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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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June 21, 2006, COLUMBUS, Ohio – Following the delivery of this message, the Houses met in separate sessions to consider Resolution B033, "On the Election of Bishops" (see text below). The Bishops approved the resolution shortly after 11:30 a.m. and following debate during which Presiding Bishop-elect Katharine Jefferts Schori supported the resolution. Text of Griswold's message to the Joint Session is as follows: When I became your Presiding Bishop eight and a half years ago, I called the church to the costly discipline of conversation. Media Mission Speaker "Decodes" the Da Vinci Code June 17, 2006, BIRMINGHAM – Christians have no reason to fear The Da Vinci Code, according to New Testament scholar the Rev. Kenneth E. Bailey. In fact, he said the phenomenally successful book and recently released film have created an opening for the church to engage the secular culture. Bailey, who spent 40 years teaching at seminaries and research institutes in the Middle East, spent about 45 minutes "decoding The Da Vinci Code" Saturday at a General Assembly luncheon sponsored by Presbyterian Media Mission and Presbyterian Communicators Network. Rising Retiree Health Costs Pose Major Concern for Church June 22, 2006 – United Methodists have a strong tradition of caring for their retired pastors. The double-edged sword of escalating health care costs and growing numbers of retirees receiving benefits is making that an increasingly difficult proposition. Some in the denomination worry that the church will follow the lead of many secular corporations and be forced to eliminate health care coverage for its retirees. Half the benefit plans in the country have been lost in the past decade, according to the American Benefits Council. ‘We Are the Leaders We Have Been Waiting For,' June 23, 2006 ATLANTA – "We are the leaders we have been waiting for," Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, told more than 400 moderate Baptists from across the South Thursday at a luncheon during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's general assembly at the Georgia World Congress Center here. The luncheon honored the 15th anniversary of the Baptist Center for Ethics, a pioneering agency which sponsors the popular EthicsDaily.com website and publishes church-centered curriculum materials on ethical and moral issues. Edgar told the pastor leaders, God is calling all Christians to learn how to walk together "in the footsteps of Jesus," actively leading today's world to affirm values that Jesus taught and practiced, while addressing the challenges of "fear, fundamentalism, and Fox News." Bishops Approve Reconciliation, Study-of-slavery Resolutions June 16, 2006, COLUMBUS, Ohio – The House of Bishops has approved, with amendments, resolution A123: "Slavery and Racial Reconciliation." The resolution declares "unequivocally, that the institution of slavery in the United States and anywhere else in the world" is a sin. It calls on the church to acknowledge its history and participation in this sin. The resolution would have the Executive Council initiate a comprehensive program that would urge every diocese to collect information about the complicity of the church towards the institution of slavery in its communities, including the economic benefits the church derived. The Presiding Bishop would be requested to name a Day of Repentance at Washington National Cathedral. Dioceses would be asked to hold similar services. ELCA Offers Bilingual Translation of Luther's Small Catechism June 20, 2006 – Augsburg Fortress, the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), released "El Catecismo Menor de Lutero/Luther's Small Catechism" on June 14. ELCA Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission develops culture-specific resources for the church. The translations of Luther's Small Catechism offer both English and Spanish texts laid out in a side-by-side format. The Spanish translation relied on texts used in Spanish liturgies, Bibles currently used in classrooms, traditional order of the parts of the Catechism and Luther's German translation of biblical texts. Leaders Believe Sunday School Can Revitalize Church June 23, 2006, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – If you are not part of a Sunday school class you may be missing out on a great "combo deal." "Sunday school is the place where you are known at church," said Chris Jackson, Christian educator at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis. "Worship may be glorious and inspirational, but you cannot create discussions or develop interpersonal relationships while sitting in the pews," he noted. "Sunday school is the ‘combo meal deal' at church!" ‘The Beautiful Fight of the Faith' June 19, 2006, BIRMINGHAM – "Peacemaking is putting your heinie onthe line," the Rev. Mark Lomax declared to a full house gathered Monday night for the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program's 25th anniversary celebration dinner. "We are engaged in a fight," said Lomax, founding pastor of First Afrikan Church in Lithonia, GA. "You can't get in a fight and not come out bloodied." What is the church to do? "We really do have to go to the cross. We have to become the gospel," Lomax said. "We have to live it out in our daily walk." Voices of Sophia Author Tells How Christians Can Reclaim Paradise on Earth June 19, 2006, BIRMINGHAM – Rita Nakashima Brock is using a study of early Mediterranean-area Christian art, poetry, music and dance to teach modern-day Christians how to reclaim paradise. Not the pie-in-the-sky variety, but paradise right here on Earth. Brock was the keynote speaker Monday at a breakfast for Voices of Sophia, a group of about 600 members working "toward the reformation of the church into a discipleship of equals." What Brock and her writing partner, Rebecca Parker, learned while researching their upcoming book Saving Paradise is that for the first thousand years after Jesus' death and resurrection, artists did not depict the crucified Jesus * only the risen one. Archbishop of Canterbury – ‘Prayers' for New Presiding Bishop June 19, 2006 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has issued a statement on the election of the Rt Revd Katharine Jefferts Schori as the next Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America, in succession to the Most Revd Frank Griswold. "I send my greetings to Bishop Katharine and she has my prayers and good wishes as she takes up a deeply demanding position at a critical time. She will bring many intellectual and pastoral gifts to her new work, and I am pleased to see the strength of her commitment to mission and to the Millennium Development Goals. Her election will undoubtedly have an impact on the collegial life of the Anglican Primates; and it also brings into focus some continuing issues in several of our ecumenical dialogues. Alliance Launches New Study Series for Reformation Sunday June 22, 2006, GENEVA – A new series of congregational resources for Reformation Sunday has been launched by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC). The 2006 version, Renewing the Church: Resources for Celebrating Reformation Sunday, focuses on the Accra Confession and covenanting for justice in the economy and the earth and will invite churches to renew their mission as they reflect on what it means to be Reformed within their contexts today. The Accra Confession and covenanting for justice in the economy and the earth were major emphases of the Alliance's 24th General Council held in Accra, Ghana, in 2004. Doctor Says Healthy Clergy Needed, Illness Not God's Will June 19, 2006 – A United Methodist physician who believes the denomination's clergy are among the least-healthy professional groups in the United States is featured on a Web-log on Time magazine's global health update site. Dr. Scott Morris, a physician, United Methodist pastor and executive director of the Church Health Center in Memphis, Tenn., said pastors and church members need to realize "that the least healthy meal you eat every week is usually at your church" when it should be the other way around. "The church ought to lead the way, not bring up the rear. If the church has to serve fried chicken in order to draw a crowd, then there is something wrong with the message." Morris said. June 21, 2006, BIRMINGHAM – Values, not physical power, will save our society, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch told the Presbyterian Historical Society luncheon Tuesday. Branch, author of a best-selling trilogy on Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement, said we have a choice between adhering to our values or using force to solve our problems. "We're already lost if we do not choose values," he said. "We'll be on the slippery slope back to the Inquisition, when torture profaned, not purified, the church." Most of Branch's presentation centered on the Civil Rights movement, especially Birmingham's role in that struggle. In the watershed year of 1963, the fear in the city was palpable, he said. Segregation was strictly enforced in matters as mundane as playing checkers in public, and murders of blacks went uninvestigated. Church Acknowledges Role in Slavery, Plans Reparations Study June 21, 2006, COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 75th General Convention acknowledged the past involvement of the Episcopal Church in slavery and supported a study of monetary and non-monetary reparations to descendants of the victims of slavery. During action on June 21, the last day of the nine-day Convention, the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies concurred on resolution A123: "Slavery and Racial Reconciliation," which calls for the Episcopal Church to express regret for supporting and justifying slavery. The Deputies heard debate on both sides of the issue. Billy Alford, Diocese of Georgia, said the discussion was overdue. "Yes, civil rights laws have been passed. But I remind this house that they were rights; they were not repairs. And they were 100 years late in coming," he said. June 18, 2006, BIRMINGHAM – The Rev. Margaret Suttle, President of Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network (POAMN), announced on Monday a new direction and partnership for the denomination's efforts in the ministries. A partnership between POAMN, the Association of Retired Ministers, Spouses, and Survivors (ARMSS) and Presbyterian Homes and Society for the Aging (PAHSA) will cooperate to fund older adult ministries through a decentralized network of people in the field. The Rev. Jon Brown, General Assembly Council staff liaison, said "This shift recognizes that experts in older adult ministries are in the field" rather than in the General Assembly national office. ‘Love Is about Listening,' Says Botswana Bishop Mwamba June 15, 2006, COLUMBUS, Ohio – Bishop Trevor Mwamba of the Diocese of Botswana in the Province of Central Africa is one of the more than 60 international guests at General Convention. He spoke with Episcopal News Service international correspondent, Matthew Davies, about the mission of the Church and its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, and shared impressions on the General Convention and the legislative processes of the Episcopal Church. Mwamba also addressed the importance of listening at this time in the life of the Anglican Communion, noting his appreciation for the commitment of the church to inviting international guests into its midst. Liturgy for ‘Person's Best Friend' Considered June 16, 2006, COLUMBUS, Ohio – The dog didn't offer expert testimony but his brief presence during an early Friday hearing of the Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music Committee served as witness to the need to create a rite for loss of a companion animal (D041). "Our animal companions provide a unique connection to creation and expand our sense of God's diverse gifts in creation. In many cases they also join us as partners in ministry, in such capacities as assistance animals, i.e. Seeing Eye dogs, etc. as well as therapy dogs and cats used in health care facilities and for pastoral care," according to the resolution, authored by the Rev. Lee Shaw of Utah. From Homelessness at Home to Globalization Abroad, Social Justice Issues Spans the Globe June 22, 2006, BIRMINGHAM – The Rev. Ann Philbrick, Social Justice Issues committee chair, led commissioners through a worldwide tour. "We will begin at home, travel around the world, and then come back again." A proposal to encourage congregations and presbyteries to be engaged in ending homelessness passed 424 (for)-33 (against)-5 (abstentions) after it was amended to direct the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) to study and update the policy on ministry with the homeless in consultation with Presbyterian Hunger Program, Urban Ministries Program, the Presbyterian Washington Office, and Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association. The committee recommended a ground-up study of the issue, but commissioners wanted to update a previous study to save money. ‘A Small Group' in a Big Church Hispanic and Latino Caucus Looking to Increase Membership June 19, 2006, BIRMINGHAM, June 19 – Though Hispanics comprise less than 2 percent of Presbyterians – approximately 42,000 in a denomination of 2.3 million members – the National Hispanic and Latino Presbyterian Caucus is optimistic that those numbers are poised to grow in the coming years. "In a big church, we're a small group," said the Rev. Alfredo Miranda, director of the caucus. "We're here to celebrate ministry." Baptist Hear Call for ‘Radical Discipleship' June 24, 2006, VALLEY FORGE, PA – American Baptists, in their General Board meeting here this week, heard a call for "radical discipleship" based on a contemporary reading of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was not advocating "some kind of perfectionist love," said Dr. Glen H. Stassen, a California professor of Christian ethics and a life-long American Baptist. Instead he taught "regular practices" to deal with anger, greed, conflict, and other human behaviors. The command, "Be ye perfect," really means "be complete in your love, to all kinds of folks," Stassen said. Confirmation Training Is Central to the Culture of Finnish Youth Guidance and Accompaniment for Life June 23, 2006, HELSINKI, Finland/GENEVA – As many as nine out of every ten 15-year-olds attend the confirmation classes provided by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF), making it central to Finnish youth culture in the predominantly Lutheran country. "In confirmation training, the youth's questions about life are taken seriously, and kept close to the worldview of a 15-year-old," says Rev. Jarmo Kokkonen, the ELCF coordinator of the training program. He credits the program's success to the crucial role played by the "young confirmed volunteers," who participated in the training one or two years ago, and received additional skills training for group leadership. OneByOne Luncheon Two Tell of Their Struggles Concerning Homosexuality June 18, 2006, BIRMINGHAM – Two people who had struggled with homosexuality in themselves or their families spoke to a Saturday lunch gathering of OneByOne, an organization dedicated to a ministry of the transforming grace of Jesus Christ for "those who are in conflict with their sexuality." Mike Goeke, executive vice president of Exodus International, told the group of his saga with homosexuality. He said he married in 1995, was active in his law practice and was "carrying a deeply rooted secret." "I was battling homosexual feelings and desires," Goeke said. "I was a Christian, raised in a strong home and church, and I did not want to be gay." Women of the ELCA to Offer ‘Healthy Hearts' Events June 22, 2006 – Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will offer two "Healthy Hearts" events this fall as part of its 2005- 2008 health initiative, "Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls." The two events will take place Sept. 29-Oct. 1, Chicago, and Oct. 27-29, Greensboro, N.C. The goals of the initiative are to educate women and girls to care for themselves physically, spiritually and emotionally, to help prevent health risks from continuing, and to advocate for more research and the elimination of heart disease and stroke. The weekend seminars will feature professional speakers discussing ways to create a better quality of life, self-assessment exercises, Bible studies and meditation techniques. The ELCA Responds to Episcopal Presiding Bishop Election by Katherine R. Hinck The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, was elected the first female presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church on June 18 at the church's 75th General Convention in Columbus, Ohio. The Rev. Lowell Almen, secretary, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), attended the conference and relayed ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson's delight in hearing news of the election, according to an Episcopal News Service release. "We expect the decision will be highly regarded by member churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)," Almen said. Manifestaciones Religiosas En El Mundial De Fútbol 23 junio 2006, SÃO LEOPOLDO, Brasil – Apenas el árbitro Markus Merk pitó el final del partido entre Ghana y Estados Unidos, disputado ayer en el Franken Stadion, en Nüremberg, dos jugadores del equipo africano, que la televisión alemana no identificó por los nombres, se arrodillaron en una esquina del campo y agradecieron la clasificación a los octavos de final. En la próxima etapa del Mundial, la selección de Ghana se enfrentará a Brasil, que por las manifestaciones públicas de sus jugadores miembros de Atletas de Cristo tal vez puede ser considerado el más religioso de los equipos de fútbol en el mundial Alemania 2006. Por Primera Vez Episcopales Tendrán Obispa Presidenta 20 junio 2006, COLUMBUS, Ohio – La Iglesia Episcopal de Estados Unidos, por primera vez en sus 400 años de historia y 30 años después de que aprobara la ordenación de mujeres al ministerio, tendrá una obispa presidenta que sucederá en el cargo al obispo primado Frank Griswold el 1 de noviembre próximo. Katharine Jefferts Schori, de 52 años, obispa de Nevada, fue elegida presidenta el domingo en la Convención General de la ECUSA (siglas en inglés), de entre un grupo de siete candidatos, uno de los cuales fue el obispo colombiano Francisco Duque. 20 junio 2006 – Cinco organismos cristianos internacionales manifestaron esta semana su esperanza de que el recién creado Consejo de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas ofrezca un "espacio realmente abierto" para la participación de las ONGs en favor de las víctimas de violaciones de derechos humanos, corrija las deficiencias de la comisión predecesora y resuelva las cuestiones pendientes, en particular las referentes a iniciativas normativas. Mujeres De Religiones Por La Paz Elaboran Plan De Acción Para Superación De La Violencia 23 junio 2006, CIUDAD DE PANAMA – El Comité Coordinador Latinoamericano y Caribeño de Mujeres de Fe (CCLMF) elaboró un plan de acción para la superación de la violencia, con miras a la Asamblea de Mujeres de la Conferencia Mundial de Religiones por la Paz que se celebrará en Kyoto, Japón, en agosto de 2006. "Estamos trabajando con un sentido positivo y mucha energía, porque es sumamente importante tratar el tema de la violencia y construir estrategias para consensuar, como mujeres de fe, nuestra propia agenda," dijo la pastora luterana argentina Judith Van Osdol, del equipo ejecutivo, reunido en Panamá los días 19 y 20 de junio. Congresista Evangélico Denuncia Que Parlamento No Cumple Con Ley De Rampas Para Discapacitados 23 junio 2006, LIMA, Perú – El dicho popular "en casa de herrero, cuchillo de palo," bien se pueda aplicar para el Parlamento peruano, que dictó una ley que obliga a las dependencias públicas contar con rampas para el desplazamiento de los discapacitados, pero que jamás construyó una en sus instalaciones, frente a la histórica Plaza Bolívar. El hecho hubiera pasado desapercibido si en los comicios del pasado 9 de abril no hubiera resultado elegido congresista el catedrático universitario Wilson Urtecho, miembro de la comunidad cristiana Agua Viva, un fervoroso defensor de los discapacitados que vive en carne propia sus dificultades, pues él mismo se desplaza en una silla de ruedas. International Christian Bodies Look at New Un Human Rights Council with Cautious Optimism June 20, 2006 – Five international Christian bodies this week expressed expectation that the newly elected UN Human Rights Council will grant a "truly open space" for NGO participation on behalf of victims of human rights violations, as well as address the shortcomings of its predecessor and bring to completion pending issues, particularly in the field of standard-setting initiatives. In welcoming the establishment of the new organ, the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, Franciscans International, Dominicans for Justice and Peace and Pax Christi International expressed optimism, and affirmed that "on paper," the new UN body "may have some additional potential" for implementing human rights standards – a task in which the former UN Commission on Human Rights accomplished "too little and often too late." Lutheran Disaster Response Seeks Volunteers June 23, 2006 – Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is seeking volunteers to aid in long-term hurricane recovery in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas this summer. "Almost 10 months have passed since Hurricane Katrina, and another hurricane season is upon us, but the rebuilding work from the 2004 and 2005 storms is far from over," said Michael Nevergall, LDR associate for program interpretation. "Volunteers are important because there is still a lot of work to do. June 19, 2006, COLUMBUS, Ohio – A plan to have Bishop Mark MacDonald of Alaska become the assisting bishop of Navajoland Area Mission while continuing to serve as the Alaska diocesen has been approved by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold. Griswold told the House of Bishops that he had approved the plan, which was requested by both Alaska and Navajoland during the 75th General Convention June 19 in Columbus, Ohio. The diocese and the area mission would also explore what that partnership means during the next year and a half, MacDonald said. Bishop Rustin Kimsey, retired bishop of Eastern Oregon and the current assisting bishop of Navajoland, would retire from his Navajoland post on July 1. Lutherans Celebrate 300 Years of Ministry in India June 22, 2006, CHICAGO – Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg arrived in Tranquebar on the southeast coast of India on July 9, 1706, to bring Lutheran piety to the Tamil people. He became a part of the Tamil culture, and 300 years later the mission he founded and the people he influenced celebrate his arrival. A 16-member delegation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will be on hand to help Lutherans in India celebrate the tercentenary of Ziegenbalg's arrival. Programs are planned July 1-9 at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai (formerly Madras), and in Tranquebar (Tarangambadi), India. June 18, 2006, BIRMINGHAM – The Rev. Margaret Towner, the first female ordained in the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, has spent the past 50 years forging ahead as a quiet pioneer. Towner, who will be the speaker for the National Association of Clergywomen luncheon on Monday, was raised in the Presbyterian church and was active in her congregation, but ordination was not a goal to which she aspired. When she was ordained in 1956, it was months before she even realized the historical implications of that act. Presiding Bishop Bids Farewell to House of Bishops June 21, 2006, COLUMBUS, Ohio – Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold took the opportunity to share some farewell thoughts with the House of Bishops on June 21. The concluding legislative session for the Bishops was Griswold's last time to preside over the House. Griswold thanked the bishops for the "careful way you have managed to move through the business of this convention." He said that it had been a privilege to serve as Presiding Bishop for the last eight and-a-half years, adding that "all kinds of things I never anticipated have become part of my life and yours." One of the greatest gifts, he said, has been the opportunity to come to know the Anglican Communion. June 20, 2006, BIRMINGHAM – Presbyterians at the 217th General Assembly made history Tuesday morning by confirming elder Linda Bryant Valentine as the new executive director of the General Assembly Council, the first woman to serve in that position. The confirmation of Valentine and the election of the Rev. Joan Gray as moderator weave nicely into the year of celebrating milestones in the ordination of women as deacons, elders and ministers serving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Valentine officially starts her four-year term with the General Assembly Council (GAC) July 1 at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, KY. Commissioners voted 430-48, with 15 abstentions, to confirm the elder from Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago. |
