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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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December 14, 2007 – Societies must move away from "promoting endless growth and production of goods" as well as a "seemingly insatiable" consumption, says a statement presented today by the World Council of Churches to the plenary of high-level government representatives at the UN climate summit in Bali, Indonesia. While "the poorer carry the burden of the irresponsible waste of resources, energy and extreme consumerism of the richer," the statement affirms, actions should be focused on resolving "the problems of the great majority of today's world population." Archbishop of Canterbury's Advent Letter December 14, 2007 – To: Primates of the Anglican Communion & Moderators of the United Churches Greetings in the name of the One ‘who is and was and is to come, the Almighty,' as we prepare in this Advent season to celebrate once more his first coming and pray for the grace to greet him when he comes in glory. You will by now, I hope, have received my earlier letter summarising the responses from Primates to the Joint Standing Committee's analysis of the New Orleans statement from the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church. Be "Leaders in Peace," WCC Invites Churches December 13, 2007 – Can churches be peacemakers in a world racked by violence? This is the question to be addressed by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington DC, on Sunday, 16 December 2007. "For too long the church has been a willing participant in the violence of the world," Kobia said in an interview recently. "Christ has called the church to be a peacemaker and a reconciler. This is not just a message for the season, but one the church must take to heart if it is going to truly minister to the world. Archbishop of Canterbury's Christmas Message to the Anglican Communion December 14, 2007 – One of the strangest yet most moving expressions in the New Testament is a verse in the Letter to the Hebrews (11.16): God ‘is not ashamed to be called their God.' The writer is talking about the history of God's people. When they have been faithful to God, faithful in keeping on moving onwards in faith rather than settling down in self-satisfaction, when they are true pilgrims, then God is content to be known as their God. ‘Be Still and Know That I Am God' December 13, 2007, LOUISVILLE – Happy New Year! Some of you may think I am a month too early in saying that familiar phrase. However, the Christian year starts with Advent, not on January 1st. It all begins with the joyous expectation that God will enter human history in the form of a child and that the Word will once again be made flesh. Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the year, both for the gatherings with family and friends and the glitter of the season (I'm hooked!). Want to Give God Joy? December 12, 2007, ATLANTA – "I wish I could send them home with some small thing, even a piece of soap." These were the words of a pastor in the Cameroon, West Africa. He was telling our Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) delegation visiting Cameroon about the support group his congregation sponsors for people living with HIV/AIDS. The support group is a lifeline for people who are often ostracized because of their disease. The pastor reminds them often that they are loved by God. However, it hurts his soul to have to send these people away with nothing in their hands to remind them of God's love and the church's care. Everyday Lutherans Working in Mission and Ministry Overseas December 12, 2007, CHICAGO – The Rev. Brian E. Konkol does not see himself as "too special or anything like that" as a young pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) serving overseas. But he believes that God is capable of doing some "pretty amazing things through some pretty ordinary people." "Don't allow the doubts of others to prevent you from following God's calling to service," said Konkol, who is serving in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana as a long-term missionary of the ELCA. ELCA Shares Holiday Ideas for the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas' December 14, 2007 – For the "Twelve Days of Christmas," Corporate Social Responsibility of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) "gave to me" a list of resources for the 2007 holiday season. From the 12th day to the first, ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility shares an ELCA "Good Gifts" direct giving opportunity, a "Keep the Promise" Advent calendar, a socially responsible investing handbook, an opportunity to support fair trade products, tips on greener twinkling lights, a retail comparison chart for buying video games, a video game report card, safer toy options for children, a SweatFree Consumer Guide to shopping, an essay on eco-labeling, eco-friendly options for shopping, and a U.S. Department of State report on the human rights of children. December 12, 2007, LOUISVILLE – A non-profit organization related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has launched a Fair Trade Web site aimed at helping disadvantaged Peruvian artisans find a new marketplace for their goods and earn a sustainable wage in return. The Partners for Just Trade (PJT) Web site makes it easy to purchase Peruvian handcrafts and other products online and educates consumers about the meaning of fair and just trade. Helping the Needy – With Humility December 14, 2007, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Walk humbly, put yourself in the background and have faith in others if you want to work successfully with needy persons, Benedict and Kathleen Schwartz told a group of supporters at the Christian Reformed Church offices in Grand Rapids. The husband-wife team, featured in the Nov. 10 issue of World Magazine as business people with a clear sense of Christian purpose, lives and works at the 230-acre Village of Hope outside of Lusaka, Zambia. They founded the village about a year ago and have seen it grow into a thriving enterprise that employs and trains more than 50 local people as well as providing care for 40 AIDS orphans. A Must-Read for American Baptists: Jimmy Carter's Op-Ed In Tuesday's Atlanta Journal Constitution December 12, 2007, VALLEY FORGE, PA – ABCUSA General Secretary issued the following memo on December 7 to American Baptists: Dear Friend: While I know that our thoughts are focused on this most holy of seasons, I want to call attention to the largest, most historic event in Baptist history that will take place only seven weeks from now – the three-day celebration of a New Baptist Covenant, beginning Jan. 30, in Atlanta, Ga. Yesterday, The Atlanta Journal Constitution ran an opinion piece by former President Jimmy Carter that outlines the reasons and need for such a gathering. It contains a call to action that we cannot ignore. United Methodist Couple Helps Korean Community Own Homes December 12, 2007, LOS ANGELES – "Sang-hee's" dream of home ownership had some major roadblocks: she was a single mother in a low-income job, and she faced a language barrier. The high-risk, subprime adjustable rate mortgages offered in the past few years were the light at the end of tunnel for Sang-hee (who did not want to be identified) and millions like her. That light went out, however, when the mortgage rates soared and nearly priced her out of her home. But she found someone to turn to that literally spoke her own language and spoke it with compassion. Anglican-Methodist Relations Reviewed; Consultation Notes Progress in International Dialogue December 14, 2007 – A consultation to review the progress of the report of the Anglican-Methodist International Commission, "Sharing in the Apostolic Communion," which was received by the World Methodist Council in 1996 and the Lambeth Conference in 1998, was held October 30-November 1 at the historic Wesley's Chapel in London. The meeting was chaired by the Rev. Professor Robert Gribben, chair of the Standing Committee for Ecumenics and Dialogues of the World Methodist Council, and Bishop Harold Miller of Down and Dromore in the Church of Ireland, nominated by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the secretary general on behalf of the Anglican Communion. 10 De Diciembre – Día De Los Derechos Humanos 10 diciembre 2007 – El Día de los Derechos Humanos de este año es especial. Con él se abre la conmemoración del 60º aniversario de la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos. El lema principal para la campaña de este año es la promesa que sustenta la durabilidad del texto: "Dignidad y justicia para todos nosotros." El tema para el 2008 refuerza la visión de la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos como compromiso con la dignidad y la justicia a escala universal, dice la ONU. 14 diciembre 2007 – Las sociedades deben alejarse de la "promoción de un crecimiento y una producción de bienes sin límites" así como de un consumo "aparentemente insaciable," dice una declaración presentada hoy por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias al plenario de los representantes gubernamentales de alto nivel en la cumbre de la ONU sobre el clima en Bali, Indonesia. Evangélicos Preocupados Por El Medio Ambiente, Analizan Acciones Concretas 11 diciembre 2007, CORONEL, Chile – Medio centenar de pastores y líderes religiosos de la Región del Bío Bío, se dieron cita, ayer lunes, en el Taller "Ciudadanía ambiental global," organizado por el Consejo Latinoamérica de Iglesia (CLAI) y el programa PNUMA (Programa Naciones Unidas del Medio Ambiente). El Sargento David Pulgar, representando a la Armada de Chile, dio a conocer la forma como fiscalizan las naves que entran en aguas chilena con el fin de que no boten los residuos en los mares chilenos. Las Iglesias Atentan Contra Sí Mismas Al Violar Los Derechos De Las Mujeres, Dice Teólogo Mexicano 11 diciembre 2007, MÉXICO D.F. – El Gobierno de la Ciudad de México, junto con la ONG Tech Palewi, organizó la celebración de unas jornadas contra la violencia hacia las mujeres a partir del 25 de noviembre. Para clausurarlas, el domingo 9 de diciembre convocó a 60 hombres de diversos campos de trabajo y acción a redactar un pronunciamiento y leerlo en el acto denominado simbólicamente "Un minuto contra la violencia, una vida por la equidad" La Iglesia Católica En Asia Crece Pese a La Persecución Y La Falta De Libertad Religiosa 10 diciembre 2007, CIUDAD DEL VATICANO – En Asia "las primeras víctimas de las persecuciones son las minorías, entre ellas los cristianos, que a menudo se ven obligados a abandonar sus países de origen y son también blanco de la violencia de los grupos fundamentalistas." Pese a estos serios obstáculos, constató el Consejo Especial para Asia de la Secretaría General del Sínodo de los Obispos, la Iglesia Católica crece un número, vocaciones y "fidelidad hasta el don de la vida." Youth for Human Rights Partners with West African Group for Human Rights Day Celebration December 14, 2007, NEW YORK – Award-winning human rights videos teaching the contents of the UN United Nations Declaration of Human Rights was the centerpiece at a celebration of Declaration in Manhattan, December 8th. Youth for Human Rights (YFHR), the international organization which produced the videos, partnered with the International Front for Human Rights, for an evening at the Church of Scientology New York which included poetry, song, a talk by Togo human rights activist Joel Dossa about child trafficking in Africa, as well as the video presentation. Also present were representatives from the Togo United Nations Association, WAO-Afrique, African Muslim groups, and chapter representatives from YFHR Harlem and HFHR Connecticut. CRC to Host Inaugural Meeting of Reformed World Communion December 14, 2007, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRC) will host the inaugural meeting of the newly formed World Communion of Reformed Churches in 2010, CRC officials announced today. The groups involved in the merger are the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), based in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC), based in Grand Rapids. The organizations have a combined membership of more than 80 million Christians. "Together these two groups now represent a significant number of Reformed churches around the world," said Jerry Dykstra, the executive director of the CRC. December 10, 2007, LOUISVILLE – At least two Presbyterians – one of whom is a pastor – are among 11 demonstrators facing federal charges after being arrested for crossing onto the U.S. Army's Fort Benning in Georgia to protest a controversial training school for Latin American military officers. The Rev. Chris Lieberman, 54, of Albuquerque, NM, and Le Anne Clausen, 29, of Chicago, both face up to six months in federal prison and fines of up to $5,000 for trespassing on military property during the peaceful demonstration Nov. 18. San Joaquin Bishop Asked to Confirm Status after Vote to Leave the Episcopal Church December 14, 2007 – Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has written to Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin Bishop John-David Schofield saying that she assumes his declaration that he is now under the authority of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone "means you understand yourself to have departed the Episcopal Church and are no longer functioning as a member of the clergy in this Church." In a December 14 letter which was emailed to Schofield, Jefferts Schori wrote that she was "deeply saddened" to hear of the San Joaquin convention's actions. Connect with Those Who Struggle for Food and Freedom, European Christians Urged December 10, 2007 – European Christians have been challenged by a Reformed church speaker from the South to connect spiritually with other cultures while assessing their own history and plotting the future of the continent. "What have you learned from Europe's adventures and exploits – in Africa, the Far East and the Americas, from the ways of dealing with Jews and Gypsies? What have you learned about how to treat people?" said Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC). "Europe's legacies of racism, colonialism, disdain for other people's cultural values and the collusion with those who pursue hegemonic power is a challenge for European Christians." Five National Council of Churches Staff to Assume Newly Created Positions November 28, 2007, NEW YORK – Five members of the National Council of Churches staff have been named to newly created positions in the new staffing structure of the NCC. The new positions were created in September when the NCC Governing Board made sharp reductions in programming to bring the budget in line with projected income. Fourteen staff jobs were eliminated, but staff were given an opportunity to apply for the new posts. The new positions are effective January 1, 2008. Introducing the elements of Preaching Series from Fortress Press! December 10, 2007, MINNEAPOLIS – Preachers are not simple representatives of a particular theological world. Each preacher manifests characteristics that arise from that person's particular approach to life, theology, and preaching. In the first volume of the new Elements of Preaching series, Thinking Theologically, renowned homiletician Ronald J. Allen shows preaching is informed by the preacher's own theology rather than teaching how one can preach theology or deal with particular theological issues from the pulpit. Thinking Theologically does not advocate for, nor is it written from, a particular theological stance.
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