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Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem Easter Message 2008

"In the evening of the first day of the week, Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, "Peace be with you" and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord and again he said to them "Peace be with you." – St. John ch.20 vv 19-21 Dear Sisters and Brothers, Christ is risen! Many people limit their thoughts on Easter to the empty tomb. How important then, for us to concentrate on the first manifestation which our Lord made to his disciples. There is considerable encouragement to be gained from the fact that the living Christ is greeting his living Church.

Presiding Bishop Preaches in Jerusalem, Shares in Palm Sunday Celebrations
Anglican Bishop Suheil Dawani Welcomes Jefferts Schori to the Holy Land

March 16, 2008 – Marking the annual Palm Sunday celebrations and the start of a week-long visit to the Holy Land, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori made Anglican history on March 16 becoming the first woman bishop ever to preach at St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem. [An audio stream of the Presiding Bishop's sermon is available here. The full text is available here.] The Presiding Bishop's visit to the Holy Land comes at the invitation of the Rt. Rev. Suheil Dawani, who was consecrated Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem in January 2006.

Brethren Participate in Observance of Five-year Anniversary of the Iraq War

March 20, 2008 – Hundreds of people assembled in the afternoon of March 7 in Washington, D.C., marking the fifth year of the war in Iraq with a public demonstration against the war and the US occupation. Thousands of worshipers gathered at noon that Friday for worship services as part of a Christian Peace Witness for Iraq. More than forty religious leaders and faith-based peace activists were arrested in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill late in the afternoon on March 7 during a nonviolent witness to end the war.

Invention Pours Water on Thirsty World

March 19, 2008 – A family in southern Indiana is providing safe drinking water mixed with a generous portion of "living water" to parched people around the world. New Life International, a nonprofit Christian ministry started in the 1970s by Byron and Yvonne McGuire in Underwood, Ind., is the birthplace of the McGuire water purifier, a system that turns unsafe water into safe drinking water using salt and a 12-volt battery. Their eldest son, Duvon McGuire, invented the system which produces chlorinated water and destroys viruses and bacteria. The water purifiers have provided thousands of gallons of safe drinking water for people in more than 60 countries.

ELCA Bishops Learn about Christian Zionism, Discuss Other Matters

March 19, 2008, SAN MATEO, Calif. – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has something vital to say about Christian Zionism, said the Rev. Robert O. Smith, director, Europe/Middle East Continental Desk, ELCA Global Mission. Smith spoke March 8 to the ELCA Conference of Bishops. The Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the church, consisting of the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary. The conference met here March 6-11. Smith's presentation was part of the conference's preparation for a 2009 visit to Israel and the West Bank.

Five Years into Iraq War, Episcopal Church Ministers on Many Fronts
Caring for Soldiers and Families, Working for Peace

March 19, 2008 – Five years after the start of the war in Iraq, the Episcopal Church remains active on at least three fronts, including ministering to those involved in the fighting and their families, ministering to those who have come home, and continuing its call for peace in Iraq and the entire Middle East. "I join many in this church who continue to work and pray for an end to the war in Iraq and in Afghanistan," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori told ENS. "We pray for our soldiers and their families, for the people of both countries, and for the refugees searching for shelter from the violence surrounding them."

Sunday School Students Find Christ's Seven Last Words Illustrated in Central Park

March 19, 2008 – Christians have for centuries meditated on the last words Christ uttered from the cross. Now a group of Sunday School students in New York City have created contemporary illustrations of them. Looking for a way meditate on God's word during Lent, to make their Bible study come alive and perhaps inspire others, middle and high school students from the Church of St. Matthew's and St. Timothy's Sunday school took their cameras into nearby Central Park to find Jesus' last seven words in their world. The project began early in Lent with the students contemplating Christ's seven last words, reviewing their context and considering what the words said to them, according to Oliver Brewer, director of the Sunday school.

Easter Messages

His Beatitude Archbishop Michel Sabbah, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Easter Message 2008

March 17, 2008 – Dear Brothers and Sisters, Christ is risen. Indeed He is risen! I wish you all a Happy Easter full of God's grace. This will be my last Easter with you as I reach the age of 75 and retire. Yet, and as I have said in my last pastoral letter, I shall remain with you in my prayers and shall continue to accompany you in your happy moments and grievances. I shall work with every seeker of justice and peace until all the inhabitants of this land will live in security and tranquility, in the presence of God Almighty, merciful and full of love to all his creatures. For the sake of all our faithful in our Churches of Jerusalem, and all believers from all religions in this land, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze and Baha'is, I shall pray, and extend my love to all. Christ is risen. Indeed he is risen!

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land Easter Message

March 2008 – This is the holy week. This is the week that goes from hosannas to crucify him, from shouts of "messiah" to shouts of hatred. The week that starts with a procession of palms and ends with a cry from the cross: "Eli, Eli, lema sabach thani," – "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!" It is the week that we meet the suffering of Jesus in the midst of our own suffering. As I visited Bethlehem last week, I was asked very challenging questions. Where is the conscience of the world? Why can't you demand the world – especially the Christian world – to do more? Why doesn't the world take it seriously when 150 people – half of them civilians and 25 of them children – are killed in just a few days in Gaza? Fear is the common thread.

An Easter Message from Bishop Bethlehem Nopece

March 19, 2008 – My Dear People of God, Easter, the crux of our faith Greetings in the name of the risen Lord! No Easter, no faith. The apostle Paul puts it this way: "And if Christ has not been raised from the dead, our preaching is useless and so is your faith ... If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all people. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (1 Cor 15:12-20ff). What does Easter mean to us? I think it means three things, namely: relationships, trans-formation and hope.

General News

Church Acts to Help Pastors, Widows on Meager Pensions

March 20, 2008, MAPUTO, Mozambique – It is 6:15 on a cool Wednesday evening, and people are streaming into Legina Mabunda's garage. Behind the tin door, people are sitting in white plastic lawn chairs and wooden kitchen chairs, and they are packing together tightly on a long bench that runs along one wall. Children cover every inch of a mat spread on the floor. At the end of the room, a small table serves as a podium for tonight's Bible class. A woman is preparing to give a sermon, and the room can't accommodate all those who want to hear. Mabunda, 83, opens her home to people from her local United Methodist church every evening.

Institute President Appointed to Military Housing Task Force

March 20, 2008, WASHINGTON, DC – Joseph K. Grieboski, President of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, was appointed a member of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives' Military Housing Task Force today. The Military Housing Task Force comprises faith-based and community leaders and others who are concerned about housing needs for military members. Task Force members work to help existing and returning troops. The Task Force offers technical assistance and information to address the troops' financial status and/or physical condition upon their return.

San Joaquin Episcopalians Greet Bishop Recommended for Provisional Role
Focus on Healing, Rebuilding; Excitement Builds for Fresh Start, Special Convention

March 15, 2008, FRESNO, California – Continuing Episcopalians filled Fresno's Holy Family Church on March 14 for a get-acquainted meeting with Bishop Jerry Lamb in preparation for the March 29 special convention where they will be asked to confirm him as their provisional bishop. Applause erupted during the introduction of Lamb, who retired as bishop of the Diocese of Northern California in 2007 and most recently served as interim bishop in the Diocese of Nevada. San Joaquin Episcopalians are considering Lamb for provisional bishop at the recommendation of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who will convene the March 29 special convention in Lodi, California.

Warmer Relations Sought among Global Lutheran Organizations at ILC – LWF Meeting
Different Understandings of Membership Explored

March 20, 2008, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa/GENEVA – At their recent meeting, representatives from the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the International Lutheran Council (ILC) held extensive discussion on a number of theological topics including the goal of relations with other Christian bodies, and the differing meanings of "membership" in the two organizations. Guided by a 2005 "Memorandum of Understanding," the ILC and LWF leadership meets annually in order to deepen mutual communication and understanding between the two world Lutheran bodies and their member churches.

SPE Project Sparks Movement of Excellence

March 14, 2008 A culture of sharing, friendship and commitment to life-long learning is developing among pastors in the Christian Reformed Church, says a report that evaluates the denomination's Sustaining Pastoral Excellence (SPE) program. The evaluation report, received by the CRC Board of Trustees at its meeting in Grand Rapids in February, paints a very positive picture of the program that began in 2003 with the aid of a $2 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. The intent of the SPE project has been to create a culture of pastoral excellence in the CRC.

Lutherans Wade in Water During World Water Day, Easter Vigil, March 22

March 20, 2008 – More than 1 billion people in the world lack access to clean, safe drinking water. In an effort to bring about awareness, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution in 1992 to designate March 22 as "World Water Day." "Water access is a priority to all people, and World Water Day is a day to bring attention to those in our world who lack clean, safe drinking water, and adequate sanitation services," said Patricia Zerega, director, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Corporate Social Responsibility.

Changes in Missionary Compensation Prompted by Concerns over Equity,
Budget Constraints; One Missionary Worries about Cuts' Impacts

March 20, 2008 – Missionaries who work outside of the United States under the auspices of the Episcopal Church will soon see major changes to their compensation. According to a letter from the Rev. David Copley, Anglican and Global Relations mission personnel officer, sent to all overseas missionaries, the church will no longer pay them a monthly stipend (about $500, in most cases) or cover their airfare, relocation expenses, language study, vaccinations, and any health expenses not covered by insurance.

Spanish News

CLAI: El Diálogo, Factor Determinante Para Continuar En El Camino

17 marzo 2008, QUITO, Ecuador – Un comunicado en el sitio oficial del Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI) revela que el secretario general y los secretarios regionales y de programa de ese organismo que renunciaron a sus cargos en la reunión de la Junta Directiva celebrada en Panamá, "abandonaron la reunión sin disposición a negociación."

Iglesias De Cuba Y México Expresan Su Sentir Ante Las Renuncias En El CLAI

18 marzo 2008, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – A raíz de la renuncia del Secretario General y otros funcionarios del Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI) a fines del mes de febrero, consejos nacionales de iglesias y coordinaciones locales han manifestado públicamente sus inquietudes y pensamientos.

Iglesia Presbiteriana Celebra Sus 152 Años, Con Testimonio, Denuncia Y Esperanza

18 marzo 2008, BOGOTÁ, Colombia – "Estamos cumpliendo 152 años de presencia en Colombia, razón por la cual damos gracias al Dios dador de la vida," declaró Diego Higuita Arango Secretario Ejecutivo de la Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia (IPC), y continuó, "no obstante el dolor que nos produce la actual situación del país por las constantes situaciones de violencia, en las cuales se pierden vidas y se extirpan posibilidades de empleo, salud y educación, mantenemos viva la esperanza y el testimonio de servicio."

Homenaje a Chiara Lubich

17 marzo 2008 – Recordando el carisma de Chiara Lubich como una "llama de amor que comenzó a brillar en medio de las cenizas y destrucción de la guerra," en un homenaje a la fundadora del Movimiento de los Focolares, el Secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, quiso participar en el "profundo dolor" de los muchos amigos de Chiara en el CMI ante la noticia de su muerte.

Celebran Taller Sobre Cultura De La Discapacidad

17 marzo 2008, SANTA CLARA, VILLA CLARA, Cuba – Con el objetivo de profundizar en el conocimiento del tema, se celebró recientemente en Cuba un Taller Nacional sobre una Cultura de la Discapacidad para Sordos e Intérpretes de las Iglesias Cristianas Cubanas. El Campamento Nacional de las Iglesia Presbiteriana-Reformada (CANIP), ubicado en la provincia más central de la isla, agrupó a representantes de 37 iglesias pertenecientes a 12 denominaciones, con la presencia de 31 intérpretes y 20 sordos de todo el país.

Denuncian a Líder De Secta Religiosa Por Abuso De Menores

20 marzo 2008, PANAMÁ – En vísperas del día más sagrado para los cristianos, el Viernes Santo, quedó al descubierto una secta religiosa a la que se vincula con supuestas violaciones de menores de edad en la comunidad de Mocambo Abajo. Las denuncias presentadas ante el Ministerio Público y el Tribunal de Niñez y Adolescencia, identifican a Noriel Aguilar como líder de la secta y supuesto responsable de haber violado a cuatro menores, usando como excusa los mensajes de la Biblia. Aguilar negó las acusaciones.

Aumentan Los Abortos Y La Violencia De Género En El País

20 marzo 2008, MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Decenas de mujeres han fallecido desde la penalización del aborto terapéutico que cada día se incrementa por la misma causa en forma clandestina, dice un estudio de Human Rights Watch realizado en Nicaragua. Otra investigación de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua indica que a pesar de la ley que prohíbe los abortos inducidos y otras prácticas, se observa una elevada cantidad de abortos porque las leyes restrictivas han mostrado escasa efectividad para impedirlos, dijo el autor de la investigación Dr. Arnoldo Toruño.

No Confundir Semana Santa Con Carnaval, Pidió El Arzobispo Dimas

18 marzo 2008, PANAMÁ – El arzobispo de la Arquidiócesis de Panamá, José Dimas Cedeño, llamó a la población católica panameña a no confundir la Semana Santa con el tiempo de carnaval. "Es una semana sagrada y por eso nuestra actitud también debe ser sagrada," dijo. El prelado invitó a la feligresía a participar en las liturgias que se ofrecerán en las parroquias, en vez de irse a las playas.

Religious Liberty News

Institute Warns Bush on Threats to Georgia's Sovereignty, Religious Freedom

March 20, 2008, WASHINGTON, DC – The Institute on Religion and Public Policy has urged President George W. Bush to discuss challenges to Georgia's sovereignty and religious freedom as he meets with President Mikheil Saakashvili today. Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence presents a dangerous threat to the territorial integrity of Georgia, which has two breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, vying to gain Russian and international recognition of independence.

National News

Memphis Churches Weep Together over Mass Slayings

March 20, 2008, MEMPHIS, Tenn. – "Tonight we weep. Tomorrow we work," said the Rev. Kenneth Robinson, at a community worship service sparked by the gruesome local slayings of four adults and two children. More than 2,000 people attended the interfaith service, held March 12 at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. The murders are believed to have taken place about 10 days earlier in a small brick home on Lester Street, in the low-income community known as Binghamton. In response, clergy leaders across all economic and racial strata of the city canceled regular Wednesday evening church events to bring their congregations together in an act of grief and prayer.

International News

Partnership Provides Clean Water to Thousands in Rwanda
a Historic Milestone for Interreligious Cooperation and Private Partnership

March 20, 2008, KIREHE, Rwanda – A community water project inaugurated in Rwanda's eastern district of Kirehe, offers a new model of cooperation between religious communities and public and private sectors in pursuit of human development and peace. "This is a historic milestone for interfaith cooperation and public and private partnerships in Africa," remarked Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and president of the Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA) at the project's inauguration on 19 March 2008.

Lutheran Leader Condemns Kidnapping and Death of Iraqi Archbishop

March 19, 2008, CHICAGO – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ELCA) and president of the Lutheran World Federation LWF), issued a March 19 message calling the kidnapping and death of Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho "a tragic act of violence." Rahho, 65, was abducted Feb. 29 and his body was found March 13 in Mosul, Iraq. "We extend our condolences to members of the Chaldean Catholic Church and unite with people of faith from every tradition who condemn not only this kidnapping and death, but all acts of terror and extremism," Hanson said.

International Ecumenical Team to Pay Solidarity Visit to Sudan

March 20, 2008 – An international ecumenical team of church representatives will pay a solidarity visit to churches and ecumenical organizations in Sudan from 26 March to 2 April. The team led by the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will split in four groups to visit Darfur, Khartoum, Rumbek and Yambio before joining Sudanese church leaders, women and youth for a three-day conference in Juba. The visit aims to be an opportunity for the international ecumenical representatives to express solidarity with the Sudanese people and listen to the churches in the country.

Middle East News

In Gaza, Presiding Bishop Sees Humanitarian Crisis Causing Hardship among Palestinians
Al Ahli Arab Hospital, Local Churches Committed to Traumatized Community

March 20, 2008, GAZA – Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's March 19 visit to Gaza brought a deeper understanding of the humanitarian crisis that is impacting 1.5 million Palestinians in the region and offered some signs of hope in the work of the Al Ahli Arab Hospital, local churches and human rights organizations. Throughout the day, Jefferts Schori heard a constant message of Muslims and Christians united in their witness and common mission for peace, justice and reconciliation. Joined by Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani, who was visiting Gaza for the first time since his installation in April 2007, Jefferts Schori was encouraged by the hospital's commitment to providing essential healthcare in the Palestinian territory that has been severely affected by Israel's blockade of Gaza.

People in the News

Tribute to Chiara Lubich

March 14, 2008 – Recalling the charisma of Chiara Lubich as a "flame of love that began to shine in the midst of the ashes and destruction of war" in a tribute to the founder of the Focolare movement, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia shared the "deep sorrow" of her many friends on the WCC upon the news of her death. Chiara Lubich, who dedicated herself to the promotion of peace, church unity and inter-religious dialogue, died on 14 March aged 88 at her home near Rome, Italy.

A Reflection on the Life and Ministry of Harriett Howard Bright

March 18, 2008, ELGIN, IL – Harriett Howard Bright was the first woman ordained to ministry in the Church of the Brethren. Dana Cassell, Brethren Volunteer Service worker in the church's Ministry Office, told the following story of Bright's life as she presented the "Resolution on 50 Years of Women's Ordination in the Church of the Brethren" to the Church of the Brethren General Board.

Canadian Bishop Elected Bishop of Christchurch
Is Part of a High-level Advisory Group to Worldwide Anglican Communion

March 17, 2008 – The Rt Revd Victoria Matthews is currently bishop-in-residence at Wycliffe College in Toronto. She was Bishop of Edmonton for 10 years from 1997 to late last year, and Suffragan (Assistant) Bishop of Toronto from 1994-97. She narrowly missed being elected Primate of Canada last year. Announcing the appointment today, the Primate of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, NZ and Polynesia, Archbishop Brown Turei, said he looked forward to welcoming Bishop Matthews into the church of these islands.