Front Page

Church World Service CEO Lauds Obama's New Cuba Travel Policies

January 18, 2011, WASHINGTON/NEW YORK – The head of faith-based humanitarian agency Church World Service says Friday's White House decision to ease travel restrictions between the United States and Cuba for religious, educational and cultural exchanges signals "the beginning of a new era of relations between the U.S. and Cuba." Under the new U.S. policy guidelines, religious and higher education organizations will hold general licenses, which require no application to or specific clearance by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for "purposeful" travel between the two countries.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Draws Attention to Jerusalem

January 20, 2011 – Shortly after the beginning of each year, Christians around the world pray for church unity. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, traditionally celebrated from 18-25 January, draws on resources sponsored jointly by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity of the Roman Catholic Church. The materials for January 2011 have been prepared in partnership with the churches of Jerusalem. "In a present-day context of despair and suffering, the churches of Jerusalem show determination and witness together with the global church for a just peace in the city of peace," said WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit in a sermon at Geneva's Ecumenical Centre during a service of prayer organized by the city's churches.

Episcopal Public Policy Network Urges Opposition to Health-Care Reform Repeal

January 19, 2011 – With the U.S. House of Representatives set to vote as early as Jan. 19 on a measure that would repeal health-care reform legislation, the Episcopal Public Policy Network is urging Episcopalians to advocate against such a rollback. In a policy alert issued Jan. 18, the network said that "now is not the time to remove the benefits and protections upon which hardworking Americans now depend during these difficult economic times." "During this crucial phase of implementation of the law," the alert said of the law that began going into effect in late 2010, "the American people will not be served well by the uncertainty that repeal would bring to our health care system."

General News

Webcast Helps Pastor Build Online Church

January 21, 2011, EMMITSBURG, Md. – Give the Rev. John Rudolph five minutes, and he will give busy online seekers a weekly message that lifts up the Word of God in a new kind of Christian community. Last June, the pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church began filming and posting an informal, shortened version of his weekly sermon to help time-challenged people live Christ-centered lives outside of Sunday morning. Now, more than 80 viewers – almost matching the 90 people who attend Trinity's live Sunday service – link online weekly to the Studio 4:40 ministry to watch the five-minute video clip of an informal Rudolph, sitting in a chair with a Bible at times open in front of him, share a Christian message.

Deacon Plans Abolitionist Hymnal

January 18, 2011 – Slavery might seem like a term from a bygone era, but more than 27 million people worldwide are victims of modern-day human trafficking. The U.S. State Department estimates that 18,000-20,000 people are brought into the country each year for forced labor or prostitution. The Rev. Carl Thomas Gladstone hopes to inspire churches to take action against slavery by adapting songs from the 19th-century freedom movement for a new CD, Abolitionist Hymnal. Gladstone, a United Methodist deacon, is director of the Young Leaders Initiative in the Detroit Annual (regional) Conference. In his spare time, he mixes his skill as a musician with a desire to reclaim old songs and find new meaning in them.

Former GMP Has Ministerial Standing Suspended Pending ‘Program of Growth'

January 21, 2011 – The Western Reserve Association's Department of Church and Ministry has suspended the ministerial standing of the Rev. John Thomas, the UCC's former general minister and president, for at least a year with reinstatement pending completion of a "program of growth." United Church News reported a statement from the UCC's Collegium of officers in August 2010 that said, "The Rev. John H. Thomas, former general minister and president, has shared with UCC leaders, including the current Collegium of Officers, Conference Ministers and others, that he and his wife, Lynda, are in the process of divorcing, and that he has formed a relationship with another woman with whom he worked while in Cleveland."

Ecumenical Group Hopes to Break New Ground in Addressing Racism

January 18, 2011 – Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC), an ecumenical group inaugurated nine years ago to pursue Christian unity and combat racism, will take an in-depth look at racism in both the church and the world as its members meet this week in Fort Lauderdale. The theme of the gathering is "God's Gift of Reconciliation: Our Journey Towards Wholeness." The plenary begins Tuesday evening with a welcome and overview session, dinner, and worship. During the Eucharistic worship service, the liturgy will center on remembering the victims of Haiti's earthquake last January. Rev. Staccato Powell, representing the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, will preach.

AME Zion Preacher Challenges Ecumenical Group

January 19, 2011 – Calling for an emphasis on "conversion, not convenience," the Rev. Staccato Powell challenged participants in an ecumenical meeting to make a difference in an indifferent world. Preaching during the opening worship service of a three-day meeting of Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC), Powell turned to Acts 2:42-47, a description of the early church. This "supernatural church," Powell reminded the gathering, "held all things in common" and as a result, accomplished miracles and grew rapidly. Over the centuries, the church has compromised by becoming "socially acceptable" and "politically correct," Powell said.

ELCA Council Hears Financial, Redesign Updates, Elects New Member

January 20, 2011, CHICAGO – The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) heard updates on churchwide finances and a redesign of the churchwide organization in a special conference call meeting Jan. 14. The council also elected a new member to fill an unexpired term. Council members also heard updates from the ELCA secretary and learned of the progress of one-time, needs-based payments for retirees receiving annuities from the ELCA Board of Pensions' Participating Annuity and Bridge Fund.

Ecumenical News

Indigenous Theologians Meet to "Affirm Spiritualities of Life"

January 20, 2011 – Some 40 theologians, most of them indigenous and representing different regions of the world, will meet in La Paz, Bolivia this weekend to share their various experiences and theological reflections. This consultation is a follow-up to the world indigenous consultations called by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Baguio, the Philippines in 2008 and Geneva, Switzerland in 2009. At the same time this event is unique in being the first of its kind as a "coming together" of Indigenous Peoples' spiritual and theological resources with representatives of two major commissions of the WCC, the Commission of Faith and Order and the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME).

Catholic and Orthodox Unity: Close Enough to Imagine

January 18, 2011 – As we celebrate another Week of Prayer for Christianity, what is there to fuel our hope that this isn't all just an exercise in futility? What's to celebrate? Signals are there that this movement called "ecumenical" does in fact move, that reflection as we go along on an increasing degree of "life together" is shaping our perception of the future in positive ways. One noteworthy sign of this was the statement by the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation last October. For the past forty-five years they have been sifting through the pastoral and doctrinal issues that historically have prevented our churches from sharing a single life of faith, sacraments and witness before the world.

Pope's Call for Interfaith Day of Prayer Provokes Debate

January 20, 2011, ROME, Italy – Pope Benedict XVI's call for world religious leaders to gather in Assisi, Italy to pray for peace has touched off a lively debate among Italian Catholic opinion leaders. Critics of the Pope's plan charge that it will create a false impression that all religious believers pray to the same deity or that there is no real distinctions among religious faiths. The Pope announced his desire to revive the "spirit of Assisi" in remarks made on New Year's Day. He said he planned to mark the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's "World Day of Prayer for Peace," held in the hometown of St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century saint known for his concern for peace and inter-religious dialogue.

Spanish News

Por Primera Vez Benedicto XVI Nombra Representante En Vietnam

21 enero 2010, CIUDAD DEL VATICANO – Un reporte de la Oficina de Prensa del Vaticano dio a conocer hoy que, por primera vez, el papa Benedicto XVI ha nombrado obispo en Vietnam, al designar a monseñor Leopoldo Girelli, como representante en ese país de la Santa Sede. El arzobispo italiano Girelli (58 años), quien hasta el presente era el nuncio en Indonesia, ahora será, además de su cargo en Vietnam, embajador del Vaticano en Singapur y delegado apostólico para Malasia y Brunei.

Afirmando Espiritualidades De Vida: Pueblos Indígenas En Conversación Teológica

20 enero 2010 – Por primera vez en la caminata ecuménica, alrededor de 40 teólogas y teólogos, en su mayoría indígenas, se reunirán para compartir e intercambiar las diversas experiencias y reflexiones teológicas indígenas generadas en diferentes regiones del mundo.

Iglesias Evangélicas Colaboran Con El Plan Nacional De Alfabetización

18 enero 2011, SAN SALVADOR – "Las iglesias evangélicas han contribuido, incluso, mucho más que la Iglesia católica al Plan Nacional de Alfabetización (PNA) de El Salvador, durante su primer año de ejecución.," afirmó Cesar Roberto Rodríguez, director departamental de Alfabetización del occidental distrito de Ahuachapán. Desde el 2010, el gobierno de El Salvador, incursionó en un ambicioso plan: acabar con el analfabetismo, que alcanza las 682 mil personas en el país.

Un Controversial Pastor En La Lista De Keiko Fujimori

17 enero 2011, LIMA, Perú – Con la idea de captar votos de la ahora numerosa comunidad evangélica peruana, la candidata presidencial Keiko Fujimori, quien tiene como objetivo el indulto de su padre condenado a prisión por delitos de corrupción y contra los derechos humanos, incorporó como cabeza de lista parlamentaria por Lima al pastor Julio Rosas Huaranga, de la Alianza Cristiana y Misionera (ACyM), una de las denominaciones más importantes en el escenario protestante.

Obispo Griego Califica De Falsa Religión Al Islam

20 enero 2011, GINEBRA, Suiza – Un prelado de la poderosa Iglesia de Grecia calificó de falsa religión al Islam y de incompatible con la constitución griega. Serafín, obispo de Pireo, reaccionó así al ataque suicida que causó veintiún muertos en una congregación copta que celebraba el advenimiento del nuevo año en Alejandría, Egipto. El obispo ortodoxo griego describió el incidente como "un delito espantoso perpetrado por los musulmanes, el cual revela claramente la verdad que ha sido deshonestamente escondida bajo la predicación pacifista de los llamados diálogos interreligiosos."

Luteranos Se Movilizan Para Ayudar a Afectados Por Lluvias E Inundaciones

17 enero 2011, RÍO DE JANEIRO, Brasil – – Luteranos están movilizando comunidades en acciones de solidaridad con las víctimas de las lluvias en las ciudades de Teresópolis, Nova Friburgo y Petrópolis, en el Estado de Río de Janeiro. Muchas familias perdieron casas, carros, mobiliario y objetos personales. El asesor de la presidencia de la Iglesia Evangélica de Confesión Luterana en el Brasil (IECLB), pastor Romeu Martini, envió carta a las parroquias e instituciones de servicio pidiendo intercesiones, informando las acciones de los grupos locales y motivando su red de comunidades en el esfuerzo solidario. .

Luteranos De Las Áreas Afectadas Acogen Flagelados Y Distribuyen Alimentos

19 enero 2011, RÍO DE JANEIRO, Brasil – La iglesia Luterana de Nueva Friburgo fue transformada en punto de apoyo a los flagelados de la lluvia. Los bancos del templo fueron adaptados para abrigar a los que perdieron casas, las instalaciones fueron limpiadas y los alimentos de la despensa distribuidos a las personas desabrigadas, informó Márcio Rebouças, de la dirección de la parroquia local.

National News

Church Leaders Support Immigrants at Border

January 20, 2011, NOGALES, Mexico – A towering steel fence that bleeds on for miles faces the group of nearly 40 United Methodists as they emerge from their cars in Nogales, Ariz., near the Mexico border. Carrying blankets and health kits, they form a single line in the pre-dawn cold before armed border patrol guards. One by one, they cross the bridge leading into Nogales, Mexico. Canines are the first to greet the visitors. The few houses sprinkled on the hillsides seem unoccupied, many with broken windows and walls on only three sides.

CWS Urges Restoration of U.S. Funding for Global Hunger

January 20, 2011, NEW YORK – As global food prices again begin to rise, Church World Service is urging President Barack Obama to restore funding for a program to address hunger and food security in developing nations by improving the productivity of small farmers. In a January 18 letter to President Obama, the global humanitarian agency joined with other agencies to express concern that the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) Trust Fund is at risk as budget negotiators look for ways to trim government spending. The GAFSP trust fund is a key component of the administration's global hunger fighting initiative, called "Feed the Future."

UCC Pastor to Preach on National ‘Day1' Program

January 19, 2011 – The Rev. Ozzie E. Smith, senior pastor of Covenant UCC in South Holland, Ill., will serve as guest preacher Jan. 23 on the national Day1 radio program. Each week Day1 radio – hosted by Peter Wallace and formerly known as "The Protestant Hour" – presents an inspiring message by an outstanding preacher on the radio and online. Smith, who founded Covenant UCC 14 years ago, will deliver a sermon based on 1 Corinthians 1:10-18. It is entitled "What Are We Doing Here?"

International News

SHINE Movement Beckons Young Adults to Rise up

January 16, 2011 – SHINE, a Christian youth movement in Tainan which began in 2006, has inspired church youths and introduced the gospel to many unchurched teens in Tainan city. Buoyed by the success of SHINE in the past few years, organizers such as YMCA and Tainan Presbytery decided to try and start this movement among young adults. "Enlarge Your Heart – SHINE for Young Adults" special conference was held in the evening of January 9, 2011 at Tainan Thai-Peng-Keng Maxwell Memorial Church – Tainan's oldest church.

Arsonists Threaten Reprisals If Baha'is Befriend Muslims

January 16, 2011, GENEVA – A recent wave of arson attacks on Baha'i-owned businesses in Rafsanjan, Iran, appears to be part of a campaign to fracture relationships between Baha'is and Muslims in the city. After around a dozen attacks on shops – carried out since 25 October 2010 – some 20 Baha'i homes and businesses have been sent a warning letter addressed to "members of the misguided Bahaist sect." The anonymous document demands that Baha'is sign an undertaking to "refrain from forming contacts or friendships with Muslims" and from "using or hiring Muslim trainees."

Fifty Years On, Uganda's Baha'i Temple Stands as a Symbol of Unity and Progress

January 18, 2011, KAMPALA, Uganda – At a ceremony to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Baha'i House of Worship here, Uganda's Chief Justice has praised the temple's continuing contribution to the unity of religion and social transformation. "It is a reminder of what is to be put in place for a better future," the Honorable Mr. Benjamin J. Odoki told some 1000 visitors who gathered in Kampala last Saturday for festivities to mark the temple's golden jubilee.