Front Page

Episcopalians Stand up for Ethical Behavior and Justice in the Financial World

June 29, 2011 – Forty years ago, then-Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop John Hines appeared at a General Motors stockholders meeting to ask the company to quit doing business in South Africa because of that country's policy of apartheid. Today, the church continues to make its voice heard in company boardrooms and in legislative chambers on issues of financial ethics and economic justice. Episcopalians in several states are battling what they say are predatory lending practices that perpetuate poverty. Various dioceses and the wider church also support investment opportunities such as credit unions, which offer alternatives to payday lenders and foster community development. Members of the church's Social Responsibility in Investments Committee, with the approval of Executive Council, routinely file stockholder proxies to be voted on at corporations' annual meetings and meet with company representatives on issues ranging from diversifying boards to stopping mountaintop removal in Appalachian mining.

Civil Partnerships and Same-Sex Relationships –
A Statement by the House of Bishops of the Church of England

July 1, 2011 – The House of Bishops today issued a statement about the continuing debate within the Church of England about same-sex relationships. Speaking on behalf of the House, the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham James, said: "Contrary to popular perception the House of Bishops has spent very little time over recent years discussing homosexuality. The last substantive engagement with the issue was in 2005 when the House agreed to issue a pastoral statement prepared by a group under my chairmanship on the implications of the introduction of civil partnerships. The House has now agreed that the time has come to commission two new pieces of work.

Majority of New York Bishops Praise State Passage of Same-Gender Marriage

June 27, 2011 – At least one Episcopal Church bishop in the state of New York has said that clergy in his diocese may solemnize same-gender marriages as soon as the state's recently passed Marriage Equality Act goes into effect. "The Episcopal Diocese of Long Island will engage this new law with a generous and open response allowing, under the provision of our General Convention, the use of rites for same-gender marriage by priests of this diocese who believe they are called to preside at the exchange of vows, once the law has taken effect in 30 days," Bishop Lawrence Provenzano said in a June 25 statement. Meanwhile, Bishop Prince Singh of Rochester said in a statement e-mailed to Episcopal News Service that he would soon set up a diocesan task force "to help us chart our course to engage this journey reverently, deliberately and in congruence with church law."

General News

WCC Afro-Descendent Conference Calls for Churches to Use Education Against Racism

June 30, 2011 – A call to churches worldwide to educate people about racism was made by church leaders from across the Americas and the Caribbean at the end of a conference held last week in Managua, Nicaragua. The conference, which was organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Latin America Council of Churches (CLAI), focused on the violence of racism against people of African descent in the region. It was the first ever conference to bring together church leaders of Afro-descendent communities in the Americas and the Caribbean. Across the region, churches run educational institutions including universities, colleges, schools and Sunday schools, and they are encouraged by the conference declaration to review their curricula to make sure they include education on the racism and racist discrimination that is so common in Latin America.

Departing UCC Collegium Members Reflect, Offer Gratitude to Executive Council

July 1, 2011 – Every General Synod marks a time of transition and the 2011 national UCC gathering in Tampa, Fla., is an extraordinary example, said the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, UCC general minister and president. "It's one of the things I've been thinking about a lot," Black told a gathering of about 150 at the post-lunch Executive Council meeting Thursday at the Marriott Waterside Hotel. "This Synod is particularly rich with transition. All transitions begin with endings, and I'm keenly aware of the endings."

Jump Drive Aids UCC Synod-Goers Access to UCC Resources

July 1, 2011 – The national setting of the United Church of Christ is providing General Synod-goers with a convenient, valuable jump drive comprising a comprehensive range of UCC resources. The "1source" jump drives – to be distributed at General Synod 28 in Tampa, Fla., July 1-5 – will be available exclusively at the Our Church's Wider mission exhibition table. They will not be included with registration materials. Resource sections on the jump drives include those for: Stewardship, Church Finances, Christian Education, Affirming Persons Saving Lives, Faith Practices, Our Church's Wider Mission, Pilgrim Press, Stillspeaking Writers Group, UCC Resources, Church Growth, Center for Progressive Renewal, Mission and Justice, National Disaster Ministries, Volunteer Ministries, Justice Ministries and Economic Justice and Globalization.

Guess: Tells UCC "This Is a Time of Significant Change"

July 1, 2011 – "The United Church of Christ is undergoing a period of great change – but not of great demise." When introduced to delegates and visitors during the Opening Plenary on Friday, the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, nominee for Local Church Ministries Executive Minister, encouraged the church not to forget this. While recognizing a significant time of change for the church, Guess admitted that there are no easy answers or quick fixes. "But I do understand that new leaders for the United Church of Christ must be willing to speak to the angst that stirs in us, to interpret it and to minister to it, but more than offering analysis, to take practical steps and make creative decisions to welcome the new era of ‘possibility' that so many of us are yearning for," he said.

Memphis Pride Gets Momentum from UCC-led Coalition

June 27, 2011 – Once holding its collective finger on the pulse of the civil-rights struggle, Memphis, Tenn., increasingly has its heart set on nurturing a trend that shows the community at-large valuing LGBT rights. "It's been painful to see some of these LGBT people remain silent on this issue for so long," said the Rev. Cheryl Cornish, senior pastor of First Congregational UCC of Memphis for the past 23 years. "In the past two to three years in Memphis, gay and lesbian rights have become more of a coalition rights and justice agenda. "What has started to happen is that more citywide civil-rights workers, unions and people like that have really started to appreciate that they have a stake in dealing with gay rights, too," she said.

Lutheran Men in Mission Gathering Features Discipleship Theme

June 29, 2011, CHICAGO – "Called! Equipped! Sent!" is the theme of the 2011 Tri-Annual Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Lutheran Men in Mission July 22-24 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center. More than 400 men are expected to attend the gathering, which features worship, Bible study, speakers and workshops, said Doug Haugen, executive director. "We hope those who attend will find a real connectedness to God and to others they attend with – grandfathers, fathers, sons and friends," Haugen said.

Christian Bodies Agree on Code of Conduct for Evangelizing

June 29, 2011, GENEVA – Three organizations, representing about 90 percent of world Christianity, launched on June 28 a global code of conduct for proselytizing in a bid to reduce tensions between different religious convictions. "Today represents an historic moment in our shared Christian witness. This is the first time that a document has been issued by the World Council of Churches (WCC) together with the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and the Pontifical Council for the Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See," said Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.

Ecumenical News

Asian Forum Calls for Closer Cooperation in Theological Training

July 1, 2011 – A communiqué has been issued following a June meeting of the Asian Forum on Theological Education (AFTE), in which 15 representatives of diverse regional and national Christian associations call for solidarity in religious education "transcending stereotyped views of each other as ‘ecumenicals,' ‘evangelicals' or ‘charismatics'." Theological educators throughout Asia are requested to engage in closer dialogue, networking, the sharing of resources and cooperation in training of church leaders.

Communiqué from the Third Anglican-Lutheran International Commission

June 27, 2011 – The third Anglican–Lutheran International Commission (ALIC) held its sixth and final meeting in the holy city Jerusalem between 18 and 25 June 2011, under the leadership of the Most Reverend Fred Hiltz, Primate of Canada, and of the Reverend Dr Thomas Nyiwé, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cameroon. The meeting was hosted by the Anglican Communion with the generous assistance of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was chosen as the venue for this meeting at the Stuttgart Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), at which Bishop Dr Munib Younan, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, was elected President of the LWF.

Spanish News

Cenizas De Lucius Walker Reposarán Aquí

1 julio 2011, LA HABANA, Cuba – Un culto in memoriam del luchador afronorteamericano Lucius Walker, fallecido el pasado septiembre, tuvo lugar este martes en el Seminario Evangélico de Teología de Matanzas (SET), como parte del reconocimiento al pastor que presidió, durante tantos años, las Caravanas de Pastores por la Paz, cuando sus cenizas reposarán en Cuba, según decisión de su familia.

Los Cristianos Alcanzan Un Amplio Consenso Sobre La Práctica De La Misión

29 junio 2011 – Un documento sobre la práctica de la misión según los principios evangélicos, "Testimonio cristiano en un mundo de pluralismo religioso: Recomendaciones sobre la práctica del testimonio," fue presentado al público el martes 28 de junio en un acto que tuvo lugar en el Centro Ecuménico en Ginebra, Suiza.

Consejo De Iglesias De Cuba Acaba De Graduar a 87 Capellanes Para Cárceles

29 junio 2011, LA HABANA, Cuba – La Pastoral de Capellanía del Consejo de Iglesias de Cuba (CIC), acaba de graduar a 87 capellanes para cárceles, de las seis provincias más orientales del país, en su primera Conferencia, celebrada en el Centro de Actividades de la Iglesia de los Amigos (cuáqueros), en la ciudad de Gibara, provincia de Holguín.

Para Combatir El Racismo En Las Iglesias Se Necesitan "Agentes Perturbadores"

28 junio 2011 – Dirigentes de iglesias de numerosos países de América y el Caribe se reunieron en Managua, Nicaragua para debatir sobre la violencia del racismo y los desafíos que plantea para las iglesias y las organizaciones ecuménicas. La conferencia, patrocinada por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) en colaboración con el Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI), reunió a personas que trabajan con las comunidades afrodescendientes e indígenas de toda la región.

Pesquisa Indica Que Metodistas Deben Invertir En Comunicación Para La Misión

27 junio 2011, BRASIL – En una investigación realizada de marzo a mayo de este año, líderes metodistas de las seis Regiones Eclesiásticas del país entienden que la iglesia debería trabajar con más ahínco la ética cristiana y la responsabilidad socio-ambiental, y reivindicar mas inversión en el área de la comunicación enfocada en la misión. Los resultados fueron extraídos de la Evaluación Nacional de la Iglesia Metodista, termómetro para el 19. Concilio General, agendado para julio, en Brasilia.

Un Cuarto De Siglo De Labor Contra El VIH

1 julio 2011 – La pandemia del VIH lleva ahora más de tres décadas en la escena mundial. Durante la mayor parte de ese tiempo, el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y sus iglesias miembros se han implicado a fondo en hacer que las iglesias y las instituciones teológicas sean competentes en materia de VIH, especialmente en el África Subsahariana.

Unir Voluntades Para Enfrentar El Racismo Resultado De Conferencia Sobre El Tema

29 junio 2011, MANAGUA, Nicaragua – En un ambiente de fraternidad, solidaridad y reflexiones, como la expresada en Habacuc por la reverenda Karen Georgia Thompson de la iglesia de Cristo de Ohio, Estados Unidos, se desarrolló, durante el pasado fin de semana, la Conferencia sobre la Realidad del Racismo de hoy en América Latina y el Caribe, y sus Desafíos a las Iglesias y Organismo Ecuménicos, convocado por el Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI) y el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), respectivamente. Los y las delegadas de América Latina y el Caribe se mostraron muy animados, porque en la primera Conferencia sobre el mismo tema, que tuvo lugar el pasado año en Cleveland, Estados Unidos, ya se habían dado los primeros frutos al tomar conciencia la Iglesia de que el racismo y la discriminación eran una realidad.

National News

ELCA Members Remain Hopeful in Minot Flood Disaster

June 30, 2011, CHICAGO – The buildings of some Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregations in Minot, N.D., have been flooded, as have the homes of many members. Yet ELCA leaders and members remain resilient and express hope as they wait for record floodwaters to recede before they can assess the effects of the disaster. The 2011 Minot flood exceeded the previous record flood on the Souris River by 4 feet. More than 4,000 homes are flooded, some reportedly with 10 feet of water or more in them.

International News

Ecumenical Group Calls for End to Food Blockade of North Korea

June 27, 2011 – The silence of the international community to the plight of millions of North Koreans facing starvation and severe malnutrition was of deep concern to the members of an ecumenical forum for peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula, which met last week, 16 to 19 June, in Nanjing, China. The group, the steering committee of the Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reconciliation, Reunification and Development in the Korean Peninsula (EFK), called on churches and the ecumenical community to advocate and lobby governments, the United Nations and the European Union to end the current strategy of using food as a political weapon to isolate the North Korean government and cause its downfall.

Central Africa Anglican Bishops Support Zimbabweans at Commemoration Service

June 28, 2011 – Tens of thousands of people – including all the Central Africa bishops – flocked to the Bernard Mizeki celebrations in Zimbabwe this weekend, despite being denied access to the shrine itself by the authorities. Between 10,000 and 15,000 people came to the Marondera Show Grounds to commemorate the life of Bernard Mizeki, a lay catechist and missionary to the Shona people from 1891 until his martyrdom in 1896.

Lawyer for Jailed Baha'i Leaders Speaks out at European Parliament

June 29, 2011, BRUSSELS, Belgium – One of the lawyers who defended Iran's seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders has made an impassioned plea for justice during an extraordinary meeting held at the European Parliament. Mahnaz Parakand told the meeting that the expectation of the people of Iran is "not to be left alone by the governments and international organizations whose primary policy is the respect of humanity and human rights..." All of Iran's peoples are "held in a large prison named the Islamic Republic of Iran," she said, "under various oppressions and sufferings, and are imprisoned, tortured and executed for a number of allegations."

Rally in Rio Calls for Iran to Respect Human Rights

May 20, 2011, RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Representatives from government, religious communities and civil society organizations were among the 800 human rights supporters who gathered to call upon Iran to cease its persecution of Baha'is and other religious minorities. Participants travelled from all over Brazil to take part in the rally, held at Rio's Copacabana Beach yesterday, some spending up to 15 hours on buses to get there. Almost 8,000 images depicting the faces of Iran's seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders were on display at the beach, corresponding to the number of days of detention the seven had suffered after three years in prison.

Struggles Against Discrimination Can Benefit All

June 30, 2011 – Dr Jorge Ramirez Reyna, president of Asociación Negra de Defensa y Promoción de Derechos Humanos (Black Association for Human Rights Defense and Promotion, ASONEDH) in Peru, reflects on the issue of racism in his country and the role of the conference on the Violence of Racism in Latin America, which was organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) 22-24 June in Managua, Nicaragua. He was interviewed by Sean Hawkey.

Reformed Church Group Calls for Week of Prayers for Sudan
amid Signs of Progress in Negotiations

June 30, 2011 – News of progress in efforts to reduce violent confrontation between opposing forces in Sudan has been welcomed by the General Secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). "We are heartened by news of positive developments," Setri Nyomi says in a statement issued today from WCRC's office in Geneva. "It is urgent that terms for sustainable peace be found." Nyomi was referring to media reports from the African Union (AU) on an agreement to create a demilitarized buffer zone between north and south Sudan. The AU is seeking to defuse tension in the period leading up to the 9 June declaration of independence of Southern Sudan. In recent weeks violence in the South Kordofan and the Blue Nile border states has led to civilian deaths and destruction of property.

WCC's HIV Work Reaches Quarter-Century Mark

June 30, 2011 – The HIV pandemic has been on the world stage for more than three decades now. For most of that time the World Council of Churches (WCC) and its member churches have been deeply involved in making churches and theological institutions HIV-competent, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The WCC involvement with HIV and AIDS dates to late June 1986, when its then-general secretary, the Rev. Dr Emilio Castro ,was first approached by several churches and the World Health Organization (WHO) to counter the stigma of HIV that was discouraging funding for medical and pastoral care of those affected by the disease.

Middle East News

Christian Presence in the Middle East: Theological and Political Challenges

June 30, 2011 – The need for increased dialogue among churches in the Middle East and with churches in the East and West were only two of the many concerns addressed by 30 theologians, social scientists, politicians and church representatives at a recent conference in Volos, Greece. The five-day conference, which was sponsored by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Volos Theological Academy, was held 19-23 June as a follow up to a WCC Central Committee statement adopted in February on the presence and witness of Christians in the Middle East.