Front Page

Ecumenical Bodies Call for Ceasefire, Negotiations and Urgent Relief in the Caucasus Region

August 12, 2008 – A public statement from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) has called for prayers and assistance for those affected by the recent conflict in the Caucasus. The war began five days ago and despite its brevity has already killed hundreds of people, displaced thousands others and severely damaged homes, buildings and property in several cities. The statement issued today by the WCC and CEC expressed alarm and distress at the violent events of recent days in the Caucasus. "The use of force in the dispute over South Ossetia and Abkhazia has cost the precious lives of civilians and soldiers, risks destabilizing a fragile region, and reawakens deep fears there and far beyond" the statement reads.

CWS Assisting Refugees from Georgian Conflict

August 14, 2008, OSSETIA, Republic of Georgia – International humanitarian aid agency Church World Service is among those responding to the crisis in Georgia by assisting displaced persons and refugees from the conflict. "With United Nations estimates as high as 100,000 people displaced by this conflict, the time to help can no longer wait," CWS Emergency Response Program Director, Donna Derr said. "People are escaping violence quite literally with only the clothes on their backs, and in need of food and shelter." Days of fighting in the disputed Ossetia territory have left thousands dead and wounded and driven scores from their homes.

UCC Pastors Visit Iran, Hope to Avert War

August 6, 2008 – Two UCC pastors have returned from a three-week trip to Iran, convinced that the UCC should take the lead in helping to prevent the United States from attacking or invading Iran. The two, the Rev. Patricia de Jong, Senior Minister of First Congregational UCC, Berkeley, Calif., and the Rev. Allie Perry, Worship Coordinator of Shalom UCC, New Haven, Conn., were among 21 persons who traveled to Iran in early May with a Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) delegation. "We are convinced that there should be a group working to oppose a war or attack or invasion of Iran," says de Jong.

Water for All: Young Christians Study Defence of this Precious Resource

August 12, 2008 – "Water has no colour, no race, no nationality, it is the same all over the world," according to Rania Flavie Tourma, an Orthodox Christian from Syria. So to her, it was perfectly natural that people from around the world gathered near Geneva, Switzerland at the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) Summer School on Water to unite in defence of this natural resource. While water is vital for all, Tourma and others attending this unique summer school know all too well that access to water, and the awareness of how precious it is, could hardly be more unequally distributed.

General News

Call for Recognition of Leadership Capacity of People Living with HIV
Panel Discussion on Religious Leaders' Response to HIV and AIDS

August 15, 2008, MEXICO CITY/GENEVA – "To live a life centered in Christ means that I will find myself with people at the margins," said Bishop Mark S. Hanson, President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), at an interfaith panel discussion at the 17th International AIDS Conference (IAC) which concluded last week in Mexico. Hanson underscored the importance of standing with marginalized people in the struggle for justice and full inclusion. "I am very weary of Christian leaders saying ‘I am called to be the voice of the voiceless.' If we would be quiet, those we deem voiceless, could find their voice, exercise their voice, and cease to be so marginalized," he said.

Christian Citizenship Seminar Will Focus on Modern-Day Slavery

August 15, 2008, ELGIN, IL – On April 25-30, 2009, high school age youth and advisors in the Church of the Brethren will gather in New York City and Washington, D.C., for the 2009 Christian Citizenship Seminar. The focus for the seminar will be modern-day slavery. The event is sponsored by the Church of the Brethren's Youth and Young Adult Ministry and the Brethren Witness/Washington Office. "Most of us think of slavery as an institution that does not exist anymore, but many experts estimate that there are approximately 27 million human beings who are currently being held in slavery around the world," said an announcement of the event.

Florida Camp Instills Respect for the Environment

August 14, 2008, LaBELLE, Fla. – Summer campers at Riverside Retreat get their first lesson in conservation as soon as they sit down to eat. First, they are issued plastic drinking cups to reuse during the week-long camp, instead of drinking from disposable cups that can clog landfills. Next, the food they put on their plates but do not eat is weighed-a demonstration of how much food is wasted. In all, the 65 campers leave behind 25 pounds of food scraps from their first meal. "It's kind of insane how much we really just take for granted, we just throw out," says camper Megan Bowen, 16, of Fort Myers, Fla.

Methodist Educators Focus on Shaping Future Leaders

August 14, 2008 – Methodist leaders in higher education used global education and communication as the foundation for their 2008 worldwide gathering in Argentina to collaborate on ways to develop future Christian leaders for the church and the world. More than 200 academics attended the July 10-13 meeting of the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities at the Latin American Educational Center in Rosario. The 17-year-old association has a worldwide membership of 700 Methodist and Methodist-related institutions. "As Methodist educators, we aspire to shape the future of our young women and men so that they can significantly impact local, national and global developments in a positive way," said Rukudzo Murapa, the association's outgoing president.

Independent Feature Movie Tells Story of John Wesley

August 15, 2008 – A perilous adventure on the high seas, a star-crossed love affair, mob violence, rioting, attempted assassination-not the elements one might expect in a film about the founder of Methodism. The director and producer of "Wesley" believes, however, that the dramatic and often surprising story of John Wesley will attract moviegoers of all faiths, as well as warm their hearts. "I'm hoping that we're going to hit a crossover audience, that this isn't just going to be of interest to Methodists," said John Jackman, whose films include "Passing Moment," "Windsor Knot" and "An Uncommon Union."

Ministry of Reconciliation Announces Fall Workshop Schedule

August 15, 2008, ELGIN, IL – The Ministry of Reconciliation of On Earth Peace is announcing three regional workshops to take place this fall. On Earth Peace is a peacemaking and peace education agency of the Church of the Brethren. "Exploring Consensus Decision-making" will take place at Richmond (Ind.) Church of the Brethren on Oct. 4, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The workshop will explore the underlying principles of decision by consensus, the process itself, and participate in a mock meeting where a decision is made using consensus.

On Earth Peace Promotes International Day of Prayer for Peace

August 15, 2008, ELGIN, IL – On Earth Peace is inviting Church of the Brethren congregations and members to observe the International Day of Prayer for Peace on Sept. 21. On Earth Peace is a peacemaking and peace education agency of the Church of the Brethren. So far, the agency reports that more than 90 congregations and Brethren organizations have committed to holding prayer vigils on or around that date. The number includes communities across the US and in two other countries, reports coordinator Michael Colvin. "The goal of the campaign is to help congregations be able to respond to local violence issues in their communities with positive action," Colvin said.

Strong Youth Ministry Aids ‘The Call'

August 15, 2008 – Driving down the interstate the other day, I pulled into a roadside rest stop. As I stepped from my car, a long bus pulled up with a sign that ran nearly the length of the vehicle. It identified the group as a United Methodist church from North Carolina. A herd of youth poured out and headed for the restrooms as exhausted, sunburned sponsors joked and bantered with the young people. They were returning from a mission trip and still had many miles ahead of them. I'm always deeply gratified to see the commitment, hard work and love that so many adult sponsors pour into the lives of young people to teach them the faith and model how to serve, pray, give and treat one another in the name of Jesus Christ.

Striving to Break Taboos – Traditional Gender Roles Contribute to Spread of HIV

August 15, 2008 MEXICO CITY/GENEVA – "The men treat us like beasts and animals. They come in, have sex, and leave." This is how the wife of a Burkina Faso Christian described her marital life, Rev. Kouliga Michel Nikiema told a workshop organized at the Ecumenical Pre-Conference "Faith in Action Now!" which preceded the 3-8 August XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico. Nikiema is director of Vigilance, a Christian organization based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, which strives to break taboos within the church on subjects such as sexual health and HIV and AIDS. Nikiema's work focuses increasingly on traditional gender roles which contribute to the spread of HIV, he said.

Inter-Religious Youth Group Celebrates Open Debate

August 13, 2008 – During a youth interfaith seminar outside Geneva last month some participants realized the religious differences are usually smaller than imagined and cultural differences are often more significant than expected. During three weeks in July 2008, 22 young people from across 4 continents and 3 religions gathered in the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, right outside Geneva, to share their thoughts, meals and prejudices with each other. The seminar was sponsored by the World Council of Churches. "I have realized I have much more in common with a Christian from Palestine than [with] a Muslim from the West," said Razan Abd el Haque, a Muslim from Jordan, when asked what she would take back home from the seminar.

Ecumenical News

World Alliance of Reformed Churches and Disciples Look at Closer Ties

August 11, 2008 – A meeting of World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council (DECC) leaders should pave the way for a closer relationship between the two organizations. WARC and DECC leaders met 26 to 27 July at the Disciples of Christ Historical Society in Nashville, Tennessee, to continue their conversations on "the development of a comprehensive partnership in pursuit of the visible unity of the church." DECC is a council of 19 Disciples of Christ, Churches of Christ, United and Uniting churches established in 1979 to strengthen their common calling to visible unity and mission. Though not a legislative body, it works to enable its member churches to consult with each other about issues of faith, witness and unity.

"A Common Word" Letter Sparks a Series of Dialogues among Christians and Muslims

11 agosto 2008 – A recent dialogue held in late July at Yale University in the United States brought together Muslim and Christian scholars, intellectuals, academics and religious leaders from the United States and around the world. The event was one of a series of dialogues organized in response to the October 2007 open letter "A Common Word" sent by 138 Muslim scholars to Christians around the world. The letter invited them to dialogue about what they viewed as the common parts of their respective faiths.

Spanish News

Brutal Asesinato De Tres Voluntarios De La Asociación Cristiana De Jóvenes

14 agosto 2008, CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA – La Alianza Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Asociaciones Cristianas de Jóvenes- de ACJs/YMCAs, hizo público un comunicado luego de conocerse el asesinato de tres jóvenes voluntarios de la Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes de Guatemala. Las víctimas, Eliazar Bernabe Hernadez Rodas de veintidós años de edad, Mario Rene Gamez Luna de veintitrés años de edad y Juan Luis Navarro de diecinueve años de edad eran voluntarios en Amatitlán y se destacaban por su trabajo en pro de la niñez y juventud en esa comunidad.

Bautistas Exigen El Fin De Medidas Discriminatorias Hacia El Pueblo Gitano

13 agosto 2008, NUEVA YORK – El Concilio General de la Alianza Bautista Mundial, reunido en Praga, República Checa del 20 al 25 de Julio del año 2008, se manifestó en contra de la toma de huellas involuntarias al pueblo gitano en Italia. Lamenta que el gobierno italiano, sin objeción de la Unión Europea, esté practicando la toma de huellas involuntarias de todos los gitanos dentro de sus límites, incluyendo los niños, lo que consideran "un abuso étnico."

Agua Para Todos: Jóvenes Cristianos Estudian Incidencia Pública

12 agosto 2008 – "El agua no tiene color, raza, ni nacionalidad, es la misma en todas las partes del mundo," son palabras de Rania Flavie Tourma, cristiana ortodoxa de Siria. De ahí que para ella sea algo totalmente natural que personas de todo el mundo se reúnan cerca de Ginebra (Suiza), para participar en la Escuela de Verano sobre el tema del agua de la Red Ecuménica del Agua (REDA) con objeto de unir sus esfuerzos en defensa de este recurso natural.

La CEICA Festeja Sus 20 Años Con Un Recorrido Por Templos Históricos Porteños

14 agosto 2008, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – El sábado 26 de julio comenzó el programa de las visitas a los templos más representativos de la ciudad de Buenos Aires, organizado por la Comisión Ecuménica de las Iglesias Cristianas en la Argentina (CEICA) y auspiciado por la Dirección de Cultos del Gobierno de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. El programa es parte de las celebraciones por los veinte años de la CEICA.

Día De Oración Por La Mujer Latinoamericana

11 agosto 2008, ARGENTINA – En la Consulta Continental de Mujeres de la Alianza de Iglesias Presbiterianas y Reformadas de América Latina-AIPRAL – realizada en agosto de 2006 en Cartagena, Colombia – diferentes países asumieron la responsabilidad de preparar la Guía para la Celebración del Día de Oración por la Mujer Latinoamericano, para los años 2007 a 2010. Esta Celebración se realiza el 2º viernes de septiembre de cada año. En 2007 fue elaborado por la Federación Femenina Evangélica Valdense (FFEV – Iglesia Evangélica Valdense del Río de la Plata).

Observadores Ecuménicos Afirman Que La Iglesia
Tiene Un Importante Rol Para El Diálogo Y La Unidad

13 agosto 2008 – El Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI) y el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) fueron desafiados por las iglesias y organismos ecuménicos de Bolivia para acompañarles en el referéndum revocatorio de mandato popular, convocado para el 10 de agosto. El referéndum consultó al pueblo que mediante el voto universal, directo, libre y secreto exprese su decisión sobre la continuidad o no del mandato de ocho autoridades departamentales (prefectos) y del presidente de la república.

La Salud Integral De Los Pueblos, Preocupación Interreligiosa

12 agosto 2008, CIUDAD DE MÉXICO – Religiones por la Paz, el Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI) y EL Consejo de Iglesias Evangélicas Metodistas de América Latina y el Caribe (CIEMAL), entre otras organizaciones, se reunieron en ocasión de la Conferencia Internacional sobre el VIH y el SIDA realizada en esta ciudad, para dialogar sobre la salud integral de los pueblos. El Instituto Cultural México-Israel recibió a poco más de veinte personas convocadas por Elías Szczytnicki, Director de la Oficina Regional Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Religiones por la Paz, quienes pudieron intercambiar las experiencias que desde sus iglesias, organismos y grupos ecuménicos han venido desarrollando a favor del tema.

Nacen Recursos Litúrgicos, Camino a La Convocatoria Ecuménica Por La Paz

15 agosto 2008, MATANZAS, Cuba – Rumbo a la Convocatoria Ecuménica Internacional por la Paz (CEIP) a celebrarse en Kingston, Jamaica en 2011, el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias ha iniciado una serie de talleres de producción de recursos litúrgicos en preparación para ese encuentro. El equipo de Red Crearte participó en el primero de estos talleres, iniciando así un proceso que culminará en la CEIP. Con el tema Gloria a Dios en las alturas y paz en la tierra, que es el lema de la Convocatoria, se llevó a cabo el taller en el marco de las instalaciones del Seminario Evangélico Teológico de Matanzas.

Primera Mujer Indígena Obtiene Grado Por El Seminario Bautista De México

12 agosto 2008, CIUDAD DE MÉXICO – Dalia Eunice Juárez Fernández, nació en Chilac, Puebla. Pertenece a la etnia Náhuatl del Valle de Tehuacán, Puebla. Es la primer mujer graduada en el Seminario Bautista de México, obteniendo título como Licenciada en Teología y Pastoral Indígena, con la tesis: "Estudio sobre el caso del diaconado de mujeres indígenas popolocas en la Iglesia Getsemaní, de San Juan Atzingo Puebla." La tesis contó con la asesoría y coordinación de la Dra. Doris García de Mayol, profesora de Antiguo Testamento.

National News

Katrina Remembrance Sunday Set for August 31

August 14, 2008 – Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has designated August 31 as Katrina Remembrance Sunday. Hurricane Katrina, the costliest Atlantic hurricane ever, caused an estimated $81.2 billion in damages and claimed more than 1800 lives between August 23 and 30, 2005. Since then, thousands of relief workers have volunteered countless hours to assist survivors throughout the Gulf Coast regions of Louisiana and Mississippi. "Katrina Remembrance Sunday is a way of remembering, of heralding the vast relief work that has gone on, and of reminding that there is still work to be done," says Neva Rae Fox, the Episcopal Church's program officer for public affairs.

International News

Lithuanian Government Recognizes Adventist Church

July 29, 2008, VILNIUS, Lithuania – The Lithuanian government granted the Seventh-day Adventist Church's application for state recognized status on July 15, qualifying the church for state subsidies and certain tax exemptions, as well as excusing theology students and clergy from military service. "State recognition for the Seventh-day Adventist church in Lithuania means that its contribution to public life and culture is recognized," said Bertold-Vinston Hibner, president of the Adventist Church in Lithuania. "I hope that the church will see it as a strong commission to serve and proclaim to the community the good news of the gospel."

Mission Trip to Dominican Republic Builds Faith, Relationships

August 15, 2008, ELGIN, IL – Building relationships, heavenly singing, smiling children, and overdosing on chicken are a few of the memories that the 15 volunteers from Chiques Church of the Brethren in Manheim, Pa., will cherish from their June 21-28 mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Led by Carolyn Fitzkee and Sally White, the group went to build relationships with members of the Church of the Brethren in the DR as they worked together to provide leadership in three Bible schools.

Study Guide Offers Steps on Darfur Involvement

August 11, 2008, WASHINGTON – A biblically based study, developed to accompany a best-selling book on the crisis in Darfur, is available to help the Christian community mobilize against atrocities in Sudan. Not on Our Watch Christian Companion: Biblical Reflections on the Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond is an eight-week study written by Bill Mefford, director of civil and human rights for the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, and Greg Leffel, president of One Horizon Foundation.

People in the News

ELCA Pastor Darlene Grega Appointed to Valparaiso Chapel Staff

August 14, 2008 – Valparaiso (Ind.) University appointed the Rev. Darlene E. Grega, Trinity Lutheran Church, Canton, Ohio, to serve as an associate pastor of its Chapel of the Resurrection beginning Aug. 23. She joins the Rev. Joseph R. Cunningham, university pastor and dean of the Chapel, and the Rev. James A. Wetzstein, university associate pastor and associate dean of the Chapel. Cunningham and Wetzstein are pastors of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).

Parvez of CWS Pakistan Named Accountability Ambassador' by Humanitarian Regulatory Group

August 12, 2008, NEW YORK – Marvin Parvez, Church World Service regional representative for South Asia, has earned the designation "Accountability Ambassador" from the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership, signifying that CWS-Pakistan/Afghanistan complies with HAP standards of humanitarian agency accountability to the communities in which they work. Geneva-based HAP is self-regulatory partnership of aid agencies working to assure that humanitarian organizations – enormously powerful because they often are the sole providers of vital resources like food, water and shelter after disasters – are accountable to the people who are supposed to benefit from their services.