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Rev. N. J. L'Heureux, Jr., Publisher & Editor
Rev. Pedro Bravo-Guzman, Editor-in-Chief
An Ecumenical Report of Local and Global News
in God's Household
Published by the Queens Federation of Churches
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July 7, 2011 The Episcopal Church has joined other religious denominations and faith-based organizations in supporting the DREAM Act, and asks churches to participate in a Dream Sabbath between September 18 to October 9. DREAM stands for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors. The DREAM Act 2011 is bipartisan legislation that would grant legalized status to undocumented young people with good moral character who have lived in the U.S. for at least five years and graduated from high school. Permanent resident status would be available upon completion of two years of higher education or military service. Christian Youth to Be Trained for Eco-Justice July 7, 2011 – Young Christians aged 18-30 years are invited to apply for a programme addressing the links between environmental and socio-economic justice which is jointly organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in the context of United Nations climate negotiations in the latter part of 2011. "Youth for Eco-Justice" is a transformational training programme for young change-makers in churches, faith-based organizations and networks worldwide. The programme starts with a two-week training and immersion in the context of the international climate change negotiations (COP 17) in Durban, South Africa. WCC Hails Independence of South Sudan July 7, 2011 – South Sudan achieves its independence on Saturday 9 July 2011, and the new president has received congratulations and an assurance of continued solidarity from the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). In a letter dated 7 July on behalf of the WCC, Tveit extended to the president of the Republic of South Sudan, General Salva Kiir Mayardit, "our prayers and very best wishes for the bright and peaceful future of your country and people." Four decades of recurring warfare and confrontation in Sudan have caused an estimated death toll of more than 2 million as well as destroying much of the region's infrastructure and eroding resources necessary for a healthy economy. Energy and Optimism Permeate New Church Celebration July 1, 2011 – Buoyed by encouraging numbers and boldly optimistic that the trend will continue, the Rev. David Schoen led a rousing celebration of new church plants Friday afternoon in the Plenary Hall of the Tampa Convention Center. "This is the greatest amount of new churches planted and received in a five-year period since the first decade of the UCC," said Schoen, minister and team leader for the UCC Congregational Vitality Discipleship Ministry, during the opening day of General Synod 28. "And here are the rock stars among us." With that, about 100 members of new church plants – many of them youth and young adults – streamed forwarded in two lines, one at each end of the stage, wildly waving arms and placards. "We're excited about these growing numbers," said Schoen. Central Africa: Breaking the Silence on Human Sexuality and HIV July 4, 2011 – Hendrew Lusey has never forgotten the words he first heard at a World Council of Churches (WCC) workshop on human sexuality in 2002. At that time, he had recently been appointed the regional coordinator for central Africa with the Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiative in Africa (EHAIA). He observed as representatives from North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America submitted to the WCC thick reports on homosexuality. Churches in Africa were silent on issues of heterosexuality and HIV. "No report from Africa was seemingly available in that meeting," Lusey recalls. Sammak: God's Promises Revealed in Torah, Bible, Qu'ran July 2, 2011 – Mohammed Sammak, Secretary General of Lebanon's Christian-Muslim Committee for Dialogue, sought to correct misunderstandings about Islam during his Suncoast Saturday presentation at General Synod 28. Some of those misunderstandings, he observed, are held by Christians about Muslims, and some are held by Muslims about Islam itself. The Qu'ran mentions the Bible twelve times. The verses call upon the people of the Bible – Christians – to follow what God revealed to them in the Bible: to be better Christians. Amid Declining Revenues, Synod Approves National Basic Support Allocations July 4, 2011 – Acknowledging a continuing decline in basic support to its general budget, United Church of Christ delegates this morning approved a national allocation of $7.1 million for 2012 and $6.8 million for 2013. "It is unfortunate that the economic recovery has been slow and unemployment has remained high," said UCC Chief Financial Officer Kathy Houston. "The national setting has not been immune to these realities." Annual National Basic Support are funds provided by individuals, congregations and conferences through Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) giving. Revenue to support the national setting also comes from other sources such as investments, endowments and program and services fees. Pilgrim Press Presents 2011 Mayflower Awards July 4, 2011 – Two ordained Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) pastors and one United Methodist Church minister have received 2011 Pilgrim Press Mayflower Awards, announced during the Local Church Ministries dinner Sunday night at General Synod. The Rev. Phil Snider and the Rev. Emily Bowen, ordained in the Disciples of Christ, have earned the 2011 Pilgrim Press Mayflower Award for Church and Society for their 2010 book, Toward a Hopeful Future: Why the Emergent Church Is Good News for Mainline Congregations. Snider and Bowen are co-pastors of Brentwood Christian Church in Springfield, Mo. Synod Delegates Commemorate 200 Years of Mission July 4, 2011 – General Synod 28 marked the end of two years of celebrating the 200th anniversary of America's first foreign missionary society by showing delegates a special video, "200 Years of Mission," and planting a crepe myrtle tree at First United Church of Tampa. In addition, a time line display in the exhibition hall traced the history of mission from the famous "Haystack Meeting" in 1806. Then, five students at Williams College, Massachusetts, took shelter under a haystack during a rainstorm. Joining in prayer, they pledged themselves to volunteer in mission. That led to the formation in 1810 of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission, a historic predecessor to Wider Church Ministries. ENGLAND: Bishops Call for Church Review of Civil Partnerships, Same-Sex Relationships July 1, 2011 – The House of Bishops of the Church of England has asked for a review of the church's stance on civil partnerships and same-sex relationships in light of recent changes in the country's laws and because "the last substantive engagement with the issue was in 2005," said Bishop Graham James of the Diocese of Norwich in an introduction to the bishops' July 1 statement. Part of the review will look into whether clergy who have registered their civil partnerships should be eligible for nomination to the episcopate, the bishops say. Civil partnerships were legalized in the United Kingdom by the Civil Partnership Act of 2004, which became law in December 2005. Communique of the Anglican-Jewish Dialogue Commission July 4, 2011 – The fifth meeting of the Anglican-Jewish Commission of the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel was hosted by the latter, with hospitality provided by the American Jewish Committee at its Jerusalem premises, Beit Moses, on 14th and 15th June 2011/Sivan 12-13, 5771. The Commission's mandate is taken from the provisions of the joint declaration of the Archbishop and the Chief Rabbis at Lambeth Palace on 6th September 2006 and confirmed at their second meeting in Jerusalem on 31st October 2007 At the opening welcomes, joy was expressed at the renewal of the meeting of the bilateral Commission which was acknowledged as providing both mutual enrichment and much appreciated friendship. Líderes De Tres Iglesias Asumen Compromiso Pastoral Ante Crisis Del Sistema Carcelario 8 julio 2011, CARACAS, Venezuela – Representantes de las iglesias Católica, Anglicana y Presbiteriana en Venezuela se pronunciaron sobre la situación carcelaria en el país. Manifestaron dolor y preocupación por los hechos – que califican – "como de violencia y de gran tensión" que se viven en los centros penitenciarios Rodeo I y Rodeo II, situación que en las últimas semanas ha mantenido en vilo al país, sin verse solución inmediata. Los Conflictos Por El Agua Suponen Una Amenaza Para La Paz Mundial 4 julio 2011 – Los conflictos relacionados con el agua amenazan la paz en el mundo, dijo el secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, en un acto celebrado en Alemania, a orillas del Danubio, para conmemorar el fin del Decenio para Superar la Violencia (DSV) del CMI. "Es muy posible que en los próximos años el agua esté en el centro de los conflictos," observó Tveit durante el evento de la Ola de Paz del Danubio que tuvo lugar en Ulm el 2 de julio. El proyecto de la Ola de Paz se inició en Ulm en septiembre de 2010 y fue seguido de una serie de eventos organizados a lo largo del río Danubio, en Austria, Eslovaquia, Hungría y Rumanía, con objeto de celebrar y conmemorar el DSV. Formación En Eco-justicia Para Jóvenes Cristianos 7 julio 2011 – Se invita a los jóvenes cristianos que tengan entre 18 y 30 años de edad a presentar sus candidaturas para un programa de formación, conjuntamente organizado por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y la Federación Luterana Mundial (FLM), que abordará los vínculos entre la justicia socioeconómica y medioambiental en el contexto de las negociaciones de las Naciones Unidas sobre el cambio climático que tendrán lugar a finales de 2011. Celebran Culto Por La Memoria De Líder Ecuménico Muerto En Brasil 6 julio 2011, LA HABANA, Cuba – Un culto a la memoria del doctor Samuel Hernández González, quien muriera trágicamente en un accidente automovilístico en Brasil, el pasado primero de julio, tuvo lugar este viernes, en la ciudad de Santa Clara, al centro de la Isla, desde donde el líder ecuménico desarrolló, durante años, su labor evangelística. Margot Kässmann Coordinará Jubileo De La Reforma 7 julio 2011, HANNOVER, Alemania – La pastora y teóloga Margot Kässmann, ex-obispa de la Iglesia Evangélica de Hannover y ex-presidenta del Consejo de la Iglesia Evangélica de Alemania (EKD, sigla en alemán) será la embajadora denominacional para las celebraciones del Jubileo de la Reforma 2017. Ese deberá ser el mayor proyecto de los protestantes alemanes en esta década. Luchar Contra La Discriminación Nos Beneficia a Todos 4 julio 2011 – El Dr. Jorge Ramírez Reyna, Presidente de la Asociación Negra de Defensa y Promoción de Derechos Humanos (ASONEDH) de Perú, reflexiona sobre el racismo en su país y la función de la conferencia sobre la violencia del racismo en América Latina, organizada por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y el Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI) en Managua, Nicaragua, del 22 al 24 de junio. Sean Hawkey entrevistó al Dr. Ramírez Reyna. Romper El Silencio Sobre La Sexualidad Humana Y El VIH En África Central 4 julio 2011 – Hendrew Lusey no ha olvidado las palabras que escuchó por primera vez en un taller sobre la sexualidad humana organizado por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) en 2002. Por aquel entonces, acababa de ser nombrado coordinador para África Central de la Iniciativa Ecuménica sobre el VIH y el SIDA en África (EHAIA, por sus siglas en inglés). En tal ocasión, Lusey observó que mientras representantes de América del Norte, Europa, Australia y América Latina presentaban al CMI voluminosos informes sobre la homosexualidad, las iglesias de África guardaban silencio en temas como la heterosexualidad y el VIH. "Aparentemente en esa reunión no había ningún informe disponible de África," recuerda Lusey. Obispos Dicen: Bicentenario Puede Conducir a Reconciliación, Y Oran Por Chávez 5 julio 2011, CARACAS, Venezuela – La Conferencia Episcopal Venezolana, reunida en esta capital en su asamblea anual ordinaria el pasado jueves, emitió una Carta Pastoral con motivo del Bicentenario del 5 de julio de 1811, abordando, entre otros temas, la situación penitenciaria, la agresión a varias imágenes religiosas en el interior del país y el incremento de la polarización política, además de orar por la salud del presidente Hugo Chávez. Sor Juana Inés De La Cruz Trae Renovado Mensaje De Esperanza a Las Nuevas Generaciones 4 julio 2011, CIUDAD DE MÉXICO – Luego de un sonado éxito en el altar de Los Reyes de la Catedral Metropolitana de esta capital, El divino Narciso, obra literaria escrita por Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz dentro del llamado Siglo de Oro de la Literatura hispanoamericana, lleva desde el pasado jueves un mensaje de fe y esperanza a las nuevas generaciones de mexicanos, cuando los personajes escritos por la monja escritora subieron al altar principal donde reposan los restos del conquistador Hernán Cortés. Francisco Hernández, El CMI Felicita a Sudán Del Sur Por Su Independencia 8 julio 2011 – Con motivo de la proclamación de la independencia de Sudán del Sur el sábado 9 de julio de 2011, el secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, ha felicitado a su nuevo presidente y le ha expresado la permanente solidaridad con su pueblo. En una carta con fecha de 7 de julio, Tveit, en nombre del CMI, ofreció al presidente de la República de Sudán del Sur, General Salva Kiir Mayardit, "oraciones y los mejores deseos para un futuro pacífico y brillante para su país y su pueblo." Narcotráfico Y Violencia Atentan Contra La Espiritualidad 8 julio 2011, SANTO DOMINGO – La violencia doméstica, callejera y del narcotráfico en el país, ha ido consumiendo la espiritualidad de los dominicanos, cuando ello se percibe con mayor presencia cada día en los medios de prensa, según un artículo publicado por Listín Diario, el pasado miércoles. En el mismo se plantea que el fenómeno se ha entronizado en el Caribe como parte de la vida, y que los peores resultados se localizan en Puerto Rico, Jamaica y Haití, cuando, a medida que crece la violencia y el crimen decrece la espiritualidad de la población y la confianza en Dios. British Legal Bodies Highlight "Dire Situation" of Human Rights in Iran July 8, 2011, LONDON – Two prominent legal associations are calling upon the United Nations' new special investigator for Iran to examine the "dire situation" of human rights defenders and alleged "dissidents" in the country. In a joint statement, the Law Society and the Solicitors' International Human Rights Group are asking the UN Human Rights Council's newly-appointed Special Rapporteur on Iran to tackle such issues as "how ‘dissidents,' who are deemed to have threatened national security on the flimsiest of grounds, are treated..." The statement highlights the cases of "peaceful protesters who have called for the end of discrimination against women, and academics who have countered the cynical exclusion of their co-religionists from tertiary education by setting up a university to cater for excluded Baha'i youth." Two Groups Fighting Drugs in School Observe UN Day Against Drugs July 5, 2011 – Two organizations pitting art against drug-taking in schools shared the spotlight last Thursday night in an observance of the United Nation's Day Against Drugs, officially 26 June. They agreed on a key point – give young people the truth about drugs, and they will make correct decisions on their own. "It's not just a matter of preference," said Meghan Fialkoff, New York Director of the Foundation for a Drug Free World, who was hosting the event, "Getting kids the truth is the only thing effective in keeping them off drugs." ) in collaboration with photographer Robert Northway. The photos give a unique take on the attitudes of teens on this subject. LONG ISLAND: City of New York Kicks off New Social Media Website at Brooklyn Church July 7, 2011 – The City of New York July 7 chose the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn to launch Change by Us NYC, a new website aimed at connecting people and making the city a "greener, greater" place to live. "St. Luke and St. Matthew is a remarkable example of what we are all about," said New York City Deputy Mayor for Operations Stephen Goldsmith during the event to launch the website, adding that the church's efforts to green the parish and improve the surrounding community "touch on all the important parts of a sustainable project." July 7, 2011 – Diocese of Nevada Bishop Dan Edwards on July 6 defended the actions of his predecessor and other diocesan officials in allowing a Roman Catholic priest to become an Episcopal Church priest after he admitted he'd sexually abused a teenage boy in the late 1980s. It's "not the horrifying story of a predatory pedophile priest who is passed from parish to parish so he can continue his predatory behavior," Edwards said in a statement on the diocese's website. "Far from it. For those who have the story of the predatory pedophile fixed in their minds, it will be difficult to hear and accept the actual facts. These facts will not fit their entrenched assumptions. But if we are to tell the truth, we must tell a different story." Archbishop of Burundi Tells UK: "Don't Make Us an Aid Orphan" July 5, 2011 – The Archbishop of Burundi today (Tuesday) gave a passionate appeal to the UK government to restore its bilateral funding to Burundi – one of the poorest and most fragile countries in the world. The call came when he gave evidence at the International Development Select Committee's enquiry into the UK government's decision to end its bilateral aid programme for Burundi and shut the DfID office in Bujumbura. He backed his call for funding with a warning that the security in Bujumbura was difficult and the country risked slipping into conflict only two years after the final peace agreement was signed with the last remaining rebel movement. Academic Conference Explores "Othering" of Iranian Baha'is July 4, 2011, TORONTO – Iranian scholars, many from globally prominent universities, gathered here for a groundbreaking academic conference on the persecution of Iran's Baha'is. Titled "Intellectual Othering and the Baha'i Question in Iran," the conference examined how Iranian authorities have sought to exclude Baha'is from social, political, cultural, and intellectual life by portraying them as outsiders in their own land – a process known as "othering." The event, held from 1-3 July, was the first major academic conference at a top-ranked university to focus on the persecution of Iran's Baha'is in any context. "This conference is not a Baha'i studies conference," said its main organizer Mohamad Tavakoli. Jailed Iranian Baha'i Leader Appears on Dutch Postage Stamp July 6, 2011, HILVERSUM, Netherlands – A series of special postage stamps portraying victims of human rights abuses in Iran has been launched in the Netherlands. Current and forthcoming stamps in the series depict the acclaimed poet Simin Behbahani; trade unionist Mansour Osanlou; Mahvash Sabet – one of Iran's seven Baha'i leaders; and human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. The stamps are officially accepted by the Netherlands' national postal service and are valid for use on mail. The initiative was the brainchild of Mina Saadadi, managing editor of media organization Shahrzad News, which produces radio programs and online content in Persian and English. Water Conflicts Pose Threat to Global Peace July 4, 2011 Conflicts over water threaten peace in the world, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, told a gathering in Germany on the banks of the River Danube to mark the end of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV). "It may well be that in the coming years water will be at the centre of conflicts," Tveit told the Danube Peace Wave event in Ulm on 2 July. The Peace Wave project was launched in Ulm in September 2010 and was followed by events along the River Danube in Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. It was intended as a contribution to and celebration of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence. . CANADA: Primate Praises ‘Expressions of Courage' July 5, 2011, INUVIK, Northwest Territories – Anglican Church of Canada Archbishop Fred Hiltz on July 1 paid tribute to former residential school students, saying he heard "many expressions of courage" from them as they gathered here for the Northern National Event of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). Many showed courage in telling their stories and "taking first steps on the journey of healing," Hiltz said, addressing former students – many of them now in their 60s and 70s, who traveled by land, air and sea to attend the event. Archbishop Expresses Concern over Launch of New Conservative Group July 5, 2011 – The creation of a new conservative entity intended to offer oversight to Anglicans in England unwilling to accept their bishop's authority is cause for concern, according to a press release from Lambeth Palace, home to Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. The "Anglican Mission in England" was launched in June by the conservative GAFCON Primates Council, which describes the new entity as "a society within the Church of England dedicated to the conversion of England and biblical church planting." Israel-Palestine Resolution Receives Vote of ‘No Action' July 3, 2011 – After three hours of deliberation, the committee debating the Israeli-Palestinian resolution recommended that General Synod take no action on the resolution called "In Support of Effective and Constructive Peacemaking between Palestinians and Israelis through Positive Investment in Palestine." The discussion pivoted around whether boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDSs) are effective means of bringing about peace in the Middle East. General Synod 25 in 2005 called for the use of economic leverage to promote peace in the Middle East, including but not limited to BSDs. The background statement for the currently proposed resolution states: July 7, 2011, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest Christian publisher in the world and the seventh largest trade-book publisher in the United States, is excited to announce a partnership with singer-songwriter legends Bill and Gloria Gaither to create a Bible that will inspire hope through scripture, song and story. Scheduled to release in August 2012, the Gaither Homecoming Bible will be a collaboration of Gaither Homecoming artists throughout the years, with Gloria Gaither serving as managing editor. "For decades the Gaithers have reached millions of people across generations, with their music of joy, thanksgiving and praise ushering listeners into the presence of God," says Gary Davidson, Senior Vice President and Bible Group Publisher with Thomas Nelson.
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