Front Page

Churches Call for End to Occupation of Palestinian Territories

June 6, 2007 – On Sunday, 3 June, in an ecumenical service held in Jerusalem's St. Stephens Church to mark the anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, church leaders called for an end to 40 years of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and emphasized the church's commitment to non-violence in the service of peace. The service was part of the International Church Action for Peace in Palestine and Israel (ICAPPI), an initiative of the World Council of Churches (WCC) involving churches worldwide during a week from 3-9 June. Participants at the service – from community-related organizations and the Jerusalem Coalition for Civil Society – included Christians, Muslims, and Jews. In his address, Catholic Archbishop Fuad Twal spoke of insecurity, instability and the absence of peace over the past four decades. Killings, house demolitions, putting people in prison were among the many aspects of the occupation, where the "language of force and violence prevailed," he said.

Climate Change, Global Poverty Linked, Presiding Bishop Tells Senate Committee
Jefferts Schori Calls for Immediate Action on Urgent Concerns

June 7, 2007 – Calling global warming "one of the great human and spiritual challenges of our time," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori addressed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee June 7 during a hearing titled "An Examination of the Views of Religious Organizations Regarding Global Warming." Representing the National Council of Churches USA (NCC) and the Episcopal Church, Jefferts Schori said, "As one who has been formed both through a deep faith and as a scientist I believe science has revealed to us without equivocation that climate change and global warming are real, and caused in significant part by human activities." Jefferts Schori was the first of seven faith leaders to testify at the hearing.

Thomas, Rogers-Witte Join Ecumenical Leaders Urging End to Ban on Cuba Travel

June 7, 2007 – U.S. Christian leaders, including two UCC executives, pressed the Bush administration and Congress on June 7 to end current restrictive bans on travel to Cuba, calling on the House and Senate to support related bipartisan legislation now in both houses. In a statement issued today to Senate and House members, executives of Church World Service, the National Council of Churches, and 11 of the largest mainline U.S. Christian denominations – including the UCC – urged lawmakers to co-sponsor and support the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2007 (S721) and the Export Freedom to Cuba Act of 2007 (HR 654). UCC signers included General Minister and President John H. Thomas and Wider Church Ministries Executive Cally Rogers-Witte. On June 14, church-based policy advocates will meet with House and Senate members and staff to further press for passage of the bills, which would end travel restrictions by all U.S. citizens to the island nation.

Globalization as Much as Religion to Blame for Contemporary Conflicts, Kobia Says

June 7, 2007 – If religion can fuel conflicts, globalization also contributes a great deal to the emergence of new ethno-religious conflicts according to World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. Delivering a keynote lecture today at the German Protestant "Kirchentag," the largest Protestant gathering in Germany, Kobia affirmed that in such conflicts, Christians are called by the gospel to work towards healing and reconciliation. The "Kirchentag" is held every two years; the current, 6-10 June, edition has drawn some 100.000 participants to Cologne. In his lecture on "How can religions live together?" Kobia cited studies indicating that a large share of world conflicts during the second half of the 20th century could be traced back to ethno-religious causes. But, he added, "attributing outbursts of violence only to religion," even where it plays a role in the conflict, "is not correct," since "causes of violent conflicts are usually more complex."

Obama to Address His Own Church's National Convention on June 23

June 8, 2007, CLEVELAND, Ohio – U.S. Sen. Barack Obama will address more than 10,000 fellow members and clergy of the 1.2-million-member United Church of Christ, when he speaks to the UCC's biennial General Synod, June 22-26, in Hartford, Conn. Obama will speak at 2:30 p.m. (ET) on Sat., June 23, at the Hartford Civic Center. Aides have confirmed that Obama will offer a 45-minute "substantive" address on faith and public life, when he speaks as one of the UCC's own at the church's 50th anniversary celebration. Obama has been a member of Trinity UCC in Chicago – the denomination's largest congregation – since 1988. Issues related to faith and public life have become central in the 2008 presidential election. Obama, who writes about his faith journey in his bestselling autobiography, "The Audacity of Hope," has often chided fellow Democrats for not reaching out more effectively and earnestly to people of faith.

General News

Church of the Brethren Membership Decline Continues

June 7, 2007, ELGIN, IL – Membership in the Church of the Brethren declined by 1,814 in 2006, according to reports received by the denomination. That represents a decrease of 1.4 percent from the previous year, about the same as the decline in 2005. Total reported membership in the US and Puerto Rico now stands at 127,526. Denominational membership has been on a steady decline since the early 1960s, as for most mainline denominations in the US. Statistics are collected annually by the "Church of the Brethren Yearbook" published by Brethren Press. The figure does not include Church of the Brethren membership in other countries including Nigeria, Brazil, India, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. The Nigerian church is the largest Brethren body in the world. Sixteen of the 23 US districts reported net membership declines last year, while seven reported increases.

ELCA Churchwide Assembly to Meet in Chicago, August 6-11

June 8, 2007, CHICAGO – Voting members of the 2007 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly will elect a presiding bishop and secretary, act on a proposed social statement, proposals for stewardship education and mission funding, an initiative on engaging the Bible, and a commitment for greater ELCA involvement in responding to HIV and AIDS. The assembly, which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the formation of the ELCA, is Aug. 6-11 here at Navy Pier. About 2,000 people – including 1,071 voting members elected by the 65 ELCA synods – are expected to participate in the ELCA's 10th biennial assembly. The theme is "Living in God's Amazing Grace: Thanks be to God!"

"Faith Endowment" – Awards for Academic Excellence

June 7, 2007, NEW YORK, NY – A significant and innovative step which supports and rewards the academic excellence of students who graduate from the 23 Greek American Day Schools of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America nationwide was announced by the Faith Endowment Fund for Orthodoxy and Hellenism. Consistent with the purpose of the Faith Endowment which is to, "support the National Ministries and institutions of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, with special attention to programs that promote Hellenism, ... Greek education scholarships, …and youth," these monetary awards will be given to the valedictorian and salutatorian of each graduating class. A total of 43 recipients graduating in June 2007 will receive these awards.

Consultation Explores Global Nature of the Church

June 6, 2007, NORCROSS, Ga. – The United Methodist Church is at work in more than 38 countries on four continents, and more than 20 percent of its members live outside the United States. Amid this increasingly global church environment, United Methodists are exploring what it means to be in mission worldwide and how it should shape its organizational structure accordingly. Fifty-five church leaders from four continents gathered May 18-20 at Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center to discuss issues related to global interdependence and interrelationships. The Consultation on the Global Nature of the Church was sponsored by the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.

Ecumenical News

Anglican-Lutheran Commission Welcomes LWF Statement on Episcopal Ministry
Future Meetings to Include Strategies for Closer Cooperation in Diakonia

June 4, 2007, WHITE POINT, Nova Scotia, Canada/GENEVA – Representatives of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Anglican Communion attending the second meeting of the Third Anglican – Lutheran International Commission (ALIC – 3) welcomed the recent LWF statement on the episcopal ministry, and commended it for study in the context of Anglican – Lutheran dialogue. The 14 to 20 May ALIC-3 meeting was held in Nova Scotia, Canada, hosted by the Anglican Communion in cooperation with Anglican Bishop Fred Hiltz of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In a final communiqué, the Commission said it viewed the LWF's March 2007 Lund statement on "Episcopal Ministry within the Apostolicity of the Church" as a useful reference point for its own ongoing discussions on the ministry of episkopé.

Editorial Page

Commentary: Illegal Immigrants Are Being Dehumanized

June 5, 2007 – The living situation for illegal immigrants in the United States is deteriorating every day in many respects. Many do not have adequate legal support in our judicial system. Without financial resources and with little understanding of English, they swarm the courts and assent to whatever judgment is imposed on them. The government is not assigning lawyers, and two-thirds of the 350,000 illegal immigration cases in 2006 were conducted "pro se." A typical case goes like this: An undocumented worker is called before the judge by a case number. An interpreter is instructed to ask the defendant if he or she has a lawyer. The immigrant answers "no" and, therefore, represents himself throughout the proceedings. The judge explains that the government doesn't see any legal basis for him to remain in the United States, and the immigrant is given three months to leave the country voluntarily.

Spanish News

La Iglesia Católica Va a Buscar a Los Apartados

5 junio 2007, SAN PABLO, Brasil – La Iglesia Católica va a ampliar y enfatizar las visitas domiciliarias como una de las formas de ir al encuentro de los católicos apartados. La propuesta está refrendada por el documento final de la V Conferencia General del Episcopado Latino-Americano y Caribeño, cerrada el jueves 31, en Aparecida del Norte, San Pablo. El prefecto de la Congregación para el Clero, el cardenal brasileño Claudio Hummes, dijo, en entrevista colectiva antes del término de la Conferencia, que la Iglesia Católica no quiere, con aquella iniciativa, entrar en conflicto con ningún grupo.

¿Pero, Dónde Están Los Santos? ¡Protestando!

8 junio 2007, HEILIGENDAMM, Alemania – Heiligendamm significa Dique de los Santos. Cuenta la leyenda medieval que ciertos monjes del lugar imploraron por ayuda celestial ante las olas furiosas del mar Báltico, que amenazaban destruir el convento donde vivían; el auxilio de los santos se materializó en un gran dique que contuvo las aguas y protegió a los frailes y su edificio. En estos días la historia parece repetirse en ese lugar de Alemania, sólo que han cambiado los personajes y las intenciones.

Iglesias Preocupadas Por Discurso Del Presidente Saca Rafael Menjívar Saavedra

5 junio 2007, SAN SALVADOR – El Consejo Nacional de Iglesias de El Salvador (CNI), expresó su preocupación ante el discurso de 3 años de gobierno del presidente Elías Antonio Saca, por considerarlo superfluo y vano de verdad. Según el CNI, el gobierno en su discurso no reconoce los graves problemas que tiene el país como la violencia, la pobreza y la marginalidad, ni el éxodo de la migración hacia Estados Unidos y otros países, como efecto de los anteriores.

El Hambre Y La Pobreza En El Campo, Una Estrategia De Poder

7 junio 2007, GUATEMALA – Organizaciones campesinas hicieron un llamado, el pasado martes, a los candidatos presidenciales para que se dediquen a pensar en proyectos que enfrenten el hambre que afecta a diversos sectores del país. Aseguran que son 49 los municipios con mayor hambruna. La pobreza recae siempre sobre los más débiles: mujeres, niños, niñas, ancianos y ancianas. Alta y Baja Verapaz, Quiché y Huehuetenango son los departamentos más afectados.

Opinión – Matrimonio, Familia Y Sexualidad Humana. Una Lectura Desde América Latina Y El Caribe

5 junio 2007 – Un encuadre luterano para temas tan sensibles como Matrimonio, Familia y Sexualidad Humana, es lo que marca el inicio del trabajo del equipo que preparó el documento aprobado en la última reunión del Consejo de la comunión luterana celebrada en Lund (Suecia) entre el 20 y 27 de marzo de 2007, y que lleva el título de: La Federación Luterana Mundial: Matrimonio, Familia Y Sexualidad Humana. Una Propuesta De Guía Y Un Proceso Para Un Dialogo Respetuoso. "Es todo un aporte el comenzar el tratamiento de este tema desde la identidad confesional luterana y esa específica forma de comprender y vivir el Evangelio," afirma el pastor luterano argentino Lisandro Orlov de la Pastoral Ecuménica VIH-Sida.

Estalla En Darfur La Crisis Del Agua; Conflictos Menores Relacionados
Con El Agua Son También Letales, Afirma La Conferencia Sobre El Agua

6 junio 2007 – Desde Darfur, en el oeste de Sudán, hasta el Monte Elgon en Kenya, la falta de agua para las comunidades rurales constituye cada vez más la causa principal de conflictos en el continente africano. En Darfur, casi dos millones de personas desplazadas padecen una situación de sufrimientos y desesperación. Y las organizaciones que trabajan en el sector están convencidas de que son las luchas por el agua y los pastos las causas de la crisis.

Religious Liberty News

AJC Applauds Ruling on Use of Koran in Courts

June 1, 2007, NEW YORK – The American Jewish Committee has welcomed the ruling that witnesses and jurors sworn in at North Carolina courthouses can take their oath on the Koran or any other religious text. "The court's decision underscores the diversity of our society and helps foster religious liberty and the democratic values of pluralism and nondiscrimination," said Jeffrey Sinensky, AJC's general counsel. Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway's recent decision in Wake County, North Carolina follows a legal challenge by a Muslim American who argued that limiting the oath to the Bible favored Christianity over other religions and was unconstitutional. "To require pious and faithful practitioners of religions other than Christianity to swear oaths in a form other than the form most meaningful to them would thwart the search for the truth. It would elevate form over substance," wrote Judge Ridgeway in his decision.

National News

United Methodist Couple Struggles as Undocumented Workers

June 5, 2007, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In many ways, Darwin and Perla Alvarez are a typical hard-working couple struggling to achieve the American dream. Darwin works on a construction crew hanging vinyl siding, while Perla cares for their 6- and-3-year-old daughters. Active in their local United Methodist Church, Darwin is a lay leader and occasionally steps into the pulpit to deliver the sermon. But unlike their U.S.-born neighbors, they live in constant fear they will be ripped from their home, sent back to lives of poverty, leaving their children orphans.

Pastor Brings Katrina Aid to Hispanic-Latino Community

June 6, 2007, BILOXI, Miss. – Hurricane Katrina took a lot from Maria Castillo. "Because of the hurricane, I lost my mother," she says, tears streaming down her face, recalling her mother's death only days after Katrina hit in 2005. "After Sept. 12, she just couldn't bear any more suffering."

U. S. Senate Tackles Immigration Reform Compromise

June 6, 2007 – A comprehensive immigration reform bill in the U.S. Congress has sparked 108 amendments with a variety of outcomes that could dramatically affect the fate of at least 12 million undocumented workers in the United States. The Senate resumed debate on the bill June 4 and was expected to vote on the matter by June 12. The debate will focus on a bipartisan compromise agreement labeled a "grand bargain" during a May 17 announcement by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. The proposal (S. 1348) would legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, tighten border security and mandate that employers verify they are hiring legal workers. Conservative opponents say the compromise would reward between 12-20 million illegal aliens with amnesty and encourage legal immigration. Supporters say the bill, while not perfect, is a good starting point toward fixing an immigration policy that has long been broken.

International News

WCC General Secretary to Speak at the "Kirchentag"

June 5, 2007 – World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will speak at the 31st German Protestant "Kirchentag" in Cologne, addressing the issue of "How can religions live together?" Kobia's address is slated as one of the keynote lectures at the gathering, and will take place on Thursday, 7 June, at 11:00, at Rheinparkhalle 3.2 (Rheinparkweg [72 / K10]). A questions and answers session with the WCC general secretary will follow his address. Inaugurated in 1949, the "Kirchentag" occurs every two years, and is the largest Protestant gathering in Germany. This year, it is taking place in Cologne from 6 to 10 June. Some 100.000 participants are expected to share in the discussions, lectures, concerts, dancing and singing in what organizers label as "a festival of faith and reflection."

Health, Community Projects Aid Rural Afghanistan

June 8, 2007, NEW YORK – Bringing stability to Afghanistan will require attention to the needs of its rural population, according to a United Methodist who recently visited the Asian country. "Probably 80 percent of the population is in rural areas," said David Wildman, an executive with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. In a place where "daily living is quite hard," the people of Afghanistan struggle with extreme poverty, a low life expectancy and high maternal and infant mortality rates. For the past 40 years, the Board of Global Ministries has partnered in Afghanistan on projects aimed at providing physical and mental health care, improving sources of energy, water and sanitation, and fostering community development and self-sufficiency. "In a small way, we've tried to model an ongoing commitment," he said.

Latvia and Estonia: Post-Communist Challenges Demand New Responses from the Churches

June 4, 2007 – Perseverance, a cardinal virtue that enabled them to survive decades of Soviet domination, is "no longer enough" for Estonian churches confronting "a newly materialistic and in many ways a ‘post-Christian' culture." This view of the current context and challenges to the country's churches was shared by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia with Estonian church leaders in the country's capital, Tallin, on Friday 1 June. Ecumenical challenges in newly independent post-Communist secularized societies has been the leitmotif of Kobia's 29 May – 2 June official visit to Latvia and Estonia.

Global Ecumenical Network to Examine Impact of Migration on Churches Worldwide

June 5, 2007 – "The impact of migration on the church and the ecclesial context" is the theme of a 6-8 June 2007 conference in Nairobi, Kenya of the Global Ecumenical Network on Migration (GEM). To be opened by Kenya's minister for immigration, and hosted by the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), the conference will be attended by representatives of churches, church-related organizations and ecumenical bodies in Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and the Pacific. For the World Council of Churches (WCC), migration in today's globalized world raises questions about inter-faith relations, identity, justice, racism, advocacy and diakonia and, inevitably, affects the contexts in which churches live.

Darfur Crisis Sparked off over Water; Smaller Water Conflicts Also Lethal Says Water Conference

June 7, 2007 – From Darfur in western Sudan to Mt Elgon in Kenya, the absence of water for rural communities is emerging as a major cause of conflict on the African continent. In Darfur, the story is one of pain and desperation for the nearly two million displaced persons. And the organizations that work in the area are convinced that it is battles for water and pasture that sparked it off. "It all started when the Janjaweed began burning villages, before taking control of the water points," says Ismail Algazouli, an engineer with the Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO). SUDO, together with Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and the Sudan Council of Churches, with support from Action by Churches Together (ACT) and Caritas Internationalis, have been providing water and education in Darfur.

Middle East News

Week of Church Witness for Peace Includes Jerusalem Prayers,
A Washington Rally and 14,609 Olive Trees

June 7, 2007 – Praying with Jerusalem's Christians, marching to the White House or sponsoring one of 14,609 olive trees are among the activities taking place in "International Church Action for Peace in Palestine and Israel" this week. The initiative is organized by member churches and related organizations of the World Council of Churches to mark 40 years of the occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. It involves public activities and messages to governments in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Among events still to come are a candlelight march at a Bethelehem refugee camp and a Palestinian bishop addressing a rally organized by trade unions and Muslim, Jewish and Christian organizations in London, both on June 9. On June 10-11, in the US, members of various denominations, ecumenical groups and inter-faith bodies are participating in demonstrations in Washington, DC, Chicago and New York.

40th Anniversary of Six-Day War: An Occasion to Revive Vision of Peace in Holy Land
Time for Members of House of Abraham to Recognize Each Other as Sisters, Brothers

June 8, 2007, GENEVA – The general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, has called for revival of the vision of peace in the Holy Land and revitalization of the search for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a statement on the 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War and the occupation of the Palestinian territories he stresses "it is time for the members of the House of Abraham – Israeli and Palestinian; Jew, Muslim and Christian – to recognize each other as sisters and brothers, to refrain from instrumentalizing holy scriptures to achieve political goals, and to work together for peace in the Holy Land." Without peace with justice in the Holy Land, he says, there can be no true peace in the world. The momentous events of the Six-Day War and the occupation of the Palestinian territories in 1967 fundamentally altered the modern history and politics of the Middle East, and continue to reverbate today, the general secretary explains.

Reviews

New Volume by C. S. Song Helps You Discover What You Really Believe

June 5, 2007, MINNEAPOLIS – The theology of C. S. Song begins with the conviction that God is at work in our lives and our world, often in ways we hardly perceive. Interrogating our own experience in the light of the Gospel, is for him, the heart of theology. In his latest book, Tracing the Footsteps of God, Professor Song engages perennial and perplexing questions of faith, leading the reader on a journey of exploration tracing the footsteps of God in a religiously plural postmodern world.