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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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December 6, 2008, BELGRADE, Serbia – Criminals broke windows, scrawled threats on walls and destroyed private property at five Seventh-day Adventist churches in Serbia in November, prompting church leaders in the region to appeal to the international community for help. The latest acts of violence came after a year of escalating crimes against Adventists in Serbia, according to a statement released by church leaders in the South-East European region. "We acquainted the ... authorities with these happenings, and because incidents like these are happening repeatedly, we decided that the measures taken are not efficient nor they are providing protection and safety to the church members and assets," president for the Adventist Church in South-East Europe Miodrag Zivanovic said in the appeal sent out Friday. Living Letters Team Returns from Pakistan with Concern for the Christian Minority December 8, 2008 – The Mumbai terrorist attacks and an IMF agreement that will negatively impact the poor set the tone for a World Council of Churches (WCC) Living Letters team visit to Pakistan from 24 November to 1 December. The ecumenical team of church representatives from the United States, Armenia and the Netherlands came to Pakistan in order to learn about the role of the church in a multi-religious society struggling with extremism and intolerance, and to express the solidarity of the WCC fellowship, which includes 349 churches worldwide, with Pakistan's Christians. WCC Delegation at UN Conference Calls for Faith in the Feasibility of Climate Justice December 12, 2008 – In a statement to the plenary of high-level segment of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in PoznaŸ, Poland on Friday, 12 December, a delegation representing the World Council of Churches (WCC) will tell government representatives that a "much more principle-based approach is crucial for reaching an effective and equitable global climate policy regime built on the ethical imperatives of justice, equity and solidarity." The statement, which calls for good use of the remaining small "window of opportunity" to limit the extent and prevent the most detrimental impacts of climate change on nature, societies, economies and development opportunities, will be presented by Archbishop Anders Wejryd, primate of the Church of Sweden. Presiding Bishop's Christmas Message 2008 December 8, 2008 – Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has issued the following message for Christmas 2008. Spanish and Portuguese translations follow. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it (John 1:5). The world settles into winter, at least in the northern hemisphere, and life to many seems increasingly bleak. Foreclosures, layoffs, government bailouts and financial failures, continuing war on two fronts, terrorist attacks, murders of some identified only by their faith – this world is in abundant need of light. NCC Eco-Justice Staff Named WCC ‘Blessed Peacemakers' December 5, 2008, WASHINGTON – The National Council of Churches' Eco-Justice staff are recipients of the 2008 "Blessed Are the Peacemakers" award of the U.S. Conference for the World Council of Churches. The WCC's U.S. Conference bestows the awards annually as a part of its Decade to Overcome Violence program to recognize persons making an impact for peace locally, nationally and globally. The Eco-Justice staff joined four other award recipients at the U.S. Conference annual meeting here during a banquet in Washington's historic National City Christian Church. Board OKs Corporation for New LCMS School in Hanoi December 12, 2008 – The Synod's Board of Directors, meeting Nov. 20-21 in Indian Wells, Calif., authorized forming a corporation in Vietnam to open a new LCMS international school in Hanoi. This would be the third LCMS international school in Asia. The others are Concordia International School Shanghai (CISS) and Hong Kong International School (HKIS) – both of which have experienced steady growth as they serve their local and international communities. In an application to the Vietnamese government, the name for the school project that is being submitted for approval is Concordia International School Hanoi. ELCA Begins Development of a Social Statement on Criminal Justice December 12, 2008 – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is preparing a social statement on criminal justice that will develop biblical and theological themes and allow it to address such issues as the cost of incarceration and rehabilitation for people convicted of a crime. The ELCA task force charged with developing the social statement met for the first time Dec. 5-6 in Chicago. Goals of the meeting included receiving input from specialists, identifying a time line for the task force's work and understanding the process that leads to an ELCA social statement. "I think that we as a society continue to have enormous injustices occurring within our juvenile (and) criminal justice systems," said Cynthia Osborne, chair of the task force and vice president of strategic initiatives and program development, Lutheran Services in America, Baltimore. December 11, 2008, NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Internet Ministries and the Orthodox Marketplace are pleased to announce the launch of the Free On-line Bookstore program, which provides parishes with an on-line bookstore at no cost. The free program is available to all parishes in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and is intended to enhance each parish's ministry by providing their parishioners with an on-line resource for books, icons, music, DVDs and gifts related to the Orthodox Christian faith and life. Acclaimed National Lutheran Choir Performs Christmas Concert in St. Louis December 12, 2008 – Our readers who live in or will be traveling to the LCMS International Center's hometown this Christmas may want to check out the National Lutheran Choir's first-ever St. Louis performance of its Christmas Festival. The Christmas Festival will be held at Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust Street, St. Louis, Mo., Saturday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m. This is not your typical Christmas concert. Choir members will move throughout the concert, singing from all corners of the cathedral. This 22-year tradition provides a memorable holiday experience for the whole family. Christmas Eve Special Reflects Meaning of Jesus' Birth December 10, 2008 – Music and reflections about the meaning of the birth of Jesus Christ are highlights of a Christmas Eve television special from the National Council of Churches. "Voices of Christmas," which will air at 11:35 p.m. EST on Christmas Eve on the CBS television network (check local listings), also celebrates 100 years of Christian ecumenism in the United States by spotlighting some of the NCC's 35 member denominations, including The United Methodist Church. The Rev. Michael Kinnamon, the NCC's top executive and program host, declares that Jesus is more than just a child in a manager. "He is also the one who gives us hope for the future, calls us to care for the weak and the outcast, asks us to speak truth to power when it veers out of control, and gives us a creation that requires delicate care and evokes our wonder." WCC Invites Applications for Top Executive Position December 10, 2008 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) has invited member churches and ecumenical partners to nominate candidates for the position of general secretary of the organization. The deadline for applications is 28 February 2009. The general secretary – man or woman – is the organization's chief executive officer and serves as a spokesperson for the council. He or she is charged with the responsibility to interpret and promote the strategic vision of the WCC. An active lay or ordained member of one of the member churches of the WCC, the general secretary is expected to be a gifted, skilled and experienced Christian theologian and leader with deep spiritual discernment grounded in scripture and prayer. Equipo De Cartas Vivas Vuelve De Pakistán Con Preocupación Por La Minoría Cristiana 11 diciembre 2008 – Los ataques terroristas en Mumbai y un acuerdo con el FMI que influirá negativamente en los pobres marcan la visita efectuada por el equipo de Cartas Vivas del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) a Pakistán, del 24 de noviembre al 1 de diciembre. El equipo ecuménico, integrado por representantes de iglesias de los Estados Unidos, Armenia y los Países Bajos, llegó a Pakistán con el fin de informarse sobre la función de la iglesia en una sociedad multirreligiosa que lucha con el extremismo y la intolerancia, y para expresar la solidaridad con los cristianos de Pakistán de la comunidad del CMI, integrada por 349 iglesias en todo el mundo. El CMI Invita a Presentar Solicitudes Al Puesto De Máximo Responsable 11 diciembre 2008 – El Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) ha invitado a las iglesias miembros y a los asociados ecuménicos a presentar candidatos al puesto de secretario general de la organización. El plazo para la presentación de solicitudes expira el 28 de febrero de 2009. El secretario general – hombre o mujer – es el jefe ejecutivo de la organización y actúa como portavoz del Consejo. Tiene la responsabilidad de interpretar y promover la visión estratégica del CMI. El Patriarca Alexis II: Una Voz Poderosa, Constructiva Y Crítica 8 diciembre 2008 – Con "profundo dolor" los miembros de la Mesa del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), que estaban reunidos la semana pasada en Ginebra, recibieron la noticia del fallecimiento del Patriarca de Moscú y todas las Rusias, Alexis II. Alexis II falleció el 5 de diciembre en su residencia a las afueras de Moscú, a la edad de 79 años. El patriarca había presidido la Iglesia Ortodoxa Rusa desde 1990. Esta iglesia cuenta entre sus fieles a la mayoría de los 142,5 millones de personas a que asciende la población de Rusia. Preparando La Espiritualidad De La Convocatoria Internacional Ecuménica Por La Paz 11 diciembre 2008, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Del 30 de noviembre al 7 de diciembre, un grupo de 10 representantes de diversas tradiciones cristianas junto a personal del Área de Culto y Espiritualidad del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias se reunieron en la ciudad de Saydnaya, Siria El objetivo de este segundo encuentro del grupo fue planificar cada una de las actividades relacionadas con la "vida espiritual" de la Convocatoria, que tendrá lugar DEL 17 al 25 de mayo de 2011, en la ciudad jamaiquina de Kingston. Preocupación Ecuménica Por La Situación De La Minoría Cristiana En Paquistán 12 diciembre 2008, GINEBRA, Suiza – Los ataques terroristas en Mumbai y un acuerdo con el FMI que influirá negativamente en los pobres marcan la visita efectuada por el equipo de Cartas Vivas del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) a Pakistán, del 24 de noviembre al 1 de diciembre. El equipo ecuménico, integrado por representantes de iglesias de los Estados Unidos, Armenia y los Países Bajos, llegó a Pakistán con el fin de informarse sobre la función de la iglesia en una sociedad multirreligiosa que lucha con el extremismo y la intolerancia, y para expresar la solidaridad con los cristianos de Pakistán de la comunidad del CMI, integrada por 349 iglesias en todo el mundo. Representantes De Diversos Credos Alertan Sobre El Grave Deterioro De Contenidos Televisivos 9 diciembre 2008, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Representantes de distintos credos religiosos manifestaron en varias instancias públicas en las últimas semanas, su preocupación y alarma social por el grave deterioro de los contenidos de la televisión y el efecto nocivo que conlleva esa situación. La Mesa de Televisión y Valores, que integran miembros de las religiones católica, judía, musulmana y evangélica de la Argentina, junto con organizaciones civiles, lanzó un diagnóstico preocupante y reclamó un cumplimiento más estricto del horario de protección al menor. Cuando Se Les Priva De Su Niñez: Niños Como Servidores Domésticos En Haití 11 diciembre 2008 – En la lengua criolla de Haití se les llama "restaveks" (del francés rester avec – quedarse con) porque viven con una familia que no es la suya. Más que niños acogidos, son como esclavos en sus familias de acogida. Entre 180.000 y 300.000 niños – la cifra varía según la fuente – trabajan en Haití como servidores domésticos. Entre el 8 y 10 por ciento de los haitianos de menos de 18 años se hallan en esta situación en que se les priva de sus derechos básicos. Forced Migration Tops Human Rights Violations List Says CWS December 9, 2008, NEW YORK CITY – As the world greets the sixtieth International Human Rights Day (Dec. 10), increasing waves of forced human migrations are being cited by international humanitarian agency Church World Service as a major violation of human rights in the twenty-first century. CWS Executive Director and CEO John L. McCullough says the increase in large groups of people being forced from their homelands and dispersed "is by and large the result of human actions, whether due to conflict or climate change." The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there are more than 25 million people displaced worldwide and that 13 million of them are displaced within the borders of their own countries. December 10, 2008, LOUISVILLE – New Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons has written to new U.S. President Barack Obama assuring him that Presbyterians are praying for him and urging him not to let the current economic crisis overshadow "the issues of ordinary people." In his Dec. 1 letter, Parsons told Obama that "offering encouragement is something that Presbyterians have done to each of the forty-three Presidents who preceded you." And Parsons included with his letter a prayer written by Augustine of Hippo 1,600 years ago, expressing the assurance of God's presence even in the most difficult of situations. New Adventist Church in Kiev Cements Christian Presence, Leaders Say December 6, 2008, KIEV, Ukraine – A new Seventh-day Adventist church in Ukraine's capital city Kiev has provided more than just a new place to worship. After decades of struggling with limited religious freedoms, Adventists say last month's opening of the Podol Adventist Church in Kiev marks their place in the Orthodox country. For years, government officials wouldn't allow Adventists to build a permanent structure within city limits, church leaders said. But a proposed church that blended into the area with similar architecture as other churches was finally permitted two years ago. Former South African President H.E. Thabo Mbeki to Address December 11, 2008, MAPUTO, Mozambique – Former Republic of South African President H.E. Thabo Mbeki will tomorrow, Friday 12th December 2008 starting 2.00 pm, give the closing address to mark the end of the ninth General Assembly of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), at the Plenary Hall of the Joaquim Chissano International Conference Centre. His speech titled "Call of Africa to the African Church" will be delivered to the estimated 1,400 delegates and other participants who have for the last one week been deliberating on issues related to the continent and the Africa church. When Childhood Is Denied: Underage Domestic Servants in Haiti December 9, 2008 – In Haitian Creole they are called "restaveks" (from French rester avec- to stay with) because they live with a family that is not their own. Rather than foster children, they are like slaves to their host families. 180.000 to 300.000 children in Haiti – the number varies with the source – work as domestic servants. Between 8 and 10 percent of Haitians under the age of 18 are in this situation which denies them basic rights. These children represent the most vulnerable social sector in a country plagued by dire poverty, huge ecological degradation, blatant corruption and recurrent political instability. ELCA's Support Prompts Other Lutherans to Address Zimbabwe's Food Crisis December 10, 2008, CHICAGO – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) financial response to Zimbabwe's swelling food crisis is prompting other church bodies to contribute, according to the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director, ELCA Global Mission. He said Lutheran churches in Nigeria and South Africa and organizations that focus on hunger are now sending food and funds to Zimbabwe. The economic, political and social decline in Zimbabwe has taken a toll on the country's food supply and medical institutions, particularly four hospitals of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ). ‘Don't Leave it All to the BBC,' Churches Argue December 8, 2008 – Leaving the BBC as the sole provider of public service media could lower media standards and provide less meaningful news, information and other content, the Church of England and the Catholic Conference of Bishops in England and Wales warned today in their joint response to Ofcom's Second Consultation on Public Service Broadcasting. Speaking about their submission, The Rt Revd Nicholas Baines, the Anglican Bishop of Croydon and the Rt Revd John Arnold, the Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, are quick to point out that they are not attacking the BBC, but simply supporting an increasingly well understood factor of broadcasting in Britain today. UMCOR Launches New Response to Zimbabwe Crisis December 12, 2008 – The United Methodist Committee on Relief has launched a multi-pronged plan to respond to the dire humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. A severe food shortage and cholera epidemic, combined with the world's highest inflation rate of more than 2 million percent, has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. An immediate distribution of food and additional support for United Methodist hospitals will begin to alleviate the suffering of thousands of people in the days ahead. Providing clean water in Nyadire and additional long-term projects are part of UMCOR's future plans in the African nation. Pakistani Christians, Service in the Midst of Conflict December 10, 2008 – Pakistani Christian communities confronted with the presence of the Taliban and Al-Qaida serve their Muslim neighbors in an unfriendly environment. Christians in the North Western Frontier Province of Pakistan find themselves in the midst of a complex conflict involving regional and global powers. With Pakistani government security forces fighting Taliban from within the country and Al-Qaida militants from beyond it, the border to Afghanistan is not much more than a demarcation line on the map. In the mountainous landscape extremists can roam freely. Police Called to Incident Involving Former Jerusalem Bishop's Spouse December 8, 2008 – A contentious relationship between the current and former bishops of Jerusalem led to an incident at the diocesan headquarters December 4 involving Suad Abu El-Assal, the spouse of retired Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal, who "went into a uncontrollable tirade causing destruction to office furnishings, hurling verbal assaults and inflicting physical damage to staff trying to restrain her," a diocesan news release said. Tribute to a Leader of Great Faithfulness During Significant Change in Russian Society and Church December 9, 2008, GENEVA – His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II of the Russian Orthodox Church "was a rock of great faithfulness and stability" during years of great challenge and change in his country and church, said Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in a letter of condolence to the church's Moscow Patriarchate, following the patriarch's death on 5 December. The LWF general secretary paid tribute to Alexei II, patriarch since 1990 until his death at the age of 79, for providing crucial leadership for both the Russian Orthodox Church and the country through difficult times. December 12, 2008, LOUISVILLE – James (Randy) Ackley, whose 14 years with the American Red Cross (ARC) included heading up that agency's response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, has been named coordinator for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance [www.pcusa.org/pda] (PDA) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He begins his new work here Dec. 15. In a Dec. 10 press release announcing the appointment, PDA said Ackley "brings a wealth of experience in both national and international disaster response and preparedness work with the ARC. |
