Front Page

Call for Unity of Churches Worldwide Against Globalization

May 25, 2006 – A major international forum on mission and spirituality has called for a united movement among churches around the world alongside other faiths and civil society to challenge the deadly effects of neoliberal economic globalization. Sponsored by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Council for World Mission (CWM), the forum drew 41 church leaders from Europe, Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, North America and the Caribbean to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 15 to 19 May.

Immigration Bill Falls Short, United Methodist Leaders Say

May 26, 2006 – The immigration bill passed May 25 by the U.S. Senate does improve border security, create a guest worker program and open the door to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, but it is still not just or adequate, according to some United Methodist leaders. "The Senate bill doesn't go far enough," said Bill Mefford, executive with the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. "It doesn't create a pathway for all, and it doesn't protect workers' rights." He also pointed out the bill doesn't address family reunification. "In keeping with positions of the United Methodist Church and the Board of Global Ministries, I call on Congress to adopt comprehensive immigration policy that respects the full human rights of all immigrants," said the Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, in a May 25 statement. "This should include full labor protections, family reunification, preservation of due process and a path to genuine legalization."

Presbyterians Urged to Fight Torture
'Torture Awareness Month' Includes Chicago Gathering

May 24, 2006, LOUISVILLE – As the Bush administration continues defending its treatment of terrorism suspects, Presbyterians and other faith followers are being urged to participate in "Torture Awareness Month" activities in June. A number of human rights, civil liberties and religious organizations have declared the month-long observance to protest the practice of torture wherever it occurs, especially amid growing evidence that the United States government is systematically engaging in the use of torture and inhuman treatment against prisoners held in connection with the war on terror. "The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program encourages Presbyterians to identify appropriate ways to participate in Torture Awareness Month," said the Rev. Mark Koenig, the peacemaking program's associate for resources and publications. "Our confessions affirm that human beings are created in God's image. Rooted in that affirmation, Presbyterian General Assemblies have consistently spoken against the use of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment."

Gulf Coast Rebuilding: NCC Seeks to Keep Justice at Forefront
Episcopal Bishop's Ascension Day Sermon Underscores Priorities

May 26, 2006 – With hurricane season a week away, a special commission of the National Council of Churches (NCC) promises to "speak truth to power" throughout the long and arduous rebuilding effort of this city and the entire Gulf Coast region. Eight months ago hurricane damage and destruction "took off the mask" of poverty, race, class and gender in the United States. The NCC's Special Commission for the Just Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast will be supporting local ecumenical and community groups "to advocate for justice in the distribution of resources and services for those impacted by the hurricanes, especially the poor." A report was presented this week to the NCC's Governing Board by the Rev. Melvin G. Talbert, retired bishop in the United Methodist Church and chair of the Special Commission. "We will speak with the moral authority of our member churches," Bishop Talbert told the Governing Board. "There are times when we will take the initiative to open the doors that need to be opened," he said. We will, says the report, "hold fast to our vision of restored communities of love and justice."

General News

Brethren Man Walking Across America Heads for Home...For Now

May 23, 2006 ELGIN, IL – "The Walk Across America for Jesus Christ is rounding third base and heading for home in northern West Virginia," announced Don Vermilyea. The walk "is over for now, for at least a year," he said. "It may be done forever, it may not." Vermilyea, a Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) worker, began to walk across the US on Feb. 2, 2002, with the goal of walking to every Church of the Brethren congregation that extended an invitation. The walk has been sponsored by BVS and the Brethren Witness/Washington Office of the Church of the Brethren General Board. Having walked from coast to coast on a route that criss-crossed the country from Arizona to Washington and from North Dakota to Florida, with many stops in between, Vermilyea is ending the walk...for now. "I am whupped and wore out," he said, "I can't tell you how much I need a rest. I need to be in one place for awhile."

Baptist Children's Services Observes Celebration of Benevolence

May 22, 2006, VALLEY FORGE, PA – For over 127 years, Baptist Children's Services (BCS) has been meeting the needs of at-risk area children who are either homeless or in danger of becomming so. With five group homes and 2 emergency shelters in southeastern Pennsylvania, BCS offers safe environments for youth to live and grow. More than just housing though, BCS instills responsibility, accountability, and morals in the youth they serve through guidance and love. In May, BCS held its Celebration of Benevolence Breakfast where the organization recognized both student scholarship winners and the organizations that contribute financially to make services possible. Five residents were honored for graduating high school this year and moving on to independant living. For many children faced with homelessness, simply finishing school can be a daunting task.

Ethnic Grants Support Nine Ministries in Africa, U.S.

May 23, 2006, WASHINGTON – Nine grants totaling $138,600 will help programs serving ethnic minorities across the globe reach their ministry goals. The United Methodist Board of Church and Society approved funding for programs ranging from a leadership training seminar for 35 youth leaders in Mozambique to a program in Shreveport, La., that provides medical supplies and care to the poor and uninsured. The Ethnic Local Church Fund was created to help the denomination's program boards support local church and annual conference ministries in each board's area of concern.

Disaster Child Care Offers Level 1 Training Workshops

May 25, 2006, ELGIN, IL – Disaster Child Care, an ecumenical program that is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board, trains volunteers to set up child care centers in disaster locations. The centers provide crisis intervention for children who have been affected by disaster, and help care for children while their parents or family members seek assistance following a disaster. Anyone with a genuine love for children (18 years of age and older) is welcome to attend one of this summer's training events and apply for certification. Training workshops will be held June 16-17 at Grace United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Ga.; June 23-24, at Fruitland (Idaho) Church of the Brethren; June 23-24 at the Children's Board of Hillsborough County in Tampa, Fla.; and Aug. 11-12 at Roanoke (La.) United Methodist Church.

CTCR OKs ‘Left Behind' Bible Study, Responds to Civil-Union Query, Schedules Consultations

May 26, 2006 – In addition to unanimously adopting a report on the public rebuke of public sin (see LCMSNews release No. 34), the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) at its May 1-3 meeting in St. Louis also adopted a "Left Behind" Bible study, responded to a query from Synod President Gerald B. Kieschnick on the issue of same-sex civil unions, and announced the dates for two consultations on the scriptural relationship of man and woman. "This was a tremendously productive meeting. We got a number of significant things done," said Dr. Samuel H. Nafzger, CTCR executive director. The Bible study is a companion piece to the CTCR's 2004 response to the popular "Left Behind" series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. "This is a very timely Bible study," Nafzger said. "Many people are touched by the issues raised by the Left Behind series, and this study offers a wealth of information about the End Times."

Katrina Appeal ‘Solidifies Connection' Across Church, Bishop Says

May 24, 2006 – For United Methodists in South Alabama and West Florida, when you talk about hurricane recovery, you're not talking about one storm. Hurricane Katrina, which attacked the Gulf Coast Aug. 29, was the fifth named storm to strike the area in 11 months. Bishop Larry Goodpaster, who leads the United Methodist Church's Alabama-West Florida Area, says the cumulative effect of all those storms is what makes recovery so trying. "We're looking at three to five years of disaster recovery and rebuilding, provided no other storm comes our way," he says.

CTCR Adopts Statement on Public Rebuke of Public Sin

May 26, 2006 – The LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) adopted a statement about the public rebuke of public sin at its May 1-3 meeting in St. Louis. The statement, "Public Rebuke of Public Sin: Considerations in Light of the Large Catechism Explanation of the Eighth Commandment," was prepared in response to a 2002 request from LCMS President Gerald B. Kieschnick. In preparing its report, the commission considered the context of Luther's comments on public rebuke in his explanation to the Eighth Commandment, what Scripture has to say – particularly Matt. 18 and 23, Gal. 2, and 1 Tim. 5 – and the approach of the Lutheran Confessions to the issue. The commission also considered how understanding of public life has changed from the 16th century to the present. When Luther mentions public sins, "we might better translate ‘public' as ‘notorious' or ‘scandalous,'" the commission notes.

Program Provides Oasis for Children of Low-Income Families

May 25, 2006, FLORIDA CITY, Fla. – Children bolt off the yellow bus after school and run to a small, white structure that stands alone in an open field. The outside of the building is covered with artwork of trees, symbolic of the work that the Branches ministry does in this poor South Florida community. "We offer consistent love, no matter where the kids are from, no matter what's going on in their lives," says Kim Torres, Branches coordinator. "There are always people here who will love them and care for them.."

Sport Opens Young People's Hearts in Costa Rica
the Church's Mission Has to Be Experienced in Daily Life

May 26, 2006, SAN JOSE, Costa Rica/GENEVA – A key that opens the hearts of young people, is how the Lutheran Costa Rican Church – Iglesia Luterana Costarricense (ILCO) perceives its "Football for Life" program targeting children and adolescents from less privileged families. The program's coordinator, Mr Roy Arias Cruz, says he sees football as an essential tool in attracting young people's attention. It serves as an important forum for discussion about drug consumption, its prevention, as well as violence, among the many other issues encountered in society by youth. Through sports, he adds, they "can be given hope that a different world is possible." More than 50 collaborators, including young people's parents and friends in the community, volunteer for "Football for Life," which has become an independent ILCO-coordinated non-governmental organization, also supported by German Protestant churches' aid agency, "Bread for the World."

Ecumenical News

First US Catholic-Sikh National Consultation Held

May 24, 2006 – Representatives of the World Sikh Council – America Region (WSC-AR) and the US Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) met on Saturday, May 20, 2006 in New York City for a landmark all-day Catholic-Sikh bilateral national interreligious consultation. The day-long meeting was hosted by Religions for Peace – USA at the Church Center at the United Nations. The objective of the meeting was for the Catholic and Sikh communities in the US to meet formally for the first time and explore issues of common interest. The Catholic delegation was headed Rev. James Massa, Executive Director of USCCB's Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs, with Monsignor Felix Machado, Under Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican in Rome, as a special guest and advisor. The Sikh delegation was led by Dr. Manohar Singh, Chairperson of the WSC-AR with assistance from Dr. Tarunjit Singh, Chair of Interfaith Committee of WSC-AR. A total of 12 invited representatives from the USCCB and WSC-AR attended and participated in the discussions. Two observers of Religions for Peace – USA also attended the consultation.

Union of Protestant Churches in Alsace and Lorraine Inaugurated

May 22, 2006, STRASBOURG, France/GENEVA – The recent merger of the Lutheran and Reformed churches in Alsace and Lorraine, France "will allow a stronger and more solid witness [of the church] in a world where religious identities have a tendency to lose their effectiveness. It will be one voice and one visible presence," said Rev. Dr Jean-François Collange, president of the Church of the Augsburg Confession of Alsace and Lorraine (ECAAL) in France. The founding of the Union of Protestant Churches in Alsace and Lorraine (UEPAL), resulting from the merger of the ECAAL and the Reformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine (ERAL), was celebrated in a worship service at the St Thomas Church in Strasbourg, France, on 7 May.

Spanish News

Código Da Vinci Distorsiona Imagen De Jesús Y Contradice Estudios Advierten Obispos

26 mayo 2006, BRASILIA, Brasil – El filme "El Código da Vinci," basado en el libro del mismo nombre, escrito por Dan Brown, presenta una imagen distorsionada de Jesucristo, que contrasta con pesquisas y afirmaciones de estudiosos de diversas áreas de las ciencias humanas y de la teología, enfatiza una nota de la Conferencia Nacional de Obispos de Brasil (CNBB). En la nota, suscrita por el presidente de la entidad y arzobispo de Salvador, cardenal Geraldo Majella Agnelo, la CNBB lamenta que la obra, "con ropaje pseudo-científico, se ponga a describir de manera superficial y sin respeto sobre convicciones tan sagradas para los cristianos."

Votos Evangélicos Podrían Hacer La Diferencia En Ajustada Segunda Vuelta

25 mayo 2006, LIMA, Peru – Los votos evangélicos que lograron sortear la valla electoral del cuatro por ciento y obtuvieron representacion congresal para el Partido Restauracion Nacional (PRN), que lidera el pastor Humberto Lay Sun, podrían hacer la diferencia en la segunda vuelta electoral del próximo 4 de junio, cuyos resultados se anuncian bastante ajustados. Lay Sun se ha reunido con cada uno de los candidatos que contienden por la presidencia del país, Alan García, líder del social demócrata Partido Aprista, y Ollanta Humala, un militar en retiro que encabeza el partido nacionalista Unión por el Perú, de tendencia izquierdista.

Organismos Cristianos Entregan Semillas Para Mitigar El Hambre

24 mayo 2006, MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Con la donacisn de semillas a pequeqos productores rurales, a quienes se pide que siembren por lo menos media hectarea, el Consejo de Iglesias Evangilicas Pro Alianza Denominacional (CEPAD) y el Centro Intereclesial de Estudios Teolsgicos y Sociales (CIEETS), tratan de mitigar el hambre en Nicaragua. El profesor Eduardo Jerez, delegado del CEPAD para Managua, dijo que entregaran semillas a 224 familias campesinas de 13 comunidades, con ayuda de la Iglesia Discmpulos de Cristo de Estados Unidos.

Religious Liberty News

NCC, CWS: Cuba Travel Restricts "Religious Freedom"

May 26, 2006, WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Council of Churches and Church World Service joined with other organizations to renew objections to new government travel restrictions to Cuba in a news conference at the National Press Club here Thursday. "The current U.S. policy toward Cuba restricts religious freedom and is contrary to the principles upon which our nation was founded," said NCC's Associate General Secretary for Justice and Advocacy Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, who spoke at the news conference. "We reiterate our call on the U.S. Government to respect religious freedom and restore the less restrictive travel licenses that we have had for decades." Last year, the NCC and Church World Service along with several member denominations, including the American Baptist Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, and the United Church of Christ/Disciples of Christ Global Ministries, received notices from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets that their existing licenses for religious travel to Cuba would not be renewed. Instead, religious organizations have been offered very restricted licenses that only allow up to four delegations annually with a limited number of participants who have to be identified at the time of the license application. Churches often do not know at the time of license application which church members will request travel during the year and say it is unrealistic to place a four-trip limit on denominational agencies representing millions of members.

National News

Alliance for Fair Food Calls on McDonald's to Work with Farmworkers
to End Exploitation in the Fields of its Suppliers

May 25, 2006 – As McDonald's shareholders gather for the company's annual meeting today, farmworkers from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and members of the Alliance for Fair Food (AFF) are calling on the company to commence immediate and serious dialogue with the CIW to address exploitative wages and human rights concerns in McDonald's tomato supply chain. Farmworkers picking for McDonald's suppliers earn 40-45 cents for every 32 pound bucket of tomatoes they harvest, a wage that has remained stagnant for more than 25 years. In partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI, the CIW has successfully prosecuted five cases of slavery in the agricultural fields and freed more than one thousand slaves. More cases are under investigation.

International News

Update on Baha'i Arrests in Iran

May 26, 2006, NEW YORK – After their arrests on 19 May in Shiraz, Iran, three Baha'is remain in jail while 51 others have been released on bail. No indication has been given as to when the three will be released. None of those who had been released, nor the three who are still being detained, have been formally charged. On the day of the arrests, one Baha'i, under the age of 15, was released without having to post bail. At that same time, several other young people who are not Baha'is and who had been arrested with the Baha'is, were also released without bail. On Wednesday 24 May, five days after their summary arrests, 14 of the Baha'is were released, each having been required to provide deeds of property to the value of ten million tumans (approximately US$11,000) as collateral for release.

Small Arms Are a Big Problem Says the United Church of Canada

May 23, 2006, TORONTO – May 22-29, 2006, marks the Global Week of Action Against Small Arms. It is a time, says The United Church of Canada, to remember that "God calls us to be peacemakers and reconcilers in a world of much conflict and division." Small arms are a big problem-not only for Canadian cities but also for communities across the globe. "With over 600 million small arms in circulation globally, killing over 500,000 people annually, we cannot close our eyes to the issue of small arms," says Choice Okoro, Program Coordinator for Human Rights and Reconciliation. Earlier this month, Okoro wrote Prime Minister Stephen Harper, asking him to stiffen the resolve of the Canadian delegation attending the June 26-July 7, 2006, United Nations Small Arms Review Conference.

Baptists in Finland Celebrate 150th Anniversary

May 26, 2006, VALLEY FORGE, PA – Baptists in Finland, the Finnish Baptist Union, and the Swedish Speaking Baptist Union celebrate together 150 years of Baptist witness in Finland. The Celebration will take place June 15-18, 2006 near Jakobstad (Pietarsaari), where Baptist witness to the area began and is still well represented. Baptist witness came to Finland from Sweden in 1854. The first local Baptist church was founded in Aland, in the Finnish archipelago, and from there Baptist witness spread along the Western coast and to other parts of the country. Baptists in Finland have had a strong influence on Christian education, youth work, music, and other activities and have been actively involved in working for the renewal of legislation for religious freedom (1922 and 2003).

Middle East News

Ending Double Standards and Unilateral Gains Necessary for Peace in Israel/Palestine

May 22, 2006 – For peace to be achieved, both parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be held to identical standards on ending violence, respecting agreements, and recognizing the other says the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee. Any unilateral setting of borders must be excluded, a one-party cease-fire in place now needs to be extended to all parties, and the international community should engage with all elected Palestinian leaders. The committee also asks WCC member churches to heed calls for help from the churches of Jerusalem and to address the threat of anti-Semitism. In a statement entitled "The time is ripe to do what is right," issued at its 16-19 May 2006 meeting in Bossey, near Geneva, the WCC governing body warns that "Peace must come soon or it may not come to either people for a long time."

People in the News

Garland Pierce Elected NCC Associate General Secretary
for Education and Leadership Ministries Commission

May 22, 2006, NEW ORLEANS – The Rev. Garland F. Pierce, an African Methodist Episcopal clergyman with years of experience in the ecumenical movement, has been named Associate General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA for the Education and Leadership Ministries Commission. Pierce was elected during the meeting of the NCC Governing Board here on May 22. He succeeds the Rev. Patrice Rosner who is leaving the position she's held since 2000 to become director of Churches Uniting in Christ, headquartered in St. Louis. Rosner and NCC General Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, praised the selection of Pierce. "I want to thank you for the gift of who you elected as my successor," Rosner told the Governing Board as she opened farewell presents during a luncheon in her honor.

Reviews

New English Resource on Pastoral Care of Hispanics

May 25, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – The Latino population is a pastorally challenging polyculture. This diversity requires spiritual caregivers to approach every Hispanic individual with humbleness. To equip ministry professionals in their work with and for Latino/as, the largest minority and fastest-growing group in the U.S., R. Estaban Montilla and Ferney Medina have written Pastoral Care and Counseling with Latino/as, centering their presentation on families and rituals as the heart and soul of the Hispanic community and the key to caregiving. In that context they unfold a variegated picture of the particular cultural guideposts for Hispanics in the U.S. today, especially their symbols and rituals, attitudes toward health and healing, abiding faith, and contemporary quest for creative agency and dignity. They close by exploring pastoral strategies with issues of discrimination and racism, and contemporary issues in providing pastoral counseling with Latinas and Latinos.