Front Page

Lutheran Bishop Raises Food Security Concerns with USDA Secretary

November 25, 2009, WASHINGTON – On the heels of a federal report showing a significant increase in hunger in the United States, a synod bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met Nov. 23 with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack. The Rev. Michael L. Burk, bishop, ELCA Southeastern Iowa Synod, Iowa City, participated in a National Anti-Hunger Organizations' (NAHO) meeting here with Vilsack. The ELCA is a partner of the NAHO coalition. "It's a sin and source of sadness that we live in a land of such abundance, and increasingly we know that there are those who lack for food," said Burk. This meeting followed the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 2009 Household Food Security report that said 16.7 million children were food insecure in 2008, up 4.2 million from 2007. The number of people in the United States who lack enough food is at its highest level since 1995, according to the report.

Cries of Anguish, Stories of Hope: Study Resources on Violence Against Women

November 24, 2009 – On the International Day for the Eradication of Violence against Women, 25 November, the World Council of Churches (WCC) announced a series of Lenten study resources for congregations and individuals who want to do their bit to end violence against women. Featuring films and stories from places as diverse as Colombia, India, the Democratic Republic of Congo and New Zealand, the WCC Decade to Overcome Violence website will host the interactive resources from 17 February until 4 April 2010. Church congregations, community groups and individuals will be invited to sign up to follow the bible studies, use the liturgical resources and become involved in online discussions to advance the cause of ending violence against women.

Internet Church Engages in ‘21st Century Circuit Riding'

November 25, 2009, NASHVILLE, Tenn. "I don't think we're in Kansas any more." Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz" may have said that about herself, but she could also have been talking about The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. While the church maintains its physical presence in three locations in Kansas, it has also gone worldwide with the launch of Resurrection Live!, an Internet-based worship experience. The Rev. Andrew Conard is the pastor of the online campus, which began streaming services in November 2008. "When we first launched, we didn't figure there would be a lot who would worship with us, but we found that there was significant interest among our current congregation," Conard said, adding that the online services average about 1,000 visitors.

General News

NCC Sponsored ‘Circles of Names' Campaign
Will Support Denominational Women's Ministries

November 25, 2009 NEW YORK – Mindful of the historic contributions of women leaders in its member communions and concerned about recent cutbacks in gender justice and women's ministries, the National Council of Churches is taking steps to nurture the work. During the National Council of Churches/Church World Service General Assembly Claire Randall Luncheon in Minneapolis earlier this month, the Rev. Ann Tiemeyer, NCC Women's Ministries Program Director, announced the launch of the "Circles of Names" Campaign to enable donors to support ongoing and future work by honoring women who have made a difference in the church and in individual lives.

Bible in the Life of the Church Project

November 27, 2009 – Following the resolution passed at ACC-14 (14.05) ‘The Bible in the Life of the Church' a Steering Group has been appointed to take the work forward. It meets for the first time with the Chair, Archbishop David Moxon, Bishop of Waikato, New Zealand at the Anglican Communion Office from November 30th to December 3rd, 2009. The work of the project will be undertaken in six regional groups hosted, in the main, by theological colleges within the Communion and a number of ‘user groups' who will test out the work of the regional groups.

National Ministries Builds Foundation for Future Ministry

November 24, 2009 VALLEY FORGE, PA – At a meeting of the Board of National Ministries last week, where discussions about proposed bylaws changes took center stage, Executive Director Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins III asked in his report to members, "Can you see what I see?" Wright-Riggins' question pointed to his vision of National Ministries' future: "This is the heart of what I want to talk to you about," he said. The upcoming year, which will launch the second decade of the 21st century, will be a "bridge year" in which the organization celebrates its past while "looking forward to ask where God is taking us."

Approaching Advent: Ministering in Tough Economic Times

November 24, 2009 – "What is the church doing to respond to the current economic crisis?" This question was addressed by the UCC's 27th General Synod in Grand Rapids and the result was a resolution titled "Ministering to Those Struggling and Suffering in The Troubled Economy." The resolution was presented to the General Synod by the Michigan Conference in the hopes of beginning a dialog within the UCC "to envision, encourage, support and strengthen outreach ministries that serve those in distress due to issues such as unemployment, bankruptcy, dislocation, hunger, illness, and financial problems."

United Methodists Take ‘Going Green' to New Levels

November 24, 2009*By Linda Bloom United Methodists are "going green" at levels far beyond recycling church bulletins and eliminating Styrofoam cups at coffee hour. In California, the United Methodist Church of Santa Cruz is constructing a new building that it hopes will achieve the highest rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. In Massachusetts, students and people of faith are sleeping outside on crisp fall nights to bring attention to the need for clean electricity inside buildings.

Extreme Makeover, Church Edition, Aids Sick Children

November 23, 2009, LITTLE ROCK – Reality TV could not have done it better. Over 10 days this fall, members of Henderson United Methodist Church completely remodeled the apartment for long-term cancer patients at the Ronald McDonald House near Arkansas Children's Hospital. They replaced the floors, widened the kitchen, repainted walls, installed new countertops and set up new furniture – all with the hope of creating a more inviting "home away from home" for critically ill children and their families.

Ecumenical News

Anglican – Roman Catholic Relations: a Statement from the Informal Talks

November 26, 2009 – Following the meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, at the Vatican on 21 November 2009, at which they reaffirmed their desire to strengthen ecumenical relations between Anglicans and Roman Catholics, a preparatory committee met on 23 November 2009 to prepare the third phase of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC). It has been decided that this phase will begin within the coming year. This third phase will deal with fundamental questions regarding the Church as Communion – Local and Universal, and how in communion the local and universal Church comes to discern right ethical teaching.

Spanish News

Jóvenes Judíos Y Cristianos Desarmarán Prejuicios,
Enmarcados En La Campaña Mundial Por El Desarme

26 noviembre 2009, MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – Se prepara el primer encuentro del proyecto "Desarmando prejuicios construimos ciudades," organizado por el grupo juvenil de la Confraternidad judeocristiana del Uruguay, y convocado por tres de las entidades juveniles religiosas más significativas del Uruguay como son la Federación Juvenil Sionista del Uruguay, la Pastoral Juvenil del Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI) y la Pastoral Juvenil de la Conferencia Episcopal Uruguaya (CEU).

Buenas Y Malas Noticias Sobre El Cambio Climático

23 noviembre 2009 – Un funcionario de las Naciones Unidas, dirigiéndose a unos 80 participantes en la semana anual de incidencia pública del CMI, dijo que parecía que los gobiernos mundiales no iban a firmar ningún acuerdo vinculante sobre el cambio climático en las reuniones sobre este tema que se celebrarán en diciembre en Copenhague, Dinamarca.

Atraer La Atención Sobre Colombia

25 noviembre 2009 – Durante casi cuatro horas, activistas eclesiales participantes en la Semana de Incidencia en las Naciones Unidas organizada por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) en Nueva York, examinaron a fondo las tragedias e injusticias del sangriento conflicto de Colombia. Los hechos y las cifras son convincentes y los relatos, personales. Han sido asesinadas miles de personas. Un número cada vez mayor de niños han quedado mutilados o han muerto a causa de minas terrestres de fabricación casera camufladas como juguetes y de bombas sin explotar.

Jesuitas Ven Signo De Reconciliación Y Paz
En Condecoración Póstuma a Sacerdotes Asesinados

26 noviembre 2009, SAN SALVADOR – Al cumplirse 20 años del asesinato de seis sacerdotes jesuitas a manos de militares que luchaban contra la guerrilla, la Iglesia salvadoreña ve un signo de "reconciliación, unidad y de paz," en el gesto del actual presidente Mauricio Funes de entregar una condecoración póstuma a esas víctimas de la violencia. En rueda de prensa, el pasado domingo, monseñor José Luis Escobar Alas dijo: "Que bueno que los que han participado en esta lucha fratricida reconozcan sus fallas y pidan perdón."

Iglesias Exhortan a Continuar Orando Por La Paz

24 noviembre 2009, MANAGUA, Nicaragua – El pastor de la Iglesia Menonita reverendo Jairo Arce y el bautista reverendo Marcelino Basset, exhortaron a continuar orando por la paz en Nicaragua, después de que el pasado domingo se conociera de la muerte de un partidario sandinista que, supuestamente, pereció en un enfrentamiento a pedradas con un grupo de opositores al gobierno, que había participado en actos de concentración en esta capital para oponerse a la reelección del presidente Daniel Ortega.

International News

First Ecumenical and International Monument to the Reformation
Planting of Luther Garden in Wittenberg

November 26, 2009 WITTENBERG, Germany/GENEVA – The Luther Garden in Wittenberg, Germany, began to take shape in early November with the first planting of 25 trees by representatives of Christian World Communions and churches from Germany and Europe. This is the "first ecumenical, interactive monument to the Reformation," said Presiding Bishop Dr Johannes Friedrich (Munich) of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD). The idea is to plant in a park a total of 500 trees by 2017, the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's Reformation. Friedrich remarked that the 2017 celebration would be international with a living, growing monument, while the national jubilee in Germany 100 years before had been celebrated with monuments of stone and bronze.

Don't Cry Tears Lest They Ask for Water
Lutheran Churches Urged to Protect Communities Threatened by Climate Change

November 22, 2009, KAJIADO, Kenya/GENEVA – Safiel Kulei's simple statement goes to the heart of the plight of many of his neighbors hit by consecutive years of drought in Kenya. "I had 88 cows. I sold 50. The rest died. I have nothing at the moment. I have since moved to town," said Kulei, a farmer who is an evangelist with the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC). Kulei is a member of the Maasai community inhabiting southern Kenya and neighboring northern Tanzania. The people's lives and economy are centered on livestock especially cattle, which are accumulated as a sign of wealth, traded or sold to settle debts, and slaughtered selectively.

Finding Traction on Colombia

November 23, 2009 – For nearly four hours, church activists participating in the World Council of Churches' (WCC) United Nations Advocacy Week meetings in New York delved deeply into the tragedies and injustices of the current bloody conflict in Colombia. The facts and figures were compelling and the stories personal. Thousands have been killed. An increasing number of children are being maimed and killed by homemade landmines disguised as toys, and by unexploded ordnance. Fathers and sons have been kidnapped and murdered by paramilitary groups and guerillas. Land has been lost, people have fled and women and children left abandoned. Colombia has the second highest rate of internally displaced people in the world.

Siluo Presbyterian Church Marks 130th Anniversary

November 29, 2009 – PCT Chiayi Presbytery's Siluo Church celebrated its 130th anniversary with a special worship service in the afternoon of November 15, 2009. More than 700 people attended this gathering to mark a historic and joyous occasion. All of the offering received during the service was donated to New Eyes Television in hopes of helping the troubled PCT network. During the service, a church elder gave an overview of Siluo Church's history and also invited all pastors who had previously served at Siluo and their families to come to the stage.

It Is Not a Death Sentence
LWF Rwanda Supports Local Groups to Fight AIDS Stigma

November 27, 2009, KIGALI, Rwanda/GENEVA – "I am sorry I infected you and did not tell you," Innocent Niwsi murmured as he lay dying on his bed. He had summoned the courage to admit to Beatrice, his young, second wife that he was HIV positive and dying. His first wife had also died from an AIDS-related illness. That was in 2000, when the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS was very high. Niwsi was being treated by a traditional medicine man, which may have accelerated his demise.

CRC Urges Action on Euthanasia Bill

November 19, 2009 – The Christian Reformed Church in North America's Disability Concerns office has issued an action alert, asking church members in Canada to contact lawmakers to register their protests against a bill legalizing euthanasia that is now making its way through the Canadian Parliament. If passed, this law could pose "danger to people with disabilities," says Rev. Mark Stephenson, director of Disability Concerns. People with disabilities could be pressured, if this passes, to seek a legal end to their lives.

Middle East News

Nine ELCA Synod Bishops Preparing for Middle East Visit

November 24, 2009, CHICAGO – Nine synod bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are preparing to visit Israel and the West Bank Nov. 28-Dec. 8, as part of the ELCA Conference of Bishops' initiative to support a churchwide strategy for engagement in the region. The trip, Bishops' Academy II, includes bishops who were unable or opted not to join colleagues who traveled to the region in January of this year. At that time Israelis and Palestinians were fighting in Gaza, and the conflict's effect on the bishops' visit was unknown as the bishops were preparing to begin their trip.