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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
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First Bioethics Conference Offers ‘Lots to Chew On' December 5, 2005 – Many of the more than 300 participants say they hope the first national bioethics conference sponsored by three Lutheran pro-life organizations is not the last. "These aren't abstract and obscure issues about things going on in some faraway Petri dish. These are issues that are going to affect every pastor, every congregation, and every family," said Paul Nus, a Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, student and member of the Synod's Commission on Theology and Church Relations. Hwang's Misstep Highlights the Timeliness December 6, 2005, NEW YORK – Woo Suk Hwang is not yet a household name in the United States, but the 52-year-old human stem cell researcher and cloning pioneer from Korea is celebrated like a lab-coated rock star elsewhere in the world. Dr. Hwang's abrupt resignation last month from the research lab he founded attracted international attention when he admitted he was stepping down because of a lapse in ethics. "I am very sorry that I have to tell the public words that are too shameful and horrible," he said in what struck many laypersons as a puzzling overstatement. In fact, Hwang's scientific sin – unknowingly paying female staff members to donate their eggs to his research – is legal and seems like a minor infraction. But it is precisely because so many people are asking what's the big deal that points to the need for ethical and moral guidelines in biological research. That's why many experts – pastors, researchers, medical practitioners and patients – are welcoming "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made," the National Council of Churches USA policy on human biotechnologies. December 5, 2005 Four members of the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Baghdad were kidnapped November 27 and are held hostage in Iraq. The kidnappers have threatened to kill the peace activists by Thursday, unless all prisoners in US and Iraqi detention centers are released. CPT is an ecumenical peacemaking agency associated with the Church of the Brethren, Mennonites and Quakers. Its members are deeply committed to non-violent peacemaking and are willing to put their lives on the line to make it happen. The four hostages are: Tom Fox, 54, Clearbrook, Virginia, Norman Kember, 74, London, James Loney, 41, Toronto, Canada, Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, a Canadian. In 24 Hours, 8,000 ‘Faithful Americans' Urge December 6, 2005, WASHINGTON – In less than 24 hours more than 8,000 persons added their names to a letter distributed by the National Council of Churches USA and FaithfulAmerica.org. The letter, issued by U.S. religious leaders, calls for the release of the four Christian Peacemaker Team members abducted last week in Iraq. The signatories included significant Muslim leaders in the US, including Dr. Sayeed Sayyid, Secretary General of the Islamic Society of North America; Sheila Musaji, editor of The American Muslim; Abdul Malik Mujahid, chair of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago and Anwar N. Haddam, elected Member of Parliament of Algeria (Dec 1991), now living in Virginia. 50 Ways to Honor Your Clergywoman Dec. 6, 2005 – Take a clergywoman to lunch. Or honor her with flowers on the altar, create a scholarship in her name, invite her to preach at your church. These are some of the 50 suggestions offered on a poster marking "50 Ways to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Full Clergy Rights for Women" in the United Methodist Church. New Campus Ministry Review Process to Be Tested in Kentucky December 5, 2005, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A new process for reviewing campus ministries will be tested in Kentucky next March, said the Rev. Luther Felder, staff executive in the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry's section on campus ministry. "This will be a test of how well the instrument works," Felder said. The Kentucky Annual (regional) Conference, wanting to strengthen its campus ministries, had requested help with the review. A team of agency staff and others, including someone from the annual conference and other campus ministers, will perform the review, which will cover finances, management and annual conference relations. Bibles and 2006 Calendars Needed for Seafarers December 6, 2005 – Bibles in English and other languages, and 2006 calendars-from pocket to wall size- are currently being collected by Seamen's Church Institute (SCI) of New York & New Jersey for distribution to seafarers. "The monotony of life at sea can become unbearable," said the Rev. Andy Moore, director of SCI's International Seafarers' Center in Port Newark. "It is so easy for a seafarer to lose track of time and their connection to those of us on land. A calendar helps to link them to events at home and enables them to create a diary of their travels." The donation of Bibles is part of SCI's cross-cultural ministry to seafarers. "Reading God's Word is a comfort for seafarers who spend weeks at sea," said Moore. "Reading a Bible, especially in their own language, brings them out of desperate loneliness and into God's loving presence." Advent: Advocacy Resources Online for MDGS December 5, 2005 – As the weeks of Advent lead to Christmas, Christians prepare for Christ's coming by examining and ameliorating the patterns of their lives and relationships with God and one another. Inviting the Church to pray and reflect upon making right the relationships and patterns of community in the world, the Episcopal Church's Office of Government Relations (OGR) offers several Advent resources on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for home and parish use. United Methodists Find Spiritual Riches, Tools, in ‘Narnia' December 9, 2005 – When C.S. Lewis published his first children's book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, in 1950, friends and critics alike feared that the popular theologian had made a poor career move. More than 50 years later, Lion and the six other novels known collectively as "The Chronicles of Narnia" are Lewis' best-known and most widely read works. With the Dec. 9 theatrical release of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" from Walt Disney and Walden Media, United Methodists are turning to the classic Christian fantasy for inspiration and spiritual formation. "We need to support movies like this," says Mike Quimby, youth minister at Bemus Point United Methodist Church in western New York. Bemus Point is stuffing bulletins with official promotional fliers to encourage members to see the movie and to take their friends. For United Methodists and Others, Disasters Dominated ‘05 December 7, 2005 – It was only one of 26 named storms in a record-breaking hurricane season, but for United Methodists, Hurricane Katrina packed the biggest wallop. When Katrina bore down on the Gulf Coast at the end of August, it swept away homes, churches, parsonages, and social service centers in its path. In Louisiana, much of the southeastern part of the state was flooded, including New Orleans. In Mississippi, the towns of Waveland and Pass Christian were wiped out. Hurricane Rita followed a few weeks later, compounding the damage and distress. The death toll from the storms exceeded 1,000, though a final figure is not known. Natural disasters were a major focus for the church during 2005, but the year also was a tumultuous one for other reasons: the war in Iraq, church court rulings on cases related to homosexuality and clergy authority, relief initiatives in Africa and other parts of the world, and progress in ecumenical relationships, to name a few. Resource Uses Bible to Help People Deal with Crisis December 5, 2005, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A new online resource from the United Methodist Board of Discipleship uses Scriptures to help people who are in crisis or recovering from disaster. "Stories for Survivors," a collection of Bible stories with discussion questions created for survivors of disaster, was launched Nov. 20. The holidays are stressful times under normal conditions, but when you add homelessness, separation from the familiar and the other issues of displacement, the stress factor increases exponentially, said the Rev. Kwasi Kena, a staff member in the board's evangelism section. Pastors Create Advent Calendar to Share Hope with World December 9, 2005 – Each year, as the Rev. Tom Mousin and the Rev. Merry Watters of the United Methodist Church's Troy Annual Conference release the yearly Advent calendar they create, they wait, appropriately enough for the season, to see how far their gift to others will travel. "While we have distributed it to churches in Troy Conference, there are also many friends and colleagues beyond the United Methodist Church who look forward to using it each year," says Mousin, an elder in the conference now on honorable location. For nearly two decades, the pastors have been producing the calendar, which counts down each day of December. They view it as a gift to whomever can use it. Supporters: LFL's Faith-Based Message Makes a Difference December 8, 2005 "These people are brilliant," said Sarah Fields of Hobart, Ind., as she summed up her impressions as a first-time participant at Lutherans For Life's (LFL) 2005 national conference Nov. 11-13 in St. Louis. Sarah, with 2-year-old daughter Anna in tow, and her husband Carl holding their 6-month-old son, John, had just heard the opening speakers for LFL's 23rd annual national conference, which drew nearly 300 attendees. The conference followed a first-time bioethics conference co-sponsored by LFL, LCMS World Relief/Human Care, and the Concordia Bioethics Institute at Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon. Lutherans For Life, describing itself as "the only pan-Lutheran pro-life organization in the nation," is based in Nevada, Iowa, and has 15 state or regional federations, 155 local chapters, and 745 "life ministry coordinators" nationwide. December 7, 2005, NEW YORK – The disaster relief work of Church World Service will be featured in a CBS interfaith religion special, After The Storm: Religions Respond to Nature's Fury, scheduled for broadcast Sunday, December 11 on 83 CBS Television Network stations. (Broadcast dates and times for several cities listed below. Please check local broadcast listings for dates and times of the program in your area) The special reviews the major natural disasters of the past year and focuses on the response of the interfaith community to the Gulf Coast hurricanes here in the USA. It travels to Baton Rouge, La., where a wide range of faith-communities are seen working cooperatively to relieve the suffering and dislocation of so many. Looking Forward to Porto Alegre: How the Assembly Will Work December 8, 2005 – The WCC 9th Assembly will offer a diverse and innovative programme for the expected 3000 participants from virtually all Christian traditions and regions. The moderator of the international planning committee which is preparing the event, Norman Shanks from Scotland, explains how the 14-23 February 2006 Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, will work. The Assembly programme will be both creative and diverse, and participants will have countless opportunities to interact and share insights out of their own experience. Porto Alegre is an attractive and dynamic city and the Assembly venue, the Catholic Pontifical University (PUC), offers a modern campus and meeting centre. Commentary: Bishops Speak as Concerned Christians on Iraq Dec. 8, 2005 – The United Methodist Council of Bishops adopted a resolution in November expressing concern about the war in Iraq. That was followed by a statement signed by nearly 100 individual bishops, "A Call to Repentance and Peace with Justice." This commentary was written in response to a newspaper article on the "Call to Repentance." Invitan a Iglesias a Participar En Mesa Ecuménica Del VI Foro Mesoamericano De Los Pueblos 6 diciembre 2005, SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica – La Iglesia Luterana Costarricense, Cáritas de Costa Rica y la red ecuménica Foro Emaús lanzaron una invitación abierta a las iglesias, instituciones teológicas, redes ecuménicas y a líderes cristianos de la región, para que participen en la mesa ecuménica del VI Foro Mesoamericano de los Pueblos a celebrarse del 11 al 14 de diciembre en esta capital. Esta es la primera ocasión en que el Foro cuenta con una mesa ecuménica. Partido De Inspiración Evangélica Enfrenta Crisis Por Denuncia De Infiltración Fujimorista 6 diciembre 2005, LIMA, Perú– Una denuncia aparecida en un diario local sobre infiltración de seguidores del ex-presidente Alberto Fujimori en el partido Restauración Nacional (RN), de inspiración evangélica, causó una severa crisis en esta organización que sólo 10 días atrás logró su inscripción en el Jurado Nacional de Elecciones. Según el diario La República, personajes estrechamente vinculados con el régimen fujimorista y con la mafia que imperó durante su gobierno, integran la dirigencia de RN, que preside el ex miembro de la Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación y pastor evangélico, Humberto Lay Sun. Monumento Por La Paz Se Inauguró En Totos Como Singular Acto De Reparación 7 diciembre 2005, AYACUCHO, Perú – Un monumento con la figura de una paloma con las alas abiertas que lleva una rama de molle en el pico, fue entregado el lunes 5 a las comunidades de Totos, a modo de reparación y en memoria de las víctimas que dejó el conflicto armado que vivió el país entre los años 1980 y 2000 . La obra, que fue entregada por la Comisión Episcopal de Acción Social (CEAS), de la Iglesia Católica y la Asociación Paz y Esperanza, vinculada a las iglesias evangélicas, se inscribe en el marco de las recomendaciones sobre reparaciones simbólicas formuladas por la Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación (CVR). Manhattan Church Sells Air Rights for $30 Million December 8, 2005, NEW YORK – After the Rev. Stephen Bauman became pastor of Christ Church, a United Methodist congregation on Park Avenue in Manhattan, in 1987, he began receiving calls from people involved in real estate. The pitch from these callers was invariably the same, asking him if he realized that the church sat on "one of the five most valuable, underdeveloped properties in Manhattan." Bauman had a stock response: "I always thought it was developed," he would tell the callers. Immigration Proposal Falls Short of Church's Standards, Says EMM Director December 9, 2005 – The Bush Administration's immigration reform proposal does not meet the Episcopal Church's standards for a "meaningful" change in immigration policy, according to Richard Parkins, director of Episcopal Migration Ministries. "While acknowledging the need to consider a program for temporary works, and referencing a concern for immigrants in the US, [the proposal] falls short of the comprehensive reform hoped for," noted Parkins. Assessing an Arizona speech by Bush on November 29, Parkins said that "even with the inclusion of a guest workers' program, rejection of earned permanent residency and eventual citizenship for so-called temporary workers was a serious deficiency of the proposal." December 8, 2005 PHILADELPHIA – As our thoughts turn to peace on earth and goodwill to all this holiday season, here are 10 things you can do to support peace and justice around the globe, instead of ongoing war, violence and retaliation. Climate Change a Spiritual Crisis Says WCC December 8, 2005 – "We would like to light a candle" is how a World Council of Churches (WCC) statement to the UN climate change conference in Montreal, Canada, begins. The statement affirms that climate change is not only a technological, economic and ecological crisis but also a spiritual one. The statement is to be delivered on 9 December at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the First Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol by WCC climate change programme coordinator Dr David G. Hallman. The statement, and the [non-fossil-fuel!] candle, will celebrate the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol, and evoke "the pain and disaster already suffered in various regions due to climate change." It will signal that "time is running out" for negotiating equitable and sustainable targets for post-2012 when the present protocol expires. December 9, 2005, GENEVA – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) will be monitoring negotiations among the World Trade Organization (WTO) members during the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China, 13-18 December 2005. The LWF will be represented by a staff person of the Office for International Affairs and Human Rights (OIAHR), which has been monitoring WTO events for several months now. The objective of the LWF's presence in the WTO process is to keep the LWF constituency informed of the ongoing negotiations that may have direct impacts on human development around the world. December 5, 2005, CHENNAI, India/GENEVA – Economic globalization, HIV/AIDS, violence against women and ordination of women were among topics discussed at a meeting of regional coordinators of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Office for Women in Church and Society (WICAS) in Chennai, India. Twelve regional coordinators from Botswana, Canada, Chile, Iceland, India, Korea, Madagascar, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Peru, Sierra Leone, and the Slovak Republic, and Ms Priscilla Singh, LWF Department for Mission in Development (DMD) WICAS secretary, discussed their work with regard to strengthening the role of women in church and society, November 23-27. Brethren Call for Release of Kidnaped Peacemakers December 7, 2005 ELGIN, IL – Statements calling for the release of the four volunteers from Christian Peacemaker Teams who were abducted in Iraq on Nov. 26 have been issued by On Earth Peace and a group of Church of the Brethren leaders. Christian Peacemaker Teams also is calling on supporters around the world to sign an online petition for the captives' release and to hold prayer vigils on their behalf. The four men – Tom Fox, Norman Kember, James Loney, and Harmeet Singh Sooden – are being held by a previously unknown group called Swords of Righteousness Brigade, which has threatened to kill the hostages unless all prisoners in US and Iraqi detention centers are released by Dec. 8.
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