(ENI) — Jews remained by far the greatest target of religious-based hate crimes in the United States in 2004, according to a recently-released report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(ENI) — Since the Lutheran-led reformation in 1537, Norway's dominant church — the (Lutheran) Church of Norway — has had the reigning king as its formal head.

In a unique fundraiser, started by a group of farmers in Southern Manitoba, the sale of ground beef made from donated cows will have a double benefit. Youth groups, church groups, and community clubs will sell ground beef instead of chocolates this year. From each $20-box they will recieve five dollars for their own fundraising campaign. The remainder, after processing costs will be donated to Canadian Foodgrains Bank, an organization which collects donations of cash, grain and other agricultural commodities for distribution to the world's hungry.

The Presbyterian Church continues to help rebuild the many areas devastated in 2005. The following are updates on four supported by Presbyterian World Service and Development:

The Record told the story of Sheila Conkey last April. In the aftermath of her mother's death Sheila still lives in the family home, though under very different circumstances. Her father, Frank, moved into a retirement home, donating the family house to Community Living. Sheila shares her home with Joan and Mario, helps with meals and is out daily, shopping, bowling, swimming or working. She attends St. Timothy's, Ajax, Ont., where she continues to share her faith. – L. June Stevenson

Rev. Stewart Folster, of the Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry, has the keys to the latest member of his ministry family: a slightly used, 15-passenger Dodge Ram van. Folster, with help from his wife Terry, has led the mission since 1992. In 2000, a relationship was formalized with St. Andrew and St. Paul, Montreal. The outreach interest group supporting the twinning within the Montreal church has named itself A&P Neechewagon, a Cree word meaning friends. A&P Neechewagon raised $15,000 (which included an important contribution from the Presbytery of Montreal), and was matched by a grant from the Cooke's Fund of the Presbytery of East Toronto, to purchase the van that will enable Folster to multiply his outreach. – Keith Randall, Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, Montreal

On Nov. 26, four members of Christian Peacemaker Teams were abducted in Iraq and held hostage by a group calling themselves Swords of Righteousness Brigade. The group claimed the hostages—Canadians Jim Loney of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and Harmeet Singh Sooden, formerly of Montreal, American Tom Fox and Briton Norman Kember—were spies and set a Dec. 11 deadline for them to be executed unless the U.S. and British governments released Iraqi prisoners. The deadline passed without news. As of press time, the hostages' fate was unknown.

Israeli archaeologists have uncovered what they believe could be the oldest church ever found in the Holy Land — a discovery experts say may shed new light on early Christianity. However, some scholars are calling it a publicity stunt.

The Church of Scotland has urged Christians to fight Israel's internationally-condemned West Bank barrier by flooding into Bethlehem to strengthen the local Palestinian population.

(ENI) — "As long as the blasphemy law remains in force, we will continue to suffer," said Victor Azariah, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Pakistan.

Barring a new candidate being presented at General Assembly in June (in St. Catharines, Ont.), the 2006 moderator will not be a minister, marking a first for the church (a diaconal minister held the office in 1996). Rev. Stephen Kendall, principal clerk, said the situation has created a buzz. "It's exciting to have a lay person as moderator," he said. "There is a lot of interest in the church for lay persons' issues." Kendall couldn't say if other names had been put forward that didn't make it onto the ballot, although this information will be released once the new moderator is chosen. If a name did not appear on the ballot, it is for one of two reasons: the nomination came from only one presbytery instead of the required two, or the individual declined to let his or her name stand. The nominees for 2006 …

With only three days notice, 52 volunteers from St. Giles, Ottawa, provided dinner for 250 Kashechewan Cree, who had been evacuated from their James Bay homes. "We heard some of their impressions of Ottawa," writes Jean Currie. "'Everything is tall, the buildings and the trees are so high. Escalators and elevators are fun. Everything is so cheap, in Ottawa you can buy a newspaper for a dollar!' One lad wanted to go home because he missed his dad who had remained on the reserve."

(ENI) — A Roman Catholic church and school that were bombed in Nagasaki in 1945 have staged a new Japanese classical Noh drama called The Holy Mother of Nagasaki.

The new general secretary of the life and mission agency says communication is at the heart of the agency's work. "We have to put out a message that is uplifting, fulfilling and gospel-based, but do so with images that appeal. We have to be careful not to turn off very faithful members, but present the Presbyterian Church to the next generation," said Rev. Rick Fee.

The church doctrine committee celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Faith Concerning Church and Nation recently while meeting at the national office. Adopted in 1955, the declaration says the church must denounce and resist all forms of tyranny. It also says that church and state are intimately related.

(ENI) – Sweden's supreme court has acquitted pastor Ake Green of engaging in a hate speech against homosexuals, made in a sermon in 2003. Green described homosexuality as "abnormal, a horrible tumour in the body of society" and he said homosexual are "perverts, whose sexual drive the Devil has used as his strongest weapon against God". The supreme court noted in its verdict that Green's statements were made during a sermon, in a religious community and were based on a theme in the Bible. It said the sermon was protected by freedom of speech and religion.

(ENI) – Queen Elizabeth II extolled the unique role of the Christian Church in the search for meaning in the modern world when she opened the (Anglican) Church of England's general synod in London.

(ENI) – World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Samuel Kobia has told a gathering in front of the Swiss parliament that the deaths of close relatives due to HIV/AIDS has impelled him to speak out on the pandemic.

(ENI) – A top Italian Protestant has accused Pope Benedict XVI of setting back Christian unity by granting indulgences to Roman Catholics who carry out acts of devotion to the Virgin Mary to mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the Second Vatican Council.

The nominees for Moderator of the 2006 General Assembly are Wilma Welsh, an elder at Knox, Guelph, and Les Young, an elder at Westmount, Edmonton. The Committee to Advise the Moderator will count ballots on April 3 and the chosen nominee will be inducted at assembly, held this year in St. Catharine's, Ont. Watch for nominee profiles in the Record's February issue.