Front Page

Former Iranian President Speaks at National Cathedral Amid Protests
Khatami Calls for Respectful International Dialogue, Bridging the Divide

September 8, 2006, WASHINGTON – Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami called on Muslims, Jews and Christians to "return to their vital, vibrant and common essence" and bridge the divide between East and West during a Sept. 7 lecture at Washington National Cathedral. "As followers and faithfuls of the Abrahamic faiths, we need more than ever to cooperate for peace and prosperity in the world," he said. At a press conference prior to the event, Khatami described Jesus as a prophet of kindness and peace, Mohammed as a prophet of ethics, morality and grace, and Moses as a prophet of dialogue and exchange. Dressed in a black turban and robes and speaking in Farsi through an interpreter, Khatami condemned human rights violators and those who commit crimes in the name of religion, and called for respectful international dialogue, an end to unilateralism and violent language between nations, and the eradication of all weapons of mass destruction.

Faith Groups Support Legal Action Against EPA on Climate Change

September 7, 2006, WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council of Churches USA (NCC), Church World Service (CWS) and the National Catholic Rural Life Conference (NCRLC) have supported the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in legal action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The case, Massachusetts v. EPA, is set to be heard in the Supreme Court next month. It will determine whether the EPA has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide – the main cause of global warming – from motor vehicles. Currently the EPA claims it does not have such regulating authority. In the "Friend of the Court" brief filed by the NCC, CWS and NCRLC say, it is "consistent with their spiritual, ethical, and material interests, [to]...support immediate action to stem the emissions that contribute to climate change." "A warming climate will cause or aggravate a host of ‘natural' disasters, such as hurricanes, droughts, floods, disease epidemics, and wildfires," says the brief. "These disasters have serious consequences for much of humanity, but they threaten most acutely the powerless segments of society: the poor, the sick, the landless and homeless."

Joint Church/Islamic Delegation Considered for Sudan Peace

September 5, 2006 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) today expressed its continued concern and distress at the ongoing atrocities taking place in the Darfur region of the Sudan. In a minute recorded for member churches on the issue of Sudan, the WCC central committee, meeting in Geneva from 30 August to 6 September, requested the WCC to call on the government of Sudan to comply with the United Nations Resolution 1706, as well as the comprehensive peace agreement signed in May 2006, as a way of fulfilling its responsibility to protect the people of Sudan. Central committee requested the general secretariat of the WCC, in consultation with the churches in Sudan, to consider the viability of arranging a high level delegation of church representatives and members of the Islamic community to visit and meet with government officials in Sudan, as well as representatives of the Darfur region, "to emphasize the importance of this compliance and to offer any help that might be needed in the peaceful resolution of this conflict." The WCC has a long history of peace work in the country.

Trade for People – Not People for Trade, Is WCC Call

September 6, 2006 – Trade should be for the benefit of people and people should not be sacrificed for the sake of trade. That was a key affirmation in the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee statement on just trade, which calls on the churches "to encourage their governments to continue working for a new multilateral trade mechanism, with a new set of multilateral trade rules which are just and democratic." The statement lamented the July 2006 breakdown of the Doha Round of trade talks within the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The Doha Development Round began with a ministerial-level meeting in Doha, Qatar in 2001, with subsequent ministerial meetings in Cancun, Mexico (2003), and Hong Kong, China (2005). The negotiations were aimed at lowering trade barriers around the world, permitting free trade between countries. The breakdown occurred when big powers failed to agree on steps toward liberalising trade in farm and manufactured goods. Agriculture subsidies and tariffs have been the main obstacles to reaching a WTO deal, declared WTO director- general Pascal Lamy. The collapse of the talks means that rich countries will continue capturing the lion's share of world trade flows, denying developing countries better access to rich markets and facilitating the way for the European Union and the United States to seek bilateral trade agreements to open other countries' markets. Consequently, weaker developing countries will be the worst affected, as they are not in a position to exercise any kind of leverage and can therefore be exploited, underlined the declaration.

General News

Brother of Flight 93 Crash Victim Keeps Memory Alive

September 8, 2006 – The wide-open skies over Somerset County in Pennsylvania must surely be a gateway to heaven. And the earth below those skies – blanketed in wildflowers – is most certainly sacred ground. Five years ago, the peace of this wooded countryside was disturbed when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into an empty field just outside Shanksville, Pa., 150 miles northwest of Washington. Thirty-three passengers and seven crew members died after heroically trying to wrestle away control of the plane from terrorists who had hijacked the Boeing 757. The rolling acres surrounding the crash site is considered their final resting-place. Edward Felt was one of the people who died on Sept. 11, 2001. His younger brother, Gordon Felt, is the voice continuing to tell his story.

The Evil of Violence Can Be Overcome – Every Day

September 5, 2006 – The main points of focus for the 2007 Decade to Overcome Violence focus on Europe will be migration and working on a theology of a just peace. The Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace 2001-2010 (DOV) is an initiative of the World Council of Churches (WCC). It is a global movement to strengthen existing efforts and networks for overcoming violence and to inspire the creation of new ones. The Rev. Dr Fernando Enns, a WCC Central Committee member from the Mennonite Church in Germany, speaking at a media briefing on DOV during the Central Committee meeting in Geneva, 30 August to 6 September, said migration was a challenging issue for the world – a symptom of the problem of globalization and unjust trade. A theology for just peace was necessary, he said, because the church needed to be clear about what it said and why it was addressing these issues. This is important in light of the mandate of the 9th Assembly to develop an ecumenical declaration on just peace.

HIV and AIDS – WCC Asks for Universal Access to Treatment, Welcome for Positive People

September 6, 2006 – Every person living with HIV and AIDS should have access to the treatments made available by medical science and churches must advocate for this to happen, said the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee in a statement adopted at a meeting that ends today. The statement also challenges churches to a greater commitment in fighting the pandemic and welcoming positive people into their communities. "Faith-based communities have a responsibility to advocate that antiretroviral treatments as well as treatment for other opportunistic infections be made available and accessible to all" who need them, the WCC central committee statement affirms. "For the first time ever, the world possesses the means to reverse the global epidemic," it notes. The leadership of the churches is encouraged "to exercise their role as advocates for just policies and to hold governments accountable for their promises." In particular, the statement further "calls on the G8 governments to adhere to their promises of funding and response to reach universal access to treatment, care and support by 2010." The private sector, especially pharmaceutical companies, are requested "to invest in needed research" and "to ensure that their drugs for treating HIV are available at low prices in low- and middle-income countries."

United Methodists Launch US Back-to-School Ad Campaign

September 5, 2006, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The United Methodist Church is marking the back-to-school season in the United States with a $1.5 million cable television advertising campaign that urges people to focus on God. "The back-to-school season is a significant time to invite people to attend a United Methodist Church – after summer vacations are past and families begin to regroup and plan their fall activities," said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. "Many churches present new programming initiatives during this time of year to connect families to church ministries." The commercials are designed to appeal to audiences between the ages of 25 to 54.

Being a Steward Is a Life-Changing Experience

September 6, 2006 – The coordinator of the stewards programme at Central Committee says he is in that position because he himself was inspired by being part of a Central Committee stewards programme seven years ago. Lukasz Nazarko from Poland has been a consultant with the youth programmeme of the WCC since September 2004. He had the specific task of planning and coordinating the stewards programme at the Assembly at Porto Alegre. Now, running the stewards programme at Central Committee in Geneva, Lukasz is responsible for 26 stewards. Almost all are new. Lukasz says, "The main purpose of this programme is to train the ecumenical leaders who will come back home and multiply their skills and enthusiasm. So it is important to reach as many new people as possible."

Ecumenical News

New Programme Strategy "Equips WCC for Dynamic Engagement"

September 6, 2006 – The main governing body of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has adopted a streamlined programme strategy that provides a new framework for the next seven years of ecumenical action and advocacy. "The decisions made this week equip the WCC for a dynamic, integrated and deliberate engagement with some of the major challenges facing our churches and the world at the start of the 21st century," WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia noted after the conclusion of the Council's central committee meeting, held in Geneva, 30 August – 6 September 2006.

"We Must Be Open to Other Expressions of Christianity"
Interview with WCC President, Rev. Dr Ofelia Ortega

September 5, 2006 – The first woman to be ordained by the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba, Dr Ofelia Ortega has a long and fruitful ecumenical career to her credit – a career that climaxed at the World Council of Churches' (WCC) Assembly in Porto Alegre in February 2006, where she was elected as one of the Council's eight presidents, from the Latin American and Caribbean regions. In this interview, Ortega reflects on the ecumenical movement, its difficulties and challenges, her personal commitment to the ecumenical endeavour and the situation of the churches in her home country. How do you assess the ecumenical movement today? The ecumenical movement is experiencing a crisis. This is partly due to the increase in fundamentalism, and partly because of a growing trend towards denominationalism. It seems as though many churches' ecumenical enthusiasm has diminished to some extent.

"There Is One Ecumenical Movement, with Many Voices" Interview with Msgr. John Radano

September 6, 2006 – As an official observer from the Roman Catholic Church, Monsignor John Radano is a well-known presence at meetings of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee. Head of the Western Section of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and the principal liaison person between the Vatican and the WCC's Faith and Order Commission, Radano comments in this interview on the first meeting of the new WCC central committee.

Editorial Page

Commentary: Beware Treating Others Like ‘Nobodies'

September 7, 2006 – Have you ever been treated like a nobody, as if you did not matter? Robert W. Fuller suggests in his book, All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies and the Politics of Dignity, that the word "nobody" as an epithet should be stricken from our vocabulary. Fuller, former president of Oberlin College, believes the movement toward a "dignitarian" society where all people are treated with respect is the latest chapter in the long march toward liberty, justice and dignity for all. It is, as the cover suggests, "democracy's next step."

Spanish News

"Necesitamos Humildad Para Abrirnos Al Aporte De Otras Expresiones Cristianas"
Entrevista Con La Presidente Del CMI, Pastora Dra. Ofelia Ortega

5 septiembre 2006 – La pastora Dra. Ofelia Ortega tiene en su haber una prolongada y fecunda carrera ecuménica, que llegó a su clímax el pasado mes de febrero, cuando la IX Asamblea del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) la eligió una de sus ocho presidentes. En la siguiente entrevista Ortega reflexiona sobre el movimiento ecuménico, algunas de sus dificultades y desafíos, su compromiso personal con la causa ecuménica y acerca de las iglesias en Cuba, su país natal.

Ministro Libanés Destaca Solidaridad Del CMI Durante Conflicto

4 septiembre 2006 – El ministro de Cultura del Líbano y ex miembro del personal del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), Dr. Tarek Mitri, agradeció la solidaridad del Consejo con su país durante la reciente invasión de éste por parte de Israel. "Ustedes lanzaron un llamamiento humanitario, también hicieron declaraciones públicas que nos alentaron, pero sobre todo nos visitaron y esa visita fue un don precioso, un don de Dios. En una situación como la que hemos vivido en el Líbano, las visitas cuentan y son recordadas. Vuestra visita será recordada como una poderosa señal de amistad y solidaridad."

El Comercio Debe Servir a La Gente Y No Al Revés, Dice El CMI

6 septiembre 2006 – El comercio debe servir a la gente, y ésta no debe ser sacrificada por razón del comercio. Esta es una de las afirmaciones centrales de la declaración del comité central del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) sobre comercio justo, que pide a las iglesias "alentar a sus gobiernos para que continúen trabajando por un nuevo mecanismo de comercio multilateral, con nuevas reglas comerciales multilaterales justas y democráticas." La declaración lamenta el colapso de la Ronda de negociaciones de Doha llevada a cabo por la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC).

Decenio Para Superar La Violencia: "Ingenuos Como Jesús"

5 septiembre 2006 – "Llevar la preocupación por la paz y la reconciliación de la periferia al centro de atención de las iglesias es uno de los propósitos centrales del Decenio para Superar la Violencia (DSV)," declaró aquí el pastor Hansulrich Gerber, coordinador de esa iniciativa en el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI). El Decenio, que entró en su segunda mitad, relaciona a las iglesias, las organizaciones ecuménicas y los movimientos de la sociedad civil en sus esfuerzos para superar distintos tipos de violencia, y se enmarca en un esfuerzo mayor: la Década de Naciones Unidas para una Cultura de Paz y No Violencia para los Niños del Mundo.

Nuevo Foro Ecuménico Del Medio Oriente Unirá Esfuerzos De Las Iglesias Por La Paz

5 septiembre 2006 – La propuesta de establecer una iniciativa ecuménica de incidencia pública por la paz en el Medio Oriente fue aprobada hoy por el comité central del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI). El comité reiteró su alarma frente a las dramáticas consecuencias humanitarias y a las alegadas violaciones de la ley internacional durante la reciente guerra en Líbano y el norte de Israel. En una "Declaración sobre la guerra en el Líbano y el norte de Israel, y la labor ecuménica por la paz en Oriente Medio," los miembros del comité central aprobaron la creación de un Foro Ecuménico sobre Palestina e Israel bajo los auspicios del CMI.

Coexistencia Pacífica Es La Base Del Futuro Para Kosovo, Advierte El CMI

6 septiembre 2006 – El comité central del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) ha exhortado a líderes políticos y religiosos a promover el regreso de personas desplazadas, así como la coexistencia y la reconciliación en la dividida región de Kosovo, como la base para un arreglo duradero. "La realización de un Kosovo multiétnico y multirreligioso debe comenzar, de manera realista, con una coexistencia pacífica," afirma una nota aprobada por el comité central. El futuro estatus político de la región, una parte de Serbia que está bajo la custodia de las Naciones Unidas desde 1999 luego de un período de conflicto civil e intervención militar por fuerzas de la OTAN, está siendo decidido este año en negociaciones internacionales.

Nueva Estrategia Programática Capacita Al CMI Para Un "Compromiso Dinámico"

6 septiembre 2006 – El principal órgano de gobierno del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) ha adoptado una estrategia programática renovada que aporta un nuevo marco de trabajo para los próximos siete años de incidencia pública y acción ecuménicas. "Las decisiones hechas esta semana equipan al Consejo para un compromiso deliberado, integrado y dinámico en algunos de los principales desafíos que enfrentan nuestras iglesias y el mundo en los albores del siglo XXI," señaló el secretario general del CMI, pastor Dr. Samuel Kobia, al cierre de la reunión del comité central del CMI que tuvo lugar en Ginebra del 30 de agosto al 6 de septiembre de 2006.

"El Movimiento Ecuménico Es Uno, Con Muchas Voces" Entrevista a Monseñor John Radano

6 septiembre 2006 – Como observador oficial de la Iglesia Católico Romana, monseñor John Radano es una presencia bien conocida en las reuniones del comité central del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI). Jefe de la Sección Occidental del Pontificio Consejo para la Promoción de la Unidad de los Cristianos, y enlace principal entre el Vaticano y la Comisión Fe y Constitución del CMI, en esta entrevista Radano comenta la primera reunión del nuevo comité central del CMI.

VIH Y SIDA – El CMI Pide Acceso Universal a Tratamientos, Acogida a Personas Seropositivas

6 septiembre 2006 – Toda persona que vive con VIH y SIDA debería tener acceso a los tratamientos brindados por la ciencia médica y las iglesias deben abogar por esta idea, dijo el comité central del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) en una declaración aprobada en la reunión que finaliza en el día de hoy. La declaración también desafía a las iglesias a un mayor compromiso para combatir la pandemia y acoger a las personas seropositivas en sus comunidades.

National News

Church Members Assist with Memorial for 9/11 Crash Site

September 8, 2006 – Five years have passed since United Airlines Flight 93, a hijacked airliner, crashed in a remote field near Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11. During that time, the field has attracted significant attention as people from across the United States and globe visit the site to show respect. More than 130,000 visited the site in 2006, and visitors have increased 46 percent this summer, according to Donna Glessner, a member of Shanksville (Pa.) United Methodist Church and coordinator of the volunteer ambassadors project at the site. "We've always had significant attraction," she said. "People are there visiting the site in January and February in the snow." The recent movie, "Flight 93," has contributed to increase at the site, she added.

Pennsylvania Lutheran Congregations Prepare for Sept. 11 Anniversary

September 7, 2006, CHICAGO – Lutheran congregations near the site where United Flight 93 crashed in 2001 will be involved in special remembrances on Sept. 11, 2006, the fifth anniversary of the tragedy. United Flight 93 was hijacked by terrorists and eventually forced down by passengers and crew near Shanksville, Pa., as the plane was headed toward a target believed to be in Washington, D.C. Other hijacked planes were crashed that day into the World Trade Center towers in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. Nearly 3,000 people died and thousands were injured as a result of the attacks.

International News

NCC Welcomes UN Resolution to Send More Peacemakers to Darfur

August 31, 2006, NEW YORK – The National Council of Churches USA, which has called the ongoing genocide in Darfur "the heaviest burden we bear in the twentieth century," is praising today's United Nations Security Council resolution to send a peacemaking force to Sudan's war-torn region. "There is widespread agreement, from the State Department to the NCC's member communions, that the civil war in Sudan has produced a genocide in Darfur," said the Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the Council. "When thousands of people have been killed, raped and tortured, it must compel the attention of the world." The resolution calls for the United Nations to add 17,300 military personnel and 3,300 civilian police to Darfur, provided the Sudan government acquiesces to the plan. But Edgar said the plan should proceed whether Sudan agrees to it or not. "Genocide is an international issue," he said. "The nations of the world – as indicated by the Security Council resolution – want it to end."

Namibian Lutheran Bishop Urges Churches to Tackle Poverty Head-On
LWF Consultation on Poverty and the Mission of the Church in Africa

September 8, 2006, ARUSHA, Tanzania/GENEVA – Bishop Dr Zephania Kameeta, vice president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) for the Africa region, has called on churches in Africa "to tackle poverty head-on [*] not by becoming neutral but by being in critical solidarity with the governments and civil societies in the community." Delivering the keynote address at the LWF Consultation on Poverty and the Mission of the Church in Africa, held from 4 to 8 September in Arusha, northern Tanzania, Kameeta pointed out that churches in Africa were not adequately addressing the real problems on the ground. Instead, they were "busy" supporting the status quo, which in most cases only perpetuated poverty, he said. Kameeta, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), called on the church to speak out when things go wrong instead of shying away from its responsibility to serve and be accountable to the people.

WCC Seeks End to Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines

September 5, 2006 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee today condemned extrajudicial killings in the Philippines and called on the government of the Philippines to disband "death squads," private militias and paramilitary forces operating with impunity in the country. Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, 30 August to 6 September 2006, the central committee also challenged the concept of a global war on terror as pretext for the violation of human rights in the Philippines. Central committee heard how the legitimacy of the 2001 election of the Philippines government headed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo continues to be challenged. Under the pretexts of the "war on terror" and a new emphasis on internal national security, the Philippines has become "militarized to an alarming degree." There are now many calls, including from the churches, for the President to relinquish office.

Middle East News

Lebanon's Minister of Culture Thanks Churches, Calls for More Pressure for Peace

September 4, 2006 – Lebanon's minister of culture, Dr Tarek Mitri, on 2 September expressed gratitude to the World Council of Churches (WCC), for its expressions of solidarity following Israel's attacks on Lebanon. At the same time, he said he expected WCC's solidarity to be expressed not only through humanitarian relief but also in terms of putting pressure on governments to revive the peace process in the region. Addressing a WCC Central Committee hearing on Lebanon that will be part of a broader public issues discussion on the situation in the Middle East, Dr Mitri said, "All of us Christians and non-Christians draw strength from the solidarity of people around the world. "WCC and member churches were among the first to respond, to speak a word of wisdom and courage, to launch a humanitarian appeal and to visit us."

New Middle East Forum to Unite Church Efforts for Peace

September 5, 2006 – In a major new initiative, the central committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has endorsed proposals to establish a comprehensive ecumenical advocacy initiative for peace in the Middle East, and has reiterated its alarm at the dramatic humanitarian consequences and alleged violations of international law during the recent war in Lebanon and northern Israel. In a "statement on the war in Lebanon and northern Israel, and ecumenical action for Middle East peace," central committee members approved the creation of a Palestine/Israel Ecumenical Forum under the auspices of the WCC, which would "catalyse and co-ordinate" new and existing church advocacy for peace, aim at ending the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories in accordance with UN resolutions, and would "demonstrate its commitment to inter-religious action for peace and to justice that serves all peoples of the region."

Reviews

Middle Church, Where Most of Us Worship, Challenged to Speak Up

September 5, 2006, NEW YORK CITY – When media turn to Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell to speak for Christians, who do they represent? You? A new Simon & Schuster book in bookstores today claims the media seek out the most extreme religious spokespersons – many of them on the far political right – to speak for Christians who worship in peace churches, historic African American churches, Orthodox churches and others that often recoil at what the far right is saying. Most U.S. Christians, says the Rev. Bob Edgar, author of Middle Church: Reclaiming the Moral Values of the Faithful Majority from the Religious Right, are neither right nor left. They reside in the great American middle. The same goes for non-Christian persons of faith, Edgar writes. "Middle Church, Middle Synagogue, and Middle Mosque ... (are) often drowned out by the far religious right," he says. Americans who believe their God and their scriptures call for peace, justice, care for God's creation and relief for the poor do not generally end up in the far right camp.