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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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Church Councils Call for Prayer, Justice Following Shooting by Police December 1, 2006, QUEENS, NY – The Queens Federation of Churches and the Council of Churches of the City of New York have called upon church leaders in Queens and the metropolitan area to lead prayers for healing and justice in response to the shooting last week of Sean Bell in a hail of 50 police bullets. He and two friends, all unarmed, were shot while leaving a strip club in Jamaica, Queens, in the early hours of Saturday, November 25, on what was to have been Mr. Bell's wedding day. In a letter to Mayor Bloomberg and other City officials, the Rev. N. J. L'Heureux, Jr. and the Rev. John E. Hiemstra, executives of the two church councils which broadly represent the Christian churches of the City, expressed concern for the families of the victims. They called upon the Mayor and the Police Commissioner to make policy changes in an effort to prevent future tragedies of this kind. AIDS Takes High Toll among African-American Women November 30, 2006 – Men "on the down low" are turning marriage into a risk factor for contracting HIV/AIDS. The term "on the down low" refers to men who are having sex with other men but keeping it a secret, often from their wives or girlfriends, said Jane Pernotto Ehrman, a national health consultant for the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. The practice is especially high among African-American men because it is "absolutely not OK to be homosexual" in the black culture, she added. ELCA Presiding Bishop's 2006 Christmas Message December 1, 2006 – "The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory..." (John 1:14). We live in a visited world. On that holy night twenty centuries ago, God visited the world in the miracle of Bethlehem. Held in Mary's arms that night was the revelation of steadfast, unbounded love for all humanity. The birth of Jesus disclosed God's saving will and eternal desire for reconciliation and peace. In this season of Christmas, we encounter again Jesus, sent from God for our salvation. As the Word is proclaimed in both simple buildings and cathedrals of grandeur, we receive the good news of God's love in Christ Jesus for the whole earth. God's Call Comes in Different Ways, Clergy Tell Young People November 30, 2006*By Vicki Brown JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ordained clergy told their personal stories of answering God's call to 525 young people attending EXPLORATION 2006. The annual event, sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, invites young people to explore whether God is calling them to ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church. More than 300 high school seniors and young adults from 42 states stepped forward Nov. 18 to pray with elders, deacons, local pastors, chaplains, and campus ministers in a commitment service. At the end of the night, 198 youth and young adults signed commitment cards indicating their definite interest in ordained ministry. ‘Electronic Common Prayer' for Palm Handhelds Aids Personal Devotions, Portable Prayer November 28, 2006 – With the First Sunday of Advent marking the start of the new church year December 3 and the beginning of the new cycle of Daily Office readings, people of faith don't have to wait for New Year's or Lent to take on a new practice of personal devotion. A new software product from Church Publishing Inc. helps busy people keep up with personal devotions—even when they're on the move. "eCP: electronic Common Prayer" offers users of PalmOS mobile devices a downloadable, interactive, calendar-based tool that highlights the designated liturgical celebration of the day and provides links to the full text of the appointed Daily Office readings and the Eucharistic lectionary. Well House Helps Women Get Lives on Track after Prison November 28, 2006 – With its freshly painted green exterior and flowers blooming in the yard, the Well House looks like any other along its street in San Antonio. But this house is home to 10 women who are trying to make a fresh start. The Woman at the Well program was founded in 1995 to help women coming out of prison. Statistically, two-thirds of people who are released from incarceration will return within three years. The program addresses common problems that lead to recidivism and offers housing, counseling and help with job placement. November 28, 2006 – The 2006 biennial conference of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) drew more than 900 Episcopal educators to Hollywood, California, from November 16-18 for the opportunity to "connect, celebrate, reflect and learn." "Varieties of Gifts, but the Same Spirit" was the theme of the three-day gathering held at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. "There is a spirit in the biennial that people are often drawn to," said the Rev. Peter G. Cheney, executive director of NAES. "There is a sense of community within the Episcopal school world that is really very exciting. People make connections, meet new friends and are energized by the worship." Bishops Develop Proposal Responding to ‘Appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury' November 30, 2006 – A group of bishops, including Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, has developed a proposal responding to "An Appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury" addressing what other petitioning bishops and dioceses have termed "alternative primatial oversight" or "alternative primatial relationship." Theologians to Discuss Cruelty, the Ugly Face of Violence November 30, 2006 – What does cruelty have to do with theology? Some 25 theologians from all over the world will gather on 5-8 December in Crêt-Bérard (near Lausanne, Switzerland), to discuss why and to what extent cruelty can be considered as a new theme for theological reflection. It seems the issue could not be more urgent. The treatment of political detainees in Iraq and Guantanamo, Lebanon caught between Hezbollah and Israel, current and past genocides, atrocities against the Dalits, the use of rape as a war weapon, various forms of terrorism and counter-terrorism, torture, xenophobia and racism, domestic violence – all are instances where cruelty shows its ugly face. Teólogos Debatirán Sobre La Crueldad, El Rostro Atroz De La Violencia 30 noviembre 2006 – ¿Qué tiene que ver la crueldad con la teología? Un grupo internacional de teólogos se reunirá del 5 al 8 de diciembre en Crêt-Bérard (cerca de Lausana, Suiza), para debatir por qué y en qué medida la crueldad puede ser considerada un nuevo tema de reflexión teológica. Parece que la cuestión no podría ser de más actualidad. El trato dado a los detenidos políticos en Irak y Guantánamo, el Líbano atrapado entre Hezbollah e Israel, los genocidios actuales y pasados, las atrocidades contra los Dalits en la India, la violación como arma de guerra, diversas formas de terrorismo y contraterrorismo, la tortura, la xenofobia y el racismo, la violencia doméstica... todos éstos son ejemplos donde la crueldad muestra su rostro repulsivo. Iglesia Luterana Empieza Acciones Por El Día Del VIH/SIDA 29 noviembre 2006, BOGOTÁ, Colombia – El pasado domingo 26 se llevó a cabo en la Congregación Luterana El Redentor, de esta capital, un culto con motivo de la Celebración del Día Mundial de Lucha contra el VIH y SIDA, en la que intervino el reverendo Martín Junge, Secretario para América Latina y el Caribe de la Federación Luterana Mundial (FLM), quien dio la predicación a los asistentes. Con esta celebración se dio apertura a las diferentes actividades de la semana de Lucha contra la pandemia, con motivo de celebrarse este primero de diciembre el Día Mundial contra el VIH/SIDA, tema sobre el cual las Iglesias de la comunión luterana en América Latina publicaran un libro recientemente. Iglesia Luterana Salvadoreña Lamenta Muerte De Inger-Marklurnd Y De Su Hija Sara 27 noviembre 2006, SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – El obispo Medardo Gómez de la Iglesia Luterana Salvadoreña, lamentó hoy la muerte de Inger Aasa-Marklund y de su hijita Sara y oró por la pronta recuperación del pastor Ricardo Marklund quien se encuentra gravemente herido en un hospital de El Cairo, tras un accidente de transito sufrido en Egipto, el pasado viernes 24. La familia Marklund fue misionera en la Iglesia Luterana Salvadoreña a finales de la década de los ochenta contribuyendo con su testimonio y trabajo al proceso de paz, que luego fue firmada entre las partes beligerantes. November 29, 2006 – The second of four parish bulletin inserts highlighting Episcopal Church history – and the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown Colony and the beginnings of its original parish church – has been posted online for use Sunday, December 3, or Sunday, December 10. The full text of the series' second insert is reprinted below. The series began on November 26 and continues for use through December 17. The inserts may be downloaded and duplicated for insertion in parish bulletins. World Council of Churches Leader Visits China, Taiwan December 1, 2006 – In a recent visit to China, the chief executive of the World Council of Churches praised the work of Christians there and discussed the role of religion in building a "harmonious society" with government officials. "If China wants to be the kind of global player that it is clearly becoming, then there are norms and standards (in terms of religious freedom) which will be expected of its government, and I think they are aware of this," said the Rev. Samuel Kobia, a Methodist from Kenya, during a press conference in China. The Nov. 15-22 visit, Kobia's first in his role as WCC leader, included stops in Shanghai, Nanjing, Beijing and Xi'an. Kobia and his delegation then traveled to Taiwan for a Nov. 23-26 visit at the invitation of the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan, a WCC member. November 28, 2006 – In advance of December 1 observances of World AIDS Day, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is encouraging parishioners and clergy to unite behind the ONE Episcopalian Campaign to fight HIV/AIDS globally. November 29, 2006, OYER, Norway/GENEVA – The general synod of the (Lutheran) Church of Norway has supported the proposal of a government-appointed commission to abolish Norway's current state-church system. A majority of 63 out of the 85 delegates attending the 13-19 November synod meeting in Oyer, Hamar diocese, voted that the church should no longer be referred to as a state church in the country's constitution, the Church of Norway Information Service reported. Rather, the church should be founded on a separate act of parliament, and the general synod should undertake all church authority, currently vested in the King of Norway and government.
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