Front Page

Churches Call for a European Peace Agency

May 4, 2006 – The role of the political institutions and the role of the churches on issues relating to Peace, Security and Reconciliation was the main theme taken up by the 40 church representatives from 18 European countries, who attended the plenary meeting of the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) in Sigtuna, Sweden, from 29 April to 3 May 2006. Ambassador Alyson J.K Bailes from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), addressing the meeting with a keynote speech, emphasised the importance of regional cooperation across national borders as an important mechanism for conflict prevention, non-violent conflict management and peace keeping.

'Si, Se Puede': Episcopalians Rally in Support of Immigrants

May 5, 2006 – The 'Day Without Immigrants' was anything but for Episcopalians and others who joined more than one million people across the nation to demonstrate their support for immigrant rights on May 1.

General News

Church Store Promotes Fair Trade, Justice

May 5, 2006, TACOMA, Wash. – Anybody can go to the ends of the earth without leaving the state of Washington – and in doing so help struggling African farmers and support the rain forest. "Ends of the Earth," a small shop on the first floor of First United Methodist Church in Tacoma, stocks coffee, chocolate, crafts and a host of other fair-trade products. The unusual store also offers handmade cosmetic creams, jewelry, drums, pots and baby clothes – all produced by village farmers and artisans in countries such as Ghana, Mexico, Peru and Indonesia.

Bracelets Are Reminders to ‘Dream God's Dream'

May 4, 2006, NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) – Rêve, träumen Sie, sonhe, meyte, drøm, dream. No matter how you say it, the Division on Ministries with Young People wants you to do one thing: dream God's dreams. Brown latex bracelets featuring the word "dream" in English, French, Danish, Portuguese, German and Russian are available from the division for $9.90 for a package of 10. Proceeds from the sale of the bracelets will benefit the AIDS Orphan Trust (70 percent) and the Division on Ministries with Young People (30 percent).

Judicial Council Denies Reconsideration of Two Decisions

May 2, 2006, OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The United Methodist Judicial Council has rejected appeals to reconsider two decisions that have created much debate within the church. The council voted not to revisit Decisions 1031 and 1032, issued last October and related to the case of the Rev. Ed Johnson of South Hill (Va.) United Methodist Church, who blocked a practicing homosexual man from taking membership in the church. Johnson was placed on involuntary leave last June by his clergy peers in the Virginia Annual Conference, and Bishop Charlene P. Kammerer upheld the action. But in Decision 1031, the Judicial Council ruled that Johnson's due process rights were violated when the conference transformed an administrative complaint against him into a judicial complaint. And in Decision 1032, the council made a much more far-reaching ruling, saying that the senior pastor of a local church does have the right to determine a person's readiness for membership.

New DVD Offers Information about the LCMS

May 5, 2006 – What's a "synod"? Are Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod congregations only in the state of Missouri? What do Missouri Synod Lutherans believe? Those questions – and lots of others – are answered in "Some Things Never Change," a new 12-minute DVD from Concordia Publishing House. Narrated by Rev. Matthew Harrison, executive director of LCMS World Relief/Human Care, the DVD offers a brief overview of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, including the church body's history, its growth, its beliefs, and its worldwide ministries. "The DVD demonstrates how Lutheranism has grown, while its foundation never changes – the eternal Word of God and the assurance of salvation through Jesus Christ," reads the DVD's jacket.

Archbishop Demetrios Invited to White House for 55th Anniversary of the National Day of Prayer

May 4, 2006, NEW YORK – Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and Chairman of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), was invited to the White House today, May 4th, for the 55th Anniversary of the National Day of Prayer. The National Day of Prayer is an annual event, established 55 years ago, in which millions of Americans unite to pray for our country and leaders .The White House observance, held this year in the East Room, traditionally headlines events held in public venues to pray for the nation, governmental leaders, media, churches, families and schools.

Mailings Detail ‘Lutheran Service Book,' Companions May 3, 2006

The Synod's Commission on Worship and Concordia Publishing House (CPH) in late April mailed a comprehensive 40-page booklet about Lutheran Service Book and its companion editions to all LCMS and Lutheran Church – Canada congregations and others. This is the first of several mailings over the next few months about the new Synod worship resource planned by the commission and CPH, which are joint publishers of the work. The booklet describes each of eight editions that will be available this fall, including sample pages from them, and offers suggestions for fundraising and introducing the hymnal.

Spanish Speakers Assist Louisiana Hurricane Recovery

May. 3, 2006, BATON ROGUE, La. – It is difficult to lose everything you have in a natural disaster. It is even more difficult to recover from the loss if language barriers exist. Thousands of those affected by Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast Aug. 29, are Hispanic/Latino, with Spanish as their primary or only language. Not only are many of them struggling to rebuild because of insurance and financial problems, but communicating with English-speaking permit office employees, contractors and recovery volunteers is challenging for storm victims who are not fluently bilingual.

Small Church Web Site Now Online
Latest Cyber Offering Includes Resources, Stories and Information

May 5, 2006, LOUISVILLE – The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has launched a new Web site dedicated to small churches. The site, http://www.pcusa.org/smallchurch/, is intended to further the mission of the Small Church Ministry Network, a voluntary association of people throughout the church involved or interested in small church ministry. Small congregations are those with average attendance at Sunday worship of 100 or fewer. Two-thirds of PC(USA) congregations qualify for the designation. "The Web site will continue to provide tools to help small churches more effectively serve and witness with their communities," said the Rev. Phil Tom, the PC(USA)'s associate for Urban Ministry.

Three Religion Communicators Receive UMCom Scholarships

May. 5, 2006, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Three students pursuing careers in religion journalism are receiving fellowships and scholarships from United Methodist Communications for the coming academic year. A Commission on Communication scholarship committee chose the Judith L. Weidman Ethnic Minority Fellow, the Stoody-West Graduate Fellow and the Leonard M. Perryman Scholarship for Ethnic Students for 2006-07 on April 27. The recipients were selected because of their skills, experience and commitment to religion communications. The commission is UMCom's governing body. "The need for professional journalists who can interpret the influence of religion and faith on global culture has never been greater," said the Rev. Larry Hollon, top staff executive of United Methodist Communications.

Prison Van Ministry Helps Families Stay Together

May. 4, 2006, KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – When Lisa Woods walked into a visitation room at the Tennessee Prison for Women, her 3-year-old niece – whom she hadn't seen in nearly a year – ran to greet her and jumped into her arms. "It's very exciting," said Woods. "At first, I thought I was going to cry." Woods' niece, nephew, sister and mother went to the Nashville prison for a visit with the help of the prison van ministry at Concord United Methodist Church in Knoxville. Once a month, volunteers drive church vans on the three-hour trip from Knoxville to Nashville to help keep families connected.

United Methodist Men Asks Families to Focus on Hunger

May 1, 2006, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The United Methodist Men's agency is asking families to fast a meal in June to feed the hungry. The churchwide Commission on United Methodist Men and the Virginia-based Society of St. Andrew are asking families to observe National Hunger Awareness Day on June 6 by fasting one meal and giving the amount that would have been spent on that meal to feed the hungry. Operating under the banner of Fami1y (Fast A Meal In 1 Year), the National Association of Conference Presidents of United Methodist Men also encourages churches to use June 4 or June 11 as a Hunger Awareness Sunday.

Stem Cells in Context –
Experts Address Ecumenical Roundtable on Science, Technology and the Church

May 1, 2006 – While the debate over the many ethical implications of stem cell research rages, studies in molecular genetics, genomics and cell development continue to yield new information. One of the learnings which may be surprising to many is that the differentiation of a stem cell depends on the environment or microniche where it resides. "What a cell's neighbors ‘say' to it chemically, and what it says to its neighbors, impact what kind of cell it becomes," reported Dr. Christie A. Holland, retired Professor and Chair of Virology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Children's Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

New TV Ad Airs

May 1, 2006 – The Episcopal Church's new 30-second TV spot targeting Generation X women to "come and grow" in local congregations airs this week nationally in a media buy coordinated by Time Warner Cable. The ad features Gen-X priest Paige Blair of York Harbor, Maine, in a format set for replication in 2007 in Spanish (for airing in Puerto Rico and other Latin American dioceses) and in English in other regional settings. The ad may be viewed online at http://www.comeandgrow.org/.

St. Timothy's, Roxborough, Gets ‘Organ Transplant'

May 1, 2006 – St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Roxborough, Philadelphia, and a team of experts from the John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Company of Champaign, Illinois, began in March the first stages of installing about 2,000 pipes that make up a reconditioned 1967 Wicks pipe organ. The instrument had just completed the journey to its new home in Roxborough from the First Baptist Church of Decatur, Illinois. St. Timothy's held a capital campaign in November 2005 to enable the purchase of the world-class instrument. The installation is scheduled for completion this week and will be played at services during May.

Ecumenical News

Unity, Catholicity and Baptism: European Churches in Dialogue

From 27 to 30 April 2006 the third consultation on the question of ecclesiology, jointly organised by the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) – formerly called Leuenberg Church Fellowship – took place at Phanar/Istanbul, the See of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The participants came from Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches, as well as the Lutheran, Reformed and United Churches of the CPCE. All these Churches are CEC members. Observers from the Porvoo Communion and the Commission "Churches in dialogue" of CEC were also present.

United Methodist Delegation Visits Vatican

May 1, 2006 – A United Methodist delegation met with Vatican officials in Rome to discuss future relations between the denomination and the Roman Catholic Church. Representatives of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns also attended the April 26 outdoor public audience with Pope Benedict XVI and exchanged greetings with the pontiff. During an April 25 meeting with Cardinal Walter Kasper and the staff of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the delegation discussed the international Methodist-Catholic dialogue sponsored by the World Methodist Council and the U.S. dialogue between United Methodists and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Spanish News

Congresista Y Pastor Evangélico Amenaza Con Retirar
Su Apoyo a Uribe Si Mantiene Impuestos a Iglesias No Católicas

3 mayo 2006, BOGOTÁ, Colombia – El congresista y pastor evangélico Luis Salas Moisés, integrante del Partido Social de Unidad Nacional, o Partido de «la U» que apoya la reelección del presidente Álvaro Uribe, amenazó con dejar en suspenso su adhesión, en caso de que el gobierno no se retracte del decreto que dispone una retención impositiva del 3.5 por ciento a todas las congregaciones religiosas no católicas. Salas Moisés manifiestó que su apoyo a la campaña política de Uribe estaría "en la cuerda floja" de no tomarse medidas correctivas frente a ese decreto, que, según opinó, "va en contra de la libertad religiosa y de cultos."

Consejo De Iglesias Prepara Semana De Oración Por La Unidad De Los Cristianos

5 mayo 2006, BRASILIA, Brasil – Animado por la repercusión de la Campaña de la Fraternidad Ecuménica 2005 y el impacto de la IX Asamblea General del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), celebrada en Porto Alegre, en febrero último, el Consejo Nacional de Iglesias Cristianas de Brasil (CONIC) ha convocado la Semana de Oración por la Unidad de los Cristianos del 28 de mayo al 4 de junio próximos. Desde 1966, la Comisión de Fe y Constitución del CMI y el Consejo Pontificio para la Promoción de la Unidad de los Cristianos de la Iglesia Católica Romana se unen en la promoción de la Semana en el mundo.

Metodistas Expresan Preocupación Por Inmigrantes En Estados Unidos

4 mayo 2006, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – El Consejo de Iglesias Evangélicas Metodistas de América Latina y el Caribe (CIEMAL) expresó su preocupación por la amenaza que se cierne sobre millones de inmigrantes indocumentados en Estados Unidos, procedentes de América Latina, el Caribe y otras partes del mundo, de ser criminalizados, perseguidos y expulsados. En un comunicado lanzado el fin de semana, esa organización señala que los hispanos y otros grupos de inmigrantes están viviendo una grave situación de miedo e inseguridad ante la posibilidad de que la nueva ley de migraciones, ya aprobada en la Cámara de Representantes estadounidense, sea sancionada por el Senado.

La Iglesia No Se Preocupa Por Capacitar a Sus Miembros Como Buenos Ciudadanos

5 mayo 2006, CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA, – La negligencia o la ignorancia de algunos cristianos se debe a que la iglesia no se preocupa por capacitarlos como buenos ciudadanos, sostuvo Carlos Velásquez, diputado del partido Frente Republicano Guatemalteco (FRG), en la charla brindada el jueves a un grupo de pastores de la Asociación de Ministros Evangélicos de Guatemala. Velásquez, miembro de la Iglesia El Shaddai, dijo que existe una interpretación incorrecta de la separación entre Iglesia y Estado. "Muchos cristianos saben lo que creen, pero no saben por qué lo creen, por la falta de análisis y de orientación sobre la realidad en que la iglesia está funcionando," aseveró.

Ministra De Justicia Dice Que En América Latina Se Cree
Que Es Un Derecho Discriminar Y Maltratar a Empleadas Del Hogar

2 mayo 2006, LIMA, Peru – La mujer de América Latina, a diferencia de las de países industrializados, sale a trabajar gracias a que hay otra que la reemplaza en casa: la empleada del hogar, un servicio muy barato y poco reconocido en la sociedad latinoamericana, y que algunos sectores se creen con derecho derecho a discriminarlas y maltratarlas. Así define Casimira Rodríguez, 39 años, soltera, ministra de Justicia del gobierno de Evo Morales, la situación de las trabajadoras de hogares en los países latinoamericanos, denominadas de diferentes maneras, pero generalmente sometidas a tratos ofensivos y agobiantes jornadas de trabajo.

Episcopales De América Central Rechazan Ley Anti Inmigratoria

30 abril 2006, MANAGUA, Nicaragua – La Iglesia Anglicana de la Región Central de América (IARCA) rechazó el sábado cualquier legislación que afecte a organizaciones humanitarias y provoque actos de sufrimiento a los millones inmigrantes indocumentados en Estados Unidos. Esta resolución fue dada a conocer en el III Sínodo Provincial de la IARCA, que se inició el 25 y concluyó hoy domingo y donde fue clara las posiciones de los episcopales de América Central ante la ley anti-inmigrante de HR4437 o ley Sensenbrenner que fue aprobada por la Cámara de Representantes Federal en Estados Unidos, en diciembre pasado.

International News

Bishops Speak out Against Nigerian Laws on Homosexuality
Nigerian Church Called to Account for its Support of Legislation

May 4, 2006, NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. – Canada's Anglican bishops unanimously endorsed a motion expressing "grave concern" about proposed legislation in Nigeria that "would prohibit or severely restrict the freedom of speech, association, expression and assembly of gay and lesbian persons." Their motion also called criticized the (Anglican) Church of Nigeria for its support of the legislation. The legislation is inconsistent with the United Nations' International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the bishops said in their motion, which was passed at their spring meeting held April 22-27. They said they were "especially grieved" by the support for the legislation given by the Church of Nigeria, noting that the 1998 Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops called upon churches to "listen to the experience of homosexual persons."

Sudanese Civil War Survivors Attend Rally in Support of Home

May 2, 2006, WASHINGTON – On a magnificent, sunny spring day, Angelo Maker embarked on a journey down the National Mall that was only a fraction as harrowing as the one he undertook nearly 20 years ago in Sudan. But he approached his trek through the Save Darfur rally on April 30 with the same kind of determination that helped him survive wild animals and marauding militias in 1987, when he escaped a civil war. Maker and four other Sudanese men in their 20s wound their way around and over a crowd of between 15,000 and 20,000 to the foot of the rally's stage. They were decked out in the suits and ties they had worn to a service earlier in the day at Crossroads United Methodist Church in Ashburn, Va.

Middle East News

Holy Land Documentation Site

May 5, 2006 – A new section of the Anglican Communion website has been established. This seeks to collect together statements by a range of official Anglican bodies relating to the situation in the Holy Land (Israel/Palestine). It also includes resources and documentation relating to Anglican-Jewish relations. Clare Amos, the Director of Theological Studies, who has taken responsibility for collecting the material says, ‘We hope that this site will enable people to see for themselves just what has formally and officially been said about these significant subjects by the Anglican Communion, and by member Anglican Churches and organisations.".

Reviews

Coretta Scott King Through the Eyes of a Friend

May 3, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – Fortress Press will soon release Coretta: The Story of Coretta Scott King, Commemorative Edition, written by her life-long friend, Octavia Vivian. In this first biography of Coretta Scott King, with foreword by Martin Luther King III, the reader meets a determined young girl who grew up in Alabama and worked her way through Antioch College only to discover that she was not allowed to teach in the white schools in Ohio. She pursued a musical career in Boston, where she met Martin Luther King, Jr.