(ENI) — Israel is set to relocate a jail in Megiddo after an ancient church was discovered on its grounds last November. Although the historical claims have been debated, it is believed to be the oldest church ever found in the Holy Land.

(ENI) — “To be at peace with God means knowing that we do not have to strive all the time for power over each other,” said Rowan Williams, while dedicating a new cathedral in southern Sudan.

The Presbyterian Church in Canada is in the midst of revising its residential schools agreement with the federal government, dropping the cap for compensation from $2.1 million to $1.32 million. Although not finalized, Rev. Stephen Kendall, principal clerk, told Assembly Council he is optimistic and, at press time, was looking forward to final approval from Cabinet in April.

Presbyterian World Service & Development has a new long-term agreement with the Canadian International Development Agency that will increase its funding for development programs by 15 per cent.

Presbyterians and others gathered for the dedication of Evangel Hall's brand new $13-million facility in downtown Toronto on February 5. Construction began in June 2004 and replaces the building the mission had been using since 1913. The new six-storey facility includes 84 low-income housing units, as well as a medical clinic, commercial kitchen, counselling space, expanded thrift store, chapel and wheelchair accessibility. About 50 – 200 people drop in for meals daily, with many more gathering for fellowship, worship, addiction support, community dinners and special outings and activities. All programs started running in the new building in mid-February, with residents moving in by March. About 200 people attended the service at the new drop-in centre.

The Presbyterian Church's work in tsunami-hit areas was highlighted on Vision TV in February. Day by Day, Step by Step documents what the Presbyterian, United, Mennonite and Anglican tsunami rehabilitation project is accomplishing. The documentary follows the impact of the tsunami on the fishing village of Indintakarai in south India, and shows how the churches are helping the community rebuild and the challenges that still exist.

Moderator Rev. Jean Morris received the Alberta Centennial Medal at a surprise presentation in January. "Jean's contribution to the church, community, the province and our country are insurmountable," said Harry Chase, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Calgary-Varsity. The medal celebrates Alberta's centennial and is presented to Albertans whose achievements have made a significant contribution to their fellow citizens, their community and their province.

ENI – Roman Catholics in Japan are celebrating the 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Francis Xavier, the Catholic missionary who brought Christianity to Japan in 1549. The saint was born on April 7, 1506.

ENI – Thousands of residents in Aceh — the area hardest hit by the December 2004 tsunami — remain in tents and other temporary shelter provided by the United Nations and international aid agencies. Such tents are common in the neighbourhood of Lampaseh Kota, a particularly affected area of the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

ENI – Slovakian bishops have welcomed a drop in viewing figures for TV reality shows, after Christian groups accused them of eroding moral values.

ENI – Church leaders in Malawi, disturbed at the rate of domestic violence underlined by the recent case of a wife having both arms chopped off by her husband, are joining hands across denominational lines to find ways to halt the scourge for their society.

Congregations, individuals, study group leaders and educators have a new resource thanks to a website launched in February. The site offers more than 50 adult study units on topics ranging from The DaVinci Code to same-sex marriage to stem cell research. See www.TheThoughtfulChristian.com.

Kenneth Kim will be the new director of Presbyterian World Service and Development. He succeeds Rev. Rick Fee, who became the general secretary of the Life and Mission Agency last year. Kim will officially assume the position on Aug. 1. Kim said he is looking forward to working with the staff and "contributing to one of the most dynamic programs within the church."

Project Ploughshares, an ecumenical peace centre sponsored by the Canadian Council of Churches and based in Waterloo, Ont., is accepting applications for six-month internships with peace and security non-governmental organizations around the world.

Economic and technological globalization has made it easier for strangers to talk as neighbours but is creating profound new challenges for the Christian church, said the moderator of the World Council of Churches at its ninth assembly in February in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Many natural disasters occur far away, but that was not the case with the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina off the Gulf Coast. Under the guidance of Rev. Terry Hastings, two teams of grunt workers, from Knox and St. Andrew's, both in Stratford, Ont., and other local churches, left in the wee hours one November night last year on a two-day drive to Orange Grove Camp in Gulfport, Mississippi. The eye of Katrina directly hit Gulfport on the night of Aug. 28, 2005. Orange Grove volunteer village was hastily set up after Katrina by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA). PWS&D, which sanctioned our group, works closely with PDA to co-ordinate volunteer groups from Canada.

ENI – The general synod of the Church of England has voted for pulling funds from companies profiting from the "illegal occupation" of Palestinian territories. The synod said it was heeding "the call from our sister church, the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, for morally responsible investment in the Palestinian occupied territories and, in particular, to disinvest from companies profiting from the illegal occupation."

Canada's three Presbyterian colleges have announced the dates for their spring convocations. The schedules are as follows:

Forget the demise of the church. Look closer. Our ministers, according to a new study, are spiritually exhausted, stressed out, have few friends and little support. In short, Christian ministry in Canada is, in the words of the author of a recent report, “in crisis.”

ENI – The Church of England has apologized for the damage done by its role in the British transatlantic slave trade in the 19th century and earlier and it has pledged to continue campaigning against modern slavery.