Front Page

Situation Report: Chile Earthquake and Eastern Pacific Tsunami

February 27, 2010 – A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit central Chile early today, causing damage throughout the country and triggering tsunami warnings in the Pacific basin. As of mid-afternoon, the death toll stood at 147 in Chile, though it is expected to rise, the New York Times reported. Damage was particularly heavy in Concepción, Chile's second-largest metropolitan area, which is located only 70 miles from the earthquake's epicenter. A tsunami warning has been issued throughout the eastern Pacific and low-lying areas in Hawaii are being evacuated. The tsunami already reached Peru, with some coastline damage.

UCC-Led Group Files Complaint with IRS over D.C. ‘Church'

February 24, 2010 – A group of 13 mainline Protestant pastors – including several from the United Church of Christ – has filed a letter of complaint with the Internal Revenue Service, claiming that a townhouse on Capitol Hill that provides inexpensive lodging and meals for conservative Christian members of Congress is not a church, and that it should not hold the tax-exempt status afforded a house of worship. "We are concerned that an exclusive residential club for powerful officials may be masquerading as a church," said the letter to the IRS of the C Street Center, 130-year-old townhouse valued at $1.8 million. "Any time an organization uses church status as part of a tax avoidance scheme, it poses a threat to the integrity of religious institutions everywhere."

WCC Calls on Churches to "Renew Efforts" for a Fair Climate Deal

February 26, 2010 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) has called on the whole ecumenical family to keep pushing the international community for a "fair, ambitious and binding agreement" on climate change, in view of the UN climate summit to take place in Mexico in December. The United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen failed to "reach the expectations of the ecumenical movement and the larger civil society," the WCC executive committee said in a minute issued at the end of its 23-26 February meeting in Bossey, near Geneva, Switzerland.

United Methodists Applaud Health Care Summit

February 26, 2010 – At the end of the day, the health care summit held in the nation's capital Feb. 25 produced "more heat than light," said Bishop Gregory Palmer, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. United Methodist lawmakers and church leaders reacting to the forum applauded President Barack Obama's effort to debate health care reform in public, but are unsure whether any progress was made. "I was heartened by the attempt to come across party lines, but I am not persuaded that either side got out of their camps," Palmer said. "At the end of the day, my hope barometer didn't move either way."

General News

Censure Against Missouri ELCA Congregation Lifted by Synod Bishop

February 22, 2010, CHICAGO – For nearly 10 years members of Abiding Peace Lutheran Church in North Kansas City, Mo., have been worshiping under public censure and admonition, placed on the congregation for hiring a pastor in a committed same-sex relationship. Today the public censure has been lifted, and members of Abiding Peace have been welcomed back to the fold. "It is an amazing feeling," said Donna Simon, who has been serving as pastor of Abiding Peace since August 2000. "Now there's reconciliation, and we're part of the (church) that we've loved for so long. The lifting of the censure touched us emotionally," she told the News Service of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

SAN DIEGO: ‘Three Churches in One Place' Strengthens Episcopal Mission, Connection

February 23, 2010 – Three churches, three different sizes, with three distinct cultures, within 25 miles of each other have formed a consortium unique within the Diocese of San Diego, sharing resources and strengthening mission, vitality and the area's Episcopal identity. Called the Episcopal Ministries of Temecula and Menifee Valleys, the possibility for the joint ministry arose after St. Thomas of Canterbury Church dedicated its new sanctuary in fast-growing Temecula six months ago, according to the Rev. Robert Nagy, vicar. "We're the first church built in the diocese" within the last ten years, Nagy said during a recent interview.

Megachurch Revitalizes Downtown Congregation

February 26, 2010, KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The megachurch has come to the city, bringing new life to a historic downtown sanctuary. United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, a 12,000-member congregation based in nearby Leawood, Kan., established a third campus at the Grand Avenue Temple, a United Methodist Church which has been at the same location since 1866. The result is the older church, which in recent years has lacked a self-supporting congregation even as its Lazarus Table ministry reached out to the homeless, is undergoing a spiritual and physical renewal. The new congregation, Resurrection Downtown, averages 240 worshippers each week, and is developing vital evangelism, music and small group ministries.

Ecumenical News

Connected Across Different Contexts
Learning about the Ecumenical Church in a Globalized World

February 23, 2010, GENEVA – When students and teachers of theology from around the world gathered in Geneva for an annual ecumenical study course, many of them emphasized the deep faith connections they discovered in interacting with others from situations significantly different from their own. The 14 students from Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Puerto Rico, Canada and the United States, were part of the sixth annual intensive course of "The Ecumenical Church in a Globalized World," held under the auspices of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for Theology and Studies (DTS).

The Cross of Christ, a Reality Check for the Ecumenical Movement

February 24, 2010 – Metropolitan Bishoy of Damietta, from the Coptic Orthodox Church, and other members of the WCC executive committee express words of blessing during the installation of the WCC general secretary the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit. "To be one, the Church must go back to its common basis. Nothing except Jesus Christ, and him crucified," the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has said. The cross is not just a sign of religious identity, he added, but a "reality check" for both the churches and the ecumenical movement. Tveit was preaching at a service in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva on 23 February. During the service, the WCC Executive Committee formally installed Tveit as the Council's general secretary.

Spanish News

CMI Aplaude Creación De Consejo Iraquí De Dirigentes Eclesiales

23 febrero 2010 – El Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) ha acogido "con gran esperanza y profunda satisfacción" el establecimiento de un Consejo de Dirigentes de Iglesias Cristianas en Irak. "En nuestra opinión, se trata de un prometedor acontecimiento tanto para el futuro de las iglesias del país como para Irak como nación," afirma el secretario general del CMI, pastor Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, en un mensaje de felicitación a los miembros de este nuevo organismo fechado el 18 de febrero.

La Cruz De Cristo, Prueba De Realidad Para El Movimiento Ecuménico

25 febrero 2010 – El metropolitano Bishoy de Damietta, de la Iglesia Ortodoxa Copta, y otros miembros del comité ejecutivo del CMI expresan palabras de bendición durante la investidura del secretario general Olav Fykse Tveit. "Para ser una, la iglesia tiene que volver a su base común. Nada excepto Jesucristo, y éste crucificado ," ha afirmado el secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit. La cruz no es apenas un signo de identidad religiosa, añadió, sino una "prueba de realidad" tanto para las iglesias como para el movimiento ecuménico.

New York Metro News

Hate Group Member Pleads Guilty to Attack on New York Scientology Church

February 22, 2010 – A member of the hate group Anonymous, Mahmoud Samed Almahadin, aka Matt Connor, pled guilty today, Feb 22, to Criminal Mischief in the New York City Criminal Court in connection with a Jan 8, 2009, attack on the Church of Scientology of New York. [People vs. Almahadin, Mahoud; Criminal Docket 2009NY00410] Almahadin smeared himself with a mixture of petroleum jelly and pubic hairs donated by other members of the hate group, and ran into the New York Church just off Times Square, attempting to desecrate the Church. Almahadin is prohibited from coming near the Church of Scientology. His sentencing will take place in April.

International News

Calvin Prof's Trial Delayed

February 25, 2010 – A new trial date has been set for November in the case involving Kurt Ver Beek, a Calvin College sociology professor who appeared in a Honduran court this week to face charges of slander. The three-judge panel moved the trial to November because Selvin Richard Swasey, owner of SETECH, the private security company that brought about the slander charge, didn't appear in court. His attorney said he was out of the country. "We showed we were ready for trial – we had the stronger case and were not afraid to go to trial. They were not prepared and probably not even interested in going to trial," says Abram Huyser Honig, director of operations for the Association for a More Just Society, the organization disputing the court action.

WCC General Secretary on Ecumenism, Haiti, Palestine/Israel, Climate Change

February 23, 2010 – The recordings (in mp3 format) of a press briefing with the new general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, have been posted to the WCC online press room.

WCC Calls for a Peaceful Resolution of the Colombian Conflict

February 26, 2010 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) has requested its member churches to advocate for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Colombia, the full respect of human rights and the cessation of the so called "Plan Colombia." "The violent conflict in Colombia can be overcome only through dialogue and political negotiations," the WCC executive committee said in a minute approved at the end of its 23-26 February meeting in Bossey, near Geneva, Switzerland.

LWF General Secretary Expresses Deep Regret at German Bishop's Resignation
Margot Kaessmann Resigns from Office of Hanover Bishop and EKD Chairperson

February 24, 2010, GENEVA – The General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko has expressed deep regret at the resignation of Dr Margot Kaessmann from the office of bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover and chairperson of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) Council. In a statement issued today, Noko says his "thoughts and prayers go to the person – Margot Kaessmann herself and to her family. I pray also for the faithful in the Hanover church congregations, the staff and governing bodies of the Hanover church, as well as of the EKD."

Cute Red Envelopes Raise Funds for Charities in Time for Lunar New Year

February 21, 2010 – It is typical for Taiwanese people to greet one another with the words "Have a prosperous new year" during Lunar New Year holidays and Christians are no exception. Of course, Christians also wish one another "Have a peaceful new year" and many of our churches hold a New Year thanksgiving service on Lunar New Year's Day. During Lunar New Year we can also expect adults to give out red envelopes and children and elderly people to wait expectantly for them, and the economy usually gets a boost shortly afterward because people's purchasing powers have increased if only momentarily.

ELCA Increases Financial Commitments to Haiti Earthquake Relief

February 24, 2010, CHICAGO – Focusing on immediate provision of shelter and non-food items as the rainy season approaches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) announced it has increased its financial commitment by $2.5 million toward earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. The ELCA will provide an additional $1.5 million to the Lutheran World Federation's Department for World Service (LWF-DWS) and $1 million to the Lutheran Church in Haiti, said Megan Bradfield, associate director, International Development and Disaster Response, ELCA Global Mission. Through Feb. 24 the ELCA has received more than $5.8 million in gifts in response to the earthquake, including a matching gift of $320,000 from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Minneapolis, said Christina Jackson-Skelton, ELCA treasurer.

Middle East News

WCC Message of Solidarity to Christians in Egypt

February 26, 2010 – Concerned about the security of Christians in Egypt, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has encouraged the churches in the country to continue their involvement in Muslim-Christian dialogue." It is a matter of regret that in Egypt today Christians can easily fall victim to violence and hatred, and that their security is not fully guaranteed. Many Copts, in particular, are made to feel like aliens in their own country." This statement is part of a message to the member churches of the WCC in Egypt issued by the Council's executive committee at the end of its 23-26 February meeting in Bossey, near Geneva, Switzerland.

MIDDLE EAST: Archbishop of Canterbury Meets with Heads of Churches in Jerusalem

February 23, 2010 – Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams on Feb. 22 held a series of meetings with the three most senior heads of churches in Jerusalem: His Beatitude Theophilus III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and members of the Holy Synod; His Beatitude Torkom II, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem; and His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. "The already-warm relations that exist between the various local churches in Jerusalem were underlined, as was the common responsibility of the church globally to confirm and strengthen the presence of vulnerable Christian communities in the Holy Land, including in Jerusalem," said a press release from Lambeth Palace, Williams' London residence.

MIDDLE EAST: Archbishop of Canterbury Visits the West Bank and Gaza

February 24, 2010 – Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams visited the West Bank and Gaza Feb. 22-23 as part of his four-day visit to the Holy Land. Accompanied by Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani and Church of Ireland Bishop Michael Jackson of Clogher, Williams met with representatives of the local Christian community, the Palestinian Authority and local civic authorities, and visited church-run institutions in the health sector. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad hosted Williams at a reception for the local community in Ramallah on Feb. 22.

People in the News

Attorney Honored for Protecting Immigrants

February 24, 2010 – Llewelyn Pritchard was dismayed by what he considered to be the Gestapo-like tactics used on immigrants coming to the United States. The United Methodist attorney from Seattle had little experience with immigration law, but he knew how to motivate people and articulate a cause. So, when asked, he put those skills to use as chairperson of the Advisory Committee on Immigration, Pro Bono and Bar Activation Project, for the American Bar Association. Armed with a $1 million grant from the Ford Foundation, Pritchard's committee began rallying local and state bar associations to become involved with assisting immigrants, refugees and newcomers "so they could see the chaos involved in the system and experience the inequities of the immigration courts," he said.

Reviews

nuChristian among Outreach Magazine's Top Resources

February 23, 2010, VALLEY FORGE, PA – nuChristian: Finding Faith in a New Generation (Judson Press) has been recognized by Outreach magazine in its 7th Annual Outreach Resources of the Year issue. Russell E. D. Rathbun's book is named in the Youth Outreach category. Published in 2009, nuChristian considers Christianity's image problem and offers a challenge to be transformed from unChristian to nuChristian by taking seriously the critique of a new generation. Rathbun addresses the issues with practical ideas for church leaders who seek to reach today's young adults with a Christlike community that is transparent, holistic, loving, engaged, just, and humble, and most of all authentic about who we are as flawed human beings saved by a gracious God.