Front Page

Christian and Muslim Alliance Commits to Help Solving Tensions in Nigeria

July 12, 2012 – The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought (RABIIT) on 12 July issued a report on their joint commitment to help in resolving the tensions in Nigeria. The report reflects a new Christian-Muslim model of cooperation for peace between religions and further interfaith dialogue. The report follows the high level inter-religious delegation's visit to Abuja, Jos and Kaduna, Nigeria, from 22 to 26 May. The visit and report are a response to the inter-communal strife between Christian and Muslims in the country. Last week, around a hundred people lost their lives in the Plateau state alone as a result of the clashes. "Religion should never be used as a pretext for conflict. We are committed to the situation in Nigeria. We are concerned and anxious for the lives that are lost in the name of religion in Nigeria," said Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC.

Episcopal Church General Convention

Convention Unanimously Approves Structure Plan
‘The Holy Spirit Is Leading Us Forward'

July 11, 2012, INDIANAPOLIS – Applause and cheers erupted July 11 as Resolution C095, which calls for creation of a task force to re-imagine the workings of the Episcopal Church in the 21st century, sailed unanimously through the House of Bishops. A day earlier, deputies also had passed the measure unanimously. The resolution creates a special task force of up to 24 people who will gather ideas in the next two years from all levels of the church about possible reforms to its structures, governance and administration. Their work will culminate in a special gathering of people from every diocese to hear what recommendations the task force plans to make to the 78th General Convention.

House of Deputies Addresses Social Justice and Internal Issues

July 11, 2012, INDIANAPOLIS – The House of Deputies on July 11 approved a number of resolutions on how the church can address issues of social and economic justice, and others that dealt with internal church matters. It concurred with the House of Bishops on resolution A135, a compilation of several other resolutions that responds to issues of poverty and injustice. It commits the church over the next three years to "teaching, preaching, organizing, advocating, and building mutually transformative relationships with those who are poor to focus our hearts and the mission of our congregations and dioceses on reducing poverty and increasing economic and racial justice."

Majority of South Carolina Deputies Walk out to Protest Convention Actions

July 11, 2012, INDIANAPOLIS – The majority of the Diocese of South Carolina's deputies left the General Convention July 11 because, in the words of its remaining clergy deputy, the gathering has passed resolutions that violate the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Episcopal Church. However, that deputy, the Very Rev. John B. Burwell, told Episcopal News Service in an interview after the House of Deputies' last session of the day that "we are not leaving the Episcopal Church." In fact, the deputation chose to have him and Deputy Lonnie Hamilton "stay until the bitter end" to make that point.

Bishops Express Support for Continuing Dioceses

July 8, 2012, INDIANAPOLIS – The Episcopal Church's House of Bishops went on record July 8 supporting the "unflagging efforts" of the four continuing dioceses which are rebuilding after a majority of their laity and clergy left the church over theological and policy disagreements. The bishops resolved "that Episcopalians in the dioceses of Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Quincy, and San Joaquin – lay and clergy – be commended for their unflagging efforts to continue to live as witnesses to the mission of The Episcopal Church during the recent years of difficulty as they rebuild mission and ministry as the continuing dioceses in that same spirit."

Blessing Rite Authorized for Provisional Use from First Advent
Liturgy Still ‘Work in Progress,' Convention Calls for Continued Comment

July 10, 2012, INDIANAPOLIS – Same-gender couples soon can have their lifelong relationships blessed using a rite approved by General Convention July 10. In a vote by orders, the House of Deputies concurred with the House of Bishops to pass Resolution A049, which authorizes provisional use of the rite "The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant" starting Dec. 2 (the first Sunday of Advent). Clergy will need the permission of their bishop under the terms of the resolution.

Deputies Approve New Task Force to Reimagine Church Structure

July 10, 2012, INDIANAPOLIS – The House of Deputies today approved creation of a special task force to begin to reimagine the workings of the Episcopal Church to prepare it for mission in the 21st century. In a vote that stunned deputies and visitors alike,Resolution C095 was adopted on a unanimous voice vote among the more than 800 lay and clergy deputies, prompting them and those in the gallery to break into sustained applause. The vote came after a period of discussion and a time of prayer. The matter now goes to the House of Bishops for its consideration.

Bishops Vote to Relocate but Not to Sell Episcopal Church Headquarters

July 10, 2012, INDIANAPOLIS – The House of Bishops on July 10 approved a move away from, but did not authorize the sale of, the Episcopal Church Center headquarters. Bishops voted 74-71 in favor of Resolution D016 after striking the last paragraph, "General Convention directs the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church to sell the Church Building at 815 Second Avenue, New York City." Deputies had approved the church center sale July 6. Since bishops amended the resolution, which came through the legislative committee on structure, the measure now returns to deputies for another consideration. Several bishops objected.

Convention ‘Declines to Take a Position' on Anglican Covenant
Bishops and Deputies Affirm Continuing Indaba, Communion Relationships

July 10, 2012, INDIANAPOLIS – The House of Bishops concurred with the deputies July 10 to affirm their commitment to building relationships across the Anglican Communion, especially through the Continuing Indaba program, and to decline to take a position on the Anglican Covenant. After considering eight resolutions, the General Convention's committee on world mission recommended adoption of two resolutions on Anglican Communion relationships and the Anglican Covenant, a document that initially had been intended as a way to bind Anglicans globally across cultural and theological differences.

Israel-Palestine: Convention Supports Positive Investment
Bishops Agree to Postpone Indefinitely Debate on Corporate Engagement

July 10, 2012, INDIANAPOLIS – The House of Bishops, concurring with deputies, have overwhelmingly supported a resolution on positive investment in the Palestinian Territories. But the bishops agreed to postpone indefinitely the conversation on corporate engagement. Resolution B019 affirms positive investment "as a necessary means to create a sound economy and a sustainable infrastructure" in the Palestinian Territories. It also calls on the church to support "the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian study on peace with justice in the Middle East," and produce an annotated bibliography of resources.

General News

NEW ZEALAND: "Unable to Adopt" Covenant

July 9, 2012, ANGLICANTAONGA – As expected, the General Synod said a final: ‘No' to the proposed Anglican covenant today. But it did so quietly, and the original motion was amended to stress this church's desire to remain tightly knit with the Communion. And to suggest that the early parts of the covenant – the non contentious bits about "Our Inheritance in Faith" etc – "are a useful starting point" for future Anglican thinking about their church. The first clause of the draft motion, as proposed by Dr Tony Fitchett and Ven Turi Hollis, and set out in the Synod agenda, was short and to the point.

Royal Rangers National Camporama – An Adventure of a Lifetime!

July 13, 2012 – They came from across the country and around the world ‹ thousands of boys and their leaders ‹ to attend the tenth quadrennial Royal Rangers National Camporama and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Royal Rangers at the Royal Rangers campgrounds in Eagle Rock, Missouri. Spreading out across three miles of campground sites and numbering in excess of 5,200 boys and men ‹ larger than a lot of small towns ‹ this wasn't just a week of camping at some park. For many of those in attendance at this week-long event (July 9-13, 2012), this was the adventure of a lifetime! The secluded campgrounds in Eagle Rock offer 1,600 acres of possibilities. Districts are assigned camp locations, with many districts building an impressive "entry way" into their section of the camp.

Jehovah Jireh – A Story of Provision

July 13, 2012 – One day in November 2011, Mic Rhoads, pastor of Regan (North Dakota) Assembly of God, and his then 4-year-old daughter, Dani, traveled to Bismarck, North Dakota, to pick out Christmas gifts for her brothers and sisters. As one of five children, Dani was the only one who had been saving up change in her piggy bank. "The change added up quickly, and as promised, I took her down to my bank to cash it in once it was full," Rhoads says. "We were both shocked when it amounted to $120. She decided to spend it on her brothers and sisters, and so we made a day of picking out little gifts."

Church to Debate Nature of Marriage

July 11, 2012, NEW ZEALAND – Church: We Need to Talk About Marriage. That's what the General Synod decided in Fiji this afternoon. Without dissent, and after a debate that at times included displays of raw emotion, the synod passed a resolution that "asks Episcopal Units to hold conversations in our church and with the wider community about the nature of marriage." It's clear that the mover of the resolution, the Rev Glynn Cardy, of St Matthew-in-the-City, in Auckland, hopes this will lead, eventually, to the possibility of gay and lesbian couples getting married in Anglican churches.

‘Way Forward' Statement Released by Church of the Brethren Standing Committee

July 8, 2012 – The Standing Committee of district delegates has released a statement out of its meetings in advance of the 2012 Annual Conference in St. Louis, Mo. The statement follows in full.

Religious Life Thriving on Campus

July 12, 2012 – Religion is back on campus, but in forms that might surprise those thinking only in terms of the traditional roles of organized churches in higher education. The science-oriented Massachusetts Institute of Technology has hired its first paid chaplain, overseeing 22 volunteer chaplains, whose goal is to make sure students of all faiths are comfortable with each other. At the University of Southern California, a young Hindu lawyer is dean of the Office of Religious Life; his predecessor was a female rabbi.

Spanish News

Iglesia Adventista Beneficia En Salud a Más De Mil 500 Personas

11 julio 2012, JAMAICA – United Hands Inc. (Manos Unidas), en colaboración con la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día, beneficiaron, recientemente, a más de mil 500 personas en asuntos de atención médica, óptica y estomatología, sobre todo en las regiones orientales y centrales del país.

Iglesia De Inglaterra Apoya Moción Pese a Fuerte Oposición Del Lobby Judío

10 julio 2012, GINEBRA, Suiza – A pesar de la fuerte oposición del lobby judío, el Sínodo General de la Iglesia de Inglaterra aprobó este lunes 9 de julio una moción que apoya el trabajo del Programa Ecuménico de Acompañamiento en Palestina e Israel (PEAPI). La moción exhorta a los fieles anglicanos a participar como voluntarios en el programa y pide a las iglesias y sínodos que hagan uso de la experiencia de los participantes cuando regresen al país.

Una Iglesia Indonesia Pide Libertad De Culto

9 julio 2012 – Es insólito ver en Yakarta la celebración de un culto cristiano al lado de una carretera muy transitada. Sin embargo, a la congregación de Taman Yasmin de la Iglesia Cristiana Indonesia (GKI) no le quedó otra alternativa. La Iglesia Taman Yasmin, junto con otras iglesias locales, oró en los exteriores del Palacio de Merdeka, residencia del presidente de Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, el pasado 24 de junio.

Fray Dominico Afirma Que Las Mujeres Tienen Derecho a Decidir Frente Al Aborto

12 julio 2012, TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – El fray dominico Julián Cruzalta ha dicho, esta semana, que un verdadero Estado democrático no impone "miradas religiosas" para penalizar el aborto, cuando es la propia mujer, en un análisis de conciencia, quien debe decidir sobre la continuidad o no del embarazo.

Una Alianza De Cristianos Y Musulmanes Se Compromete
a Ayudar a Solucionar Las Tensiones En Nigeria

13 julio 2012 – El Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y el Real Instituto Aal Al-Bayt para el Pensamiento Islámico (RABIIT) publicaron el 12 de julio un informe sobre su compromiso conjunto de contribuir a resolver las tensiones en Nigeria. El informe refleja un nuevo modelo cristiano-musulmán de cooperación para la paz entre las religiones y un mayor diálogo interreligioso.

Episcopales Aprueban Ceremonia Matrimonial Transitoria Para Personas Del Mismo Sexo

11 julio 2012, INDIANÁPOLIS – La Convención General Episcopal en Indianápolis aprobó, recientemente, a través de su Cámara de los Obispos, un rito provisional para los tres próximos años en uniones de personas del mismo sexo, el cual deberá someterse ahora a la Cámara de Diputados de ese cónclave para su aprobación final. La votación 111 votos a favor, 41 en contra y tres abstenciones, dieron curso a tal decisión que coloca a los episcopales, nuevamente, a la vanguardia de las iglesias institucionales en cuanto a reconocer el derecho de las personas con orientaciones sexuales diferentes a la norma.

International News

WCC Urges Colombia to Protect Human Rights Defenders

July 10, 2012 – Death threats against human rights defenders in Colombia have caused "great concern" for the World Council of Churches (WCC). A letter from the WCC to the Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, calls on the "government to take all necessary measures to effectively protect the life and physical integrity" of the human rights defenders. The letter came as a reaction to threats made against thirteen human rights defenders in a communication received by the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes on 4 July. Among those threatened is Dr Lilia Solano, a renowned human rights activist with a long engagement in the ecumenical movement.

LWF President Visits Ethiopian Church
Younan Welcomed as Man of Hope

July 13, 2012, ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia/GENEVA – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) President Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan has completed a four-day solidarity visit to the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), one of the LWF's largest and fastest growing churches, 8-12 July. Younan, who is bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, visited some of the church's historic congregations, diaconal services and theological institutions, praising the church's balancing of mission and diaconal ministries.

Oldest Christian Monastery at Risk

July 12, 2012 – The Mongolians failed to destroy it 700 years ago despite the massacre of 40 friars and 400 Christians. Yet the existence of the oldest functioning Christian monastery in the world, the fifth century Mor Gabriel Monastery in the Tur Abdin plane ("the mountain of God's servants") near the Turkish-Syrian border, is at risk after a ruling by Turkey's highest appeals court in Ankara. Founded in 397 by the monks Samuel and Simon, Mor Gabriel in eastern Anatolia has been the heart of the Orthodox Syrian community for centuries. Syriacs hail from a branch of Middle Eastern Christianity and are one of the oldest communities in Turkey.

New Zealand Church to Debate Nature of Marriage

July 11, 2012, ANGLICAN TAONGA – Church: We Need to Talk About Marriage. That's what the General Synod decided in Fiji this afternoon. Without dissent, and after a debate that at times included displays of raw emotion, the synod passed a resolution that "asks Episcopal Units to hold conversations in our church and with the wider community about the nature of marriage." It's clear that the mover of the resolution, the Rev Glynn Cardy, of St Matthew-in-the-City, in Auckland, hopes this will lead, eventually, to the possibility of gay and lesbian couples getting married in Anglican churches.

‘Pilgrims' Find Calling in Ukraine Mission

July 13, 2012 – On July 10, David Nevotti, a member of the First United Methodist Church in Sugar Land, Texas, and Illya Onoprienko, a member of the student ministry of the University of L'viv, were fatally injured while helping to repair a church-related facility in L'viv, Ukraine. The Rev. David Goran, a United Methodist missionary serving in L'viv as a student ministry director, was seriously injured and has been transferred to a hospital in Munich. United Methodist Communications producer Jan Snider, who stayed with the Gorans in February 2010 while she worked on stories about their mission, reflects on what she saw.

People in the News

Icelandic Lutheran Church Installs First Female Bishop
LWF General Secretary Congratulates New Leader Agnes M. Siguroardóttir

July 11, 2012, REYKJAVÍK, Iceland/ GENEVA – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge has welcomed the installation of Bishop Agnes M. Siguroardóttir, Iceland's first female bishop, as an affirmation of the leadership role women play in the church. "We celebrate your ordination as a bishop in the memory of Jesus' commissioning women disciples to become his followers and partaking in God's mission to the world," Junge said in a congratulatory greeting conveyed on behalf of the LWF by Bishop Jana Jeruma-Grinberga, Lutheran Church in Great Britain, at a reception following the 24 June consecration service in the cathedral of Reykjavik, Hallgrímskirkja.