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Ribbons of Hope Project and 9/11 Lantern Ceremony

September 1, 2011 – The Interfaith Center of New York invites you and your faith communities to participate in The 9/11 Ribbons of Hope Project and the 9/11 World Trade Center Floating Lantern Ceremony taking place on the weekend of 9/11. We also ask your assistance in two ways: finding volunteers to help us in preparing ribbon kits and tying ribbons at the Project , and providing religious observance materials for faith-based organizations to access in developing their own commemorative events for the weekend of 9/11.

Sojourners Advances Muslim/Christian Engagement, Embraces Common Ground

August 29, 2011, WASHINGTON – In preparation of the 10 year anniversary of the attacks on September 11th, Sojourners releases their September/October issue surrounding Muslim/Christian engagement. Continuing a message of reconciliation and inclusion, Sojourners gives a voice to Christians who promote unity and seek understanding. As an example of reconciliation and community engagement, Bob Smietana tells an inspirational story out of Tennessee. By coming together with local Muslims during their holy month of Ramadan, Rev. Steve Stone shows us all what it means to be a good neighbor. Aaron D. Taylor bridges the divide between Christians and Muslim by directly engaging in holy text, creating a dialogue, and starting a conversation rooted in peace, compassion, and tolerance.

"Refugee Resettlement: Faith Communities Making a Difference"
Interfaith Religion Special to Air September 25 on the CBS Television Network

August 30, 2011, NEW YORK – Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program Director Erol Kekic is featured in "Refugee Resettlement: Faith Communities Making A Difference,'‘ the upcoming CBS religion special about refugees who resettle in the United States and the key roles that voluntary agencies like Church World Service and local faith-based agencies play in assisting them. The half-hour program is scheduled for broadcast on Sunday, September 25 on the CBS Television Network. Please check your local CBS station for exact schedule. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that in 2010 more than 43 million people were forcibly displaced by conflicts.

President Obama to Speak at Washington National Cathedral on 9/11

August 30, 2011 – President Barack Obama will speak at Washington National Cathedral Sept. 11 during "A Concert for Hope," the capstone event of a three-day commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, according to a press release. Washington National Cathedral is joining the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the Pentagon Memorial Fund, and the Flight 93 National Memorial to present "A Call to Compassion," a weekend of programming that will gather Americans to honor the memories of those who were lost, heal the wounds caused by terrorism and war, and gain new hope to move forward as a nation, the release said.

Religious Leaders Welcome Judge's Temporary Ruling to Block Immigration Law

August 30, 2011, ALABAMA – Religious leaders and other opponents of Alabama's stringent immigration law welcomed a federal judge's Aug. 29 ruling temporarily blocking the controversial measure from taking effect. Bishop Henry N. Parsley, Jr. of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, along with other church leaders as well as civil rights groups and the U.S. Justice Department, had sued to stop House Bill 56, considered the harshest immigration law in the nation, from taking effect Sept. 1. Parsley was away on vacation, but issued a brief statement Aug. 30 in response to the court ruling. "We welcome Judge Blackburn's interim decision to enjoin the Alabama immigration law from taking effect on Sept. 1," Parsley said in the statement, read to ENS by administrative assistant Peggy Turner.

General News

Time for Creation 2011: Trees and Forests Shall Rejoice

August 31, 2011 The World Council of Churches (WCC) has joined in a call to observe Thursday 1 September through Tuesday 4 October 2011 as a time for prayer, reflection and re-dedication regarding care for and just use of God's gifts in nature. For more than twenty years, increasing numbers of Christians throughout the world have reserved these dates in September and early October as a time to give thanks for God's creation and to join in common prayer and action for the environment. "A Time for Creation" is a modern addition to the liturgical calendars of many churches, emphasizing the work of God as Creator..

Golden Anniversary of the Pacific Conference of Churches

September 1, 2011 – In a gala commemoration of a half-century of Christian witness, the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) has returned to the Malua Theological College in Samoa where its first representatives assembled in 1961. Among participants in the opening gathering from the World Council of Churches (WCC) were the general secretary, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, and WCC executive for youth Faautu Talapusi of Samoa. The anniversary celebrations stretch from Wednesday 30 August through Sunday 4 September. The welcoming ceremony featured traditional dancing, the exchange of gifts and feasting.

Ecumenical News

End of Ramadan Celebrations Hailed by WCC General Secretary

August 31, 2011 – Christian and Muslims, together with leaders of other world religions, should cooperate in "rallying people to form alliances for peace and reconciliation with justice," according to the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Tveit sent greetings on the occasion of the Islamic festival of Eid al Fitr (the end of Ramadan) in a letter to heads of Muslim religious communities throughout the world. Taking note of July's violence in his native Norway that has brought Christians and Muslims closer, and the momentous events that continue to unfold in North Africa and the Middle East, Tveit called for continuing action toward justice and peace.

Christian-Jewish Relations Still a Source of Debate

September 1, 2011, WASHINGTON, D.C. – A fascinating exchange recently took place in the pages of the Vatican's newspaper between the chief rabbi of Rome and the Vatican's chief representative to the Jewish people. Their conversation reflected just how far we've come in Christian-Jewish relations – but also how far we have yet to go, Religion News Service reports. Christians must really think about what it means to accept the validity of God's covenant with the Jews while also seeing Jesus as the savior of all mankind, the subject of a new book, "Christ Jesus and the Jewish People Today." Jews, for their part, need to assess Christian claims about being in covenant with the God of Israel.

After 50 Years Peace and Justice Remain at Heart of Pacific Region Churches

September 2, 2011 – "The Pacific is a region that displays many warm and strong expressions of peace,'‘ World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit said in a speech to the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) 50th anniversary celebration held in Samoa this past week. "The region and the ocean that unite you carry this wonderful name describing peace and tranquillity,'‘ Tveit said. "So much in your nature and your life gives signs of life with many characteristics of peace as abundance of life." At the same time, Tveit recognized challenges to this tranquillity in the form of the recent suppression of the church in Fiji, the desire for full independence in Tahiti, the legacy of nuclear tests in the region and the rising of sea levels and submerging of some islands because of climate change.

Archbishop of Canterbury Sends Message to Muslim Communities for End of Ramadan

August 30, 2011 – Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has sent his annual greetings to Muslim communities for the festival of ‘Id Al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. In his message, Williams praises the dignity of Tariq Jahan, the father of Haroon Jahan, who died during the recent riots in Birmingham. "His call for peace and unity was one of the decisive moments during those days and was a gift in Ramadan that gave hope to many not just in Birmingham but all over the United Kingdom and beyond. He was able to give voice to the conscience of Britain in a way that people of all faiths and none could recognize."

Spanish News

CMI Considera "Inaceptable" Cancelación De Reunión Metodista Por Gobierno De Fiji

29 agosto 2011 – La interferencia del Gobierno en los asuntos de la iglesia del país insular del Pacífico Fiji es motivo de gran preocupación dice el Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI). En vísperas del 50 aniversario del Conferencia de Iglesias del Pacífico y de una reunión de dirigentes de iglesia de esa región, Tveit expresó su profunda preocupación ante la flagrante vulneración de la libertad de religión por parte de las autoridades de Fiji al cancelar la conferencia anual de la Iglesia Metodista de Fiji y Rotuma.

El Consejo Latinoamericano De Iglesias Y UNFPA Elaboran Manual De Incidencia

29 agosto 2011, QUITO, Ecuador – Líderes y representantes del Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (Clai) asumieron el compromiso de trabajar la elaboración de un manual de incidencia, dirigido a organizaciones basadas en la fe (Iglesias y organizaciones religiosas) para abordar la problemática de la pobreza, migraciones y derechos sexuales y reproductivos, durante la reunión celebrada en Quito el 25 y 26 de agosto.

El Joven Muerto Por Bala Policial Era Metodista Y Quería Ser Pastor

29 agosto 2011, SANTIAGO, Chile – Manuel Gutierrez de 16 años, miembro de la Iglesia Metodista Pentecostal de la Villa Jaime Eyzaguirre de la comuna de Macul en la Región Metropolitana, falleció producto de una bala percutada por un policía, según testigos, la noche del jueves 25 de agosto dentro de las manifestaciones estudiantiles por una educación de calidad y sin fines de lucro.

Iglesia Pide a Políticos Respeto a La Fe En Próximos Comicios

30 agosto 2011, CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA – Durante un taller sobre religión y política, celebrado en la Iglesia Presbiteriana "Enmanuel," de Quetzaltenango, celebrado la semana que concluyó, los participantes hicieron un llamado a todos los políticos para que respeten las religiones, pues muchos se aprovechan de la fe y de los creyentes para fortalecer sus campañas políticas que, muchas veces, luego no cumplen.

CMI Considera "Inaceptable" La Intromisión Del Gobierno De Fiji En Asuntos De La Iglesia Metodista

31 agosto 2011, GINEBRA, Suiza – La interferencia del Gobierno en los asuntos de la iglesia del país insular del Pacífico, Fiji, es motivo de gran preocupación dice el Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI). En vísperas del 50 aniversario del Conferencia de Iglesias del Pacífico y de una reunión de dirigentes de iglesia de esa región, Tveit expresó su profunda preocupación ante la flagrante vulneración de la libertad de religión por parte de las autoridades de Fiji al cancelar la conferencia anual de la Iglesia Metodista de Fiji y Rotuma, y detener a dirigentes de iglesia.

El 9 De Setiembre Se Celebrará El Día Oración Por La Mujer Latinoamericana

31 agosto 2011, ARGENTINA – El 9 de setiembre se celebrará el Día Oración por la Mujer Latinoamericana, que fue designado para el 2º. Viernes de Septiembre. El programa para este año fue elaborado por las mujeres de la Unión Sinódica de Guatemala, bajo el lema de la epístola a los Hebreos 4,15: "Tenemos un Sumo Sacerdote que se compadece de nuestras debilidades."

National News

9/11 plus 10: UCC Web Page Helps Congregations Commemorating September 11

July 29, 2011 – In preparation for the 10th anniversary of September 11, the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ, has released a pastoral letter calling for people of faith to leave behind fears and prejudice and chart a new course towards peace, reconciliation and understanding. The letter, which is part of a special 9/11 remembrance page, urges the United States to turn to God in "beginning anew our work toward God's just and peaceful realm" on earth. "My prayer is that we [recognize] that our national understanding of and response to terrorism have been inadequate thus far," said Black in the letter.

UCC Ethics in Telecommunication Awards Announced

August 31, 2011 – The 29th Annual Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture & Awards Breakfast will be held September 28, 2011, 8:00 a.m., at the Washington Post Conference Center, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC. Begin connecting before the event on Facebook. We also encourage you to invite your Facebook friends! The Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture was created in 1983 to recognize Parker's pioneering work as an advocate for the public's rights in broadcasting. The event is the only lecture in the country to examine telecommunications in the digital age from an ethical perspective.

ELCA Disaster Response Sends $71,000 in Grants for Hurricane Response

September 1, 2011, CHICAGO – Thanks to the generous response of members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA Disaster Response distributed emergency grants totaling $71,000 in the wake of Hurricane Irene. The hurricane impacted a number of U.S. states as it steamrolled from Puerto Rico to the border of Canada. The Rev. Kevin A. Massey, director of ELCA Disaster response, said two grants in the amount of $25,000 each were sent to Lutheran Care of New York and Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey. An additional $21,000 grant was sent to Church World Service for Hurricane Irene's victims.

Post-Irene, Vermont Looks at Long Recovery
Diocesan Disaster Coordinators Play a Key Role in Hurricane Response

September 2, 2011 – Gethsemane Episcopal Church in Proctorsville lost its parish hall and slid off its foundation when Hurricane Irene's heavy rains and flooding hit Vermont Aug. 28. Of the 50-some parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, Gethsemane Episcopal Church in Proctorsville, where the parish hall lay in unsalvageable ruins and the church itself slipped off its foundation, bore the brunt of structural damage following Hurricane Irene's heavy rains and flooding. "We are still getting reports from isolated areas, mostly water damage to homes, and roads and bridges washed out, and there are still many areas where people are stranded," said Lynn Bates, the diocese's canon to the ordinary and transition minister, in a Sept. 2 telephone interview with ENS.

An Immigrant Father's Reality

August 31, 2011, EL PASO, Texas – In her keynote speech to the 40th anniversary meeting of MARCHA, Bishop Minerva Carcaño told the story of an immigrant father and his children she and another church worker met at a border crossing near Nogales, Mexico. "We were at a place called the Mariposa station where a tent has been set up over the years to receive immigrants who are detained in the U.S., and then dropped at the border like garbage and told to go back to where they came from," she said. At the station, the bishop explained, immigrants are given water, some soup and helped in whatever way possible by Christian and other aid groups.

International News

Open Letter to Iran Calls for an End to Oppression of Students

August 27, 2011, NEW YORK – In an open letter to Iran's minister for higher education, the Baha'i International Community is calling for an end to "the unjust and oppressive practices" that bar Baha'is and other young Iranians from university. "This letter affirms every person's duty to acquire knowledge so that they can contribute their talents and skills to the betterment of society," said Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "To actively deprive any youth of education is reprehensible and against all legal, religious, moral, and humanitarian standards. No government should deny this fundamental and sacred right to its citizens."

A Life Free from Violence – the Safe Haven in Dadaab
LWF-Run Program Helps Women Rebuild Their Lives

August 30, 2011, DADAAB, Kenya/GENEVA – Mahadu Biriye beams at this writer from across the desk, her headscarf artfully tied around her head. Warm and friendly, she talks about the program she runs for women in the refugee camps in and around Dadaab. Biriye is the matron of the women's refuge or "Safe Haven" in Dadaab. She has a background in counseling and offers empathy and understanding to the women who find their way to the Safe Haven at Hagadera camp in Dadaab, northeastern Kenya. The Haven can accommodate up to 120 people – women and children fleeing desperate situations – and at one time there were as many as 100 people there.

LWF Address to ELCA Assembly Underlines Transforming Power of Service
General Secretary Junge Thanks ELCA for Contributions to Global Lutheran Communion

30 August 30, 2011, ORLANDO, Florida, USA/GENEVA – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge has praised Lutherans in the United States for their contribution to the global church, noting the collaboration helps make the church whole. Addressing 1,000 delegates to the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on 17 August at Orlando, Florida, Junge reminded the 4.5 million-member church it was in turn supported by the prayers of Lutherans worldwide. "None of our communities alone can be all that the Church of Jesus Christ is meant to be. We are incomplete without unity with one another," Junge said.

WCC Offers Condolences to UN, Condemns Bombing in Nigeria

August 30, 2011 – Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), has extended his sympathy to United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon following the 26 August bombing of UN offices in Abuja, Nigeria. The suicide car-bombing is reported by the Reuters news agency to have left at least 23 persons dead and dozens wounded. "We condemn this senseless act of violence carried out against innocent workers of the UN and the UN family of agencies," wrote Tveit. "It is in every aspect unjustifiable, and those responsible for this attack must be held accountable."

New Homes in Kenya for Somali Muslims Before Eid Festivities
Faith Is a Binding Factor

August 31, 2011, DADAAB, Kenya/GENEVA – After almost three months of living in temporary settlements in refugee camps around Dadaab, Kenya, over 20,000 Somali Muslims have been relocated to permanent sites in time to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting observed during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The new camps, an extension to the Ifo camp and another called Kambioos, have everything that a new town should have – water, latrines, schools, worship centres and health posts, and 17 plots for mosques. Land has also been allocated for mosques and madrasas (classrooms where Islamic religion is taught) which will be built once the community becomes more established.

Lutherans Ready to Play Congo Election Peace Role
Church Leaders Worry about Pre-election Tension

September 2, 2011, GENEVA – Lutheran leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have expressed fears that November elections will heighten tensions in the African nation, while pledging to continue to work for peace. "We hope things will stabilize. There is one problem that when we have elections, then there is instability," said Bishop Victor Bwanangela of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo (ELCC), who is from Kivu.