Front Page

WCC Central Committee Asks the US and Other Refractory Governments to Ratify International Criminal Court Statute

February 21, 2005 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee asked "all governments which have not yet ratified the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court, and especially the United States, to ratify it promptly without reservations." The call to the unwilling governments is part of a substantial statement on the International Criminal Court (ICC) approved one day before the end of the 15-22 February meeting of the WCC governing body in Geneva. The document affirms the ICC, which entered into force in 2002, as "one of the most important steps forward in International Law in the last decades." But it labels the attitude of the US Government, which "after having signed the Rome Statute, has declared its intention not to ratify it and is actively seeking bilateral agreements in order to exempt US nationals from prosecution by the ICC," as "an inexcusable attempt to gain impunity from the crimes defined in the Statute."

WCC Central Committee Encourages Consideration
of Economic Measures For Peace in Israel/Palestine

February 21, 2005 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee reminded the Council's member churches that "with investment funds, they have an opportunity to use those funds responsibly in support of peaceful solutions" to the Israel/Palestine conflict. The WCC governing body encouraged the Council's member churches "to give serious consideration to economic measures" as a new way to work for peace, by looking at ways to not participate economically in illegal activities related to the Israeli occupation. In that sense, the committee affirmed "economic pressure, appropriately and openly applied," as a "means of action." As an example, the WCC governing body mentions the "process of phased, selective divestment from multinational corporations involved in the occupation" now being implemented by the Presbyterian Church (USA). "This action is commendable in both method and manner, [and] uses criteria rooted in faith."

WCC Central Committee Requests Legal Rights for Guantanamo Detainees

February 21, 2005 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee urged the government of the United States "to immediately grant the legal rights accorded to detainees" to "over 600 foreign nationals, mostly Muslims" held at the Guantanamo Bay naval base "without due process and in total violation of the norms and standards of international humanitarian and human rights law." In a statement approved one day before the end of its 15-22 February meeting in Geneva, the committee also appealed "to the US Government to let the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCCC-USA) fulfil its pastoral and humanitarian responsibilities to the detainees by giving it permission to visit them at Guantanamo Bay." The WCC governing body appreciates and encourages "the important work being done by the NCCC-USA in its endeavours to struggle for the rule of law and secure due process" for those suffering "unconscionable and illegal detention." Among those endeavours is mentioned the ‘amicus curiae' brief filed in the US Supreme Court by the NCCC-USA together with other organizations.

General News

The Anglican Communion Primates' Meeting Communique, February 2005

February 24, 2005 – As Primates of the Anglican Communion and Moderators of the United Churches, we gathered at the Dromantine Retreat and Conference Centre, Newry, in Northern Ireland, between 20th and 25th February, 2005, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. Thirty-five of us were present at this meeting. We are extremely grateful for the warmth of the welcome to Dromantine that we have received from members of the Roman Catholic Society of African Missions who run the Retreat Centre, and from the Church of Ireland, and especially the Primate of All Ireland, the Most Revd Robin Eames and Lady Eames, who have been our hosts. Our meeting was held within the context of common prayer and worship, including Evensong at St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh, when we were formally welcomed to the Church of Ireland. On the Monday and Tuesday mornings, we spent time in Bible Study, prayer and silent retreat, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury on the Lenten theme of the Three Temptations of Christ. He reminded us that it was our duty as Christian leaders to begin by listening to God, before going on to listen to one another. We thank God that our meeting has been characterised by generosity of spirit, and a readiness to respect one another's integrity, with Christian charity and abundant goodwill.

Central American Anglicans Defend Unity and Autonomy

February 14, 2005, GUATEMALA – One week before a crucial conference that will bring together 38 Primate Bishops from Anglican Churches around the world, Anglican Bishops from Central America published their perspective on the so-called Windsor Report about the consecration of a homosexual bishop in the United States. The Windsor report, published in mid-October last year, contains the conclusions of a commission made up of renowned Anglican leaders to analyze the consequences of a decision made by the US Episcopal Church (ECUSA) to consecrate Gene Robinson, a declared homosexual who lives with his partner, as Bishop of the diocese of New Hampshire.

ELCA's Davey and Goliath Easter Special to Air on Hallmark

February 24, 2005, CHICAGO – Hallmark Channel will broadcast "Davey and Goliath Happy Easter" – a 30-minute, stop-motion animation television special from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) – on March 27 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Times and at 11:30 a.m. Central Time. Viewers in the Mountain Time zone are asked to check their local listings. Davey Hansen and his talking dog Goliath starred in the classic television series "Davey and Goliath" that aired on commercial television in the 1960s and 1970s. The ELCA's mission with Davey and Goliath is to bring "moral and religious faith-based values to a new generation of children in lively and engaging ways." "‘Davey and Goliath Happy Easter' is the restored, classic Easter special broadcast in 1967," said the Rev. Eric C. Shafer, director, ELCA Department for Communication.

Refugees, Immigrants Bring New Life to Churches

February 23, 2005 – Htoo Saw Ywa spent two years in a Burmese jail where the government held him, his mother, two brothers and a sister. He was 12 years old. The family was imprisoned because the government was trying to capture his father, an officer with the ethnic Karen minority army fighting the Burmese government for a homeland of their own, Htoo says in a telephone interview. At 17, he fled Burma to avoid arrest for his involvement in a student demonstration, living for more than a decade in refugee camps along the Burma-Thailand border. He married and fathered three children in the camps.

Commentary: Tragedies Provide Chance to Respond in Faith

February 22, 2005 – The images from Southeast Asia are horrific: entire towns washed away, shorelines laid bare, mountains of dead bodies. Can our minds even conceive a disaster taking 150,000 lives? Only four months ago we were wondering how to cope with four hurricanes in Florida. Disasters like the earthquake/tsunami and the hurricanes, as well as other heart-breaking situations, often cause us to question the goodness and providence of God. It is one of the oldest and still the hardest question of all: Why does God allow such suffering? Did God send the tsunami to punish all those people? What could they have done to deserve that? These questions are at least as old as the Book of Job. When Job suffered multiple tragedies in his own life, his friends assumed that God was doing these things to him and that Job had done something sinful to deserve such treatment. Indeed, many tragedies are clearly the result of human choices. We can explain cancer, car accidents, war, murder, etc., even if it is only to acknowledge human sinfulness.

Study Guide Looks at Christian Themes in 'The Lord of the Rings'

February 24, 2005, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A new six-week study guide from United Methodist Communications explores the biblical themes running through J.R.R. Tolkien's epic, The Lord of the Rings, and Peter Jackson's award-winning films of the books. The study guide was developed by UMC.org, the United Methodist Church's official Web site, a ministry of UMCom. From Frodo's lush beloved Shire to the terrifying land of Mordor, The Lord of the Rings takes the viewer on a spiritual adventure of good versus evil. The study guide examines the themes and characters of the complex trilogy and relates them to the Christian tradition.

Ecumenical News

Gadegaard Sees Brighter Picture for WCC than Seven Years Ago

Dean Anders Gadegaard of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark is a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central and executive committees, and moderator of its finance committee. In an interview near the conclusion of the Council's 15-22 February central committee meeting, he shared his thoughts on the journey of the central committee and the WCC over the past seven years since the last assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Cardinal Refuses to Give Communion to Representatives of Other Churches

February 18, 2005, SALVADOR, Brazil – Representatives from non Catholic Churches who took part in the Mass to celebrate the beginning of the 2005 Ecumenical Fraternity Campaign in Salvador, Bahia were not allowed to receive communion at the service. The Mass was celebrated last Sunday in the Salvador Cathedral, by Cardinal Archbishop and President of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference (CNBB), Geraldo Majella. Eight Churches participated in the launch of the 2005 Fraternity Campaign but only representatives from four Churches: Anglican Episcopal, Syrian Orthodox, Nazareth Baptist and Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession, participated in the Mass. Bishop Majella invited the pastors from those denominations to sit in a place of honor, next to the Altar. However, when it came time to partake in the communion, the Archbishop said he could not administer it to them.

WCC Co-President Calls on Young People to Participate in Porto Alegre

February 17, 2005, GENEVA – Federico Pagura, Bishop emeritus of the Evangelical Methodist Argentine Church called on Christian youth to attend the IX Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) to be held in Porto Alegre, February 14 - 23, 2006. "We want the assembly to have a young face," said Pagura, WCC co-president and former president of the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI). He added that we want the voice of young people, their struggles, hopes and frustrations and their desire to renew the life and thinking of Churches to be heard.

Consensus: "A Better Way of Reflecting the Nature of the Church"

February 22, 2005 – As part of an underlying shift of culture, the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee has adjusted its rules and adopted a consensus decision-making model. The move promises to strengthen the participation and commitment of member churches, going well beyond the original concern that started the process of change. The former president of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev. Dr D'Arcy Wood, recalls a rocky period in his denomination's history. The Uniting Church began as a merger of three denominations in 1977, and "Within about 10 years, there was the beginning of some dissatisfaction with our rules for making decisions," Wood recalls. A seemingly simple process began to address this concern, but it soon grew into a much wider consideration of how decisions were made in the church.

WCC Anticipates Post-Assembly "Confidence and Engagement"

February 22, 2005 – Church representatives have outlined an extensive reshaping and streamlining of the activity of the World Council of Churches (WCC), to better equip the global Christian body for a "fast-changing" world context and new patterns of church life.

WCC Central Committee Expresses Concern,
Recommends Action on Selected Public Issues

February 21, 2005 – In a series of public statements and recommendations approved one day before the end of its 15-22 February meeting in Geneva, the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee covered a wide range of issues.

World Council Seeks New Vision for New Century

February 24, 2005 – Members of the World Council of Churches' Central Committee want a new vision for a new century. Efforts to shape a new ecumenical vision, as well as confront the world's continuing crises, topped the agenda when the council's decision-making body met Feb. 15-22 in Geneva, Switzerland. It was the committee's last gathering before the World Council of Churches' 9th Assembly, set for Feb. 14-23, 2006, in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Retooling the ecumenical vision for the new century is not only "a matter of structures" but also "a process of transformation," the Rev. Samuel Kobia, a Methodist pastor from Kenya, told the 150-member central committee in his first report as the organization's top executive.

Spanish News

La Sexualidad Humana Es Abordada Desde La Óptica Del Consenso
Por El Comité Central Del CMI

21 feb 2005 – El diálogo y el consenso marcaron la sesión sobre sexualidad humana durante la reunión del comité central del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) realizada en Ginebra del 15 al 22 de febrero. Durante esta reunión del comité central fue experimentado un método de consenso para la toma de decisiones. A través de éste los temas no son votados, pero hay un espacio para presentar los distintos puntos de vista de modo que sea alcanzando un consenso. El proceso de votación se mantiene sólo para cambios constitucionales, elecciones, auditorías y balances, casos previstos por la Constitución suiza, país donde el CMI tiene su sede legal.

Consenso: "Una Mejor Manera De Reflejar La Naturaleza De La Iglesia"

22 feb 2005 – Como parte de un proceso de cambio en su cultura como organizaciñon, el comité central del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) ha modificado su reglamento y adoptado un método de toma de decisiones por consenso. El cambio promete fortalecer la participación y compromiso de las iglesias miembro, e ir mucho más allá de la preocupación que le dio origen. El ex presidente de la Iglesia Unida en Australia, pastor Dr. D'Arcy Wood, recuerda un escabroso período en la historia de su denominación.

El Comité Central Del CMI Prevé "Confianza Y Compromiso" Para Después De La Asamblea

22 feb 2005 – Los representantes de las iglesias han esbozado una amplia reordenación y agilización de la actividad del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) con objeto de equiparlo mejor para un contexto mundial en cambio acelerado y para nuevas formas de vida cristiana. El comité central del CMI ha instado al Consejo a que "haga menos y lo haga bien" para "lograr una coherencia y claridad mayores en su papel específico como comunidad mundial de iglesias." El comité consideró también nuevas maneras de relacionarse con la Iglesia Católica Romana, con las iglesias Pentecostales y otras organizaciones y organismos ecuménicos, para reforzar la colaboración y la efectividad.

El Movimiento Ecuménico, Herramienta Para La Unión

23 feb 2005 – El Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), así como el movimiento ecuménico en su conjunto, reflexiona en estos tiempos acerca de su papel ante los nuevos desafíos que presenta el mundo. En la siguiente entrevista el pastor Gerard S. Valdivia, de la Iglesia Pentecostal de Chile, aporta a esa reflexión su punto de vista como pentecostal y como latinoamericano.

National News

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Opposes REAL ID Act

February 22, 2005, CHICAGO – Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) opposed H.R. 418, the REAL ID Act, which the U.S. House of Representatives approved Feb. 10 with a 261-161 vote and the U.S. Senate referred Feb. 17 to its Committee on the Judiciary for consideration. According to the bill's sponsor, U.S. Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis. 5th), the proposal would regulate security standards for states issuing drivers' licenses, prevent terrorists from abusing asylum laws and ensure construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. "H.R. 418 will do nothing to secure America against terrorism," said LIRS President Ralston H. Deffenbaugh Jr. "Current law already bars terrorists and others who present a security risk from getting asylum." "Instead, H.R. 418 would have direct life and death consequences for genuine refugees. The bill places many refugees, including those fleeing religious and political persecution, at risk of being returned to their torturers or to death," Deffenbaugh said.

Taco Bell 'Truth Tour' to Demand 'Fair Food'
People of Faith Asked to Fast, Pray for a Just Resolution to the Taco Bell Boycott

February 18, 2005, LOUISVILLE – Presbyterians and other people of faith are expected to turn out strong next month when a group of Florida farmworkers and their supporters bring their struggle for higher wages and better working conditions to Yum! Brands, Inc., the Louisville-based parent company of Taco Bell. The protesters, including about 100 tomato-pickers, are planning a peaceful daylong rally March 12 outside Yum's corporate headquarters. The demonstration is to feature human rights speakers, religious leaders, musicians and actor-activist Martin Sheen. Religious leaders, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), are asking members to fast each Friday during Lent and to pray for the farmworkers, for Yum! Brands, and for a just resolution to the Taco Bell Boycott.

International News

Daring to Speak out for Colombia's Internally Displaced
Lutheran Church Gives Hope amid Conflict, Fear

February 21, 2005, BOGOTA, Colombia/GENEVA – Approaching the village of Tobia, via a steep path, Hebert Gutiérrez, coordinator for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia (IELCO), starts calling out Rosa Amaya. He wants her to know who is coming. There are many guerrillas in Tobia, a 90-minute drive from the capital, and everyone is constantly alert. Rosa, 39, has eight children ranging from one to 18 years of age. Her nine-year-old niece lives with them, since Rosa's brother is in prison. Her husband Orlando works as a hotel guard in Bogota, returning to his family once or twice a month with enough money for the children's schooling. Rosa takes care of everything else. She gets up at 4.00 a. m. daily to make churros (bread rolls), which the children bring to school to eat and sell.

Light Media Coverage Means Lack of Funds for Crisis-Plagued Africa

February 21, 2005 – After a Dec. 26 earthquake generated a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, extensive news coverage spurred some $6 billion in donations to governments and relief agencies in less than a month. But lack of coverage can mean little money. Although millions of people in Africa continue to suffer from the scourges of war, disease and poverty, people elsewhere who might be inspired to open their wallets don't hear of the need for humanitarian aid. Relief organizations, including the United Nations, have noted the disparity. In a January Security Council briefing, Under Secretary-General Jan Egeland chastised member nations for their slow response to humanitarian appeals for the African continent.

Kobia Calls for Support for Week of Action for Fair Trade

February 17, 2005, GENEVA – In a statement to the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee meeting being held this week in Geneva, WCC Secretary General Samuel Kobia called for support for the Global Week of Action for Fair Trade. Kobia told the 150 members of the committee, who represent 347 WCC members Churches in more than 100 countries that the WCC and many of the member Churches are working to oppose injustice in the global trade system. The current world trade rules are making the poor increasingly poor. Confronting the economic injustice of this system is a priority of the ecumenical community, in particular after the WCC Assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1998.

Evangelical Confraternity Calls for Dialogue

February 17, 2005, QUITO, Ecuador – The Evangelical Confraternity of Ecuador (CEE) called on people to uphold the Constitution and lobbied on the government and the opposition to dialogue and reconcile given the difficult political situation in this Andean nation. In declaration published Tuesday it said this is necessary in order to ensure national peace and tranquility. Ecuador will never progress if we live in constant political and juridical insecurity, it affirmed. "We strongly condemn the attacks and insults that the government and the opposition publish in different media, seeking grassroots support in favor of their interests, by manipulating the freedom of conscience of Ecuadorians, said the CEE.

Commemoration of Dresden Bombing 60 Years Later
England's Coventry Cathedral Dean Presents Symbolic ‘Nail Cross'

February 23, 2005, DRESDEN, Germany/GENEVA – The city of Dresden has marked the 60th anniversary of the allied firebombing during the Second World War in which 35,000 civilians are estimated to have died. The historic city center was reduced to rubble. At a memorial service in Dresden's reconstructed Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), February 13, Rev. John Irvine, Dean of Coventry Cathedral England, presented Bishop Jochen Bohl, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony, with a cross made from medieval nails as sign of reconciliation. Such crosses are made from nails retrieved from the roof of Coventry Cathedral after it was destroyed by German bombing in 1940.

Middle East News

National Guardsman Helps Iraqis Walk Again

February 23, 2005, MONROE, La. – Capt. Steve Lindsley was certain his days would be full, arranging logistics for a military police battalion and dodging mortar fire, rockets and snipers while deployed to Iraq. He never imagined he would have time to help children and a legless Iraqi veteran walk again. Lindsley, a member of the Mississippi Army National Guard's 112th Military Police Battalion, made the most of the 14 months he spent away from his home and family. With the help of his employer, Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, Miss., Lindsley volunteered his time and skills to open a prosthetics clinic in Baghdad.

ADL Dismayed by World Council of Churches Divestment Statement

February 23, 2005, NEW YORK, NY – The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is deeply dismayed by a recommendation adopted by the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee encouraging its member churches to consider divesting from companies doing business in Israel, modeled after a similar measure being considered by the Presbyterian Church (USA). The Central Committee, the main governing body of the WCC, approved the recommendation for a policy of "phased, selective divestment from multinational corporations involved in the (Israeli) occupation," at a meeting on February 21 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ecumenical Accompaniers in Israel and Palestine:
Working to Reduce Violence, Improve People's Lives

February 24, 2005 – A new group of 12 "ecumenical accompaniers" last week joined four others staying on in Israel and Palestine from previous groups within the framework of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). The new arrivals bring the total number of ecumenical accompaniers now on the ground to 16. The seven women and five men in the new group range in age from 23 to 75. Five Danes head the list, including three participants who are medical students, followed by three accompaniers from the United States, two from Germany, one from Norway, and one from Switzerland. Two of the Americans are ordained ministers: one from the United Church of Christ and the other from the Presbyterian Church.

Reviews

India Untouched: the Forgotten Face of Rural Poverty

February 24, 2005 – In India Untouched, Dr. Abraham George provides a compelling, first-hand account of one man's struggle against a well-entrenched system to make a difference. He offers fresh insight and incisive analysis into why previous attempts to improve the quality of life in rural India have failed, and what must be done in the future. His book is the story of suffering, cruelty, disease, and illiteracy, of corruption, waste, prejudice, and superstition. It is the story of fifty years of poor governance, and a stunning rebuke to the myth that globalization alone will distribute wealth to where it's most needed. More importantly, the book is about what can be done to improve the lives of millions of poor people.

Rediscover the Scholarship and Imagination of Premier Old Testament Theologian

February 23, 2005, MINNEAPOLIS – From Genesis to Chronicles: Explorations in Old Testament Theology contains some of the most important and enduring work of Gerhard von Rad, the most influential Old Testament theologian of the twentieth century. The chapters cover a broad range of topics, including the doctrine of creation, memory and tradition in Deuteronomy, historical writing in ancient Israel, cultic language in the Psalms, and the Old Testament worldview. The impact of Gerhard von Rad on Old Testament studies in the twentieth century persists into the twenty-first. The subtlety of his genius continued unabated until his death in 1971. He stood at a critical juncture of not only biblical studies, but of world history as well. His creative exploration of ancient Israel's traditions marked a clear step forward beyond the atomizing tendencies of German Old Testament scholarship in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

"Green Spirituality" Is Christian Response to the Environment

February 21, 2005, MINNEAPOLIS – We live in an age of vast and rapid destruction of habitats and species. Yet Christianity holds great potential for healing this situation. Indeed, the Bible and Christian tradition are a treasure trove of rich images and stories about God as an "earthen" being who sustains the natural world with compassion and thereby models for humankind environmentally healthy ways of being. In Finding God in the Singing River, Mark I. Wallace's bold yet careful work reawakens our sense of the sacredness of the earth and the life that the Trinitarian God creates there by grounding new age and deep ecology sensibilities in a profoundly biblical notion of God's being in nature.