Front Page

Message of the Presidents of the WCC at Pentecost 2008

May 5, 2008 – Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On the first Pentecost the disciples of Jesus were together in one place waiting, expectant, open to the new thing that God was to do in them and among them. And because they were faithful in their waiting and open to God's promise they could receive into themselves that rushing mighty wind of the Spirit that was to strengthen them in their new life of fellowship in prayer, in the breaking of bread, in sharing their goods with glad and sincere hearts, and empowering them to go out and announce the good news to the whole world. Jesus sent the Spirit to his friends, as he had promised he would, to show them his love and to assure them that they would never be alone.

Web Site Aims to Link Christians with Holy Land

May 5, 2008, JERUSALEM – A new information service in the Holy Land is aiming to give Christians around the world up-to-date information on the land of Christ's birth. The Holy Land Catholic Communications Center is directed by Comboni Missionary Father Joseph Caramazza. The Web site was launched by the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land. It will provide information in five languages: English, Italian, French, Arabic and Hebrew. "This center is at the service of the various expressions of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land," said Father Caramazza. "The service will little by little become an authentic news agency."

Church World Service Expands U.S. Fundraising Appeal; Aid Team Entering Myanmar
"Food First, Then Shelter, Following International NGO Quality Standards," Says Agency

May 7, 2008, BANGKOK/WASHINGTON – With death tolls in Myanmar (Burma) predicted to reach as high as 80,000 following Saturday's devastating Cyclone Nargis, according to Associated Press reports, global humanitarian agency Church World Service announced this morning that its first fundraising appeal of Monday (May 5) surpassed its initial goal of $50,000 in less than a day and the appeal is now expanded to address the enormous scope of immediate aid needed for survivors.

Brethren, Mennonites Meet on Uniting the Church for Peacemaking

May 9, 2008, ELGIN, IL – Is it possible for a broken church to heal a divided society? A conference of people of Church of the Brethren and Mennonite backgrounds met in Washington, D.C., on April 11-12 to discuss this question. "Bridging Divides: Uniting the Church for Peacemaking" was held at Capitol Hill United Methodist Church, hosted by the Brethren Witness/Washington Office and the Anabaptist Peace Center. Speakers and participants discussed how to interact with those who are miles away politically, but sit next to us in worship every Sunday. Can we find common ground yet remain the prophetic voice in society?

The Church Is Always in a State of Pentecost

May 7, 2008, VATICAN CITY- In the general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 20,000 faithful, the Holy Father used the occasion of the visit to Rome of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, to focus his remarks on ecumenical dialogue. The Patriarch, who was present at the audience, also made a brief address in which he reflected on the same theme, also dwelling upon the history of the Armenian people.

Iraqi Refugees Cry out to Christians Around the World for Solidarity

May 5, 2008 – "Although I had been threatened many times in Iraq, I did not want to leave," says the Armenian Orthodox hairdresser Cayran. "But then my shop was burnt and the car of my husband, who used to work as a driver, was robbed. So we left everything behind and fled to Syria." "Stories of lost loved ones, the sudden need to flee home and community and the hardship of life as refugees need to be told. And those who have the power to help end the tragedy of being a refugee need to listen.

General News

Conference Looks at Belhar Confession

May 7, 2008 – More than 100 Christian Reformed pastors and others gathered in Kalamazoo, Mich. recently to reflect on the themes of racial unity, justice, and reconciliation contained in the Belhar Confession. Meeting at Heritage Christian Reformed Church, the participants came from all over the United States and Canada to attend this year's "Black and Reformed Conference." The annual conference is sponsored by Christian Reformed Home Missions (CRHM) and has a different focus every year.

AJC Applauds as Methodists Eschew Divestment and Proselytizing

May 2, 2008 – New York – The American Jewish Committee applauds the United Methodist Church's (UMC) rejection of divestment from companies doing business with Israel. "We thank our friends in the UMC who sought balance in their efforts to foster peace between Israelis and Palestinians," said Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, AJC's U.S. Director of Interreligious Affairs. "We're glad to see that the moderation which has been the hallmark of our ongoing partnership was present at this important juncture." Delegates at the UMC general conference had been considering several resolutions that specifically targeted Israel for divestment. The conference decided to ignore each of these petitions.

Black Ministry Convocation Set for D.C. Area in July

May 9, 2008 – Discounted "early-bird" registration is open through May 15 for the 2008 Black Ministry Family Convocation, July 31-Aug. 3 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va. Under the theme "Radiating the Flame," from Jer. 20:9, the four-day convocation will include daily worship services, business sessions, inspirational messages, performances by Lutheran choirs and musicians, and workshops on topics such as "Loving Parents, Loving Dads," "Conversational Evangelism," "Vacant – and Still Ablaze," "Walking the Talk: Lessons in Outreach," "The Role of a Deaconess," and "Addressing Conflict and Disagreements in the Church Family."

Communiqué of the Holy Eparchial Synod

May 8, 2008, NEW YORK – The Holy Eparchial Synod of the Holy Archdiocese of America convened in its regular Spring Session in the Synodal Chamber of the Holy Archdiocese in New York on May 7 and 8. His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios presided. Present were the following Synodal Hierarchs: Their Eminences Metropolitans Iakovos of Chicago, Maximos of Pittsburgh, Methodios of Boston, Isaiah of Denver, Alexios of Atlanta, Nicholas of Detroit, Gerasimos of San Francisco and Evangelos of New Jersey.

CRC Collaborates in New Ministry

May 7, 2008 – A group of Christian construction specialists has linked with the Christian Reformed Church in North America to help congregations in countries such as Haiti and Honduras construct durable, hurricane-proof church buildings using local labor and donated materials. The name of the new ministry is SON-BEAM International. Founded by members of Searchlight Ministries CRC in Jamestown, Mich., the group has helped to develop plans and provide materials for construction of a church building in Thomassique, Haiti.

World Food Emergency Prompts Special ELCA Assistance

May 6, 2008, CHICAGO – With the price of food rising, especially in the world's poorest regions, members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will send an initial $100,000 to companion churches and partner relief agencies to provide food to vulnerable people and to strengthen development work in rural communities. ELCA International Disaster Response allocated $50,000 and the other half of the amount will come from money the ELCA World Hunger Appeal received in addition to reaching its goal for 2007.

Lutherans Are Hearing Wellness Voices

May 7, 2008, CHICAGO – For the past decade the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Board of Pensions has supported the pursuit of wellness and health promotion initiatives within the ELCA. The initiatives support the personal wellness journeys of those who serve the church, including a "wholeness wheel," a working relationship with the Mayo Clinic and an array of resources dealing with everything from financial to spiritual health. There are also voices – wellness voices.

Colonial Legacies, Anglican Identities Addressed at Pioneering Conference in Manchester

May 5, 2008, MANCHESTER, England – Conversations about postcolonialism and the cultural and religious identities that have been shaped by the colonial past have seldom found their way onto the agendas of the Anglican Communion's main councils and Instruments of Communion. An international group of scholars in colonial theory and Anglican history, that gathered May 1-2 for lectures and discussions at the University of Manchester's Lincoln Theological Institute, is intent on breaking that trend, saying such discussions are long overdue.

Ecumenical News

Archbishop of Canterbury Visits Benedict XVI
Rowan Williams Notes 2 Sides to Story of Vatican-Anglican Relations

May 5, 2008, VATICAN CITY – The archbishop of Canterbury, ahead of a private meeting with Benedict XVI, acknowledged that the Anglican Communion is going through an "unprecedentedly difficult time." Archbishop Rowan Williams told Vatican Radio before his encounter with the Pope today that he was expecting "a fairly informal and low-key meeting." Williams added: "I hope to bring him up to date on our plans about the Lambeth conference, perhaps to discuss with him a little what's going to be happening at the [Christian-Muslim] conference this week at Palazzola and just touch base with him about China, the initiatives we're involved in with regard to the churches in China."

Official Visit of Catholicos Karekin II

May 6, 2008, VATICAN CITY – His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, will make an official visit to the Church of Rome and to the Holy Father from 6 to 9 May. According to a communique released by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the patriarch will be accompanied by 18 bishops of the Catholicosate of all Armenians and by a group of 75 Armenian Apostolic faithful, from Armenia and other countries in east and west.

Spanish News

Bogotá, a La Cabeza En Violencia De Género Por Celos

8 mayo 2008, COLOMBIA – La capital colombiana ocupa hoy el lamentable primer lugar en violencia por celos con 1.352 casos, seguida de Cali con 290 y Medellín con 225, reveló la Representante a la Cámara por Bogotá del Movimiento Político MIRA, Gloria Stella Díaz Ortiz, al denunciar que "Los celos son uno de los principales detonantes de la agresiones entre parejas."

Consorcio Reafirma Apoyo Al CLAI

9 mayo 2008, CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA – Tres meses después de una seria crisis institucional generada por la renuncia de su secretario general y otros funcionarios, el Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI) recibió aquí una importante reafirmación de apoyo de entidades asociadas con su ministerio. Representantes de iglesias y agencias de Europa y América del Norte que forman el llamado "consorcio del CLAI," ratificaron su compromiso con las tareas del Consejo y sus esfuerzos para promover la unidad, estimular y apoyar la tarea evangelizadora de las iglesias, y fortalecer la reflexión y el diálogo teológico y pastoral en el continente.

Mensaje De Los Presidents Del Cmi En Pentecostés De 2008

5 mayo 2008 – Queridas hermanas y hermanos en Cristo: En el primer Pentecostés, los discípulos de Jesús estaban reunidos en un lugar, a la espera, con esperanza, abiertos a algo nuevo que Dios iba a hacer en ellos y entre ellos. Y como eran fieles en su esperanza y estaban abiertos a la promesa de Dios pudieron recibir en ellos mismos aquél fuerte viento poderoso del Espíritu que les fortaleció en su nueva vida de comunidad en oración, en la fracción del pan y en el compartir sus bienes con alegría y corazón sincero, y les dio capacidad para ir y anunciar la buena nueva a todo el mundo.

Líderes Cristianos Buscan Dar Respuesta Al VIH/SIDA, Desde El Evangelio

9 mayo 2008, COCHABAMBA, Bolivia – Del 28 al 30 de abril se llevó a cabo en la ciudad de Cochabamba, el Primer Encuentro de Líderes Cristianos de Latinoamérica para dar respuestas al VIH/Sida, con el propósito de unir esfuerzos frente a la discriminación y el estigma. Esta actividad fue organizada por el Instituto para el Desarrollo Humano (I.D.H.) programa SidAccion con el financiamiento de Christian Aid, en la que participaron líderes cristianos de diferentes iglesias del Brasil, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela, Perú y Bolivia.

Carta Pastoral Llama Al Diálogo Y La Acción

9 mayo 2008, QUITO, Ecuador – Durante los días 3 y 4 de abril del presente año, un grupo de pastores y líderes de diversas organizaciones cristianas de alcance regional, se reunieron en la ciudad de Quito, Ecuador, con el propósito de orar y pensar en los nuevos desafíos de la unidad de las iglesias en América Latina y el Caribe. El Foro Iberoamericano de Diálogo Evangélico (FIDE), Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas (SBU), Visión Mundial Internacional, Comité Lausana, Confraternidad Evangélica Latinoamericana (CONELA) y la Fraternidad Teológica Latinoamericana (FTL), participantes del encuentro, emitieron una Carta Pastoral que se dio a conocer esta mañana.

Mottesi Desafió a La Iglesia Colombiana a Unirse Por Un País Más Justo

7 mayo 2008, COLOMBIA – Alberto Mottesi desafió a los sectores de derecha y de izquierda de Colombia a unirse, dejar los odios y juntos lograr un gran pacto que apueste a la convivencia pacifica, la justicia y a un país donde los políticos tengan posiciones de servicio y no de poder tradicional. En una gran convocatoria lanzada por el Proyecto Transforma Caribe, iniciativa de la Iglesia Asambleas de Dios de Colombia en cabeza de uno de sus más importantes líderes, el Apóstol Rafael Gómez, se llevó a cabo el encuentro que convocó a diversas personalidades.

La Vida Es Un Bien Sagrado Que No Permite Manipulación Y Comercialización, Dice La IECLB

9 mayo 2008, SAN LEOPOLDO, Brasil – Las iglesias deben levantar su voz, junto a la de la sociedad civil, en el proceso de fortalecimiento de la bioética* y enfatizar que la dignidad de la vida humana no es propiedad ni conquista, sino dádiva de Dios. La amonestación consta en el pronunciamiento "El cuidado por la vida," emitido a finales de abril por la Iglesia Evangélica de Confesión Luterana en Brasil (IECLB).

Robo Deja a La Comunidad Reformada De Mar Del Plata Sin Importantes Elementos De Servicio

8 mayo 2008, MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina – La Iglesia Reformada de Mar del Plata, en la provincia de Buenos Aires, sufrió el pasado sábado 3 de mayo un robo importante, que incluyó computadoras e instrumentos musicales, además de considerables estragos en muebles y en el edificio mismo. El pastor Gerardo Oberman, a cargo de la comunidad, cuenta a ALC que más allá de lo material, que suma alrededor de 30 mil pesos, "lo que ofende y duele es la agresión a la casa de Dios, que es casa de todos, que es lugar de encuentro y de servicio, de celebración y de testimonio, de proyectos abiertos y solidarios."

Refugiados Iraquíes Piden Solidaridad a Cristianos De Todo El Mundo

8 mayo 2008 – "Aunque había sido amenazada muchas veces en Iraq, no quería irme," dice Cayran, una peluquera ortodoxa armenia. "Pero luego mi peluquería fue incendiada y robaron el coche de mi marido, que trabajaba como chofer. Así que abandonamos todo y huimos a Siria." La pérdida de seres queridos, la necesidad de huir repentinamente del propio hogar y de la comunidad, y la penuria de vivir como refugiados son experiencias que necesitan ser contadas.

National News

Lutherans Assess Damage in Arkansas from Tornadoes, Spring Storms

May 7, 2008, CHICAGO – Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is assessing damage left behind by tornadoes and severe storms that swept across Arkansas May 5. Seven people died and more than 400 homes, businesses, hospitals, schools and churches were damaged or destroyed in the most recent storms. "This spring numerous communities in many states have been impacted by severe storms. Arkansas has been particularly affected by storms including devastating tornadoes. We pray for the families and communities in areas affected by storms.

United Church of Christ Sets Sacred Conversation on Race

May 9, 2008 – On Sunday, May 18, 2008, many pastors across the nation will be participating in the UCC's Sacred Conversation on Race. The UCC is calling for this national dialogue in order to foster understanding, healing and unity in our churches and communities. While much has been said during the past few weeks about the Rev. Jeremiah A Wright Jr., this dialogue among our members is intended to be a larger conversation, one not focused directly or exclusively on the recent controversy, but one certainly influenced by it.

Presiding Bishop Urges Farm Bill Defeat

May 9, 2008 – In response to House and Senate leaders' release of a final farm bill package May 8, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori released the following statement urging congressional defeat, or presidential veto, of the legislation. As we are learning more each day about the widening food crisis around the world and the deepening economic problems threatening the poor and those living on the margins at home, it is fundamentally wrong for Congressional leaders to seek passage of a farm bill that harms American family farmers and significantly exacerbates poverty and suffering around the world.

International News

LWF Ready to Assist the People of Myanmar in Cyclone Aftermath
Appeal to Authorities to Allow Entry of International Humanitarian Assistance

May 9, 2008, PHNOM PENH, Cambodia/GENEVA – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has expressed its readiness to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar (Burma) in the aftermath of the cyclone disaster there, and at the same appealed to the authorities in the country to facilitate the entry and movement of relief teams and supplies in order to avoid a larger-scale disaster.

CRWRC Responds to Burma Cyclone Survivors' Food Needs

May 7, 2008 GRAND RAPIDS, MICH: "With more than a million people left homeless and the rice crop in the Irrawaddy delta destroyed by flooding and salt water penetration, the need for food in Burma/Myanmar is and will continue to be considerable in the wake of Cyclone Nargis," says CRWRC International Relief Director, Jacob Kramer. "Burma has been a major rice exporter, mainly to Bangladesh, so the income of the country as a whole, and in particular of small farmers and day laborers, will be severely affected."

Church of the Brethren Prepares Grants to Support Disaster Relief in Myanmar

May 9, 2008, ELGIN, IL – The Church of the Brethren is contributing a $5,000 grant from its Emergency Disaster Fund to the international relief effort following a devastating cyclone in Myanmar. The grant supports the work of Church World Service (CWS) in Myanmar. The grant request came from Brethren Disaster Ministries. "This initial grant will support immediate relief operations and assessment of Myanmar Council of Churches," the request said. "Additional grants are expected as CWS finds ways to work around the challenges" of limitations from the Myanmar government.

Lutherans Work to Meet the Needs of People in Myanmar

May 8, 2008, CHICAGO – International Disaster Response of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) provided $100,000 as an initial response to help meet the basic needs of survivors in Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis battered the Southeast Asian country May 3. "The Myanmar government reported that nearly 22,500 people died and close to 41,000 are missing," said Dr. Belletech Deressa, director for international development and disaster response, ELCA Global Mission.

Archbishop of Canterbury – Prayers for Burma

May 7, 2008 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has written to the Anglican church in Burma following the devastation of Cyclone Nargis in the area of the Irrawaddy River Delta. In the letter to Archbishop Stephen Than Myint Oo, Dr Williams assures the church of the prayers of the Anglican Communion and commends the rescue operation now underway: "I am heartened to know relief efforts are underway to help hundreds of thousands of people who are without clean water, food, or shelter.

Myanmar Bishop Monitors Situation at Home

May. 8, 2008 – As the nation of Myanmar began to assess the damage following a catastrophic cyclone, the Methodist bishop for the area was in Virginia, working the phones to organize relief efforts and preparing to return to his devastated country. Bishop Zothan Mawia will participate in the May 9 baccalaureate service at Shenandoah University, a United Methodist-related school in Winchester, Va., where his daughter is a freshman, before returning home. He is the episcopal leader of the Methodist Church of the Union of Myanmar (Lower Myanmar).

CRWRC Provides Aid to Cyclone Nargis Survivors Despite U.N. Difficulties

May 9, 2008, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — Survivors of Cyclone Nargis will not wait another day for United Nations or government food aid, as the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (www.crwrc.org) provides 10,000 families with emergency food, shelter, medical care and water purification kits beginning today through July 31, 2008. "We always work with local Christian partners," says Jacob Kramer, CRWRC International Relief Director.

Communique of the Church of Melanesia –
consultation on Reconciliation and Peace Building

May 6, 2008 – From April 28 to May 1, 2008, some 90 members of the Church of Melanesia met for a four-day provincial consultation in Honiara, Solomon Islands on "Healing Past Hurts: A way forward for the Church of Melanesia in the ministry of Reconciliation and Peace-building."

Middle East News

Israel and Palestine – 60 Years,
Comment by the World Council of Churches General Secretary

May 9, 2008 – Just as 2008 marks 60 years of aspirations dedicated to securing a homeland for Israelis, 2008 also marks 60 years of the disintegration of Palestinian society and dispersal of some 750,000 Palestinians as refugees. To date, the situation in the Palestinian Territories reflects the absence of peace and a continuation of occupation and conflict. While Israelis celebrate the 60th anniversary of their state, Palestinians are marking six decades of displacement and dispossession.

Send Middle East Peace Message to President Bush, EPPN Urges

May 5, 2008 – The Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) is urging citizens throughout the United States to write President George W. Bush, ahead of his May 13-18 visit the Middle East, emphasizing the need for "robust diplomatic leadership to create a climate in which negotiations for the establishment of a viable State of Palestine alongside a secure Israel can continue and yield substantive progress." A recent EPPN alert, which is emailed to more than 21,000 Episcopalians, recognizes that the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict "brings continuing pain to both Palestinians and Israelis and destabilizes the region."