Front Page

Global Network Welcomes Campaign on Resident Permits for Migrants

December 3, 2009 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) Global Ecumenical Network on Migration (GEM) has welcomed a year-long campaign by European churches aimed at granting long-term resident permits to foreigners after five years of legal stay. The Year of European Churches Responding to Migration 2010 will aim at improving the situation of migrants in Europe, mainly through joint advocacy efforts for migrants' and refugees' right to a long-term residence status after five years of legal stay, irrespective of the grounds of the stay.

Religious Faith must Play a Role in Climate Change Talks

November 26, 2009, TORONTO – "We believe the United Nations Climate Change Conference is a place where faith and science must intersect." That's the message contained in an open letter to Canadians posted on The United Church of Canada's website. The letter was written by the church's Moderator Mardi Tindal and former Member of Parliament and United Church minister David MacDonald. Both will be attending the UN Climate Change Conference as part of an international delegation of religious leaders organized by the World Council of Churches. "Science tells us what is and, given certain parameters, what will come to be. Spiritual values teach us what ought to be. Only the two, working together, can see us safely through this perilous time," says Tindal.

Clergy May Solemnize Same-Gender Marriages, Bishop Says

November 30, 2009, MASSACHUSETTS – Clergy in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts may now solemnize same-gender marriages. Bishop M. Thomas Shaw SSJE said in a Nov. 29 statement that he and bishops suffragan Roy Cederholm and Gayle Harris based their decision on the terms of the "generous pastoral response" allowed to the church by Resolution C056 passed by the church's General Convention last July. The resolution said that bishops, "particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this church." The state of Massachusetts, whose eastern counties comprise the diocese, allows same-gender marriage.

General News

Associate General Minister Calls for Denominational Support of TCU Football

December 3, 2009 – A Disciples-related university has one of the nation's top-ranked football programs and is poised to play in a major post-season bowl. Texas Christian University picked up a 45-10 win over the University of Wyoming on Saturday, making the undefeated Horned Frogs 11-0 for the season. TCU, located in Ft. Worth, Texas, is one of 14 colleges and universities related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Currently TCU's football team is the highest ranked non-BCS school in the 11-year history of the Bowl Championship Series. If it wins its final game later this week, TCU will play in a BCS bowl, perhaps for the national championship game. Todd Adams, Associate General Minister and Vice President, is calling on Disciples to lift up TCU football and support the Horned Frogs.

Archbishop of Canterbury's World AIDS Day Message ‘A Space for Hope'

December 1, 2009 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has released his 2009 World Aids Day video, in which he speaks with the Revd Patricia Sawo, a church leader and mother from Kenya, about her experiences of living with HIV. The video highlights the plight of expectant mothers who are HIV positive and the support they need to prevent the transmission of HIV to their babies. The video is available online. Dr Williams and The Revd Sawo discuss both the problems that emerge through keeping silent on issues surrounding HIV and the importance of the Church's role in breaking this silence and providing support and leadership.

ELCA Leaders Appear in ABC-TV Program on Faith and Disabilities

December 2, 2009, CHICAGO – Youth ministry participants and pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are among several faith community leaders featured in a documentary on disabilities set to air nationwide on ABC-TV affiliates beginning Dec. 6. The program focuses on making faith communities more accessible to people with disabilities, according to a National Council of Churches USA news release. "A Place for All: Faith and Community for Persons with Disabilities" was produced through the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission (IBC), the release said. IBC is a coalition of Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant and Orthodox faith groups, including the ELCA.

Cleric's New Collar Is a Better Fit

December 3, 2009, LUTZ, FL – John Lipscomb, the married, 59-year-old former bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, was ordained a Catholic priest Wednesday. The morning after, he expressed joy and a sense of relief. He's at peace, spiritually. He's just a priest now. He's not the boss. "The part of the job that never fit was sitting in judgment of other people's lives," he said. "I'm at a point in my life where I want to do the things God called me to do, and not have to make the kinds of decisions that are impossible to make anyway." "We're happy that John has found his place," said Jim DeLa, the Episcopal Diocese's director of communications. "If this is it for him, God bless him."

HIV and AIDS Training with Convincing Results
Ukrainian Lutheran Church Initiatives Help Break Taboos and Perceptions

December 1, 2009, ODESSA, Ukraine/GENEVA – The midday heat hangs heavily in the seminar room of the Bavarian House Odessa (BHO) in Ukraine, but Vitali Gorbunow grips the attention of his audience – 25 men and women. As he strides across the room, the psychologist trainer gestures with his hands and feet, looks directly at each participant sitting in the circle, and wipes the perspiration from his brow. "If your immune system were a baking ware, how would you feel at the moment?" asks the agile man in jeans and a sports shirt. The answers are hesitant at first, then they come faster, more spontaneously and finally the whole group bursts out laughing.

Brethren Grants Give $105,000 for Hurricane Recovery in Haiti, Louisiana

December 3, 2009, ELGIN, IL – Grants from the Church of the Brethren's Emergency Disaster Fund have given $105,000 for rebuilding and recovery following hurricane damage in Haiti and Louisiana. An allocation of $75,000 supports a Church of the Brethren program in Haiti. The grant will support the building of eight new homes and a simple road to the Gonaives area, provide a drinking water well, support a third Brethren workcamp in Jan. 2010, and support continued oversight and management of the program including travel expenses.

Former ELCA Presiding Bishops Call on Members for Prayers, Financial Gifts

December 3, 2009, CHICAGO – Two former presiding bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have appealed to members to pray for unity of the church and its mission, and to contribute financial gifts to support the ELCA. "Our troubled world needs the Good News of the Gospel and all that flows from it," wrote the Rev. Herbert W. Chilstrom and the Rev. H. George Anderson, in a Dec. 3 e-mail message. "Our differences must not divide us at a time like this. We are absolutely certain that we can continue to live together and serve as one family in the ELCA."

ELCA Presiding Bishop to Host Online ‘Town Hall Forum' Dec. 6

December 1, 2009, CHICAGO – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), said he will share priorities and hopes for the ELCA, and wants to hear stories from members about the church's work in their own contexts, when he hosts an online "Town Hall Forum" Sunday, Dec. 6. The hour-long forum begins at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (4:30 p.m. Central Time). The program will be webcast live from Chicago, where Hanson will be joined by an audience of ELCA members. The audience will ask questions of the presiding bishop.

Directors, COP Call for Study of Task Forces' Reports

December 3, 2009, TAMPA, Fla. – On the first day of the Nov. 19-20 LCMS Board of Directors meeting here, a half-day session with the Council of Presidents resulted in both groups jointly calling for "serious prayerful study and discussion" of the reports of two Synod task forces. The resolution reads as follows: "The Council of Presidents and Board of Directors, having given serious study and discussion to the full reports of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Funding the Mission (BRTFFM) and the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance (BRTFSSG), likewise put it before congregations, delegates, and other members to give them serious prayerful study and discussion."

Bethany Theological Seminary Announces New Pastoral Presence Programs

December 3, 2009, ELGIN, IL – Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., has announced two new programs to encourage continuing education for pastors. The "Pastoral Presence Programs" provide the opportunity for Church of the Brethren pastors to avail themselves of Bethany facilities and participate in seminary life. The purpose of these programs is to encourage direct conversations between pastors and the seminary. Pastors can make important contributions to the life and educational context at Bethany, and Bethany can provide a space for pastors for continuing education and retreat.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Habitat for Humanity Finish 2,000th Home

December 4, 2009, CHICAGO – A new home for a Abdikalik Abdulahi and his wife, Suaada Abdiaziz of Somalia, built by a host of volunteers, was dedicated Dec. 4 in Minneapolis – the 2,000th home built through an alliance of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity International. "Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity" is a four-year, $125 million alliance of the two organizations. Their work has resulted in construction of homes in 46 states and the District of Columbia. That alliance will conclude this year, but a new $15 million program, "Thrivent Builds Homes," will focus on volunteers from Lutheran congregations and Thrivent members. Its goal is to build 181 homes in 37 states in 2010.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu Launches Online Advent Calendar

November 30, 2009, ENGLAND – The Church of England is inviting all to take five minutes to change the world this Advent by following the "tread gently" challenges and video stories behind each door on an online calendar launched with a special message from Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Advent calendar is available online. In the launch videocast, Tutu says: "Care for our world, it is the only one we have."

Reclaiming the True St. Nicholas

December 4, 2009 – Our society must recover the tradition of St. Nicholas if it wants to retain any semblance of the religious significance of Christmas, declares the Rev. Canon James Rosenthal. "St. Nicholas was a real person, not a fairy, nor someone flying through the sky with reindeer, but an actual person," said Rosenthal. "He was a bishop and pastor, who lived and worked and died and had a full life. "Santa means saint, and Claus is a short form of Nicholas. Why not be fair and regain the integrity and purpose of the beloved saint?"

5 Ways for Helping Your Child Talk to God

December 4, 2009 – School. Soccer practice. Household chores. Homework. Television. Video games. And those are just the activities on your child's schedule. Add your own lifestyle, and finding time to pray as a family can be difficult. "With our busy families, so many times our lives are just hectic and chaotic, going this place and that," said Betty Kay Hudson of First United Methodist Church in Lancaster, S.C. "We forget to intentionally make space for prayer."

Editorial Page

Editorial: AIDS – Why We Mustn't Remain Silent

November 29, 2009 – AIDS has become a global issue and a topic of at length discussion within churches and seminaries in recent years. Genuine and unanimous concern for AIDS patients is prevalent among churches nowadays, regardless of denominational background. According to UN statistics, there were 33 million HIV-positive people in the world in 2007, and about 2.1 million people died from AIDS during the same year. Of those who died from AIDS, about 68% lived in the Sahara region of Africa, the region in the world most affected by the AIDS epidemic. In Southeast Asia, countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India are at the top of the list of Asian countries with the most AIDS patients.

Spanish News

Detienen Arbitrariamente a Un Miembro De La Misión Internacional Del CLAI

30 noviembre 2009, TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – El Observatorio Ecuménico de las Iglesias del CLAI para los Derechos Humanos en Honduras informa que a eso de las 3:20 de la tarde de ayer, domingo 29, en la ciudad de San Pedro Sula, 250 kilometros al norte de Tegucigalpa, ha sido detenido arbitrariamente, junto a otras 20 personas, el abogado Gustavo Enrique Cabrera, de nacionalidad costarricense, Secretario General del Servicio Paz Y Justicia para America Latina- SERPAJ; Cabrera es miembro activo de la Asociación Americana de Jurístas e integrante de la MISIÓN INTERNACIONAL PARA LA OBSERVACIÓN DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS EN HONDURAS del Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias CLAI.

Congreso Condecora a Universidad Adventista De Colombia

4 diciembre 2009, COLOMBIA – Con el grado de Comendador fue condecorada en el Salón de la Constitución del Capitolio Nacional la Corporación Universitaria Adventista de Colombia (UNAC), institución universitaria de la Iglesia del Séptimo Día, por la labor desarrollada en beneficio de la educación superior del país. La corporación universitaria ha trabajado desde 1981, con miras a formar profesionales competitivos de altas calidades humanas, éticas y espirituales, que le han merecido la Certificación de la Educación impartida por la Agencia Acreditadora Adventista y la que hoy otorgó el Congreso, señaló el pastor Gamaliel Flórez, rector de la entidad.

Encuentro De Iglesias Europeas Llama a Visibilizar
Y Aportar a La Crisis Humanitaria Colombiana

3 diciembre 2009, COLOMBIA – La Red Global de Migraciones del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y la Comisión de las Iglesias para las Migraciones en Europa (CCME siglas en Ingles) durante los días 24 al 27 de noviembre de 2009 realizaron en Budapest, Hungría, un encuentro para hacer la presentación de la campaña: Migraciones 2010, las Iglesias Europeas Responden a las Migraciones. La campaña tiene como objetivos: Visibilizar desde la perspectiva bíblica el compromiso de las iglesias con el extranjero y la promoción de una política europea y a nivel nacional inclusiva de los migrantes, refugiados y de los grupos étnicos minoritarios.

Observatorio Ecuménico De Las Iglesias Del CLAI En Honduras
Alerta Y Vigilante Luego De La Ratificación Del Golpe

4 diciembre 2009, TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – El Congreso Nacional este 2 de diciembre tuvo la oportunidad histórica de reivindicarse ante la sociedad hondureña restableciendo el orden constitucional, pero no lo hizo. La ratificación por la mayoría del congreso de Honduras de la destitución del presidente constitucional, Manuel Zelaya, abrió un nuevo capítulo a la prolongada crisis política del país. La decisión, adoptada en una larga sesión, refrendó el derrocamiento y expatriación del estadista por las fuerzas armadas el 28 de junio pasado, validadas pocas horas después por el parlamento.

El Sida No Discrimina.
Las Personas Con Discapacidad Exigen Ser Incluidas En La Prevención Del VIH

1 diciembre 2009 – El Instituto Interamericano de Discapacidad y Desarrollo Inclusivo (iiDi) ha organizado en varios países latinoamericanos una campaña de difusión pública para llamar la atención sobre la necesidad de que las Personas con Discapacidad sean parte de los esfuerzos internacionales contra el SIDA. El lema de esta campaña es "EL SIDA NO DISCRIMINA – TODAS Y TODOS TENEMOS UN LUGAR EN LA PREVENCION."

Líder Ecuménico Sale De Colombia Por Falta De Garantías Para Su Vida Y La De Su Familia

30 noviembre 2009, COLOMBIA – Recientemente se conoció una carta de Osvaldo Ardila donde anuncia su salida del país por falta de garantías para su vida. Osvaldo Ardila es sociólogo, ha sido un líder de la Iglesia Bautista de Colombia que trabajó con Visión Mundial, en la Comisión de Restauración y Paz del Consejo Evangélico de Colombia (CEDECOL) donde participó en diálogos con grupos armados para la búsqueda de la paz y fue parte de la Secretaria Ejecutiva de la Red Ecuménica de Colombia hasta este mes de noviembre.

Religious Liberty News

Court Rules Church Properties Remain with New Westminster Diocese

November 30, 2009, CANADA – The Supreme Court of British Columbia ruled Nov. 25 that the Anglican Church of Canada's Diocese of New Westminster retains possession of four church properties worth an estimated CAN$20 million (US$18.91 million). Members of congregations in these churches, who voted to leave the Anglican Church of Canada and join the more conservative Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC), claimed these properties were held in trust for them. Justice Stephen Kelleher did, however, rule that a CAN$2.2 million (US$2.08 million) bequest from a parishioner at one of the four churches should be held in trust for the building fund of the ANiC congregation.

National News

‘Engagement over Escalation': Black Critical of Afghanistan War Expansion

December 2, 2009 – The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, the UCC's general minister and president, today released a statement critical of President Obama's decision to dramatically escalate troop levels in Afghanistan. On Dec. 1, speaking at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., Obama announced that 30,000 additional troops, as well as 4,000 trainers, will be deployed to fight in the eight-year war. "Many are concerned that a strategy relying so heavily on military escalation will not achieve the lasting peace that we are called to seek," Black said in a written statement.

Washington ELCA Congregations to Hold Services to Remember Slain Officers

December 2, 2009, CHICAGO – Christ Lutheran Church, Lakewood, Wash., and Trinity Lutheran Church, Tacoma (Parkland), Wash., have scheduled special services Dec. 6 in remembrance of the four Lakewood police officers who were killed Nov. 29 in an ambush at a Parkland coffee shop. None of the four officers – Sgt. Mark Renninger, Officer Tina Griswold, Officer Ronald Owens and Officer Greg Richards – or their families were members of either congregation. Christ Lutheran will hold "A Service of Lament, A Service of Hope," said the Rev. Ralf Kalms, pastor.

International News

Holy See and Russia Establish Full Diplomatic Relations

December 4, 2009, VATICAN CITY – The Holy See Press Office released the following communique yesterday evening: "This afternoon, 3 December 2009, His Holiness Benedict XVI received in audience Dimitri Medvedev, president of the Russian Federation. The president had previously met with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States. "During the cordial discussions pleasure was expressed on both sides at the cordial relations that currently exist between them, and it was agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Russian Federation.

Parliament of the World's Religions under Way in Australia

December 4, 2009, MELBOURNE, Australia – Baha'is from five continents are making presentations at the Parliament of the World's Religions – an event now held every five years in the modern continuation of an initiative begun more than a century ago. The seven-day parliament, which opened on 3 December in Melbourne, is expected to draw as many as 8,000 individuals from virtually every world religion and faith group. Among those expected to participate are such international figures as the Dalai Lama and theologian Hans Kung.

Statement from the Episcopal Church of Sudan

November 30, 2009 – "Blessed are the peacemakers" – Luke 2:14 & Mark 2:1-11 We, the Provincial Standing Committee of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan (ECS), met in Rumbek, Lakes State between 23rd and 27th November 2009, at the generous hospitality of the Diocese of Rumbek and the Government of Lakes State. We wish to give our heartfelt thanks to the Rt. Rev. Alapayo Manyang Kuctiel, Bishop of Rumbek, and H.E. Lt. Gen. Daniel Awet Akot, Governor of Lakes State, for their hosting of this great meeting and their exemplary hospitality for the entire week of the meeting. It has been an excellent opportunity for discussing issues of Church governance, management and structure; the expansion of Christianity in the Sudan, and the state of our great nation today, which we now bring to your attention.

Australia: Vatican Vetoes Use of Catholic Church for Anglican Ordinations

December 2, 2009, MELBOURNE, Australia – An Anglican ordination scheduled to take place in a Roman Catholic church in rural Australia was moved at short notice to a Protestant church because the Vatican refused to have women ordained in a Catholic building. Originally, Catholic Bishop Joseph Grech of the Diocese of Sandhurst had given permission for the Anglican Bishop Andrew Curnow of Bendigo to ordain seven candidates in St. Killian's Catholic Church on Nov. 29 due to the closure of the local Anglican cathedral on safety grounds.

Philippines and Canadian Church Groups Demand Massacre Probe

December 2, 2009, MANILA/TORONTO – Religious leaders in the Philippines have joined human rights groups in scrutinizing the trial of suspects in the killings of more than 50 people in the south of the country. "A genuine trial is what we want to see," the Rev. Rex Reyes, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, told Ecumenical News International after the arrest on Nov. 26 of Andal Ampatuan Jr., the mayor of Datu Unsay in Maguindanao province.

Middle East News

B'nai B'rith Condemns E.U. Proposal to Declare East Jerusalem Capital of Palestinian State

December 2, 2009, WASHINGTON, D.C. – B'nai B'rith International is appalled that the European Union will act on a proposal to declare East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian nation-sidestepping the fundamental process of negotiations. A two-state solution, with guarantees of peace and security for Israel, cannot simply be pronounced by outside parties. This initiative, slated to be voted upon on December 7, omits what should be obligatory steps in any future peace arrangement.

No Water for the Neighbours

December 3, 2009 – Rows of neat suburban houses stand on the parched, barren hillside. A water tower looms over them, irrigating lush greenery in the gardens. But outside this West Bank settlement's perimeter fence sits the tiny Bedouin community of Umm Al Kher, whose residents are desperate for water. Here in the South Hebron Hills, there has been scarce rainfall for many months. Grey rock and dry, rugged earth spread off in every direction. But locals who met observers from the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel said the effects of the recent drought are exacerbating a man-made water crisis.

People in the News

Los Angeles Diocese Elects Diane Jardine Bruce as First Woman Bishop Suffragan
Convention Poised to Elect Second Bishop Suffragan

December 4, 2009 – The Rev. Canon Diane Jardine Bruce became the first woman elected a bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles on Dec. 4, pending the required consents. Bruce, 53, rector for nine years of St. Clements by-the-Sea Church in San Clemente, California, in the Los Angeles diocese, was elected on the third ballot. She was elected in the first of two elections for bishops suffragan planned during "Faith and Our Future," the 114th annual diocesan convention held Dec. 4-5 at the Riverside Convention Center in Riverside, California. Balloting for the second election, which had originally been scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5, commenced shortly after Bruce was elected.