Front Page

In Growing Numbers, Churches Pray for Peace on 21 September

September 16, 2008 – Nearly 140 congregations and Christian groups in the United States are organizing public prayer events on the International Day of Prayer for Peace, on 21 September. Another grouping of churches from different countries around the world has committed to observe the day with a 24-hour prayer chain. These are but two examples of the growing popularity of the International Day of Prayer for Peace, which is observed on 21 September. Since its launch by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in 2004, the day is an opportunity for churches worldwide to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, their families, communities and societies.

Interfaith Solidarity: Religious Leaders Agree
That Justice must Prevail in Hurricane Recovery

September 16, 2008, NEW YORK – More than 100 religious leaders from a wide range of traditions – including the president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches and heads of NCC member communions – have criticized "the slow pace of recovery" from devastating hurricanes and have called for a "moral response" to national disasters. "Three years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck and the levees breached," said 108 evangelical, Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim leaders, "the slow pace of recovery and the new needs caused by Ike and Gustav's destruction have created a moral crisis along the Gulf Coast that demands a powerful response from people of faith."

Lutherans Help Support the Needs of Flood-Affected Families in India

September 17, 2008, CHICAGO – More than 2 million people have been affected by floods in Bihar, India, according to Megan E. Bradfield. Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) gave $100,000 Sept. 15 to help provide "life sustaining assistance" to 10,000 families affected by the flooding. The Kosi River changed its course, said Bradfield, associate director for international development, ELCA Global Mission. The river, which gathers water from some of the highest mountains in Nepal, including Mt. Everest, and enters India in north Bihar, shifted more than 70 miles eastward on Aug. 18, she said.

House of Bishops Votes to Depose Pittsburgh Bishop for ‘Abandoning Communion'

September 18, 2008, SALT LAKE CITY – After nearly two days of prayerful and solemn closed-door sessions, the House of Bishops on September 18 voted by a two to one majority to depose Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh. The vote authorizes Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to remove Duncan from ordained ministry. The vote total was 88 to 35 in favor of deposing Duncan, according to Episcopal Church spokeswoman Neva Rae Fox. There were four abstentions. "The House of Bishops worked carefully and prayerfully to consider the weighty matter of Bishop Duncan. The conversation was holy, acknowledging the pain of our deliberations as well as the gratitude many have felt over the years for their relationships with, and the ministry of, Robert Duncan," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said in a statement after the meeting.

Disaster Response

CWS Appeals for Donations and Emergency Kits in the Wake of Ike

September 15, 2008, NEW YORK – As residents of Gulf Coast towns in Texas begin to dig out from the devastation of Hurricane Ike, humanitarian agency Church World Service is issuing an urgent appeal for badly needed kits, and for donations to help purchase recovery supplies locally. The hurricane battered a huge swath of Texas and Louisiana this weekend, leaving millions of people without water and power, and many with damaged or destroyed homes.

Lutherans Mark September as ‘National Preparedness Month'

September 16, 2008, CHICAGO – Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) and several other Lutheran organizations have joined a coalition of almost 3,000 organizations to promote September as "National Preparedness Month." The coalition is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to increase public awareness about emergency preparedness through a variety of activities. "After a recent storm, I realized that despite my years of work in the area of disaster response and as a hospital chaplain, I didn't have a disaster kit or preparedness plan in my own home," the Rev. Kevin A. Massey, LDR director, said in a special video message, "Are you prepared?"

U.S. Religious Leaders Urge Moral Hurricane Response

September 17, 2008 – U.S. religious leaders are calling for a prompt and just "moral response" from government leaders as Hurricanes Gustav and Ike have heaped more pain and suffering on the shoulders of the people of the Gulf Coast and Cuba. More than 100 Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders signed an interfaith statement criticizing the slow pace of hurricane recovery since 2005 and urging bipartisan solutions. They expressed particular concern for children and people who are poor, sick or vulnerable.

United Church Launches Appeal for Caribbean Hurricane Relief

September 17, 2008 TORONTO – The United Church of Canada announced today that it is launching an emergency financial appeal for hurricane relief. The appeal focuses on Haiti, Cuba, and other Caribbean countries that are suffering the consequence of a series of hurricanes that have passed through the region in recent weeks. Hurricanes Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike have left as many as one million Haitians homeless and more than 500 dead. Serious flooding was reported in many areas, and Haiti's agricultural capacity is dangerously compromised.

Hurricane Ike Response Begins in Texas, Louisiana

September 15, 2008 – Cautioning that the work ahead will be expansive and costly, United Methodists in Texas and Louisiana have begun to assess damage from Hurricane Ike and respond to emergency needs along the storm's wide trail of destruction on the heels of Hurricane Gustav. With 110-mph winds, Ike pounded the U.S. coast on Sept. 13, submerging thousands of homes and leaving millions of people without power as it swept northward. The storm has killed at least 30 people in Texas, Louisiana and states as far north as Illinois and Ohio, according to news reports. Officials with the United Methodist Committee on Relief have been in contact with Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of the church's Houston Area and Don Cottrill, director of connectional ministries in Louisiana.

CRWRC Disaster Response Workers Standing Ready Just Outside Ike Strike Zone

September 13, 2008 With the remainder of Hurricane Ike pounding the Texas coast this afternoon, disaster response volunteers, now on hold, are eager to return to work on homes and businesses hardest hit by the monster storm. Search and rescue teams are expected to enter coastal areas today, as soon as the weather allows. CRWRC disaster work teams that were scheduled to arrive in Port Arthur and Lake Charles, Texas, this week to continue reconstruction from Hurricane Rita will, in addition, begin cleanup and repair efforts for the very same communities impacted by Hurricane Ike.

General News

Great Event Challenges African-American Churches

September 19, 2008, DALLAS – As African-American congregations in The United Methodist Church face the future, do they look like the face in the mirror or does the mirror show something else? The question was posed by the Rev. Zan Holmes as he challenged 560 black Methodists to find their voice and power during a church growth and revitalization event. "It's important for us to find our own voice, our own God-given purpose," Holmes told participants at the Sept. 11-13 Great Event, a program of the United Methodist initiative called Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century.

Calvin's Greeting for the Luther Decade

September 19, 2008 – In a recently discovered letter the Swiss Reformer Jean Calvin greets his German colleague Martin Luther on Luther's decade which begins on 21 September. "On the 500th anniversary of our common cause, the Reformation, I already offer you my greetings today," writes the Swiss Reformer Jean Calvin to his German colleague Martin Luther. In a recently discovered letter from 1536, Calvin turns to the Luther Decade which begins in Wittenberg, Germany on 21 September 2008. "Even if we are not always of the same opinion, we both fight for the same cause," Calvin emphasizes.

Church of the Brethren's Material Resources Program Ships Supplies to Hurricane Survivors

September 17, 2008, ELGIN, IL – "In response to Hurricane Gustav we loaded a trailer Friday night destined for Hammond, La.," reported Loretta Wolf, director of the Church of the Brethren's Material Resources program. "The trailer started in Harrisburg, Pa., picking up 1,008 Emergency Clean-Up Bucket Kits and stopping in New Windsor to add 624 more clean-up kits." The Material Resources program is a Church of the Brethren ministry located at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The Material Resources staff process, warehouse, and distribute disaster relief materials on behalf of a variety of ecumenical partners including Church World Service (CWS).

Dr. Elizabeth Tapia to Discuss Cooperative Work in the Faith Community at CWS Forum

September 16, 2008, NEW YORK – "Hope and Change: A Call to Mutual Action" is the subject of a keynote address to be presented by Dr. Elizabeth Tapia at the Oct. 20-21 Church World Service forum for reflection on the theological underpinnings, strategies and conduct of the cooperative work of the faith community, in South Bend, Ind. For Dr. Tapia, the gathering, which will bring together clergy and laypersons to discuss challenges and opportunities for mission cooperation, will be an important step in "forging mutuality in mission" in the 21st century.

Florida Man Works to Start Hispanic Prayer Line

September 16, 2008 – Leland McKeown says he can't help but look for ways to help people in need. A United Methodist from Florida, his latest mission is to establish a denominational toll-free telephone prayer line for the Hispanic community-similar to an English-language prayer line already available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through the Upper Room Living Prayer Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Children Learn Reading Skills in Homeless Shelter

September 17, 2008, ATLANTA – Sixteen children gleefully hop off the yellow bus after a full day in school, chattering with friends as they head inside for a snack. They are home-for now-at a homeless shelter for mothers and children. "When does the reading program start tonight?" asks Mayce, a third-grader.

Church Launches Children's National Hero Hunt

September 17, 2008 – The Bishop of Middleton, the Rt Revd Mark Davies, is launching the first ever poll to find the UK's ‘most heroic job' according to the nation's children. The online survey was launched at a school in Manchester today. The poll is part of the Halloween Choice campaign, led by the Church of England's Diocese of Manchester, marking its third anniversary of exploring how to support and resource those parents and children who wish to mark Halloween in a positive, less "gruesome," way.

Ministry Builds, Recycles Cottages for Elderly People

September 15, 2008, CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. – Robert Simmons surveys the blue tarp tacked to the roof of the home that he built more than four decades ago for his mother and himself. "I won't be sad when they tear this down. In fact, it will be a good day," says Simmons, 69, noting the house's warped metal roofing and rotting wood. Simmons isn't a sentimental homeowner. His house is literally collapsing around him, and buckets have become permanent fixtures throughout the living area to collect rainwater trickling through leaks in the ceiling. To get drinking water, he must go down the road to his brother's house because Simmons' tap water is "full of rust."

New Pastor Program Opens with Some 50 Students

September 15, 2008 – Ross Mark Couser, 26, has been working with the Lutheran Inner-City Network Coalition (LINC) North Texas, in Dallas-Fort Worth, for the past five years, helping to train church planters and other leaders. He's "felt the call to pastoral ministry for awhile," Couser admits, but also feels called to serve in the rapidly growing, ethnically diverse, Dallas-Fort Worth area. It would be hard for him to leave the ministry – and relationships – he's been building for five years to attend a traditional residential seminary program, he says. And now, he doesn't have to.

House of Bishops Begins Special Session in Salt Lake City with Lambeth Review

September 18, 2008 – As the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church meets this week in Salt Lake City, Utah, a team of bishops will report each day on the proceedings, which are closed to press and public. The first report, filed on September 17, follows.

Ecumenical News

Christian and Muslim Women Dialogue Takes Shape

September 18, 2008 – In the comfort of a simple Swedish meeting room, 25 Christian and Muslim women met to talk about how religion, which is often blamed to cause violence, can move people toward peace. When Rev. Marika Palmdahl welcomed the participants in the meeting "Moving towards a peace through religion" which was held 4-7 September and co-organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Teheran's Institute for Interreligious Dialogue (IID), her white collar band raised some questions.

Spanish News

Metodistas Programan Colectas Para Ayudar a Cuba

15 septiembre 2008, BRASIL – El Consejo de Iglesias Metodistas de América Latina y Caribe (Ciemal) pide que congregaciones de esa familia denominacional dediquen las ofrendas recogidas en los cultos del día 28 de setiembre sean destinadas a la Iglesia cubana, que sufrió enormes pérdidas con el pasaje de los huracanes Gustav e Ike. Autoridades comenzaron a hacer un relevamiento de daños. La Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) estima que los estragos materiales dejados por los huracanes ya suman de 3 billones a 4 billones de dólares.

Crisis En Bolivia. Organizaciones Del Continente Denuncian Agresiones Y Cerco Informativo

15 septiembre 2008, BOLIVIA – En medio de la crisis política que afecta en estos momentos a gran parte del territorio boliviano, varias organizaciones del continente hicieron oir su voz en apoyo del pueblo y el gobierno constitucional del país andino, denunciando "cerco informativo" y agresiones. Mientras, en Chile, se realiza una cumbre de urgencia de la Unión de Naciones Sudamericanas (Unasur). En el encuentro, los mandatarios de la región intentarán encontrarle una salida a la situación boliviana.

La Conferencia Sobre El Concepto De "Tierra Prometida" Dio Lugar a Una "Confrontación
Constructiva" Y a Nuevas Perspectivas Sobre El Conflicto Entre Palestina E Israel

17 septiembre 2008 – Una conferencia sobre el concepto de "Tierra Prometida" en la que se presentaron diferentes perspectivas teológicas de esta cuestión clave en el conflicto entre israelíes y palestinos ha aportado a los dirigentes eclesiásticos y teólogos nuevas perspectivas que podrán compartir con sus iglesias al regresar a sus respectivos países. Algunos participantes dijeron que habían cambiado de opinión tras esa "confrontación constructiva" en la reunión organizada por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI).

Comité Ejecutivo Del CMI Se Reúne En Alemania

18 septiembre 2008 – El Comité Ejecutivo del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) se reunirá en Lübeck (Alemania), del 23 al 26 de septiembre. La crisis alimentaria mundial, el conflicto de Darfur y la situación en Sri Lanka figuran en la agenda de posibles declaraciones públicas. El Comité evaluará progresos en relación con un nuevo formato de Asamblea, examinará el presupuesto y los programas del CMI y designará un secretario general interino para 2009.

En Creciente Número, Las Iglesias Oran El 21 De Septiembre Por La Paz

17 septiembre 2008 – Cerca de 140 congregaciones y grupos cristianos de los Estados Unidos de América están organizando reuniones públicas de oración en el marco del Día Internacional de Oración por la Paz, el 21 de septiembre. Otros grupos de iglesias de diferentes países de todo el mundo se han comprometido a observar ese día estableciendo una cadena de oración durante 24 horas. Estos no son más que dos ejemplos de la popularidad cada vez mayor del Día Internacional de oración por la Paz, que se observa el 21 de septiembre.

Nuevas Perspectivas Sobre El Conflicto Entre Palestina E Israel, Luego De Conferencia Del CMI

19 septiembre 2008, GINEBRA, Suiza – Una conferencia sobre el concepto de "Tierra Prometida" en la que se presentaron diferentes perspectivas teológicas de esta cuestión clave en el conflicto entre israelíes y palestinos ha aportado a los dirigentes eclesiásticos y teólogos nuevas perspectivas que podrán compartir con sus iglesias al regresar a sus respectivos países. Algunos participantes dijeron que habían cambiado de opinión tras esa "confrontación constructiva" en la reunión organizada por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI).

Saramago Critica El Pedido De Perdón Anglicano a Charles Darwin

16 septiembre 2008, PORTUGAL – "Una buena noticia, dirán los lectores ingenuos…La Iglesia Anglicana, esa versión británica de un catolicismo instituido, en el tiempo de Enrique VIII, como religión oficial del reino, anunció una importante decisión: pedir perdón a Charles Darwin…"

Proponen, En El Mes De La Biblia, Un Taller Ecuménico Sobre Las Cartas Paulinas

17 septiembre 2008, LIMA, Perú – Destacados biblistas serán los expositores en el Taller de Ciencias Bíblicas "Cartas de Pablo para hoy" a realizarse del 22 al 26 de setiembre en el auditorio de la Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes. El encuentro es organizado por la Sociedad Bíblica Peruana y la Comisión de Catequesis y Pastoral Bíblica e Indígena de la Conferencia Episcopal Peruana, servicio que brindan desde hace seis años como "Equipo Interconfesional de Pastoral Bíblica," buscando promover el conocimiento y el estudio de la Biblia en este país.

Iglesias Preparan Día Internacional De Oración Por La Paz

17 septiembre 2008, SUIZA – Cerca de 140 congregaciones y grupos cristianos de los Estados Unidos de América están organizando reuniones públicas de oración en el marco del Día Internacional de Oración por la Paz, el 21 de septiembre. Otros grupos de iglesias de diferentes países de todo el mundo se han comprometido a observar ese día estableciendo una cadena de oración durante 24 horas. Estos no son más que dos ejemplos de la popularidad cada vez mayor del Día Internacional de oración por la Paz, que se observa el 21 de septiembre.

Vivencias Bajo Las Ráfagas De Ike

13 septiembre 2008, LA HABANA, Cuba – Como saben, Ike entró y atacó el norte de Holguín con Fuerza 3-4 (más de 250 kilómetros/hora) por Cabo Lucrecia, Gibara, Banes y dañó mucho a Moa el martes 9 de setiembre. En Baracoa fue el Mar de Leva, cuyas olas pasaban por encima de edificios de cinco pisos que están en su Malecón. Entró varias cuadras en la ciudad. De una forma inusual, Ike que seguía rumbo norte por el Atlántico, encontró un anticiclón que lo desvió hacia el sur y se nos vino encima. Al entrar al país, siguió más raramente en diagonal hacia el sur.

International News

Lutherans Join Others Around the World to Pray for Peace Sept. 21

September 19, 2008 – Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will pray for peace Sept. 21, 2008, as part of the International Day of Prayer for Peace. The day is an opportunity for churches worldwide "to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, their families, communities and societies," according to the World Council of Churches (WCC) based in Geneva.

Statement of the Synod of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa

September 19, 2008 – A regular meeting of the Synod of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in Gauteng this week reviewed the ongoing mission, ministry and witness of the Church and some of the challenges of the context in which we live. We voiced our renewed concern at the extreme poverty suffered by many in southern Africa, and at the wide gap between those who have excessive wealth and those who are poor. We remain deeply concerned at the prevalence of malaria and HIV and Aids, and we acknowledge anew the brokenness of the nations which we represent.

Power Sharing Deal in Zimbabwe

September 17, 2008 – The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) joins the global community in welcoming the signing of the "Agreement between the ZANU-PF and the two MDC formations, on resolving the challenges facing Zimbabwe," September 15, 2008. The power sharing deal is indeed a beacon of hope for the people of Zimbabwe who have prayed and cried for a solution to the crisis. The people of Zimbabwe have suffered under the yoke of political intolerance oppression and have experienced unrest as well as unbearable economic and humanitarian hardships.