Front Page

NCC Asks FEMA to Investigate ‘Toxic' Trailers

May 31, 2007, WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council of Churches USA (NCC) has called on Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator R. David Paulison to "to launch a full investigation into the health risks associated with the trailers supplied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma." The NCC also called on FEMA to suspend selling the trailers until it is proven they are safe. The call came in a letter to Paulison from the NCC's Special Commission for the Just Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast.

AJC Welcomes President Bush Call for Further Darfur Sanctions

May 29, 2007, NEW YORK – The American Jewish Committee welcomed the announcement this morning by President George W. Bush of additional economic measures against Sudan in response to the ongoing tragedy in Darfur. "Once again, the United States has demonstrated its profound concern for the genocide that has already taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of Darfur residents and displaced millions of others," said AJC Executive Director David A. Harris. "The increased sanctions that have been announced this morning should be seen as an important step towards a comprehensive international plan to address the growing crisis," said Harris.

Churches Worldwide to Advocate for Just Peace in Palestine and Israel, 3-9 June 2007

May 29, 2007 – To highlight the urgency of peace in Palestine and Israel after 40 years of occupation, the World Council of Churches (WCC), member churches and related organizations are organizing a week of prayers, seminars and advocacy to mark this June's anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The goal of the week is to raise awareness in churches and civil society and to impress upon governments the need for new efforts to end the conflict and negotiate a just settlement. Participants from Australia to Sweden and Canada to South Africa are organizing peace walks, meeting their governments or staging public forums. An ecumenical service will be held in Jerusalem on Sunday, June 3, to start the week.

Whit Sunday

This Is the Day the Lord Has Made: Let Us Rejoice and Be Glad in It!

June 1, 2007 – "We have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God. " Acts:2,11 The miracle of Whit Sunday is just this that the Holy Spirit let all understand the sermon of the Apostles in their own language! St. Augustine wrote that Christ is called Savior of the World because he came to save the world and not judge it. Faith in Christ is an essential condition of salvation. It was not just in the Upper Room of the Last Supper that the Spirit fell upon them but also in the House of the Centurion:" While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word."(Acts:10). Their was no distinction made between Apostles and other believers, between Jews and Gentiles, between men and women. The Holy Spirit sanctified all present. The message today is one ripe for the World: Jesus Christ saves all mankind. Every human being on this planet Earth and beyond. I recall someone once asking our Theology professor if life were found on other planets or elsewhere in the universe,"

General News

State of the Church Report Encourages Dialogue

June 1, 2007 – United Methodists have a deep love for their church and passion for their beliefs, but they are less satisfied with its structure and say too many resources are used in administration and bureaucracy. They are also both hopeful and concerned about the future of The United Methodist Church. So say the results of surveys that are the basis for a State of the Church report scheduled for churchwide release in mid-June. The surveys were conducted between June and September of 2006, and involved interviewing a cross-section of about 3,000 United Methodist clergy, lay leaders and members from across the globe.

Since You Asked about Demographics

May 31, 2007 – "I don't believe we have any information about the demographics of our church – about the ethnic, racial, gender or age composition of our membership. Should we? And if so, how should we get it?" The church should know that this observer is correct. Unlike other major denominations (the Lutherans, for example), we do not have, nor do we regularly gather, useful and reliable demographic data on the composition of The Episcopal Church. To the question "Do we need such data?" the answer is a resounding, "Yes." Veterans of General Convention may recall that as long ago as the year 2000 the House of Deputies Committee on the State of the Church (SOTC) was recommending that a formal census be taken to facilitate planning efforts such as 20/20, among others.

Former Members of Colorado Springs Congregation Approve Break from Episcopal Church

May 29, 2007 – The congregation calling itself Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish in Colorado Springs announced May 26 that a majority of its members voting in a week-long election agreed to affiliate with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). The election formalized a decision made in March by what was then the vestry of Grace Church and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. The group's announcement said that of the 370 votes cast (from a possible 822 voters), 342, or 93%, agreed with the decision. In making its March 26 decision, the then-members of the vestry consulted its rector, the Rev. Donald Armstrong, whom O'Neill inhibited in January as part of an investigation into allegations of misappropriated church money. A presentment has since been filed against Armstrong, and the Diocese of Colorado has filed suit to regain possession of the parish's property. CANA calls itself a "missionary effort" of the Anglican Church in Nigeria.

Bishops' Theology Committee Offers Primates' Communiqué Study Document
Document Says Bishops Want Response from Entire Episcopal Church

June 1, 2007 – The Theology Committee of the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops on June 1 released a study document aimed at helping the bishops respond to the requests made to them by the Primates of the Anglican Communion. The 15-page "Communion Matters: A Study Document for the Episcopal Church" is available online. A color PDF version of the document is available here. A black-and-white PDF version is here. Theology Committee chair and Alabama Bishop Henry Parsley told Episcopal News Service that the report is meant for bishops to use in conversation with the people of their dioceses in the three and a half months between now and the mid-September meeting of the House of Bishops in New Orleans. Rather than call for responses from individual Episcopalians, Parsley said the committee will in late August and early September gather input from bishops on the result of their conversations in their dioceses. He said the committee hopes that Episcopalians will "read, mark, inwardly digest and then come talk" about the document with their bishop.

Disaffected, Breakaway Bishops Plan September Meeting

June 1, 2007 – Bishops of seven self-identified Anglican organizations have been invited by Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan to attend a meeting September 25-28, in part to "initiate discussion of the creation of an ‘Anglican Union'" such as the one envisioned by the Primates of the Global South when they called for a new "ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican Communion in the USA." Duncan issued the invitation in his role as moderator of the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes (NACDP), also known as the Anglican Communion Network. The gathering is being called the "first-ever Common Cause Council of Bishops."

Ecumenical News

Towards Greater Coherence of the One Ecumenical Movement

May 30, 2007 – A newly appointed commission with representatives of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and several Christian World Communions met for the first time, affirming the complementary witness of ecumenical partners. The creation of a Joint Consultative Commission between the WCC and Christian World Communions was recommended by the WCC's 9th Assembly, held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in February 2006. The global confessional families represented on the Commission include Anglicans, Disciples, Eastern Orthodox, Friends (Quakers), Lutherans, Mennonites, Methodists, Oriental Orthodox, Reformed and Roman Catholic. The Commission's purpose is to discuss and recommend ways to further strengthen the participation of Christian World Communions in the life and work of the WCC.

Communique from the Anglican – Lutheran International Commission

May 31, 2007, WHITE POINT, Nova Scotia, Canada – The Third Anglican – Lutheran International Commission (ALIC) held its second meeting at White Point, Nova Scotia, Canada between 14 and 20 May, 2007, under the chairmanship of the Rt Revd Fred Hiltz, Anglican Bishop of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and the Revd Dr Thomas Nyiwé, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cameroon. The Commission has been established by the Anglican Consultative Council and the Lutheran World Federation to continue the dialogue between Anglicans and Lutherans on the worldwide level which has been in progress since 1970.

Editorial Page

Commentary: Flag Display Is Response to God's Blessings

Jun. 1, 2007 – Is it appropriate to display the United States flag in United Methodist churches during worship services? As a life-long United Methodist, and as a former active-duty chaplain in the U.S. Army, I have no question as to its appropriateness. And, as a U.S. citizen, I find it hard to imagine why some people would not want to display the flag at their place of worship. In fact, I would be very concerned if the flag was banned from those times in which we come together corporately to worship God.

Commentary: Should U.S. Flags Fly in Sanctuaries?

June 1, 2007 – As a staff member at the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, I am frequently asked questions that require me to go where "angels fear to tread." Questions about displaying national flags in the church's sanctuary take us into that treacherous terrain. Many United Methodist churches maintain a tradition of placing the United States flag in the sanctuary, by the altar, within the chancel, or at another prominent location on the church grounds. I heard of one case in which the U.S. flag actually covered the altar itself. So we must ask: Is this an appropriate use of the national flag from both a Christian and United Methodist perspective?

Spanish News

Obispos Anglicanos De América Latina Y El Caribe Firman Exhortación
a Preservar Su Naturaleza Participativa

29 mayo 2007, SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica – La Declaración del Centro Global, o Propuesta de Panamá, firmada en San José de Costa Rica por los obispos anglicanos de América Latina y del Caribe, renueva y ratifica la propuesta de Panamá, posición conocida como Centro Global, la cual exhorta a esa Comunión a preservar su naturaleza participativa, diversa, amplia e inclusiva. Estas características son consideras "como esenciales al anglicanismo y constituyen nuestra contribución a la tradición cristiana" dice el Documento firmado por 21 lideres eclesiales de América Latina y el Caribe, que se reunieron del 18 al 21 de mayo en esa ciudad.

Consternación En Iglesia Evangélica Por Fallecimiento De Pastor Colin Crawford

31 mayo 2007, BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Colin Campbell Crawford Christie, nacido el 6 de marzo de 1937 en Glasgow Escocia, teólogo del Instituto Bíblico de Glasgow, Doctorado en Sagrada Teología Laud Hall Seminary Clearwater USA., pastor fundador de la Iglesia Cristiana Filadelfia, promotor de un trabajo social como Concejal de Bogotá y Congresista de la República, falleció esta mañana a las 7:23 de un fulminante paro cardiaco.

Curso Prepara Agentes Religiosos Para Evangelizar En Presidios

1 junio 2007, RÍO DE JANEIRO, Brasil – Anunciar el evangelio al aire libre, en la calle, en la plaza, es diferente de lo que es llevar la Palabra de Dios al encarcelado, afirmó el pastor Edmilson Rodrigues, de la Iglesia Presbiteriana Filadelfia, de Niteroi. Él trabaja hace más de 20 años en la pastoral carcelaria, que realiza visitas semanales a los presos en dos cadenas de la región. Rodrigues, de 58 años, fue uno de los ministrantes del I Curso de Misiones en las Cárceles, realizado el sábado, 19 de mayo, en Río de Janeiro, con el apoyo de la Sociedad Bíblica del Brasil (SBB).

Las Iglesias Reformadas Definieron Estrategias Y Acuerdos

31 mayo 2007, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Una jornada reflexiva en torno al proceso de planificación estratégica desarrollado por la Mesa de las Iglesias Reformadas de Argentina, que apunta hacia una nueva visión y misión de la presencia reformada en el país, marcó el inicio del XXXVII Sínodo de esa denominación en el país. Del 25 al 27 de mayo, en la marítima ciudad de Mar del Plata, 80 delegados, delegadas y visitas se reunieron bajo el lema:" Los que confían en el Señor tendrán siempre nuevas fuerzas." El pastor Dan González, secretario ejecutivo de FUMEC, coordinó los estudios bíblicos.

El Deshielo De Los Casquetes Glaciares
En Los Montes Kenya Y Kilimanjaro Exige Medidas Ya

30 mayo 2007 – "En mi infancia, el agua era tan clara que se podían ver las rocas del fondo. Qué fácil era pescar truchas y cómo disfrutábamos de ello. Cuando pescábamos con nuestras cañas, nos veíamos reflejados en el agua ," dice el Profesor Jesse Mugambi, miembro del Grupo de Trabajo del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) sobre el Cambio Climático. "Pero después empezamos a cultivar café y té. Primero se contaminaron los ríos a causa de la erosión y después ya no hubo agua."

Iglesia Católica Dedica Sus Ofrendas a Víctimas De Darfur

30 mayo 2007, WILLEMSTAD, Curazao – En un acto de solidaridad con las víctimas de la región africana de Darfur, en Sudán, el obispado católico de aquí decidió dedicar el domingo 27 a esa causa, los llamados Santos Sacrificios de Misa. El importe de las ofrendas que formaron parte de las liturgias de domingo, en las diferentes comunidades cristianas de esta isla del llamado Caribe Holandés, se suma a una campaña que, desde el pasado año, se lleva a cabo bajo el nombre de "Acción Salva Darfur." Su propósito es llamar la atención en los ciudadanos locales, a fin de recaudar fondos con vistas a ayudar a atenuar las consecuencias de la masacre ocurrida en esa región de Sudán.

Iglesias De Todo El Mundo Abogan Por Una Paz Justa
En Palestina E Israel, 3-9 De Junio De 2007

29 mayo 2007 – Para destacar la urgencia de la paz en Palestina e Israel después de 40 años de ocupación, el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), las iglesias miembros y otras organizaciones afines organizan una semana de oraciones, seminarios y actividades de difusión para señalar este mes de junio el aniversario de la guerra árabe-israelí de 1967. La semana tiene por objeto sensibilizar a las iglesias y a la sociedad civil y recalcar a los gobiernos la necesidad de realizar nuevos esfuerzos para poner fin al conflicto y negociar una solución justa. Participantes de numerosos países, desde Australia hasta Suecia y desde Canadá hasta Sudáfrica, están organizando marchas de paz, reuniones con sus gobiernos o foros públicos.

Sacerdote Anglicano Exigió No Tener Doble Moral Al Hablar De Prostitución

31 mayo 2007, LIMA, Perú – La Asociación Civil de Trabajadoras Sexuales MILUSKA VIDA Y DIGNIDAD, y otras organizaciones defensoras de los derechos de los y las trabajadoras sexuales, realizaron un encuentro con la prensa el pasado 18 de mayo. En el mismo se rechazó un proyecto de ley que prohíbe la difusión de anuncios de los servicios sexuales y se apoyó el proyecto presentado por el congresista José Macedo que pretende salvaguardar los beneficios sociales para las y los trabajadores sexuales en ese país.

National News

NCC's Edgar Sees More Work for a Living Wage in America

June 1, 2007, NEW YORK CITY – Last month's passage of a raise in the federal minimum wage – the first in ten years – was praised by community and faith leaders across the country. Some see it only as a first step. A national coalition started by the National Council of Churches USA (NCC), "Let Justice Roll," continues its efforts in states, counties and cities to make the minimum wage one that workers can live on and support their families. "Even with the passage of a higher federal minimum wage, Let Justice Roll will continue to work for living wages for all of America's poorest workers," wrote the Rev. Bob Edgar, NCC general secretary.

Yum! Brands Expands Deal with Tomato Pickers to All its Restaurants
Pizza Hut and KFC among Brands Owned by Taco Bell Parent

May 29, 2007, LOUISVILLE – Taco Bell parent company, Yum! Brands Inc., recently announced that it has expanded its agreement with a group of church-backed tomato pickers to cover all of its restaurant chains: Pizza Hut, KFC, Long John Silver's and A&W All-American Food Restaurants. Under a previous agreement reached with the Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) in March 2005, Taco Bell agreed to pay a penny more per pound for its tomatoes, an increase passed along to the farmworkers. The agreement also established a first-ever enforceable Code of Conduct for agricultural suppliers in the fast-food industry, including the naming of the CIW, a worker-based organization, as an investigative body for monitoring worker complaints. Fast-food giant McDonald's Corp. also agreed to a similar deal with the CIW last month.

International News

Latin America, Caribbean Bishops Uphold Diversity of Anglicanism

May 31, 2007 – Anglican bishops from Latin America and the Caribbean, meeting in San José, Costa Rica, May 18-22, released a declaration reaffirming their call for the Anglican Communion "to preserve its participative nature, diverse, ample and inclusive," characteristics they say are essential to Anglicanism. The declaration was signed by 21 bishops, including the Primates of Brazil, Central America and Mexico, and Bishop Lloyd Allen of Honduras, president of the Episcopal Church's Province IX. Saying they represent the "plurality and diversity that are universal characteristics of Anglicanism," the bishops acknowledged that they "hold different positions on the themes that are presently discussed in the Communion."

Christians Continue Work in Pakistan, Despite Hostility

May 30, 2007 – What does it mean to be a Christian minority in a post 9/11 Islamic society? Christians in Pakistan "live and move and have their being" in a context of increasing uncertainty. Sometimes that environment turns hostile. On Oct. 28, 2001, in Bahawalpur, Multan province, a congregation sharing worship space at a Roman Catholic Church was attacked by armed men. Sixteen people died, including several children.

Ecumenical Water Network Calls for Holistic Approach to Water Issues

May 29, 2007 – "Our sharing of experiences revealed that water supply, sanitation and protection of the environment should never be separated, but worked on in a holistic approach," says the final statement of the "Churches for Water in Africa" conference, held on 21-25 May in Entebbe, Uganda. The conference gathered nearly 70 participants including church leaders, theologians, water experts and project coordinators. They came from 19 African countries as well as from Europe and Latin America to discuss the role of churches in the face of the water crisis in Africa. It was organized by the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) in cooperation with the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC), the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) and the Uganda-based Agency for Corporation and Research in Development (ACCORD).

Middle East News

Cultural Survival – Jinishian Program a Lifeline for Lebanese Armenians

May 31, 2007, BEIRUT, Lebanon – Barely into her 30s, Rima Babikian carries the life load of a woman twice her age. More than one job, a husband who also works multiple hours, three children and a sickly mother-in-law who lives with the family make survival tough. Money is scarce and "there is always financial crisis," the young woman said. Ongoing wars and conflicts, like the one last summer between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, keep an air of instability and uncertainty in place. "Yes, it's tough," Babikian said of her existence. Even now in the northern part of the country, near Tripoli, Lebanese soldiers are at odds with militants at a Palestinian refugee camp, and bombs have reportedly gone off in Beirut in the last two weeks.

Finish with Forty Years War, Jerusalem Christian Leaders Say

May 31, 2007 – Describing the "daily hardships and humiliations" of Palestinians as "unacceptable," Jerusalem's Christian leaders have called on Israel to end its occupation of territories and for the recognition of a Palestinian state. Catholic News reports that the leaders issued their call on the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Israeli-Arab war, asking all people to "work diligently for peace" as God's children. "It is totally unacceptable for the situation to continue where the Palestinians endure daily hardships and humiliations with deprivations of international human rights, allegedly to ensure the safety and security of the Israelis, whereas we believe the security of Israel is dependent on the freedom and justice of the Palestinians," the church leaders said in their 27 May letter. They noted that their position on Jerusalem, stated in November, includes recognizing the rights of the three monotheistic faiths – Christianity, Islam and Judaism – and the needs of the Israelis and Palestinians in the city.

Women's Delegation Visits Jordan

May 18, 2007 – A delegation of women from the National Council of Churches in USA (NCCUSA) visited the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan during the period of May 10 – 14, 2007. The purpose of the visit was to get acquainted with the situation in Jordan as a place of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, gain immense perspectives and insights about the overall situation of the Middle East conflict, and shed light on the plight of women and children in the Middle East and to lift up their voices to be heard around the world.

People in the News

NCC’s Bob Edgar to Lead Common Cause

May 23, 2007 NEW YORK – The Rev. Bob Edgar, a United Methodist pastor, former congressman and current chief executive of the National Council of Churches, will soon lead Common Cause, a national advocacy group. His election as president and chief executive of Common Cause was made public May 22 by that organization. He succeeds Chellie Pingree. Edgar's departure date from the NCC has not been announced. Edgar, 63, who has led the NCC since 2000, told the ecumenical group's governing board last October that he would not seek a third four-year term. The search for a new chief executive is under way.

Calvin College Alumnus Nominated as U.S. Ambassador

June 1, 2007, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich – U.S. President George W. Bush has announced his intention to nominate five individuals and designate two individuals to serve in his administration, including William J. Garvelink, a graduate of Calvin College who just this month was honored as one of two winner's of Calvin's 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award. A 1971 Calvin graduate, Garvelink will be nominated by President Bush as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In that capacity he would be the President's representative in the Congo and would oversee all official, bilateral relations between the U.S. and the Congo.