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Rev. N. J. L'Heureux, Jr., Publisher & Editor
Rev. Pedro Bravo-Guzman, Editor-in-Chief
An Ecumenical Report of Local and Global News
in God's Household
Published by the Queens Federation of Churches
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October 5, 2007, CLEVELAND, Ohio – Two national officers of the United Church of Christ, who will deliver nearly 40,000 church-member-signed anti-war petitions to the White House on Wednesday, Oct. 10, say they will "stay until arrested" if the UCC's Pastoral Letter on the Iraq War is not received by Bush Administration officials. The Rev. John H. Thomas, general minister and president of the 1.2-million-member UCC, and the Rev. Linda Jaramillo, executive minister for the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries, say they will take the church's anti-war statement to the White House at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, following confirmed morning meetings with leadership offices of the U.S. House and Senate. WCC Committee Advocates for Vulnerable People October 3, 2007 – The location of the recent World Council of Churches executive committee meeting was just as significant as the business conducted there, according to a United Methodist participant. Meeting Sept. 25-28 in Etchmiadzin, Armenia, the committee experienced the religious influence of the host Armenian Apostolic Church, a WCC member, and the still-significant impact of a genocide that occurred nearly a century ago. For the Rev. Larry Pickens, an executive committee member who is chief executive of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, the setting provided striking examples of how a church can survive under extreme conditions, including genocide and years of totalitarian rule by the Soviet Union. October 1, 2007, NEW YORK – Three Presbyterians were among a delegation of more than 100 religious leaders who met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Sept. 26 during his visit to the U.S. The two-hour dialogue, held at the Church Center for the United Nations here, was the second in a series of conversations focused on establishing a dialogue between people of faith in the United States and the people and government of Iran. The dialogue was organized by the Mennonite Central Committee and endorsed by American Friends Service Committee, Church of the Brethren General Board, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Church Canada; Mennonite Church USA, Pax Christi, Sojourners/Call to Renewal, the World Council of Churches' Commission of the Church on International Affairs and the World Conference of Religions for Peace. NCC Nominates Kinnamon as Chief Executive October 4, 2007, NEW YORK – The Rev. Michael Kinnamon, a longtime ecumenical leader and pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), has been nominated to lead the National Council of Churches. His nomination by a search committee as the organization's chief executive was announced Oct. 3. If affirmed next month by the NCC Governing Board and General Assembly, Kinnamon would start in January, becoming the council's ninth general secretary since its beginning in 1950. Kinnamon, 58, would succeed the Rev. Bob Edgar, a United Methodist who left in August to become president and CEO of Common Cause. NCC Joins Yearlong Event to Raise Darfur Awareness October 4, 2007, NEW YORK CITY – The international affairs and peace program of the National Council of Churches USA (NCC) has endorsed a nationwide program for congregations to raise awareness of the genocide in Darfur. "Tents of Hope" is a project to encourage a community-based response to the genocide in Darfur, Sudan through education, advocacy and fundraising for humanitarian aid. Communities are invited to raise awareness and support through a local "Tents of Hope" event. It is hoped such events will create a simulated refugee tent and transform it into a hopeful work of art. The tents will be painted with a variety of images and scenes conceived and painted by people from all walks of life. Church Leader Calls for End to Violence in Myanmar October 1, 2007, NEW YORK – A United Methodist leader has called upon the denomination's members and partners in mission to advocate against the use of deadly force by the government of Myanmar. "I urgently call upon all United Methodists and our partners in mission to join in prayer for a just peace and a future of freedom in the country formerly known as Burma," said the Rev. R. Randy Day in a Sept. 29 statement. "Let us also urge governments that honor human rights to use their influence with Myanmar's government to move toward democratic policies and practices and to refrain from violence in response to the peaceful protestors." Don't Make War in Iran, Get Us Troops out of Iraq, WCC Executive Committee Says October 1, 2007 – The US and its allies must "settle the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme through negotiations and not through the use of military force," stated the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee at its 25-28 September meeting in Etchmiadzin, Armenia. In a "Minute on Iran and the Middle East regional crisis," the WCC governing body calls on the Council's member churches to "impress upon their governments" this "acute concern" and to encourage them to convey it to the US and its allies. "Threats to begin another war in the Middle East defy the lessons of both history and ethics," the committee says. UN General Secretary to Address NAE Leaders Forum October 4, 2007, WASHINGTON, DC – United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon will address a group of prominent evangelical Christian leaders on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at Sheraton Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, Va. This Global Leaders Dinner is designed to educate and inform evangelical opinion leaders about the Millennium Development Goals and the significance of this critical moment in history for making a lasting impact on poverty. Convened by the National Association of Evangelicals and Micah Challenge USA, this event will bring together top evangelical leaders from the United States and the Global South. National Church Music Sunday Commemorated on October 7th October 4, 2007 – Three Greek Orthodox Choir Directors Receive Archbishop Demetrios' Years of Service Award and Holy Trinity Cathedral of Toledo, Ohio Receives Church Music Sunday Celebration Award Three dedicated church musicians of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America will be honored on National Church Music Sunday, October 7, 2005, the first Sunday after the Feast Day of St. Romanos, patron saint of church musicians. This day is designated as an annual Archdiocese-wide commemoration of the contributions that choir directors, choir members, organists, psaltai, and Church School/Greek School music educators make to their parishes. Native American Plan to Focus on New Church Starts October 4, 2007 – Promoting evangelism, assisting in new church starts and revitalizing existing congregations are the plans of the task force charged with encouraging Native American participation in the life of The United Methodist Church. The evangelistic focus for the Native American Comprehensive Plan parallels the denomination's aggressive vision of "Path One," the newly organized strategy team on new congregational development under the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. Meeting Sept. 27 in Reno, Nev., the task force visualized ways over the next four years to be part of the renewed emphasis on church growth in The United Methodist Church. October 3, 2007, GENEVA – "How do we within the Lutheran communion live out our relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ in a world divided by unshared bread?" Bishop Mark S. Hanson, president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) poses this question in his greeting to members of the Lutheran communion on the occasion of LWF Sunday commemorated on or around Reformation Sunday in October each year. Hanson's words and the accompanying liturgy for the 2007 LWF Sunday publication focus on the subject "Stewardship of Wealth – Overcoming Poverty." The material is available in English, German, French and Spanish. 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. Group from ELCA's Waldorf College Helps with Flood Relief October 3, 2007 – A group of 16 students and 10 staff, family members and friends of Waldorf College, Forest City, Iowa, traveled to Rushford, Minn., Sept. 22, responding to a call from Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) to help with flood relief, according to a college news release. Five weeks earlier Rushford received 17 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. Rushford was flooded when dikes built on Rush Creek four years earlier were unable to hold back the rain and that which had fallen upstream. The Rushford City Mill, owned by the Hoiland family, was one of the first businesses in Rushford. October 4, 2007, VALLEY FORGE, PA – Recently elected General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), Dr. Neville Callum visited the American Baptist Churches Valley Forge Mission Center today as one stop on his 18-city, ‘introductory tour' to North American Baptists. In meetings with American Baptist leaders and laypeople alike, Callum noted that, "American Baptists are viewed by Baptists in other countries as true partners who engage in ministry and mission with a deep respect for everyone – no matter their ethnicity, origins or religious affiliation." House of Bishops Provides Necessary Clarifications, Joint Standing Committee Report Finds October 3, 2007 – A report from the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates of the Anglican Communion has found that the Episcopal Church has "clarified all outstanding questions" relating to its response to the requests of the Windsor Report, and questions on which the Primates sought clarifications by September 30. The committee's 19-page report in two parts comes in response to the House of Bishops September 20-25 meeting in New Orleans. Inter Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission Communiquè 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. WSC-AR Participates in International & National Events October 4, 2007 – The World Sikh Council – America Region (WSC-AR) recently participated in four international and national meetings in the United Kingdom, Mexico, and the United States of America. In the last few months, WSC-AR provided leadership to: World Sikh Summit, London, UK, September 15-17; International Interreligious Encounter, Monterrey, Mexico, September 21-24; and the Sikh-Catholic National Retreat, Washington, US, September 28-30. Commentary: a Father's Reflections on ‘Kid Nation' October 6, 2007Oct. 1, 2007 – My two kids and I recently watched the first episode of the new reality TV show "Kid Nation" on CBS. We were instantly hooked. At least, at first. When I first heard about the show, I thought it was a neat idea that kids would be the central characters rather than the "Survivor" model of cast members in their 20s and 30s with one being voted off the show each week. The premise is simple: 40 young people, ages 8 to 15, are "left" for 40 days in a New Mexico "ghost town." I was attracted by just the shear oddity of it. It had a unique appeal. I was genuinely interested in the sociological dimensions. 5 octubre 2007, LA HABANA, Cuba – El Consulado de los Estados Unidos en la capital cubana incumplió en el año fiscal que acaba de finalizar el compromiso con Cuba de veinte mil visas anuales, al otorgar solo unas quince mil, de estas siete mil quinientas dentro del programa de reunificación familiar y dos mil ochocientas visas normales, según reveló a la prensa extranjera acreditada, el cónsul general estadounidense Sean Murphy. Murphy, quien intercambió en la residencia del Jefe de la Sección de Intereses de los Estados Unidos en La Habana, Michael Parmly, con representantes de medios extranjeros, invitados a conocer al nuevo Jefe de la Oficina de Prensa y Cultura, Gregory M. Adams, y a la Jefa adjunta Lilliam R. Nigaglioni, precisó que a su vez Cuba negó permiso de salida a unos setecientos cubanos a quienes EE.UU. Obispos Eméritos Llaman Al Pueblo a Votar Por El NO Al TLC, Sin Miedos 4 octubre 2007, SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica –"No tengáis miedo," dicen los obispos eméritos católicos costarricenses a la población de su país que el próximo domingo está llamada a votar en el referéndum que decidirá el Si o el NO al Tratado de Libre Comercio con Estados Unidos. "En conciencia, los fieles católicos deben votar NO en el referéndum del 7 de octubre, para rechazar este TLC. Luego se puede renegociar un acuerdo comercial justo," dicen los prelados. Hay Que Romper El Silencio Internacional Sobre La Crisis Humanitaria En Irak, Dice El CMI 1 octubre 2007 – Se ha pedido a los miembros del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) que "comprometan a sus propios gobiernos en relación con la necesidad de romper el silencio internacional sobre la crisis humanitaria en Irak y de proveer mayor asistencia a los iraquíes desplazados y refugiados." El llamamiento forma parte de una "Declaración sobre Irak y sus comunidades cristianas" aprobada por el comité ejecutivo del CMI al final de una reunión celebrada en Etchmiadzin, Armenia, del 25 al 28 de septiembre. Nombran a Pastor Colombiano Como Editor Para Nueva Biblia En Castellano 4 octubre 2007, ILLINOIS – La editorial Tyndale House Publishers nombró al Dr. Rafael Serrano como su editor para dirigir al equipo que trabaja en una nueva Biblia en castellano; Serrano, un pastor colombiano y erudito bíblico, se une a Tyndale Español para continuar con el perfeccionamiento de la Nueva Traducción Viviente (NTV), la cual debe estar lista en el 2009, informó la editorial. El biblista, declaró la casa editora, dirigirá la obra que en la actualidad se ocupa en perfeccionar la NTV, una versión castellana de la Biblia comparable a la New Living Translation (NLT). Evangélicos Solicitan Igualdad Y La Declaración Del Día De La Biblia 4 octubre 2007, CARACAS, Venezuela – Reconocer en la Carta Magna la igualdad de todas las religiones del país solicitaron representantes evangélicos este martes a los parlamentarios que integran la comisión mixta que estudia el Proyecto de Reforma Constitucional. Según medios venezolanos, los delegados evangélicos también exhortaron a la comisión mixta a que apruebe una Ley Orgánica de Fe, Creencias, Religiones y Cultos; la declaración de un Día Nacional de la Lectura Bíblica y que se entreguen ese día 5 millones de ediciones de la Biblia en todo el país. Scouts Plan New Chapel at Camp Alpine October 1, 2007, QUEENS, NY – For over 50 years The Greater New York Council of the Boy Scouts of America has owned and operated the Alpine Scout Camp in Alpine, New Jersey. Last year the camp faithfully served the needs of over 25,000 Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. It has hosted countless national and international scouting units and events over its lifetime. One of the services that has been lacking over these years is a suitable place for all Scouts to worship and practice their faiths, thereby living up to the 12th point of the Scout Law: A Scout is Reverent. Suanhacky Lodge of the Order of the Arrow (an honorary service organization within Scouting) is committed to rectifying this situation through the construction of a chapel. Partners Plan Child Care for Katrina Area October 4, 2007 – A group of Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod partners says it will start at least 10 Open Arms child care centers – several with new congregations – in the Hurricane Katrina-affected areas of Baton Rouge, La., and Gulfport, Miss., over the next four to five years. The four-way partnership is led by the Open Arms Institute, an LCMS Recognized Service Organization that helps Lutherans "plant" congregations through child care centers. It is the first time the institute – which offers training and consultation services – has taken an active role in starting congregations with child care centers. Also involved in the effort are LCMS World Mission, the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, and the Synod's Southern District. Grace to Make All Things New: October 5, 2007 – On Sunday, congregations across our church will be celebrating World Communion Sunday, a time when we are particularly aware of the global Christian family gathered with us each time we meet the Risen Christ in the bread and cup of the Lord's Supper. In our liturgy we pray, "Send your Holy Spirit on this bread and wine, on our gifts, and on us. Strengthen your universal church that it may be the champion of peace and justice in the world. Restore the earth with your grace that is able to make all things new." Lutherans in Pennsylvania Participate in Homeland Security Course October 2, 2007, CHICAGO – Lutherans in Pennsylvania recently participated in a course on recognizing and preventing terrorist activity in places of worship. Considered "soft targets" by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, "churches can be considered easy targets because people meet at very predictable times and under very low security conditions," according to Julia Menzo, Philadelphia. "The impact of an attack in a religious setting can also be great because it goes to the heart of many Americans' core values," said Menzo, Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) coordinator. LDR is a collaborative ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. October 2, 2007 – There is an "international responsibility to protect people at risk in the Darfur region of Sudan and in neighbouring Chad," affirmed the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee, calling upon the Council's member churches to bring that responsibility "to the attention of their governments." In a "Minute on Darfur" approved at its 25-28 September meeting in Etchmiadzin, Armenia, "where [a] genocide [that happened] nearly a century ago still casts a deep shadow," the WCC governing body encouraged the Council's member churches to "provide humanitarian aid to Darfur through Action by Churches Together (ACT) International and to hold its people in their prayers." October 2, 2007 – The Kyoto Protocol is "an important step forward towards a just and sustainable global climate policy regime" and as such needs to be fully implemented, however "much more radical reductions [of greenhouse gas emissions] are urgently needed," the World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee stated at its 25-28 September meeting in Etchmiadzin, Armenia. The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that ten years ago established targets and a schedule for industrialized countries to reduce their emissions of "greenhouse" gases, widely deemed responsible for global warming. Darfur: "A Humanitarian Problem That Will Not Go Away Quickly" October 4, 2007 – NYALA (West Darfur), Sudan – The on-the-ground humanitarian situation in the conflict-ridden Darfur region of western Sudan has steadily deteriorated in recent months, prompting increased anxiety by those affected by the ongoing crisis, as well as by those responding to the emergency, soon to enter its fifth year. Representatives of Church World Service and several other U.S. and European church-based humanitarian agencies supporting the joint Action by Churches Together (ACT)-Caritas Darfur Emergency Response Operation (DERO) recently confirmed warnings made by the United Nations that Darfur is experiencing a fresh cycle of violence and increased insecurity. Sudan Assessment Team Finds Warm Welcome for the Church of the Brethren October 1, 2007, ELGIN, IL – A three-member assessment team traveled to Sudan from July 8-Aug. 5 to listen to Sudanese voices and to prepare for a decision about where the Church of the Brethren will begin work in southern Sudan. The team included Enten Eller, director of distributed education and electronic communication at Bethany Theological Seminary, and Phil and Louise Rieman, co-pastors of Northview Church of the Brethren in Indianapolis. "Our assessment team was blessed with good travel and wonderful experiences," said Brad Bohrer, director of the Sudan mission initiative. October 4, 2007, SAN JOSE, Costa Rica/GENEVA – On 7 October 2007, the people of Costa Rica will vote in a national referendum to decide whether the Central American country should sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States of America. The Lutheran World Information (LWI) interviewed Rev. Melvin Jiménez, president of the Lutheran Costarican Church (ILCO), which has been an active participant in a civil society coalition advocating against the FTA endorsement. Multinational Team Trains Leaders of Emerging Haitian Brethren Church October 1, 2007, ELGIN, IL – A team of Church of the Brethren leaders from the Dominican Republic and the United States joined to provide training for the emerging Church of the Brethren in Haiti, on Aug. 11-18 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Participants in the training included 61 pastoral and lay leaders who had registered for the event. The week-long immersion in Church of the Brethren ordinances and practices as well as training for church growth was led by Ludovic St. Fleur, pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens, a Haitian Church of the Brethren congregation in Miami, Fla. International Ministries Watches with Concern and Prays for the People of Myanmar October 1, 2007, VALLEY FORGE, PA – As massive protests in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar (also known as Burma) enter their tenth day, International Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA encourages Christians everywhere to continue to follow events closely and pray for a peaceful resolution. "Our most immediate contribution is to express our concern to all those affected in Myanmar because of these events, and to pray unceasingly for a positive and peaceful outcome," said Dr. Reid Trulson, executive director of International Ministries. September 30, 2007 – Hosted by the Anglican Provinces of Rwanda and Burundi, the Anglican Peace and Justice Network (APJN) began its triennial meeting September 25 in Kigali, Rwanda, with a welcome from Rwandese Archbishop Emmanuel Mbona Kolini, who greeted the representatives from 17 provinces (list below) of the Anglican Communion, many of them from conflict regions. The meeting, which concludes October 3 in Bujumbura, Burundi, is focusing on conflict transformation and exploring the role of violence in societies throughout the world. Bishop Pie Ntukamazina of the Diocese of Bujumbura is host to the Network and a leader of its steering committee. On Earth Peace Sponsors Middle East Peacemaking Delegation September 28, 2007, ELGIN, IL – On Earth Peace is sponsoring a delegation to the Middle East – Israel/Palestine – led by executive director Bob Gross on Jan. 8-21, 2008. On Earth Peace is an agency of the Church of the Brethren, carrying out the work of empowering people to discern the things that make for peace. The trip is being led in conjunction with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), which since June 1995 has maintained a team of trained peacemakers in Hebron. The delegation will travel to the cities of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Hebron. There they will have the unique opportunity to meet with Israeli and Palestinian peace and human rights workers. International Silence on Iraq's Humanitarian Crisis Needs to Be Broken, WCC Governing Body Says October 1, 2007 –The members of the World Council of Churches (WCC) have been asked to engage "their own governments over the need to break the international silence on the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and provide greater assistance to displaced and refugee Iraqis." The call is part of a "Statement on Iraq and its Christian communities" issued by the WCC executive committee at the end of its 25-28 September meeting in Etchmiadzin, Armenia. The WCC governing body affirms that although the "basic well-being and human rights of substantial portions of Iraqi society are heavily degraded after decades of wars and chaos, and remain under grave threat. Americans Encouraged to Strive for Peace as Living Letters Delegation Concludes Visit October 4, 2007 – Members of an international ecumenical team representing the World Council of Churches (WCC) left the United States enriched and encouraged by the signs of hope and community commitment they witnessed at a nine-day solidarity visit during which they met US Christians struggling with issues of gun control, war and a culture of violence. After traveling to Washington, Philadelphia, New York and New Orleans, and towns along the way, the Living Letters team members from South Africa, Lebanon, Pakistan and Brazil said they gained much more than they had given along the way. But they also left behind messages of support and encouragement to those who work tirelessly to promote peaceful alternatives to violence. ELCA Presiding Bishop Supports Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference October 4, 2007, CHICAGO – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), said he supports an international conference aimed at taking steps toward resolving conflict peacefully between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East, and this week joined in a call for specific steps for a successful conference. The meeting is to be hosted in November by the United States government at a location to be determined. Hanson is a member of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East (NILI), an organization of U.S. faith group leaders that has spoken publicly about the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. NILI members have challenged the Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. governments each to do more to resolve the conflict. NCC Interfaith Leader Heads for WCC October 2, 2007, NEW YORK CITY – The Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches at its meeting in Armenia on September 28 elected Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana as its Director of Inter-religious dialogue and cooperation. Dr. Premawardhana will begin his new assignment in Geneva this November. Since 2003, Dr. Premawardhana served the National Council of Churches USA (NCC) as its Associate General Secretary for Interfaith Relations and Director of its Interfaith Relations Commission. October 4, 2007, MINNEAPOLIS – As many as 100,000 protesters led by a phalanx of barefoot monks recently marched in Burma's largest city in the strongest protests against the repressive government, Christian ethicist Curtiss DeYoung, author of Living Faith: How Faith Inspires Social Justice, provides keen insight into the inspirational pulse toward and of reconciliation. In this instructive and inspiring account, Christian ethicist Curtiss DeYoung profiles three of the most dynamic and influential religious activists of the twentieth century: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Malcolm X, and Burma's own Aung San Suu Kyi-each from a different generation, a different faith community, and a different continent. |
