and a reference point in the history of Christianity. On this day the holy and sacred relics of St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory the Theologian were restored to their rightful place from which they were forcibly taken 800 years ago by the crusaders of the 4th crusade in 1204. In a special ecumenical service held in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope John Paul II returned the relics of these most revered saints of Orthodoxy, to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in an event that His All Holiness described as the "source of rejoicing and jubilation."

Spanish News

Mujeres Evangélicas Contra Un Tratado De Libre Comercio

1 diciembre 2004, QUITO, Ecuador - Es un trabajo de hormiga en pequeñísima escala, pero organizado y tenaz, el que adelanta la Red de Mujeres del Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI) en Ecuador para educar a las iglesias y al público en general sobre las implicaciones de un tratado de libre comercio entre este país andino y el coloso del Norte. Un ejemplo de ese esfuerzo fue el panel realizado este martes 30 de noviembre en el templo de la Iglesia Evangélica Metodista Unida, que reunió a decenas de fieles de distintas congregaciones para escuchar y debatir las consecuencias económicas, sociales y éticas del planeado TLC entre Ecuador y Estados Unidos.

Iglesia Luterana Dice Que Hay Que Individualizar a Los Torturadores

3 diciembre 2004, SANTIAGO, Chile - "Me parece impropio que instituciones pidan perdón a las víctimas, porque en esa gestión se esconden los y las verdaderos responsables de la barbarie," afirmó Gloria Rojas, pastora-presidenta de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana de Chile (IELCH). En una declaración relativa a la reciente publicación del informe elaborado por la Comisión Nacional sobre Prisión Política y Tortura en Chile y las subsiguientes declaraciones de las fuerzas armadas, pidiendo perdón por los excesos, la pastora Rojas afirma: "individualizar a quienes cometieron estos crímenes y/o fueron responsables intelectuales, permitirá la realización de la justicia."

Distinguen a Rector Metodista

3 diciembre 2004, BELO HORIZONTE, Brasil - El rector del Centro Universitario Metodista Izabela Hendrix, profesor Ulysses de Oliveira Panisset, recibió el título de doctor "Honoris Causa," concedido por la Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Minas Gerais, en un acto celebrado en esta capital del estado, el 27 de noviembre. La distinción le fue conferida en mérito a su destacada actuación en el sector educativo, incluyendo la presidencia de los consejos Nacional de Educación y del estado de Minas Gerais, órganos del Ministerio de Educación, así como en la presidencia del Consejo Mundial Metodista de Educación.

Mensaje De Las Iglesias Cristianas Por El Día Mundial Del SIDA

30 noviembre 2004, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Con motivo del Día Mundial de Lucha contra el SIDA, decenas de iglesias y organizaciones cristianas de América Latina suscribieron un mensaje en el que llaman la atención sobre el papel de las mujeres en esa actividad. Los firmantes son iglesias, organizaciones y comunidades cristianas comprometidas en la educación para la prevención, la promoción social y la defensa de los derechos humanos de las personas afectadas por el VIH-SIDA.

Religious & Civil Liberty

California Supreme Court Rules Against Conference in Property Case

December 3, 2004, SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California State Supreme Court has denied a petition by a United Methodist regional office to review a property dispute involving a Fresno church. The court refused to hear the petition from the United Methodist Church’s California-Nevada Annual (regional) Conference in the case of St. Luke’s, whose congregation broke away from the denomination in 2000. The conference argued that the denomination’s trust clause barred local congregations from taking their church property with them in such situations. Robert M. Shannon, trial attorney for the California-Nevada Conference, called the Dec. 1 decision a disappointment. But he said it was only the most recent development in a process that would make the denomination and its trust clause – which dates back 250 years to Methodism’s founder, John Wesley – stronger.

New York Metro News

New York Supreme Court Justice Denies OCL Motion for Reargument and Renewal

December 1, 2004, New York, NY - Justice Ira Gammerman of the New York State Supreme Court yesterday denied a motion for re-argument and renewal made by plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Justice had, on August 6, 2004, granted the Archdiocese's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, backed by Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL), which had sought to invalidate the 2003 Charter granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. At that time he stated, "I do not think it can seriously be disputed that the Greek Orthodox Church is hierarchical."

National News

United Church of Christ Launches Nationwide Campaign Expected to Reach 60 Percent of U. S. Population with Edgy, Crossover Ad

November 29, 2004, CLEVELAND - The United Church of Christ announced today (Nov. 29) a nationwide advertising campaign, running Dec. 1-26, that includes TV commercials airing on network and cable stations. In stark contrast to prevailing rhetoric about moral values, the United Church of Christ's message offers an edgy allegory in a campaign targeted to Americans who feel alienated from church. The debut 30-second commercial features two muscle-bound "bouncers" standing guard outside a fabled, picturesque church and selecting which persons are permitted to attend Sunday services. Written text interrupts the scene, announcing, "Jesus didn't turn people away. Neither do we." A narrator then proclaims the United Church of Christ's commitment to Jesus' extravagant welcome: "No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here."

U.S. Supreme Court Examines Sentencing Guidelines

December 1, 2004 – A pair of sentences handed down in federal court on the same day point out the injustice and absurdity of current federal sentencing policies. In one case, the judge gave a 22 year sentence to a man convicted of aggravated second degree murder for beating an elderly woman to death with a log. Two hours later the same judge handed down a 55 year sentence to a man who sold marijuana to an undercover cop. This sentence was so extreme because the defendant had a gun strapped to his ankle during the drug sale. He didn't use the gun. In fact, he didn't show it to anyone. Merely having the gun on his person triggered the 55 year sentence. The judge strongly denounced this result, but his hands were tied. Federal mandatory minimum sentences dictated this result. There are no exceptions to the federal rules.

International News

Church-Related Organizations Support Code of Good Practice for HIV/AIDS Response

November 26, 2004 – At least 19 faith-based organizations are among the 160 initial signers of a new Code of Good Practice for NGOs Responding to HIV/AIDS. "Faith communities all across the globe are living with HIV and AIDS, and are also on the front line of responding with care, support, and education for prevention," says Linda Hartke, coordinator of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. "We must accept the challenge to carry out this work in ways that promote good practices - effective and collaborative services and advocacy - in the context of the global response." The Code of Good Practice was developed through a steering committee of 11 organizations, including the World Council of Churches (WCC), to ensure accountability and quality programming in response to the expanding involvement of a diverse number of NGOs in prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS.

"We Deserve to Live a Life in Dignity" Sudan's Women Struggling Against Violence in a War-torn Country

December 2, 2004 – "Where is God? He created us in his image. Why then is the image of God violated in women?" wonders Joy Kwaje, a Christian woman from Sudan, a country that "has been at war for three generations" and where violence is an existential issue for the women. "We want people to hear the cry of pain of the women of Sudan," she says. Kwaje, the coordinator of the Sudan Council of Churches' (SCC) women's programme, spoke on 25 November 2004 at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, on the occasion of the launch of the World Council of Churches' (WCC) campaign "On the wings of a dove," a world-wide effort aimed to overcome violence against women and children. In the following interview, she talks about what Sudan's churches and women are doing to overcome violence and work for peace.

Reviews

Luther DVD, VHS Available from Augsburg Fortress Nov. 30

November 30, 2004, CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Luther," the big-screen historical biography of one of the most controversial religious figures in history, is available beginning Nov. 30 from Augsburg Fortress Publishers, the Minneapolis-based publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).