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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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"Occupy" Protesters Welcomed at St. Paul's Cathedral in London October 19, 2011, LONDON – Scores of anti-corporate demonstrators invaded London's historic St. Paul's Cathedral on 16 October, but police who tried to stop them were told to leave by church officials, Religion News Service reports. The protesters – who were targeting the global financial system as part of worldwide demonstrations against corporate greed – were welcomed into the 17th-century cathedral, and Sunday services went on uninterrupted. The protesters were allowed to continue their presence into 17 October, provided they did not interfere with tourists. The Rev. Giles Fraser, the cathedral's canon chancellor who took steps to ease tensions, told reporters that "I am very much in favor of people's rights to protest peacefully," and said he asked the police to leave the building "because I didn't feel it needed that sort of protection." WCC Continues to Support Egyptian Churches in Their Quest for Peace October 18, 2011 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) supports Egyptian Christians in their quest for justice, rejection of violence and initiatives for dialogue in the wake of 9 October clashes between peaceful protestors and the army in Cairo which resulted in 25 people dead, mostly Coptic Christians, while the country was preparing to return to democracy. October 19, 2011 – Recent clashes between Coptic Christians and troops in Egypt that resulted in some 25 deaths have been condemned by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams as "a prolonged failure on the part of the security forces to guarantee the safety of Christian personnel and property." Speaking in the U.K.'s House of Lords on Oct. 18, Williams said, "It seems clear to many of us that this is bringing Muslims and Christians in Egypt together in great distress and anxiety about the dismantling of a long history of fruitful cooperation and coexistence in the country." The Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler, an Episcopal Church-appointed missionary based in Cairo, said that it has been "encouraging to see many Muslims denounce the use of violence against the Christian demonstrators" since the Oct. 9 clashes. Gates Praises Church in Malaria Fight October 20, 2011, SEATTLE – More than 1.1 million children, pregnant mothers and working fathers are alive today because of gains in preventing and treating malaria. Since 2000 the malaria death rate has been reduced by 20 percent. United Methodists have played a role in that fight, and the church's work drew praise from philanthropist Melinda Gates Oct. 18 during the Malaria Forum sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The answer to ending malaria rests in leadership, Gates said. "Leaders inspire us to do the extraordinary," she told her audience of 300. MLK Dedication Is a Multifaith Celebration October 18, 2011 – Under crystal blue skies and the best autumn temperatures October could offer, tens of thousands gathered on the mall in Washington to witness the official – and hurricane-delayed – dedication of the memorial to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Small and large churches alike accepted the reality of empty pews at 11 Sunday morning, Oct. 16, as PBS news correspondent and master of ceremonies Gwen Ifill explained, "We get a pass for not being in church today." Even without the requisite stained-glass windows and ushers, a reverence for the day rested on the crowd easily, as spectators found seats and settled on grass, listening to the opening chords of a Hammond organ and the music of Atlanta's Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church choir. Benedict XVI Announces the "Year of Faith" October 16, 2011, VATICAN CITY – During Mass this morning in the Vatican Basilica, celebrated to mark the end of an international meeting on new evangelisation organised by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation, Benedict XVI announced that he was calling a forthcoming "Year of Faith." The Year will begin on 11 October 2012, fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II, and will come to an end on 24 November 2013, Feast of Christ the King. Its aim "is to give renewed energy to the Church's mission to lead men and women out of the desert in which they so often find themselves, and towards the place of life, towards friendship with Christ Who gives us life in all its fullness." CWS 2020 Vision Adopted by Board October 21, 2011 ELGIN, Ill. – Combining "faith with a plan of action," the board of directors of humanitarian agency Church World Service today unanimously approved a strategic vision to meet the requirements for superior performance in a changing global environment. Calling the moment "historic," CWS CEO and Executive Director Rev. John L. McCullough said the changes will "ripple out from here to inspire and inform the work of the global CWS network." Everyone, Everywhere: Jesus Is Found in Mission, Not Outreach October 17, 2011 – In late 2007 the Rev. Zach Drennen, at the time working as a teacher and chaplain at a school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, decided to take a three-month, self-funded sabbatical. But rather than hike the Appalachian Trail or climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Drennen, who was ordained an Episcopal priest in 2002, decided to spend some time with long-time missionaries William "Gerry" and Nancy Hardison in Maseno, Kenya, where they run the Maseno Mission Hospital and St. Philip's Theological Seminary. October 14, 2011 – Saying it must reverse a trend of annual deficits and restructure to meet the changing needs of theological education, the Church Divinity School of the Pacific's board of trustees agreed Oct. 14 to increase and broaden enrollment, increase annual giving and reduce its 11-member faculty. The seminary has run annual operating deficits for several years. The current fiscal year the deficit is $1.4 million on a $4 million budget. The budget includes the cost of being a member of the Graduate Theological Union, of which CDSP is a founding member. WCC Explores Christian Self-Understanding in Context of Hindu Religion October 18, 2011 – With the rise of religious fundamentalism and religious extremism in the world, as well as recently emerging tensions in India over the issues of conversions, a genuine need exists to review Christian-Hindu relationships afresh, according to the participants of a consultation organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) on Christian self-understanding in the context of Hindu religion. La Iglesia Reformada En Argentina Presenta Nuevo Cancionero Latinoamericano 21 octubre 2011, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – El nuevo Cancionero "Otro mundo es posible," editado por las Iglesias Reformadas en Argentina salió de la imprenta hace pocas semanas. El Cancionero contiene canciones procedentes de América Latina y compuestas en los últimos 15 años. Son 118 canciones como una suerte de homenaje a los 118 años de presencia reformada en el país (desde 1893). 20 octubre 2011, ESTADOS UNIDOS – "Estamos aquí para agradecer la solidaridad de las iglesias norteamericanas con las cubanas, las cuales han contribuido a romper el bloqueo impuesto al pueblo de Cuba por los gobiernos de los Estados Unidos, cuando las políticas pueden andar divorciadas, pero las raíces de las gentes comunes, que en definitiva son la base de una relación humana verdadera y perdurable, se entretejen a través de actos concretos de amistad," expresó el pastor Eduardo González, secretario general de la Coordinación Obrero Estudiantil de Cuba (COEBAC). Trabajadores Despedidos Por Orar En Jornadas Laborales 21 octubre 2011, ESTADOS UNIDOS – Decenas de personas se concentraron, la pasada semana, en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Seattle, estado de Washington, con el fin de solidarizarse con 34 trabajadores musulmanes, despedidos por una empresa de alquiler de vehículos, por orar en jornadas laborales según ellos. "Somos 12 mujeres y 22 hombres los despedidos por Hertz. Emergencia Nacional Y Estado De Calamidad. La Iglesia Luterana Ya Está En Acción 17 octubre 2011, SAN SALVADOR – Las lluvias que han azotado el país desde los primeros días de la semana que fnalizó, han dejado al menos siete personas muertas, cuatro desaparecidas y alrededor de 8 mil refugiados. Las cifras cambian a cada instante porque las lluevias no cesan de caer. Dos sistemas de baja presión se han unido a la ya desbastadora tormenta Jova. Instituciones Metodistas De Educación Realizarán Foro Analizando Nuevas Perspectivas 14 octubre 2011, BOLIVIA – La Asociación Latinoamericana de Instituciones Metodistas de Educación (ALAIME) organiza el Foro Internacional de la Educación Metodista que se llevará a cabo los días 19 al 22 de octubre en el Instituto Americano de Cochabamba, Bolivia. Hacia una visión crítica de la Educación Metodista en América Latina: nuevos desafíos y perspectivas, es la convocatoria. Iglesia Metodista Llama a Superar El Actual Sistema Educativo 20 octubre 2011, CHILE – Este 15 y 16 de octubre en la ciudad de Angol se reunió la junta general de la Iglesia Metodista de Chile. En un comunicado público expresan que "nuestra iglesia se manifiesta a favor de toda decisión de carácter político que signifique superar las actuales condiciones del sistema educativo." Las Iglesias Inauguran El Programa De Acompañamiento 17 octubre 2011 – Las estadísticas oficiales indican que en Colombia hay tres millones de personas que se han visto forzadas a abandonar tierras y bienes debido al conflicto armado que tiene lugar en el país desde hace años. Sin embargo, las organizaciones de derechos humanos señalan que el número de "personas desplazadas" en realidad ronda los cinco millones. October 19, 2011 WASHINGTON, DC –As rising numbers of Dominican citizens of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic are having their nationality revoked by the Dominican government, an international coalition of leading human rights groups announced plans today to examine the legality of those actions and the impacts on people who have lost their nationality rights, in a one-day conference in Washington, D.C., and a surrounding week of dialogue with Dominican advocates, U.S. administration, Congress and other policymakers.. UN Monitor for Iran Presents First Findings on Human Rights Abuses October 16, 2011, UNITED NATIONS – In his first report, the newly appointed UN investigator into human rights in Iran has appealed to the Iranian government to create a culture in which the fundamental rights and freedoms of minorities and women are protected. Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed also urged Iran to refrain from repressing dissent, expressed concern about the deteriorating health of some prisoners, and repeated an earlier request to be allowed to visit the country. The interim report – submitted to the UN General Assembly at its 66th session now under way in New York – follows concerns about Iran expressed last week by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. EPGM Disbands after 21 Years of Service to the Episcopal Mission Community October 17, 2011 – Episcopal Partnership for Global Mission (EPGM) has announced that it will officially disband as a mission networking organization serving the Episcopal Church, according to an Oct. 15 news release. The decision to disband was made at EPGM's annual meeting, held at the Everyone Everywhere 2011 conference in Estes Park, Colorado, and approved by consensus of the attending membership organizations, the release said. EPGM began in 1990 as the Episcopal Council for Global Mission (ECGM). Kigezi Diocese Wins Water, Sanitation Excellence Award October 18, 2011 The Diocese of Kigezi has once again been recognised by the Ministry of Water and Environment for its outstanding performance in the Water and Sanitation sector. The Diocese received an award as the ‘Most Outstanding NGO' in Water and Sanitation promotion for the financial year 2010/2011 during the just concluded Joint GoU/Development Partners' Water and Environment Sector Review held at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala from 11th -13th October 2011. . Report Exposes Iran's Media Campaign to Demonize Baha'is October 21, 2011, NEW YORK – In a wide-ranging media campaign that has gone largely unnoticed outside of Iran, hatred and discrimination are being systematically stirred up against the country's 300,000-member Baha'i minority. In a report released today, the Baha'i International Community documents and analyzes more than 400 press and media items over a 16-month period, that typify an insidious state-sponsored effort to demonize and vilify Baha'is, using false accusations, inflammatory terminology, and repugnant imagery. October 17, 2011, CHENNAI, India/GENEVA – Christians must rethink their spirituality and mission to engage a constantly changing world, Rev. Dr Augustine Jeyakumar told Lutheran leaders from throughout India gathered for the 28th Triennial Conference and General Body of the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI). "Engaging in mission in a pluralistic context such as India is a challenge but we must not be fazed by the challenge," said Jeyakumar, a member of The Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC). October 18, 2011, NEW YORK – Seven Baha'i educators in Iran have each received four or five-year prison sentences, according to reports received by the Baha'i International Community. Verdicts against the seven were reportedly handed down by a judge at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The educators have been detained for almost five months in connection with their involvement in an informal community initiative – known as the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) – in which Baha'i professors, debarred by the Iranian government from practicing their professions, offer their services to teach young community members who are banned from university. Good News for Zimbabwe Anglicans Tempered by Reports of Orphan Abuse October 17, 2011 – Stories of child abuse and neglect at an Anglican orphanage have tempered Zimbabwe Anglican's celebrations at legal decisions provisionally returning church property to them. The Anglican Diocese of Harare revealed on Oct. 15 that children at the Shearly Cripps Children's Home – an orphanage taken from the church by supporters of the excommunicated bishop Nolbert Kunonga – have been suffering under those who replaced the legitimate staff. Fighting for Land, Environmental Protection in Brazil October 19, 2011 – Araides Duarte da Luz grew up in a migrant-worker family, living wherever anyone offered them a place. His wife, Marilene Hammel, grew up on a farm her family was forced to sell during Brazil's "green revolution." Today, they live with two children in a brick home in a permanent settlement camp near the city of Santa Tereza do Oeste, part of an agrarian-reform movement supported by the Anglican Diocese of Curitiba and led by one of its priests, the Rev. Luiz Carlos Gabas. Brazil has a long history of social movements aimed at agrarian reform, some strengthened in the 1960s and ‘70s by the embrace of liberation theology by many Latin American Roman Catholics. Zimbabwe Judges Rule in Favor of Established Anglican Church October 14, 2011, HARARE, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe's high court has ordered Anglican Church staffers back at a mission hospital from where they were evicted by an excommunicated bishop last month and ordered another renegade bishop to hand back control of a church building. Former bishop for the Harare diocese Nolbert Kunonga evicted nurses, teachers and office staff from Daramombe mission south of the capital in a series of property grabs before an Oct. 9 visit from Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. El Salvador Church Partners Respond to ‘Unparalleled' Flooding Catastrophe October 20, 2011 – Severe flooding and mudslides caused by tropical rains throughout El Salvador have affected about 150,000 people, cut off dozens of communities and resulted in almost 40 deaths. It has been described by Anglican Bishop of El Salvador Martin Barahona as "a catastrophe unparalleled by other disasters" in the country in recent history. Hurricane Jova made landfall on Oct. 11 as a Category 2 hurricane over Jalisco, Mexico, where it is responsible for six deaths, but El Salvador "has been the most affected country in Central America," according to the Rev. George Woodward, vice president of Fundación Cristosal, a church partner and nonprofit organization that is working with Episcopal Relief & Development, the local Anglican diocese and other organizations to respond to the disaster. Pastor Receives Civilian Medal from Obama October 21, 2011, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A retired United Methodist pastor was one of 13 Americans honored at the White House on Oct. 20 with the nation's second-highest civilian award. The Rev. Roberto Perez, 68, of Miami received the 2011 Presidential Citizens Medal from President Barack Obama "for his caring spirit and dedication to serving others." Perez – who is president of Alfalit International, a faith-based nonprofit that promotes literacy around the world – told United Methodist News Service that many other Americans are equally worthy of the honor. "I'm just a common Christian who wants to do the will of God," he said. |
