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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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February 7, 2012, NEW YORK – There are still over 1300 properties which have not filed an exemption renewal form with the NYC Department of Finance. These properties will be put on the City tax rolls. All properties in the City should have received their tentative property assessment within the last few weeks. Organizations with property should carefully check the assessment to see if your expected exemption (full or partial) is in place. If there is a discrepancy you need to file the required form or send in a question by February 13. Inequality Between Rich and Poor Highlighted by UN Panel February 7, 2012, UNITED NATIONS – While the economic crisis has led many to focus on inequalities at the national level, the extremes between rich and poor internationally have also grown to become a threat to global stability. That was among the themes raised by a panel here, held as part of this year's session of the UN Commission for Social Development, which runs until Friday. Focusing on the Commission's theme of poverty eradication, the discussion – organized by the Baha'i International Community and co-sponsored by ATD Fourth World – brought together top-level UN diplomats, officials from UN agencies, and representatives of non-governmental organizations. Security and International Peace Focus of WCC Consultation February 10, 2012 – A consultation on world peace and human security was convened by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva on Thursday 9 February. The event precedes a two-day committee meeting charged with following up the report and recommendations of the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation, which brought 1,000 participants to Kingston, Jamaica in May 2011. The committee will suggest how the topic of just peace may be addressed during and after the 10th Assembly of the WCC, to be held in 2013 at Busan, Korea. In his opening remarks, WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit described the three days of discussion as, "not only an important step in preparing for the assembly, but an essential part of preparing the WCC's contribution in international affairs over the coming years." CANADA: Poll Shows Muslims Don't Want Shari'a Law Here February 7, 2012 – Countering fears in some quarters, a University of Windsor law professor has found that North American Muslims do not wish to impose Shari'a law on this continent. In a survey conducted face-to face and by telephone for the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), a Washington-based Muslim think tank, Dr. Julie Macfarlane interviewed 212 Muslims in Canada and the U.S. Participants ranged from imams and divorced men and women to lawyers and social workers. Macfarlane is an ISPU fellow. None of the participants agreed with the claim that Muslims wanted to impose Shari'a law on Muslims (and non-Muslims) via the secular courts, as some have observers suggested. Children's Disaster Services Schedules Spring Training Workshops February 9, 2012 ELGIN, IL – Several volunteer workshops are sponsored this March and April by Children's Disaster Service (CDS), a ministry of the Church of the Brethren that cares for children and families following disasters through the work of trained and certified volunteers. Since 1980, CDS has met the needs of children by setting up child care centers in shelters and disaster assistance centers across the nation. Specially trained to respond to traumatized children, CDS volunteers provide a calm, safe, and reassuring presence in the midst of the chaos created by natural or human-caused disasters. The volunteer workshops offer training in care for children who have experienced disasters.. ‘Naked Anabaptist' Author Murray Featured in Upcoming Webinar February 9, 2012, ELGIN, IL – A one-day workshop and webinar titled "Changing World, Future Church, Ancient Paths" will be led by Stuart Murray Williams and Juliet Kilpin on March 10, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Pacific time). The event will address the question, "What does it mean to follow Jesus in a changing culture, in which the Christian story is no longer familiar and the church is on the margins?" The event is jointly sponsored by the Church of the Brethren's Congregational Life Ministries and Urban Expression North America, in collaboration with the Church of the Brethren's Pacific Southwest District, the Pacific Conference Brethren in Christ Board of Evangelism and Church Planting, and the Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference USA. In England, Women Bishops Legislation Remains Intact February 9, 2012 – The Church of England's General Synod, meeting Feb. 6-9 in London, has rejected a bid to provide greater concessions for those opposed to women bishops. A final vote on the legislation that will enable women to become bishops is expected to come before synod in July. The Manchester Diocesan Synod Motion, introduced in September 2011 and backed by the archbishops of Canterbury and York, would have supported amending a draft measure to enable two bishops to exercise episcopal functions within the same jurisdiction by way of "co-ordinating" their ministries. February 10, 2012 – The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is working with the Office of Communication of the church's denominational headquarters on a new education program called Digital Formation. The goal is to help clergy and lay leaders throughout the Episcopal Church appreciate the importance of understanding the use and effects of social media in the church as well as its theological foundations and implications, according to a seminary press release. The program begins with a series of webinars, each centering on a different topic related to social media. The first hour-long webinar starts at 1:00 pm EST on Feb. 17. NCC Begins to Consider its Future February 10, 2012 – When the National Council of Churches celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1999, financial storm clouds were already on the horizon. The United Methodist Church had temporarily withheld funds for the council over fiscal concerns but released them later that year and agreed to fulfill a $700,000 pledge, which, along with contributions from other member denominations, raised $2 million for debt reduction over the next two years. Financial stability was restored for what is formally known as the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. But, eight years later, the council's governing board – concerned about moving too much money from its reserve funds to cover a $1 million-plus budget deficit – approved an agency reorganization that resulted in sizeable staff reductions. Las Iglesias También Preocupadas Por El Alto Índice 8 febrero 2012, SAN SALVADOR – Un informe presentado por el viceministro de Relaciones Exteriores, esta semana, da fe de que, al menos unos 150 salvadoreños salen diariamente hacia los Estados Unidos, por diversas vías, pero también unas 200 personas mueren al año en su intento de alcanzar el falaz "sueño americano," asunto que preocupa profundamente a las iglesias. El Neoclericalismo Parece Imponerse, Según Comentarista De La Jornada 6 febrero 2012, MÉXICO – "La conformación de nuevos grupos anticlericales que están organizados y se han movilizado para impedir concesiones y prerrogativas a la avidez política de la jerarquía mexicana," es el resultado más evidente en torno al debate de las modificaciones del artículo 24 de la Constitución, según un comentario aparecido el 1 de este mes en el diario La Jornada. Visión Mundial Lanzó Campaña Contra El Hambre 10 febrero 2012 – El 9 de febrero la Organización No Gubernamental de Visión Mundial, lanzó por primera vez, en 13 países que forman parte de la región de América Latina y el Caribe, la Campaña: "Alto al Hambre: Provoca un Cambio." La campaña busca movilizar a miles de adolescentes y jóvenes para denunciar y abogar por el derecho de toda persona a no padecer hambre, en una región caracterizada por la desigualdad social, donde más de un 31 %de la población, es decir 177 millones de personas son pobres y 55 millones padecen hambre, según cifras del 2011 de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) El Enigmático Atril Vaticano Se Exhibe Como Premisa De La Visita Papal 8 febrero 2012, LA HABANA, Cuba – El enigmático atril vaticano, que se considera el más antiguo ejemplo de arte cristiano aborigen del llamado Nuevo Mundo, comenzó a exhibirse, a partir de este domingo, en el Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, de La Habana, como premisa de la visita papal a la Isla, el próximo marzo, y permanecerá exhibiéndose por espacio de un año. New Rule Addresses Religious Freedom, Contraception Concerns February 10, 2012 WASHINGTON – Responding Friday to opponents of the administration's rule requiring most health insurance plans to cover contraceptive services, President Obama announced a new policy that expands the religious accommodation and requires insurance companies to offer contraceptive services free of charge directly to employees at religious institutions that object to providing them. Under the previous rule, churches were exempt, but other religious nonprofits, including hospitals and universities, were not. The administration had set August 1, 2013, as the date to work out compliance with such entities. Some Catholics and others, including the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, said the rule needed to be broadened. Court Rules California Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional February 7, 2012 – Gay marriage supporters rejoiced Feb. 7 after an appellate court ruled California's controversial Proposition 8, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, is unconstitutional. "Today's 9th Circuit Court decision is not just a victory for gay and lesbian couples in California – it is a victory for all Americans who believe that the ‘liberty and justice for all' in the pledge we teach our children really means ALL," according to an email statement from the Rev. Canon Susan Russell, a former president of Integrity USA, a group that works for full inclusion of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people in the Episcopal Church. The Final Day of the 11th Capa Council Meeting February 7, 2012, BUJUMBURA, Burundi – "Harnessing our unity to unlock our potential and secure our future" The Most Rev. Bernard Ntahoturi continued reflections on the life of Peter from John 21 v 15-19 focusing on the "double call" of Jesus to follow and be trained by Him. Jesus transformed Peter from fisherman to shepherd and called him to servant leadership. As followers of Jesus we need to remain rooted in Christ through prayer and the Word of God and move outwards in self-giving love so that the lives of individuals, local Churches and local communities are impacted and strengthened. Lutherans Break Ground for a New Resettlement Village in Haiti February 7, 2012, CHICAGO – The commitment between members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the people of Haiti was celebrated Feb. 2 at a groundbreaking ceremony in the nation's Gressier municipality, where a new resettlement village is planned for 2012. A project of The Lutheran World Federation, the village will provide housing for 1,200 people in Gressier displaced by an earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010. The ELCA is funding the project with $3.5 million through ELCA Disaster Response and is further engaged with the Lutheran Church of Haiti in responding to the needs of earthquake survivors. Archbishop of Canterbury Speaks on Recent Violence in Nigeria February 10, 2012 – The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that Nigeria is under threat of "disintegration" at the hands of extremist Islamist group Boko Haram, in a contribution to a Synod debate on recent violence in Nigeria. Archbishop Rowan was responding to the motion: ‘That this Synod, gravely concerned at the desperate plight of Christian communities in parts of Nigeria, as described in GS 1861, request the British Government to do all it can to support those in Nigeria seeking to protect religious minorities of all faiths and enable them to practise their religion without fear.' Anglicans Urge UK Action for Nigeria's Threatened Christians February 9, 2012 – British Anglicans have called upon the United Kingdom government to support those in Nigeria seeking to protect religious minorities of all faiths and enable them to practice their religion without fear. The resolution passed by 344 votes to 0 with one abstention on Feb. 8 at the biannual session of Synod, the Church of England's parliament. It expressed grave concern at the plight of Christian communities in parts of Nigeria, including the city of Kano where more than 200 people were killed by bombs on Jan. 20. Some Church Leaders Join Battle Against Uganda's Gay Bill February 10, 2012 – Following the re-introduction in Uganda of a bill that would harshly punish homosexuality, gay rights activists, including some church leaders, are uniting through Twitter and Facebook to oppose it. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 was revived on Jan. 7 in parliament by David Bahati, the legislator who is its architect, prompting fresh protests worldwide, similar to those that led to its shelving in 2011. "I am very disappointed with the return of the bill," former Anglican Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo of West Buganda told ENInews in a telephone interview on Feb. 8 from Kampala, Uganda's capital. Youth Longing for Peace in the Arab World February 6, 2012 – The key role played by young people during the transformations in the Arab world throughout the past year was a recurrent theme for the recent World Council of Churches (WCC) Christian-Muslim consultation on "Christian Presence and Witness in the Arab World." The consultation was organized by the WCC programmes for Churches in the Middle East and Inter-religious Dialogue and Cooperation in collaboration with the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Antelias, Lebanon. The consultation took place from 24 to 28 January and brought together a number of religious leaders, scholars and young activists. New Alliance Position to Support the Church in Brazil February 6, 2012 – The Anglican Alliance, in partnership with the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil, is seeking a committed and dynamic person to work as a part-time Alliance facilitator for Latin America and the Caribbean. This is an exciting new position to work with the churches of the Anglican Communion in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Anglican Alliance is a new global international development initiative that brings together development relief and advocacy work across the Anglican Communion. The main focus for the work is to assist with the Church in Brazil with the arrangements for Anglican involvement in Rio + 20. |
