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Rev. N. J. L'Heureux, Jr., Publisher & Editor
Rev. Pedro Bravo-Guzman, Editor-in-Chief
An Ecumenical Report of Local and Global News
in God's Household
Published by the Queens Federation of Churches
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New York State Council of Churches Supports Park51 Center August 25, 2010 – The New York State Council of Churches released a statement today supporting the planned Community Center at 51 Park Place in Manhattan. The Statement in Support has been sent to Governor Paterson, the New York State Legislature, The New York State Congressional delegation, Mayor Bloomberg, the New York City Council, and the media. The New York State Council of Churches represents Protestant denominations with more than 6,000 congregations in New York State. Many of their ancestors came and built houses of worship on this soil, and oftentimes religious persecution followed. "Climate Change Will Kill More Africans than Malaria or AIDS," Anglican Church Warned August 26, 2010 – Bishops told the church has pivotal role in mitigating the impact of climate change on local communities. The continent of Africa is facing a future in which climate change will kill more people than traditional causes such as malaria and HIV, according to a Ugandan environmental expert. Dr Rose Mwebaza warned Anglican bishops from Africa in Entebbe that lakes across the continent are shrinking and drying up, crops are failing, deforestation is leading to terrible flooding and, as a result, people are fighting and killing each other over resources. Racism Today: Churches Reassess Their Commitment August 24, 2010 – Churches' attitudes and responses to racism today will come under scrutiny at a conference, organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in partnership with the United Church of Christ (UCC) and Dutch missionary and diaconal agency Kerk in Actie, in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 26-29 August. While the struggle against racism has been a formative and highly visible priority for the ecumenical movement, beginning with the US Civil Rights movement and then South African apartheid, there are now diverging views as to the role churches should play in combating racism that operates in many subtle ways. Youths Get Expert Advice on Understanding Issues of the Day August 22, 2010 – Tainan Presbytery's Dong-Ning Church Youth Fellowship invited Chen Shih-meng to speak to youths about ECFA, politics, and the role of youths in contemporary society on August 14, 2010. Chen's credentials include former Presidential Office secretary-general and former Taipei City deputy mayor, but he is also a member of Taipei East Gate Presbyterian Church. Chen divided his seminar into two segments. He spoke first about the implications of ECFA by examining the political and the economic aspects of this treaty. UCC Church in Michigan Opens its Doors to Local College's Communication School August 24, 2010 – Expanding its seven-year partnership with Grand Valley State University, St. John's United Church of Christ in Grand Rapids, Mich., opened its doors this summer to the university's School of Communication. Scenes for "Horizontal Accidents," the summer film project of the Allendale, Mich., school, were shot July 25 on location in St. John's church building. Extras included members of St. John's and Plymouth Congregational UCC in Grand Rapids. UCC Faith Practices Subscribers Laud Resource for Simplicity, Substance August 24, 2010 – Just over a month after its rollout, Faith Practices is drawing enthusiastic reviews from subscribers praising the simplicity of its use and the depth of the reflection it provides. To date, 73 churches have subscribed to the resources. The Rev. Donna Cooney, pastor at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Pomona Park, Fla., and UCC women's ministry consultant for the Southern Region, praises Faith Practices for its ease of preparation. "My time was not spent locating supplies for elaborate crafts, but on preparation involved learning about the characteristics of children as well as thinking about my own beliefs," says Cooney. ELCA Presiding Bishop's next Town Hall Forum September 19 August 25, 2010, CHICAGO – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will answer questions on a variety of topics from members of the denomination on Sunday, Sept. 19. Hanson will take questions during an hour-long "Town Hall Forum" beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The forum will be the second with the ELCA presiding bishop this year, and the third since December 2009. The forum will be webcast live from Chicago, where Hanson will be joined by an audience of ELCA members. The audience will be able to ask questions of the presiding bishop. ELCA Presiding Bishop Addresses Discernment, Repentance, Reconciliation August 24, 2010, CHICAGO – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), addressed a number of topics in an Aug. 24 pastoral letter to the church, including differing views on human sexuality, reconciliation, not bearing false witness against one another and ongoing dialogue about faith and life. "It is my prayer that we use this time for discerning and engaging; for repenting and reconciling; for restraint but not timidity; and for rejoicing," Hanson wrote in his letter. Two ELCA Congregations Give $830,000 to Support Global Ministries August 27, 2010, CHICAGO – Two congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have given a combined total of more than $830,000 to support global ministries for one reason – to join hands with Lutherans around the world to "teach, preach, heal, build, grow, give and receive." First Lutheran Church in Freeport, Ill., has given more than $400,000 and Roseville Lutheran Church in Roseville, Minn., has given more than $430,000 to support Lutheran missionaries and ministries overseas. Luke's House Offers Healing and Prayers August 25, 2010, NEW ORLEANS – Sharon Young, 52, sits in the metal folding chair and holds up her arm for Ruby Glenn to strap on the blood-pressure cuff. Glenn, in teal scrubs, gets busy taking vitals on Young in her small examining room bordered on two sides by white sheets hung on pipes. If she looks up, she has a good view of the altar at Mount Zion United Methodist Church. Young knows she has been under a lot of stress, but she is shocked to see the high blood pressure numbers. Glenn, a retired nurse, isn't surprised at all. WCC and Pentecostals Need Each Other, WCC General Secretary Says August 25, 2010 – "Among the many challenges that we face in the search for Christian unity is the need to overcome divisions and prejudices that exclude one another," Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) said Wednesday, 24 August to the 22nd Pentecostal World Conference in Stockholm, Sweden. In his greeting – the first ever offered by a WCC general secretary to a Pentecostal World Conference – Tveit highlighted the hope that comes with being invited to the conference and spoke of his personal experience with Pentecostal churches. Lutherans Begin Ecumenical Pilgrimage to Retrace Luther's Steps August 21, 2010, CHICAGO – Two Lutherans will leave the Augustinian priory in Erfurt, Germany, Aug. 22, and walk one thousand miles to Rome, retracing the footsteps of Martin Luther. But for the Rev. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson and her husband, Dr. Andrew Lars Wilson, it's much more than a long hike – it's a chance to meet people face-to-face and interact with those who follow their journey online about the importance of ecumenism. Luther, an Augustinian friar, created controversy with his 95 Theses. Luther's statement, which he nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517, raised questions about indulgences in the Western Church. What followed was the period known as the Protestant Reformation. Assessing Decision-Making on the NYC Islamic Center: August 4, 2010 – The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission announced yesterday that it will not designate the building at 45-51 Park Place in lower Manhattan as an historic landmark. The building, which is two blocks north of Ground Zero, does not have the architectural or historic significance to merit such a designation, the Commission unanimously said. While a decision like this normally would not draw national attention, this one already has because it essentially clears the way for the owners of the property to tear down the existing structure and build an Islamic center there. Nombramiento De Nuevo Embajador Ante El Vaticano Indigna a Sectores Progresistas 27 agosto 2010, SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica – De "bofetada a la decencia democrática" calificó el comité ejecutivo del Partido Frente Amplio (PFA), el nombramiento, este 23 de agosto, del cuestionado ex diputado Fernando Sánchez, como embajador ante el Vaticano por parte del gobierno presidido por Laura Chinchilla. "Si vergonzosa es la acción del Gobierno, no menos lamentable es el silencio de la jerarquía de la Conferencia Episcopal, que ni siquiera se ha dignado atender las peticiones hechas por diversos sectores ciudadanos, para que se pronuncie sobre este ignominioso nombramiento," añade el comunicado del PFA. Nombran a Obispo Miembro De La Comisión 26 agosto 2010, SAN SALVADOR – Gregorio Rosa Chávez, obispo auxiliar de la Iglesia católica en esta capital, ha sido nombrado por el presidente del país, Mauricio Funes, para que integre la Comisión Nacional de Búsqueda de Niñas y Niños Desaparecidos durante la guerra civil, que tuvo lugar en el país entre 1980 y 1992, según trascendió aquí el pasado viernes. Dicho organismo ha sido creado tras un fallo de la Corte Interamericana de los Derechos Humanos, la cual dictó buscar las niñas y los niños desaparecidos durante esa oscura etapa de la historia de El Salvador, así como efectuar actos de restauración en el caso de las familias de las víctimas de esa guerra. Conmemoran En El Mundo Centenario De Madre Teresa De Calcuta 26 agosto 2010, ARGENTINA – Todo el planeta eleva hoy una plegaria de gratitud a Dios por la vida de Madre Teresa de Calcuta, "la mujer que más bien ha hecho en este mundo," según opiniones coincidentes de líderes religiosos de distintos credos, al cumplirse hoy 100 años de su nacimiento. Nacida el 26 de agosto de 2010 en Uskub, Imperio otomano (actual Skopje, República de Macedonia, creció bajo el hombre de Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu hasta que hizo sus primeros votos de pobreza, castidad y obediencia como monja el 24 de mayo de 1931. Teólogos Se Solidarizan Con Luchas Indígenas 23 agosto 2010, SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica – Su pleno apoyo a la promulgación de una ley que garantice la autonomía de los pueblos indígenas de Costa Rica, así como la exigencia del cumplimiento de los convenios internacionales sobre los derechos de esas poblaciones originarias, de las cuales el país es signatario, es recogido en un comunicado dado a conocer aquí por la Escuela Ecuménica de Ciencias de la Religión (EECR), de la estatal Universidad Nacional. Un Equipo De Cartas Vivas Del CMI Visitará a Los Pueblos Indígenas De Australia 26 agosto 2010 – El Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) enviará una delegación ecuménica internacional de Cartas Vivas para visitar a los pueblos indígenas del Territorio del Norte de Australia del 12 al 17 de septiembre de 2010. La visita responde a la invitación del Consejo Nacional de Iglesias de Australia para arrojar luz sobre la situación de los derechos humanos de los aborígenes y los isleños del estrecho de Torres y mostrar solidaridad con los pueblos indígenas que sienten que no se escuchan sus voces. Bishop Calls for ‘Civil, Respectful Discussion' Concerning Lower Manhattan Islamic Center August 25, 2010, NEW YORK – The dispute over the planned Islamic community center and mosque in lower Manhattan should be seen as "an opportunity for a civil, rational, loving, respectful discussion," Diocese of New York Bishop Mark S. Sisk has said drawing on similar comments from Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. "The plan to build this center is, without doubt, an emotionally highly charged issue," Sisk said in an Aug. 24 letter to the Episcopal New York diocese. "But as a nation with tolerance and religious freedom at its very foundation, we must not let our emotions lead us into the error of persecuting or condemning an entire religion for the sins of its most misguided adherents." SAN JOAQUIN: Diocese Sues for Return of Bakersfield Church Property August 25, 2010 – The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin on Aug. 24 filed a lawsuit against the former members of St. Paul's Church in Bakersfield, to seek return of the church property. St. Paul's was among 40 congregations whose members disaffiliated from the Episcopal Church in 2007, first realigning with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone and later with the Anglican Church in North America. They refused to relinquish church property. Relationships Forged in Previous Disasters Help Episcopalians Respond to Oil Spill's Impact August 24, 2010 – Lessons learned and relationships built in the wake of the Gulf Coast's ongoing recovery from 2005's Hurricane Katrina and subsequent storms are being put to work as the region deals with the impact of the BP oil spill. "We had these rich relationships that had developed that made it easy for us when the oil spill was occurring and we were looking for where we could best make a positive contribution and help support community resilience and meet community needs," Nell Bolton, executive director of Episcopal Community Services of Louisiana, told Episcopal News Service recently, adding that those relationships have come "as a result of all the struggles of the last five years." Katrina Memories Mix with Spill Worries August 27, 2010 – If you live on the Gulf Coast, says the Very Rev. James "Bo" Roberts, it's not a question of whether a natural disaster will strike, but rather when the next one will come. Roberts knows what he's taking about. He is the rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Gulfport, Mississippi, one of six churches along the Gulf Coast portion of the Diocese of Mississippi that Hurricane Katrina destroyed on Aug. 29, 2005. He began his ministry at St. Mark's in April 1969, "right before [Hurricane] Camille came and tore it all up in August of that year, so I have rebuilt completely twice," along with making lots of repairs after other storms in between. WCC Living Letters Team to Visit Indigenous Peoples of Australia August 26, 2010 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) is sending an international ecumenical Living Letters delegation to visit the Indigenous Peoples in the Northern Territory of Australia from 12 -17 September 2010. The visit is in response to an invitation extended by the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) to shed light on the human rights situation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to show solidarity with the Indigenous people who feel their voices are not heard. Living Letters are small ecumenical teams which visit a country to listen, learn, share approaches and help to confront challenges in order to overcome violence, promote and pray for peace. History-Making Anglican Priest Says Africa "Has Faith to Believe it Can Defeat AIDS" August 25, 2010 – Rev Canon Gideon Byamugisha today called on the African bishops of the Anglican Communion to take the lead in ensuring the HIV virus never celebrates its 50th birthday in 2031. Canon Gideon – who made history by being the first priest in Africa to publically admit his HIV+ status – said bishops are in a prime position to be leaders in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Speaking as part of the All African Bishops Conference's session on the church's role in improving healthcare in Africa, the celebrated priest said the appeal specifically to leadership across the continent was relatively new. "One of the great things we've had [in the fight against AIDS] is a message to give people: abstain, be faithful, use condoms. But we did not have a message for leaders." Global Support Intensifies for Iran's Seven Baha'i Leaders August 26, 2010, GENEVA – An increasing number of governments, human rights groups and prominent individuals are raising their voices against the harsh prison sentences handed down earlier this month to Iran's seven Baha'i leaders. As lawyers for the prisoners prepare to appeal against the 20-year jail terms, the government of New Zealand has voiced its concern that the trial "was conducted in a manner that was neither fair nor transparent." "New Zealand is dismayed that Iran has failed to uphold its international human rights commitments, and its own due legal processes in this case," said Foreign Minister Murray McCully. Devastation in Haiti Far Worse than Imagined, Says ELCA Leader August 24, 2010, CHICAGO – Pictures of the devastation are distressing, but seeing earthquake-ravaged Haiti in person is far worse than what the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla imagined. "It is overwhelming," said Malpica Padilla, executive director for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Global Mission. As he described the piles of rubble where buildings once stood, and trash that has accumulated and continues to pile up in Haiti, Malpica Padilla told the ELCA News Service Aug. 24 that the process of cleaning up will be "a major affair." COLOMBIA: U.S. Ecumenical Group Seeks to Build Stronger Relationships with Latin America August 26, 2010 – An ecumenical group from the United States met with Colombian church representatives on Aug. 22 to discuss issues of internally displaced people as well as the relationship between the two regions. The meeting was hosted by Consejo Latino-Americano de Iglesias, or Latin American Council of Churches. Its staff presented extensive information about the complex social problems in Colombia and ways that the organization hopes to respond. During the lunch meeting, representatives from Colombia, including Episcopal Bishop Francisco Duque-Gómez, underscored the social issues facing the country and steps the churches are taking to respond. WCC Delegation Seeks Just and Inclusive Peace in Palestine and Israel August 27, 2010 – At a time when there are signs of hope emerging from the churches in the Middle East around the conflict in Palestine and Israel, a World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation led by WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit will be travelling to the region to emphasize the need for a "just peace." While planning for the visit was initiated several months ago, it now coincides with the start-up of peace negotiations 2 September in Washington, D.C., United States. "The purpose of this visit is to support the churches in the region and to encourage all actors involved to make needed changes to the situation there," Tveit said prior to the visit. 40 Years Later, ELCA Pastor Elizabeth Platz Still Serves Maryland Students August 23, 2010, COLLEGE PARK, Md. – For nearly 45 years, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Platz has served here at the University of Maryland (UM), quietly influencing generations of Lutheran students to remain active in the church and in service to others. Those whose lives she has touched speak highly of Platz's influence on them, her dedication to the church and some wonderful home-cooked meals she serves to hungry college students. In 1970 the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) ordained Platz at UM's Memorial Chapel, where she serves today. Platz, the first woman ordained a Lutheran pastor in North America, has served her entire ministry as UM Lutheran campus pastor. |
