Front Page

Illinois Chooses Life over Death Penalty

March 30, 2011 – On Ash Wednesday, March 9, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn abolished the death penalty, making it the 16th state to choose life over death. United Methodists have been working to get the death penalty abolished worldwide since they first adopted a resolution at the 1956 Methodist General Conference officially stating the church's opposition to the death penalty. General Conference is the denomination's top legislative gathering that meets every four years to consider changes to church law and to take positions on theological and social issues related to the church's work around the globe. This is not the first time Illinois has been in the spotlight over this issue. George Ryan, a United Methodist and former Illinois governor, commuted all 167 inmates on death row to life without parole in 2003.

Church Agencies Battle Human Trafficking

March 31, 2011, NEW YORK – When Maria, an Armenian citizen, ended up in Dubai, she resisted attempts by her traffickers to force her into prostitution. In retaliation, they threw her off the top of a three-story building. Maria survived the fall, eventually escaped her captors and was repatriated to Armenia, where police referred her to the Anti-Human Trafficking Project run by the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

General News

Church of the Brethren Board Adopts a Strategic Plan for the Decade

March 24, 2011, ELGIN, IL – A Strategic Plan for denominational ministry in this decade, 2011-2019, was adopted by the Church of the Brethren's Mission and Ministry Board at its spring meeting. The meeting took place March 10-14 at the church's General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The board used a consensus style of decision making, led by chair Dale E. Minnich. Also on the agenda was a thorough overview of the current financial situation of denominational ministries, approval of the annual report, and a number of reports. Reports addressed new church development, work in Haiti and southern Sudan, a delegation to Israel/Palestine, and the Christian Churches Together annual meeting that centered on the continuing problem of racism in US churches, among others.

Ecumenical Meeting Starts with Protest

March 31, 2011 – More than 30 representatives of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) will travel to a small town in south Florida in the United States today to visit and speak with a coalition of low-paid, itinerant tomato pickers about their working and housing conditions and other concerns related to their employment. As part of a one-day immersion program, WCRC representatives will spend time with workers who are part of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a community-based organization of primarily Latino, Mayan Indian, and Haitian immigrants working in low-wage agricultural jobs throughout the state of Florida. Immokalee is the town where the coalition is based.

Communication Means Participation and Inclusion,
WACC General Secretary Tells Europe Meeting

April 1, 2011, FRANKFURT/MAIN, Germany– Reconfiguring communication in the ecumenical movement means discovering, seeking and implementing new forms of communication, the General Secretary of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) has told a gathering in Frankfurt, Germany. "As communicators we have become pilgrims in space – and sometimes in cyberspace – who have embarked on a long journey, by no means complete, from the old concept of uni-dimensional, one-way communication to the current multi-dimensional, multi-way approach that emphasizes reciprocity and equality," said the WACC General Secretary, Rev. Karin Achtelstetter, in her 31 March address.

Towards an Eco-Theology

March 30, 2011 – The accepted axiom is, as the climate changes so the world, too, will change in dramatic and sometimes undesirable ways. What does this often rapid change mean to Christians whose faith is intertwined with the glory and beauty of God's creation, but challenged when that creation is corrupted and irreversibly altered? Is the churches' current theological reflection on stewardship and climate change ready for the rapid shifting of winds, weather, and life on earth as we know it and our grandparents knew it? These questions were enough to prompt a variety of churches in Argentina to explore the "Christian faith and ecology: towards an eco-ecumenical theology" in a recent seminar held 28 – 29 March at the Protestant theological school Instituto Universitario ISEDET in Buenos Aires.

Ecumenical News

ELCA, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Bishops Agree to Mission Statement

March 31, 2011 – The bishops made the declaration in a "Statement of Mission" affirmed by the ELCA Conference of Bishops when it met in March in Itasca, Ill. The Board of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church previously adopted the statement. The mission statement will be presented to the ELCA Church Council in April for information and for possible "consideration of reception" on behalf of the ELCA. The mission statement was developed by bishops of both churches through an "ecumenical discourse" that began in 2006, shortly after the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church's Hood Seminary moved next to the ELCA North Carolina Synod office in Salisbury.

Spanish News

Celebra Seminario Evangélico De Teología Día
De Las Puertas Abiertas a Personas Con Discapacidad

30 marzo 2011, LA HABANA, Cuba – En continuidad a la iniciativa que el Seminario Evangélico de Teología de Matanzas (SET), comenzó a partir del año de 2007, este 25 de marzo volvió a celebrar lo que el se ha denominado como Día de las Puertas Abiertas a Personas con Discapacidad, esfuerzo por sensibilizar y concientizar tanto a estudiantes, profesores y trabajadores de esta institución en función del tema de la inclusión y la necesidad de promover una estrategia en materia curricular. Este esfuerzo ya ha dado sus primeros resultados con la inclusión de dicho tema en los cursos de Ministerio Educativo de la Iglesia, Psicología Pastoral y Antropología y Ética Teológica.

Hacia Una Ecoteología

31 marzo 2011 – Es un axioma aceptado que a medida que cambie el clima cambiará también el mundo en formas espectaculares y, a veces, no deseables. ¿Qué significa este cambio frecuentemente rápido para los cristianos cuya fe está entrelazada con la gloria y la belleza de la creación de Dios, pero se pone en tela de juicio cuando esa creación se corrompe y se altera irreversiblemente?

Tutu Apoya El Llamamiento De La Iglesia Episcopal
Para Reconstruir La Catedral Santísima Trinidad En Haití

31 marzo 2010, NUEVA YORK – El Arzobispo Desmond Tutu ha emitido una declaración en apoyo de los esfuerzos de la Iglesia Episcopal para ayudar a la Diócesis de Haití a raíz del terremoto del 2010 mediante el llamamiento de "Reconstruir Nuestra Iglesia de Haití." La reconocida catedral Santísima Trinidad de la capital haitiana sufrió severos daños en ese sismo.

Promueven Cátedra a Favor De Vínculo Entre Teología Y Arte

1 abril 2011 – "La teología se revela más hermosa, porque es arte y abre un camino hacia Dios. Ella puede expresarse, también, a través de la poesía, el canto, la música; es decir, que Dios se revela en lo lúdico, la danza, la risa," expresó el pastor bautista Marcelino Basset, de la Facultad Evangélica de Estudios Teológicos, la que, juntamente con el Centro Inter-eclesial de Estudios Teológicos y Sociales (CIEETS), promovieron el evento.

Padres En Apoyo a Diversidad Sexual Crean Asociación Como Resultado De Un Foro

1 abril 2010, CIUDAD DE MÉXICO – Como uno de los resultados del IV Foro de Diversidad Sexual, Familiar y Religiosa, que actualmente se celebra El Saltillo, la comunidad de San Elredo podrá contar, en un par de meses, con un organismo en el estado de Coahuila, que integre a las familias que tienen hijas o hijos con preferencias sexuales diferentes a las reconocidas por la sociedad civil del país.

ONU Crea Día Internacional Para El Derecho a La Verdad
En Honor Al Legado De Monseñor Romero Susana Barrera

28 marzo 2010, SAN SALVADOR – El legado de monseñor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, ha dado paso a que la Organización de Naciones Unidas (ONU), considere, a partir del pasado 24 de marzo, esta fecha como el Día internacional para el Derecho a la Verdad. El Secretario General de la ONU, Banki-Moon ha circulado un mensaje, a propósito del martirio de Romero, que dice textualmente: "Hoy, primer Día Internacional para el Derecho a la Verdad en relación con las violaciones graves de los Derechos Humanos y para la dignidad de las víctimas, rendimos homenaje a la labor de monseñor Romero y a la de todos los defensores de los derechos humanos del mundo."

International News

Activists Condemn Attack on Christian Environmentalist

April 3, 2011 – Chen Jiau-hua, a long-time environmentalist and member of Fuchiang Presbyterian Church in Tainan and former Tainan Environmental Protection Union CEO, was recently assaulted because of her involvement in environmental issues. Chen, an associate professor at Chianan University of Pharmacy and Science and a long-time environmental campaigner, reported that she was beaten by two black-hooded men with sticks on the night of March 21, 2011, as she was getting into her car after leaving Taiwan Environmental Protection Union's (TEPU) Tainan office. Chen suffered serious bruises and some bleeding on her left hand and left feet. Her pastor, Rev. Tsai Cheng-tao was among the first to visit her after the incident. He later said, "It's the government's duty to safeguard the environment and public safety. It never occurred to us that people protecting the environment on the government's behalf would face violent threats.

Christian Reformed Church Concerns on Madagascar

March 31, 2011 – A Reformed pastor and church leader in Madagascar this week informed officials of the Christian Reformed Church in North America of continued repression of his and other churches by the de facto government that came to power through a coup more than a year ago. In his remarks, the pastor and church leader says he and fellow pastors and citizens are not free to express themselves out of fear of reprisal from the unstable political situation in his country. The pastor communicated his concerns as part of a note in which he thanked the CRCNA for standing with the church in Madagascar during this difficult time. Since the CRCNA has an ecumenical relationship with a denomination in the African island country, it recently sent out a letter to CRC churches and others to alert them of "a very troubling situation threatening the leadership and ministry of one of our sister denominations and to ask for your prayers."

UCC Missionary in Devastated Japan Pursues Silver Linings

March 29, 2011 – It took time to witness through catastrophic ruin and colossal anguish, but at least one United Church of Christ missionary says hope is alive in Japan. "I am amazed by the grass-roots power that has given birth to the Tohoku Disaster Relief Center," said the Rev. Jeffrey Mensendiek, director of youth ministries at the Emmaus Center and the Sendai Student/Youth Center. The Emmaus Center has essentially been transformed into the relief center. Sendai, a northern coastal city a two-hour drive north of Tokyo, took a devastating hit March 11 during the 9.0-magnitude and resulting tsunami. "The earthquake happened on a Friday, and by Sunday three pastors had gathered, each of whom had their own experiences with earthquakes," Mensendiek wrote in an email March 25. "They were quick to call on capable volunteers to gather and set up camp. They called on the local district leadership to include them in the decision making. They included me because I provided the space to start up the relief center."

Local Japanese Agencies Meeting Needs Where Country's Resources Still Overwhelmed
Church World Service, Partners Expedite Relief to Thousands in Neglected Coastal Cities

March 29, 2011, TOKYO, Japan – Nearly three weeks after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeastern coast of Japan, humanitarian organization Church World Service reports that the country's domestic resources alone aren't sufficient to deal with the disaster, and there are still thousands who haven't yet received assistance. From Tokyo, Takeshi Komino, CWS Asia/Pacific's head of emergencies, is coordinating CWS efforts in Japan. Over the weekend, Komino reported that "It is evident that even a very developed country like Japan is not able to cope with its domestic resources only," due to the magnitude of four nearly simultaneous disasters – a 9.0 earthquake, tsunami, nuclear threat, and freezing winter weather in affected areas. "Survivors I interviewed echo the same point, that relief efforts reported in the media are not consistently reaching them, which tells us there is a huge variation on where needs are somewhat being met and not being met at all," he said.

Shock at "Duplicity" as 20-year Sentence for Iran's Baha'i Leaders Is Reinstated

March 30, 2011, NEW YORK – Just six months after Iran's appeal court reduced to 10 years the jail terms handed down to seven Baha'i leaders, the prisoners have been told that their original 20-year sentences have been reinstated. The Baha'i International Community has reacted with shock and dismay at the news. "We can confirm that the seven have been told by prison authorities that the ruling of the appeal court has been rescinded," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "But nothing has been seen in writing by the prisoners or their attorneys, so we cannot know precisely on what grounds the reduced jail terms have now been set aside.

ELCA Members Donate $750,000 for Japan Earthquake Response

March 28, 2011, CHICAGO – Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have contributed nearly $750,000 in response to the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck northern Japan March 11. ELCA Treasurer Christina Jackson-Skelton provided this report on March 25. One hundred percent of all donations designated for the Japan disaster go to the local response. The Rev. Sumiyuki Watanabe, president of the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church, expressed his "deep gratitude" to ELCA members for their "heartfelt prayers" and the financial gifts the church has received from the ELCA to date.

Give Generously to Haiti, Says ELCA Presiding Bishop to Orion Samuelson

April 1, 2011, CHICAGO – Continue to pray for the people of Haiti and give generously to help Haitians rebuild their country, said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), in a television interview with well-known agricultural journalist Orion Samuelson. But Hanson said that even though the spirit of the Haitian people is strong, it is important not to underestimate the challenges ahead. Hanson, who was interviewed by Samuelson for "This Week in Agribusiness," an agricultural news program, suggested that people advocate for Haitians who fled to the United States following the devastating earthquake of 2010. He said many Haitians living and working in the United States are sustaining their families in Haiti with the wages they earn.