 |
 |
 |
 |
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
|
December 8, 2007, FRESNO, California – Delegates attending the 48th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin on Saturday, December 8, overwhelmingly voted to leave the Episcopal Church and to align with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. San Joaquin Bishop John-David Schofield asked for a moment of silence in deference to those who opposed the change, reminding the gathering that he “knows what it feels like to be a minority” before the vote tallies were read. The results, by orders were: 70-12 clergy and 103-10 vote in the lay order to effectively remove all references to the Episcopal Church from its constitution and describe the diocese as “a constituent member of the Anglican Communion and in full communion with the See of Canterbury.” Coalition Urges Candidates to Change Tone on Immigration December 5, 2007, DES MOINES, Iowa – Representatives of the Iowa Interfaith Immigration Coalition are urging presidential candidates of both parties to conduct the debate over immigration policy in a civil manner "that respects human dignity." The coalition held a press conference Dec. 4, one month before the Iowa caucuses and just hours before the Democratic candidates engaged in a radio debate sponsored by National Public Radio and Iowa Public Radio. ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson Featured in CBS's ‘In God's Name' Dec. 23 December 4, 2007, CHICAGO – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and president of the Lutheran World Federation, is featured in the two-hour primetime television special "In God's Name," airing Dec. 23 at 9:00 p.m. EST on CBS. Produced by French filmmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet, the special explores "complex questions of our time through the intimate thoughts and beliefs of 12 of the world's most influential spiritual leaders," according to a Nov. 20 CBS news release. The spiritual leaders "speak out about violence and hatred and reveal their own thoughts about faith, peace, unity, tolerance and hope. Viewers will see them in intimate settings, including their homes and personal places of worship." ELCA Nebraska Bishop Addresses Shooting at Westroads Mall, Omaha December 7, 2007, CHICAGO – The Rev. David L. deFreese, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Nebraska Synod, Omaha, offered a message of hope to the church in response to the Dec. 5 shooting at the Westroads Mall, Omaha, where a 19-year-old man opened fire killing eight people and wounding several others before turning the gun on himself. "Our community of Nebraska has been confronted with an unspeakable terror," said deFreese. United Methodists Respond to Mall Shooting December 7, 2007, OMAHA, Neb. – United Methodists will gather for a prayer vigil Dec. 7 for the victims and families of those killed and injured in a mall shooting rampage. Fred Wilson, a member of First (Omaha) United Methodist Church, was injured in the Dec. 5 shooting. Nine people – including the shooter – were killed and several others were wounded when 19-year-old Robert Hawkins began firing a semi-automatic rifle in the Westroads Mall. United Methodist Bishop Ann Brookshire Sherer expressed her "deepest sympathy" over the tragedy and asked for prayers of comfort and peace for the victims of the shooting. December 5, 2007, GENEVA – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is appealing to religious leaders to play their essential role in building the requisite "community commitment and political will" for fundamental behavioral shifts with regard to climate change. In a statement issued today on the occasion of the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Bali, Indonesia, LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko reiterates that the dimensions of the climate crisis transcend politics and call for "engagement at the most fundamental ethical level." ELCA Presiding Bishop's 2007 Christmas Message December 3, 2007 – "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way..." (Matthew 1:18). Many generations after God promised a Messiah, a young girl named Mary conceived a child by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, the young man to whom she was betrothed, was told by an angel that the child she would bear was God's Son, Jesus. God's power and blessing worked through common lives to bring forth Jesus the Messiah. Joseph and Mary, ordinary young adults nurtured by the generations before them, were open to God's extraordinary activity in their lives. Baptist Center for Ethics Lifts up Christian Citizen Prophetic Ministry Focus December 4, 2007, VALLEY FORGE, PA – Two articles from a recent issue of National Ministries' publication The Christian Citizen, focused on prophetic ministry, are featured on the Baptist Center for Ethics' Web site at ethicsdaily.com. "Where Have All the Prophets Gone?" by the Rev. Dr. Marvin A. McMickle, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland and professor of homiletics at Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio, is included on the site's "Movie, Books & Culture" pages. Asian-American Federation Celebrates History, Elects Leaders December 5, 2007, LOS ANGELES – The vision for an Asian-American identity that goes beyond national ancestry gave birth to a United Methodist organization that continues challenging the church to hear diverse ethnic voices today. Bishop Roy I. Sano, speaking to the National Federation of Asian American United Methodists in November, recalled the climate that led to the creation of the group more than three decades ago. "The national federation reflected the ethnic struggles that were on the university campuses in the late 1960s," he said. "The original drive and vision of the movement expressed the hopes and hurts in our community and The United Methodist Church at home and abroad." LCEF Reps Meet to ‘Build for Eternity' December 4, 2007, DALLAS – Luther Goehring half-jokingly said he "felt real withdrawal" from not attending last year's Lutheran Church Extension Fund Fall Leadership Conference in Orlando, after years of never missing one when serving two terms on the LCEF Board of Directors. So, he welcomed the opportunity to come to this year's conference here Nov. 16-18, after that board chose him as a member at-large. "It's good to be back. I missed seeing people," the retired hospital administrator from Phoenix said – a thought obviously shared by many of the 620-plus who attended this conference – as they hugged on arrival, caught up with each other at meals and breaks, worshiped, attended workshops, and listened to speakers address Christian leadership and the work of LCEF. The theme of this year's conference was "Together in Christ – Building for Eternity." Project Assists Deaf People Living with HIV/AIDS December 7, 2007 – Once a year, a small group from the community of the deaf meets with HIV/AIDS survivors to share their personal journeys. The United Methodist Deaf Shalom Zone, a ministry of Christ United Methodist Church in Baltimore, provides sign language interpreters so the deaf people with HIV/AIDS can have communication access at the Quality of Life Retreat they attend, which is held in Maryland or the Washington area. "HIV/AIDS cases are four times higher in the deaf community than in the hearing community," said Carol Stevens, the shalom zone coordinator. Quality of Life Retreats, an independent ministry, is open to anyone and has four retreats each year designed to empower participants with life strategies that help them live with HIV/AIDS. Orthodox Church Celebrates the ‘Real' St. Nicholas December 1, 2007, ROCHESTER, Minnesota – Fr. Nick Kasemeotes of Holy Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church tells a bit of the history of St. Nicholas. As Father Nicholas Kasemeotes gestured toward the iconography on the sanctuary wall of Holy Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church, a slight smile crossed his face when he came to the image of a bearded old man in a robe. "This is St. Nicholas," he said. Except for the white whiskers, there is little in the image that would make one associate this 4th century bishop with his contemporary incarnation as ol' St. Nick – or Santa Claus. World Mission Sponsors Tour to Russia December 6, 2007 – LCMS World Mission is sponsoring April 22-May 5 an Ablaze! tour to Russia and the Baltics, where the collapse of European communism brought the Synod in touch – and in partnership – with fellow Lutherans who remained steadfast in their faith through decades of persecution. Hosting the tour will be LCMS World Mission Executive Director Robert Roegner and his wife, Kristi; LCMS First Vice President William Diekelman and his wife, Carol; and LCMS World Mission Regional Director for Eurasia Brent Smith and his wife, Jennie. United Methodist Interfaith Commission Dismisses Leader December 6, 2007, BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Rev. Larry Pickens has been dismissed as the chief executive of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns. The action by commission members came Dec. 5, upon recommendation of the personnel committee, after several hours of discussion in executive session during the body's Dec. 4-6 meeting. Retired Bishop Albert F. "Fritz" Mutti, who served as the commission's president from 2000-2004, was elected as its interim leader. Parroquia Anglicana Implanta Pastoral Homosexual 5 diciembre 2007, GOIÂNIA, Brasil – Después de dos años de maduración, debates y estudios, La Parroquia San Felipe, de la Iglesia Episcopal Anglicana de Goiânia, Goiás, implantó la Pastoral Homosexual. "No podemos recibir a Jesús en nuestras vidas si no estuviéramos prontos a recibir a los pobres y marginados de este mundo," justifica el párroco local, reverendo Elías Mayer Vergara. Fotos Recuerdan Período De La Dictadura 6 diciembre 2007, PUERTO ALEGRE, Brasil – Imágenes que retratan el período de la dictadura militar en el Brasil entre 1964 y 1985 estarán expuestas en una muestra fotográfica intitulada "Derecho a la Memoria y a la Verdad," que estará abierta al público en siete capitales del país en el mes de diciembre. Organizada a través de una asociación entre la Secretaria Especial de los Derechos Humanos de la Presidencia de la República con la Fundación Luterana de Diaconia y la Agencia Libre para Información Ciudadanía y Educación, la exposición rinde homenaje a los 59 años de existencia de la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos. Ordenado Joven Pastor De Amplia Trayectoria Ecuménica 3 diciembre 2007, LA HABANA, Cuba – La Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer Marianao, afiliada a la Fraternidad de Iglesias Bautistas de Cuba, la cual es miembro de la Alianza Bautista Mundial, se vio colmada en la noche del viernes 30 de noviembre por cientos de personas de diversas denominaciones, para una celebración especial. ¿Qué pasó para que Bautistas, Metodistas, Episcopales, Luteranos, Iglesia de Cristo, Adventistas del 7mo. Día, Misionera de Dios, Iglesia de Dios del Evangelio Completo, Iglesia Apostólica de Jesucristo, Fe Apostólica, Moravos, Católicos y otros se congregaran tan fraternalmente? Una Conferencia Ecuménica Aborda Los Modelos Racistas Dejados Por La Trata De Esclavos 6 diciembre 2007 – Los legados de la trata de esclavos y la manera en que las iglesias pueden responder a formas de esclavitud pasadas y presentes serán debatidos en una conferencia ecuménica que se celebrará del 10 al 14 de diciembre en Runaway Bay, Jamaica. Alrededor de sesenta teólogos, dirigentes de iglesias, científicos sociales y militantes, principalmente de África, las Américas y el Caribe, se reunirán en el país donde casi un millón de africanos y, más tarde, asiáticos forzados a trabajar de sirvientes fueron explotados como mercancía humana, y por el que muchos más transitaron en su viaje mortal hacia la esclavitud. Iglesias Lanzan Campaña De Sensibilización Sobre El VIH-SIDA 3 diciembre 2007, GUATEMALA – Con el lema "prevenir el VIH es una responsabilidad ética y moral, démosle sentido a la vida," las iglesias que conforman el Concejo Ecuménico Cristiano de Guatemala presentaron, el viernes 30, una campaña de información y sensibilización del VIH y Sida. La misma consta de afiches, calendarios de bolsillo, playeras, botones promocionales y cuñas radiales, dirigidas especialmente a líderes y lideresas de las iglesias en el país. Mensaje Navideño De 2007 Del Obispo Presidente De La Iela 7 diciembre 2007 – "El nacimiento de Jesus, el Mesias, fue asi:..." (Mateo 1:18). Muchas generaciones despues de que Dios hubiera prometido al Mesias, una jovencita llamada Maria concibio un nino por gracia del Espiritu Santo. Un angel le dijo a Jose, el joven con quien estaba prometida en matrimonio, que el nino al que daria a luz era el Hijo de Dios, Jesus. El poder y las bendiciones de Dios obraron por medio de vidas comunes para traernos a Jesus, el Mesias. Jose y Maria, jovenes comunes y corrientes criados por las generaciones que los precedieron, estaban abiertos a la extraordinaria actividad de Dios en sus vidas. Philippine Military Aid Must Be Limited, December 6, 2007 – U.S. military aid to the Philippines should be capped and human rights conditions applied to the entire amount, more than 270 Church leaders, NGOs and citizen groups urged in a December 3 letter sent to members of Congress. Representing the Episcopal Church, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop Christopher Epting, Ecumenical and Interfaith officer, and the Rev. Canon Brian Grieves, director of Peace and Justice Ministries, joined the call for the final version of bill H.R. 2764 to be sensitive to the human rights crisis in the Philippines. Ensure Immigrants Take Advantage of the Right to Education December 3, 2007, NEW YORK – Sunday evening, December 2, the Nepal-USA Forum (NUF), a branch of the International Youth for Human Rights movement, presented a program on "The Right to Education," to a packed hall in Ridgewood, New York. The group started from the celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees rights to people throughout the world, and continued with experts to help the Nepalese immigrants in the eager audience find out how education would empower them in their lives in the United States. "Only if each one of us know our rights," said Deepak Kafle, Director of NUF, "and know that these rights cannot be taken away from us, can we protect those rights, and enjoy the full life we are entitled to." December 5, 2007, LOUISVILLE – Presbyterians from across the country joined more than 1,500 church-backed farmworkers and their supporters, many chanting and waving signs, in a peaceful protest outside Burger King's Miami corporate headquarters on Friday (Nov. 30). The fast-food giant is the latest target in an ongoing campaign by the Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), an farmworkers organization that receives support from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and other religious organizations. The CIW's goal is to get Burger King to follow McDonald's and Taco Bell parent Yum! Brands, Inc., who have agreed to pay an additional penny-per-pound for tomatoes picked by Florida farmworkers. United Methodist Free Clinic Opens in New Orleans December 6, 2007, NEW ORLEANS – The Rev. Connie Thomas stood with tears in her eyes as nurses and doctors treated patients during the opening of Luke's House, a free clinic housed in Mt. Zion United Methodist Church's Family Life Center. "This is cutting edge ministry," said Thomas, pastor of Mt. Zion Church. "Here is a chance for United Methodists to do hands-on work, helping those in need as they recover from Hurricane Katrina." Mt. Zion was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Situated near a thoroughfare in an underserved area of New Orleans, the clinic makes its services available to anyone in need. December 3, 2007, WASHINGTON, DC – The National Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has approved grants totaling $495,250 to 21 self-help projects in the United States. Money for the grants comes from the PC(USA)'s One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering. SDOP, funded primarily through the OGHS offering, enables members and non-members of the PC(USA) to establish partnerships with economically poor, oppressed and disadvantaged people in order to help them achieve sufficiency. Elderly Refugees Have Specific Needs, Migration Ministries Director Tells Senate Committee December 5, 2007 – Richard Parkins, director of Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), told a U.S. Senate committee in written testimony December 5 that the federal government must pay special attention to the needs of elderly refugees. Elderly refugees "are not only the most vulnerable of those whom we resettle but are also the custodians of the culture that gets transferred to the new environment in which refugees find themselves," Parkins told the committee. Support the Second Chance Act to Invest in Prisoner Re-Entry Programs, EPPN Urges December 6, 2007 – The Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) is calling on Episcopalians to contact their United States Senators and urge them to support the Second Chance Act of 2007 (Senate Bill 1060) when it comes to the floor. The Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives this fall by an overwhelming vote of 347-62, would invest in prisoner-reentry programs that have helped released prisoners learn how to lead productive lives and reduced the likelihood that they will return to prison. More and more states are trying this approach, but they need federal assistance, said an EPPN alert, which is emailed to more than 21,000 Episcopalians and religious advocates. 50 Million Bibles Printed in China and Jesus Film DVD Released in 8 Languages December 5, 2007 – On September 11, 2007, the 50 millionth Bible rolled off the Press at Amity Printing Company in Nanjing. While the world remembered the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we remembered God's Goodness and Greatness in Bible production in China. 10 years after the end of the Cultural Revolution, the Amity Press was established in Nanjing and the first Bible came off the Press in Nanjing on October 14, 1987. It was an amazing miracle of the Lord. And the miracle continues. Over the past 20 years, more than 50 million copies of Bibles have been printed at the Press. Archbishop of Canterbury – Why Social Cohesion Needs Religion December 6, 2007 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has given a wide-ranging lecture today in Singapore, at the Building Bridges Conference. In his lecture Dr Williams discusses the position of the "absolute truths" of faith over and above political power, and how this plays out in a society where several faiths co-exist: "Does disagreement about truth necessarily mean the violent disruption of social co-operation? Indian Bishops Demand End to Christian Dalit Oppression December 6, 2007, NEW DELHI – In an unprecedented protest, more than 30 bishops joined scores of priests, nuns and church activists in a sit-in near the Indian parliament in New Delhi to demand an end to the decades-old discrimination against Christian Dalits. "We want the government to end this discrimination," demanded Church of South India Bishop Jeypaul David, president of the National Council of Churches in India, addressing the sit-in on 29 November. Thirty bishops from NCCI churches, which groups 29 Orthodox and Protestant denominations, joined six Roman Catholics bishops in the protest to reiterate their demand for justice for Christian Dalits. Ministry Gives Hope to AIDS Orphans in Africa December 7, 2007 – Working diligently in a small vegetable garden in rural Kenya, 14-year-old Alex wears an enormous smile as he harvests a handful of kale. The smile masks a heartbreaking truth. Alex is one of more than 16 million Africans orphaned by the AIDS pandemic. In the face of that cruel statistic, however, a United Methodist ministry called Giving Hope is doing just that – providing AIDS orphans with the seeds needed to sow their future. The program is part of the ZOE Ministry, designed to empower orphans to care for themselves and their families. Ecumenical Conference to Tackle Racist Patterns Left by Slave Trade December 6, 2007 – The legacies of the slave trade, and how churches can respond to past and present forms of slavery, are going to be discussed at an ecumenical conference to be held 10-14 December in Runaway Bay, Jamaica. About sixty theologians, church leaders, social scientists and activists, mainly from Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean will gather in the country where nearly one million Africans and later indentured servants from Asia were exploited as human commodities and many more transited on their often deadly passage into slavery. Hope Grows in East Africa; Women's Program Replaces Sex Work and Disease with Skills and Income December 6, 2007, NAIROBI, KENYA – Mlolongo town, located on the southern outskirts of Nairobi, is rocky ground for hope to grow in. The problems of this commercial gatekeeper to the city are deep rooted, but a Church World Service sponsored empowerment program is planting seeds of hope for women who otherwise might expose themselves to HIV and AIDS by trading sex for money. December 6, 2007 – Concern about undue pressure exerted by the European Union on African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to sign interim Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) by the end of the year has been expressed by World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia in a 6 December letter to EU commissioner for external trade Peter Mandelson. The interim agreements open up local markets to competition with European companies without adequate legal frameworks and infrastructure in place, and they address issues which are still contentious within a deadline that prevents parliamentary discussion. December 5, 2007, GENEVA – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko has called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to urgently pursue their objective to conclude a peace treaty between both sides, as agreed at the recent Middle East peace conference held in Annapolis, Maryland, United States. In letters addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas respectively on 4 December, Noko said the LWF and its member churches worldwide welcomed "wholeheartedly ... the revival of the fresh hopes for peace in the Holy Land" following the 27 November US-sponsored talks in Annapolis." WSC-AR Representative Elected to Board Of December 6, 2007 – The Chair of the Interfaith Committee of the World Sikh Council – America Region (WSC-AR), Dr. Tarunjit Singh, has been elected as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR). Rev. Dirk Ficca, Executive Director of CPWR, in a letter dated November 21, stated "Now more than ever, the world needs the wisdom and energy of people of faith, spirit, and good will to be working for peace, justice, and sustainability. We look forward to a partnership with you in making this indispensable contribution possible." Dr. Tarunjit Singh remarked, "the idea of forming a World Sikh Council – America Region was proposed by Sikh participants at the 1993 Parliament of World's Religions in Chicago." Wall Named Rainbow Acres Ambassador December 4, 2007, VALLEY FORGE, PA – Evy Wall was recently commissioned as a Rainbow Acres' Ambassador for Kansas during services at Prairie Baptist Church, Prairie, Kansas. Rainbow Acres is a non-profit, assisted living facility for adults with developmental disabilities, and is located in Camp Verde, Arizona. It is a member of American Baptist Homes and Caring Ministries, and has earned an EAGLE accreditation (which is an accreditation commission of the United Methodist Association of Health & Welfare Ministries). Reading and Misreading Sexual Violence in the Bible December 7, 2007, MINNEAPOLIS – In a searching and sensitive exploration of the ways Christians through the centuries read biblical narratives about sexual violence, Joy A. Schroeder opens new windows into the history of the church's attitudes about rape. Her new book, Dinah's Lament, Schroeder studies the ways Christians have read six biblical narratives about sexual violence, using biblical commentary, homilies, and devotional writings as a window into the history of the church's attitudes about rape.
|
