Front Page

Climate Justice for the Poor Is Capitol Hill Topic of U.S., English Faith Leaders

October 25, 2007, WASHINGTON, DC – The religious community's moral imperative to combat climate change and protect those living in poverty was discussed yesterday at a U.S. House of Representatives briefing. The Rt. Rev. James Jones, the Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, England and the Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, associate general secretary for justice and advocacy at the National Council of Churches USA (NCC) joined forces in addressing a Capitol Hill audience. Bishop Jones, traveling for a week in the U.S. to speak with religious leaders about global climate change, articulated the need for the world faith communities to take action on the issue of climate change. "The Bible calls us to care for all of God's creation," said Bishop Jones.

Lutherans Continue Care for People Affected by Wildfires in California

October 25, 2007, CHICAGO – Five members from St. Andrew Lutheran Church, San Diego, visited Qualcomm Stadium Oct. 25 to provide emotional and spiritual care for people seeking shelter from the wildfires in Southern California. Members of the church also sent supplies to help meet the basic needs of people taking refuge at the stadium. St. Andrew is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). "Our group from St. Andrew is trained to listen, respond appropriately and pray with people in need. We will be available for the long-term," said the Rev. Andrew A. Taylor, St. Andrew, who added that many of the 10,000 people at Qualcomm are "going back to their homes today.

Wealth Versus Greed:
Churches Bring Concern over Ethics of Economic Growth to Consultation in Tanzania

October 22, 2007 – When does the pursuit of economical well-being turn into greed? This is one of the questions to be discussed at a 5-9 November ecumenical consultation in Dar es Salaam. Joint church strategies and actions for addressing the interlinked problems of poverty, excessive wealth, and ecological degradation in Africa are intended results. The consultation is a continuation of a process which was started at the WCC 8th assembly in Harare in 1998 and became known as Alternative Globalization Addressing People and Earth (AGAPE) since the 9th assembly in Porto Alegre. Ten years later, the issue of socio-economic justice is no less pressing.

Bishops Working for a Just World Challenge Congress on Debt Relief, Farm Bill, Climate Change

October 24, 2007, WASHINGTON, DC – Seven Episcopal bishops – all members of Bishops Working for a Just World – traveled to Washington, D.C., October 15-18 to advocate for church policies on debt relief, the Farm Bill, and climate change. The bishops placed strategic phone calls on climate change legislation and met with Members of Congress and senior staff to present the reasons for Episcopal Church concern on these key public policy issues. Bishops Laura Ahrens of Connecticut, Barry L. Beisner of Northern California, Charles E. Bennison, Jr. of Pennsylvania, John Bryson Chane of Washington, James Curry of Connecticut, Jean Zache Duracin of Haiti, and William Persell of Chicago worked with the staff of the Office of Government Relations and Bonni McKinney of the Diocese of Connecticut to plan the trip.

General News

Clergywoman Shares Domestic Violence Story

October 23, 2007 – She is attractive. Some say she's aloof. Others say she is strong and confident. She is a United Methodist clergywoman who tells her story with relatively little emotion – except when she speaks of her children, which makes her cry, or when she remembers the clock. The sound of a chiming clock triggers frightening memories.

Stronger than Usual: OCWM Giving Continues to Outpace Last Year

October 19, 2007 – With three months remaining in the year, financial reports are showing promising signs for Our Church's Wider Mission, the UCC's common purse for shared ministries at the national and international settings of the church. At the end of September, OCWM National Basic Support stood at $4,756,553 or an increase of $491,740 over last year's total at the same point. Twenty-four of the UCC's 38 Conferences have remitted more money to date this year over last year. Thirteen are reporting less financial support. One Conference is reporting an equal amount. Since June's report, the positive financial comparison has grown from a $316,705 net increase to $491,740, another promising sign.

Special Encyclical for the California Wildfire Victims

October 25, 2007, NEW YORK – On behalf of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, I write to you to convey the heartfelt prayers and support of our Holy Archdiocese for all those who are grieving in the aftermath of the devastating fires that have taken place in southern California. This tragedy has affected hundreds of thousands of people in the region who were under orders of evacuation in the face of danger and uncertainty.

Rainbow of Religions Are an Opportunity for Church

October 25, 2007 – Pluralistic societies offer the church both opportunity and challenge, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Trinidad and Tobago told leaders of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) Wednesday. Elvis Elahie was addressing the Executive Committee of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) on a day when his church threw a party with singing, dancing and local food in the community of San Fernando on the island of Trinidad.

Journal Launches Scholarly Discussion of Role of Religion in Peace

October 25, 2007, ELGIN, IL – "The Journal of Religion, Conflict, and Peace" has debuted. The online scholarly journal, published by a collaborative of Indiana's three historic peace colleges, is a new forum for discussion of the role of religion in both conflict and peacebuilding. The journal is a project of the Plowshares peace studies collaborative of Earlham, Goshen, and Manchester Colleges, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. Manchester College is a Church of the Brethren school in North Manchester, Ind.; Earlham College is related to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and is located in Richmond, Ind.; Goshen College is a Mennonite institution located in Goshen, Ind.

United Methodist Home Remembers Ohio State Coach

October 24, 2007 – Each Saturday during the fall, thousands of Ohio State football fans roar their support for the Buckeyes. Little do they know that some of this Buckeye glory started on the campus of Otterbein Home in Lebanon, Ohio. Carroll C. Widdoes, a former Ohio state coach, lived at the United Methodist-related home as a youth. Now celebrating its 95th Anniversary, Otterbein Retirement Living Community cared for both youth and the elderly through 1963, when the care switched to focus on older adults. Widdoes died in 1971.

Church of Scotland Leaders See Many Parallels with PC(USA)
Visitors Hope Visit Will ‘Spark' Creative Approaches to Ministry

October 26, 2007, LOUISVILLE – Persistent membership losses. Struggles to keep young people in the church. Simmering controversies over homosexuality that threaten church unity. Restructure of the national offices. Yes, it's the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) But it's also the Church of Scotland, two visiting officials of the PC(USA)'s "mother church" told the Presbyterian News Service during an Oct. 24 visit to the Presbyterian Center here.

Resurrected Octogenarian Drums it up in Church

October 25, 2007 – Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said that if Christians wanted him to believe in Jesus, they'd have to start looking "more resurrected." Phyllis Orr, of Trinity United Methodist Church in Annapolis, Md., is doing just that. Orr, a drummer in the church's praise band, spent last spring and summer being "deceased." She discovered her condition last April when she went to fill a prescription. The pharmacist gave her the news: She was "coming up dead on the computer."

We Are Better Together, Reformed Church Leaders Told

October 19, 2007 – Reclaim the unity Christ has given us, the head of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) urged on the opening day of a critical Executive Committee meeting dealing with unity issues. "The heart of the gospel is that we are better together. God has called us to be part of a communion, part of a community," declared WARC president Clifton Kirkpatrick at the opening worship of the 10-day meeting in Trinidad and Tobago. "While the call to communion is a core Reformed conviction, it is often not a Reformed virtue these days. When we disagree with one another, all too often we end up splitting," he added.

Ecumenical News

WCC Takes Part in Interfaith Dialogue for Peace

October 23, 2007 – At a high-profile interfaith dialogue for peace in Naples, Italy, earlier this week, gathered religious and political leaders and intellectuals from five continents. The event which was called "For a world without violence" was organized by the Catholic community of Sant'Egidio and included a eucharistic celebration conducted by Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday, 21 October. In a panel discussion held Tuesday morning about "Faiths, war and peace," Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, WCC general secretary, said he sees "three major threats to world peace today."

. This effort to focus churches on the issue of violence and peacemaking ends in 2011 with an International Ecumenical Peace Convocation.

Anglicans, Roman Catholics Meet to Discuss Mary, Ecumenical Relations

October 24, 2007 – Anglican and Roman Catholic leaders in the United States met October 18-20 in dialogue on the role of the Virgin Mary and the progress in ecumenical relations between the two churches. The 63rd meeting of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Theological Consultation (ARCUSA) was held at Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Virginia. It was chaired jointly by Episcopal Bishop Edwin F. Gulick, Jr. of Kentucky, and Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Edward W. Clark of Los Angeles. The meeting completed work on two documents.

Spanish News

EDITORIAL: El Crecimiento De La Xenofobia Y La Falta
De Memoria No Auguran Buenos Tiempos Claudia Florentin

23 octubre 2007, BUENOS AIRES – Leo que un joven fue detenido en Barcelona acusado de agredir con insultos racistas a una menor de edad, de nacionalidad colombiana (aunque en un principio se dijo que era ecuatoriana), cuando ésta viajaba a bordo del metro. También leo que con la xenofobia como bandera ganó en Suiza el nacionalista Blocher.

Traducido "El Korán" Al Papiamento, Después De Siete Años De Labor

25 octubre 2007, WILLEMSTAD, Curazao- Antillas Holandesas – La presentación oficial de una traducción al papiamento del Korán, el libro sagrado del Islam, se realizará hoy en esta capital, gracias a un proyecto donde trabajaron unas 25 personas, luego de una larga investigación bibliográfica de siete años que incluyó, entre otros elementos, el estudio de la lengua original en que fuera escrito y el ambiente socio-cultural que le sirviera de escenario.

El CMI Completa El Equipo Directivo Del Personal

24 octubre 2007 – Dos personalidades excelentes, conocidas de la familia ecuménica por sus realizaciones en la promoción de la justicia basada en la fe y en el diálogo interreligioso, han sido contratadas por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) con sede en Ginebra para completar su equipo directivo. Los recién nombrados miembros del personal dirigirán, respectivamente, el programa sobre Testimonio público y el programa sobre Diálogo y cooperación interreligiosos. Los nombramientos completan la reconfiguración de la dirección del personal debida a la reestructuración programática después de la Novena Asamblea del CMI de 2006.

El CMI Participa En Un Diálogo Interreligioso Por La Paz

24 octubre 2007, SUIZA – El diálogo interreligioso por la paz de alto nivel celebrado en Nápoles, Italia, a principios de esta semana, congregó a líderes religiosos, dirigentes políticos e intelectuales de los cinco continentes. El acontecimiento llamado "Por un mundo sin violencia" fue organizado por la comunidad católica de Sant'Egidio e incluyó una celebración eucarística oficiada por el Papa Benedicto XVI el domingo, 21 de octubre.

Riqueza O Codicia: Las Iglesias Plantean Sus Preocupaciones
Por La Ética Del Crecimiento Económico En Una Consulta En Tanzania

22 octubre 2007 – ¿Cuándo la carrera hacia el bienestar económico se convierte en codicia? Es ésta una de las cuestiones que se examinarán en una consulta ecuménica que se celebrará en Dar es Salaam del 5 al 9 de noviembre. Su intención es conseguir como resultado unas estrategias y acciones conjuntas de las iglesias para afrontar los problemas relacionados entre sí de la pobreza, la riqueza excesiva y la degradación ecológica en África.

Consejero Ante El Vaticano Critica Pronunciamiento De La Iglesia Católica Contra Chávez

24 octubre 2007, CARACAS, Venezuela – El consejero de la Embajada de Venezuela ante la Santa Sede en Roma, Monseñor Nelson Torrealba, manifestó en torno al reciente pronunciamiento de la Conferencia Episcopal Venezolana (CEV), que sus conclusiones "son erróneas y que ellos – la CEV- hacen notar una serie de hechos que no sustentan sus premisas."

National News

Children's Disaster Services Gears up for California Fire Response

October 25, 2007, ELGIN, IL – In response to the wildfires that have been raging in southern California, Children's Disaster Services is preparing to open up child care centers in American Red Cross shelters as early as Thursday morning. Shelter sites may be anywhere from Ventura County south to the Mexican border. Children's Disaster Services is a program of the Church of the Brethren, and sends trained and certified volunteers to help care for children in disaster situations.

CWS Joins Faith Leaders in Calling on Senate to Reform 2007 Farm Bill

October 25, 2007, WASHINGTON, DC – Church World Service is one of a group of faith leaders calling on the Senate to vote for reform of U.S. farm policy. The Rev. John L. McCullough, CEO of the New York-based hunger fighting agency, said the U.S. system of low crop prices and government subsidies is destroying small farmers and communities in developing nations and also harming rural communities in the U.S. "We need farm policy that supports these small farmers and that does not make it difficult to impossible for small farmers in developing nations around the world to make a living through farming," Rev. McCullough said."

CRWRC Plans to Help Rebuild after California Wildfires

October 26, 2007 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – While exhausted firefighters continue to fight deadly wildfires that burned in California this week, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee's Disaster Response Services (CRWRC-DRS) is assessing ways to help. As evacuation shelters close, many of the 300,000 displaced residents are returning home to check the state of their property and collect what they can. To assist them, CRWRC-DRS Rapid Response and Needs Assessment teams are readying workers to engage in house-to-house needs assessment and reconstruction.

Agency Unites New Orleans for Long-term Recovery with CWS Support

October 25, 2007, NEW ORLEANS – It seemed almost a Herculean feat, to bring together disparate communities in a city long on individualism and eccentricity. As the French say, Il n'y a que les montagnes qui ne se rencontrent jamais. (There are none so distant that fate cannot bring together.) "New Orleans never really worked together," said Kim Durow, director of the Greater New Orleans Disaster Recovery Partnership, or GNODRP. "This is really new."

CRWRC Plans Wildfire Response Across So. California

October 26, 2007 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – While exhausted firefighters continue to squelch 18 deadly wildfires that rushed across hundreds of acres of California residential and scrub lands this week, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee's (www.crwrc.org) Disaster Response Services (DRS) is assessing the deployment of teams of trained volunteers into the area. As evacuation shelters close, many of the area's 300,000 displaced residents are returning home to discover the state of their property and collect what they can from the remains.

ERD to Help Those Displaced by Southern California Wildfires;
presiding Bishop Calls for Prayers

October 24, 2007 – Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) is standing by to provide emergency assistance to communities affected by wildfires in Southern California. Almost 1 million people have been forced to evacuate their homes, the largest evacuation in California history. Experts fear that the number could increase within the next several days. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori asked for "prayers for our fellow brothers and sisters who are living in San Diego and the Southern California region and are threatened by the fire of this week."

International News

New Reformed Church Body to Be Formed

October 22, 2007 – The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) today agreed to unite with the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC) to create a new global Reformed body representing more than 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide. The historic decision took place at WARC's Executive Committee meeting being held in Trinidad and Tobago, following two days of detailed discussions on many of the aspects of the proposed merger. "This is a truly, truly important moment," said WARC president Clifton Kirkpatrick after the vote was taken at midday.

Ecumenical Study Links Trade Liberalization and Hunger

October 18, 2007 – The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) is releasing a study today on the eve of the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which documents direct links in three countries between trade liberalization policies and violations of the Right to Food of smallscale rice farmers. Many of the trade liberalization policies were put in place as a result of conditions on assistance from the World Bank and IMF, and the two organizations continue to put strong pressure on governments not to step back from these policies.

Sacred Journey Marks Abolition of Transatlantic Slave Trade

October 25, 2007 – A sacred journey from slave sites in Africa to the Caribbean was marked yesterday as Reformed church leaders from around the world commemorated the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade by the British Parliament 200 years ago. Members of the Executive Committee of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) gathered for an emotional service of worship adjacent to remains of a mortar building constructed by African slaves in 1802 on Nelson Island off the coast of Trinidad.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Work for Justice, Peace via the United Nations Recognized on Anniversary

October 26, 2007, LOUISVILLE – For 62 years the United Nations has supported justice and peacemaking worldwide, with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as a partner, educating and advocating to make a difference, a PC(USA) official said this week. "The church has had a presence at the UN since the signing of the charter in 1945," said Joel Hanisek, the Presbyterian representative to the UN. "This presence is a way of faithfulness and discipleship, a way to follow the Jesus who comes to preach good news to the people, freedom to the prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind and release to the oppressed."

World Health Leaders Share Updates at Malaria Forum

October 22, 2007, SEATTLE – United Methodist leaders in the fight against malaria are cautiously optimistic about a newly released report on the safe use of a vaccine that reduces malaria infection among infants in Mozambique. Bishop Felton E. May, interim chief executive of the Board of Global Ministries, and the Rev. Larry Hollon, who heads United Methodist Communications, issued a joint statement in response to news reports that the vaccine has passed another stage in the long process of testing. The study, reported in the The Lancet, a British medical journal, showed that a vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKlinePLC and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative was safe for use in infants. It reduced incidents of malaria infection by 65 percent in a group of 214 infants, some of whom received the anti-malaria vaccine and others a vaccine for hepatitis B.

People in the News

WCC Completes Staff Leadership Team

October 24, 2007 – Two outstanding personalities, known to the ecumenical family for their achievements in faith-based advocacy and interfaith dialogue, have been engaged by the Geneva-based World Council of Churches (WCC) to complete its leadership team. The newly appointed staff members will head the programme on Public witness and the programme on Inter-religious dialogue and cooperation. The appointments complete a reconfiguration of the WCC staff leadership due to programmatic reshaping after the WCC 9th Assembly in 2006. The WCC directors newly appointed by the WCC executive committee are: Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory (Public witness: addressing power and affirming peace) and Rev. Dr Shanta Premawardhana (Inter-religious dialogue and cooperation).

Reviews

The Theory of Evolution Meets the Doctrine of Creation – or Does It?

October 26, 2007, MINNEAPOLIS – The newly released Intelligent Design: William A. Dembski and Michael Ruse in Dialogue edited by Robert B. Stewart highlights points of agreement and disagreement between two leading conversants on the subject of Intelligent Design and the sufficiency of a Darwinian Explanation of evolution. The subject of Intelligent Design has raised considerable interest and controversy over the meaning and relationship of science and religious conviction.