Front Page

In Rome, Church of England Head Meets Privately with Pope

November 18, 2010, VATICAN CITY – The head of the Church of England, Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury met privately in Rome with Pope Benedict XVI on Nov. 18. The meeting comes at an awkward time in relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church. On Nov. 8, five Anglican bishops announced they were resigning their posts to enter the Catholic Church under special terms outlined last year by Pope Benedict. One of the five, Bishop John Broadhurst of Fulham, told the London Times, that he believed thousands, not hundreds, of laity would follow them into the Catholic Church.

Churches Want Europe to Take Lead on Climate Justice

November 17, 2010 – A consultation on Poverty, Wealth and Ecology in Europe organized by the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) in cooperation with churches in Hungary ended on Friday 12 November by adopting a "Budapest Call for Climate Justice." Some 80 representatives of churches and church-related agencies working on poverty reduction and development met during the 4-day conference in Budapest, in order to discuss the links between the creation and accumulation of wealth on the one hand and ecological damage and poverty on the other. The group's final statement underlines that the methods of wealth creation and the pursuit of unlimited wealth in rich industrialized countries of Europe often impoverish communities and harm creation as a whole.

The Lord's Prayer Is ‘Fully Jewish, Says Theologian'

November 17, 2010 – The Lord's Prayer is utterly, totally, fully Jewish – there's nothing in it that is particularly Christian," an American theologian argues in a new book, reports The Jerusalem Post. In traditional Christian thinking, the Our Father is seen as establishing a relationship between the individual petitioner and God, but former priest John Dominic Crossan takes a different view in his book released last week, The Greatest Prayer: Rediscovering the Revolutionary Message of the Lord's Prayer, and in recent media interviews. Within the context of Judaism in the 1st century CE, the term "Father," or "Abba" in Aramaic, would connote a householder who must provide equally for all members of his family, according to Crossan. In that sense, God is "The Big Householder in the Sky" who exercises "distributive justice" and who would be appalled by the huge discrepancy between rich and poor, Crossan argues.

Government's Top Anti-Semitism Watchdog Says
Holocaust Denial Has Become Rampant in Parts of the World

November 15, 2010, WASHINGTON, DC – Hannah Rosenthal, the U.S. Department of State's special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, told the B'nai B'rith International Policy Conference that the very real challenge of her job is how to make it clear that anti-Semitism "is a disease that was not cured after World War II." Noting that anti-Semitism is on the rise globally, she said her job monitoring and combating anti-Semitism has been integrated into all aspects of the State department's work. Rosenthal talked about the major trends she's observed, noting, "We see Holocaust denial every day as an obsession." Holocaust glorification-where images of Holocaust victims are shown while clerics say the annihilation of the Jews will be completed soon-has become rampant in some parts of the world. Something she described as "bone chilling." Rosenthal's overriding theme was that diplomacy does work, albeit slowly at times.

General News

New ‘Church Builder Bonus' Provides Bump for Cornerstone Fund Investors

November 16, 2010 Investors in the UCC's Cornerstone Fund are familiar with the healthy returns it consistently provides. Now, thanks to the new Church Builder Bonus program, they can earn a 1.5 percent bonus. Those making a minimum $10,000 investment over five years – while designating a "give-back" gift of at least 10 percent to any UCC ministry or organization – can enjoy the bonus for the entire five-year investment term. The bonus affords investors with a 4.5 percent (APR) interest – a 50 percent inccrease over the standard five-year APR of 3 percent. Individuals with fixed-income investments can earn a higher rate of return while allocating their "give-back" contribution to their local church to help fulfill their annual pledge. "

Elmhurst Professors Win Award for Boosting Cognitive Skills of Seniors

November 10, 2010 – Bingo, arts, and crafts are all well and good, but Helga and Tony Noice knew there was more to improving quality of life in the world's ever-growing number of geriatric communities. So they studied how actors learn and retain information –– and how those processes affect cognitive aging –– by conducting controlled field studies in which they teach theater to older adults. The hard work of the UCC-related Elmhurst (Ill.) College faculty members have netted them the 2010 Gene D. Cohen Research Award in Creativity and Aging, presented by the Gerontological Society of America and the National Center for Creative Aging.

Photo Petition Gives a Face to Call for Climate Justice

November 17, 2010 People around the globe are called to put their names and faces behind the call for strong international action on climate change. An international coalition of Christian organizations is organizing a photo petition that will bring the messages of all those who care for creation to the United Nations climate talks. The call comes ahead of the next round of negotiations by the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which will take place in Cancun, Mexico, 29 November to 10 December. The United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen 2009 failed to deliver the legally binding treaty that many, including the World Council of Churches (WCC), had hoped and advocated for.

New Spanish Language Ministry Training Track Is Available to Brethren

November 19, 2010, ELGIN, IL – A new Spanish language ministry training track is being created for the Church of the Brethren, through the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and a Mennonite ministry certification program, Seminario Biblico Anabautista Hispano. The Brethren Academy is a partnership of the Church of the Brethren and Bethany Theological Seminary. In a report to the fall meeting of the Mission and Ministry Board, academy director Julie M. Hostetter outlined how the new program will work as a Brethren track in the Mennonite Education Agency's program for Hispanic Pastoral Leadership Education.

ELCA Council Acts on Annuity Payment Reduction Recommendations

November 17, 2010, CHICAGO – The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) authorized one-time payments from the ELCA Special Needs Retirement Fund "as soon as realistically possible in 2011" to help people most adversely affected by reductions in ELCA Board of Pensions annuity payments caused by the crisis in financial markets in late 2008 and early 2009. The council action was among a series of recommendations it approved from a report presented by an Ad Hoc Committee the council appointed in August. The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies.

One Woman, One Man Take Benedictine Vows, Forming a New Monastic Community in Foggy Bottom

November 17, 2010 – Two Lents ago, the Rev. Andrew Sloane led a rector's forum at St. Paul's Episcopal Parish on K Street in the Foggy Bottom section of Washington, D.C., about the Benedictine Communities of Jerusalem, Roman Catholic monasteries located in the heart of major cities. "Father Sloane said, ‘I wish that we could have a monastic community here, but that isn't going to happen," recounted parishioner Michael Alsup. "I asked, ‘Why can't we?' It just seemed like a good question." On Sunday, that question will be answered when Alsup and another parishioner, Josephine Stelzig, are clothed as novices in the Benedictine Companions of St. Paul during a Solemn Mass at 11:15 a.m. During Evensong at 6 p.m., Episcopal Diocese of Washington Bishop John Chane will bless their vows of obedience, and Sloane and Vicar Nathan Humphrey will reaffirm their ordination vows, the rector said.

Simple Living Not Necessarily Simple

November 19, 2010 – John Wesley espoused three simple rules: Do no harm, do good and stay in love with God. Though these rules sound – and are – incredibly simple, actually practicing them is anything but easy. "I have a hunger for us to return to some of the original values and lifestyles of the early church and the early Methodist movement," the Rev. Ryan Wieland, 28, said. He serves Ridley Park United Methodist Church in Pennsylvania.

Transgender Pastor Urges Sexuality Debate

November 18, 2010 – The Rev. David Weekley thinks it's difficult for the church to have meaningful conversations about sexual and gender identity. So, for years, the Portland, Ore.,-based United Methodist pastor, husband and father of five kept his own secret about having been born a girl but never feeling like one. Then, on Aug. 30, 2009, he decided it was time to start telling the story of his experience as a transgender man, beginning with his own congregation. Now, Weekley wants to widen the discussion about sexuality throughout the denomination, despite what he perceives as an increasing reluctance to discuss such issues. The recent refusal of the United Methodist Judicial Council to reconsider its 2005 decision upholding a pastor's right to reject someone as a member of his church is an indication of the urgent need for conversation, he said.

Ecumenical News

Vatican Congratulates Sikh Community on Prakash Divas of Siri Guru Nanak Sahib

November 19, 2010 – The World Sikh Council - America Region (WSC-AR) is pleased to announce that today it received with appreciation a letter from the Vatican congratulating the Sikh community on the Prakash Divas (birth anniversary) of Siri Guru Nanak Sahib, the founder of the Sikh Faith, which falls on this coming Sunday, November 21, 2010. This is the first time the Vatican has issued a statement on this auspicious Gurpurab. In response, Dr. Satpal Singh, Chairperson of WSC-AR remarked, "We are appreciative of this kind gesture of the Vatican and look forward to engaging even deeper with the Vatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops."

Spanish News

Asamblea Bautista Recibe Nuevo Miembro Y Traza Política Misionera

17 noviembre 2010, LA HABANA, Cuba – Coincidiendo con el 21 aniversario de la organización de la Fraternidad de Iglesias Bautistas de Cuba (FIBAC), se celebró del 5 al 7 de noviembre la asamblea anual de este movimiento de Iglesias bautistas cubanas que se extiende a 12 de las 14 provincias que forman la Isla. Cerca de 200 personas llegaron hasta el Templo de la Iglesia Bautista El Jordán en Guanabacoa, Ciudad de la Habana, para participar de la asamblea de estudio, que alterna con una de negocios en años sucesivos.

Rostros Para La Justicia Climática

17 noviembre 2010 – Una coalición internacional de organizaciones cristianas insta a los ciudadanos y ciudadanas de todo el mundo a respaldar, con sus rostros y sus nombres, el llamamiento en favor de una acción internacional contundente frente al cambio climático. Esta petición de fotos está destinada a hacer llegar a las negociaciones sobre el clima de las Naciones Unidas los mensajes de todos aquellos que se preocupan por la creación. Se trata de una iniciativa lanzada en vista de la próxima ronda de negociaciones de las Partes en la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático, que tendrá lugar en Cancún, México, del 29 de noviembre al 10 de diciembre.

El CMI Y La AEM Hablan Con Una Sola Voz Sobre La Situación En Sudán

15 noviembre 2010 – Los dirigentes del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y la Alianza Evangélica Mundial (AEM) se reunieron recientemente para decir que sus organizaciones e iglesias miembros hablan con una misma voz en cuanto se refiere a la celebración del referéndum en Sudán en enero de 2011. Ambos dirigentes afirmaron que el referéndum, que se ha previsto celebrar el 9 de enero de 2011 y determinará si el Sudán Meridional seguirá siendo parte de Sudán o no, debe tener lugar el día fijado, ser libre y justo, y que los resultados deben ser aceptados por todas las partes.

Haití Recibirá Ayuda De La Comunidad Luterana
Por El Huracán Y Para La Prevención Del Cólera

15 noviembre 2010, CHICAGO – La Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América (ELCA por sus siglas en inglés) se ha comprometido a entregar $50,000 dólares en fondos para desastres internacionales a la Federación Luterana Mundial para que los use en necesidades inmediatas en Haití tras el paso del Huracán Tomás. También contribuyó con $25,000 dólares del Fondo de la ELCA para el Terremoto en Haití para fines de prevención del cólera, que es el resultado de las deficientes condiciones de vida que sufren los supervivientes del terremoto.

Religious Liberty News

CANADA: British Columbia Court of Appeal Upholds Church Property Decision

November 18, 2010 – The British Columbia Court of Appeal Nov. 16 dismissed appeals of a November 2009 Supreme Court of British Columbia decision. The decision had ruled that the Anglican diocese of New Westminster should retain possession of four church properties in the Vancouver area. The legal dispute arose after four congregations voted to leave the Anglican Church of Canada to affiliate with the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC). The disagreement was focused on the issue of same-sex blessings, which have been performed in some parishes in the Diocese of New Westminster for several years. Churches in ANiC do not allow the blessing of same-sex relationships.

New York Metro News

Premier of New Film Warning Parents:
"Dead Wrong: How Psychiatric Drugs Can Kill Your Child"

November 19, 2010, NEW YORK – The Citizens Commission on Human Rights, makers of two recent award-winning documentaries, held today a New York premier for a new film, exposing how devastating – and deadly – psychiatric drugs can be for children and families. Parents, human rights advocates, and school counselors attended the showing of "Dead Wrong: How Psychiatric Drugs Can Kill Your Child," as part of an Open House at the Church of Scientology on 46th Street in Manhattan. Carol Ann Clarizio, President of CCHR New York said, "Before any parent is tricked or coerced into giving their child potent and dangerous psychiatric drugs, they need to know the facts. These drugs are not safe, and the justifications for giving them are not legitimate."

Episcopal Church Conference, Times Square Ad Speak to Hispanic Ministry

November 17, 2010 – The hills of North Carolina and the streets of Times Square both were recently the focus of the Episcopal Church's on-going commitment to Latino/Hispanic ministry. Clergy, diocesan missioners, parish staff, church planters and lay leaders met Nov. 15-17 at Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, North Carolina, for "Nuestra Vision: Nuestra Mision en Accion/Our Vision: Our Mission In Action." The conference was meant to help participants expand their knowledge by sharing best practices and exploring new methods of stewardship, church growth and evangelism. They learned strategies and ideas for starting and strengthening Latino/Hispanic congregations.

National News

Disaster Volunteers Receive a Warm Welcome in a Cold Climate

November 19, 2010, ELGIN, IL – Located in north-central South Dakota, the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation recently became the coldest "hot spot" for disaster relief activity. An economically depressed area that suffered damage from a tornado, the reservation was in need of volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks before extreme winter weather set in. After receiving an urgent request from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for volunteers, Brethren Disaster Ministries joined other National VOAD organizations on a conference call to discuss needs, resources, and logistics.

Church Staff Participate in Conference Call with Selective Service

November 19, 2010, ELGIN, IL – Jordan Blevins, advocacy officer and ecumenical peace coordinator for the Church of the Brethren and the National Council of Churches, and Dan McFadden, director of Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS), participated in a conference call with the Selective Service System on Oct. 13. Programs and agencies of other denominations, along with a number of interested groups, also participated. The call was hosted by Cassandra Costley, manager of the Alternative Service Program of the Selective Service System, and the meeting was opened by Selective Service director Lawrence Romo.

SMU Breaks Ground on Bush Center

November 17, 2010, DALLAS, Tex. – A star-studded array of officials from the last presidency turned out Nov. 16 to break ground for the George W. Bush Presidential Center at United Methodist-related Southern Methodist University. Former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice were among more than 3,000 friends, supporters and former administration officials filling a massive white tent on the eastern edge of the SMU campus. The former first couple, both United Methodists, also were joined by their pastor, the Rev. Mark Craig of Highland Park United Methodist Church, in lifting shovels full of dirt symbolizing the start of work on the 225,000-square-foot brick and limestone presidential library center scheduled to be completed in February 2013.

International News

Church of the Brethren Couple Begin Teaching in North Korea

November 19, 2010, ELGIN, IL – Classes started Nov. 1 for Robert and Linda Shank, Church of the Brethren workers who have begun teaching at a new university in the People's Democratic Republic of Korea. The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, located at the edge of North Korea's capital city, has opened and is in operation. A call to prayer for the Shanks was issued by the Church of the Brethren's Global Mission Partnerships. "Pray that they get sorted out in the first months, that they have good rapport with their students and colleagues from around the world," said executive director Jay Wittmeyer. For several months the couple have been at a sister university in China, preparing curriculum as they and other faculty got ready to teach at the brand new institution.

Church Helps Haitians Access Clean Water During Cholera Outbreak

November 19, 2010, ELGIN, IL – The Church of the Brethren is providing help to communities and neighborhoods of L'Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Haitian Church of the Brethren) to gain access to clean water during the cholera outbreak in Haiti. Jeff Boshart, Haiti coordinator for Brethren Disaster Ministries, returned Friday, Nov. 12, from a week visiting church leaders and partner organizations in Haiti. One hundred new water filters have been distributed to the Haitian congregations by Brethren Disaster Ministries, with another 100 water filters to come.

Three Baha'is, Jailed for Humanitarian Work, Begin Fourth Year in Detention

November 19, 2010, NEW YORK – Despite compelling evidence that they never committed a crime, three Iranian Baha'is today begin their fourth year in captivity. The two women, Haleh Rouhi and Raha Sabet – and Mr. Sasan Taqva – were arrested in May 2006, along with some 51 other Baha'is and a number of Muslim friends, for their participation in an education program for underprivileged children in and around the city of Shiraz. While their 10 Muslim co-workers and one Baha'i with learning difficulties were released immediately, the remaining Baha'is were convicted of "indirect teaching of the Baha'i Faith." Ms. Rouhi, Ms. Sabet and Mr. Taqva received four year jail terms.

Inter-Denominational Sports Meet Highlights Christian Unity

November 21, 2010 – National Council of Churches Taiwan (NCCT) sponsored a "Christian Friendly Sports Match" on November 13, 2010 at Aletheia University in Tamsui. This is the fourth time that the NCCT has hosted such an event, which included sports such as basketball, table tennis, badminton, relay, softball, tug of war, and other fun competitions. About 500 participants took part in these games and they hailed from various churches including PCT, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, and Episcopal churches, and various Christian organiztions, such as YMCA.

Vatican Gives Chilly Response to China's Plan for New Bishop Ordination

November 18, 2010, VATICAN CITY – China may be trying to force bishops loyal to Rome to participate in the ordination of a bishop chosen by the Chinese government without the Pope's approval. In an statement issued Nov. 18, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said that if the reports are accurate, China's actions would mark "grave violations of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience." The Vatican, he added, considers the planned ordination of Father Joseph Guo Jincai in the northeastern province of Hebei to be "illicit." Going ahead with his ordination would be "damaging to the constructive relations that have been developing in recent times between the People's Republic of China and the Holy See," Fr. Lombardi warned.

‘Unwise' to Ban Irish Priest's Writings, Vatican Told

November 17, 2010 – The Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland has described as "unwise" and "counterproductive" a Vatican ban on unapproved future writings by an Irish Capuchin – which followed an article by him that suggested homosexuality was "simply a facet of the human condition,' reports The Irish Times. In an article for the Furrow magazine last March, Father Owen O'Sullivan, commenting on church teaching that "homosexuality is unnatural," asked whether, if non-procreative sex was wrong, this also meant "that non-use of genital sexuality, as in celibacy, is likewise unnatural."

Uruguay Votes to Transfer to Another Province

November 15, 2010 – One week after a proposal to allow dioceses to individually permit women's ordination to the priesthood was turned down by the Tenth Synod of the Province of the Southern Cone, the Diocese of Uruguay has voted to seek another jurisdiction with which to share its ministry. The vote in the Province had been by a specific request of the Diocese of Uruguay and sought to allow a diocesan option in the matter, rather than Province-wide adoption, so that the diocese could proceed to minister within a very difficult agnostic milieu.

Church Partners Meet in Sudan to Discuss Post-Referendum Scenarios, Long-term Development

November 12, 2010 – International partners committed to the welfare of Sudan and its Episcopal Church gathered in Juba Nov. 5-7 to reaffirm their unwavering support for the country's future and to discuss possible scenarios following the upcoming referendum on independence. Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul addressed the partners, who were joined by bishops and other Episcopal Church of Sudan leaders, about his vision for the future of Sudan and his desire for long-term commitment to development as the church anticipates the Jan. 9 vote when southerners are expected to choose secession from the Islamic north and become a separate country.