Front Page

Church Communicators Urge FCC to Protect Freedom of the Internet

October 18, 2010, WASHINGTON – Communicators representing a wide range of national church bodies have called upon the Federal Communications Commission "to take any and all action" to protect the freedom of the Internet. Noting that Internet communication is "vital" to faith groups as they share their stories and build communities, the National Council of Churches Communication Commission has issued a resolution urging the FCC to "protect the freedom of every individual and group to see and hear and send any information they desire." The Commission is composed of professional communicators from the NCC's 36 member communions and other faith groups.

Archbishop of Canterbury Criticizes European Burqa Bans

October 19, 2010, NAGPUR, India – Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has deplored attempts by governments in Europe to prohibit Muslim women from publicly wearing the burqa, a garment that covers the entire body. "Governments should have better things to do than ban the burqa," Williams, the leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, told an interfaith meeting organized by the National Council of Churches in India at its headquarters in Nagpur, during a visit to India. France's constitutional court on Oct. 7 approved a law banning full-face veils in public, which would prevent women wearing garments such as the burqa. In March, Belgian lawmakers voted on a similar measure to ban the wearing of clothes or veils that do not allow the wearer to be fully identified.

General News

John Calvin Site Moves on the Internet

October 18, 2010 – calvin09 is now www.john-calvin.org. The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) and the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (FSPC) are pleased to announce that the international internet platform about the Geneva Reformer John Calvin is now called www.john-calvin.org. The site is being developed into a worldwide platform of comprehensive knowledge and information. john-calvin.org features information, documents, games and products about the Geneva Reformer in four languages. International Calvin experts from Germany, Switzerland, South America and the United States have been developing and expanding the web page, which first went online in 2007, into a worldwide central knowledge and information platform.

Liturgical Support Resources Announced for Reformation Sunday

October 21, 2010 – The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is inviting members to pray and affirm their commitment to God's mission on Reformation Sunday in ways that strengthen their spirituality and worship and their sense of unity and passion for justice. "As parishes throughout the world prepare to observe Reformation Sunday, it is a moment to give thanks for the creation of this new global expression of unity among many of the churches who trace their roots to the 16th century church Reformation movement," says WCRC General Secretary, Setri Nyomi.

Fall Still Speaking Magazine Focuses on ‘Blessing'

October 19, 2010 – Building on the successful launch of StillSpeaking Magazine and its enthusiastic reception by the UCC and ecumenical colleagues, the magazine's sophomore offering will focus on the theme of "blessing." Scheduled to begin mailing in early November, StillSpeaking Magazine's Fall 2010 issue contains more of the personality profiles, stories of transformation and inspirational columns found in the inaugural issue. Accompanied by striking photography and compelling design, the magazine has received acclaim in many settings. "Wherever I go, people tell me they are proud to have StillSpeaking Magazine as part of the UCC's communication efforts," says the Rev. Gregg Brekke, StillSpeaking Magazine's editor.

A Place for All: Faith and Community for People with Disabilities
Begins 11/14/2010: Horizons of the Spirit

October 20, 2010, NEW YORK – Making faith communities more accessible to persons with disabilities is the topic of a unique interfaith documentary that may air on NBC-TV affiliates nationwide beginning November 14. A Place for All: Faith and Community for Persons with Disabilities is presented by the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission (IBC), a coalition of Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic faith groups, as part of NBC's 2010 Horizons of the Spirit series. The issue addressed by the program is critical, as it is estimated that 1 out of 5 Americans has a disability, says The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National Council of Churches.

Archbishop Rowan Williams: "Despite Challenges, Anglican Communion Life Is Strong"

October 20, 2010 – The mutual life of the Anglican Communion is "quite strong and perhaps getting stronger" according to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. In an interview with The Hindu newspaper, Dr Williams indicated that the state of the Communion was not as black as some have painted it. He called it "a very mixed picture." "I think that after the Lambeth Conference of 2008 many people felt that we found ways of talking to one another, and perhaps exercising some restraint and tact towards one another," he said, "and it was very significant that at the next meeting of the Anglican primates, which was in the early part of 2009, all major Churches of the Communion were represented.

Liturgy and Music Commission Hears Call for Openness, Equality for Same-Gender Couples

October 20, 2010, CONCORD, New Hampshire – Ministering in the "middle of this cauldron of multicultural activity" that is Harvard Square, the Rev. Joseph Robinson, rector of Christ Church Cambridge in the Diocese of Massachusetts says he wants to be able to welcome everyone, including same-gender couples who want their relationships blessed. "And what they're asking of me is that it's the same for everyone, that it's done with intention, truthfulness and that it begins with the words ‘dearly beloved,'" Robinson told the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music Oct. 19 during a hearing here. "It needs to sound like something that's recognizable."

ELCA Presiding Bishop Congratulates World Food Prize Laureate

October 15, 2010, DES MOINES, Iowa – The 2010 World Food Prize is a testament to the "remarkable leadership" of the Rev. David Beckmann to mobilize citizens to advocate for public policies that help hungry people, said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Hanson made the comment in a congratulatory letter to Beckmann, co-recipient of the 2010 World Food Prize with Jo Luck, chief executive officer of Heifer International, Little Rock, Ark. Beckmann is an ELCA pastor and president of Bread for the World, Washington, D.C. Bread for the World works through the Christian community to call on political leaders to support policy changes that focus on long-term solutions to hunger.

Presiding Bishop Offers a Christian Perspective on the Pursuit of Happiness

October 19, 2010 – Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori encouraged an Atlanta audience Oct. 18 at Emory University to explore the blessing of friendship as an aid for attaining happiness. She joined three other speakers from Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist traditions to provide a Christian perspective on the pursuit of happiness during the Interfaith Summit on Happiness conference hosted by Emory's Center for the Study of Law and Religion.

Spanish News

Evangélicos Aumentan Representación En El Congreso

22 octubre 2010, BRASILIA, Brasil – La bancada evangélica aumentó su participación de 7,2% del total de 594 congresistas – 513 diputados y 81 senadores – en la actual legislatura para 11,1%, electos en las elecciones del 3 de octubre y que tomarán posesión el 2 de febrero de 2011. Este año fueron electos 63 diputados y tres senadores evangélicos. En la actual composición, la bancada evangélica está integrada por 43 diputados y senadores. De los electos, 34 son nuevos y 32 fueron reelectos.

Hombres En Campaña Por La Despenalización Del Aborto

21 octubre 2010, ARGENTINA – "El aborto no es sólo un problema de las mujeres, es de toda la sociedad," reza el título de un documento firmado por diecisiete varones, profesionales de distintas áreas que se aproximan a una reflexión y aporte al debate sobre la despenalización del aborto. El documento se dio a conocer en la provincia del Chaco, en el noreste argentino. Raúl Gleim pastorea en la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Unida de Resistencia, y es uno de los firmantes del documento, afirma en diálogo con el sitio Diariochaco.com que el tema "soslaya la cuestión religiosa pero no la toca, porque hay una posición reaccionaria de las iglesias, pero lo cierto es que está muriendo gente detrás de un negocio clandestino."

Human Rights News

The High Cost of Religious Persecution

October 22, 2010 – After Sook (not her real name), a young woman from North Korea, gave her testimony during the Lausanne Congress in Cape Town many were moved to tears. They had just witnessed – in their midst – the tragic face of suffering. Born in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, this petite 18-year-old is the daughter of a former high-ranking government leader – an assistant of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il. In 1998, when Sook was the tender age of six, her father suffered severe political persecution, and the family was forced to flee to China. It was there that her parents came to know the amazing grace and love of God. After only a few months, her mother, pregnant with her second child, died of leukemia.

UN Secretary General Voices Concern over Human Rights Abuses in Iran

October 18, 2010, UNITED NATIONS – The Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, has once again expressed strong concern over Iran's ongoing human rights violations, including its persecution of Iranian Baha'is. In a report issued Thursday, Mr. Ban highlighted his continuing concerns over Iran's use of torture and the death penalty, its poor treatment of women, and repeated violations of due process of law and of freedom of assembly, speech and religion. The report also strongly criticized Iran's failure to protect the rights of minorities, including the Baha'i, Sufi, Baluch, and Kurdish communities. Over the last year, Mr. Ban said, there was "a noticeable increase in application of the death penalty, including in cases involving political opponents and juvenile offenders. Discrimination persisted against minority groups and in some cases amounted to persecution."

New York Metro News

General Seminary Approves Plan for Financial Restructuring, Elects New Board Chair

October 19, 2010, NEW YORK – General Theological Seminary in New York has announced a new initiative intended to eliminate $41 million of debt and restore the school's endowment, according to an Oct. 18 press release. The "Plan to Choose Life" initiative, approved by the seminary's trustees, aims to leverage $60 million through the sale of several properties to balance the GTS budget within a period of 18-24 months. The seminary's classic quadrangle, known as the "Close," will be preserved, as will all the historic buildings fronting West 21st Street, the release noted.

National News

LOS ANGELES: Bishops, Interfaith Leaders Stand up for Equality, Defeating Proposition 8

October 21, 2010 – Defeating Proposition 8, the California voter-approved ban on gay marriage, is more than a legal issue; it's also a matter of faith, Bishop Diocesan J. Jon Bruno of the Diocese of Los Angeles told an Oct. 20 gathering of interfaith leaders at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul. Bruno, along with Los Angeles Bishops Suffragan Diane Jardine Bruce and Mary D. Glasspool, urged congregations to support a California Faith for Equality (CFE) amicus brief to be filed Oct. 25, affirming an earlier appellate court ruling that invalidated Proposition 8. "It's important that we sign this brief and that people understand that the church supports all humanity and their right to marry," Bruno said. "This is a fundamental right of all human beings, it's a religious right, a right of sacredness.

International News

Central and Eastern European Ecumenical Education Network Is Inaugurated

October 22, 2010 – The recently established Network for Ecumenical Learning in Central and Eastern Europe (NELCEE) held its first consultation in Prague, 14-17 October. The topic of the debates was "Religious education in school – confessional or ecumenical?" The network is a result of three conferences organized between 2003 and 2008 by the World Council of Churches, the Conference of European Churches and the Volos Academy (Greece). NELCEE coordination was entrusted to the Institute for Ecumenical Research, Sibiu, Romania. The 12 member institutes from 11 European countries have decided to consolidate their collaboration in the field of religious education.

Buddhist Temple Helps Christian Hospital in Outreach for Typhoon Victims

October 17, 2010 – One recent local news report in Taiwan announced Bao-An Shrine, a local Buddhist temple, had decided to build a walk-in clinic and had gotten help from Puli Christian Hospital in Nantou, which had agreed to provide stand-by counselors. To answer speculations people may have about this unlikely partnership, Puli Christian Hospital's head chaplain Rev. Hsiao Chin-feng said the two religious organizations got acquainted when Bao-An joined Puli in reaching out to people living in remote mountains in central Taiwan.

Spotlight Shines on Samoa as LinK Event Celebrates Common Gifts

October 22, 2010 – Leaders at the Koinonia Event (LinK) last month welcomed to the UCC Church House 39 Samoan pastors and lay leaders from Conferences representing seven states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Coordinated by Local Church Ministries in cooperation with other national covenanted ministries, LinK set the stage for Conference pastors and lay leaders from Alaska, California, Hawaii, Missouri, Texas, Utah and Washington to dialogue with the national UCC setting in the spirit of Koinonia. (Greek for "fellowship" or "communion," koinonia is referenced 20 times in the Bible, the first time in Acts 2:42.) Primary on the agenda was experiencing the gifts of all common ministries, just as Jesus Christ did with his disciples.

WCC Delegates Join in Celebrating Reconciliation at Cape Town Event

October 20, 2010 – The third Congress of the Lausanne Movement has been meeting in Cape Town, South Africa since the beginning of this week. Delegates from 200 countries have been discussing evangelism in diverse contexts, styles and cultures. The theme of the event is "God in Christ reconciling the world to himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19). The Lausanne Movement seeks to be a global network of "reflective practitioners" who share one vision for the work of world evangelization. The movement began in 1974 when the Rev. Dr Billy Graham and the Rev. Dr John R.W. Stott convened the International Congress on World Evangelization in Lausanne, Switzerland with the goal of framing "a biblical declaration on evangelism" and stating "what the relationship is between evangelism and social responsibility."