Christian leaders representing the breadth of Christian churches and denominations in the United States issued a strong and urgent call for fundamental immigration reform at an annual meeting of Christian Churches Together (CCT). The Church of the Brethren was represented by general secretary Stan Noffsinger, Annual Conference moderator Bob Krouse and moderator-elect Nancy Heishman, and Brethren Press publisher Wendy McFadden.
Ecumenical
Now Is the Time: A Photo Essay from Martin Luther King Day 2013
Cat Gong provides photos of a Martin Luther King Day food collection hosted at the warehouse at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Youth from across the city of Elgin came together to sort the collection, an estimated 4 tons of donated food.
Church of the Brethren Joins in Religious Coalition Working to End Gun Violence
The Church of the Brethren has been collaborating with a coalition of over 40 religious groups as a part of Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, alliance of religious groups that bases its work in the belief that, “Gun violence is taking an unacceptable toll on our society, in mass killings and in the constant day-to-day of senseless death. While we continue to pray for the families and friends of those who have perished, we must also support our prayers with action” (www.faithsagainstgunviolence.org ).
Delegation Learns About Sensitivities in the Holy Land, Calls for Continued Work for Two-State Solution
Church of the Brethren leaders have returned from an ecumenical delegation to Israel and Palestine with a renewed commitment to a place sacred to the Brethren faith tradition, and a call for the expression of love to all the people involved in the violent struggles ongoing in the Middle East. In an interview made after their return to the US, general secretary Stan Noffsinger and associate general secretary Mary Jo Flory-Steury commented on their experience.
NCC Asks Churches to Ring Bells for Newtown Victims, Support January Action Day on Gun Violence
The National Council of Churches (NCC) is inviting the nearly 100,000 churches related to its member communions to ring church bells the morning of Friday, Dec. 21, to mark one week since 20 children and six adults were killed by a gunman in a Newtown, Conn., elementary school.
World Interfaith Harmony Week Is Scheduled for February
On Oct. 20, 2010, the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopted a resolution designating the first week in February to be the annual World Interfaith Harmony Week. Larry Ulrich, Church of the Brethren representative on the Interfaith Relations Commission of the National Council of Churches, is encouraging congregations to observe the week scheduled for Feb. 1-7, 2013.
Brethren Couple Go to Israel and Palestine as Accompaniers
Church of the Brethren members Joyce and John Cassel of Oak Park, Ill., have begun work in Palestine and Israel with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program of the World Council of Churches (WCC). They departed Sept. 1 for a three month tour of duty, from September through November this year.
Church Leaders Express Heartache at Shootings, Call for Action on Gun Violence
Brethren leaders have joined others in the American Christian community in expressing sorrow and calling for prayer following shootings at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin this past Sunday. At least seven Sikh worshipers were killed and three others injured. The gunman, who had connections with radical right racist groups, committed suicide after being wounded by police gunfire. Statements have been made by Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger, along with Belita Mitchell who is a Brethren leader in Heeding God’s Call, and Doris Abdullah, the denomination’s representative to the United Nations. Ecumenical partners who are speaking out include the National Council of Churches.
Have Mercy on Us: A Prayer Response
On Sunday morning, Aug. 5, in a small town in Wisconsin six Sikhs worshipers were gunned down in their Gurdwara, place of worship, by a racist who then killed himself. On Sunday afternoon, the Sikh community issued a newsletter calling on the interfaith community to show solidarity with them by holding prayer vigils in our own places of worship. I do not know if my church will hold a prayer vigil. So I will pray my prayer and stand in silent worship in my home. — Doris Abdullah
Brethren Leader Sends Update on Violence in Nigeria, Interfaith Delegation Issues Report
A leader of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN–the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) has sent an e-mail report on recent violence in Nigeria. Also, a new Christian and Muslim alliance committed to solving tensions in Nigeria has been announced by the World Council of Churches.