Front Page

Barack Obama, 20-year UCC Member, Elected U.S. President

November 5, 2008 – Televised political pundits began to concede victory to Sen. Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election as Ohio and Pennsylvania, crucial "swing" states for both candidates, were won by the democrat from Illinois. The 10pm predictions came to fruition as the west-coast states of Washington, Oregon and California – with a combined 73 electoral votes – all endorsed Obama. Obama's relationships with the UCC came to light nationally as unflattering video clips from his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright – pastor emeritus of Chicago's Trinity UCC, circulated on the Internet in early 2008. Wright's sometimes fiery calls for national repentance and political change were removed from their contexts and compiled into a montage that portrayed his preaching as anti-American.

People of Faith Offer Obama Their Support, Prayers and Challenge

November 5, 2008 – National religious organizations pledged their prayers and support to U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama November 5, while noting the challenges he faces but saying, in the words of one, that people of faith stand "ready to work with you to respond to the realities that a loving God places before us each day." The National Council of Churches (NCC) and Sojourners, a Christian social-justice advocacy group, were among many organizations that placed open letters to Obama or statements on their websites.

Election Day Prompts Online ‘Conversation on Race'

November 3, 2008, WASHINGTON – A series of pre-Election Day commentaries exploring race and racism in the church and U.S. society is featured on the new Web site of the United Methodist racial justice advocacy agency. Titled "A Conversation on Race," the series presents at least 15 commentaries through Nov. 4, with one or two highlighted each day on the home page of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race. As Election Day approached featuring the first African-American major-party nominee, the commission asked about 50 United Methodist lay and clergy leaders of all races to share their observations and opinions from a faith perspective. More than a dozen responded.

Kinnamon and Aykazian Urge Obama to Make Health Care Coverage a Priority

November 7, 2008, NEW YORK – The leaders of the National Council of Churches have urged President-Elect Barack Obama to make health care coverage "a first priority" of his administration. Pointing out that more than 47 million Americans lack health care coverage, NCC President Archbishop Vicken Aykazian and General Secretary Dr. Michael Kinnamon noted that with the economic downturn, "millions more are finding increases in medical co-payments and participation requirements unmanageable or are losing health benefits with the loss of employment."

Jerusalem's Bishop Dawani Seeks to Rebuild Confidence among U.S. Supporters

November 7, 2008 – Bishop Suheil Dawani of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem is visiting the United States for two weeks at the invitation of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, seeking to regenerate confidence in and support for the Middle Eastern diocese's humanitarian ministries. "It is very important to restore the good image of the diocese. We want to work together with our brothers and sisters who pray and care for the work of the church in that land, to invite [visits from] dioceses with companion relationships. It is very important so we can work together to promote peace and reconciliation in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East," said Dawani in an interview with ENS.

United Methodists Receive Licenses for Work in Cuba

November 4, 2008, NEW YORK – After weeks of efforts, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries has been granted two licenses from the U.S. government for relief work in hurricane-ravaged Cuba. The new licenses will allow the United Methodist Committee on Relief to provide both short- and long-term assistance to Cubans affected by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in September. The Rev. Sam Dixon, UMCOR's top executive, was elated that the church's relief organization can finally respond to the destruction. "We rejoice in this news and look forward to this opportunity to be in mission together with the Methodist Church of Cuba," he said in a Nov. 4 press release.

Congratulations to Obama

NCC Letter to President-Elect Barack Obama

November 5, 2008 – Dear Mr. President-Elect: Blessings on you, and congratulations. Now that the electorate has made its decision, we at the National Council of Churches urge all Americans to come together to uphold you with our hands, our hearts and our prayers. Only rarely in our history has a president-elect faced immediate challenges of such fierce magnitude. The leaders of this Council pledge to you our unstinting support in the difficult days to come. All of us are dependent on God's loving mercy, and we will regularly pray for you and others elected to high leadership. May your wisdom and discernment serve you well, and may your health never wane.

Global Lutheran Communion Congratulates U.S. President-Elect

November 7, 2008, CHICAGO – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Rev. Ishmael Noko, LWF general secretary, sent a letter of congratulations Nov. 5 to U.S. Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., on his election to become the 44th president of the United States. Speaking of an "historic moment" for the country, Hanson and Noko commended Obama's passionate commitment to overcoming racial, political, social and economic divisions in the United States. Obama's election is a sign that U.S. Americans share this desire to overcome discrimination, they noted. "It is the affirmation – if not yet the fulfillment – of the struggles and aspirations of generations of the excluded and the marginalized." Obama's victory in the Nov. 4 election has significance not just for the United States but for the entire global human family, the LWF leaders stated.

EPPN Pledges to Work with New Administration to Build a Just World

By Mary Frances Schjonberg, November 06, 2008 – The Episcopal Church's Episcopal Public Policy Network stands ready to work with Barack Obama and Joe Biden "to address the issues before us while seeking to build a world in which God's dream of justice is a reality." That was the message November 6 from the network and the church's Office of Government Relations. EPPN's statement said that Obama's election "represents a significant victory in our nation's long and continuing struggle to heal the wounds of injustice and inequality in our common life." The just society envisioned by the Baptismal Covenant "is not the one we see daily either at home or aboard," EPPN said, adding that Obama and Biden "will have to build on their message of hope and change, heal the wounds of a long and fractious campaign, and work not only across the aisle, but across the nation and the world for a better life for all of God's people."

Church Leaders Welcome Obama, Urge Prayers

November 5, 2008 – The Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell remembers a childhood in which his family gathered around a kitchen radio in their Texas home to cheer on Joe Louis as the African-American heavyweight champion took on white competitors in the boxing ring. On election night on Nov. 4, the 75-year-old Caldwell and his wife, Grace, sat in front of his living room TV in Asbury Park, N.J., to cheer on another black man as Barack Obama sought to win the most powerful government office in the United States, perhaps in the world. "I could not have imagined I'd live long enough to see this," said Caldwell, one day after Obama's election as the 44th president of the United States. "The right to vote has been so important in the struggle for civil rights."

Methodist Bishops Celebrate Election, Pray for Obama

November 5, 2008, ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – With tears, hymns and prayers, a jubilant United Methodist Council of Bishops celebrated the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president, while affirming his vision of change for the nation "based on hope for all the people, especially those who are disinherited and disenfranchised." During their semiannual meeting in St. Simons Island, the clergy leaders hugged and many cried in their opening worship on Nov. 5, one day after Obama became the first African American elected to the top government office in the United States. Holding hands, they sang "My Lord, What a Morning" and the Negro anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing," while many chanted "Yes, we did!"—the phrase echoed during Obama's acceptance speech the night before.

General News

Inauguration of the Calvin ‘09 Year

November 3, 2008 The Calvin ‘09 year which celebrates the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin has been inaugurated in front of the Reformers' Wall in Geneva by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches and the Protestant Church of Geneva. "JohnCalvin is one of the most powerful theologians in history. His work provided the Reformation movement with a first systematization of its thought, which strengthened the movement and helped the churches to organize themselves. Very soon it allowed the ideas of the Reformation to undergo an unprecedented geographical expansion," asserted Thomas Wipf, president of the Council of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches.

Disciples Administrative Committee Hears Report on New Approach for General Assembly Action

November 1, 2008, INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Disciples may have new ways of expressing their views on important moral, ethical or religious issues at General Assembly meetings as part of a report discussed at the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Administrative Committee. The report was among a number of items brought before the fall Administrative Committee meeting. It recommends combining three categories of General Assembly business (Sense of the Assembly Resolutions, Study Documents, and Items for Research and Reflection) into a new category – Call of the Assembly to the Church for Study, Reflection and Action.

CRC Helps Those Dying for Their Faith

November 4, 2008 – In Yemen a group of people meet in secret to worship, whispering their songs of praise. To worship openly would lead to discrimination, imprisonment and even death. Manar is a 19-year-old university student from Yemen who has access to Christian teaching through the radio and Internet ministries of Back to God Ministries International (BTGMI), the murli-media outreach of the Christian Reformed Church. She wrote of the risks she faces: "My brother knows that I believe in Jesus' Gospel, but he tells me that my father will kill me if he finds out. I don't know what to do." According to The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) website, Christians in at least 35 countries face these same risks because of their active witness for Jesus Christ.

Worldwide Lutherans Commemorate Anniversary of Luther's Baptism in Eisleben

November 7, 2008, CHICAGO – The congregations of Lutherstadt Eisleben are celebrating the 525th anniversary of Martin Luther's Baptism Nov. 11, 2008, with a worldwide "Baptism Festival." Martin Luther was born Nov. 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany. As was the custom, Hans and Margarethe Luther brought their son the next day to be baptized at St. Peter Church. Martin Luther went on to become a monk, theologian, university professor, church reformer and "father" of the Protestant Reformation. He preached his last sermon at St. Peter Church before he died Feb. 18, 1546, in Eisleben.

Episcopal Educators to Discuss Economic Challenges at Biennial Gathering
Community Service Is New Component of Conference

November 6, 2008 – A difficult economic scene is on the minds of Episcopal educators as they gather November 6-8 in Tampa, Florida for the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) biennial national conference. According to the Rev. Daniel R. Heischman, NAES executive director, the effect of a possible recession on enrollment and budget tops the list of challenges the teachers, chaplains, heads of school and directors of early childhood programs bring. In an interview, Heischman said that a workshop called "Marketing Your Episcopal School" has enrolled more attendees than any other of the 59 workshop offerings. Sessions on planned giving are also scheduled. Economic challenges aside, Heischman said, "There is still a deep desire to be fed with a spiritual focus on what we do."

Primates Meeting Set for February 2009 in Alexandria, Egypt
Episcopal Church Executive Council Dates Rescheduled

November 7, 2008 – The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East will host the primates and moderators of the Anglican Communion for a February 1-5, 2009 meeting in Alexandria, Egypt. In light of these dates and at the request of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Episcopal Church's Executive Council's January meeting is being rescheduled one day earlier and will now begin on the morning of January 29 and end on January 31. While an agenda for the Primates Meeting is still in its early stages, topics expected to be addressed include the proposed Anglican covenant, the Windsor Process, and international concerns, especially relating to the Millennium Development Goals.

Quincy Members Vote to Leave Episcopal Church, Align with Southern Cone

November 7, 2008, QUINCY, Illinois – A majority of delegates to the 131st annual synod of the Diocese of Quincy voted on November 7 to leave the Episcopal Church and realign the diocese under the jurisdiction of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, which covers the southern portion of South America. The action was carried out by the passing of two resolutions. The first formally annulled accession to "the constitution and canons of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America."

All Involved in Pittsburgh Split Are Saints,
Presiding Bishop Tells Pittsburgh Episcopalians

November 3, 2008 – Preaching to a much-larger-than-usual congregation at Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh on All Saints Sunday, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said that people on all sides of the tension in the Episcopal Church are saints. "There are saints among the folk who voted to leave The Episcopal Church," she said November 2. "There are saints among those who have clearly stayed. There are saints who haven't yet made up their minds. They are saints because they've been baptized into this fractious Body of Christ, and there are saints among them whose holiness of life is abundantly evident. We dishonor them and God when we refuse to see their blessedness."

Editorial Page

Commentary: Can Barack Obama Change the Importance of Race for Us?

November 6, 2008 – I watched the civil rights movement play out largely on nightly television. Brown vs. Brown meant my elementary schoolmates all looked different. But the teachers all looked the same. Housing discrimination was outlawed, enabling black people to move into previously all-white neighborhoods. But when we did, white people left, and so did the quality of our neighborhood services. While my family could shop in the same markets as white people, the store managers didn't seem to mind that the produce was a bit older, the bread a little staler.

Commentary: Beyond a Black and White Election

November 6, 2008 – Watching Barack Obama's victory speech and reflecting upon the significance of his election as the next president of the United States left me profoundly moved. In his gracious concession speech, even Sen. John McCain acknowledged that this was an historic moment, describing Obama's election as a "great thing" for the nation. Newspapers sold out across the country as people snapped up tangible reminders that they were present for this event. The election was the fulfillment of a dream and the beginning of a new chapter in America. This was clearly true when it came to the issue of race.

Spanish News

En El Norte De Uganda Están Dispuestos a Perdonar a Los Rebeldes

6 noviembre 2008 – Con sus calles llenas de ciclistas que transportan equipajes o pasajeros junto a los minibuses, Gulu, en el norte de Uganda, parece tan pacífica como cualquier otra pequeña ciudad africana. Sin embargo sus habitantes, que dicen no desear sino la paz, tienen que ajustar cuentas con un pasado de terribles crímenes cometidos durante 22 años de guerra civil.

Iglesia Luterana De Colombia Se Manifiesta En Contra De Las Bombas De Racimo

4 noviembre 2008, COLOMBIA – La Oficina de Justicia y Vida de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana de Colombia (IELCO) se une a la campaña internacional contra el uso de las bombas de racimo, también conocidas como bombas Cluster. Durante la presente semana, el mundo se une para decirles a los gobiernos, y a los diferentes actores de la guerra, que rechaza el uso de estas armas por el potencial de destrucción que genera en los lugares donde son lanzadas.

Un Grupo De Líderes Evangélicos Fueron Asaltados Y Amenazados

3 noviembre 2008, CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA – La noche del 30 de octubre, después de compartir la cena en un restaurantes de la ciudad capital, el pastor Emerson Morales, el teólogo Angel Román y sus acompañantes, fueron asaltados y golpeados. Según narran los damnificados, al llegar a la casa, fueron abordados por delincuentes que se movilizaban en dos vehículos.Uno de los delincuentes con arma de fuego en mano, golpeó en la cabeza al pastor Morales, quien cayó al suelo.

Espiritualidades Indígenas, Interculturalidad Y Misión Integral En La Agenda La FTL

5 noviembre 2008, LA PAZ, Bolivia – Hace 38 años, en Cochabamba, Bolivia, nació la Fraternidad Teológica Latinoamericana (FTL). A ese primer encuentro en 1970 asistieron 25 teólogos, pastores, profesores de seminarios y evangelistas. Hoy la FTL está esparcida por toda nuestra América Latina, Estados Unidos y España, y la componen personas evangélicas comprometidas con la vida y misión del pueblo de Dios en América Latina y más allá. La FTL, como parte de la Iglesia, fomenta espacios fraternos de diálogo y reflexión bíblico-teológica desde este continente.

Presentan Proyecto De Ley Que Declara El 31 De Octubre
"Día De Las Iglesias Evangélicas Y Protestantes"

7 noviembre 2008, LIMA, Perú – Como era de esperarse, las noticias de la Ley que conmemora la Reforma Protestante y declara el día 31 de octubre como día de las Iglesias Evangélicas en Chile tuvo sus repercusiones en Perú. Por iniciativa de la congresista Karina Beteta Rubí del Partido Unión por el Perú, se presentó ayer, la iniciativa legislativa que propone declarar feriado no laborable compensable el 31 de octubre, declarando "Día Nacional de la Iglesias Evangélicas y Protestantes."

Equipos De Cartas Vivas Son Testigos De La Labor De Reconciliación
De Las Iglesias De Liberia, Sierra Leona Y Sudáfrica

3 noviembre 2008 – En Liberia, Sierra Leona y Sudáfrica, las iglesias han desempeñado un importante papel de reconciliación entre grupos que habían estado enfrentados en un violento conflicto durante varias décadas. Dos equipos ecuménicos internacionales enviados por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias van a visitar los tres países durante dos semanas. Representantes de las iglesias (véase la lista más abajo) de diferentes países africanos, de América del Norte, Asia, el Caribe y Oriente Medio han sido enviados como "cartas vivas" para expresar la solidaridad de la comunidad del CMI, que comprende 349 iglesias de todo el mundo.

Testigos De La Labor De Reconciliación De Las Iglesias De Liberia, Sierra Leona Y Sudáfrica

5 noviembre 2008, GINEBRA, Suiza – En Liberia, Sierra Leona y Sudáfrica, las iglesias han desempeñado un importante papel de reconciliación entre grupos que habían estado enfrentados en un violento conflicto durante varias décadas. Dos equipos ecuménicos internacionales enviados por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias van a visitar los tres países durante dos semanas. Representantes de las iglesias de diferentes países africanos, de América del Norte, Asia, el Caribe y Oriente Medio han sido enviados como "cartas vivas" para expresar la solidaridad de la comunidad del CMI, que comprende 349 iglesias de todo el mundo.

La Ley De Salud Sexual Y Reproductiva a Mitad De Camino Entre El Veto,
La Excomunión, Y La Libertad

7 noviembre 2008, MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – La Cámara de Diputados de Uruguay sancionó este martes la Ley de Salud Sexual y Reproductiva. La normativa contempla la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo en las primeras 12 semanas de gestación. La iniciativa aún debe pasar por el Senado, y pesa sobre ella el derecho a veto del Presidente, que ya anticipó su uso. La iglesia Católica amenazó con la excomunión, y la Metodista reiteró que acompaña el derecho a decidir de cada ser humano.

Human Rights News

Lutherans Examine Human Rights to Seek a World Free from Violence

November 7, 2008 – To envision a world free from violence, about 25 Lutherans and other Christians examined the origins and principles of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" at an Oct. 30-31 consultation on human rights. The declaration was adopted Dec. 10, 1948, by the General Assembly of the United Nations; 2008 marks its 60th anniversary.

National News

California Voters Approve Gay Marriage Ban
Episcopal Bishops Had Jointly Opposed Proposition 8

November 5, 2008, LOS ANGELES – After one of the costliest, most rancorous and divisive campaigns in state history, California voters on November 4 narrowly approved Proposition 8, a ban on same-sex marriage. In a setback to gay rights advocates, 52 percent of California voters agreed to amend the state constitution to say that, "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." With 95 percent of precincts reporting Wednesday, the ban received 5,125,752 votes in favor, to 4,725,313 against. It was not immediately clear what effect the vote would have on gay couples who are already married.

Kieschnick Lauds Pro-Marriage Votes

November 5, 2008 – LCMS President Gerald B. Kieschnick Nov. 5 congratulated the people of California, Arizona, and Florida for their successful efforts to preserve traditional marriage for the good of civil society and for the protection of children. Voters in all three states Nov. 4 approved amendments to their state constitutions that define marriage as between one man and one woman and that ban recognition of same-sex marriages.

Ballot Initiatives Draw United Methodist Advocacy

November 7, 2008 – Ballot initiatives on hot-button issues such as same-sex marriage, casino gambling and state income taxes drew the attention of United Methodists this U.S. election season. United Methodists in Arkansas were dismayed that an amendment to the state constitution to start a state-run lottery won voter approval by a two-to-one margin. In a statement issued on election night, United Methodists Against Gambling and the church's Arkansas Conference expressed deep regret about the outcome. "We felt, and continue to feel, that a state-run lottery is not in the best interest of the people of Arkansas," the statement said.

International News

Six Hundred Thousand Protesters Attend October 25 Rally

November 2, 2008 – Members from the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan were among the six-hundred thousand protesters who attended the October 25 rally. They chanted "victory for Taiwan!" as they marched along with other protesters. Their cries must have touched the heart of fellow protesters because many of them waved their Taiwan flags or gave a thumbs-up sign in return. One person told the group representing the PCT, "When I see you stand up for this country, I believe there is still hope for Taiwan."

Christian Students Say U.N. Sidesteps Country's Crisis

October 31, 2008, HARARE, Zimbabwe– Christian students in Zimbabwe have accused the United Nations of taking a soft stance towards their country's human rights record while insisting that only the world body can resolve the southern African nation's political and economic crises. "The crisis in Zimbabwe is worsening each day. Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front dictators are becoming more and more arrogant and yet the world's biggest institution is not taking any action," the Student Christian Movement of Zimbabwe (SCMZ) said in a statement on October 28.

Middle East News

Training on Torture Prevention in Detention Centers

November 5, 2008 – The Middle East Council of Churches Diakonia and Social Justice Unit organized a training workshop on "Torture Prevention in Detention Centers," which was held in Beirut from 14 -16 October, 2008. The workshop focused on the Implementation of Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel (OPCAT) in Lebanon and the establishment of National Preventive Mechanisms. "The Prevention of Torture in Detention Centers" training workshop was run in collaboration with the National Bar Association for Human Rights Institute, together with experts from Association for the Prevention of Torture – APT, Geneva and concerned actors in Lebanon.

MECC Trains on Nursing Skills

November 5, 2008 – The Middle East Council of Churches Unit on Education & Leadership Development (ELD)/Women Program in Egypt (ELD) organized a training workshop in Beit Eil – the Nile Delta of Cairo – Egypt (16 – 19 October) on "improving the performance of various nursing skills." The workshop was organized in cooperation with nursing associations and people such as Dr Khalil Anton.