Front Page

People of Faith Speak out on Global Climate Change

August 9, 2007, WASHINGTON – A new sign-on statement, People of Faith Speak Out on Global Climate Change, developed by Pax Christi USA, will appear in the November 2007 issue of Sojourners Magazine, and be made available to groups and individuals across the country who want to have it printed in their local or faith community newspapers. Every member of the U.S. Congress will receive a copy of the statement as they debate policies and legislation affecting our planet this fall. Copies of the statement also can be used for dialogue within congregations, as bulletin inserts, and more. The entire statement is posted below and also on Pax Christi USA's web site.

ELCA Assembly Adopts Education Social Statement

August 10, 2007, CHICAGO – The 2007 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted, by a vote of 949 to 35, a social statement on education addressing issues of children's faith formation, quality of U.S. public schools, and support for Lutheran schools and campus ministries Aug. 10.

Religious Coalition Decries Bush's New Interrogation Tactics
Presbyterian-founded Group Says New Guidelines Won't Stop Torture

August 9, 2007, LOUISVILLE – The Presbyterian-founded, church-backed National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is speaking out against a new executive order from President Bush that broadly outlines the limits of how suspects may be questioned in the CIA's terror interrogation program. The order, which Bush signed last month, bans torture, cruel and inhumane treatment, sexual abuse, acts intended to denigrate a religion or other degradation "beyond the bounds of human decency." It pledges that detainees will receive adequate food, water and medical care and be protected from extreme heat and cold. It does not, however, say what techniques are permitted during harsh questioning of suspects.

Progress Towards a Christian Code of Conduct on Religious Conversion

August 6, 2007 – With Evangelical and Pentecostal representatives joining in at an 8-12 August consultation in Toulouse, the joint Vatican-WCC study process on religious conversion gets one step closer to its goal of a common code of conduct in seeking converts to Christianity. Kicked off in May last year at a meeting that affirmed freedom of religion as a "non-negotiable" human right valid for everyone everywhere and at the same time stressed that the "obsession of converting others" needs to be cured, the three-year joint study process moves now into its second phase. Intended as an intra-Christian discussion – whereas the first encounter featured participants from different faiths – the project's second phase will consist of a high-level theological consultation entitled "Towards an ethical approach to conversion: Christian witness in a multi-religious world."

Prayers, Resources Offered in Wake of Bridge Collapse

August 8, 2007, MINNEAPOLIS – As the search for missing people continued in the Mississippi River, the people of The United Methodist Church offered up prayers, compassion and coping resources to those affected by the deadly Interstate 35W bridge collapse. Eight people remain missing and are presumed dead from the Aug. 1 disaster that already has killed five people and injured 100 others. A half-page advertisement ran in the Twin Cities' two largest newspapers to remind readers that the people of The United Methodist Church are praying with them. The ad was published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Aug. 8 – the one-week anniversary of the collapse – and reached an estimated 550,000 readers.

‘The Heroes...Like the Tears, Are Many,' Says Chemberlin at Minnesota Interfaith Service

August 6, 2007, MINNEAPOLIS – The Executive Director of the Minnesota Council of Churches participated in an Interfaith service here at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral for persons killed and missing in the collapse of a bridge between Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Rev. Peg Chemberlin was quoted in an Associated Press article Sunday telling 1,400 worshippers that although they "shared anger and anguish," the city had rallied in crisis. "It's important that we stand together and say, ‘Minnesota, your heart is full of courage and compassion.'" "The heroes in this moment, like the tears, are many," said Chemberlin, a member of the National Council of Churches Governing Board.

General News

ELCA Assembly Hears Chaplain Thank Church for Privilege to Serve

August 7, 2007, CHICAGO – A Lutheran military chaplain termed it "a privilege to receive ... affirmation on behalf of all federal chaplains," as he received a standing ovation today from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 6-11at Navy Pier's Festival Hall.

WCC Seeks Candidates for 2008 Internships
Five Young People Will Spend Year at Geneva's Ecumenical Center

August 8, 2007, LOUISVILLE – The World Council of Churches (WCC) is accepting applications from young people between the ages of 18 and 30 years to serve as interns in its Geneva offices from February 2008 to January 2009. Application deadline for the five internships is Sept. 20. The goals of the program are to bring experience to the WCC and to engage in ecumenical learning. In Geneva, the interns will be assigned to one of the WCC working areas.

Bishop: Media Contributes to Substance Abuse

August 7, 2007, NAIROBI, Kenya – Movies and the media have been instrumental in encouraging the spread of substance and drug abuse in East Africa, says a United Methodist bishop serving on a task force on the problem. "The users are portrayed as stars in both social and economic fields and this encourages our youth to desire and be associated with this kind of group," said East Africa Area Bishop Daniel Wandabula. "Substance abuse is spreading like bushfire in East Africa," Wandabula said, citing other factors. "A lot of substance abuse in the region is attributed to war where combatants are encouraged to take drugs as a way of getting courage to fight and carry out atrocities."

ELCA Assembly Hears About, Recommits to Lutheran Anti-Hunger Efforts

August 9, 2007, CHICAGO – Following reports from the World Hunger Program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Lutheran World Relief (LWR) on Aug. 9, the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly committed denomination members and congregations to renewed efforts to reach and surpass a goal of $25 million in annual giving to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.

Final Study of Ministry Report Available Online

August 9, 2007, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After more than two years of study, a commission has issued its final report on its work to clarify the ordering of ministry within The United Methodist Church and recommends four more years of study by the church. The Study of Ministry Commission report lays the groundwork for the church to reflect further on the theological, ecclesial and practical groundings of its system of lay, licensed and ordained ministry.

Is Your Food Pantry Safe?

August 8, 2007 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is asking churches that operate feeding programs to check their stores of products intended for donation to ensure they do not include any of approximately 90 different canned foods that could cause botulism poisoning. All of the products are produced by Castleberry's Food Company of Augusta, Ga., but are sold under a variety of brands and labels.

ELCA Assembly Hears Message of ‘The Apostle Paul'

August 8, 2007, CHICAGO – Bible studies – when pastors and theologians parse the texts of Scripture, analyze original languages and find applications of the Bible passages for modern times – are staples of church meetings. But Dr. David Rhoads, professor at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC), didn't do any of those things when he led those attending the 2007 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in a "study" of the book of Galatians on Aug. 7. LSTC is one of eight ELCA seminaries.

ELCA Assembly Greeted by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

August 10, 2007, CHICAGO – Ralston H. Deffenbaugh Jr. told the 2007 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) that the nation is filled with fear of the stranger. Deffenbaugh, president of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), delivered greetings Aug. 9 on behalf of LIRS – a cooperative agency of the ELCA, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Transgender Issue on Judicial Council's Fall Docket

August 6, 2007 – The United Methodist Church's top judicial authority will again be considering questions about sexuality – including the case of a pastor who switched gender from female to male – when it tackles a full docket at its fall meeting. The Judicial Council, the top court for The United Methodist Church, is scheduled to meet Oct. 24-27 in San Francisco. At this year's Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference in late May, Bishop John R. Schol reappointed the Rev. Drew Phoenix as pastor of St. John's United Methodist Church in Baltimore. Phoenix, 48, had been minister at St. John's for five years as the Rev. Ann Gordon.

ELCA Assembly Hears Bible Study on Christian Freedom

August 10, 2007, CHICAGO – The Rev. Timothy J. Wengert, professor, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, led a bible study Aug. 10 analyzing the concept of "freedom in Christ" for participants at the 2007 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

ELCA Assembly Hears Report on Church Engagement in Justice for Women

August 9, 2007, CHICAGO – Attention to justice for women is being furthered in the activities and the manner of conducting ministry across the ELCA according, to the "Report on Justice for Women" presented to the 2007 Churchwide Assembly. Since a restructuring of the churchwide organization in 2005, the way the denomination is responsible and accountable for its ministry with and for women shifted from a Commission for Women to the whole of the churchwide organization, with a Justice for Women Program being conducted by the Church in Society program unit.

Racial and Ethnic Clergywomen to Explore Gains, Obstacles

August 6, 2007, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A gathering of racial-ethnic clergywomen will celebrate the gains they have made in The United Methodist Church and address challenges they still face during a Jan. 3-5 conference in Los Angeles. The consultation, "Rising From Our Common Ground," follows up on the findings of the 2004 study of the status of racial-ethnic clergywomen in the denomination, according to the Rev. HiRho Park, an executive with the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. The board sponsored the study. "The study found that racial-ethnic clergywomen experience no substantive support from the denomination, struggle with lack of opportunities for appointments and visible leadership roles, and receive salaries that are lower than those of their male and female European-American peers and their male racial-ethnic peers," Park said.

Ecumenical Eco-Justice Program Urges Wise Summertime Water Ethic

August 6, 2007 – During the hot and dry months of August and September, the National Council of Churches (NCC) Eco-Justice Program is asking churches to use water wisely as part of their Adamah Congregations action program. The NCC hopes to reach people through organizing bible studies on water across the nation. "The sacredness of water in our faith tradition is stated clearly throughout the Bible," says Cassandra Carmichael, Eco-Justice Programs director. "The average American uses 80-100 gallons of water per day. We pray that as congregations study the scripture that they will be moved to protect this precious gift."

Ecumenical News

Communiqué of the Anglican Jewish Commission

August 10, 2007, NEW YORK – The first meeting of the Anglican Jewish Commission of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel took place at the seat of the Chief Rabbis in Jerusalem, on Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd July 2007. The Commission had been put in place under the provisions of the joint declaration of the Archbishop and the Chief Rabbis at Lambeth Palace on 6th September 2006.

100 Years of Prayer for Christian Unity

August 7, 2007 – Churches throughout the world are preparing for next year's Week of prayer for Christian unity which will mark the 100th anniversary of the event. Worship resources in three languages have already been put at their disposal on the website of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The first time Christians joined in prayer for Christian unity during a week-long celebration bridging the feasts of St Peter and St Paul, was in 1908 in Graymoor, New York, USA. In the northern hemisphere, January 18th to 25th still is the traditional date for the week of prayer. Most churches in the southern hemisphere celebrate it around the feast of Pentecost – another symbolic occasion for Christian unity.

Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger Visits His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America

August 9, 2007, NEW YORK – His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, welcomed Tuesday the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel, Yona Metzger, at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in New York. The Chief Rabbi has been visiting the United States and had expressed the desire to meet the Archbishop. Mr. John Catsimatides a member of the Archdiocesan Council and an Archon facilitated the meeting. During their cordial and friendly meeting, the Chief Rabbi and the Archbishop discussed issues of common interest relative to international affairs and topics pertaining to Orthodox Christian and Jewish relations.

Spanish News

CMI: Programa De Becarios De 2008

9 agosto 2007 – El Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) acoge a cinco jóvenes (de 18 a 30 años) para que trabajen como becarios desde febrero de 2008 hasta enero de 2009 en sus oficinas de Ginebra. Los becarios aportan valiosas experiencias al CMI y, al mismo tiempo, pasan por varios módulos del aprendizaje ecuménico. El próximo período de 12 meses para los becarios comenzará en febrero de 2008. En Ginebra se asigna a los becarios a uno de los sectores de trabajo del CMI.

Bautistas Inician Campaña Contra La TV Basura

7 agosto 2007, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Mucha queja y poca acción, así podría definirse la actitud de sectores religiosos y culturales de la Argentina ante el creciente vaciamiento cultural de la TV local. Ante el crítico panorama, la Asociación Bautista Argentina (ABA), de reciente fundación, inició una campaña sobre la "TV basura." Carlos Bollatti, presidente de la ABA, firma una carta de presentación que expresa: "Me llegan a diario comentarios de hermanos y amigos preocupados por los excesos que la televisión registra, sin que se escuchen voces que alerten y condenen los mismos y que nos piden que hagamos algo."

100 Años Orando Por La Unidad De Los Cristianos

8 agosto 2007, GINEBRA, Suiza – Las iglesias de todo el mundo están preparando la semana de oración por la unidad de los cristianos del año próximo, cuando se conmemorará el centenario de su celebración. Ya están disponibles materiales litúrgicos en tres idiomas, en el sitio web del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI). La primera vez que los cristianos se unieron en oración por la unidad de los cristianos, durante la semana entre las fiestas de los apóstoles Pedro (18 de enero) y Pablo (25 de enero), fue en 1908, en Graymoor, Nueva York, Estados Unidos. En el hemisferio norte ésas continúan siendo las fechas tradicionales de la semana de oración. En cambio, la mayoría de las iglesias del hemisferio sur la celebran en torno a Pentecostés, otra ocasión simbólica para la unidad de los cristianos.

Iglesias Evangélicas Presentan Un Cristo Equivocado Susana Barrera

9 agosto 2007, SAN SALVADOR – Ante el ambiente de inseguridad reinante en El Salvador, el pastor principal Carlos Rivas, del Tabernáculo de Avivamiento Internacional (TAI), hizo un enérgico llamado a la unidad de las principales iglesias evangélicas del país. "Nos jactamos del crecimiento evangélico en un 35 por ciento; que debemos ser sal y luz, pero cuáles son los cambios que hacemos en la sociedad…necesitamos tomar en serio este problema de la violencia"; cuestionó el pastor Rivas.

National News

Legislative Actions Continue Downward Spiral and Same Old Policies

August 7, 2007, PHILADELPHIA – The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) expresses its strong opposition to the recently introduced Immigration Enforcement and Border Security Act of 2007. This latest attempt is not a sound or constructive legislative remedy to the nation's immigration problem. In fact, it is a proposal that rehashes failed immigration policies, continues a troubling trend to include additional penalties that harm undocumented immigrant families, and the steady drumbeat of punitive enforcement measures while doing little – if anything- to repair and rebuild the current immigration system.

ELCA Assembly Sends Memorials on Same-sex Blessings to Task Force

August 9, 2007, CHICAGO – The 2007 Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA voted to refer memorials on the blessing of same-sex relationships to the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality. The Task Force is engaged in developing a social statement on human sexuality to be presented to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly.

International News

Embattled Bangladeshi Journalist Choudhury Visits AJC

August 3, 2007, NEW YORK – Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, on a rare visit to the United States, personally thanked the American Jewish Committee for supporting his efforts to combat radical Islam and promote Muslim-Jewish relations. "I cannot afford to let my country fall into the grips of the radicals," Choudhury declared before a large luncheon at AJC headquarters in New York. Choudhury, editor of the Weekly Blitz, a major English-language weekly in Bangladesh, has been on trial in Bangladesh for sedition because of his writings on radical Islam and his attempt to visit Israel.

ELCA Assembly Expresses Concern for Genocide in Darfur

August 8, 2007, CHICAGO – Lutherans around the nation should study the situation in Darfur and advocate to U.S. officials in order to seek an end to the killing that many call a genocide in the African region, said a resolution adopted here Aug. 8 by the 2007 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Seeking Peace Between North and South

August 9, 2007 – While Korean Christianity has been making headlines because of the hostage crisis in Afghanistan, another dimension of the life and work of the Korean churches, which has gone largely unnoticed, is being recognized this week. In recent years South Korean churches have come to be known for their spectacular growth rate, which is the fastest of any nation in Asia. Lesser-known is the role Korea's mainline churches have played in working for peace and reunification of their divided country. In two conferences this week and next the churches in Korea will be celebrating 100 years since the great revival of 1907 and, in a second meeting, the churches' continuing role in the reunification of Korea.

Middle East News

ELCA Assembly Opposes Escalation of Iraq War

August 8, 2007, CHICAGO – The highest legislative assembly of the 4.8 million member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America declared its opposition to "any escalation of the war" in Iraq and called upon the U.S. government to "take immediate and comprehensive steps to end the violence and establish a peaceful, stable, and just society in that country." The resolution, passed with no discussion and by a vote of 874 to 78, also urged Lutherans to engage in "moral deliberation about the situation in Iraq and the policies and actions of the government of the United States of America in relation to them" and urged expanded concern for military personnel and their families.

United Methodists Urged to Divest from 20 Companies

August 6, 2007, LAWRENCE, Mass. – After two years of research, a United Methodist task force in the New England Annual (regional) Conference is urging its members, churches and investment managers to divest from 20 companies identified as supporting Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land. The companies range from Lockheed Martin, identified as the single biggest overseas supplier for the Israeli armaments industry, to movie rental chain Blockbuster Inc., which the task force says operates kiosks in illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land, contributing to the appeal and growth of Israeli settlements.

People in the News

NCC Names Program Director for Women's Ministry

August 7, 2007, NEW YORK – The National Council of Churches USA (NCC) has named an experienced community organizer and Lutheran pastor to the post of Program Director for Women's Ministry. The Rev. Ann Tiemeyer, currently director of Koinonia, an urban ministry in New York, will start work with the NCC on October 1. As Program Director for Women's Ministry, she will seek to champion the spiritual and professional development of women in positions of leadership and responsibility in the NCC and its member churches.

Reviews

The Science and Ethics of Stem Cell Use

August 2, 2007, MINNEAPOLIS – The worldwide debate about stem cells involves religion, ethics, politics, and medicine. It calls for people of faith to learn deeply, think carefully, and contribute fully. In the newly released The Stem Cell Debate from the Facets series from Fortress Press, Ted Peters brings a lucid and penetrating message that reliably and accessibly relates the science of stem cells and regenerative medicine in lay terms. The Stem Cell Debate also traces the strongly divided ethical debate to three very different moral frameworks and shows the deepest and legitimate concerns of each, alongside the secular ethical framework employed in most medical ethics.

Shaking the Gates of Hell

August 7, 2007, MINNEAPOLIS – Surprisingly vehement demonstrations at meetings of the World Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund have left many observers perplexed: What is the problem? In her new book, Shaking the Gates of Hell: Faith-Led Resistance to Corporate Globalization, Sharon Delgado provides an eye-opening look at corporate globalization and spiritually motivated resistance to it. Shaking the Gates of Hell astutely analyzes the major threats facing humanity that are exacerbated by economic globalization, provides an invaluable overview of the global economy and its institutional functioning, and offers a powerful vision for faith-led resistance and hope for transformation.