Front Page

Ethics at Heart of Economic Crisis, Says EBBF

July 6, 2009, GENEVA – Any response to the world economic crisis must address ethics, given that the crisis is "fundamentally one of trust and integrity," the European Baha'i Business Forum said in a statement published last week. Furthermore, the situation requires an ethical response "at all levels" – from individuals, from corporations, and from governments and regulatory entities, said the statement, released as some 400 representatives from dozens of countries and organizations gathered in Geneva for a two-day Global Ethics Forum. As people reshape their thinking, certain principles must be considered, said the EBBF. "We need to replace the concept of self-centered materialism with that of service to humanity," the EBBF said.

LWF General Secretary Challenges Faith Communities to Reject Islamophobia
World Religious Leaders Meet at Kazakhstan Summit

July 10, 2009, ASTANA, Kazakhstan/GENEVA – Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), has urged the world's religious communities to reject Islamophobia. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Third Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions held 1-2 July in Astana, Kazakhstan, Noko acknowledged that "unhealed memories caused by ignorance, prejudice, injustice, domination and oppression continue to trouble relations between even some of us in this room." He noted, however, that each gathering of the Congress brought the religious leaders deeper into relationship with one another and sent a message to the world of the potential of interreligious dialogue and cooperation for peace.

WCC Encourages US-Russia "Leading by Example" on Nuclear Disarmament

July 7, 2009 – The United States' and Russia's public commitment to cut back their stockpiles of strategic nuclear weapons "is an encouraging initiative and a step forward on the difficult but essential journey that the world must take to free itself from the spectre of self-destruction," the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia said in a statement published 7 July. US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have reached an outline agreement to reduce the numbers of deployed nuclear warheads to below 1,700 on each side within seven years of a new treaty.

Baptist Organization Analyzes Sonia Sotomayor's Church-State Decisions
Group Finds No Red Flags, but Concerned over Lack of Complete Record

July 8, 2009, WASHINGTON – A thorough analysis by a Baptist religious liberty organization finds no alarming issues in the church-state record of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty concludes, however, that Judge Sotomayor's judicial writings do not provide complete assurance to those who are most concerned about religious freedom rights, and that her record fails to articulate fully how the First Amendment protects religious liberty. In anticipation of next week's confirmation hearings, the legal staff of the Baptist Joint Committee performed a comprehensive analysis of Judge Sotomayor's written opinions in cases involving the First Amendment's protection of the free exercise of religion and its prevention of the government establishment of religion.

United Methodists Battle Gambling in Ohio

July 10, 2009 – Gambling is increasingly becoming an addiction to states trying for balance their budgets in the midst of an economic crisis. Giving in to the temptation by allowing casinos or expanding state-sponsored gambling would heap the financial burden on those least able to afford it, said several United Methodists on the front lines of the public policy debate. "In these economic bad times, we are witnessing the throwing over of the common good," said the Rev. Tom Grey, a United Methodist pastor who is field director for the grassroots organization Stop Predatory Gambling.

Episcopal Church General Convention

Budget Committee Asks for Ideas to Meet Funding Gap

July 11, 2009 – The Program, Budget and Finance (PBF) committee invited Episcopalians at a hearing July 10 to come up with "imaginative and realistic" ideas about how to pay for the ministry of the church in the next three years, given the expectation that its income will be $15 million less than originally anticipated. Deputy Holly McAlpen, chair of the funding sub-committee, told the hearing that diocesan giving is now expected to be down as much as 5 percent a year or $13.5 million, with an additional $1.3 million decline in income from investments. "We welcome your imaginative and realistic ideas tonight," she said.

Integrity Eucharist Celebrates Church's Diversity

July 10, 2009 – "What right does anyone have to draw lines beyond to whom God's grace, care and favor extend? asked Bishop Barbara Harris in her July 10 sermon celebrating God's grace on all the baptized, including the Episcopal Church's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered members. Harris, retired suffragan of Massachusetts and the first female bishop ordained in the Anglican Communion, preached to more than 1,200 people gathered for a Eucharist service hosted by Integrity USA, a support group for gay and lesbian Episcopalians. New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson, who lives in a long-term relationship with a male partner, celebrated.

Deputies Delay Approval of Central Ecuador Bishop Election

July 10, 2009 – Central Ecuador, which has been without a diocesan bishop for three years, will have to wait a little bit longer to find out whether the election of the Rev. Luis Fernando Ruiz Restrepo will be validated by the House of Deputies. Approval of the election stalled on July 10 when the Rev. Lourdes Inapanta, a Central Ecuador deputy, asked the house to withhold its consent. However, the Consecration of Bishops committee recommended that Ruiz' election by the House of Bishops on March 17 at its spring meeting be approved. The agreement of the House of Deputies is needed to make the election official. Inapanta, speaking through a translator, asked the house to start the election procedure again.

Resolution B033 Continues to Spark Passionate Debate

July 10, 2009, ANAHEIM, California – A second one-hour meeting of the House of Deputies as a Committee of the Whole on July 10 saw deputies speak with passion and commitment about the impact of B033, a resolution adopted by the 2006 General Convention. It calls for restraint in electing as bishops those whose "manner of life," widely understood to mean homosexuality, would cause concern for the rest of the Anglican Communion. In a departure from parliamentary procedure, the 27 speakers were determined by random selection on July 9, as deputies drew numbered slips of paper. Those holding the lowest numbers were entitled to speak. Of those who spoke, 19 advocated some form of rejection of B033, while eight asked that it be preserved.

Church Unity, Moravians Celebrated at General Convention Eucharist

July 10, 2009, ANAHEIM, California – Unity is not about buying the world a Coke and teaching it to sing, said House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson in her July 10 sermon during a General Convention eucharist that celebrated the Episcopal Church's ecumenical relations. "To me, unity is about the experience of being transformed in community," said Anderson. "Unity is not about getting along, though that would be nice from time to time. It is not about the absence of conflict or the unattainable expectation that we can all believe exactly the same thing, except, of course, in our beloved Jesus Christ."

Anglican Primates, International Guests Called to Consider Economic Justice at Nixon Library Dinner

July 10, 2009, DIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES – Bishop J. Jon Bruno of the Diocese of Los Angeles welcomed primates of the Anglican Communion, local and international guests and volunteer General Convention supervisors July 9 to a special appreciation dinner at the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California. "We see hands of healing and the presence of the holy in this world and especially in this diocese, and as you know we do things a little differently in the Diocese of Los Angeles," Bruno told the gathering, amid laughter and applause.

General News

"Unclean Diary" Uses Fiction to Win Souls

July 5, 2009 – "Unclean Diary," a new novel set in Jerusalem and using Christian history as itsbackground, is expected to be distributed this September. Though more than 200,000 Chinese characters or nearly 500 pages in length and with a strong evangelistic message, the novel is full of interesting plots that befits any good novel, including passionate love stories and grueling battles. What makes this novel special is that it is not a translation but a Taiwanese work written by Hou Ya-ge, a Taiwanese youth from Shuang-Lien Presbyterian Church in Taipei. According to Hou, the novel uses confirmed Palestinian, Roman, and Jewish historical incidents to weave an interesting storyline.

Ministry Provides Healthy Role Models for At-Risk Teens

July 8, 2009, JACKSON, Miss. – Kashelia Harrion believes the best role models for teenage girls are much closer to home than hip-hop stars. "The whole, you know, hip hop, flash, pop culture that is out there now, I think it is like a cancer in our community," says Harrion, founder and coordinator of a mentoring ministry at Anderson United Methodist Church. "It's hurting our young people, because they see these images and they think that is how I'm supposed to be," she says.

Ecumenical News

Lutherans, Methodists Share Worship, Leaders; Await New Possibilities

July 9, 2009, CLYDE, Kan. – The Rev. Anita Strommen is a Lutheran pastor. Her congregation is United Methodist. The pairing reflects a growing effort by some Christian denominations to share ministry resources as never before, including clergy. "The congregation worried at first about having a pastor that wasn't Methodist," said Strommen, a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). "For me it hasn't been an issue," she said. "I know what Lutherans teach. I know what Methodists teach."

Christians Urged to Look to Luther for Insight on Relations with Islam
German Scholar Calls Luther's Introduction to Qur'an "An Early Act of Enlightenment"

July 9, 2009, BUDAPEST, Hungary/GENEVA – Martin Luther, the 16th century Protestant Reformer, can help Christians today to accommodate Islam in western societies, a German constitutional expert told a Lutheran World Federation (LWF) consultation in Budapest at the end of June. Dr Gerhard Robbers, professor of public and constitutional law at the University of Trier, recalled how Luther, introducing a German translation of the Qur'an, said, "Read the Qur'an to understand Islam better, to understand Muslims better, and in the end, read the Qur'an to understand yourself better."

Spanish News

Iglesia Luterana Elige Obispa Lesbiana

10 julio 2009, ESTOCOLMO, Suecia – Adversarios de la pastora luterana Eva Brunne, de 55 años, recién electa como obispa de Estocolmo, presentaron seis recursos para invalidar la elección. Ella es lesbiana y venció a su adversario, el pastor Hans Ulvebrand, por 412 votos a 365. "Las polêmicas eran previsibles," declaró Eva a la periodista Anais Ginori, del diario La Repubblica. La obispa tiene una compañera, Gunilla Linden, que hace tres años dió a luz al hijo de ambas.

Cristianos, Trabajadores Y Líderes Sandinistas De Nicaragua Exigen Paz Para Honduras

7 julio 2009, MANAGUA, Nicaragua – El Frente Nacional de los Trabajadores (FNT) y activistas sandinistas llamaron a tomarse las rotondas de la capital, en solidaridad con el pueblo de Honduras y por el retorno del presidente Manuel Zelaya Rosales. También organizaciones nucleadas en Acción Conjunta de la Iglesias de Nicaragua piden se respeten los Derechos Humanos y la democracia. Gustavo Porras, diputado sandinista y coordinador nacional del FNT, dijo que los actos de solidaridad se mantendrán durante toda la semana en esa ciudad.

Metodistas De Colombia Envían Carta Pastoral Al Pueblo De Honduras

8 julio 2009, COLOMBIA – Una carta firmada por el Obispo de la Iglesia Colombiana Metodista, el reverendo Juan Alberto Carmona Gómez, une a los cristianos colombianos al dolor, la incertidumbre y el sufrimiento del pueblo hermano frente al golpe militar perpetuado allí en días pasados. "Respetada Iglesia y Pueblo Hermano, hemos estado siguiendo con gran preocupación y tristeza, lo que les ha estado aconteciendo, elevando nuestras oraciones al Señor de la Vida, para que su gracia y amor sea manifiesta en medio de esta crisis.

"Gracias Dios Por El Legado Desafiante De Calvino, Hoy," Dice Carta De La ARM Por El Jubileo

8 julio 2009 GINEBRA, Suiza – La Alianza Reformada Mundial, circuló una Carta a sus comunidades en todo el mundo, en ocasión de cumplirse este viernes, los 500 años del nacimiento del reformador francés Juan Calvino. En ella resaltan la pertinencia de su mensaje en los desafíos del siglo XXI. La carta lleva las firmas del Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick y el Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi, Presidente y Secretario General respectivamente de la Alianza.

Universidad Bíblica De Costa Rica Se Pronuncia Por La Paz En Honduras

6 julio 2009, SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica – Una declaración de principios dirigida al pueblo hondureño y a la comunidad internacional, rubricada por sus alumnos, profesores y personal administrativo, acaba de dar a conocer a la opinión pública mundial, la Universidad Bíblica de Costa Rica. "Desde la palabra del Evangelio seguimos afirmando que son bienaventurados los que luchan por la justicia. Una lucha que se consigue en el diálogo, la convivencia fraterna y solidaria, comprometida con los y las más desprotegidos/as de los pueblos.

Visitas De Equipos Ecuménicos Internacionales a
La República Democrática Del Congo, Uruguay Y Bolivia

8 julio 2009 – Un equipo de representantes de iglesias de Europa, América Latina y África efectuará visitas de solidaridad a iglesias, organizaciones ecuménicas y movimientos de la sociedad civil en Uruguay y Bolivia del 9 al 16 de julio. Un segundo equipo visitará la República Democrática del Congo. Ambos equipos viajan como "Cartas Vivas" en nombre del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI). La visita a la República Democrática del Congo es una iniciativa conjunta del CMI y la Conferencia de Iglesias de Toda el África (AACC).

New York Metro News

Local Boy Scouts Retire Flags

July 11, 2009, COLLEGE POINT, NY – The Boy Scouts of the three College Point Troops jointly held a Flag Retirement Ceremony on Thursday July 9, 2009. This is where the donated torn & tattered United States Flags are legally and properly put into a fire in a dignified private manor until totally destroyed. The ceremony involved the donation and retirement of approximately 175 United States Flags. In attendance were no less than 4 Eagle Scouts.

National News

Faith Leaders Make Case for Health Care Reform

July 7, 2009, WASHINGTON – United Methodists joined with leaders of other faith groups in appealing to U.S. lawmakers to make health care affordable to millions of uninsured Americans. Nearly 30 top leaders of Christian, Jewish and Islamic organizations gathered July 7 in the U.S. Capitol for a day of dialogue and planning on health care reform. They also heard from congressional leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "We must speak on behalf of the poor and marginalized here in the halls of power," said Jim Winkler, top executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. The board co-sponsored the Faith Leaders Summit on Health Care with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, in collaboration with Families USA and the National Coalition on Health Care.

International News

European Christians must Offer Alternative to Worship of Money
Lutheran Consultation Meets in Budapest 20 Years after the Fall of Communism

July 9, 2009, BUDAPEST, Hungary/GENEVA – Two decades after the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, Christians are now challenged to offer new values in a society governed by the worship of money, Rev Marianna Szabo-Matrai told the approximately 30 representatives from Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member churches at the consultation "Church and State in Societies in Transformation" in Budapest, Hungary. Preaching at the opening worship of the 26-29 June LWF gathering at the Evangelical-Lutheran Theological University, she described how young Hungarians today believe they must "reach the top and become rich." They have learned that they need to be first – to see their peers as adversaries and triumph over them, she noted.

International Ecumenical Teams to Visit
Democratic Republic of Congo, Uruguay and Bolivia

July 7, 2009 – A team of church representatives from Europe, Latin America and Africa will pay a solidarity visit to churches, ecumenical organizations and civil society movements in Uruguay and Bolivia from 9 to 16 July. A second team will visit the Democratic Republic of Congo at the same time. Both teams are travelling as "Living Letters" on behalf of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo is a joint initiative of the WCC and the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC).

Lutheran Churches Face Ongoing Struggle to Adapt to Post-Communist Realities
Freedom Brought New Roles, Challenges in Central and Eastern Europe

July 9, 2009, BUDAPEST, Hungary/GENEVA – The fall of communism two decades ago gave Lutheran churches in Central and Eastern Europe – most of them smaller churches – both new freedoms and many difficult tasks, Rev. Dr Eva-Sibylle Vogel-Mfato told participants at a 26-29 June Lutheran World Federation (LWF) consultation in Budapest. These churches have moved from "being a church under oppression to a church which the state expects to take an active part in society," remarked Vogel-Mfato, LWF Europe secretary.

Aid Concerns Rise for Displaced Pakistanis

July 10, 2009, PAKISTAN – They want to go home. But Pakistanis who fled the Swat Valley this spring during fighting there between government forces and the Taliban still have safety concerns. "They literally ran for their lives," explained Matt Hackworth, a communications officer with Church World Service, who visited Pakistan in late June. "They don't want to go back and place themselves in that kind of danger again."