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Rev. N. J. L'Heureux, Jr., Publisher & Editor
Rev. Pedro Bravo-Guzman, Editor-in-Chief
An Ecumenical Report of Local and Global News
in God's Household
Published by the Queens Federation of Churches
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Conference on Human Trafficking Calls for Grass-Roots Involvement October 2, 2008, NEW YORK – Rani Hong's resonate voice broke with emotion as she addressed more than 70 participants in an Ecumenical Conference on Human Trafficking, held at the Church Center for the United Nations September 29 – October 1. Hong, once a child slavery victim in India, now lives in Olympia, Wash., where she is a vigorous activist against the crime of human trafficking. "If I stay silent, I'm letting the traffickers win," Hong told the conferees. United Church of Canada Says Economic Crisis No Time to Forget Poor October 8, 2008, TORONTO – This year Canadians are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving during a time of great uncertainty. With fears of a recession and the global economic crisis making headline news, many people are worried about their financial future. There is growing anxiety over mortgages, pensions, and jobs. Against this backdrop of heightened tension, The United Church of Canada is challenging Canadians to temper their concern about financial security with the awareness that we live in a world where unacceptable poverty exists in the midst of plenty. Thousands Turn to Online Prayer and Advice as Financial Situation Worsens October 9, 2008 – Web users looking for support during the current financial situation have boosted traffic to a Church of England website section focusing on debt advice by over 70 per cent, and increased visitor numbers to the Church's online prayer page by more than a quarter. The Matter of Life and Debt website section – containing a new ‘debt spiral' feature so visitors can work out if they are one of the many families who will be seriously affected by the credit crunch, and useful advice for those worried about debt – has seen a 71 per cent increase in traffic in recent weeks. October 4, 2008, MONROEVILLE, Penn. – Deputies to the 143rd diocesan convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh October 4 voted 240-102 to leave the Episcopal Church. Minutes later, in voice votes on three resolutions the deputies realigned the diocese with the Argentine-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone and set up some initial procedures for accomplishing that maneuver. The vote was the culmination of the diocese's continuing theological disputes with the Episcopal Church and many diocesan leaders later said the decision put the diocese in what they called "the Anglican mainstream." Hundreds of Lutherans Help Clean up Galveston October 9, 2008, CHICAGO – In a cleanup effort referred to as "10-4," more than 390 Lutherans from the Houston area readied themselves with rubber gloves, paint masks and sack lunches to help clean up hurricane-damaged homes and churches on Galveston from 10 to 4 p.m., Oct. 4. When Galveston reopened Sept. 26 after Hurricane Ike stuck the island Sept. 12, "we visited our churches and neighborhoods and realized that people needed help there," said the Rev. Michael W. Rinehart, bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, Houston. "We felt guilty not helping" as people hauled belongings out of their homes and churches, he said. Local Church Kids Find No Mission Impossible October 8, 2008, PLANO, Texas – They're kids on a mission, packing flood buckets for victims of recent hurricanes and making blankets for wounded soldiers. "It's really fun because you get to help people," says Zoe Pitts, 7. Mission Possible Kids are proving children can make a difference, addressing problems in their own neighborhoods and around the world. The program started at Christ United Methodist Church in the Dallas suburb of Plano and now includes chapters in 17 states. ELCA Leaders Offer Assurances in Light of Global Financial Crisis October 10, 2008, CHICAGO – The Board of Pensions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is holding steady and not panicking during the current global financial crisis, Board President John G. Kapanke, told the ELCA Conference of Bishops. Kapanke addressed the conference Oct. 3. The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the church that includes the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary. It met here Oct. 2-7. "Keeping a steady course of action is really what is called for," Kapanke said. ELCA Conference of Bishops Addresses Financial Crisis October 9, 2008, CHICAGO – In a pastoral letter to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the ELCA Conference of Bishops called on church members and others who are concerned about the financial health of the United States to discuss and pray about economic life, financial behaviors and "the interconnectedness of all life and creation that cries out to be reclaimed." The Oct. 7 pastoral letter addressed the current financial crisis in the United States, compounded by its effects on global markets. The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the church that includes the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary. It met here Oct. 2-7. October 3, 2008 GREIFSWALD, Germany/GENEVA – Church leaders from Europe, German political leaders and academicians, were among hundreds of people who mid-September participated in the 450th anniversary of Johannes Bugenhagen's death. "The Evangelical Church of Pomerania owes the Reformation to Johannes Bugenhagen," said Bishop Dr Hans-Juergen Abromeit in his sermon during the Sunday worship anniversary in Greifswald's St Nicholas Cathedral. "It is no exaggeration to say that the political and ecclesiastical landscape of Northern Germany and Northern Europe today would look different without Bugenhagen," Enhance Communication to Foster Peace in Africa October 9, 2008 – Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille highlighted the importance of promoting communication among societies as a tool for peace and to enhance socio-economic development. Speaking during the opening ceremony of WACC's Congress, Zille said communication is the most important component of any society and without it people are cut off from fellow human beings. "Communication seeks to establish truth," she said. "The less communication happens, the more corruption thrives. The world needs to move from liberation politics to constitutional politics and this can only happen if the people are given the freedom to communicate." October 8, 2008, GENEVA – A global consultation on diakonia organized by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for Mission and Development (DMD) will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 13-17 October 2008, hosted by the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus. An estimated 60 participants, including mainly people responsible for diakonia (church social services) work among LWF member churches and their partners, will attend the consultation. Through plenary presentations and group work, the participants will elaborate a comprehensive and sustained understanding of diakonia as a faith-based action of the church reflecting both the self-understanding of LWF as a Lutheran communion and the diaconal challenges in today's globalized world. Is Mute Journalism the Answer? October 9, 2008, SOUTH AFRICA – Journalists had a unique opportunity to discuss a relatively new concept in media mute journalism as part of promoting peace through their writing in the Writing for Peace Workshop taking place during Congress. The workshop was conducted by Peter Kenny, Editor-in-Chief of Ecumenical News International (ENI), and ENI Managing Editor Stephen Brown. They noted that media practitioners and those who work with media could not conclusively agree that mute journalism was the correct way to do it. "There is no formula for writing for peace, but we can exchange views on how best we could do it," said Kenny. People of Faith Celebrate the Legacy of St. Francis October 3, 2008, WASHINGTON – Churches around the country will be overrun with feathers and fur Saturday, October 4, as children, families, and other congregants celebrate St. Francis Day with a Blessing of the Animals Worship Service. "These services allow people of faith to recognize the importance of the nonhuman members of their families and their blessedness to God," said Jordan Blevins, Assistant Director of the Eco-Justice Programs of the National Council of Churches. The Blessing of the Animals Service on October 4 recognizes the ideals of St. Francis of Assisi, who wrote a Canticle of the Creatures, an ode to God's living things. ELCA Presents ‘Native Nations' Documentary on ABC Television October 8, 2008, CHICAGO – "Native Nations: Standing Together for Civil Rights" is a one-hour documentary exploring the role of the Lutheran church in the American Indian civil rights movement of the 1970s and 1980s. The program begins airing Oct. 12 on ABC television network affiliate stations across the United States. Local stations may broadcast the program at various times and dates through December 2008. Peter Coyote hosts "Native Nations," which B&B Productions produced for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The project was in development for 18 months on locations including Albuquerque, Minneapolis and the Navajo Nation. Media Linked to Action Key for Gender Justice October 8, 2008, CANADA – "The media has huge and largely untapped power to promote and protect gender justice," Joanne Sandler told Congress during a keynote presentation 7 October. Sandler is Deputy Executive Director-Program for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). As an example of the power of media she told the story of Mukhtar Mai from Pakistan, who was gang raped and, with the assistance of friends, was able to get the word out to local and international media, shaming the authorities into action. Church Has Place in New Planned Community October 6, 2008, MT. JULIET, Tenn. – "Live. Shop. Play." When he saw the billboard three years ago inviting people to become part of a new planned community in Middle Tennessee, the Rev. Jacob Armstrong thought an important verb was missing. "I thought, ‘Why not live, shop, worship, play?'" he recalled. "Why (isn't the church) at the table for new communities?" Rising Fuel Prices Force Choice Between Gas, Church October 6, 2008 – Attendance is down, giving is down and the budget is low at both First United Methodist and Greens Creek United Methodist churches in Dublin, Texas. "People have slacked off of coming to church and attending meetings due to high gas prices," says the Rev. Cathy Mordecai, the pastor of both congregations. The food pantry has given more assistance than before and members of the church and community are calling on the church to help pay household expenses. CWS Network Resettles 4,892 Refugees in FY 2008 October 10, 2008, NEW YORK – Global humanitarian agency Church World Service resettled 4,892 refugees to the United States from October 2007 through September 2008 (FY 2008), or just over 8 percent of the total of 60,192 refugees who began new lives in the U.S. during the year. Church World Service is one of 10 agencies that work with the U.S. Department of State to meet the needs of refugees upon their arrival to the United States and assist them as they work to attain self-sufficiency. October 3, 2008 – An ecclesiastical court has determined that inhibited Bishop Charles E. Bennison of the Diocese of Pennsylvania should be deposed from the ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church, eleven months after he was barred from performing episcopal acts. The Court for the Trial of a Bishop, which spent four days in June hearing the case against Bennison, ruled September 30 that deposition was appropriate "in recognition of the nature of the offense and because [Bennison] has failed to demonstrate that he comprehends and takes responsibility for the harm that he has caused." Episcopalians Gather to Apologize for Slavery October 3, 2008 – Hundreds of Episcopalians journeyed to St. Thomas African Episcopal Church in Philadelphia on October 3 to participate in the first of a two-day solemn observance that will culminate with the Episcopal Church publicly apologizing for its involvement in the institution of transatlantic slavery. "Our coming together shows that this is not an Episcopal problem, nor a Christian problem, but a human problem," explained the Rev. Jayne Oasin, program officer for Anti-Racism and Gender Equality for the Episcopal Church. October 9, 2008 – The MECC General Secretary issued a message of congratulation to Muslims on the occasion of Fitr Feast after Ramadan month of fasting. The message talked about the unique coexistence situation between Muslims and Christians in the Middle East which should be preserved and maintained. "It is an occasion to maintain values of love between Christians and Muslims as they represent one society of coexistence," the message said. As an oriental cultural customary, the MECC General Secretary called several Muslim leaders in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Syria and congratulated them. Commentary: The Bible Vs. The Gravy Train of Greed October 7, 2008 – There have been more limousines than usual on Capitol Hill over the past couple of weeks. No one wants to be left out of the big bailout for banks and financial institutions. A gravy train this long doesn't roll down the tracks very often, and everyone wants their share of the $700-plus billion that is expected to be doled out of the U.S. treasury in coming years. As I travel across the United States, I always read local newspapers. This summer, as I traveled to the Minnesota and Kansas West annual conferences, the newspapers of America were filled with page after page of mortgage foreclosure notices. The Golden Rule of Political Discourse October 8, 2008, NEW YORK – THE GOLDEN RULE of Ecumenism has brought vastly different Christian traditions together for conversation and action, and the rule should be applied to American politics. The rule: "Try to understand others even as you hope to be understood by them." That simple axiom is a radical critique of an age in which ideological lines are hardening and real dialogue diminishing in the public arena. Church folks, like most Americans, have strong political views, many of them based on the biblical mandate to bring peace, feed the poor, uphold the downtrodden and speak God's truth and justice in all things. We argue all the time about the best ways to fulfill that mandate. But ecumenically-minded Christians start with the assumption that Christians with different ideas are just as committed to Christ as they are. Commentary: Urging Respectfulness in an Election Year October 10, 2008 – TIMEOUT! It's a word I learned from my wife, a public school teacher for many years, used often with young children to bring order out of classroom chaos. In the political chaos of presidential election years in the United States, particularly this year, all of us who love this nation might do well to cry, "TIMEOUT." Asume El Primer Presidente Latinoamericano De La WACC 10 octubre 2008, CIUDAD DEL CABO, Sudáfrica – El acto de clausura del Congreso de la Asociación Mundial para la Comunicación Cristiana (WACC) en esta ciudad del sur de Africa, marca un nuevo tiempo de desafios para los comunicadores y comunicadoras participantes. La Comunicacion es Paz; el lema se repitió en los discursos del Secretario General Randy Naylor y del flamante Presidente, Dennis Smith de Guatemala, primer latinoamericano en ocupar ese puesto. Zubeida Jaffer: Una Historia De Ternura, Dolor Y Coraje 9 octubre 2008 – Zubeida JafferEn su sesión inaugural este lunes 6 de octubre, el congreso de la WACC honró a una nube de testigos, "personas cuyas palabras, acciones y creatividad llamaron la atención mundial sobre los efectos del apartheid." Una de las personas honradas fue Zubeida Jaffer. La elección profesional de Zubeida no fue muy del agrado de su familia. Ser periodista no era la carrera idónea para una joven mujer musulmana en Ciudad del Cabo en la década de 1970. Obispo Tutu: Somos Llamados a Construir La Paz 6 octubre 2008, CIUDAD DEL CABO, Cuba – Nuestra tarea sigue siendo la de construir la paz, declaró Desmond Tutu en la sesión que inauguró el Cuarto Congreso Mundial de la Asociación Mundial para la Comunicación Cristiana (WACC por sus siglas en inglés) que reúne a cerca de trescientos comunicadores en esta ciudad sudafricana. El carismático prelado anglicano, que fuera galardonado con el Premio Nobel de la Paz en 1984, destacó la importancia de la comunicación, a la que calificó como un "derecho humano fundamental, dado por Dios." Europa Y China: Está Cambiando La Relación Entre Religión Y Estado 9 octubre 2008 – La relación en rápido cambio entre religión y estado y el desafío de las identidades múltiples fueron los focos de atención de un diálogo vivo entre diez intelectuales y líderes religiosos chinos y nueve europeos, representantes del Budismo, el Islam, el Cristianismo y las religiones tradicionales chinas, que tuvo lugar el Suecia del 3 al 6 de octubre. La dinámica de las instituciones religiones registradas y el crecimiento de las iglesias en casas en China, la reciente separación de la iglesia y el estado en Suecia, la forma en que la juventud china busca identidades religiosas múltiples, y los desafíos de los cambios demográficos en Europa fueron los temas examinados en debates abiertos y con un intercambio de ideas y experiencias. Temporal Causa Perdidas Humanas Y Materiales 7 octubre 2008, MANAGUA – Dos semanas de intensas lluvias en la costa del Pacífico y la región centro norte por la presencia de una zona de convergencia intertropical han causado 17 ahogados según los informes de la Cruz Roja, bomberos y corresponsales de Radio Cepad, órgano oficial del Consejo de Iglesias Evangélicas Proalianza Denominacional. Los dos últimos ahogados por la crecida de los ríos en 25 Municipios del Pacífico y norte del país son Benardino Amador y Marcos Cruz Sequeira quienes intentaron cruzar un río, siendo arrastrados por las fuertes corrientes. Gunfire Will Not Silence Christian Communicator's Call for Peace October 9, 2008 – Gunfire awakened us at 1:35 this morning. 12 rounds? 15? I was too disoriented to keep track. No screams, no sirens, but we were left wondering who had fired those rounds and why. We live in a middle-middle class neighborhood in Guatemala City – one of the most violent cities in Latin America. Violence has many roots: the persistent legacy of 36 years of civil war; centuries of racism; a polarized economy controlled by a tiny, wealthy elite; endemic violence against women and children. In Guatemala we speak of a culture of violence intimately tied to a culture of impunity. Crown Ministries Urges Church Leaders to Teach on Finances October 5, 2008 – In the two years since it's founding, Taiwan's Crown Financial Ministries has conducted countless seminars on managing finances and helping many believers in the process. Recently, Crown Financial Ministries unveiled its newest book entitled simply "2350." This book collects over 2,350 Bible verses pertaining to managing one's finances. Crown Ministries hopes that the new book will help readers to quickly discern God's will on managing their finances when they encounter financial difficulties in their daily lives. Crown Financial Ministries held a press conference about the new book on September 24th, 2008. During the conference, a simple gift-giving ceremony was conducted by the organization. October 9, 2008, KENYA – Is the media contributing to building peace in Papua New Guinea (PNG)? This is the question Patrick Matbob, a lecturer at Divine Word University in PNG, discussed in an exploration on the topic during WACC Congress PNG is an island country that is the most culturally diverse nation on earth. It is experiencing growing pains such as racial tensions, cultural diversity and poverty. Media is limited. There are two main newspapers each circulating on average 26,000 papers a day, while the weekly papers circulate below 20,000 papers per week. Poverty Attacks Churches in South Africa October 9, 2008, UGANDA – The apartheid system that ended in 1994 is to blame for the devastating effects of poverty and unemployment in South Africa. The result is increased crime, escalating HIV/AIDS cases and family disabilities, according to Rev. Faleni Mzukisi of the Presbyterian Church of Africa in Nyanga, Cape Town. Speaking to participants of the WACC 2008 Congress who visited the Gugulethu Presbyterian Church 8 October, Mzukisi said that although apartheid was a terrible crime against humanity that left people with deep scars, poverty was an even worse crime. |
