Front Page

Clergy Rally in Protest of Immigration Reform Bill

March 28, 2006 – United Methodist church leaders stood with clergy from other denominations March 27 in Washington to protest the strict immigration bill passed by the House that, among other things, would make it a crime to provide assistance to undocumented immigrants. The bill has really "awakened the faith community," said Bill Mefford, an executive with the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. "We have this rhetoric about national security that is almost willing to sacrifice a major, prominent theme in Scripture of welcoming the stranger, showing hospitality to the poor and loving those people on the margins of society," he said.

NCC President Urges Communicators, Take on ‘False Religion'

March 30, 2006, NEW YORK – The president of the National Council of Churches, the Rev. Michael Livingston, strongly urged church communicators to, "Tell our story. By any means necessary." "Mainline Protestant and Orthodox churches have been pounded into irrelevancy by the media machine of a false religion," Livingston said. He described what passes as religion to be, "a political philosophy masquerading as gospel; an economic principle wrapped in religious rhetoric and painted red, white and blue."

Christian Leaders Issue Statement on House Budget
House Begins Budget Process with $212 Billion in Cuts over next 5 Years

March 29, 2006 – Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold joined the leaders of four other Christian denominations today in a statement calling on members of the House Budget Committee to "eliminate the inequities in its federal budget and instead act to pass a budget that meets the moral test of serving ‘the common good.'" The statement, written in the context of the Lenten season, examines the President's FY ‘07 federal budget proposal which caps annual spending, resulting in $212 billion in cuts over five years in non-defense related discretionary spending, according to the Episcopal Church's Office of Government Relations in Washington.

2006 Yearbook of Churches Reflects ‘Robust Immigrant History in U.S.

March 30, 2006 NEW YORK – The National Council of Churches' 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, one of the nation's oldest and most reliable sources of church membership and growth trends, is reporting this month on a record 219 national church bodies. The Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner, editor of the 89-year-old annual since 1998, said the number of national church bodies "is reflective of a remarkably robust immigration history and the cultural and constitutional freedom of religion so characteristic of the United States."

General News

Archbishop of Canterbury – Faith Communities Can't Solve Problems Alone

March 29, 2006 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has said that faith communities need to promote confidence and earn trust in order to face the common problems that confront the world. Speaking at a dinner in Washington during a Christian-Muslim conference, Dr Williams told the guests that coming together meant addressing their differences seriously, but always in the context of their shared challenges. "We have recognised that we have a common agenda; we can't always say that we have identical convictions and certainly aren't aiming to iron out the differences and the difficulties of our convictions but this is a world in which no one religious community, no one nation, no one interest group can solve problems alone...

Archbishop of Canterbury Urges Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cuts

March 30, 2006, LAMBETH PALACE – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, speaking with environment correspondent Roger Harrabin of BBC Radio 4's Today program, said the public has a moral responsibility to change lifestyles. The consequences if they do not, Williams warned, would be the deaths of billions of people worldwide from the effects of extreme climate change. He said the Bible made it clear that God would not forgive people who had been warned they were doing wrong.

Earth Day Sunday Resources Available

March 27, 2006 – The Eco-Justice Working Group of the National Council of Churches (NCC) has announced their Earth Sunday theme for 2006, "Through the Eye of the Hurricane: Rebuilding Just Communities." An eight-page background resource, downloadable from their web site, provides key facts and liturgical suggestions for engaging the issues in congregations. "In the days and weeks following the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, communities of faith sprang to action and assumed important leadership roles in the efforts to collect and send money, supplies, and relief workers to the Gulf Coast region. By focusing our Earth Day resources on the Gulf Coast region, we hope to remind people in our churches that the efforts to rebuild continue and the needs are beyond urgent," said Cassandra Carmichael, NCC director of Eco-Justice programs.

Disaster Child Care Celebrates Training Experience

March 30, 2006, ELGIN, IL – Disaster Child Care, a ministry of the Church of the Brethren, celebrated a successful training workshop in March, co-sponsored by Shenandoah District of the Church of the Brethren and Montezuma Church of the Brethren in Dayton, Va. The Level I Disaster Child Care (DCC) Training Workshop on March 10-11, was organized by Patricia Black. It "was a huge success with 21 persons participating," said Helen Stonesifer, coordinator of the program. Leadership for the workshop was provided by Patricia Ronk of Roanoke, Va., and Donna Uhlig of New Enterprise, Pa. Both currently "wear several hats" with DCC, Stonesifer said.

U.S. Church Opens Arms to Iraqi Girl with Birth Defect

March 28, 2006, MARYVILLE, Tenn. – Ghofran Alyass traveled from Iraq to Tennessee for surgery she hopes will give her more years with her family. Along the way, she found her family growing as she developed a special bond with a new "sister." Ghofran, 10, became fast friends with Samantha Ousley, 8. Samantha's family is hosting Ghofran and her parents while they are in the United States.

‘Tell Kathy Jesus Brought Some Food'

March 27, 2006, ALGIERS, La. – Kathy Powers gets to her office at 7:15 every morning and waits for God to walk through the door. "I am anxious to start work, knowing that at some point in the day, God is going to make his presence known to me, either through a volunteer that shows up unannounced or someone calling to help us fulfill a need that maybe we didn't even know we had yet," she says. "We do high fives around the office all day shouting, ‘Wahoo! There he is again.'" Powers is the volunteer coordinator for the Westbank storm station, one of six relief/recovery stations set up by the Louisiana Annual (regional) Conference after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the state in August and September 2005.

Outnumbered but Surviving – Conference of Waldensian Church Taps into Heritage as Religious Minority

March 30, 2006, NEW YORK CITY – Probably no modern denomination knows more about being a religious minority than the Waldensian Church. The Waldensians, rooted in a 12th-century Protestant movement in defense of the poor and oppressed of France and Italy, have always taken a side seat to the religious giants of the world – especially the Roman Catholic Church. So it was fitting that the theme of the four-day centennial conference of the American Waldensian Society (AWS) was "The Role of Religious Minorities in Pluralistic Societies."

Prison Ministry Is Focus of New Documentary, Reporting Series

March 31, 2006 – "Changing Lives: Behind the Walls at Angola" is the title of a new feature-length video documentary following the effects of an Episcopal chaplain's ministry inside a prison once considered the bloodiest in America: the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, Louisiana. The penitentiary, known simply as "Angola," is Louisiana's only maximum security prison, located some 59 miles northwest of Baton Rouge. With an inmate population of 5,108, some 86 percent are violent offenders and 52 percent are serving life sentences.

Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches:
Why So Many Can't Work Without it

March 30, 2006 NEW YORK – In addition to its obvious value to scholars, the National Council of Churches' 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches is an essential addition to any pastor's library. Proponents suggest scenarios to pastors in which the Yearbook would be helpful, including: The youth in your congregation are conducting a study of other churches and they wish to hear from pastors and theologians representing a wide spectrum of opinions. Your first thought is that it would be nearly impossible for the youth to establish that many pen pals. Your second thought is the 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches and its directory of blogs posted by clergy and laypersons across the country.

Service of Thanksgiving to Celebrate 150 Years of the Mission to Seafarers

March 31, 2006 – On March the 28th 2006 a Thanksgiving Service took place in Westminster Abbey to mark the 150th anniversary of The Mission to Seafarers. Thanks was given to those who inspired its foundation in 1856 and those who have carried out its ministry over the last century and a half with their dedication and commitment. The Mission to Seafarers (formerly The Missions to Seamen) is a missionary society of the Anglican Church, which cares for the welfare of all seafarers regardless of their nationality or faith.

United Methodist Elders under the Age of 35 Declining

March 27, 2006 – United Methodist clergy are getting older than the population the denomination is trying to reach, according to a report examining clergy age trends for the past 20 years. The average age of elders in the church has increased by five years over that time period, the report found. In 1985, the average age of ordained elders was 46.8 years, compared to the 51.5 years in 2005. The research was conducted by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at United Methodist-related Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington and the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits, Evanston, Ill.

Students Spend Spring Break Helping Hurricane Survivors

March 27, 2006, NEW ORLEANS – At Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Franklin's house, about 16 students from Virginia Tech University are tearing out walls, knocking down ceilings and pulling up carpet. The Franklins' son, E. Dwight Franklin, couldn't be happier. "My parents lived here for almost 30 years," he says. On the outside edges of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, the Franklins' home was one of many left mired in mud and mold six months after Hurricane Katrina blew through the Gulf Coast.

Site Offers Online Resources for Youth, Young Adult Workers

March 29, 2006, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Youth and young adult workers now have a place on the Internet to find United Methodist resources to help them in their ministry. The Resource Hub is an online database created by the Division on Ministries with Young People at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. It includes more than 500 resources gathered from the general agencies of the church, said the Rev. Micki McCorkle, director of leadership development with adults who work with young people. "People have been asking for one place they could go and find resources from the church to help them with their ministry," she said.

Ecumenical News

ELCA Delegation Visits Cardinal Kasper, Ecumenical Leadership

March 28, 2006, VATICAN CITY – Focusing on "spiritual ecumenism," Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, the Vatican, said the Roman Catholic Church is preparing a booklet on ecumenism with suggestions for how Catholic parishes can express commitment to ecumenism in their local settings. Kasper made the comment in an hour-long meeting March 21with an 18-member delegation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The delegation visited here as part of an extended ecumenical journey, organized every three years by the ELCA churchwide organization.

Spanish News

Iglesias Evangélicas Chilenas Oran Por La Presidenta Michelle Bachelet

27 marzo 2006, SANTIAGO, Chile – La presidenta socialista Michelle Bachelet recibió ayer el respaldo de las iglesias evangélicas chilenas, que le desearon éxito en su gestión y progreso para el país, sin dejar de recordarle sus aspiraciones de mayor participación y trato igualitario. La Jefa de Estado encabezó el domingo el Te Deum de "Invocación a Dios por la gestión del gobierno de la Dra. Michelle Bachelet Jeria," celebrado en la Catedral Evangélica (de la Igflesia Metodista Pentecostal) y dirigido por el reverendo Eduardo Durán Castro.

Evangélicos Postularán Como Agrupación Ciudadana a Constituyente

31 marzo 2006, LA PAZ, Bolivia – Las organizaciones evangélicas bolivianas conformarán una agrupación ciudadana que llevará su voz a la Asamblea Constituyente, según anunció Franklin Santander, uno de sus portavoces, que precisó que no se trata de un bloque religioso, sino de la genuina participación de un sector que fue históricamente excluido. Santander informó a La Razón que la propuesta de los evangélicos ha sido plasmada en un documento que se dará a conocer los próximos días, tras advertir que el documento "no tiene un carácter confesional ni excluyente."

Iglesia Episcopal De EE UU Pidió Al Senado Que Rechace Medidas Migratorias Punitivas

29 marzo 2006, WASHINGTON – El obispo Frank Griswold, presidente y primado de la Iglesia Episcopal en los Estados Unidos de América, pidió al senado de su país que rechace las medidas punitivas antimigratorias que han sido puestas a su consideración, y lo instó a que disponga un sistema migratorio "justo y humanitario." Griswold emitió una declaración donde calificó de "impráctica e inmoral" la medida presentada por la Cámara de Representantes.

Persisten Amenazas De Muerte Contra Pastores Evangélicos De Buenaventura

28 marzo 2006, BOGOTA, Colombia – Unos diez pastores de la ciudad portuaria de Buenaventura, en la costa central del Pacífico, fueron amenazados de muerte en los últimos días, según reveló la apóstol Wilma Rueda, coordinadora de una Red Apostólica de Iglesias en Colombia, que dijo que las intimidaciones arreciaron tras los asesinatos de dos pastores en esa localidad.

Arzobispo De Huancayo Pide a Presidente Toledo Actuar Con Claridad En El Caso Doe Run

28 marzo 2006, LIMA, Peru –"Si no hay esperanza para los pobres, no la habrá para nadie, ni siquiera para los ricos," con esta frase de Juan Pablo II, el arzobispo de Huancayo, monseñor Pedro Barrero, instó al presidente Alejandro Toledo a actuar "con claridad," en el caso de la minera estadounidense Doe Run, acusada de producir grave contaminación y daño a la vida y la salud.

Teólogo Pentecostal Insta a Iglesias a Forjar Un Discurso Sobre Asuntos Públicos

30 marzo 2006, LIMA, Peru – El teólogo pentecostal Darío López Rodríguez planteó la necesidad de que las iglesias tengan una opinión sobre los asuntos de preocupación nacional y promuevan los rostros representantivos evangélicos ante la sociedad. "No tenemos hoy un discurso sobre la agenda pública y tenemos que construirlo de manera coherente y pertinente a la realidad del país y con bases bíblicas sólidas," declaró.

Cristianos De Tierra Santa Advierten a Israel Contra Retiros Unilaterales

30 marzo 2006, JERUSALÉN – Líderes cristianos en Tierra Santa han instado a Israel a no realizar retiradas unilaterales de la ribera occidental tras la elección de Kadima, el partido centrista fundado por Ariel Sharon, el primer ministro israelí que está en coma desde enero último. "Medidas unilaterales traerían probablemente soluciones temporales, pero tales medidas no ayudarán a superar la mutua desconfianza y los emfrentamientos entre los dos pueblos que viven en esta amada y bendita tierra," dijeron líderes de las iglesias más importantes de Tierra Santa en una declaración difundida ayer.

Pastores Analizan Problema De Instalación De Plantas De Celulosa

29 marzo 2006, MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – El conflicto generado por la instalación de dos plantas de celulosa en la ciudad uruguaya Fray Bentos, fronteriza con Argentina, fue abordado por un grupo de sacerdotes católicos y pastores evangélicos, que se reunieron con empresarios y vecinos de ambos países, por invitación del Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI). La cita se produjo el 24 de marzo en la Iglesia Evangélica Valdense de Colonia (Uruguay) con el fin de dialogar sobre este hecho que amenaza con dividir a ambas naciones y ha convulsionado a cuatro poblaciones de ambas márgenes del río Uruguay.

Religious Liberty / Human Rights News

United Methodist Panel Addresses Church Property Issues

March 31, 2006, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Do the property rights of a local congregation ever supersede the rights of the denomination? That is one of the questions U.S. civil courts are answering in the affirmative, and denominational questions related to property issues are on the rise. As a result – and in light of secular legal and regulatory changes – the United Methodist General Council on Finance and Administration has created a panel to work on challenges facing the denomination with regard to corporate, property and trust issues.

Racial Discrimination: LWF-Supported Group Presents Guatemala's ‘Shadow Report' to UN Committee

March 27, 2006, GENEVA – Guatemalan social anthologist, Irma Alicia Velasquez, is an expert on issues concerning discrimination against indigenous people, especially women, in her country. With support from the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Velasquez, herself a member of an indigenous community, participated in the 68th session of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), 20 February-10 March 2006 in Geneva, Switzerland. Guatemala was one of the 16 States parties that submitted to this year's CERD meeting comprehensive reports on legal, judicial, administrative and other steps taken in fulfillment of obligations to combat racial discrimination.

New York Metro News

General Seminary Will Host Lecture on Printed Bibles

March 28, 2006 – Paul Needham, librarian at the Scheide Library at Princeton University, will lead a lecture titled "Printed Bibles from Gutenberg to King James," April 27, 7 p.m., at the General Theological Seminary (GTS) in New York City. This is an inaugural event for the recently formed Friends of St. Mark's Library of GTS, who promotes the library as a distinguished collection of rare books and a scholarly resource. Since 1820, St. Mark's Library of GTS has served seminarians and the wider scholarly community with a distinguished collection of rare books as well as the most current titles.

National News

ELCA Presiding Bishop, Other Church Leaders Call for Moral Budget in 2007

March 31, 2006 WASHINGTON, DC – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), along with leaders of four other Christian denominations, sent a letter March 28 to members of the U.S. House Committee on the Budget, calling for a budget in fiscal year 2007 "that meets the moral test of serving ‘the common good.'"

President George W. Bush Welcomes Archbishop Demetrios
to the White House on the Occasion of Greek Independence Day 2006

March 28, 2006, NEW YORK, NY – President George W. Bush warmly welcomed His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, spiritual leader of 1.5 million Greek Orthodox Christians, and the Greek American community to the White House on March 24, on the occasion of the celebration of Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy 2006. (Proclamation text attached) Over 100 individuals, including government officials, the Foreign Minister of Greece, Greek and Cypriot diplomats and Greek Americans from throughout the United States attended the ceremony in the Old Executive Office building.

Marchers Back Farm Workers
Presbyterians Join Tomato Harvesters for Louisville Stop on ‘Truth Tour'

March 29, 2006, LOUISVILLE – The Florida tomato pickers are 1,000 miles into their latest "truth tour" when NPR airs a story about Americans taking to the streets to protest an immigration bill that would put up a West-Bank-and-Gaza-style barrier between Mexico and the United States, all across California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. The purpose of this Great Wall would be to keep out hundreds of thousands of Mexicans and others desperate to get into this country to take "the jobs Americans workers won't do."

ELCA Bishop Speaks at Interfaith Service, Rally for Just Immigration Reform

March 28, 2006, WASHINGTON, DC – The Rev. Paul W. Stumme-Diers, bishop, Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), spoke here March 27 during a national, interfaith service and rally for just immigration reform. The event began a week in which the U.S. Senate will discuss proposed immigration legislation that would make some church ministries illegal. Stumme-Diers joined more than 150 faith leaders from countless religious backgrounds and 35 states on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The service drew more than 3,000 immigration advocates.

International News

NGO Representatives Urge Salvadoran Government to Guarantee Equal Rights for All
LWF Facilitates Civil Society Involvement in Un Treaty Body Processes

March 27, 2006, GENEVA – Nicaraguan Flor de Maria Mendoza has worked as a salesperson in a small-scale business in Santa Rosa de Lima, El Salvador, for ten years. She is a migrant worker, who has herself on several occasions been a witness to and victim of open discrimination against migrant populations in El Salvador. Mendoza has contributed to promoting equal recognition of migrant workers' rights in El Salvador and has joined like-minded individuals and organizations speaking out for other marginalized groups including indigenous people.

Family Planning, Anti-Discrimination at Core of Church's Policy Agenda for Women
Advocacy for Women and Girls Worldwide Proclaims ‘The Acceptable Year of the Lord'

March 24, 2006 – March is Women's History Month, and to commemorate it, the Episcopal Church's Office of Government Relations (OGR) is highlighting important public policy issues related to women in which the church has an important voice. The Rev. Margaret Rose, director for Women's Ministries, noted that recent meetings with some 100 delegates-from 36 of the 38 Anglican provinces-to the UN's Commission on the Status of Women gave new urgency to the church's public policy work, promoting better understanding about the challenges faced by women around the world on basic matters such as legal rights, education, and family planning.

Reviews

Linking Myers-Briggs Personality Profile with Personal Spirituality

March 30, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – Millions of people throughout the world turn to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® to guide their career choices, improve their relationships, and resolve conflicts. Now in SoulTypes: Matching Your Personality and Spiritual Path two experts in the field help readers discover: the approach to spirituality, or "soul work," that is most natural for them, past spiritual experiences and what made them joyful, hollow, or even painful, and new spiritual paths that add fullness to life even in the midst of difficulties.

Improving Stewardship Ministry

March 31, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – The goal of his new book, Ask, Thank, Tell, says author Charles Lane, is to perform a dramatic rescue of stewardship, freeing it from any connection whatsoever to "paying the bills." When the Bible talks about stewardship it almost always talks about the intimate connection between how a person handles financial matters and that person's relationship with God. Stewardship is an intensely spiritual matter that lies close to a disciple's relationship with Jesus.