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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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Anti-Torture Fight Unites Faiths on Treatment of Terrorists September 18, 2006 – While Congress votes this week on legislation proposed by the White House concerning the treatment of terrorist suspects, Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold joined 27 other religious leaders in signing the statement of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, proclaiming that torture violates the basic dignity of the human person that all religions hold dear. The Rt. Rev. George E. Packard, Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies for the Episcopal Church, issued a statement September 15 that was delivered to both houses of Congress, reminding them of "the cherished values of our nation" in recognizing and upholding human rights. The White House proposal, known as the Military Commissions Act of 2006, results from the Supreme Court decisions in June that rejected the administration's position on the rights of detainees held in America. ELCA, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishops Meet with U.N., U.S. Officials September 20, 2006, NEW YORK – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and the Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, met Sept. 15 with Mark Malloch Brown, deputy secretary general of the United Nations (U.N.), and Richard Miller, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations' Economic and Social Council. Hanson and Griswold thanked the officials for their work toward ending global poverty. They also expressed their churches' unity and commitment in working toward eliminating poverty around the globe through achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in collaboration with ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History. Church Leaders Urge Pulling Troops from Iraq September 22, 2006, WASHINGTON – United Methodist Church leaders helped launch a week of protest and civil disobedience against the war in Iraq by signing a declaration of peace urging President Bush to pull U.S. troops out of the country. The Declaration of Peace, signed Sept. 21, is described as a call for nonviolent action to end the war in Iraq. The Washington event was one of 350 that will be staged nationwide to promote the peace initiative. The declaration calls for people to "engage in peaceful protests" if there is not a plan for troop withdrawal established and begun by Sept. 21, days before Congress adjourns for the fall elections. More than 500 groups, almost half of them faith organizations, are involved in the declaration of peace effort, which recently retired Bishop Susan Morrison said includes "acts of moral witness to seek a new course for our country." By signing the peace document in front of the White House, the United Methodists and other protesters hoped not only to make a statement but also to influence congressional races in November by forcing candidates to outline where they stand on the war. September 22, 2006 ARUSHA, Tanzania/GENEVA – "We as churches are sometimes so busy doing things that we fail to deepen our theological reflection and bring it to the people. If they are not taught, they will go to other places. Our people are struggling, but we are not giving them good theological substance." This observation by Rev. Dr Thomas Nyiwe, president, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon, underlines the significance of the "Theology in the Life of the Church" program of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for Theology and Studies (DTS). He was among theologians from different African countries, Germany, and the United States, who met 9-11 September in Arusha, Tanzania, for the first seminar of the LWF program, focusing on "confessing and living out faith in the triune God in the face of death and injustice." Theological Education Website Launches Redesign September 19, 2006 – Visitors to the Office of Ministry Development's theological education website will now find it newly redesigned with expanded content and easier navigation. The website's new look brings ease to finding an expanded selection of annotated links and downloadable resources to help visitors explore spirituality and the Christian faith. "We wanted to make the site easier to use, enrich the content, and increase the number of links, articles and downloadable resources on the site," said the Rev. Lynne A. Grifo, associate coordinator in the Office of Ministry Development. ELCA Task Force on Human Sexuality Works to Finalize a Third Study September 22, 2006, CHICAGO – The task force coordinating studies in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) concerning human sexuality met here Sept. 15-17 to work on finalizing the text of "Set Free in Christ: Talking about Human Sexuality" – a study guide designed to engage the 4.85 million-member church in thoughtful discussion and theological discernment on topics that may be addressed in an ELCA social statement on human sexuality. "We're signing off on a study, not a social statement," said the Rev. Peter Strommen, bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Minnesota Synod, Duluth, and task force chair. "Our objective is to finalize text that gives the ELCA a discussion tool to engage in before the social statement on human sexuality is written," he said. CBS to Air Special on Chautauqua Institution September 19, 2006 – United Methodists will be featured in an upcoming CBS-TV special exploring the Chautauqua Institution, an educational center in New York. CBS will air the 30-minute interfaith program at 8 a.m. Eastern time and 5 a.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, Oct. 8. Both founders of the Chautauqua Institution – the Rev. John Heyl Vincent, a minister, and Lewis Miller, an inventor and manufacturer – were Methodists. Chautauqua started in 1874 as a summer retreat for Sunday school teachers and later expanded into a summer cultural and religious retreat for people of all ages and faiths. Now a National Historic District, the institution operates as an educational center, hosting approximately 7,500 a day during the nine-week summer session. Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation Meets in Louisville September 22, 2006 – The 75th General Convention, the role of Mary in the Church, and Spanish-language ministry were topics at the 61st meeting of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Theological Consultation in the USA (ARC-USA), held in Louisville, Kentucky, from September 14-17. The meeting was hosted by the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky, and was co-chaired by Bishop Edwin F. Gulick, Jr. of Kentucky, and the Most Rev. Edward W. Clark, an auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The first two sessions of the dialogue were devoted to discussion of the decisions reached at the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church that took place in Columbus, Ohio, in June, including the election of Bishop Katharine Jefferts-Schori as the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. She will be the first female Primate in the Anglican Communion. September 21, 2006 – Rev. Dr Bernice Powell Jackson is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ in the USA. A member of the World Council of Churches' (WCC) central committee since 1998, she has worked for more than three decades on civil rights, human rights and justice issues. She was elected as one of the WCC presidents at the 9th Assembly in 2006. In this interview, she talks about her life-long commitment to justice, some of her sources of spiritual inspiration, and some of the current challenges she sees for the churches in the ecumenical movement. Pope's Islam Comments Cause Concern; Apology Welcomed September 19, 2006 – An apology from Pope Benedict XVI for quoting, during a September 12 lecture in Regensburg, Germany, the words of a 14th century Christian emperor who spoke of Islam as having "evil and inhuman" aspects, has been welcomed by church leaders, but many Muslims have insisted that the papal apology did not go far enough. The comments triggered violent protests and caused Palestinian Christian churches in the West Bank and Gaza to come under attack. "One has to judge his views on his track record generally when talking about interfaith dialogue and his very generous appreciation of the Muslim contribution in the past," the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, said of the Pope on September 18 during a BBC interview. "It is a great pity if one phrase, which is a quotation, is taken as representing his own view. I think he has taken very significant steps to clear the air." Commentary: God Wants Younger, More Diverse Congregations September 20, 2006 – The word ‘fruitfulness' keeps surfacing in church conversations these days. Scripture is ripe with references to fields and harvests, vines and branches, stumps and shoots, trees and figs. Indeed, the image of fruitfulness gives us a powerful language for understanding effective ministry. What is the fruitfulness God expects of us and of our churches? Fruitfulness can take many forms. But we must be clear about the fundamental change we seek to make in human life through our ministry. The most important fruits are growing, vibrant congregations that are changing lives through Jesus Christ. I was asked recently to imagine how the church would be different in five years if all our goals, hopes and aspirations were realized. I thought of a growing number of healthy, strong congregations of all sizes – congregations clear about their mission, making disciples for Jesus Christ, and making a difference in the world. Las Declaraciones Del Papa Y Sus Secuelas 20 septiembre 2006, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – A seis meses de la cuestión de las caricaturas de Mahoma, asistimos a una repetición de la secuencia "descalificación-humillación–represalia," esta vez a raíz de una opinión negativa sobre el Islam citada por el Papa en una conferencia dedicada aparentemente a ajustar cuentas con la teología protestante. Al igual que en el caso anterior, las reacciones han incluido atentados contra iglesias y el asesinato de cristianos. Buena parte de la prensa interpreta estos hechos como originados en la susceptibilidad lastimada de los musulmanes, tanto más susceptibles luego de la actuación de las tropas y/o las armas de los países cristianos en Palestina, Afganistán, Irak y El Líbano. 21 septiembre 2006, ROMA, Italia –"Dolor y estupor," estos los sentimientos expresados por la moderadora de la Mesa Valdense, pastora Maria Bonafede, al protestar contra las exclusiones de los evangélicos de la mesa interreligiosa convocada en Campidoglio, el 19 de septiembre, enseguida de la polémica suscitada por la intervención del Papa Benedicto XVI en la Universidad de Ratisbona. Al encuentro estuvieron invitados el cardenal Poupard, Andrea Riccardi de la Comunidad de San Egidio, el rabino jefe Di Segni y el iman Sami Salem de la mezquita de Roma. Mudanza En Las Iglesias Protestantes 19 septiembre 2006, BUDAPEST, Hungría – El Profesor Dr. Michael Bünker de Viena presidirá la secretaría de la Comunión de las Iglesias Protestantes en Europa a partir de enero de 2007 . El Dr. Michael Bünker de la Iglesia Evangélica en Austria ha sido elegido secretario general por el consejo de la Comunión de las Iglesias Protestantes en Europa (CEPE) – Comunidad de Leuenberg- durante su 6ª Junta general que finalizó ayer en Budapest. A partir del 2007, Bünker sucede al presidente Dr. Wilhelm Hüffmeier (Berlín) que llevó la secretaría durante 19 años. 19 septiembre 2006 – La Dra. Mary Tanner, de la Iglesia de Inglaterra, es una eminente teóloga y escritora que ha estado involucrada en el movimiento ecuménico de diversas maneras durante años. Entre otras contribuciones ha liderado importantes estudios y actividades, y ha sido moderadora de la V Conferencia Mundial de Fe y Constitución en Santiago de Compostela, España (1993). Elegida como una de los ocho presidentes del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) en la IX Asamblea en Porto Alegre, Tanner habla en la siguiente entrevista de las promesas y desafíos que enfrenta el movimiento ecuménico, del papel del CMI, y explica por qué en su opinión es esencial trabajar por la plena comunión eucarística. 21 septiembre 2006, GINEBRA, Suiza – El Día Internacional de Oración por la Paz será celebrado este 21 de septiembre por miles de iglesias y organizaciones en todo el mundo. Será una oportunidad para que los cristianos y cristianas y sus comunidades en todas las regiones oren, reflexionen y actúen juntos en favor de la paz. La iniciativa del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias fue lanzada hace dos años en el marco del Decenio para Superar la Violencia (DSV), y fue acogida con beneplácito por el secretario general de las Naciones Unidas Kofi Annan. Su celebración coincide con el Día Internacional de la Paz de la ONU. Freedom
Magazine Human Rights Leadership Awards September 18, 2006, WASHINGTON, DC – Three distinguished Americans were honored by Freedom Magazine Monday evening on Capitol Hill. Lisa Thompson of the Salvation Army, Points of Light CEO Bob Goodwin, and Congressman Dan Burton received the Freedom Magazine Human Rights Award, joining the ranks of honorees which have included Queens Federation of Churches Executive Director Rev. N. J. L'Heureux. Rev. L'Heureux was on hand as veteran actress and activist Anne Archer (featured in Fatal Attraction, Patriot Games, The Ghost Whisperer) presented the awards at the dinner ceremony. Ms. Archer recently founded Artists for Human Rights to use the arts to promote human rights. Pasadena Congregation to Challenge IRS Summons September 21, 2006 – The Rev. J. Edwin Bacon, rector of All Saints Church, announced September 21 that he will not turn over parish records to Internal Revenue Service auditors, paving the way for a court hearing on allegations the church engaged in political campaigning. "We are here not for ourselves alone but to defend the freedom of pulpits in faith communities throughout our land," said Bacon, who was flanked by a sea of Muslim, Jewish and Christian supporters, parishioners and Los Angeles-area clergy, among them the Rev. George Regas, whose anti-war sermon sparked the IRS' audit of the 3,500-member congregation. "American pulpits in mosques, synagogues, temples and churches must not cower from the responsibility to speak truth to power, include any and every expression of American exceptionalism that through policy and practice values American life above other life," Bacon told the gathering. "All life is sacred to God. We are called by God's vision to turn the human race into the human family." September 22, 2006 – A group of 21 Episcopal Church bishops said September 22 in a letter to their colleagues in the House of Bishops that they support the Windsor Report, believe that the 75th General Convention "did not adequately respond" to the report and subsequent statements, but pledged to "care for all God's children in our dioceses." The letter also thanked the two Church of England bishops who attended a meeting held September 19-22 at the Episcopal Diocese of Texas' Camp Allen Conference and Retreat Center, northwest of Houston. "We are grateful for the helpful briefing from the Archbishop of Canterbury, brought to us through the Bishops of Durham [N.T. Wright] and Winchester [Michael Scott-Joynt]," the letter said. "We have corresponded in turn with the Archbishop and communicated our hopes with respect to continuing in full constituent Communion membership. It is our intention to offer a faithful and dynamic witness within the Episcopal Church." Cathedral Burned and Bishop's Office Attacked in a Riot September 21, 2006, JIGAWA STATE, Nigeria – The Rt Revd Yesufu Lumu, has told ACNS in a telephone interview that a local conflict between a Christian and Muslim woman escalated into a full blown riot on the streets of the city. The end result was St Peter's Anglican Cathedral was burned to the ground and the Bishop's office and car port destroyed. "It was calm during the night," the bishop said, but was very concerned as the "police would not respond to the calls for protection from the Christians." According to one report the anger was said to have been "sparked off by an alleged blasphemous comment on Prophet Muhammed by a Christian woman, who reportedly spoke in reaction to a similarly irreverent statement about Jesus Christ by a male Muslim." Reflections on 100 Years of Methodism in Bolivia September 22, 2006 – Francis M. Harrington, the Methodist missionary who led the Methodist witness to Bolivia in 1906, reflected on the difficult beginnings: "I have put faith into my work, and I know it will bear good fruit." A hundred years later, on the Aug. 20 anniversary of the initiation of the Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia, some 6,500 Methodists, representing the 10,000-member denomination, marched through the center of the capital city of La Paz, accompanied by the stirring music of 16 bands, to celebrate and savor the abundant fruits of Gospel witness that Harrington had envisioned. As the Methodists, many in colorful indigenous dress, streamed into the public coliseum, the depth of my emotional response was beyond words. Lutheran Bishop of Jerusalem Visits Damaged Churches in Nablus September 22, 2006, CHICAGO – The Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), went Sept. 17 to Nablus, West Bank, from Jerusalem with the heads of three other Christian churches there. Fire and bullets scarred four church buildings in Nablus from Sept. 16 attacks considered to be in reaction to remarks Pope Benedict XVI made Sept. 12 in Germany. In a personal account of the visit, Younan said he went to Nablus with His Beatitude Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, Bishop Riah Abu el-Assal of the Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East, and Bishop George Bakar, the Greek Catholic Exarch, "to stand in solidarity with Christian sisters and brothers there." Anglican, Greek Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic church buildings were damaged in the Nablus attacks. "I viewed the minimal damage mostly on the outside of the four churches," Younan said. "More serious, however, was the symbolic meaning of the acts." Brondos Reframes Pauline Theology September 15, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – Even as theologians have become more critical of classic theories of atonement, biblical scholars have continued to rely upon such theories as a basis for interpreting Paul's teaching regarding salvation and the cross. In the newly released l on the Crossvid A. Brondos looks to the recent advances in New Testament scholarship to argue for an alternative understanding of Paul's doctrine of salvation and the cross. Paul, says Brondos, understood Jesus' death primarily as the consequence of his mission: to serve as God's instrument to bring about the long-awaited redemption of Israel, in which Gentiles throughout the world would also be included. A Dramatic New Approach to Jesus and the Movement That Took His Name September 21, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – Scholarship on the historical Jesus and, now, on the "Jesus movement" generally divides into separate camps around two sticky questions: was Jesus an apocalyptic prophet and was the movement around him political, that is nationalistic or revolutionary? In Jesus & Utopia Mary Ann Beavis moves the study of the historical Jesus in a dramatic new direction as she highlights the context of ancient utopian thought and utopian communities, drawing particularly on the Essene community and Philo's discussion of the Therapeutae, and argues that only ancient utopian thought accounts for the lack of explicit political echoes in Jesus' message of the kingdom of God. God, Creation, and the Human Predicament September 19, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – In The Immanent Divine, John J. Thatamanil provides an East-West conversation about what ails us humans. While traditional Christian thought and spirituality have always affirmed the divine presence in human life, Thatamanil argues we have much to learn from non-dualistic Hindu thought, especially that of the eighth-century thinker Sankara, and from the Christian panentheism of Paul Tillich. Thatamanil compares their diagnoses and prognoses of the human predicament in light of their doctrine of God or Ultimate Reality. Reading the Bible Responsibly – a Theological Rationale for Postmodern Interpretation September 18, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – In Faithful Interpretation: Reading the Bible in a Postmodern World, A. K. M. Adam, one of the leading voices in postmodern criticism, brings together some important questions introducing postmodern interpretation and arguing its urgent importance for the life of the contemporary church. Does postmodernism threaten biblical theology, or is it the antidote to the conceits of modernism?
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