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Rev. N. J. L'Heureux, Jr., Publisher & Editor
Rev. Pedro Bravo-Guzman, Editor-in-Chief
An Ecumenical Report of Local and Global News
in God's Household
Published by the Queens Federation of Churches
Kobia Underlines Critical Areas for Collaboration, Invites Benedict XVI to Visit WCC June 16, 2005 – A three-point agenda for further collaboration – understanding of the church, spirituality, and ecumenical formation – was proposed by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia to Pope Benedict XVI during their meeting today at the Vatican. Kobia also invited the pope to visit the WCC headquarters "as yet one more concrete step in our long journey towards visible unity." In his remarks, Benedict XVI assured Kobia that the church he heads is "eager to continue cooperation" with the WCC, and expressed hope that the visit had been "fruitful, strengthening the bonds of understanding and friendship between us." "The commitment of the Catholic Church to the search for Christian unity is irreversible," said the pope. Church World Service, Affiliates, Congregations Plan World Refugee Day Events June 16, 2005, NEW YORK – World Refugee Day is June 20, and congregations and communities across the United States and around the world are planning events throughout June to recognize the plight, and celebrate the contributions, of refugees. The Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program, member denominations, and refugee resettlement affiliates – which together help about 5,000 refugees resettle in the United States each year – are among groups planning World Refugee Day events nationwide. The United Nations General Assembly designated June 20 as World Refugee Day. 2005 marks the observance's fifth anniversary. Lutherans Key Leaders at Interfaith Convocation on Hunger June 13, 2005, WASHINGTON, DC – More than 40 leaders of religious groups including Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist traditions, participated June 6 in an interfaith convocation at the National Cathedral here. They declared their commitment to work together to influence U.S. political leaders to make reducing hunger in the United States and worldwide a greater funding priority. Key Lutheran leaders at "Hunger No More: An Interfaith Convocation" were the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Chicago, and president of the Lutheran World Federation, Geneva, Switzerland, and the Rev. David M. Beckmann, ELCA pastor and president of Bread for the World, a Christian citizens' movement against hunger. June 16, 2005, NEW YORK – The National Council of Churches USA has welcomed bi-partisan legislation introduced in Congress today urging President Bush "to announce a plan for the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of the year." Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) introduced the legislation. NCC General Secretary Bob Edgar urged churches to participate in a grassroots campaign to encourage members of Congress to support the resolution. "The development of an exit strategy for Iraq is long overdue," Edgar said. "It is time for the Administration to inform the American people as to when we will leave this war-torn country. While we are pleased that this legislation has been introduced, we call on all people of faith to contact their Members of Congress and urge them to pass it." NCC General Secretary to Roll up His Sleeves to Help Build 40 Homes for Habitat for Humanity June 16, 2005, NEW YORK – National Council of Churches USA General Secretary Bob Edgar will join former President Jimmy Carter and volunteers from 50 churches June 19-24 to build 40 homes during Habitat for Humanity's 2005 Jimmy Carter Work Project in Michigan. "President Carter is demonstrating once again that our obligation to those who are struggling in our economy is more than lip service and good intentions," Edgar said. "The thousands of volunteers who will be rolling up their sleeves and grabbing hammers are witnesses to the fact that we all have a duty to work together. Those who have homes must never turn their backs on those who can't afford them." A special addition to this year's work project will be the presence of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. Karekin will preside over an announcement of the Armenian Church's partnership with Habitat for Humanity to build in Armenia, the United States and other countries. ELCA Churchwide Assembly to Meet in Orlando, Fla., Aug. 8-14 June 16, 2005, CHICAGO – Voting members of the 2005 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly will act on several proposals – including plans for restructuring and governance changes for the ELCA churchwide organization, new worship resources, interim Eucharistic sharing with the United Methodist Church, proposals emerging from the ELCA Studies on Sexuality and two ethnic ministry strategies. The assembly will be held Aug. 8-14 at the World Center Marriott Resort and Convention Center, Orlando, Fla. About 2,000 people – including 1,018 voting members elected by synods – are expected to participate in the ELCA's ninth biennial assembly. June 14, 2005, LOUISVILLE – Eleven constitutional amendments designed to toughen discipline of child sexual abusers in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have been ratified by the denomination's presbyteries. With results in from 156 of the 173 presbyteries, each of the 11 amendments to the PC(USA)'s Rules of Discipline has received at least 120 votes. The number required for ratification was 87. The amendments will become part of the PC(USA)'s Book of Order (constitution) on July 3. The amendments were prompted by a 2002 report detailing 51 incidents of sexual abuse committed against 22 children and adolescents by PC(USA) mission personnel in the Congo between 1945 and 1985. Urbane Renewal – Pastors, Spouses Shared Sense of Sabbath in Utah Retreat June 14, 2005, SNOWBIRD, UT – Late this spring, high in Utah's rugged Wasatch Mountains at the Snowbird Ski Resort, four distinct sounds permeated the Cliff Lodge conference rooms. First: the gurgle of melting snow making its way in torrents down to the Great Salt Lake. Second: the distinct swoosh of snowboards and skis cutting through the remnants of hardpack on the north-facing slopes. Third: the collective sigh of several hundred Presbyterians relaxing. Fourth: the cool groove of Presbyterian jazz, an undercurrent of praise. June 16, 2005, REYKHOLT, Iceland/GENEVA – The church needs a "concrete utopia" to avoid the risk of wasting away, a Dutch theologian told participants in the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) European Church Leadership Consultation, held in Reykholt, Iceland, June 8-13. Prof. Jan Hendriks, lecturer emeritus of practical theology at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, recounted his experience with so-called "hospitable churches" under the topic European church models with a viable future. June 16, 2005, CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts – Not only is reliance on the scientific method compatible with Christian faith, faith can provide an impetus for scientific exploration and shape the career of a scientist. That was the message of Charles Townes, this year's Templeton Prize winner, when he made his preaching debut at Christ Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Sunday, June 12. Townes, who turns 90 next month, based his remarks on the epistle passage from Romans. He reflected on his own career. "Suffering has good results sometimes," he said. Synod Urges Focus on Education, Discipleship June 13, 2005, PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – Synod 2005 of the Christian Reformed Church met Monday afternoon and approved a series of recommendations intended to help congregations in their ministries of church education and discipleship. Delegates voted to remind churches of their calling to nurture the faith of all their members. They also called on churches and classes to make faith-nurture a special focus from the fall of 2007 through the summer of 2008. Other recommendations include creating a position of discipleship specialist within the denomination to assist agencies and ministry organizations, especially those working with youth, and to offer high-quality training for teachers and leaders. Synod also called for a more comprehensive plan that would focus on adult discipleship, and for an institute of discipleship that would train church staff and volunteer leaders. Synod to Probe Church's Same-Sex Stand June 14, 2005, PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Synod of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) decided today to send a synodical committee to investigate the position of the council of First CRC, Toronto (Ont.) regarding persons living in same-sex relationships. The committee is mandated to seek a response from the church council to allegations raised against it over this issue, and to determine if the church is in compliance with the Christian Reformed Church's position on homosexuality. It is to report to the meeting of Classis Toronto in September and to make recommendations to classis for deliberation and action. Synod Cautiously Expands Role of Women June 16, 2005, PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – Synod 2005 took several small steps last night to facilitate the ordination of women in the Christian Reformed Church. But it stopped short of allowing women to serve as delegates to synod. Instead, synod said it would revisit the issue of female delegates at a time when a majority of classes allow the ordination of women as officebearers. Currently just under half of the 47 classes have taken that step. Debate around this issue was long, passionate and courteous. Both sides referred to the declarations of Synod 1995 and Synod 2000, which affirmed that both positions on the ordination of women honor Scripture. Synod did make it easier to ordain women in classes where this is permitted. First, it asked CRC Publications to make the language in ordination and installation forms gender inclusive. CRC Reaffirms Commitment to Christian Education June 17, 2005, PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – Synod 2005 last night reaffirmed the commitment of the Christian Reformed Church to Christian day school education. In declaring that churches need to support both Christian education and evangelism, synod suggested that schools have a role of evangelism by accepting children from non-Christian families. The CRC has historically supported Christian day schools, but support for those schools has been waning in many Christian Reformed communities. Synod called on church councils to diligently encourage establishing and maintaining schools that teach the Reformed vision of Christ's lordship. It also said councils should urge parents to make sure their children are educated in harmony with that vision. June 15, 2005, GENEVA – A consultation of women bishops, presidents and women leaders with the ministry of oversight from member churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) begins on Thursday, June 16 at the LWF Geneva secretariat. The women will explore together appropriate leadership models in addressing challenges faced by churches in their respective contexts and globally. The Women in Church and Society desk of the LWF Department for Mission Development is organizing the three-day meeting. The conference is aimed at also facilitating a forum for LWF women bishops and presidents to learn and share experiences and good practices. Anglicans and Baptists Show Way Forward in Cooperation June 16, 2005 – The Anglican Communion and the Baptist World Alliance will publish an account of five years of innovative dialogue later this month. Conversations Around the World offers its readers the chance to share in a "deeply serious, yet joyous, enterprise." The book is an account of conversations between Anglicans and Baptists across the world, conversations that covered the entire spectrum of Christian faith, comparing and contrasting how the two traditions approach their Christian discipleship. It describes the many ways in which the two denominations share a common mission, a common witness to Christ. "Children from Different Religions Can Pray Together in School" June 16, 2005 – How to teach religion in multifaith contexts is a growing concern for churches and religious communities everywhere. This interview presents a specific experience emerging from a multireligious context in Asia. "Children from different religions can pray together in school," says Usha Jesudasan, a journalist and writer from India, where Christians, Hindus, Muslims and people of other religions live within the same local community. Jesudasan is committed to the concept of integrating interfaith religious and value education in schools to promote peace and harmony. Communiqué from the International Commission of the Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue June 16, 2005, THE KYKKOS MONASTERY, Cyprus – The International Commission of the Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue met in the Holy Royal and Stavropegic Monastery of Kykkos, in Cyprus, from Thursday, June 2nd – Wednesday, June 8th, 2005, as guests of the Church of Cyprus and of the Most Revd Bishop Nikiforos of Kykkos, the Abbot of the monastery. The Commission wish to record their gratitude to His Eminence the Abbot, the brothers and staff of Kykkos Monastery for the warmth of their welcome, and to Bishop Vasilios of Trimithus who has organised and co-ordinated the many aspects of this meeting, together with the staff of the Ecumenical Relations Office of the Church of Cyprus. First Official Visit by WCC General Secretary to Russian Orthodox Church June 17, 2005 – The revival of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and its relations with the World Council of Churches (WCC) will be the focus of an 18-24 June visit to Moscow by an ecumenical delegation led by Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. It is the first official visit to the largest member church of the World Council of Churches by its current general secretary since he took up the position in January 2004. The programme includes meetings at some of the main spiritual, social and educational centres of the church which have developed in the years since the end of the Soviet Union, including the Trinity St Sergius Monastery and Academy, St Tikhon's Orthodox University, and the St Dimitri charitable sisterhood which runs medical and social projects in Moscow. Minorities and Dialogue: a Sense of Shared Vulnerability June 13, 2005 – What does it mean to be a religious minority with a different faith to that of the majority of people around you? What is the importance of interreligious dialogue in situations of vulnerability? Is interreligious dialogue an adequate response to a critical moment in the world? These questions were explored in conversation with two participants from very different origins during the "critical moment" conference hosted by the World Council of Churches in Geneva from 7-9 June 2005. Bishop Samuel Azariah is a Christian leader from the Protestant Church of Pakistan, where Christians are a minority among Muslims, and Dr Orhan Cicek is a Muslim scholar of Turkish origin living in Australia, where Muslims are a minority among Christians. Kobia Señala a Benedicto XVI Áreas Fundamentales De Colaboración Y Lo Invita a Visitar El CMI 16 jun 2005 – Durante su encuentro hoy en el Vaticano, el secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), pastor Dr. Samuel Kobia, propuso al Papa Benedicto XVI una agenda para la colaboración de tres puntos: comprensión de la iglesia, espiritualidad y formación ecuménica. Kobia invitó también al papa a visitar la sede del CMI "como otro paso concreto en nuestro largo camino hacia la unidad visible." Evangélicos Podrían Oficiar Matrimonios Civiles 16 jun 2005, SANTO DOMINGO, Republica Dominicana – Las iglesias evangélicas agrupadas en la Confederación Dominicana de Unidad Evangélica (CODUE) y en el Consejo Nacional Evangélico Dominicano (CONEDO), se aprestan a librar una dura batalla para conseguir la aprobación del proyecto de ley que les permitiría celebrar matrimonios con efectos civiles. El proyecto fue objetado por la Junta Central Electoral (JCE), a través de un documento emitido la semana pasada, que recoge los cuestionamientos formulados en su contra por la Iglesia Catolica dominicana. Líderes Religiosos Dispuestos a Rehacer El Diálogo Interreligioso En "Humildad Y Esperanza" 13 jun 2005 – Representantes de las principales comunidades religiosas mundiales han propuesto revisar el planteamiento del diálogo interreligioso para hacer frente de manera más efectiva a las amenazas derivadas del actual contexto mundial. "Rehacer el diálogo interreligioso como práctica de humildad y esperanza es una manera de suscitar más confianza," concluyeron los participantes en una conferencia internacional sobre el "momento crítico en el diálogo interreligioso" convocada por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias en Ginebra del 7 al 9 de junio de 2005. ¿Yihad O Cruzada? Hacia La Solución De Las Tensiones Cristiano-Musulmanas 14 jun 2005 – De Bagdad a Bosnia, las imágenes ofrecidas al público en los últimos años han reforzado las profecías de un conflicto de civilizaciones que se perfila a lo largo de líneas divisorias religiosas. Referencias a la yihad y a la cruzada se han reiterado en el discurso público, y en algunas sociedades determinados grupos religiosos son mirados con recelo. A veces parecería como si cristianos y musulmanes estuvieran condenados a chocar entre sí. Pese a la difusión de estos sentimientos, hay líderes y pensadores cristianos y musulmanes que se niegan a admitir la inevitabilidad del conflicto. Candidato Presidencial Dice Que La Iglesia No Sabe Nada De Economía 15 jun 2005, SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – El partido Acción Ciudadana acusó al pre candidato del Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN), Oscar Arias, de descalificar a la Iglesia Católica costarricense por su postura crítica ante el Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC). "Ellos (los católicos) deben saber mucho de teología, pero nada de economía," dijo Arias respondiendo a los cuestionamientos formulados por importantes voceros de los sectores católicos al Tratado de Libre Comercio que los países centroamericanos vienen negociando con los Estados Unidos. June 9, 2005, VALLEY FORGE, Pa. – Mario and Iris Morales, American Baptist International Ministries missionaries serving in Cochabamba, Bolivia, are urging all American Baptists to join them in prayer for the Bolivian nation following large and sometimes violent demonstrations this week in La Paz, the capital city. Mario Morales told International Ministries staff on June 8 that there also have been demonstrations and roadblocks in Cochabamba, where they serve at the seminary of the Bolivian Baptist Union. Morales stressed that the situation in Cochabamba up to that point had been unsettled, but not a matter of deep concern. Mission Trips to Haiti Discouraged June 13, 2005, LOUISVILLE – The Worldwide Ministries Division of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is urging congregations and presbyteries to cancel planned mission trips to Haiti. The PC(USA) also is evacuating missionaries from volatile areas until peace is restored. Human-rights groups say more than 600 people have been killed in Haiti since October. The escalating unrest is attributed to multiple causes, including drug trafficking and political unrest. Armed supporters and opponents of ousted President Jean Bertrand Aristide are forming gangs and battling in the slums of Haiti's major cities. Middle-class Haitians often are victims of the killings and abductions. Are Mainline Denominations Dead? June 17, 2005, Minneapolis, MN – Judging from the overwhelming demand for The Lutheran Handbook, a humorous guide to all things Lutheran published by Augsburg Fortress, mainline denominations are alive and well. Now in its fourth printing since its release in April, The Lutheran Handbook has taken the Lutheran world by storm. "I can't remember a time when we've had a title that has sold this fast, particularly in the church market," says Bill Huff, publisher of the Congregational Life and Learning unit at Augsburg Fortress. Prominent Scholar Proposes New Paradigm for Biblical Theology June 17, 2005, MINNEAPOLIS – In New Testament Theology: Communion and Community, Philip Esler proposes an entirely new way to integrate historical criticism of the New Testament and its influence on contemporary Christian life and identity. He defends and advocates historical analysis of the texts that is directed towards understanding their original messages as communications from our ancestors in faith.
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