Front Page

Shock, Sadness Follow Murder of Taizé Founder Brother Roger

August 17, 2005 – The 90-year-old founder of the ecumenical Taizé community, Roger Louis Schutz-Marsauche – known to the world simply as Frère Roger or Brother Roger – died August 16 during evening prayer in the Church of Reconciliation, struck down by a knife wielded by a mentally disturbed Romanian woman who emerged from the crowd of 2,500 worshippers. Taizé officials said the woman had arrived two days earlier at the community, located near Macon in Burgundy, France.

United Methodist Mom Questions Son's Death in Iraq

August 15, 2005, CRAWFORD, Texas – As President George W. Bush's motorcade sped by, Celeste Zappala stood behind a police line, singing and waving a cross bearing the name of her fallen son. Zappala wanted to meet the commander in chief and ask him about his rationale for starting the war against Iraq. Her son, Sgt. Sherwood Baker, 30, died there last year. "He literally was killed looking for the weapons of mass destruction that never existed," she said, standing under the sweltering Texas sun at a makeshift anti-war camp set up near President Bush's ranch.

General News

ELCA Churchwide Assembly Receives World Hunger Report

August 14, 2005, ORLANDO, Fla. – The 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) heard reports from the World Hunger Appeal and Lutheran World Relief (LWR) during its business session Aug. 13. These efforts are some of "the strongest aspects of our shared ministry," said Carlos Pena, ELCA vice president, because they "change lives throughout the world."

ELCA Assembly Adopts Six Memorials

August 14, 2005, ORLANDO, Fla. – Voting members at the 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted six memorials Aug. 13 that related to a social statement on bioethical research; refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants: faithful conversations about Scripture; a mission- support covenant; HIV and AIDS education; and licensed lay ministers.

Deacons, Diaconal Ministers Find Connections in Work

August 17, 2005 – Some 400 deacons, diaconal ministers, and deaconesses from 31 countries struggled with language barriers and financial differences but still managed to find a common thread in their work of servant ministry during a worldwide assembly. "Diaconal ministry is about the church itself being on the margins, looking at what it might mean to be a marginalized church, instead of seeking out people to work on the margins on behalf of the church," said the Rev. Sharon Rubey, director of candidacy and conference relations at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. "I think it is a challenge that we as deacons are called to communicate to the whole church."

Church Finds New Life by Ministering to Community Needs

August 18, 2005, LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – In the 1970s, Theressa Hoover United Methodist Church was on its way to permanently fading out. Then the Rev. William "Paw Paw" Robinson Jr. stepped in. "I was not convinced that the regular, traditional United Methodist membership would take off and grow fast enough to support and sustain a ministry in this building," he said. "I just saw an opportunity for this building to fill a void."

Lutherans Maintain Policies Frowning on Same-Sex Unions, Actively Gay Clergy

August 15, 2005, ORLANDO, FL – The nation's largest Lutheran church on Aug. 12 rejected a move to allow actively gay clergy and upheld a 1993 policy that frowns on blessing same-sex unions. A proposal to allow clergy in "life-long, committed and faithful same-sex relationships" to serve in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was rejected 503-490 by voting delegates at the church's national assembly. But while the Lutherans largely voted to uphold the status quo, they also opened the door for pastors to provide "faithful pastoral care" to all parishioners as they see fit, which many interpreted to include gay couples. Throughout several hours of firm but polite debate, the 1,015 voting delegates seemed to be searching for a policy that would apply across-the-board, while also carving space for local churches to exercise their ministry as they see fit.

ELCA Assembly Learns about the ‘Miracle of Distance Healing'

August 14, 2005, ORLANDO, Fla. – The Rev. E. Roy Riley Jr., told voting members and guests of the 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) that "we pretty much mastered the miracle of distance healing." "What we struggle with is looking into each other's eyes and connecting heart-to-heart to learn what is there, to learn who is there," said Riley, bishop of the ELCA New Jersey Synod and chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops. Riley preached during worship Aug. 14. From the Gospel of Matthew, Riley focused on the story about a Palestinian woman, a Canaanite, who asks Jesus to heal her "demon-filled" daughter. Jesus, a Jew, turns her away saying he was sent only for the "lost sheep of the house of Israel."

ELCA Assembly Declines to Expand Church Council

August 14, 2005, ORLANDO, Fla. – The 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) defeated a proposal to expand the ELCA Church Council to 69 members by a vote of 505- 464 Aug. 13. The amendment needed a two-thirds majority for adoption. The amendment, introduced by the Rev. Peter Rogness, bishop of the ELCA Saint Paul Area Synod, was debated twice during the assembly before a final decision. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, met here Aug. 8-14 at the World Center Marriott and Convention Center.

United Methodist Provides School Supplies to Needy Students

August 17, 2005 – They lined up before the doors opened at North United Methodist Church in Sarasota, Fla. It was like Christmas in the summertime as children and their parents waited for their goodie bags. "OK, we need scissors for her. We need glue," said Mary Bradley Weeks, the event organizer, as she helped people waiting in line. Almost four years ago, Weeks started donating school supplies to needy families. Through the nonprofit Mary Bradley Weeks Education Project Inc., she gives at least a thousand students a good start for the new school year. "They'll have an equal opportunity to learn," Weeks said. "It's embarrassing for a student to go to school when they don't have the necessary tools they need – pencils, paper, ink pen."

ELCA Assembly Reflections from Presiding Bishop, Bishops' Conference Chair

August 19, 2005, ORLANDO, Fla. – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), closed the 2005 Churchwide Assembly with words of thanks, hope and expectations here Aug. 14. After asking his wife, Ione, to join him on stage, Hanson thanked the voting members in his closing remarks at the assembly. "I want to say my deep, deep word of gratitude to you, for your work. We have begun, ended and centered each day where we find our unity in Christ around the means of grace," Hanson said. As a community at the assembly and in the church, Hanson said, "God in Christ through the Holy Spirit gifts us both with unity and diversity. Both are God's gifts, both become our tasks. Our task is to receive the gifts of unity and diversity, to protect them, to deepen them, to enrich them, to express them and to celebrate them."

Tree of Life Connects Mission Volunteers with Native Americans

August 16, 2005 – When Jessica Ostrawski had her first mission experience at Tree of Life Ministry on Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, she became a convert to the outreach program. She was one of three people from Cascade United Methodist Church in Deerwood, Minn., responding to an invitation to join a group from the larger Minnetonka (Minn.) United Methodist Church. "Within probably two days of being there (at Rosebud), I fell in love," Ostrawski said. "I knew I wanted to make arrangements for people at Cascade to go on a Tree of Life mission trip."

Spanish-Language TV Ads Set to Air on Galavision

August 16, 2005, NEW YORK – The Episcopal Church's new back-to-school TV advertisement produced in Spanish to reach Generation X viewers unaffiliated with any church is set to debut August 26 on Galavision, a cable network widely watched among Latinos. The ads will air August 26-29 and September 9-12 nationwide as part of the advertising initiative launched by General Convention in 2003. "With the growing number of native Spanish speakers in the United States as well as in the Episcopal Church, we felt that there was a strong need to produce ‘Monitors' in both English and Spanish to maximize the potential reach of the spot," said Mike Collins, director of broadcast and multimedia communication at the Episcopal Church Center in New York.

Ecumenical News

The WCC Shares in Grief at the Death of Taizé's Founder,
"A Witness to the Gospel and to Ecumenical Dialogue"

August 17, 2005 – "Brother Roger died as he lived, praying at the centre of his community," said the World Council of Churches acting general secretary Geneviève Jacques in a message of condolence sent to the Taizé community today. Expressing "shock" and "sadness" at the death of the community's founder brother Roger Louis Schutz-Marsauche, Jacques stated that "his witness to the gospel and to ecumenical dialogue has been enormously influential over the past century." Jacques also praised his "unceasing search for authentic ecumenical dialogue" which reached across "institutional barriers."

Anglican Statement from the Secretary General on the Death of Brother Roger of Taizé

August 17, 2005 – The news of the death of Brother Roger has saddened Anglicans around the world, and we are especially shocked by the violent manner of his death, which was in stark contrast to his lifelong ministry of peace and reconciliation. The Taizé community which he founded, whose witness to ecumenism and reconciliation especially among young people will be his lasting memorial, has influenced Christian worship and spirituality worldwide, and it is to that Community that I extend our prayers and heartfelt sympathy at this time.

Editorial Page

A Commentary on the Assassination Br. Roger of Taizé

By Francis C. Spataro, DD The recent murder of the beloved ecumenist and Christian Br. Roger of Taizé should be a wake of call for all of us in the Independent Catholic and Orthodox Movement. For 29 years I have been laboring in this Our Lord's Vinyard. I have met many eccentrics, oddballs, screwballs and not a few sociopaths and psychopaths in our Movement. They bang on our door seeking ritualistic kicks or a sacramental fix as it were.

Spanish News

Prior De Taizé Perece Degollado

17 agosto 2005 – El Hermano Roger, prior de la Comunidad de Taizé, falleció víctima de tres cuchilladas en el cuello durante un culto de oración en el que participaban unas 2,500 personas, principalmente jóvenes. Una mujer de origen rumano, de 36 años de edad, sacó un cuchillo y se abalanzó contra el anciano religioso de 90 años de edad que falleció en pocos minutos. Hasta el momento se desconocen los móviles de este atentado. La policía dijo que la acusada no parece tener problemas psiquiátricos. La población de Taizé, cerca de Cluny, está situada a 240 millas al sudeste de París.

Walker Dice Que Ninguna Autoridad Impedirá Que Pastores Por La Paz Viaje a Cuba

19 agosto 2005, LA HABANA, Cuba – Lucius Walker, director ejecutivo de la Fundación Interreligiosa para la Organización Comunitaria y del Movimiento Pastores por la Paz, afirmó que ninguna medida del gobierno de Estados Unidos les impedirá seguir viajando a Cuba para mostrar su solidaridad con el pueblo cubano. Walker llegó a esta capital acompañado de quince jóvenes estadounidenses que iniciarán estudios en la Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina, y asistirá a la graduación del primer estudiante estadounidense como doctor en Medicina en este centro de estudios.

National News

Religious Leaders Offer Prayers and Hymns for Gold Star Mothers Waiting to See Bush

August 12, 2005, NEW YORK – NCC General Secretary Bob Edgar and other religious leaders paid a pastoral visit today on a grieving United Methodist Gold Star mother who is standing vigil outside President Bush's Crawford, Tex., ranch. Celeste Zappala, whose son, Sherwood, was killed in Iraq, has joined other Gold Star mothers in an effort to meet with Mr. Bush during his month-long vacation. Edgar, along with retired United Methodist Bishop Joe Wilson, Professor-emeritus William McElvaney of Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, publisher Andrew J. Weaver, the Rev. Diane Baker of the United Church of Christ, and others, traveled to the Crawford compound to support the women in their efforts to see the President. Gold Star mother Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed in Iraq, has attracted international attention by her insistence on talking with Bush. The President has said he understands how Sheehan and others feel but has no plans to meet with them.

State of Kansas Downgrades Evolution Teaching

August 15, 2005, NEW YORK – The education board of the State of Kansas has tentatively approved new guidelines supported by some Christians that encourage public school teachers to teach a variety of theories about the origins of life, downgrading the centrality of the theory of evolution. On a 6-4 vote on Aug. 10, the Kansas Board of Education approved a draft of new standards that call for teachers to explore a variety of theories about the biological origins of life. Final approval of the new standards is expected either in September or October.

Lutherans Initiate Response to Wisconsin Tornadoes

August 19, 2005, CHICAGO – Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is working with Lutheran Social Services (LSS) of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Milwaukee, to provide assistance to people affected by a series of tornadoes that struck in south-central Wisconsin Aug. 17. Most seriously affected was Stoughton, Wis., where at least one person was killed, more than 20 people were injured, and several homes and buildings were destroyed or damaged. LDR is a joint ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). Early reports from Stoughton – where four ELCA congregations are located – are that some Lutherans' homes were either destroyed or damaged, said Healther L. Feltman, LDR director and director for ELCA Domestic Disaster Response. The church buildings were spared any serious damage, she said.

International News

Latin America Anglican Theological Congress Set for October Meeting

August 18, 2005 – The Latin America Anglican Theological Congress, a new initiative coordinated by a sub-commission of the Commission on Theological Education for Latin America and the Caribbean (CETALC,) will meet October 5-10, 2005 at the Hotel El Panama in Panama City, Panama to discuss globalization and its meaning for Latin America. The Congress was the brainchild of Canon Juan Marquez, international companionships officer in the Episcopal Church Center's Office of Anglican and Global Relations, and supervisor of the Commission. "It is expected that this event will make a significant contribution to the life and ministries of the Episcopal/Anglican Church in Latin America and the Caribbean," Marquez said.

Scot-free: the Killers in Uniform

August 27, 2005 – Senior police officers, who were held responsible for inciting anti-Sikh violence in 1984, were not merely exonerated; they were rewarded with promotions and gallantry awards. And now, the Nanavati Commission has given them a clean chit, Ajmer Singh reports They were held responsible for the bloody carnage of 1984 – for directly or indirectly inciting the killings of Sikhs. Yet, these men in uniform, protectors who turned perpetrators of crime, were rewarded with promotions and police medals. Some others, who played with evidence and were to be dismissed from service for being ‘a slur on the police force,' were exonerated and have since retired gracefully. Tehelka dug up details on police officers who were to be dismissed from service, but were instead granted promotions.

Archbishop Demetrios Expresses Condolences
to President of Cyprus Following Crash of Flight 522

August 18, 2005, NEW YORK, NY – Following the tragic crash of flight 522 on August 14 and the death of all 121 passengers and crew, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America expressed condolences to His Excellency Tassos Papadopoulos, the President of Cyprus. The plane was en route to Athens from Cyprus when it crashed into a mountain north of Athens near the historic town of Marathon. In a letter to Mr. Papadopoulos, His Eminence stated: "Being in deep sorrow, I have the painful honor to communicate with Your beloved Excellency in order to express the heartfelt condolences of myself and of the entire flock of the Holy Archdiocese of America for the sudden death of the many people during yesterday's tragic air crash."

Middle East News

ELCA Assembly Adopts Campaign for ‘Justice in the Holy Land'

August 13, 2005, ORLANDO, Fla. – Voting members of the 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) urged Lutherans Aug. 13 to participate in a campaign – "Peace Not Walls: Stand for Justice in the Holy Land" – designed to build awareness, and engage in accompaniment and advocacy activities for "peace with justice" between Israel and Palestine. With a 668 to 269 vote the assembly adopted the campaign – a primary component of the "ELCA Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine" adopted by the ELCA Council this past April. The council is the church's board of directors and legislative authority between churchwide assemblies. The campaign urges members of the ELCA and its related agencies and institutions to pray for peace with justice between Israel and Palestine and continued witness of the Christian church, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL); build relationships with the ELCJHL and other partners; learn about the situation in the Holy Land; intensify advocacy for peace with justice; "stewarding" financial resources – both U.S. tax dollars and private funds – in support for a just peace in the Holy Land and the ministries of ELCA companions.

People in the News

Foundation to Continue Bishop's Ministry of Evangelism

August 15, 2005, MUTARE, Zimbabwe – On a sunny, windy winter day, hundreds gathered on the grounds of the Old Mutare Mission to celebrate a new chapter in the 60-year ministry of Bishop Abel T. Muzorewa: the launch of an evangelism foundation bearing his name. "Today at the age of 80 years, three months and nine days, we are gathered at Old Mutare, my place of birth, baptism, my alma mater, wedding place and the venue of my first encounter with the Holy Spirit," he said. "I feel old enough and qualified to welcome all of you here." The July 23 celebration also was marked by the debut of his latest book, Evangelism that Decolonizes the Soul: A Partnership with Christ.