Front Page

In New York, Pennsylvania and Nationwide,
Congregations Remember September 11 Attacks

September 12, 2008 – On the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 that killed some 3,000 people in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., Episcopal congregations around the country remembered the dead, comforted the bereaved, and sought hope for the future. At St. Paul's Chapel in lower Manhattan, which served as a relief mission for recovery workers at "Ground Zero," the site of the World Trade Center, in the days and weeks after the attacks, prayers for peace, laying-on of hands for healing, and quiet musical meditations were offered throughout the afternoon. The Bell of Hope—a gift to New York from the city of London a year after the original attacks – was rung in St. Paul's churchyard at 8:46 a.m., the time when the first hijacked airplane few into the Twin Towers.

Lack of License Limits UMCOR Response in Cuba

September 11, 2008, NEW YORK – United Methodists are expressing frustration over not being able to provide disaster relief to Cubans hit hard by the 2008 hurricane season. MARCHA, the Hispanic/Latino caucus within The United Methodist Church, is calling upon the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries "to provide funding as soon as possible to the Methodist Church in Cuba so that it can continue and expand its ministry of relief and humanitarian aid to the victims of these hurricanes."

Archbishop Urges Government to Recognise Contribution of Faith Groups to Community Cohesion

September 11, 2008 – The Archbishop of York has called upon the Government to give fuller recognition to the work carried out by faith groups in the delivery of social services in England. Speaking at Westminster Central Hall event organised by Youth for Christ, Dr. Sentamu said that that Christian organisations were making a vital contribution in local communities and was often at the forefront of the provision of community services. "We must resist any trend in national or local Government where the decision as to whether a solution works is not based on results but upon the intolerance that sees a project motivated by faith as being tainted and unsuitable for receipt of funding. Rather there should be a recognition of the valuable work being carried out by groups motivated to serve the common good by a belief in dignity of all as God's creatures in which his divine spark resides."

Bishop Rules Request for SMU Library Decision ‘Moot'

September 12, 2008 – A United Methodist bishop has ruled that a request for a decision of law about Southern Methodist University's right to lease campus property to the Bush Foundation is "improper, moot and hypothetical." Oklahoma Bishop Robert E. Hayes Jr. rendered the decision after examining actions of the church's South Central Jurisdictional Conference in favor of the private Dallas school's lease agreement for the President George W. Bush Presidential Center. The jurisdiction owns SMU, and the school's bylaws require the church to approve the sale or lease of campus land.

Hurricane Response

Ecumenical Appeal Launched for Victims of Hurricanes

September 12, 2008, NEW YORK – As a powerful Hurricane Ike roils toward the Texas coast today after brutalizing Cuba, Haiti and other parts of the Caribbean, humanitarian agency Church World Service announced a U.S. fundraising appeal to assist thousands in the Caribbean who are suffering from this season's serial tropical storms. The New York-based international agency says it has already sent an initial $10,000 rapid response grant to its partner in Haiti SKDE (in Creole, Sant Kretyen Pou Developman Entegre, the Christian Center for Integrated Development).

Children's Disaster Services Closes out Response to Gustav, Monitors Needs Related to Ike

September 12, 2008, ELGIN, IL – Children's Disaster Services has closed out its response to Hurricane Gustav, and is monitoring needs related to Hurricane Ike as it threatens the coast of Texas. Children's Disaster Services is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren, working with the American Red Cross, FEMA, and others to care for children following disasters. The American Red Cross has requested Children's Disaster Services to prepare 10 teams of volunteers for possible deployment on Monday, in response to Hurricane Ike. In its recent response to Gustav, Children's Disaster Services collaborated with the American Red Cross to determine where volunteers were most needed.

CRWRC Distributes Food and Clothing to Haiti Hurricane Survivors

September 9, 2008 – After 33 years of working with poverty-stricken communities across Haiti, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee is facing serious setbacks in many target communities. Recent hurricanes have flooded crops, damaged homes, and threatened livelihoods. The agency is responding with food and clothing for those most in need. "The soil was already saturated with rain from Fay and Gustav when Hannah hit," reported CRWRC Haiti country director Ad De Blaeij late last week.

Lutherans Work to Meet the Needs of People in Cuba, Haiti

September 12, 2008, CHICAGO – Some of the greatest needs in Cuba and Haiti are securing food and clean water for survivors of the 2008 hurricane season, according to Megan Bradfield. In an effort to respond to the needs of people in the two Caribbean islands, members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) provided funds Sept. 11 to help secure life-sustaining resources. Through ELCA International Disaster Response, Lutherans provided an initial $25,000 to support immediate relief efforts in Haiti, said Bradfield, associate director for international development and disaster response, ELCA Global Mission.

Devastated by Three Storms, Hispaniola Braces for More
Episcopal Church Partners Assessing Damage, Mobilizing Aid

September 5, 2008 – Fay, Gustav, and Hanna, all tropical storms or hurricanes, have ravaged the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and at least two more storms – Ike and Josephine – could be headed into the area. "Know that you are in our prayers, and those of this whole Church," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori wrote September 5 in a message emailed to Diocese of Haiti Bishop Zache Duracin. "God never abandons us, even though the night seems long and dark." The one-two-three punch that has hit the Caribbean with more to come, is "pretty unprecedented," said Matthew St. John, Episcopal Relief and Development's program officer for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Caribbean Continues to Suffer During Hurricane Season
Situation in Haiti Is ‘Dire,' ERD Says

September 9, 2008 – Hurricane Ike battered Haiti and Cuba September 8 and 9, causing more damage in the Caribbean to which Episcopal Relief and Development and other Episcopalians are trying to respond. Ike killed four people on Cuba September 8 and forced at least one million others to flee, the New York Times reported. The storm made landfall in Cuba late on September 7, the Times reported, with Category 3 winds of 111 miles an hour and greater. It raked the island on September 8, turned slightly out to sea and made a second landfall in western Cuba on the morning of September 9 in the extreme southeastern part of Pinar del Rio province, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Before striking Cuba, Ike rampaged over Haiti, killing at least 58 people, according to news reports.

General News

Canadian Bishops to Ponder Implications of ‘Next Steps' after Lambeth

September 12, 2008 – The Canadian house of bishops will discuss next month how best to respond to renewed proposals for a moratoria on the blessing of same-sex unions, the ordination of openly gay persons to the episcopate, and cross-border interventions. In a related development, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, said he has requested Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to facilitate a meeting between him, the primate of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, Gregory Venables, U.S. presiding bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, and the primate of Brazil, Mauricio de Andrade, to discuss cross-border interventions.

Lambeth, from a Distance

September 12, 2008 – This summer, along with running Beach Drive, playing tennis and drinking litres of cappuccino at sun-drenched marinas, I have been reading St. Augustine's "City of God" in concert with a friend in Edmonton, who has provided me with a fine and needed study partner: fine, because of his own fierce determination to understand what the author was getting at, and needed because "City of God" is a dense and complex book, Written in Latin between 412 and 427, with a less than scintillating English translation by Marcus Dods, the book is Augustine's attempt to analyze and give reasons for the fall of Rome to Alaric and the Goths in 410.

God Does Not Will Tragedies Says Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan

September 11, 2008 – The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, led a service of thanksgiving on Wednesday for the lives of Welsh newly-weds Catherine and Ben Mullany who were killed whilst on their honeymoon in Antigua in July. Llandaff Cathedral was packed with around 900 friends and family for the service, during which the Archbishop summed up the shock many felt at the couple's murder. "Which one of us over the last few weeks, as we heard of Ben and Catherine's tragic deaths, hasn't felt the need to pour out one's heart to the Almighty in shock and anger at the sheer pointless and randomness of it all?

ELCA Anti-Racism Leaders Gather Sept. 11-13 in Baltimore

September 11, 2008 – More than 100 anti-racism leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are meeting Sept. 11-13 in Baltimore for "At the Intersection of Race and Poverty: An ELCA Capacity Building and Network Gathering." The gathering brings together ELCA synod bishops, members of the ELCA Church Council, churchwide staff, ecumenical partners and others to explore "the next stage" of anti-racism work in the 65 synods of the church, according to Shenandoah M. Gale, coordinator for anti-racism education and training, ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop.

Pastoral Letter on Racism Is Issued by Church of the Brethren Executives

September 12, 2008 ELGIN, IL – "We believe that this time in the life of our nation and our denomination is an opening for spiritual reflection and positive change in race relations," said the opening sentence of a pastoral letter on racism signed by the executives of the main Church of the Brethren agencies. The letter was sent in late August to all congregations and districts in the Church of the Brethren, as well as to the Brethren-related colleges.

Scholarships Help Women Prepare for Ordination

September 10, 2008 – Eight women from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific have been awarded scholarships from the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) to help them prepare for the ordained ministry in their churches. In announcing the awards in June, Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth, executive secretary of the Office for Church Renewal, Justice and Partnership, said that the ordination of women is a priority of the family of Reformed churches and a significant step in the advancement of women in the church. This year's scholarship winners include:

Ecumenical News

Archbishop of Canterbury Meets with Chief Rabbis of Israel

September 10, 2008 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, yesterday met with the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger. The following communiqué was signed.

World Alliance of Reformed Churches and Disciples Look at Closer Ties

September 12, 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 in 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.

Embracing Transformation:
Christian-Muslim Dialogue Enhances Understanding – and Faith

September 12, 2008 – Our diverse group was male and female, young and old, ordained and lay, conservative and liberal, Christian and Muslim. In the mornings we spent our time learning something of the theological traditions of the other, and particularly in reading each other's sacred texts: The Christians studied the Qur'an as the Muslims gathered with their Oxford Annotated Bibles to study the Gospels of Mark and John. In the afternoons, we conversed with each other. Toward the end of the week, the Muslims attended mass at Holy Trinity Parish in Georgetown (a Roman Catholic parish run by the Jesuits) and visited with the clergy at local Episcopal and Lutheran congregations. The Christians attended Friday prayers at a Virginia area mosque and met with its leaders afterwards over lunch.

Spanish News

Jóvenes Evangélicos Dialogan Sobre Derechos Humanos

10 septiembre 2008, LIMA, Perú – Un grupo de jóvenes líderes de diversas denominaciones e instituciones evangélicas se reunieron para dialogar acerca del Informe de la Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación (CVR), la situación de los derechos humanos en el Perú, y evaluar la acción de la Iglesia ante esta realidad.

Los Que Lloran, Recibirán Consuelo. Testimonio De Un Evangélico Cubano

12 septiembre 2008, CUBA – Ayer regrese a casa sobre las 6 de la tarde. Al llegar abracé a mi esposa y sin poderlo evitar me puse a llorar ... En la mañana había salido con un grupo de hermanos a visitar los miembros de nuestra iglesia que habían perdido el techo de sus casas. Empezamos por la casa de Felicia, la encontramos aturdida, junto a su hija de 10 años; toda su casa mojada, las camas, sus rústicos muebles, ... todo destilaba agua.

Evangélicos Reclaman Al Estado Reconocimiento a Comunidades Nativas Y Diálogo Inclusivo

8 septiembre 2008, LIMA, Perú – Representantes de organizaciones evangélicas cercanas a las comunidades andinas y amazónicas, y el Concilio Nacional Evangélico del Perú (CONEP), pidieron al Estado que tome una actitud más dialogante con estas y reconozca sus derechos y necesidades. Estos pronunciamientos se dan luego de que el Congreso derogara los decretos 1015 y 1073 (llamados "Ley de la Selva"), impulsados por el presidente Alan García, en los cuales se pretendía impulsar la inversión privada en terrenos de las comunidades nativos, lo cual desató protestas de sus pobladores durante casi una semana.

Organismos Ecuménicos Llaman a Solidarizarse Con El Caribe

11 septiembre 2008 – La situación de desastre en el Caribe luego del paso de Gustav e Ike aún no ha podido dimensionarse. Muertos, desaparecidos y cuantiosos daños materiales son los resultados visibles de la tragedia. El Consejo latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI) y la Alianza de Iglesias Presbiterianas y Reformadas de America Latina (AIPRAL), llaman a orar y ayudar económicamente a las comunidades afectadas "Hemos vividos días intensos, de angustia y temor por el paso de dos terribles huracanes.

Delegación Del CMI Encuentra Profundas Heridas En Osetia
Del Sur Y Escucha Palabras Reparadoras En Moscú

12 septiembre 2008 – Durante su visita pastoral a Georgia y Rusia, del 3 al 7 de septiembre, , una delegación del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) se vio enfrentada a la destrucción de las comunidades de etnia georgiana de Osetia del Sur, a las profundas heridas causadas a la sociedad local y a los daños ocasionados por la guerra en la capital.

Visita Oficial Del CLAI Despierta Entusiasmo En Nicaragua

9 septiembre 2008, MANAGUA – La visita del Rev. Nilton Giese, Secretario General interino del Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI), que representa a una multitud de evangélicos en la región, en momentos que el país vive una polarización política, es muy oportuna para el trabajo de la paz, la reconciliación y el diálogo ecuménico entre las iglesias-"porque el pueblo siempre espera palabras de esperanza," dijo el pastor de la Misión Bautista Internacional Marcelino Basset.

Human Rights News

Turkey: Implement Recent European Court Decision and Press Forward with Reforms

September 9, 2008, WASHINGTON—The European Court ruled unanimously this summer in a case brought by the Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate that Turkey was in violation of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (protection of property) of the European Convention on Human Rights. The case concerned an orphanage on the Turkish island of Buyukada owned by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the body that is the spiritual leader of almost 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has monitored and reported on this and other religious freedom concerns in Turkey and calls on the U.S. government to urge the Turkish government to implement the judgment as soon as possible.

Religions Join in Human Rights Message at Dag Hammarskold Plaza

September 12, 2008, NEW YORK – A colorful alliance of religious leaders joined in a religious service across from the UN last Sunday, September 7th, carrying the message, as Imam Mohammed Shamsi Ali said, that the violation of human rights is a violation of the laws of God as well as the agreements of Man. Christians, Buddhists, a Rabbi, Scientologists and Hindus joined in the support of vital human rights reforms.

Greek Orthodox Applaud Efforts for Ecumenical Patriarchate's Rights

September 10, 2008, NEW YORK – Yesterday, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom threw its weight behind the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights that had ruled in favor of the rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, specifically as to its historic Orphanage on the island of Pringkipos. In the official Press Release of the Commission, Commission Chair Felice Gaer stated: This is a landmark decision for the rights of all religious minorities in Turkey, not least because it recognizes the rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a legal entity.

New York Metro News

Oregon Pastor's Daughter Missing in New York City

September 8, 2008, NEW YORK – Police, family, and friends of Hannah Upp, 23, are searching for the young New York City school teacher who has been missing since August 29. Ms. Upp is the daughter of the Rev. Barbara Bellus of Portland, Oregon. News reports on the afternoon of September 8 indicated that no clues have been found as to the whereabouts of Ms. Upp, who was last reported to be preparing to go to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the Labor Day holiday.

International News

Women's Ordination a Highlight of Bolivian Lutheran Church Anniversary
Noko: Strong Expression of Men and Women's Participation in Church Life

September 7, 2008 LA PAZ, Bolivia/GENEVA – The Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Boliviana – IELB) celebrates 70 years of existence today, 7 September. At a special liturgy marking the event, several women will be ordained pastors while others will receive the authorization to administer sacraments and proclaim the Word.

WCC Delegation Finds Deep Wounds in South Ossetia, Hears Healing Words in Moscow

September 10, 2008 – The destruction of ethnic Georgian communities in South Ossetia, the deep wounds to local society and war damage to the capital city confronted a delegation from the World Council of Churches on the second half of a 3-7 September pastoral visit to Georgia and Russia. The findings added urgency to concerns raised by government and church officials during a stop in Moscow.

Middle East News

International Conference Addresses Religious Dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

September 10, 2008 – The need to "re-frame the religious dimensions" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a key goal of a 4-day international theological conference starting today in the Swiss capital, Bern. The conference involves some 65 theologians and church leaders from all over the world who are focusing on the issue of "Promised Land."

People in the News

IJCIC Mourns the Passing of W.D. Mohammed

September 11, 2008 – IJCIC, The International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, mourns the passing of W.D. Mohammed, the preeminent leader of the African-American Muslim community in the United States of America, who brought his movement into the Islamic mainstream and was a champion of interfaith understanding. Rabbi David Rosen, Chairman of IJCIC, noted W.D. Mohammed's frequent and passionate condemnations of racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry; and his pioneering role in interfaith outreach – in particular to the Jewish community.

Reviews

The Fight Against Sects

September 5, 2008 – It is no coincidence but a synchronicity that today I attended the Human Rights Summit at the UN to mark 60 years that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN with the advocacy of the late Mrs Roosevelt! And today I received a copy of Dr. Bertil Persson's new book: The Fight Against Sects. The book is a study in the history of ideas in Europe concerning the persecution of various sects like the Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Baha'i Faith, the Theosophical Society, the Liberal Catholic Church, Christian Scientists, Adventists, etc.

‘Origin of the Schwarzenau Brethren' Is Offered in English Translation

September 12, 2008, ELGIN, IL – Marcus Meier's new book, The Origin of the Schwarzenau Brethren, has been published in English as part of the Brethren Encyclopedia's Monograph Series. The book was translated from German by Dennis Slabaugh. Meier was the keynote speaker for the international celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren movement, which took place in the village of Schwarzenau, Germany, on Aug. 2-3.