Front Page

WCC Central Committee: Making a Difference Together

February 22, 2008 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee closed its 13-20 February meeting after having chosen the venue for the 2011 International Ecumenical Peace Convocation, achieved progress towards a broader WCC Assembly, welcomed new member churches, appointed a search committee for a new general secretary and celebrated the Council's 60th anniversary. The WCC main governing body also put its stamp on a number of public statements, policy concerns and programme plans.

Border Consultation Lays Groundwork on Immigration

February 20, 2008, EL PASO, Texas – Effective ministry and advocacy related to immigration must begin on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border as a partnership of The United Methodist Church and the Methodist Church of Mexico, according to church leaders along the border. Possibilities for such partnerships were explored during a Feb. 8-10 border consultation called "Abrazando a Mi Prójimo," or "Embracing My Neighbor," sponsored by the Methodist Border Mission Network.

Members Are the Essence of NCC, Says New Leader

February 18, 2008, NEW YORK – Members of the National Council of Churches need to invest in each other as much as they invest in good works. That's the philosophy of the NCC's new chief executive, the Rev. Michael Kinnamon, and why he plans to focus on the essentials. "The essence of a council of churches is not just what we do, but what we are," he said during a mid-February interview with United Methodist News Service. The 58-year-old Kinnamon – who started in January but has had a long history with the council – noted that too many people and churches categorize the NCC as a program agency. "If you think of the council that way, it's possible to duck the accountability that goes with membership," he said.

General News

Church Statements Should Have Roots in Scripture

February 19, 2008 – Rev. Kjell Magne Bondevik knows all about making public statements. As former prime minister of Norway and a national legislator for more than 30 years, he often spoke on behalf of his government. Now moderator of the World Council of Churches' Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA), he wants to see the public statements of the religious body carry a distinctly religious tone. "The church must not act like another NGO (non-governmental organization)," Bondevik says. "We have value when we make public statements as a church, but we must always try to root our statements in these (Christian) values."

HIV/AIDS: "We Can't Be Silent"

February 19, 2008 – Dr Ezra Chitando grew up in Zimbabwe surrounded by the devastating reality of HIV/AIDS, losing many friends and relatives to the disease. Years later, he is trying to change the future for others: by training clergy throughout Africa about the role of the church with HIV and AIDS, and by calling on the wealthier churches of North America and Europe to share resources in fighting AIDS. He has also authored two books on AIDS just released from the WCC. Working with the Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiative in Africa (EHAIA) – a programme of the World Council of Churches (WCC) – Chitando travels to theological schools across the continent urging faculty, administrators, and others to integrate education about the HIV/AIDS pandemic into the schools' curricula.

Listening Post Explores Native American Issues

February 20, 2008, FORT WORTH, Texas – The Rev. Chebon Kernell was raised in two spiritual worlds that some people say have little in common. He's a lifelong United Methodist who responded to a call to Christian ministry at age 17. And he's a Seminole Native American, no stranger to the ceremonial traditions of his ancestors. "As a minister," he said, "I've wondered where to draw the line between the two-or whether it should even be drawn."

ELCA Synod Requests Prayer for Minnesota's Cottonwood Community

February 20, 2008 – The Southwestern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Redwood Falls, issued a prayer request for the families and community of Cottonwood, Minn., on the news of four children who died Feb. 19. Police said a van struck their school bus on a rural highway in southwestern Minnesota. The children's names have not yet been made public, the synod reported. A community prayer service will be held Feb. 20 at Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church, Hanley Falls, Minn. "Prayers of healing are requested for those injured" and "prayers of strength are also needed for the rescue workers who first responded, medical teams and area pastors who continue to provide support in this tragedy," according to the synod.

Commentary: Finding New Ways to Attract New Clergy Leaders

February 19, 2008 – It's a phrase heard a lot these days: Leadership development. Bookstore shelves overflow with "how to" guides for employees, managers and CEOs. Service organizations, high schools, colleges and universities profess leadership development as a core value as they work to attract students. Young children are even part of the leadership emphasis. Every morning on my way to work, I pass Tomorrow's Leaders Pre-School! Equipping the right people with the right tools, and training them with the necessary skills to do a good job today and in the future, has always been important.

Ecumenical News

"We Hope to Contribute to the Progress of the Ecumenical Movement"

February 20, 2008 – Rev. Assir Pereira, president of the Presbyterian Independent Church of Brazil, talked with Manuel Quintero about his church newly joining the World Council of Churches. Rev. Pereira attended the WCC Central Committee meeting, held in Geneva from 13 to 20 February. I understand that the affiliation of the Presbyterian Independent Church of Brazil as a full member of the World Council of Churches has been a long process, which took several decades. As a matter of fact, our church participated in all WCC assemblies since New Delhi (1961), always as an observer.

Search Committee for a New WCC General Secretary Begins its Work

February 20, 2008 – Presided by an African woman, with a membership that includes three youth, eight women, four Orthodox and a strong representation from the South, the search committee for a new World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary has already begun to work. The 18-member search committee was appointed by the WCC central committee late evening on 19 February. The committee's task is to screen candidates for the position of WCC general secretary.

Spanish News

Comité De Búsqueda De Nuevo Secretario General Del CMI Comienza a Trabajar

20 febrero 2008 – Presidido por una mujer africana y con una composición que incluye tres jóvenes, ocho mujeres, cuatro ortodoxos y una importante representación del Sur, el comité de búsqueda de un nuevo secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) ha comenzado ya a trabajar. El comité de 18 miembros fue establecido por el comité central del CMI en la tarde del 19 de febrero. Su tarea es estudiar candidaturas para el puesto de secretario general del Consejo.

CMI Enfoca Áreas Conflictivas, Pide Cambio Profundo En La Relación Con La Naturaleza

22 febrero 2008 – La crisis humanitaria en Gaza y el flagelo de las municiones de racimo fueron objeto de declaraciones del Comité Central del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), que también exhortó a "un cambio profundo en la relación con la naturaleza, las políticas económicas, y los patrones de consumo, de producción y tecnológicos" para enfrentar el cambio climático. En una nota titulada "¡Sed guardianes de la creación de Dios!," el Comité Central afirmó que los efectos del cambio climático exigen "adoptar urgentemente medidas de mitigación y adaptación para evitar mayores consecuencias adversas."

Junta Directiva De CLAI Enfatiza La Importancia Del Trabajo Con Jóvenes

21 febrero 2008, PANAMÁ – Los miembros de la Junta Directiva del Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI) aceptaron el desafío de confrontarse con el símbolo de muerte en Panamá. Trátase de la ex base militar CLAYTON, que fue la base militar más grande de Estados Unidos en Latinoamérica. "Muchos grupos militares fueron preparados en este lugar. Hoy ese símbolo de muerte es un territorio devuelto al pueblo panameño y está siendo transformado en centro de vida con la ubicación de varios organismos ecuménicos y de la ONU que están ubicados en este lugar," explica el obispo Julio Murray, presidente del CLAI. Con una liturgia de unción, el obispo Julio Murray dio apertura a la reunión anual de la Junta Directiva.

Patriarca Ecuménico: Buscar La Unidad Y Enfrentar Los Males Del Mundo

18 febrero 2008 – Dos tendencias coexistieron en la vida del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias en estos sesenta años. Una consideró que lo fundamental de la tarea ecuménica era alcanzar la unidad doctrinal y organizacional. La otra, que el elemento esencial en el ecumenismo era la acción de las iglesias en el mundo y para el mundo. Pero el verdadero ecumenismo debe buscar la unidad cristiana sin dejar de preocuparse por los males que afectan al mundo, dijo el Patriarca Ecuménico Bartolomé I, en la celebración ecuménica que conmemoró el sexagésimo aniversario del CMI.

Ortodoxos Rusos Y Serbios Opuestos a Independencia De Kosovo

21 febrero 2008, GINEBRA, Suiza – El Sínodo de la Iglesia Ortodoxa Serbia afirmó en un comunicado que Kosovo y Metohija son y deben seguir siendo parte inseparable de Serbia. "La separación de Kosovo y Metohija de Serbia es una forma de violencia comparable a los períodos de ocupación y tiranía que, confiábamos, ya eran cosa del pasado en la historia de Europa y del mundo," reza la declaración.

International News

Dutch Proposal Stirs Controversy

February 20, 2008 – Some six months after the Dutch Province of the Dominican order proposed that parishes in Holland should consider selecting lay members to preside at the Eucharist, the winds of controversy show no signs of abating. A spirited debate between the proposal's detractors and supporters is underway. The Dominican proposal, published in a booklet titled "Church and Ministry" and sent to all 1,425 of the country's parishes, declared that a critical priest shortage justifies a return to an "old tradition," which associates Eucharist more closely with the local community than with top-heavy church authority.

Middle East News

AJC Brings Senior Indian Muslim Leader to Israel

February 20, 2008, JERUSALEM – Hazrat Maulana Jameel Ilyassi, president of the All India Council of Mosques and Imams, which includes more than half a million Indian Imams, is being hosted in Jerusalem by the American Jewish Committee. Maulana Ilyasi has declared his desire to be a bridge of reconciliation between Israel and the Muslim world. "I am coming with the message of peace and goodwill from Indian Muslims who believe in the Indian tradition of resolving issues through dialogue and peaceful means," Maulana Ilyasi said. Maulana Ilyasi will meet with Israel's President Shimon Peres, the Chief Rabbis of Israel, leading Palestinian Sheikhs and Israeli Muslim leaders.

Reviews

The Legacy of Byzantium

February 18, 2008 – Here is a new essay by the noted European writer Fjordman on the glories of Byzantium. As a son and heir of Byzantine glory myself, and someone who has always thought that the Empire has not received its due by Western historians, I thank him for this, but I would like to note one point. As I explain in my book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam and the Crusades, the Byzantines were not initially opposed to the Crusades. In fact, while the relationship between the Empire and the Crusaders quickly became acrimonious, culminating in the multifaceted disaster of the Fourth Crusade and the sack of Constantinople in 1204, initially the Crusaders were responding to a call for help from...the Byzantine Emperor.