Front Page

Interfaith Fast Calls for End to Iraq War

September 24, 2007, WASHINGTON – An interfaith fast for peace will be held from sunrise to sunset Oct. 8 and people of all faiths are urged to pray together for an end to the war in Iraq. Joining in the call is Jim Winkler, top executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. During the agency's Sept. 13-16 fall board meeting, Winkler said "the war was wrong from the outset and it is wrong still. We must continue to oppose the unjust occupation of Iraq."

Mennonite Central Committee Hosts Dialogue Between Iranian President and 100 Religious Leaders

September 26, 2007 NEW YORK – More than 100 religious leaders today participated in an nearly two hour interfaith encounter with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the Church Center for the United Nations. The gathering was organized by the Mennonite Central Committee and endorsed by the American Friends Service Committee, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Church Canada and the Church of the Brethren General Board. Other endorsers included Sojourners/Call to Renewal, Pax Christi USA, the World Council of Churches Commission of Churches on International Affairs and the World Conference of Religions for Peace.

NCC Responds to ‘Jena 6,' Moves Towards ‘Social Creed'

September 26, 2007, NEW YORK CITY – The National Council of Churches USA (NCC), through its Governing Board, issued a call for "equal justice under the law" in Jena, La. "For decades we have committed time and resources to support those who risked their lives in the name of freedom and justice, and we will continue to do so," said the NCC in the statement approved by the NCC's Governing Board gathered here in its regular fall meeting (Sept. 23-25). "This is indeed a tragic situation and many lives, both Black and White, have been negatively impacted by the events that have taken place in Jena: the nooses hanging from a tree; a justice system and community that seemed to ignore this hate crime; violent retaliation against a white youth; excessive criminal charges against six African American teenagers; a community torn apart; and protests and cries for justice from across the country," said the NCC statement.

PC(USA) Urged to Keep Ecumenical Commitment
Kirkpatrick: Church's Leadership Threatens to ‘Recede into Background'

September 27, 2007, LOUISVILLE – General Assembly Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick told a group of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s ecumenical leaders today (Sept. 28) that maintaining the church's historic leadership in ecumenism "will require a major reorientation and recommitment" to the world ecumenical movement. Speaking to the first major consultation on the PC(USA)'s ecumenical stance since its formation in 1983, Kirkpatrick said, "We need to recapture a passionate vision in the PC(USA) for the unity of the church, which now seems to recede into the background." Kirkpatrick was the first of six speakers to address the three-day gathering – sponsored by the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical Relations (GACER) – that has drawn approximately 65 participants from across the PC(USA) and the denomination's ecumenical partners in the U.S. and abroad. "It is impossible not to believe in the goodness of God when you travel across the world and realize in fresh ways that God is at work and is making a difference in people's lives," said Kirkpatrick, who also serves as the president of the Geneva-based World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

General News

NCC Disability Committee Leads Worship at Chicago Seminary

September 28, 2007, CHICAGO – A recent chapel service at North Park Seminary planned and led by members of the National Council of Churches Committee on Disabilities was deemed unique by planners and participants. The Committee on Disabilities, a unit in the Education and Leadership Ministry, led an ecumenical service that included a responsive reading of the Psalm by a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) lay worker who has lupus, a disease of the immune system that causes chronic inflammation and pain. The Hebrew scripture was read by an Evangelical Lutheran lay worker who has mobility limitations caused by polio. The Gospel lesson was read from a Braille Bible by a blind minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC), her service dog beside her in the lectern.

Commission Offers Lifeline to Women in Church

September 25, 2007, SAN FRANCISCO – For individual women in the church, the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women can be a lifeline. The Rev. Elizabeth Lopez, for example, remembers the support that the Rev. Nan Self, then a commission executive, offered to her more than 30 years ago. New to ordination and the church bureaucracy, Lopez said she found herself in a bewildering, humiliating situation as a nominee for the board of directors of the denomination's General Council on Ministries. Self sought her out and gave her the encouragement she needed, Lopez told commission directors during their Sept. 20-22 annual meeting in San Francisco. Even now, COSROW "is still the voice of countless women," she said.

ELCA Hosts Consultation on HIV, AIDS

September 27, 2007, CHICAGO – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is in the process of developing a national church strategy on HIV and AIDS. The church hosted a consultation on HIV and AIDS here Sept. 7-9 that called together about 65 Lutherans from the United States and overseas to help guide the church's work in developing the strategy. "Be attentive to the voices of those living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. Together we will find the courage to confront the continued marginalization and stigmatization that impacts those living with and affected by HIV and AIDS," said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, in a video greeting to participants. Hanson said participants should be imaginative in building capacity to respond to challenges, find new ways to create awareness and engage in accompaniment and advocacy.

CTCR Hears Plan to Form New Church Relations Office, Endorses Theological Convocation

September 28, 2007 – Dr. Samuel H. Nafzger, executive director of the Synod's Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) since 1975, told the commission at its Sept 6-7 meeting that he has decided to accept a formal request from Synod President Gerald B. Kieschnick to head a proposed church relations branch of the president's office and the CTCR, beginning next July 1. During that meeting, the CTCR also authorized a third theological convocation in the Synod. Nafzger said that as a result of his accepting the new church-relations post, he will not allow his name to stand for reappointment to his present CTCR position when it comes up for renewal next summer. He said the commission has put on hold filling the position of assistant executive director, and will take steps at its next meeting, Dec. 3-5, to start the process of first filling the executive director position.

Synod Periodicals Unveil Redesigned Web Sites September 24, 2007

Earlier this year the Synod's official periodicals – Reporter and The Lutheran Witness – unveiled new Web sites that are designed to offer more to online visitors. The print Reporter's Web-based counterpart, Reporter Online is the Synod's most comprehensive source of news. Reporter Online offers every news story that appears in the print Reporter, but many are expanded versions that offer more information and more color photos. The Web site includes all regular columns, letters, and "Notices" found in each Reporter, as well as a number of other stories that, because of space constraints, never appear in the print edition.

Statement by the Secretary General on Behalf of the Joint Standing Committee
of the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council

September 26, 2007 – The Joint Standing Committee of the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council accompanied the Archbishop of Canterbury to the meeting of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church which has been meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, between Wednesday 19 September and Tuesday 25 September. We gathered at the invitation of presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and of the House of Bishops in order to converse with them about the current tensions encountered in the life of the communion. On Monday 24 September, the Joint Standing Committee met in formal session to reflect on the conversations, both formal and informal, in which they had participated over the previous four days. The Committee would like to express their profound thanks to the Presiding Bishop and to the House of Bishops for the generosity and graciousness of the welcome that they have received.

Survivor of Rwandan Genocide Inspires ELCA Global Audience

September 25, 2007, COLUMBUS, Ohio – Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, told an audience of nearly 1,800 people at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Global Mission Event (GME) that "kindness should come first in our lives." Ilibagiza was a keynote speaker for the event held this summer at The Ohio State University here. The 2007 GME theme was "A New Heaven and a New Earth." The 1994 Rwandan genocide began after the death of the country's Hutu president. About 1 million ethnic Tutsis were killed. Ilibagiza spent 91 days in hiding with seven other women in a Hutu pastor's bathroom, during which time she discovered God and taught herself English. She is the author of "Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust," a first-hand account of her struggle to survive the genocide. "I wrote this book for my children, who will never know their grandparents.

NCC Reshapes Itself for 21st Century

September 27, 2007, NEW YORK CITY – The Governing Board of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC), meeting here this week in its regular fall meeting, announced a staff reorganization designed to exercise better stewardship of the funds given by its 35 member communions and associated denominations. The new structure is reflective of a strategic plan approved by the NCC's General Assembly in 2006 and leaves in place the five commissions that form the basis of the NCC's programmatic work undertaken by the member communions. This work includes ecumenical and interfaith relations, justice and advocacy, communication, education and critical issues in faith and order.

Small Church Conference Set for Kanuga Fueled by International/Ecumenical Seminar

September 25, 2007 – The exploration of different models of sacramental leadership in churches with an average Sunday attendance of 70 or less will be the topic of the Episcopal Church's Office of Congregational Development conference for bishops, diocesan staff, clergy, and lay leaders. "Creative Models of Sacramental Leadership in the Small Church" is set to run October 7-10 at Kanuga Conference Center, in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Conference keynote presenters include Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori; Archbishop David Moxon of New Zealand; Bishop Don Phillips of the Episcopal Diocese of Rupert's Land, Canada; Bishop Frank Neff Powell of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia; and the Rev. Stephen M. Kelsey, missioner/superintendent of Greater Hartford Regional Ministry.

Bishops and Spouses Choir Sings in Harmony for New Orleans

September 24, 2007 – Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans was a little stuffy and pouring rain made a low din on the roof as members of the House of Bishops and Spouses Choir gathered September 23 to record tracks for a new compact disc. The choir recorded its singing at the House of Bishops opening Eucharist September 20 and will also record during its March 2008 meeting at the Camp Allen Retreat and Conference Center, outside Houston, Texas. The hope is to have the CD available for sale before Christmas 2008. Proceeds from the sale will go to help the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana's efforts to rebuild the Central City area of New Orleans.

Bishops Provide ‘Clarity' in Response to Primates' Communiqué

September 25, 2007, NEW ORLEANS – After nearly a full day of deliberations, the House of Bishops on September 25 agreed overwhelmingly by voice vote to reiterate the 2006 General Convention Resolution B033 that said they would "exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion." They also pledged not to authorize public rites for same-gender blessings "until a broader consensus emerges in the Communion, or until General Convention takes further action," according to the response. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori told reporters at a news conference following the conclusion of the meeting that bishops found "common ground to stand on … high ground.

Agency Calls for Targeted Divestment in Israel, Sudan

September 19,2007, WASHINGTON – The United Methodist Church's social action agency wants the denomination to divest from companies providing products or services used for "illegal destruction" in Palestinian areas or that are doing business with the government of Sudan. Resolutions on the two divestment issues will be sent to the 2008 General Conference for consideration when the church's top policy-making body meets April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas. The resolutions came out of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society's fall board of directors meeting held Sept. 13-16 in the nation's capital.

Ecumenical News

Document Stirs Furor, Not Change

September 21, 2007 – Some have wondered why the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued its "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church" at this particular time. Was the document intended as a kind of shot across the church's bow, sending an unmistakably clear signal, in tandem with a previous papal document permitting wider usage of the Latin Mass, that the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is finally asserting himself in his new role as Pope Benedict XVI? Or had there been some major ecumenical provocation requiring the Vatican to draw yet another theological line in the sand, differentiating the Catholic church from all other churches and ecclesial communities within the body of Christ while placing itself well above the rest? The answer to both questions is "No."

ELCA, EKD Leaders Sign Bilateral Agreement, Hold Discussions

September 27, 2007, CHICAGO – Top leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) signed an agreement here Sept. 24 that commits the churches to mutual exchange of information and provides assistance and care for English-speaking Lutheran congregations in Germany and German-speaking congregations in the United States. The agreement, effective Jan. 1, 2008, also provides for mutual exchange of pastors, (EKD) deacons, (ELCA) diaconal ministers and Christian education teachers. The agreement was signed by the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, the Rev. Wolfgang Huber, bishop of the Protestant Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Oberlausitz and chair of the EKD Council, and the Rev. Martin Schindehuette, bishop and head of the EKD Church Office section of Ecumenical Relations and Ministries Abroad. Established in 1949, the EKD, based in Hannover, is an umbrella organization encompassing Lutheran, Reformed and United member churches in Germany.

Inter Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission Communiqué September 2007

September 26, 2007 – The Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission met between Monday, 10 September and Sunday, 16 September in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Commission is grateful for the warmth of the welcome it received from Bishop Ng Moon Hing, Bishop of the Diocese of West Malaysia, and the efficient help given by the clergy and staff of the Diocese who were responsible for much of the local organisation in preparation for the Commission's meeting. Bishop Lim Cheng Ean, former Bishop of the Diocese and a member of the Commission, also provided invaluable assistance. On the Sunday morning members of the Commission worshipped with several local congregations.

Spanish News

Libertad Religiosa Será Realidad En Bogotá, Afirma CONFELIREC

28 septiembre 2007, BOGOTÁ, Colombia – "Pese a que la Constitución del año 91 otorgó derechos y libertades a las diferentes congregaciones religiosas que existen en la ciudad, éstos siguen siendo vulnerados por entidades oficiales y privadas que por desconocimiento de las leyes obstaculizan su labor misional," dijo el abogado Caherles Schultz, veedor de la Confederación Colombiana de Libertad e Igualdad Religiosa, conciencia y culto (CONFELIREC). Schultz añadió que si bien la Carta Magna defiende la libertad religiosa, de conciencia y culto, son las propias autoridades quienes no han permitido rescatar el pensar y actuar humano y su formación en valores, razón por la cual se firmó un convenio entre la CONFELIREC y la Personería de Bogotá como instrumento pedagógico para armonizar en derechos fundamentales y evitar conflictos con la comunidad.

Dominicos Proponen Que Laicos Ministren La Eucaristía

28 septiembre 2007, ÁMSTERDAM, Holanda – Aún admitiendo la urgente falta de vocaciones para el sacerdocio, la Curia General de la Orden de los Dominicos reprobó el documento "Kerk en Ambt" (Iglesia y ministerio), elaborado por monjes dominicos holandeses, admitiendo la celebración de la eucaristía, en la falta de padres, por "hombre o mujer, homo o heterosexual, casado o soltero." El documento, de 38 páginas, fue distribuido en las 1.300 parroquias católicas de Holanda. El escrito recibió la aprobación de la Orden en el país y fue escrito por los padres André Lascaris y Ad Willems, profesores de teología en Nimega, por el director del Centro Ecuménico de los Dominicos de Ámsterdam, Jan Nieuwenhuis, y por el párroco de Utrecht, Harrie Salemans, informa el periodista italiano Sandro Magister en su blog.

Obispos Venezolanos Tomarán Posición Frente a Reforma Constitucional De Chávez

28 septiembre 2007, CORO, Venezuela – El arzobispo de Coro y vicepresidente de la Conferencia Episcopal Venezolana, Monseñor Roberto Lückert, desea que haya "una reacción fuerte de los venezolanos para pedir que se respete la democracia," frente al proyecto de reforma constitucional presentado el pasado mes de agosto por el presidente Hugo Chávez Frías. "Las alarmas no tienen sólo que asustar a países hermanos, sino a los venezolanos que tienen que despertar frente al proyecto de reforma," dijo este martes el prelado católico, uno de los más connotados críticos del régimen chavista.

Crímenes En Gran Escala: Consulta En Dublín
Para Explorar Como Curar Las Heridas De La Memoria

27 septiembre 2007 – El sangriento conflicto padecido en Irlanda del Norte, los crímenes cometidos bajo el régimen de discriminación racial en Sudáfrica o el sistema comunista en Alemania Oriental, las matanzas masivas perpetradas por los Khmer Rojos en Camboya o por los militares guatemaltecos durante una guerra civil que duró 35 años: los casos de estas naciones y sus esfuerzos para sobrellevar la herencia de violaciones masivas de los derechos humanos son el objeto de la consulta ecuménica "Sanación de los recuerdos – reconciliación de las comunidades" que se celebrará en Dublín, Irlanda, del 1 al 4 de octubre, organizada conjuntamente por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y la Escuela Irlandesa de Ecumenismo.

New York Metro News

Financial Woes Plague Stony Point
Business Plan Outlines Possible Way out for the New York Conference Center

September 26, 2007, LOUISVILLE – Severely in debt and dependent on advances from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to keep it afloat, Stony Point Center has submitted a business plan that weighs the conference center's options for the future. "Financial results for the Center have been disappointing, and the Center is not financially self-sufficient," the executive committee of the governing board of Stony Point Center said in its business plan. "Over the past years, approximately $800,000 has been advanced by the PC(USA) to support the Center's operations." The business plan for Stony Point, located in New York's Hudson River Valley about 30 miles north of Manhattan, was submitted in response to a request by Joey Bailey, the PC(USA)'s deputy executive director for Shared Services, and the finance subcommittee of the GAC Shared Support Committee.

National News

Church and Society Calls for Justice and Reconciliation in Jena

September 24, 2007 – "Justice can lead to healing in Jena, Louisiana, but only if the intention is reconciliation," said United Methodist leaders with the church's social action agency in response to demonstrations sparked by six black students facing criminal prosecution is the beating of a white student. "Police intimidation, harsh prison sentences for youth, and different standards based on race will not lead to reconciliation," read a Sept. 21 statement from the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, based in Washington. "Justice and reconciliation can only be realized through an honest admission of the racism that exists in Jena and throughout the United States and the courage to bring about necessary changes to eradicate injustice which gives rise to violence."

International News

United Methodists Commit to Nets for Côte D'ivoire

September 28, 2007, NEW YORK – At least 200,000 families in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, will receive malaria-preventing mosquito nets from the people of The United Methodist Church, said the president of the denomination's Council of Bishops. Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of Houston announced the denomination's Côte d'Ivoire project on Sept. 27 during the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative. Huie attended the gathering in New York as a representative of the people of The United Methodist Church, a founding partner in the Nothing But Nets malaria prevention campaign. The Clinton Initiative, headed by former President Bill Clinton, recognizes businesses, individuals and other organizations for their commitments to improving global health, fighting poverty, reversing global warming and improving education.

American Baptists Open Doors to Flood of Burmese Refugees

September 28, 2007, VALLEY FORGE, PA – The current bloodshed occurring in Burma (formally known as Myanmar) is, sadly, only the latest story in a long history of repression and ethnic persecution. Currently, nine refugee camps housing over 150,000 Karen and Karenni stretch up and down Thailand near the border of Burma and 100,000 Chin refugees live in Malaysia and different parts of India. But, after decades of refugee life in camps with no apparent change coming to Burma, the U.S. State Department, in cooperation with the United Nations and the Thai government, have begun offering the option of resettlement to Karen and Chin refugees. As a result, Church World Service, along with other resettlement agencies, have begun taking the first of what will likely be tens of thousands of refugees and settling them in various cities around the U.S.

Dublin Consultation to Explore Ways to Heal Memories of Large-Scale Crimes

September 29, 2007 – The bloody conflict in Northern Ireland, the crimes committed under the apartheid regime in South Africa and under communist rule in eastern Germany, mass killings perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia or by the Guatemalan military during a 35 year long civil war: the diverse cases of these nations and their struggles to cope with the legacies of massive human rights violations are at the heart of the 1-4 October ecumenical consultation "Healing of Memories – Reconciling Communities" in Dublin, Ireland, co-organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Irish School of Ecumenics. Some thirty international academics and reconciliation practitioners will gather at the Dominican retreat centre Tallaght, Dublin.

World Methodists to Meet next in Durban, South Africa

September 27, 2007 – The World Methodist Council has selected Durban, South Africa, as the location for the 2011 World Methodist Conference. The assembly convenes every five years to bring together members of the worldwide association of churches in the Methodist/Wesleyan tradition. It will meet the first week of August in 2011. The location was chosen by the World Methodist Council's executive committee from among three invitations offered by church bodies, according to the Rev. George Freeman, the council's executive director. The executive committee met Sept. 15-20 in Sydney, Australia, hosted by the Uniting Church of Australia.

People in the News

Archbishop Demetrios Honored by Mayor Michael Bloomberg
on the Occasion of His 40 Years of Hierarchical Ministry

September 26, 2007, NEW YORK – The Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg hosted a reception on September 25 for Archbishop Demetrios of America on the occasion of his 40 Years of Hierarchical Ministry. The reception was held at Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor of New York. In his remarks, Mayor Bloomberg congratulated the Archbishop for his great pastoral sensitivity to the people of New York during the 9/11 tragedy and applauded the Archbishop's expression of love and concern for the victims of the recent fires in Greece. Mayor Bloomberg also commented on his warm and neighborly relationship with the Archbishop as he resides directly across the street from the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.