Front Page

"Good Theology Can Change the World" Asserts WCC Conference

May 2, 2012 – To stress the relevance of theological scholarship programmes for the future of world Christianity, a conference was organized by the Ecumenical Theological Education programme of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in partnership with the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the Academy of Mission, University of Hamburg. The conference addressed the theme "Ecumenical partnership in theological education and theological scholarship programmes: Needs and future priorities for world Christianity" and was held from 24 to 26 April in Hamburg, Germany.

Pray for Christians and Churches under Fire, Urges WCC

April 30, 2012 – Following armed attacks Sunday on Christian churches in Kano and Maiduguri, Nigeria, and in Nairobi, Kenya, leaders of the World Council of Churches (WCC) have called for people of faith to support afflicted believers through prayer and solidarity. "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and God's ears are open to their cry," said Georges Lemopoulos, deputy general secretary of the council, pledging spiritual and practical support to the afflicted. Quoting from Psalm 34, he continued, "The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit." The leadership of the WCC is in close contact with member churches in Nigeria, Kenya and other nations and regions, including South Asia and the Middle East, where religious communities have come under fire in recent times.

Environmental Activists and Theologians among Speakers at LWF Virtual Conference
Head of Greenpeace International to Deliver Keynote Address

May 2, 2012, GENEVA – Environmental activists, theologians, health practitioners and development workers are among speakers from across the globe who will be sharing their experiences at the Internet-based "green&just" conference organized by The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) on 12 May. LWF General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge will address participants by video link, outlining some of the Lutheran Communion's commitments in responding to the challenge of climate change. Keynote speaker Dr Kumi Naidoo of South Africa is executive director of Greenpeace International, which has been campaigning against environmental degradation since 1971.

Episcopal Church Joins Ecumenical Voices at UN for Indigenous Peoples

May 3, 2012 – The Episcopal Church will join with other religious voices in repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery at the 11th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) beginning on Monday, May 7 through Friday, May 18. Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will participate in an ecumenical delegation which is hosting a service and panel presentation on Monday. The UNPFII is an advisory body to the UN's Economic and Social Council that has met annually since 2002 to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

Churches on the Way to Rio+20

April 30, 2012 – Climate justice and the integrity of creation have been of concern to churches around the world. While stakeholders in the debate on climate change will gather at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20 this year in June, the World Council of Churches (WCC) hopes for discussions to go beyond the narrow understandings of a green economy and the international framework for sustainable development. The WCC has been advocating for sustainable communities and climate justice at the UN since the 1980s when this was part of the preparations for the UN conference on Environment and Development in Rio 1992, where the Convention on Climate Change was adopted.

EGR Fosters Conversations about Economic Inequality
Going Beyond ‘Ideological' or ‘Political' Differences

May 3, 2012 – While the Occupy movement was forming and growing, Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation was discerning its own path toward addressing economic inequality. Previously focused on the U.N. Millennium Development Goals to alleviate extreme global poverty, EGR has begun initiating dialogues at individual congregations on the related economic issues that affect everyone, rich and poor, in the United States as well as overseas. "We felt that the church provided a place where rich and poor could actually maybe try to work on this issue without all the strident polemics around it, the basic belief being that all people, rich and poor, are children of God," said John Hammock, EGR board co-chair and acting executive director.

United Methodist General Conference Wrap-Up

May 5, 2012, TAMPA, Fla. – United Methodists from five continents addressed a wide range of challenging issues, including church structure and human sexuality, and engaged in an Act of Repentance toward indigenous people during their 10-day legislative gathering. Meeting in the Tampa Convention Center, steps away from the waters of Tampa Bay, the 988 delegates recalled through worship, song and sermon the healing and transforming ministry of Jesus beside the Sea of Galilee. As storms on the Sea of Galilee alarmed the disciples, so too, conflicting stands on structure and social justice issues troubled the delegates and some 4,000 visitors and staff. Perhaps the most surprising lightning strike occurred at 4:30 p.m. on May 4, the final day of the assembly, when the delegates received word from the church's supreme court that a major piece of legislation regarding restructuring violated the denomination's Constitution.

General News

Anglican Church Makes Global Appeal to the World to Make Sermons Easier to Find

May 1, 2012 – All Souls Church, Langham Place in London, England, has appealed through Social Media and its website for volunteers to help ‘tag' 3,600 free sermons and talks. More than 12 years ago the All Souls church council decided to make its entire archive free, even though income from the sales of tapes and CDs paid for someone's annual wage. They believed the talks should be a resource for the global church. There are now more than 3,000 talks going back to the 1960s when John Stott was still Rector. The archive is constantly being added to with all Sunday and midweek talks are available as routine on the website as well as via podcast. However, a lack of ‘tags' – words added to files to allow visitors to search the archive – means specific sermons are hard for visitors to find.

"Youth Has a Stake in the Issue of Climate Change"

May 1, 2012 – Inspired by participating in the Youth for Eco-Justice training, a joint project of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Durban, South Africa last year, Kristi Holmberg started a "Climate Justice Campaign" which concluded successfully on 22 April, Earth Day. The campaign engaged a number of students, faculty and community members at the Luther College in the US state of Iowa, where Holmberg is a student. In an interview with WCC Communications, she talks about the impact of her campaign and the role of young Christians in climate justice struggles.

"We Are Called to Discipleship," Says WCC General Secretary

May 2, 2012 – "Together with other Christians whose theology, worship traditions and local contexts may be quite different from our own, we are called to discipleship that has transformative potential," said the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit on Tuesday 1 May at the General Conference 2012 of the United Methodist Church in the United States. "It is time to follow Jesus Christ into the unknown, even into what might cause fears." Tveit said these words in the conference's "ecumenical day" sermon on the theme "Discipleship by the Sea" in Tampa, Florida, USA. Tveit shared theological reflections on the concept of ecumenical discipleship and shared examples of churches' struggles working for justice and peace.

Winning Essayist, Former Roman Catholic:
"Faith in the Anglican Communion must Be Reaffirmed."

April 30, 2012 – Faith in the Anglican Communion needs to be reaffirmed according to the winner of a £1,000 prize essay competition to explain "Why I am an Anglican and believe I shall remain so." Natacha-Ingrid Tinteroff, a French convert from Roman Catholicism, used her essay to celebrate the best of Anglicanism and the Anglican Communion, which she believes includes its liturgy, its space to discover God's truth, and its "integral catholicity."

Anglican Communion Life Impeded by Insufficient Communicators, Says Working Group

April 30, 2012 The Anglican Communion faces a shortage of qualified communicators, according to an international Working Group on communications. The group-consisting of communications professionals from five continents-concluded that the Communion life was at risk of being detrimentally affected by some Provinces' inability to source and share their news and stories widely. "The narrative of the Body of Christ is very powerful," said group member Revd Dr Joshva Raja "and currently the Anglican Communion is not properly equipped to share that narrative.".

New Life, Light for Tiffany Windows

May 4, 2012 – Four rare Tiffany stained glass windows have a new home: the Cincinnati Art Museum will unveil them this month as part of a new and permanent exhibit. The windows, badly in need of repair and conservation, were removed in 2010 from the former St. Michaels & All Angels church in urban Cincinnati and sold to the art museum. Proceeds supported the founding of a community ministry that is now housed at the Avondale facility. Gabriel's Place seeks to encourage community-based enterprise. The urban center operates a community garden and kitchen, as well as a hoop house that provides fish and fresh produce for local businesses and residents. "Gabriel's Place is a gem in the middle of Avondale," said the Rev. Canon Anne Reed, canon for mission for the Diocese of Southern Ohio.

United Methodist General Conference 2012: Conference Lowers Apportionments

May 2, 2012 – General Conference 2012 approved a budget of $603.1 million for seven general church funds during the 2013-2016 period; that total is 6.03 percent less than the amount apportioned for the previous four-year period –– the first time the assembly has accepted a lower budget than the amount set for the preceding period. That sounds like a whopping amount, but local churches should not count on huge savings, since only 2 cents out of every dollar in the collection plates goes to support general church ministries. Also, costs of annual conference operations, clergy pension benefits and inflationary costs are likely to increase local church costs.

Spanish News

Estamos Llamados Al Discipulado Ecuménico, Dice El Secretario General Del CMI

3 mayo 2012 – "Junto con otros cristianos cuya teología, tradiciones cultuales y contextos locales pueden ser bastante diferentes a los nuestros, estamos llamados a un discipulado que tiene potencial transformador," dijo el Secretario General del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, el martes 1 de mayo en la Conferencia General 2012 de la Iglesia Metodista Unida en los Estados Unidos de América.

La Fiesta Por El Día De La Cruz Volvió a Encender Las Calles De La Capital

4 mayo 2012, ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay – Alegorías, cantos de "estacioneros" y una multitud de católicos portando velas durante una procesión, dieron vida este jueves, en esta capital, a la tradicional celebración del Día de la Cruz, conocida en la lengua guaraní como Kurusú Ara.

Conferencia De Obispos Considera La Música Como Importante Instrumento De Evangelización

3 mayo 2012 – La Conferencia de Obispos de Vietnam, en el marco del trigésimo Encuentro sobre la Música Sacra en la ciudad de Ho Chi Ming, consideró ese género como una forma válida de oración para atraer a nuevos cristianos, "en una sociedad cada vez más árida e interesada solo en el dinero," expresó, al concluir la cita recientemente, en una nota.

Luteranas Crean Red De Justicia Y Género

2 mayo 2012, FLORIANÓPOLIS, Brasil – Lidereras y teólogas representando a iglesias luteranas de diez países de América Latina y del Caribe crearon la red "Mujeres y Justicia de Género," con el propósito de incentivar la recepción y la inclusión en todas las esferas de la iglesia. "Esta red nos motiva a compartir nuestra caminata. Ella nos lleva a la reflexión sobre nuestro papel en América Latina, refuerza nuestra identidad y crea mecanismos más sólidos para reflexionar teológicamente sobre el papel de la mujer en la Iglesia.

Estabilización Del Fondo De Pensiones Del CMI

30 abril 2012 – El fondo de pensiones del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) ha salido del déficit y ha sido transferido a Profond, una institución de fondos colectivos de pensiones que gestiona más de tres mil millones de francos suizos gracias a sus contratos con cerca de 1.700 empleadores suizos.

Católicos, Ortodoxos Y Protestantes Se Unirán En Vigilia Ecuménica De Pentecostés

4 mayo 2012, MADRID, España – El sábado 26 de mayo se unirán, en esta capital, católicos, ortodoxos y protestantes a fin de celebrar una Vigilia Ecuménica en la víspera de Pentecostés, la cual se celebrará en la parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, en la búsqueda de la comunión fraternal y la unidad de todas las confesiones de fe, según se dio a conocer aquí esta semana.

New York Metro News

Trinity Wall Street Hosts May Day Teach- In
Occupy Protesters March on Zuccotti Park

May 1, 2012 – The Rev. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones, during "Occupy: A May Day Teach-In" webcast live from Trinity Wall Street, described the Occupy Wall Street movement as one he wished Trinity had had the "courage" and "insight" to birth. "It's so much of who we are … not just Trinity Wall Street, the whole spiritual enterprise," said Bozzuti-Jones during the webcast. Paraphrasing the Jesuit theologian Jon Sobrino, the real test is not so much about whether a person believes in God or not, but rather in idolatry, he said. For Sobrino, it came down to the human willingness to worship the wrong things.

National News

Two Fatalities in Maryland Church Shooting; Co-Rector Wounded
Church Worker Dies at the Scene; Presumed Shooter's Body Found Nearby

May 4, 2012 – Brenda Brewington, administrative assistant of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ellicott City, Maryland, was found shot dead inside the church office May 3. The Rev. Dr. Mary-Marguerite Kohn, the parish's co-rector, was also found wounded and remains in critical condition. The presumed assailant appeared to have killed himself near the church. A custodian came upon Brewington, 59, and Kohn, 62, about 5:20 p.m., Sherry Llewellyn, a spokeswoman for the Howard County Police Department, said during a media briefing outside the church. The custodian called 911, she said.

Girl Scouts Celebrate 100 Years of Sisterhood
Presiding Bishop Preaches at Interfaith Service

April 30, 2012, WASHINGTON, DC – Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, a former Girl Scout, preached at a packed April 28 interfaith service at Washington National Cathedral that celebrated a century of girl scouting. Before the opening sing-along began, with a rendition of "Make New Friends," girls in green sashes and badge-embellished waistcoats scampered around the cathedral, taking photos of the stained glass windows with tiny phones. (Extra credit went to those who found, and photographed, the Girl Scout trefoil carved into a boss stone in the cathedral's west entrance). Welcoming the members, families and friends of the Girl Scouts Council of the Nation's Capital, the Rev. Canon Mary Sulerud, the cathedral's interim director of worship, recalled spending a hot July day at the Juliette Gordon Low house in Savannah, Georgia, "so that our daughter could earn her badge."

International News

Lutheran Leaders Urged to Promote Interactive Communication in Latin America, Caribbean
LWF Regional Conference Focuses on Lutheran Identity

May 4, 2012, FLORIANÓPOLIS, Brazil/GENEVA – Brazilian theologian Rev. Dr Nestor Friedrich called upon Lutheran leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean to promote the use of interactive communication in order to encourage congregations' active involvement in addressing justice issues and in promoting inclusion in society. Speaking at The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) regional Church Leadership Conference (Conferencia de Liderazgo-COL), Friedrich, president of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB), also called for greater youth participation in church life.

WCC Consultation Discuss Issues of Migrant Workers in Gulf

April 30, 2012 – An international consultation on "Ecumenical Advocacy for the Protection of the Human Rights of Migrant Workers in the Arabian Gulf Region" is currently taking place from 29 April to 2 May at the Santhigiri Ashram in Kerala, India. The consultation was organized by the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) of the World Council of Churches (WCC). His Eminence Metropolitan Dr Joseph Mar Thoma inaugurated the consultation. Describing the experience of migrant workers and the Diaspora in the Arabian Gulf countries during the past four decades, Mar Thoma stated that "our theological and biblical imperatives call us to be engaged in a mission and prophetic witness to protect the rights and dignity of the stranger, the alien and the suffering who are in our midst."

Living next to Nothing in Senegal's Drought-Hit Region
LWF and Local Church Assist Families

May 4, 2012, FATICK, Senegal/GENEVA – Residents of Fangad village in southwestern Senegal have been living off the beautiful but austere land for generations, always knowing it to be the safest of employers. But things are changing in the Fatick region. The sparse rainfalls last year meant there was no harvest, no food and no income. Families are struggling to feed themselves. "It is as if you would go to the bank and find that someone had taken your salary and all your savings. We are left with absolutely nothing. It is a catastrophe," says Mohomo, who works for the Lutheran Church of Senegal (ELS), a Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member church that is assisting community members in the midst of the devastating situation. Fatick, home to 613,000 people, is part of the Sahel region threatened by drought and desertification. The vast majority of the people here earn their living as pastoralists and from fishing.

Migrant Workers Deserve Support from the Churches

May 3, 2012 – The human rights of migrant workers in the Arabian Gulf region was the subject of a consultation convened at Santhigiri Ashram in Alwaye, India by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Christian Conference of Asia. Thirty representatives of churches, specialized ministries and civil society organizations gathered from 28 April to 3 May for the International Consultation on Ecumenical Advocacy for the Protection of the Human Rights of Migrant Workers in the Arabian Gulf Region. In a communiqué issued at the meeting's close, the participants called for implementation of international agreements aimed at protecting migrants from exploitation, and for final ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (ICRMW).

Towards Ecumenical Accompaniment in Colombia

May 3, 2012 – The concept of accompaniment, including spiritual and pastoral accompaniment, is the main inspiration of the churches involved in the Programme of Ecumenical Accompaniment in Colombia (PEAC), an initiative of the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) carried out with support from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and other Christian organizations. The programme is currently implemented to support the communities affected by more than four decades of violence in Colombia caused by deeply rooted social injustice and inequity. At the heart of the armed conflict is the struggle for land and territory. In recent decades the country has witnessed nearly five million people being driven away from their lands. At the same time, 2,520 cases of forced disappearance, out of a total of 35,665 crimes confessed by the paramilitary forces, were reported in 2009. 2,388 mass graves have been found in the country and 2,091 bodies have been exhumed.

Middle East News

Delegates Reject Divestment from Companies

May 2, 2012, TAMPA, Fla. – Delegates to The United Methodist Church's top lawmaking assembly approved petitions dealing with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but they did not approve a measure to divest from specific companies. Delegates instead approved a report calling on the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits to explore "serious peace-making strategies in Israel and Palestine, including positive economic and financial investment in Palestine." The Israeli-Palestinian issue dominated the May 2 afternoon plenary at General Conference. Nearly 990 delegates from around the world are gathered through May 4 for the assembly, held every four years.

People in the News

Kanouse Re-Elected Bishop of ELCA Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod

April 28, 2012, CHICAGO – The Rev. Kevin S. Kanouse was re-elected April 27 to serve a third six-year term as bishop of the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He was re-elected on the first ballot at the synod assembly in Irving, Texas. Kanouse was born in Berwick, Pa. In 1975, he graduated from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa., and in 1980 he earned a Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg in Gettysburg, Pa.

New Zealand Anglicans Choose Unconventional Bishop

April 30, 2012, WELLINGTON, New Zealand – A dreadlocked priest who is usually seen in shorts and bare feet is to be the new Anglican bishop in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington. Justin Duckworth replaces Bishop Tom Brown who recently retired after 14 years. In announcing the appointment on April 29, Archbishop David Moxon pointed to Duckworth's lifestyle, Christian discipleship and mission, citing more than 20 years of mission to street people and those on the margins. "I am confident that his election will challenge, invigorate and grace the church with a deep sense of the breadth and height and depth of the love of God," Moxon said.