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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 29, 2006, WASHINGTON, DC – Demonstrating that moral issues can overcome partisan politics, Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) today signed the one millionth postcard from Americans to President Bush through the Save Darfur Coalition's "Million Voices for Darfur" campaign. The postcards urge the president to use the full power of his office to support a stronger multi-national force to protect the people of Darfur. "As part of the Save Darfur Coalition, the National Council of Churches USA added its voice to this campaign so that the killing would stop," said Dr. Antonios Kireopoulos, associate general secretary of the NCC for international affairs and peace. "For two years the NCC has been calling for intervention in Darfur to stop the systematic murder of thousands of our brothers and sisters in Africa," he said. Some FoxNews.com Readers, Given a Choice, Find They like NCC's Priorities Better June 30, 2006 – It was just a sentence in a speech to a group of Baptists meeting in Atlanta: Christians should address "the challenges of fear, fundamentalism, and Fox News" as they walk in the footsteps of Jesus in caring about poverty, planet earth, peace, people's rights and pluralism in today's world. But it hit a nerve at FoxNews.com, whose editors decided to tell their readers that Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, had referred to the popular cable channel as a "challenge." Fox published a link to the full story of Edgar's June 22 remarks to an ethics luncheon during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, asking interested readers send their reactions to FoxNews.com for posting on its website. Copies of those email also were forwarded to the NCC. NCC Welcomes High Court Decision on Guantánamo; Calls on U.S. to Quickly Restore the Rule of Law June 29, 2006, NEW YORK – The National Council of Churches USA described today's Supreme Court's 5-3 ruling preventing the Bush administration from using military tribunals to prosecute prisoners in the Guantánamo Bay detention center as "a reasoned affirmation of what people of faith have been trying to communicate to the White House for years." "Any effort to deny the rule of law to accused individuals, no matter how grievous the charges, is a denial of the most fundamental expression of American democratic ideals," the NCC statement said. At issue was Salim Ahmed Hamdan, who was al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's driver and bodyguard, who is imprisoned at Guantánamo. Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for the majority, said, "The military commission at issue is not expressly authorized by any congressional act." The tribunals, he said, "must be understood to incorporate at least the barest of those trial protections that have been recognized by customary international law." British Methodists Reject Blessing of Same-Sex Relationships June 29, 2006, EDINBURGH, Scotland – The British Methodist Church will not bless same-sex relationships. That decision followed a lengthy and passionate debate on the floor of the denomination's annual conference which met June 23-29 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The ruling disappoints those who hoped the church would allow liturgical recognition of same-sex civil partnerships, legal in Britain since December 1994. Civil partnerships give many of rights and privileges enjoyed by married couples – including survivor benefits, pension rights and paternal responsibility for children – to same-sex partners. Virginia Bishop Calls Nigerian Election an ‘Affront' June 30, 2006 – Virginia Bishop Peter Lee has written to his diocese to say that the June 28 election of the Rev. Martyn Minns, rector of Truro Church in Fairfax, Virginia, as a bishop of the Church of Nigeria with oversight of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America is "an affront to the traditional, orthodox understanding of Anglican Provincial Autonomy." "Archbishop Akinola acknowledges as much in his letter to Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams," Lee wrote. Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola founded the convocation (CANA) in April 2005 to, he said, minister to "all those who can no longer find their spiritual home" in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada. Lee wrote that it is impossible to honor Akinola's request that Minns remain rector of Truro Church while serving as a Nigerian bishop. ELCA Presiding Bishop Addresses Synod Hunger Leaders June 28, 2006, CHICAGO – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), addressed the ELCA World Hunger Synod Leadership Gathering June 26 in Techny, Ill. More than 100 synod hunger leaders representing 47 of the ELCA's 65 synods gathered June 24-27 to discuss the fight to end world hunger. Hanson offered nine challenges that synod hunger leaders can consider in their work with hunger and poverty. He encouraged synod leaders to build upon the generous response from members of the church toward recent natural disasters to sustain a pattern of giving in the area of hunger relief. "Poverty in the midst of affluence is a disaster," Hanson said. Global Action Web Site Covers Various Aging Issues June 30, 2006, NEW YORK – In Pakistan, tribal elders are losing influence and being increasingly threatened by extremists. In Nigeria, the pension system is undergoing a fundamental reform. And in the United States, rural life may have a positive affect on older people. Information on all these aging-related topics – and much more – can be found at the Web site of Global Action on Aging, a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 by Susanne Paul, former staff member of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. Pastor Feeds Travelers' Body and Soul June 30, 2006 – The Rev. Alan Ashworth has built a ministry around a basic principle – when you're tired, the smallest kindnesses mean a lot. His church is the New Hope Union United Methodist Church in the mountains of Virginia, just a mile and a half from the Appalachian Trail. His outreach is to the thousands of hikers who travel the trail each year. Ashworth sees himself in each of them. "The solitude is what first pulled me to the wilderness," he explained. "I think God speaks to us outdoors." Doctor Prescribes Power of Christ to Beat Meth Addiction June 26, 2006, MORGAN CITY, Ala. – "No one is immune... no family, no church, no community," Mary Holley warns. Holley is addressing a church group about the danger of methamphetamine. She knows firsthand the effects methamphetamine has on the user, his or her family and the community. In 2000, her younger brother, Jim, died after years of methamphetamine addiction. As a practicing obstetrician/gynecologist, Holley increasingly saw the drug's effects in her patients and their babies. So in 2002, Holley, a member of Guntersville (Ala.) First United Methodist Church, founded "Mothers Against Meth-Amphetamine." "After he died, I started looking into it as a physician, as a scientist," she says. Annual Meeting of the American Baptist Historical Society Held June 29, 2006, VALLEY FORGE, PA – President Trinette McCray reported on Sunday, June 25th, to the General Board of the American Baptist Churches, USA, about her vision for providing Baptist youth with an understanding of their roots on which to build a healthy future. It is in that context, she explained, that the Historical Society plans to consolidate its collections and operations at a single location and is forward looking to aid a new generation in Baptist life. For this reason, the site and new partners selected will be a place of collaboration in this work of education and formation-not just a warehouse large enough to put "the stuff" in our holdings. Statement of Heads of Churches in Egypt on the ‘Da Vinci Code' June 30, 2006 – Heads of the Coptic, Catholic and Episcopal Churches in Egypt met on May 30, 2006 at H.H. Pope Schenouda III Papal residence to discuss and register their position on the "Da Vinci Code" movie based on Dan Brown's novel. Another preceded this meeting with the Evangelical Church in Egypt, May 23, 2006. Heads of Churches agreed that the movie is a falsification of history and archaeology and is based on incorrect scientific vanities that scientists were able to prove through documentation. The story of the film and sequence of events, they say, disdain religion and spiritual and moral values; it does not contain any of the creative measures of art but violence and viciousness. Heads of churches rejected the materialistic and atheistic base of the film that ends with a Jewish logo propagandizing Jewish thought. The Statement is posted on the MECC website. As a result of the Heads of Churches' position, the Egyptian Parliament decided to forbid the "Da Vinci Code" movie in Egypt. New Faith and Order Standing Commission Elects Officers, Plans Work for next Period June 27, 2006 – At its first meeting, the WCC's newly-appointed Standing Commission on Faith and Order named six officers to oversee its work until the next WCC Assembly in 2013. Following an address by WCC general secretary Samuel Kobia, the Standing Commission also outlined major areas of study for the period. The 30-member Standing Commission oversees Faith and Order studies and activities, which aim to help overcome theological, cultural and social sources of division among the churches. The list of Faith and Order officers, to be presented to the WCC Central Committee in September 2006 for appointment, is headed by Bishop Vasilios of Trimithus (Karayiannis), (Orthodox, Cyprus), who was named moderator of the Commission. Nuevo Comité Permanente De Fe Y Constitución Elige Mesa Directiva Y Planifica Trabajo Futuro 27 junio 2006 – En su primera reunión, la recién constituida Comisión Permanente de la Comisión Fe y Constitución del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) escogió de entre sus miembros a los seis integrantes de su Mesa Directiva, que supervisará su trabajo hasta la próxima Asamblea del CMI en 2013. Tras una alocución del secretario general del CMI Samuel Kobia, la Comisión Permanente esbozó también los principales campos de estudio para el período. La Comisión Permanente, de 30 miembros, supervisa los estudios y actividades que la Comisión Fe y Constitución lleva a cabo con la finalidad de contribuir a superar las causas de división cultural y social entre las iglesias. Lutherans Respond to Flooding in Northeast United States June 30, 2006, CHICAGO – Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in the northeastern part of the United States are experiencing the impact of the storms and flooding in June. Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), a ministry of the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is organizing initial relief and recovery efforts there. Reports from Delaware and Maryland indicate that most of the flooding has occurred along the Atlantic coast, reported LDR. The full extent of the damages has not been determined. LDR coordinators have been in contact with all affected areas in Delaware and Maryland, and at this time synod offices are not aware of any affected congregations, said the Rev. Kevin A. Massey, assistant director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response. NCC See Signs of Hope, Lethargy, in Gulf Coast Rebuilding June 30, 2006, WASHINGTON – No one would have ever thought that installing dry wall into a house would be a sign. But in New Orleans that's just what it is, according to Rev. Cory Sparks a United Methodist pastor who has been very active in the efforts to rebuild the city. "The dry wall is a sign of hope. It is important for us to see neighborhoods that can come back," said Sparks. Sparks was in the nation's capital this week with Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, chair of the National Council of Churches' Special Commission for the Just Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast and Rev. Donald Boutte, pastor of St. John Baptist Church in New Orleans, to meet with Congressional staff and to participate in "Moving Toward Recovery and Restoration: Working for A Just Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast," a spiritual reflection and briefing sponsored by NCC. Presiding Bishop Responds to Archbishop of Canterbury's Reflections June 28, 2006 – Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold issued a statement June 28 in response to the Archbishop of Canterbury's release of a reflection entitled, "The Challenge and Hope of Being an Anglican Today, A Reflection for the Bishops, Clergy and Faithful of the Anglican Communion." Methodist Church in Mexico Gathers for General Conference June 30, 2006, PUEBLA, México – Mexican Methodists gathered recently at the rural church of El Mesías de San Juan Acozac to establish an agenda for their future. The 20th General Conference of the Methodist Church of Mexico met May 19-27 under the theme, "Reform the Nation, Extending the Scripture's Holiness." The gathering was inaugurated by Bishop Raúl Rosas González, president of the School of Bishops. The Rev. Joaquín García, representative of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, preached in the opening service. He urged the delegates and participants "to claim our identity as sons and daughters of God and take upon ourselves the call of Jesus Christ to make disciples in all the nations, baptizing and teaching them." June 30, 2006, TORONTO – Canada Day this year will have special significance for Chinese Canadians who bear the legacy of the 1885-1923 Chinese Immigration Acts and what is known as the Chinese Exclusion Act. The 1923 Chinese Immigration Act, known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, was enacted on July 1, 1923, and prohibited most Chinese persons from entering Canada until the Act was repealed in 1947. July 1 has not been celebrated as Dominion Day or Canada Day by many in the Chinese Canadian community since that time, but is still known by many as "Humiliation Day." "Every time we sing ‘O Canada' we sing, ‘God keep our land glorious and free,'" says Kim Uyede-Kai, The United Church of Canada's General Council Minister, Racial Justice and Gender Justice. ‘Derby Resolutions' on Sexuality: British Methodist Church June 29, 2006, EDINBURGH, Scotland – The 1993 Derby Conference Resolutions on Human Sexuality, nicknamed "The Derby Resolutions," refers to the six resolutions passed at the 1993 Annual Conference of the British Methodist Church held in the city of Derby. Some consider the resolutions as the foundation glue that has held the church together during the past 13 years. Others see them as a set of statements that belong to a different time and context from which the British Methodist Church has moved on. Resolutions four and six generate the most heated discussions and are often cited as contradictory, something which is problematic or creative, depending on who is doing the citing. June 26, 2006 DHAKA, Bangladesh/GENEVA – "Don't worry, I was a beggar once." Sakhina Khatun comforts beggars with these words whenever she meets them on walks around the countryside near her village, Uttar Singargari, in Bangladesh. This is what she was, but no longer. A few years ago her husband died, leaving her destitute at the age of 40. As her grown-up children were unable to give her more than just a roof over her head because they had their own families to support, her only option was to beg for a living. She was already too old to work in the fields and, because she had no skills training, there was no other job to go to. But in 2003, Sakhina's life made an about turn. World Refugee Day Commemoration June 30, 2006 – On June 20, 2006, the World Refugee Day was commemorated in all of the Churches in Lebanon during their Sunday masses during which congregations were reminded of the old Christian tradition of welcoming the stranger and giving hope to their lives. A whole week of activities and events were dedicated to the World Refugee Day by UNHCR and its operational partners in Lebanon, namely the MECC Unit on Life & Service/Service to Refugees, Displaced and Migrants (SRDM), Caritas/Migrants, the Danish Refugee Council, Association Justice Et Misericorde, Medecins du Monde, Frontiers and Insan associations. An official ceremony, held under the High Patronage of the Minister of Culture, H.E. Dr. Tarek Mitri, took place on June 20 at the American University of Beirut, under the theme of Hope. High-level religious and government officials, civil society organizations and representatives of local and international NGOs, and over 300 refugees were present. Israeli Settler Attacks Ecumenical Accompanier in Hebron June 26, 2006 – A member of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) was attacked by a woman settler in the Tel Rumeida district of Hebron on Friday, 23 June. Whilst in the area of the Cordoba school, where Christian volunteers accompany children to school, Duduzile Masango, a South African ecumenical accompanier was attacked by an elderly settler woman, who pulled a towel tightly around her head. It is not known if the woman intended to suffocate her, but the accompanier had difficulty breathing. Stones were also thrown at Masango and four other internationals who were with her. The incident left her shaken, although she did not need to receive medical treatment. Although a soldier was standing next to the group of volunteers, he did not act to stop the attack. After the incident, members of the international solidarity movement who had witnessed the incident filed a complaint with the police. Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Final Letters: a Captive's Testimony of Freedom June 27, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – Now available from Fortress Press, Conspiracy and Imprisonment: 1940-1945 documents the final period of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life, from the end of his pastoral and educational work through his participation in the resistance conspiracy against Hitler until his execution by the Nazis in the Flossenbürg concentration camp on April 9, 1945. Here Bonhoeffer leaves the world of ecclesiastical opposition to National Socialism to operate in the public realm of history. His involvement in a conspiracy with diplomats, lawyers, and military leaders makes the volume of particular value to historians. Conspiracy and Imprisonment is a case study in the life and intellectual work of a great theologian in a dictatorship-intensified by the secrecy demanded by Bonhoeffer's active involvement in the conspiracy to overthrow the Nazi regime. World-Renowned Christian-Hindu Thinker Pens Beautiful Meditation June 26, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – In the newly-released The Experience of God: Icons of the Mystery, Raimon Panikkar charts the paradoxes and possibilities of our experience of God. Drawing on a wide range of sources, from the Bible and Western mystics to the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita, he probes human language and silence, adoration and alienation, to find the root of all our experience in God and its special character in Christian encounter with Jesus. He concludes with reflections on the many places – such as love, joy, suffering, pardon, nature, silence, and even evil – where we meet God today. |
