Front Page

Kinnamon Calls on Obama, Napolitano to Signal a New Day in Immigrations Policy

March 5, 2009, NEW YORK – Forty-five days into the Obama Administration, the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches is asking for signs that the promised new day in immigrations policy is here. The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon issued the appeal after reports that an immigration enforcement raid on a family-owned engine plant in Bellingham, Wash. resulted in the arrest of 28 employees suspected of being illegal immigrants. The raid, reminiscent of actions routinely carried out by immigrations officials during the Bush Administration, apparently took place without the knowledge of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who said she was investigating the incident. Last November, a resolution by the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service, called on the government to end indiscriminate immigration raids on places of employment.

Lutherans Join Antipoverty Coalition ‘Mobilization to End Poverty'

March 4, 2009, WASHINGTON – On April 26-29 a coalition of faith-based organizations, churches and global antipoverty groups will convene here at The Mobilization to End Poverty. Thousands of Christian and antipoverty leaders will engage in education, worship and activism at the event, most of which will be held at the Washington Convention Center.

Kenyan Katina to Discuss Water Conflicts at Advocacy Gathering

March 3, 2009, NEW YORK – Deborah Katina, coordinator of Church World Service-supported Yang'at in Kenya, will speak on water as both a life sustainer and a conflict creator at the March 13-16 Ecumenical Advocacy Days gathering of faith-based advocates outside Washington, D.C. The conference will be held at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel in Alexandria, Va. Katina and the Yang'at organization are helping people in dry, rural communities in the West Pokot region of Kenya and Uganda develop clean water resources for human consumption and for livestock. The new water supplies have served to ease fighting between people from the two communities who cross borders to poach water from each other.

NCC Leaders Warmly Received by Chinese Church Leaders;
Promise Mutual Prayers and a ‘Deeper Working Relationship'

March 5, 2009, SHANGHAI, China – The president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches, in a historic first, have traveled to China to affirm with Chinese Christian leaders a mutual desire to engage in an "even deeper working relationship that allows us to consult regularly with one another and to speak and act together in response to contemporary issues." H.E. Archbishop Vicken Aykazian and the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon met here February 26 with leaders of the China Christian Council (CCC) and the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches in China (TSPM). It was the first time an NCC president and general secretary have traveled together to China.

Church and Society Leader Joins Civil Rights Pilgrimage

March 6, 2009 – Jim Winkler, top executive with The United Methodist Church's social action agency, will be joining a congressional civil rights pilgrimage to Alabama, March 6-8, sponsored by the Faith and Politics Institute. This will be the ninth pilgrimage sponsored by the institute to sites in Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma with civil rights leaders and historians. The delegation will be led by Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga.), Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) and Artus Davis (D-Ala.). Winkler serves on the board of the Faith and Politics Institute, which is a nonpartisan ministry based in the United Methodist Building in Washington. The group works to cultivate civility and respect among members of Congress, he said.

Ethicists Examine Authenticity of Public Apologies

March 5, 2009 – Are the recent public apologies heard from celebrities, athletes, government official and others accused of wrongdoing sincere or manufactured by publicists trying to minimizing the damage? United Methodist ethicists and others answer the question with a yes and a no. "I fear that apologies have become techniques for diminishing the consequences of behaviors that are destructive and damaging," said Bishop Kenneth Carder, professor of the practice of Christian ministry at United Methodist-related Duke Divinity School.

General News

Lutherans Chart a New Plan for Evangelism

March 4, 2009, CHICAGO – As a mainline denomination, the 4.7 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is engaging in an effort to start new congregations and strengthen its existing 10,448 congregations across the country. Each of the ELCA's 65 synods is creating a mission strategy unique to its regional settings, that brings together congregations and unite them in serving their communities, said the Rev. Stephen Bouman, executive director, ELCA Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission (EOCM). "All mission is local, and mission is about relationship," he said. "Every person is a missionary, every pastor is a mission director, and every congregation is a mission station for the sake of the world," Bouman said.

Lutherans Embrace ‘Homeless' Man Who Embodied Christ's Love

March 4, 2009, CHICAGO – John Breaux raced to open doors for strangers. He left flowers on the doorsteps of people in need of cheer. He shoveled snow for others, carried grocery bags for shoppers and brought food to people in need. Not for pay, but out of kindness. Children called him "Jesus" because of his good deeds and happy-go-lucky manner. Breaux pedaled his bike dozens of miles daily, picking up litter along roadsides in a one-man effort to keep Colorado beautiful. "He'd appear out of nowhere and pull the weeds from my yard," said Helen MacDonald, 71, a member of Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, Louisville, Colo. "He just loved to help people."

Children's Disaster Services Offers Workshop in Fort Wayne, Indiana

March 5, 2009, ELGIN, IL – Children's Disaster Services is offering a Level I Workshop as a training event for volunteers, in Fort Wayne, Ind., on April 3-4. The event will take place at Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren (2810 Beacon St., Fort Wayne; 260-482-8595). Children's Disaster Services is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren, working since 1980 in cooperation with the American Red Cross and FEMA to offer services for children and their families following disasters. The program trains volunteers to provide a calm, safe, and reassuring present in the midst of the chaos that follows disasters by setting up and operating special child care centers in disaster locations.

Lutherans Purchase ‘Eco-Palms' for Palm Sunday

March 6, 2009 – More than 300 million palm fronds are harvested each year for use in the United States, mostly for Palm Sunday worship and floral displays for church-related events, according to Lutheran World Relief (LWR), Baltimore. But the overproduction of palms threatens forests and the livelihoods of families who harvest palms in Guatemala, Mexico and elsewhere. Typically, palm harvesting is done by residents hired by local contractors who sell palms to large floral export firms. Payment is based on volume, so harvesters are motivated to gather a large quantity of palms, risking the rapid depletion of forests.

Pastoral Visitors Briefing Seminar

March 2, 2009 – Following the Report of the Windsor Continuation Group to the Archbishop of Canterbury (which was published at the Primates Meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, in February 2009) the initial group of Pastoral Visitors called for by the Windsor Continuation Group in their Report and commended by the Primates Meeting in their CommuniquÈ (para 15) met for a briefing session at Virginia Theological Seminary from 25-28 February.

Hot Wheels: Skateboarding Ministry Revitalizes Cimarron Presbytery Congregation

March 5, 2009, LOUISVILLE – Several years ago, unbeknownst to them, the members of First United Presbyterian Church of Guthrie, OK, had the very group they desired to include in their congregation right in their midst. Members were keenly aware that the church lacked the presence and vitality of young people that it needed to thrive, and they voiced a concern to their new pastor at the time, the Rev. Karen Rogers. "They kept saying, ‘Where are the youth?'" Rogers said her parishioners asked her repeatedly after her arrival in 2002. About the same time, Rogers said she began noticing a group of kids gathering after school in the church parking lot. She could hear the kids outside her study window and they were skateboarding.

World Mission Challenge Connects Presbyteries with Mission Workers
Emphasis on Partnership Reflects Essence of Mission

March 5, 2009, LOUISVILLE – Gary Payton has traveled as far away as Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Poland in his work as a mission co-worker. But this fall, his travel will be limited to the States. That's because Payton, regional liaison for those four countries, will be one of dozens of mission workers within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) participating in the 2009 World Mission Challenge. The challenge is a "churchwide blitz," according to an event brochure. From Sept.25-Oct. 18, mission workers will travel from presbytery to presbytery, sharing with other Presbyterians about international mission work and how they can support it. The challenge will end with the World Mission Celebration, an educational and networking event Oct. 21-24 in Cincinnati.

Conference Will Focus on Peace in Time of Crisis

March 3, 2009, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a time of economic uncertainty, it may seem surprising or even foolish to offer a conference on the frontiers of Christian spirituality. Yet perhaps the need for "A River Deep and Wide: Christian Spiritual Practices for the 21st Century" is greater than ever, according to the Rev. Jerry Haas, director of the Academy for Spiritual Formation and Emerging Ministries at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. Participants attending the April 20-25 event at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville will be encouraged to open themselves up to see, hear and be in dialogue with others, while experiencing the spiritual wealth available in today's world of diversity, he said.

Editorial Page

What Happens When the Bush Stops Burning?

March 5, 2009, RALEIGH, NC – I remember very well the day of commencement from Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary. I was graduating with honors. I had a master's degree from Union Theological Seminary-Presbyterian School of Christian Education. I was definitely ready to serve a congregation and was energized to do ministry. The commencement speaker that day was the Rev. Renita Weems, former professor of Old Testament at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Her message was entitled, "What Happens When the Bush Stops Burning?" from the call of Moses in Exodus 3. She asked us, "What will you do in-between the first time you heard from God and the next time you do?"

Spanish News

La Iglesia Anglicana De América Central Carente De Vocaciones

5 marzo 2009, SAN SALVADOR – "La falta de vocación sacerdotal en una dificultad que enfrentan todas las iglesias…ésta no es una carrera comercial" opinaron los sacerdotes anglicanos Miguel Palacios y Jorge Urrutia al expresar su descontento con esa realidad. "No solo tenemos pocas vocaciones sino a veces tenemos deficiencia en el clero," reiteró Palacios, quien además dirige el Centro Anglicano de Estudios Teológicos Superiores (CAETS), por lo que explicó que esa Iglesia trabaja en la formación de formadores eclesiales y refuerza en áreas como Biblia, Teología, Liturgia, Historia Eclesiástica y Anglicanismo, pero aún no es suficiente.

Acariciemos El Sueño De La Iglesia Anglicana De Las Américas, Dice El Obispo Barahona

2 marzo 2009, SAN JOSÉ DE LAS LAJAS, Costa Rica – "Necesitamos una América unida, solidaria y comprometida con los valores del Reino de Dios"; dijo el Obispo Martín Barahona, Primado de la Iglesia Anglicana en America Central, con ocasión de celebrarse un encuentro entre máximas autoridades de la Iglesia Anglicana del continente americano en Costa Rica. "Encuentro de Iglesias de América para reflexión de responsabilidad mutua por la misión "es el lema de una conclave que se celebra en San José y Alajuela de Costa Rica, cuyo objetivo es fortalecer y coincidir en el mandato de Cristo que dice: "ir a las gentes de todas las naciones para predicarles las buenas nuevas y hacerlas discípulos."

Iglesias De Cuba Interceden Ante El Presidente Barack Obama

4 marzo 2009, LA HABANA, Cuba – El Consejo de Iglesias de Cuba envió una carta abierta al presidente de los Estados Unidos Barack Obama donde se pide que intervenga, se haga intercesión, a favor del pastor afroamericano Lucius Walker, director de la Fundación Interreligiosa para la Organización de la Comunidad, al que se quiere procesar por su espontánea ayuda al pueblo cubano, desafiando el "embargo" implantado a Cuba por pasadas administraciones estadounidenses.

Conforman La Mesa Nacional CLAI Con Múltiples Desafios Sociales Y Ecuménicos

3 marzo 2009, QUITO, Ecuador – En un paso importante para la conformación de la Mesa Nacional Ecuador del Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI), las iglesias y organismos miembros del Consejo en este país se reunieron el jueves 26 de febrero. Estuvieron presentes representantes de la Iglesia Metodista, de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana, del Consejo de Pueblos y Organizaciones Indígenas Evangélicas del Ecuador (FEINE), y de la Iglesia Episcopal. La reunión fue el seguimiento de un proceso que empezó con una convocatoria más amplia del 22 de enero en donde iglesias y organizaciones nacionales señalaron retos y oportunidades desde la coyuntura nacional.

El Mundo Parece Inmune a La Peste De La Violencia Contra La Mujer Dice La Alianza Reformada

5 marzo 2009, GINEBRA, Suiza – La crisis económica está poniendo en mayor riesgo de violencia a las mujeres, sin embargo, el mundo está poniendomenos atención a sus necesidades, dice la organización de la iglesia reformada mundial. En una declaración emitida para conmemorar el Día Internacional de la Mujer (8 de marzo), la Alianza Mundial de Iglesias Reformadas (WARC por sus siglas en inglés) expresa su preocupación porque los delitos violentos contra las mujeres, en particular la violación y la violencia doméstica, van en aumento, al mismo tiempo que el apoyo a programas para proteger a la mujer está en peligro.

Mujeres Del Pacífico Inspiran El Día Mundial De Oración 2009

4 marzo 2009 – Papua Nueva Guinea ha sido la inspiración y la motivación para la Jornada Mundial de Oración, que se celebrará el viernes 6 en todo el mundo. Las mujeres de las siete iglesias del país del Pacífico Sur se refleja en el tema "Somos muchos miembros, pero un solo cuerpo." Integrado por más de 600 islas, en los 462,8 mil kilómetros cuadrados, Papua Nueva Guinea cuenta con 6 millones de habitantes, de los cuales la mitad tienen menos de 18 años.

La Teología Está De Luto. Falleció Marcella Althaus Reid

3 marzo 2009, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – El 20 de febrero falleció Marcella Althaus-Reid, teóloga argentina, egresada del ISEDET en la década del 90 y actualmente profesora de Etica en la Universidad de Edimburgo, Escocia. Tenía 51 años; fue miembro de la Iglesia Evangélica Metodista Argentina y actualmente era miembro de la Iglesia Cuáquera en Escocia. El rector del ISEDET, Dr. Pablo Andiñach, en un mail donde comunicaba el fallecimiento, expresaba: "Su libro titulado "Teología indecente" es una invitación a replantearnos muchos de nuestros pensamientos que damos por incuestionables.

Un Equipo De "Cartas Vivas" Visitará Israel Y Palestina

5 marzo 2009 – Iniciativas por la paz y cuestiones de vivienda y educación serán puestas de relieve cuando un equipo internacional de representantes ecuménicos visite iglesias, organizaciones ecuménicas y movimientos de la sociedad civil en Israel y Palestina del 7 al 14 de marzo. Organizada por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) como parte de la iniciativa de "cartas vivas," la visita refleja el interés del CMI por esta región aquejada de problemas, donde la presencia y el testimonio constantes de las iglesias son decisivos en la búsqueda de una paz justa.

Human Rights News

Baha'i International Community Sends Letter to Iran's Chief Prosecutor

March 6, 2009, NEW YORK – The Baha'i International Community has issued an open letter to Iran's prosecutor general outlining the tragic history of the persecution of Baha'is in that country, explaining their innocence in the face of accusations made by the government, and asking for fairness in any upcoming trial of seven Baha'i prisoners. Sent late yesterday by email to Ayatollah Qorban-Ali Dorri-Najafabadi, the letter also suggests that the government's continued oppression of Baha'is will ultimately have a wide impact on Iranian society as a whole.

Iran May Free Imprisoned Journalist, ELCA College Alumna

March 6, 2009, CHICAGO – A Lutheran college alumna working as a journalist in Tehran may soon be released from an Iran prison where she's been held since late January, according to March 6 news reports quoting an Iranian official. Roxana Saberi, 31, is slated to deliver the May commencement address at her alma mater – Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn. Concordia is one of 28 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). "We have her in our prayers," said Dr. Pamela M. Jolicoeur, Concordia president. For the past six years Saberi worked as a freelance journalist in Tehran, filing reports for National Public Radio, the BBC and other news outlets. Iranian officials said they revoked her journalism credentials three years ago.

National News

Pennsylvania Elder Goes Mysteriously Missing
Beaver-Butler Presbytery Seeks Help in Locating Tom Reiber

March 5, 2009, LOUISVILLE – An active elder in Beaver-Butler Presbytery has gone missing under unusual circumstances and the presbytery is seeking information from anyone who might have seen him. Tom Reiber, an elder in Calvin Presbyterian Church in Zelienople, appears to be headed for Mexico, said Beaver-Butler's executive presbyter, Alan Adams. "Tom's a well-respected attorney in Pittsburgh," Adams told the Presbyterian News Service on March 3. "Yesterday (March 2), he called his wife on his way to work and told her he wasn't feeling well and was returning home." Reiber was captured on a video surveillance camera purchasing cough medicine at a local pharmacy at 10:50 a.m. That was the last time he was seen in western Pennsylvania.

ELCA Washington Office Staff Responds to 2010 Federal Budget Blueprint

March 2, 2009, CHICAGO – Senior staff of the Washington Office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) noted that U.S. President Barack Obama's 2010 federal budget outline affirms many ELCA domestic and international priorities. Staff also expressed concern about other items in the proposal. The Obama administration unveiled first details of its $3.6 trillion budget request Feb. 26. More information is expected when the budget request is released in April. Lutheran priorities and Christian values such as domestic and international anti-poverty work, care for the earth, peacemaking, development and human rights are reflected in the budget outline, said Andrew Genszler, director, ELCA Washington Office.

International News

Institute Condemns Somali Leader's Imposition of Sharia Law as Concession to Rebels

February 28, 2009, WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Institute on Religion and Public Policy denounces the decision of Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed to impose Shariah law in an effort to halt fighting between Somali forces and Islamic insurgents. "Giving in to the rebels' demands and imposing Shariah law lets the extremists win in Somalia," stated Institute President Joseph K. Grieboski. "Somalia is a failed state, and the imposition of Shariah law will only guarantee that it remains so. Once imposed, it will be impossible for Somalia to progress toward a liberal democratic system."

Church World Service Responds to ‘Catastrophic' Food Crisis
Millions Facing Food Shortages, Possible Starvation in Drought-, Conflict-Stricken Country

February 27, 2009 KABUL, Afghanistan – The most severe drought in a decade is fueling a grave food crisis in Afghanistan that now threatens millions of people with food shortages and possible starvation, reports global humanitarian agency Church World Service. The agency, with long-established offices and staff in Pakistan and Afghanistan, today announced it is providing immediate assistance to the most vulnerable in three challenged provinces and has issued a U.S. fundraising appeal. CWS is responding in three districts of Nangarhar Province, three districts of Takhar Province and one district in Laghman Province, where recent droughts have severely affected the residents' food security and the inflow of Afghan returnees from neighboring countries has increased the demand for food.

Statement from the Anglican Bishops of the Church of the Province of Central Africa

March 6, 2009 – Statement on the Government of National Unity by the Bishops of the Church of the Province of Central Africa at the Consecration of the Right Reverend Cleophas Lunga as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Matabeleland on the 1st Sunday of Lent 1st March 2009 at the Parish Church of St Columbus, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe We the Bishops of the Province of Central Africa in holding and believing that all people are created equal in the image of God and that God wills his people to live their lives to its full potential abundantly, cautiously welcome the formation of the Government of National Unity in Zimbabwe. This development comes after a long period of political polarisation which created immense suffering of the people.

Churches Urged to Pray for National Revival on 228

March 2, 2009 – February 28 will forever be remembered in Taiwanese history as an example of oppression by outside forces. To this day, many Taiwanese are still dealing with this tragedy as government and social agencies try to heal and redress old wounds. This year's 228 Memorial Day was filled with ceremonies commemorating the victims of the massacre. Churches across Taiwan held a national prayer chain to remember the event, and Christians prayed to God for comfort and healing so that Taiwanese could set aside their hatred and political disagreements. Christians also prayed that churches could lead the way in spreading the gospel and transforming Taiwan.

Historic 18-Week Conference Series Comes to an End

March 3, 2009, KIEV, Ukraine – The historic series of 41 Baha'i conferences that began four months ago in southern Africa wrapped up last weekend in eastern Europe with a gathering in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. Some 730 people – mostly from Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia – attended the Kiev event, which like all 41 of the conferences was convened by the Universal House of Justice. A total of 77,700 people participated in the series, which began 1 November and continued for 18 consecutive weeks, spanning the globe and attracting Baha'is from the largest Western cities to the smallest villages in South Sea islands.

Strong Ecumenical Women's Presence at UN Event

March 3, 2009 – Roughly one in ten women attending the 53rd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women is part of Ecumenical Women, an international coalition of churches and ecumenical organizations. More than two thousand women delegates come to New York from around the world to participate in the annual meeting which is taking place 2-13 March at the United Nations headquarters. Established by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Commission on the Status of Women is the principal global policy-making body with regard to the promotion of gender equality and the advancement of women.

Anglican Women Theological Educators Meet in Canterbury, England

March 3, 2009 – ‘It is an injustice to deprive women of the possibility of theological education.' Meeting at the International Study Centre, Canterbury, England, 23 February – 2 March 2009, as a group of about 35 Anglican women theological educators, we received the challenge that our task was to help ‘change the world.' Mindful of the comment of Max Warren that, ‘It takes the whole world to know the whole Gospel,' we affirm that it is essential that women's theological perspectives are explored and shared as part of our commitment to proclaim ‘the whole Gospel.'

Anglicans in the Americas Share ‘Vision of Our Future Together' During Mission Conference
‘Our Unity Begins with Our Baptism,' Participants Say in Communiqué

February 27, 2009 – The mission and ministry of Anglicans in the Americas is as varied as the geography of the region, but during the five-day Conference of the Anglican Churches in the Americas in Mutual Responsibility and Mission here, participants have found they have much in common. "We spoke about our hopes and dreams, and shared a vision of our future together as Churches in the Americas and Caribbean," the conference participants said in a communiqué issued at the end of the gathering. "We acknowledge that there are tensions within our beloved Anglican Communion, yet we know that there is much more that we have in common. Our unity begins with our baptism which makes us ministers of God's grace in the world.

Middle East News

Living Letters Team to Visit Israel and Palestine

March 5, 2009 – Peace-building initiatives and housing and education issues will be highlighted when a team of ecumenical representatives from around the world visits churches, ecumenical organizations and civil society movements in Israel and Palestine from 7 to 14 March. Organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) as part of the Living Letters initiative, the visit reflects the WCC's focus on the troubled region, where it sees the ongoing presence and witness of churches as crucial in the struggle for a just peace. Although they are a minority in Israel and Palestine, Christians are active and visible in public life. The delegation will learn about the role of the churches in the area, including the work of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).

People in the News

Anglican Church of Melanesia Elects New Archbishop

March 6, 2009 – The Anglican Church of Melanesia has a new Archbishop. He is the Rt Rev David Vunagi who is currently the Bishop of the Diocese of Temotu in Solomon Islands. Bishop Vunagi was elected to the highest Episcopal position within the Anglican Church by the Provincial electoral board on the afternoon of March 4th at Tetete Ni Kolivuti; headquarters of the Sisters of the Church east of Honiara. The new archbishop will become the fifth in succession since Melanesia was inaugurated in January 1975 as an independent ecclesiastical province from New Zealand.