Front Page

WCC Calls Governments for Implementation of Water as Human Right

February 22, 2011 – At their meeting this week the WCC Central Committee issued a statement strongly welcoming the recognition of water and sanitation as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council. In July 2010, the UN General Assembly had approved a resolution recognizing "the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights." Three months later the Human Rights Council affirmed the same position. Following this development, the WCC Central Committee now urged its member churches to continue the advocacy work affirming the right to water as the right to life.

WCC Says US Made Mistake on Recent UN Resolution Veto

February 24, 2011 – The World Council of Churches Central Committee expressed "its deep concern and disappointment" at the recent veto by the United States of a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning continued settlement construction by Israel in the Palestinian Territories. The US veto of the resolution on 18 February – which was co-sponsored by 130 countries and supported by 14 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council – "contradicts the statement" made by President Barack Obama in Cairo in June 2010 that "the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements." The Central Committee resolution called the US veto "a deeply regrettable mistake" and called upon the U.S. government "to intensify efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in the region with respect to law and justice."

Major Aftershock of September Quake Strikes New Zealand
Death Toll Rises; Fatalities May Include Those Trapped in Anglican Cathedral

February 22, 2011 – Residents of Christchurch, New Zealand's second-largest city, are searching through the rubble left by a magnitude-6.3 earthquake that struck on Feb. 22 just before 1 p.m. local time, killing at least 65 people and damaging many buildings, including the Anglican cathedral. It was the second time in five months that Christchurch has been rocked by a major earthquake. The Very Rev. Peter Beck, dean of Christchurch Cathedral, told the British Broadcasting Corp.'s 5 Live Radio program that he managed to escape his cathedral office and helped others as well. The offices were not badly damaged but "the tower has collapsed and some of the walls have collapsed and we're pretty fearful there may be some people underneath that."

General News

Andover Newton, Alban Institute to Team up to Provide Continuing Ed Online

February 22, 2011– Forging a cooperative venture to provide online continuing education experiences for clergy and laity, UCC-related Andover Newton Theological Seminary in Newton Centre, Mass., and The Alban Institute will join forces in fall 2012 to offer courses in church leadership and vitality. The new collaboration will draw on the traditional strengths of both institutions, offering high-quality, reasonably priced, interactive, educational experiences delivered to participants' computers. Beginning in September 2012, Alban and Andover Newton will sponsor four-week, online seminars using Andover Newton's online learning system and Alban's authors as instructors. "

Youth and the Ecumenical Movement: "There Is a Delicate Dance Going on in Our Churches"

February 21, 2011 – What are your thoughts about the fact that most of the older members of the Central Committee joined the ecumenical movement through youth movements and organizations? Well, all people in the plenary were once young and got involved in the ecumenical movement in the formative stages of it. Many of them came out of organizations that were designed specifically for youth earlier on, but today the landscape has changed. Such organizations don't have the same impact they once did. This means that youth don't have the same form of formation possibilities. However, I also think this is really a systemic issue. It is not about the WCC, but it is how we work in today's society.

Framers Defend Constitutionality of Disciplinary Canon Revisions

February 22, 2011 – Saying they are aiming to answer claims that a revised set of Episcopal Church disciplinary canons set to go into effect July 1 are unconstitutional, several of framers of the changes to Title IV have issued a paper which they assert "conclusively establishes the constitutionality of the amendments." The statement was written by Duncan Bayne, Diocese of Olympia vice chancellor; Stephen Hutchinson, Diocese of Utah chancellor and Joseph Delafield, Diocese of Maine chancellor. Delafield, the spokesperson, said that all three were "active participants in the nine-year process of development and adoption of the amendments."

Virginia, Pittsburgh Dioceses Announce Movement on Property Disputes

February 22, 2011 – Two Episcopal Church dioceses, Virginia and Pittsburgh, continue to make progress in settling disputes over property. The Diocese of Virginia announced a settlement with Church of Our Saviour, Oatlands, following a Feb. 20 congregational vote in favor of the move. Our Saviour is one of nine congregations in which the majority of members and leaders left the Episcopal Church in 2006 and then sought to retain Episcopal church property. According to the announcement the congregation will discontinue its efforts to keep the Oatlands church and immediately conclude all litigation regarding it. Our Saviour will lease the Oatlands church from the diocese for up to five years, and retain the parish funds it has on hand. It will use "a significant portion of those funds" for maintenance and much-needed repairs of the Oatlands church, the announcement said.

Women Have Crucial Role in International Development, Speakers Say

February 25, 2011 – Anglican and Episcopal participants in the 55th annual meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women heard Feb. 25 from an Episcopal third-year seminarian from Haiti and the head of a new Anglican development effort about the role women have in changing the world. "Women have been made to feel inferior, but I think now we just need to remember that we are equal," said Marie Carmel Chery, who just completed her third year at the Episcopal Church's Seminarie de Theologie in Port-au-Prince.

ELCA Releases Proposed Social Statement on Genetics

February 24, 2011, CHICAGO – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) today released Genetics, Faith and Responsibility, a proposed social statement on genetics, the result of more than five years of study, consultation and deliberation throughout the church. After review by the ELCA Conference of Bishops in March and the ELCA Church Council in April, the 2011 ELCA Churchwide Assembly is expected to consider the proposed social statement when it meets in August in Orlando, Fla. Genetics, Faith and Responsibility was developed by an 18-member task force with broad experience in science and ethics. The task force created an initial draft of the social statement which it released in March 2010 for comment and review by ELCA members and congregations.

United Methodist Church Membership Tops 12 Million

February 23, 2011 – While The United Methodist Church's U.S. membership has continued to shrink, its growth elsewhere in the world has put it over the 12 million-member mark for the first time, newly released statistics show. The church's membership in Africa, Europe and Asia grew from 3.5 million to 4.4 million in the five years ending in 2009, according to the United Methodist Council on Finance and Administration. In that time, worldwide membership increased from almost 11.6 million to nearly 12.1 million.

Ecumenical News

2013 Assembly Theme: "God of Life, Lead Us to Justice and Peace"

February 22, 2011 – "God of life, lead us to justice and peace" will provide the theme for the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The Assembly is to be convened in October 2013 at Busan, South Korea. The theme was determined by the WCC Central Committee on Tuesday 22 February following periods of discussion spread over several days. A "theme" is not merely a slogan or motto for a WCC assembly but provides a focus for theological reflection, worship and meditation surrounding the assembly, as well as for planning of programmatic activities before, during and after the event.

Chair of Saint Peter Tuesday, February 22, 2011

February 22, 2011 – The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter celebrates the papacy and St. Peter as the first bishop of Rome. St. Peter's original name was Simon. He was married with children and was living and working in Capernaum as a fisherman when Jesus called him to be one of the Twelve Apostles. Jesus bestowed to Peter a special place among the Apostles. He was one of the three who were with Christ on special occasions, such as the Transfiguration of Christ and the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemani.

Editorial Page

Ecumenical Column: Let's Beat Swords into Plowshares

February 27, 2011 – The biblically-inspired phrase "beat swords into plowshares" was commonly used by churches in East Germany in 1982 during a peace movement that culminated in the fall of the Berlin Wall and massive changes to its authoritarian government. Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with the pastor who made this phrase popular – Rev. Christian Fuhrer from Leipzig Nicholas Church. We discussed the "Peace Prayer" meetings that he started then, which eventually led to "Revolution of Candles" among churches in East Germany, and the birth and development of democratic movements in East Germany.

Spanish News

Bautistas Deciden Proteger El Medio Ambiente

21 febrero 2011, RÍO DE JANEIRO, Brasil – Niterói (RJ) – Los bautistas brasileños se van a empeñar en convocar a la población a defender el medio ambiente. La decisión fue tomada en la 91ª Asamblea de la Convención Bautista Brasileña, realizada en esta ciudad. La Comisión de la Carta de Niterói, que elaboró el documento, tuvo como relator al pastor Lourenço Stelio Rega. El documento fue redactado con tres énfasis: creemos, declaramos y proclamamos.

Asesinado Pastor Evangélico Carlos Roberto Marroquín

22 febrero 2010, TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Un informe de las autoridades policiales, en esta capital, dio razón del asesinato este lunes aquí del pastor evangélico Carlos Roberto Marroquín, quien fuera fundador de la Red Latinoamericana de Abogados Cristianos, cuando salía de su casa ubicada a unos 180 kilómetros, al norte, de esta capital. El hombre, de 41 años, cayó abatido bajo las balas de unos pistoleros desconocidos que salieron huyendo, cuando paseaba a sus perros, según costumbre de caminar al atardecer por las cercanías de su casa.

Tema De La Asamblea De 2013: "Dios De Vida, Condúcenos a La Justicia Y La Paz"

25 febrero 2010 – Durante el culto de apertura, la Rev. Ofelia Ortega habló sobre cuestiones de paz y justicia, conceptos elegidos más tarde para el tema de la Asamblea de 2013. "Dios de vida, condúcenos a la justicia y la paz" será el tema de la Décima Asamblea del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), que se celebrará en octubre de 2013 en Busan, Corea del Sur. Determinó el tema el Comité Central del CMI el martes 22 de febrero después de un debate que se prolongó durante varios días.

El CMI Pide a Los Gobiernos La Aplicación Del Derecho Al Agua Como Derecho Humano

24 febrero 2010 – El Comité Central del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), en su reunión de esta semana, publicó una declaración en la que manifiesta su profundo beneplácito por el reconocimiento del derecho al agua y saneamiento como derecho humano por parte de la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas y el Consejo de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas. En julio de 2010, la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas había aprobado una resolución en la que se reconoce "el derecho al agua potable y el saneamiento como un derecho humano esencial para el pleno disfrute de la vida y de todos los derechos humanos."

Líderes Ecuménicos Claman Por Una Atmosfera De Seguridad En Iraq

21 febrero 2010, GINEBRA, Suiza – Varios de los principales dirigentes de las iglesias del Iraq se reunieron con dirigentes de iglesias de todo el mundo, entre los que se encontraban miembros del Comité Central del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias, la semana pasada en Ginebra para abordar la situación actual del Iraq. El grupo iraquí, que contaba con un patriarca y cuatro arzobispos, habló no solo de la reciente violencia contra los cristianos, como los tiroteos de octubre de 2010 y los ataques suicidas con bombas en la Iglesia Católica Siria de Nuestra Señora de la Salvación (Sayidat al-Nejat) en Bagdad, sino también de la constante violencia que sufre todo el pueblo iraquí.

Primera Celebración Protestante Madrileña Del Día Internacional De La Mujer

23 febrero 2010, MADRID, España – Organizada por la Consejería de la Mujer del Consejo Evangélico de Madrid (CEM), el próximo viernes 11 de marzo, tendrá lugar una Jornada con motivo del Día Internacional de la Mujer, en el Paraninfo del Colegio El Porvenir. El encuentro busca aportar la mirada protestante a esta significativa fecha. En el entorno internacional, y también en el evangélico español, existe una gran herencia de anteriores generaciones de hombres y mujeres de fe protestante que dieron pasos de gigante en pro de los derechos de la mujer en el mundo y en este país.

Católicos Expresan Preocupación Por "Acumulación De Conflictos,"
Mas Perciben Ambiente De Reconciliación

24 febrero 2010, TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – La Iglesia católica expresó en el inicio de esta semana su preocupación por "la acumulación de conflictos" que van desde la violencia, el desempleo y la corrupción hasta el narcotráfico y un modelo económico excluyente, a la par que dijo ver, "con optimismo," que se está avanzando, aunque lentamente, "hacia una reconciliación," luego del golpe de Estado de 2009.

Sudán Del Sur Ha Nacido, El Movimiento Ecuménico
Es Necesario Para La Construcción De La Nación

22 febrero 2010 – Líderes religiosos africanos elogiaron a los organismos ecuménicos el mes pasado – especialmente al Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) – por ayudar a crear "el milagro" de la independencia de Sudán del Sur. Advirtieron, no obstante, que "el camino es todavía largo" y se necesitará el esfuerzo continuado de la comunidad ecuménica durante algún tiempo en el futuro. En el referéndum del 9 de enero casi el 99% de los votantes de Sudán del Sur – cuya población es predominantemente cristiana y animista – eligió separarse del estado Islámico de Sudán cuya capital Jartum se halla en el norte.

Libros Fundamentales Para La Lucha Contra El VIH Y El SIDA En África

24 febrero 2010 – Después de tres decenios de la pandemia del SIDA, resulta evidente que las iglesias, los organismos no gubernamentales y los gobiernos tienen que multiplicar sus esfuerzos para combatir la enfermedad y sus efectos, dijo el órgano rector central del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) durante su reunión de febrero de 2011. El CMI, en una de sus iniciativas programáticas más eficaces, ha creado y distribuido unos 50.000 ejemplares de libros con el fin de afrontar los duros desafíos pastorales y teológicos del SIDA en África.

International News

Bolstering Ecumenical Peace-Building in Colombia

February 24, 2011 – A half century of civil conflict fuelled by drug money and corporate hegemony has left Colombia with tens of thousands dead and the second largest population of displaced people (approximately 4 million) in the world. It has also left a country and society aching for justice and peace. Finding a peaceful alternative to this long-running conflict was the main motivation for the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) to approve a statement calling for an increase in ecumenical peace-building already taking place in the country.

Jamaica and the Vision of a Just Peace

February 21, 2011 – Jamaica – a proud and independent Caribbean nation struggling with a high level of violence and criminality – is the location of the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) facilitated by the World Council of Churches (WCC) from 17 to 25 May 2011. The convocation, which is prepared in cooperation with the National Council of Churches of Jamaica, will take place near the capital Kingston and will be the largest peace gathering in WCC history, with an expected participation of about one thousand people from around the world.

South Sudan Is Born, Ecumenical Movement Needed for Nation-Building

February 21, 2011 – African religious leaders praised ecumenical bodies last Friday – particularly the World Council of Churches (WCC) – for helping create "the miracle" of southern Sudanese independence. They warned, however, that "the journey is still long" and continuing efforts by the ecumenical community will be needed for some time into the future. In the 9 January referendum nearly 99 percent of voters in southern Sudan – which is predominantly Christian and animist – chose to secede from the Islamic State of Sudan based in the northern capital of Khartoum.

WCC Condemns Violence in Libya

February 22, 2011 – On the final morning of its proceedings the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee adopted a resolution concerning the escalating violence in Libya condemning the use of force on all sides and calling for the respect for human rights of all people in Libya. The Central Committee has been meeting since 16 February and is the highest governing body of the WCC and meets every 18 months. The resolution recognizes the growing violence in Libya and "expresses its deep concern about disturbing reports" of the killing of hundreds of protestors in clashes with Libyan security forces over the past few days.

"Visitors and Staff May Be in Collapsed Cathedral" – Christchurch Dean

February 22, 2011 – The Dean of Christchurch Cathedral, the Very Revd Peter Beck, has said he is fearful that people may have been in the Cathedral's tower when it collapsed after an earthquake struck the city. Speaking to the BBC's 5 Live Radio programme he said that he had himself been in the cathedral office when the quake struck, but was able to escape and get others out of the Cathedral. However, he warned that others could still be trapped inside. "We were in the cathedral when this happened," he said, "in the office and fortunately that wasn't too badly damaged, but the tower has collapsed and some of the walls have collapsed and we're pretty fearful there may be some people underneath that."

Always a Symbol, Now One of Loss, Cathedral to Be Rebuilt, Christchurch Mayor Says
‘No Sound' Heard in Building's Ruins Where 22 Are Suspected Dead

February 25, 2011 – The mayor of Christchurch, New Zealand, has vowed that the iconic Anglican cathedral in the center of that earthquake-ravaged city will be rebuilt "brick by brick, stone by stone" because "we need to find some symbols like that." Bob Parker told the Dominion newspaper that in the wake of the Feb. 22 magnitude-6.3 quake that struck very near Christchurch "we will have to take some bold steps." On the fourth day after the quake, emergency workers were preparing to begin retrieving an estimated 22 bodies from the ruins of the cathedral. Tourists were in the building at the time, many or most of them in the collapsed tower.

Aviation Ministry Offers Hope to Congo's Sick

February 25, 2011, LUBUMBASHI, Democratic Republic of Congo – Tucked into a corner of the Lubumbashi International Airport, among the decaying relics of military planes and abandoned freighters, is The United Methodist Church's hangar. In a country with few roads and very little infrastructure, the small, white, metal warehouse emblazoned with the church's signature red Cross and Flame is a remarkable sight. On this Sunday afternoon, one of the tiny planes in the hangar has a pair of human legs protruding from its side. Gaston Ntambo has folded his tall frame under the control panel and, with a flashlight in his mouth, is installing a long-awaited repaired part.

People in the News

New Archbishop Elected for Central Africa

February 22, 2011 – A statement from Bishop William Mchombo, Acting Provincial Secretary of the Church of the Province of Central Africa: "The Electoral College of the Church of the Province of Central Africa that was held in Harare on 17 February 2011, Bishop Albert Chama of the Diocese of Northern Zambia was elected as the Archbishop of Central Africa. Archbishop Chama until yesterday has been acting as the Dean of the Province since the then Archbishop Bernard Malango resigned four years ago.

CRC Names Home Missions Director

February 24, 2011 – The Christian Reformed Church in North America voted unanimously on Thursday to appoint Rev. Moses Chung as the next director of Christian Reformed Home Missions. He will start May 1, taking over from interim director Ben Vandezande, a veteran CRHM leader who was pleased with the appointment made by the BOT at its meeting in Burlington, Ontario. "Moses Chung brings to Home Missions a fresh energy and vision for the mission of God in North America and around the world," said Vandezande. Chung was introduced to the BOT by Michael Talsma, a member of the Home Missions board that made the nomination.

USPG: Anglicans in World Mission Appoints a New General Secretary/Chief Executive

February 23, 2011 – USPG has announced that Janette O'Neill will take over as General Secretary/Chief Executive from 1st May of this year, when the current General Secretary, Bishop Michael Doe retires. Mrs O'Neill has worked extensively in the Anglican Church in many parts of Africa, and is currently Senior Programme Officer with Episcopal Relief & Development in New York. Canon Linda Ali, Chair of Trustees said: "I welcome Mrs Janette O'Neill as the new General Secretary/Chief Executive of USPG: Anglicans in World Mission.