Front Page

Churches Address Food Crisis in Haiti

July 24, 2008, ARTIBONITE DEPARTMENT, Haiti – Haiti and other nations continue to struggle in the grip of a worsening world food crisis. But Haitians in the island nation's remote Artibonite and Northwest regions are gaining food security, through a sustainable agriculture program supported by global humanitarian agency Church World Service and funded in part by a new grant from the U.S.-based Osprey Foundation. The program's expansion will provide more people, particularly women, with opportunities to grow enough food for their families and increase income for other basic needs through access to credit and training.

Faith Groups Emphasize Action Before International AIDS Conference

July 24, 2008 – Can religions do more in response to the AIDS pandemic? To address this question over 450 representatives of faith-based organizations responding to HIV and AIDS will gather in Mexico City, 31 July – 2 August, in advance of the XVII International AIDS Conference. Leading church, civil society, and government speakers will address the Ecumenical Pre-Conference.

An ELCA Congregation Discovers That Having a Disaster Plan Works

July 24, 2008, CHICAGO – As the flood waters rose in and around the town of Mason City, Iowa, in June 2008, members of Trinity Lutheran Church there were prepared. Having developed a disaster preparedness plan a year ago, members of Trinity were able to be an active and important part of the community's early flood recovery work. Heavy rains produced floods in Mason City, affecting businesses and homes, according to the Rev. Michael R. Stadie, Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) coordinator, Davenport, Iowa.

China to Permit Bible Distribution to Athletes at Olympics

July 20, 2008, BEIJING, China – The Chinese government has given permission for distribution of booklets of the Gospels, New Testaments, and full Bibles during the Olympic Games, even though it normally controls publication of the Bible. An edition of 50,000 bilingual booklets containing the four Gospels will be made available in the Athletes' Village in Beijing and five other Olympic Cities. Additionally, 10,000 New Testaments and 30,000 Bibles will be printed. The Beijing Olympics organizing committee is allowing the free use of its logo on the Scriptures.

Rekindling Hope, Renewing the Tradition of Christian-Muslim Cooperation in Sulawesi

July 23, 2008 – The concrete wall behind the altar of the Christian Church of Central Sulawesi in Palu, Indonesia still bears marks from two bullets just three inches to the right of a framed cross-stitch portrait of Jesus Christ. Four years ago, on 18 July 2004, the two bullets were among those fired from an assassin's automatic rifle which ended the life of Rev. Susianti Tinulele, who had just finished preaching during an evening worship service. Tinulele, 28, was one of a growing number of women pastors in Indonesia. The death of Tinulele and another pastor formed part of a wave of violence and killing which erupted in 2000 in the Muslim-dominated Central Sulawesi district of Poso.

Lambeth Conference Begins Considering ‘Difficult Situations'
New Windsor Paper Outlines ‘Lack of Clarity'

July 25, 2008, CANTERBURY – After days of prayer, relationship-building and public witness, the archbishops of Canterbury and Brisbane said July 25 that the bishops at the 2008 Lambeth Conference have begun to speak out on "some of the most difficult situations in the communion" and "tensions are emerging." However, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams told a media briefing that he hopes that the conference's first week will end with "a sense that it is worth staying together."

Bishops March in London ‘Walk of Witness' Against Global Poverty
British Prime Minister Brown Calls for Progress on Development Goals

July 24, 2008, LONDON – Anglican bishops and their spouses demonstrated on July 24 in support of poverty reduction worldwide, walking in purple cassocks and native dress past symbols of British power such as the Houses of Parliament and the prime minister's residence at Downing Street. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and other Christian and interfaith leaders were at the head of the march, walking behind a banner reading "Keep the Promise/ Halve Poverty by 2015," references to one of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals for global progress.

General News

Church of the Brethren Merges Church Agencies

July 21, 2008, ELGIN, IL – The Church of the Brethren Annual Conference unanimously adopted resolutions approving the plan and agreement of merger of two of the denomination's agencies, during meetings in Richmond, Va., on July 14. The action merges the Church of the Brethren General Board and the Association of Brethren Caregivers into a single corporation. The action changes the name of the new organization to Church of the Brethren, Inc.

Bikers Rumble to United Methodist Church

July 25, 2008, MORAVIAN FALLS, NC – Duncan Overrein looks every bit the middle-aged biker. A graying ponytail snakes from his helmet, twisting in the wind like a worm on a hook. Black sunglasses reveal no facial expression, but he still manages to look dangerous. A wiry goatee presses against his leathered neck as he roars down Highway 51 in the Carolina foothills with 20 of his "bros" and sisters. Most ride Harleys. There's a lot of leather and tattoos. Overrein rides a black-and-white chopper that is almost menacing in its authenticity – the miles it has obviously seen, the lack of polish or fancy accoutrements.

Anti-Corruption Measures, ACT Merger and Witness of Ordained Women Affirmed
LWF Council Receives Reports on Mission and Development, World Service, and Theology and Studies

July 23, 2008 ARUSHA, Tanzania/GENEVA – At its 25-30 June 2008 meeting in Arusha, Tanzania, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council responded to reports from LWF Program Committees for Mission and Development, World Service and Theology and Service by urging participation in an ecumenical anti-corruption initiative and the creation of an emergency response and sustainable development alliance. Further, the Council asked member churches to increase support for women in ordained ministry. Highlights of Council actions are detailed below.

Adventist Church President Continues Urging Women and Youth Issues

July 20, 2008, JACAREI, SP/Brazil – The President of the world-wide Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Jan Paulsen, brought the latest episode of his live, televised dialogues with pastors to South America early July, encouraging local churches to include women and young members in leadership. Paulsen spoke through a translator during two separate episodes with seven pastors from Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries in "Pastors: In Conversation."

CRC Calls Attention to Abortion Rhetoric

July 22, 2008 The Canadian Ministries Office of the Christian Reformed Church in North America has sent a letter to its constituent church councils, calling attention to the "most unfortunate" decision to award the Order of Canada to Dr. Henry Morgantaler, a prominent abortion rights activist. After having received a number of inquiries from CRC members in Canada, the ministries office decided to offer church members suggestions on how they can respond to the situation, says Bruce Adema, director of Canadian Ministries for the CRCNA.

Companionship in Education, Health Care and Children's Center
LWF President Hanson Return Visit to Iringa Diocese

July 25, 2008 IRINGA, Tanzania/GENEVA – Returning to Iringa, southern Tanzania, for the first time in 10 years, Bishop Mark S. Hanson, president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) said much progress had been made in higher education, health care and social services provided by Lutherans. But there are still many needs, local church and church-related organization leaders explained during Hanson's 21-22 June visit.

Pastor Is Church's First Openly Gay Bishop Candidate

July 22, 2008, PORTLAND, Ore. – Standing before an assembly that would elect two bishops, the Rev. Frank Wulf shared his problem as a candidate for one of the top clergy positions in The United Methodist Church. "The problem is that I come as a gay man, and I know where our church stands on the issue of same-sex orientation," Wulf said in his candidacy address before the Western Jurisdictional Conference, which represents United Methodists in the western United States, Guam and other U.S. territories in the Pacific. The delegates, who later approved four statements challenging the denomination's position on homosexuality, listened intently as Wulf continued: "And I know that the church says ... a practicing self-avowed homosexual shall not be ordained or appointed within our church."

Resolution on Slavery in 21st Century Passes at Brethren Conference

July 21, 2008, ELGIN, IL – A "Resolution on Slavery in the 21st Century" has been adopted by the Church of the Brethren, during meetings of the denomination's Annual Conference in Richmond, Va., on July 15. The resolution reaffirms the historic opposition of Brethren to slavery, and references Luke 4:18-19 as a gospel mandate. It notes that the church "has spoken out strongly and repeatedly in opposition to slavery and the slave trade, passing antislavery resolutions in 1797, 1812, 1813, 1837, 1845, 1853, 1854, and 1857." Although slavery is illegal in every nation, the paper calls people of faith to work against the many forms of slavery that continue, such as child labor, sexual slavery, and debt bondage.

CRC Supports SERVE

July 25, 2008 – For the last 20 summers, a ministry program called SERVE has helped thousands of young people enhance their Christian faith by involving them in service projects in communities across the United States and Canada. They have also done volunteer work abroad. This summer, SERVE volunteers have restored a damaged cemetery in Port Perry, Ont., painted a Hispanic church in Redlands, Calif., and did yard work for senior citizens in Alamosa, Colo.

Ecumenical News

Inter-Religious Dialogue Is a Top Concern for WCC and Ecumenical Patriarchate

July 21, 2008 – Dialogue is "the best way for mutual understanding and cooperation in human relations as well as in peaceful coexistence among nations," said the final communiqué issued by the conveners of the World Conference on Dialogue and broadly affirmed by the conference which ended on Friday 18 July in Madrid, Spain. "Dialogue is one of the essentials of life. It is also one of the most important means of knowing each other, cooperation, exchange of interests and realizing the truth, which contributes to the happiness of humankind."

Ecumenical Participants at Lambeth Conference Bring Shared Voices, Wisdom

July 25, 2008, CANTERBURY – Archbishop Boutros Nabil El-Sayah of the Maronite Catholic Church of Haifa and the Holy Land said he came to the 2008 Lambeth Conference expecting to be an ecumenical observer and discovered instead he was a participant. He and about 70 other ecumenical guests, hailing from the Lutheran World Federation to the Orthodox Church of Albania, the Moravian Church to the Salvation Army, have been participating in bishop discussions groups, offering feedback and reflection, for the first time in the history of the every-decade gathering of Anglican bishops from around the world.

Spanish News

Obispo Llama Blasfemo a Chávez Por Comparar a Fidel Con El Padre Eterno

23 julio 2008, MANAGUA – El Obispo de la Diócesis de Estelí, Juan Abelardo Mata Guevara, crítico del gobierno, reaccionó calificando al discurso de Hugo Chavez, pronunciado el 19 de julio en la plaza de la Fe, como "blasfemo." Chávez, ante una plaza colmada, expresó en un momento de emoción, su admiración por Fidel Castro, llegando a comparar a Fidel con el Padre eterno.

El Diálogo Interreligioso Es Una De Las Principales
Preocupaciones Del CMI Y El Patriarcado Ecuménico

22 julio 2008 – El diálogo es "el mejor medio de entendimiento mutuo y cooperación en las relaciones humanas y en la coexistencia pacífica entre las naciones," dice el comunicado final redactado por los organizadores de la Conferencia Mundial sobre Diálogo y ratificado ampliamente por la propia Conferencia que concluyó el viernes 18 de julio en Madrid (España). "El diálogo es uno de los elementos esenciales de la vida, así como uno de los medios más importantes de conocerse unos a otros, de cooperar, de intercambiar intereses y de comprender la verdad, que contribuye a la felicidad de la humanidad."

Analistas Y Religiosos Critican a Ortega Por Desinformar Y No Asumir La Realidad

23 julio 2008, MANAGUA – Diversos sectores políticos y sociales continúan criticando el mismo discurso del 19 de julio del presidente Daniel Ortega que se enfocó en el tema de las guerrillas de Colombia cuando el pueblo de Nicaragua quería oír medidas para detener el flagelo de la inflación que cada día agobia al pueblo. El analista político Cairo Manuel López, dijo que Ortega, dejó por fuera los principales tema que afectan a la población como la falta de empleo, la carestía de la vida y el alza del petróleo.

Negarse a Las Transfusiones Es Creer En Algo Equivocado, Dice Obispo Goic

24 julio 2008, SANTIAGO, Chile – El Obispo Alejandro Goic, presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal de Chile, se refirió a la negativa de realizar transfusiones de sangre de los Testigos de Jehová tras la muerte de una paciente de ese credo, Edith Morales, que no se realizó el procedimiento por la prohibición de su grupo religioso. El prelado católico manifestó: "los Testigos de Jehová rechazan absolutamente la posibilidad de transfusiones de sangre, como camino de recuperar la salud.

Luteranos Noruegos Saludan Decisión Anglicana De Ordenar Mujeres Obispos NEV

24 julio 2008, OSLO, Noruega – La iglesia luterana de Noruega ha expresado aprecio por la decisión de la Iglesia de Inglaterra de consagrar mujeres obispos. "La Iglesia de Inglaterra ha tomado una decisión valiente y madura," se lee en un comunicado oficial de los luteranos noruegos. "Nuestra iglesia – continua el documento – hace algunos años ha hecho ese camino, recibiendo bendiciones. Por esto, acompañamos con oraciones a nuestros hermanos y hermanas anglicanos."

Human Rights News

Delegation Decries Human Rights Violations in Philippines

July 25, 2008 – Killings and abductions in the Philippines "continue without let-up," according to a United Methodist delegation from the U.S. that recently visited the country. The visit was the second time a delegation from The United Methodist Church's California-Nevada Annual (regional) Conference has traveled to the Philippines to hear about human rights violations, which have been ongoing since 2001. The conference's first visit in February 2007 led to a meeting with U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer in which the group advocated for a U.S. inquiry into the issue.

International News

End Ban on Aid, Stipulate Ecumenical Leaders
Hailing Zimbabwe Memorandum of Understanding

July 25, 2008 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) has joined with a coalition of church organizations calling for an end to restrictions which have banned humanitarian aid distributions in Zimbabwe. In a statement issued yesterday by the WCC, World Alliance of Reformed Churches, World Student Christian Federation, World Alliance of YWCAs and World Alliance of YMCAs congratulated Zimbabwean and African leaders involved in current negotiations for signing a memorandum of understanding to continue discussions over the future of Zimbabwe.

Lutherans Provide Assistance in Burundi, Indonesia

July 24, 2008, CHICAGO – International Disaster Response of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) provided $75,000 to help meet the needs of people in Burundi, where several waves of ethnic violence and political upheavals have affected the country in central Africa. It also provided $195,757 to support college students in Nias, Indonesia. Coordinated by ELCA Global Mission, International Disaster Response channels its funds through international church organizations and relief agencies. Funds provide for food, medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other materials for survivors of disasters.

People in the News

New Minister of Reconciliation and Anti-Racism Ministries
Called to Serve with the Southeast Regions

July 24, 2008, WILSON, NC – The eight Regions of the Southeast Regional Fellowship (SERF) have called the Rev. Skinah Hamlin to serve as Minister of Reconciliation and Anti-Racism Ministries, beginning on September 1, 2008. The Regional Ministers of these eight Regions (Alabama-Northwest Florida, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia) began a process of collaboration to share this full-time staff position at a SERF retreat in 2006. Since that time there has been a process of defining the position, seeking funding, and screening and interviewing candidates.

Rev. Henry Childs Dead at 90
Past President of Queens Federation of Churches

July 24, 2008, FAIRFIELD, CA – Henry Childs, 90, a past president of the Queens Federation of Churches, died peacefully at home in Fairfield, California, on Sunday evening, April 20, surrounded by loving family. Word of the death was just received in New York this week. After a long and courageous struggle with congestive heart failure, he released his spirit to the Greater Spirit. Although his commitment was always to the wonder of life, he now knows a deeper mystery of being in another realm that always intrigued him. He was born in Brooklyn, NY, and lived most of his life on the east coast. He graduated Yale University and Yale Divinity School, was ordained in 1944, and attended the UCC's first General Synod. He served the Congregational Church of Homer, NY, for six years, and then the First Congregational Church of Rockaway Beach, NY, for 31 years.