Front Page

New York, L.A. And Atlanta Are Sites of China Bible Exhibit

April 25, 2006 – A Bible exhibition from China will be displayed in three U.S. locations between April 28 and June 15. Sponsored by the China Christian Council and the National Committee of Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches in China, the exhibition highlights Christian witness in that country. "A Lamp to My Feet, a Light to My Path – China Bible Ministry Exhibition" will open to the public April 28 at the Crystal Cathedral in Los Angeles, where it will continue through May 4.

Two Churchwide Ethnic Caucuses Call for Immigration Reform

April 27, 2006 – May 1 has been designated "a day without immigrants," and two United Methodist associations representing Asian Americans and Hispanic/Latino concerns have joined in the call for comprehensive immigration reform. The statements from the National Federation of Asian American United Methodists and Methodists Associated to Represent the Cause of Hispanic Americans come as Congress grapples with the reform issue. "Asian-Americans are all immigrants or descendants of immigrants," said the Rev. Mark Nakagawa, pastor of Centenary United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. "Therefore, we identify with the social, economic and political struggles of contemporary immigrants."

U.S. ‘Flunked' Initial Hurricane Response, Congressman Says

Apr. 27, 2006, WASHINGTON – Hurricane Katrina revealed the nation's character and "we flunked miserably," said U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II during a healing and justice service for the Gulf Coast held April 26. Speaking in Simpson Memorial Chapel at the United Methodist Building in Washington, Cleaver said the character of an individual is not measured only in bad times but in good. "Remember this: most accidents don't occur in bad weather," he said. "They occur when everything is fine, the sun is shining. ... And character is not determined always in bad weather."

General News

Military Chaplaincy, Ongoing Ministries Focus of ELCA-LCMS Meeting

April 27, 2006, CHICAGO – Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) discussed military chaplaincy issues and reviewed the status of various ministries within their churches when they met April 6 here at the churchwide office of the ELCA. The leaders met as the Committee on Lutheran Cooperation (CLC) to discuss topics of mutual interest and concern. The ELCA has 4.9 million members in 10,461 congregations; the LCMS has 2.5 million members in 6,151 congregations. The leaders spent considerable time discussing military chaplaincy.

Event Focuses on Church's Role in Caring for Environment

April 26, 2006, LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. – A concern for God's creation drew participants from across the United States to an event focused on the environment. "All creation is the Lord's, and we are responsible for the ways we use and abuse it," states Paragraph 160 in the Social Principles, in the United Methodist Church's Book of Discipline. Participants at "Caring for God's Creation" discussed the church's responsibility for the world during an April 20-22 event at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. Event organizers with the denomination's Southeastern Jurisdiction said it was the first time the jurisdiction had sponsored an event focused on the environment.

Reformed Church Relief Committee Accredited at UN

April 25, 2006 – The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) has been granted a voice for the poor at the United Nations' General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS). CRWRC was accredited as part of a select number of faith-based organizations that will have a chance to share its unique position, experience and suggestions regarding the AIDS pandemic with UNGASS at its 2006 Review Meeting, at UN Headquarters in New York City, May 31-June 2. UNGASS will use the meeting to perform a five-year assessment of what has been done in the fight against AIDS and what remains for the years to come.

A Social Creed You Can Sing? Revision Aims for Broad Usage

April 25, 2006, WASHINGTON – A "user friendly" Social Creed will make its way to the 2008 General Conference, and if the writers have their way, it will be set to rap, African, country and many other musical beats. Bishop Susan Morrison and a small group of United Methodist Church and Society board members took on the task of rewriting the denomination's Social Creed in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the creed and Social Principles. The anniversary will be celebrated at the 2008 General Conference, the church's legislative gathering. The original creed was written in 1908 and rewritten in 1972. Changes must be approved by General Conference.

Kieschnick among Those Supporting Marriage-Protection Measure

April 28, 2006 – Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod President Gerald B. Kieschnick is among 43 U.S. religious leaders who have signed an open letter calling for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Declaring support for the Marriage Protection Amendment, the leaders state, "We are convinced that this is the only measure that will adequately protect marriage from those who would circumvent the legislative process and force a redefinition of it on the whole of our society."

Georgia Couple Gives up Everything for Hurricane Relief

April 24, 2006, PASCAGOULA, Miss. – Many residents of the Gulf Coast lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. Dee and Jack Boreing gave up everything because of Katrina. The Boreings are working in Mississippi as site coordinators for work teams helping in recovery efforts. They came to Pascagoula from Douglasville, Ga., where they had lived all their lives.

Pension Agency Signs U.N. Principles on Investment

April 27, 2006 – The United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits has become one of the original 25 signatories of the new United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. The board announced the news April 27 in New York. The heads of leading financial institutions from 16 countries signed the principles that day at the New York Stock Exchange. The United Methodist agency was part of an international group of institutional investors that developed the principles at the invitation of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

United Methodist Summit Will Address Sexual Ethics

April 26, 2006 – If the United Methodist Church doesn't set appropriate boundaries regarding sexual conduct, "it compromises our message" of faith, according to M. Garlinda Burton. That is why Burton's agency, the Commission on the Status and Role of Women, is sponsoring a training event for church leaders and response teams who deal with clergy misconduct or want to promote the concept of "safe sanctuary" for children and youth. "Do No Harm – Do All the Good You Can," sponsored by the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women, is set for July 26-29 in Nashville, Tenn.

Study Finds Similarities Between ‘Churched,' ‘Unchurched' People

April 28, 2006 – A study to better understand the needs of those who are spiritual but absent from church has concluded that fewer differences exist between "churched" and "unchurched" people than one might think. The United Methodist Board of Discipleship and United Methodist Communications participated in a joint research project to better understand the needs, preferences, motivations and behaviors of "spiritual seekers" in two age groups: 21-40 and 41-60. The Rev. Dan Dick, research manager at the Board of Discipleship, said people both inside and outside the church desire connection, feel something missing in their lives, contemplate a "higher power" and want their lives to have meaning and purpose.

Social Action Agency Speaks out on Iran, Immigration Reform

April 25, 2006, WASHINGTON – Facing two of today's most critical issues, the United Methodist Board of Church and Society passed resolutions urging the United States and Iran to stop their "dangerous rhetoric" and called for Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The resolution, "Iran: Diplomacy Over War," begins by quoting Ecclesiastes 9:17-18 (The Message): "The quiet words of the wise are more effective than the ranting of a king of fools. Wisdom is better than warheads, but one hothead can ruin the good earth."

Church World Service Offers Resources for June 20 World Refugee Day Services

April 27, 2006, NEW YORK – Church World Service is offering congregations special resources to help celebrate World Refugee on June 20. World Refugee Day is an annual global observance, designated by the United Nations. Congregations and other groups are encouraged to remember the 33 million people in the world who are forcibly uprooted from their homes, and to work to help make it possible for refugees to return home or to find new homes where they are safe from persecution and violence. To help congregations plan and present services focused welcoming the stranger, Church World Service's immigration and refugee program has prepared a congregational bulletin insert and worship resources.

Ecumenical News

Martin Marty, James Forbes Confirmed Speakers
For Faith & Order 50th Anniversary Celebration

April 26, 2006, WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches USA has approved an exciting program for its 50th anniversary celebration, which will be held in Oberlin, Ohio, July 19-23, 2007. Dr. Martin Marty, a distinguished theologian, church scholar and Lutheran pastor; and, Rev. Dr. James Forbes, renowned preacher, theologian and Senior Minister of The Riverside Church in New York; have both been confirmed to speak at the celebratory event. Focused on the theme, "On Being Christian Together: The Faith and Order Experience in the United States," the Commission will mark a half century of Christian communities working to strengthen the unity of the Church by engaging one another through dialogue and research on the theological differences that divide our churches.

Seminar on Radical Pietism to Take Place at Amana Colonies

April 27, 2006, ELGIN, IL – "The Other Stream: Alternative Forms of Radical Pietism" is a continuing education opportunity for clergy, ministry students, and others. The seminar July 5-6 in Amana, Iowa, is offered by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. Participants will study the influence of radical pietism on the Brethren through a study of the Amana Colonies, home of the Community of True Inspiration which co-existed and interacted with the early Brethren in Europe. The community came to America much later than the Brethren and settled in Iowa, where it developed several villages operated as a communal society until the mid-twentieth century.

Message of the Presidents of the WCC at Pentecost 2006

April 27, 2006 – On the day of Pentecost described in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit transformed a diverse gathering of people – many of them drawn from distant lands (Acts 2:5-11). In February of this year, thousands of Christians from every region of the world had a similar experience – a Pentecost experience – while participating in the Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in southern Brazil. The prayers and songs of the Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Porto Alegre are still ringing in our ears, and are present in our hearts.

Editorial Page

Commentary: ‘I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me'

April 27, 2006 – Even the weather was with us on Monday, April 10, as I joined thousands of people on the National Mall in support of comprehensive immigration reform. American flags were everywhere – attached to baby strollers, displayed on T-shirts, hats and jackets, and waved by people of all colors. I said the Pledge of Allegiance at least six times, surrounded by accents from around the world. Everything about the day supported the rally cry of this new civil rights movement: "We are America." The faces in the crowd came from around the world and personified the American identity as a nation of immigrants.

Why Are Our Neighbors Hungry?

April 26, 2006 – Each week, the Long Island Council of Churches feeds hundreds of hungry people. Why do so many of our neighbors need emergency food? Twenty years ago, most of those who sought a bag of groceries were out of work or permanently unemployable. Today, they are often working full-time or have retired after a lifetime of labor and cannot make ends meet. They do not need assistance once or twice while they are between jobs—they need help every month. The biggest reason that they need supplemental food is, of course, the lack of affordable housing, a crisis that is now found across our nation: there is no longer a single county in America where someone working full time at minimum wage can afford an apartment. The second most important cause of hunger among our neighbors, though—and this may surprise you—is lack of medical insurance.

Spanish News

Biblista Luterano Milton Schwantes Recibe Homenaje

27 abril 2006, SÃO LEOPOLDO, Brasil – Después de 32 años de ministerio y 28 de docencia, el biblista luterano Milton Schwantes, 60 años, fue homenajeado ayer por amigos, familiares, colegas, alumnos y ex-alumnos, en una ceremonia que calificó como un "encuentro académico y de amistad." La ceremonia celebrada en el Morro del Espejo, sede de la Escuela Superior de Teología (EST), en São Leopoldo, no quedó restringida a las palabras. La editora Oikos lanzó, en esta ocasión, el libro "Profecía y Esperanza: un tributo a Milton Schwantes," reuniendo la contribución de 31 autores que escribieron artículos en reconocimiento al legado del biblista.

Sociólogo Evangélico Analiza Avances Para Nueva Ley De Culto En Argentina

26 abril 2006, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Las declaraciones del secretario de Culto de la Nación, Guillermo Olivieri, aparecidas el domingo último en el matutino Clarín, muestran algunos avances en la gestión de una nueva ley de culto para la Argentina, sostuvo el sociólogo especializado en temas religiosos Hilario Wynarczyk. "Las expresiones del Secretario deberían por ahora ser tomadas como una promesa, pero debemos esperar los resultados para compararlos con las intenciones," indicó.

Luteranos Enfatizan Planificación Para La Viabilidad De Las Iglesias

26 abril 2006, SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica – La sustentabilidad de la iglesia pasa por el difícil ejercicio del planeamiento continuo, pero sin olvidar nunca que ella no es simplemente un emprendimiento humano, dijo el secretario general de la Iglesia Evangélica de Confesión Luterana en Brasil (IECLB), pastor Nestor Paulo Friedrich. Viabilidad y sutentabilidad son dos temas en la agenda de la Conferencia de Obispos y Presidentes (COP) de las iglesias luteranas de América Latina y del Caribe afiliadas a la Federación Luterana Mundial (FLM), que se celebra en San José, del 24 al 28 de abril.

Mensaje De Los Presidentes Del CMI, Pentecostés 2006

27 abril 2006 – En la fiesta de Pentecostés descripta en el segundo capítulo de los Hechos de los Apóstoles, el Espíritu Santo transformó a un grupo nada homogéneo de personas – muchas de ellas provenientes de tierras lejanas (Hechos 2:5-11). En febrero de este año, miles de cristianos y cristianas de cada una de las regiones del mundo vivieron una experiencia similar – una experiencia pentecostal – cuando participaban en la Asamblea del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias celebrada en el sur de Brasil.

New York Metro News

New York City CROP Hunger Walk Steps off April 30
Walk Helps Fight Hunger Here and Abroad

April 27, 2006, NEW YORK CITY – On Sunday, April 30 at 2 PM hundreds of people will step off on a two-mile walk to help feed hungry people. The event, the New York City CROP HUNGER WALK is an ecumenical effort organized by churches of all denominations throughout the city. The participants will walk down Fifth Avenue, starting from the Church of Heavenly Rest at 90th St. and ending at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Street at 55th St. The New York City CROP HUNGER WALK is part of a nationwide network of similar hunger fighting walks that take place on different Saturdays and Sundays in various parts of the country throughout the year.

National News

United Methodist Enters Prison after Civil Disobedience Arrest

April 26, 2006 – A United Methodist layman, arrested for civil disobedience last fall, is spending three months at Oxford Federal Penitentiary in Wisconsin. Fred Brancel, 79, of Madison, Wis., was one of 29 people who reported to federal prisons April 11 to begin serving sentences for acts of nonviolent civil disobedience at Fort Benning military base in Georgia. Since 1990, human rights advocates have called for the closing of the School of the Americas there – now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation – because of documented abuses connected to soldiers from Latin American countries who are trained at the school. According to SOA Watch, a grass-roots, faith-based organization, the school continues to support "known human rights abusers."

International News

Archons Defend Rights of Ecumenical Patriarchate in Meetings with European Leaders

April 28, 2006, NEW YORK – In a week of meetings earlier this month with decision makers of the European Union, a concerned group of Orthodox Christian lay leaders and clergy defended the religious freedom and human rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey while also advocating Turkey's integration into the EU community. Under the leadership of Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the Order of St. Andrew/Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, comprised of Greek Orthodox churchmen who are committed in conscience and purpose to the promote the well-being of the Patriarchate, which has been the world's spiritual center of Orthodox Christianity since the fourth century A.D.

LWF Calls for Commitment to Justice and Democracy in Nepal

April 27, 2006, GENEVA – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) welcomes recent efforts to restore a democratic system in Nepal, and urges parties to that country's internal conflict to demonstrate a commitment to justice and democracy by respecting the human rights of all people. In a statement issued on 26 April, LWF General Secretary, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko said he hoped that agreements in dealing with the current political crisis would "address the underlying grievances, which predispose Nepalese society to instability."

Middle East News

Iraqi American Describes Worsening Conditions in Iraq

April 25, 2006, WASHINGTON – Everyday life in Iraq is becoming increasingly dangerous, an Iraqi American told the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. "Iraq is becoming unlivable," said Andy Shallal, who has many family members living in the country. The Board of Church and Society passed a resolution in 2005 calling on the United States to withdraw troops from Iraq. Shallal spoke to the board's Peace with Justice/United Nations and International Affairs work area during the agency's April 20-23 meeting. He is with the Iraqi American Alliance, a Washington-based group working to strengthen relations between Iraqis and Americans.

WCC Protests Israeli Settlers' Violence Against Christian Volunteers in Hebron

April 26, 2006 – Expressing "alarm and concern" the World Council of Churches (WCC) has presented a formal protest to the Israeli ambassador in Switzerland over two recent incidents involving violence by Israeli settlers against Christian volunteers participating in the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). In a letter sent on 25 April, 2006 to Israeli ambassador Mr Aviv Shir-On, the director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, Peter Weiderud, requested appropriate actions by the Israeli authorities and law enforcement agencies to stop "abusive, unlawful and violent behaviour by settlers toward Palestinians and internationals."

West Bank Christians Targeted in Spate of Unexplained Fire-Bombings

April 26, 2006, JERUSALEM – A Roman Catholic parish school and a Bible-study center in the West Bank have been fire-bombed twice since the Islamist Hamas movement won a legislative election in January, according to Christian clerics. A priest at the Roman Catholic Al-Ahliyya College in the West Bank city of Ramallah said several fire-bombs were thrown into a school sports room in early March, causing serious damage and destroying equipment stored there. About a month earlier, he said, several petrol bombs were thrown into an Al-Ahliyya classroom.

Reviews

Fortress Press Releases Confessions of a Christian Humanist

April 28, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – How can one genuinely follow Jesus today, and what does that mean about one's lifestyle, social and political commitments, and ethical stance? In Confessions of a Christian Humanist, internationally renowned theologian John de Gruchy answers that question. Reviving an almost silenced tradition, he lifts the banner of Christian humanism, as he says, "not secular humanism with a Christian veneer, but a critical retrieval of Christianity's core convictions and values." Confessions of a Christian Humanist contrasts this way of being human with fundamentalisms and secular materialism.

Exploring the Inalienable Sanctity of Human Life in Global Context

April 28, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – Much of the rampant violence in the world today seems rooted in religion, and daily we see its vast potential for both creation and destruction. In the face of religious extremism, religious pluralism, and globalization, it has become profoundly important to reassess what the three often-conflicting Abrahamic traditions affirm about being human before God. In the newly-released Humanity Before God: Contemporary Faces of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Ethics, distinguished thinkers from Islam, Judaism, and Christianity-philosophers and theologians, historians and social scientists-examine their sacred texts, narratives and symbols, ritual practices, legacies and exemplars to lift up vital aspects of the character and value of being human.