Upon my return from the central committee of the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland, I read a rather interesting comment from a Presbyterian minister friend, written in response to the newly elected WCC moderator, which spoke about the need for “new life” in the ecumenical movement. My friend wrote, “Like a probe sent to Mars, finding life may be a product of where you look for it. I see it all about me in my city. It is here that I see so much vitality and growth in ecumenism, along with growing acceptance and sharing.” After all, he suggested, the local expressions of ecumenism, in his city, are vibrant and healthy. People of different backgrounds regularly worship together, work on issues of common concern and have, through those involvements, broken down many of the historic divides in the Body of Christ. What more is needed on a national or international scale?

Dr. Ernie Regehr was named the 2007 recipient of the E.H. Johnson Award for someone working on the “cutting edge” of mission. Regehr was a co-founder of Project Ploughshares where he was worked diligently over the past several years. He is also adjunct associate professor in Peace and Conflict Studies at Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo. Next year he will teach a course on “disarming conflicts” at Wilfrid Laurier University. Regehr publishes widely on peace and security issues and maintains a broad range of international engagements related to nuclear non-proliferation and regional conflicts. He has served as an NGO representative and expert advisor on a variety of Government of Canada delegations to multilateral disarmament forums and, among his current appointments, he is a Commissioner on the World Council of Churches Commission on International Affairs and a member of the Board of Directors of the Africa Peace Forum of Nairobi, Kenya.

ENI – German chancellor Angela Merkel has criticised as “self censorship” the cancellation of a Mozart opera in Berlin because of concern that a scene featuring the severed head of the Prophet Muhammad could lead to attacks by Muslims.

“This is a real marriage of theology and architecture,” Dwight Duncan, Ontario's energy minister told architect Roberto Chiotti who designed the “green” St. Gabriel's Roman Catholic Church in Toronto. 

A long friendship in Christ was confirmed in September, when a twinning covenant was signed by the Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry and The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, Montreal.

ENI – Hungarian church leaders have urged politicians to show greater responsibility, following days of street protests calling for the resignation of the country's premier after he admitted telling lies about the economy.

The choir of the Hungarian Theological Seminary from Romania, under the direction of mission staff person Brian Johnston, arrived in Canada in late September and performed to standing ovations across the Maritimes and Ontario for two weeks. In introducing the choir to church office personnel, Annemarie Klassen thanked Johnston and the choir for bringing their ministry to Canada. A choir member later returned the compliment by thanking the Presbyterian staff for supporting them in their mission.

A diverse coalition of religious and civil liberties groups spoke out against a U.S. House bill in which a provision was passed stating military chaplains should be mindful of the pluralistic nature of the army and provide non-sectarian and inclusive prayer if necessary. Chaplains or their endorsing groups filed no complaints. However, the civil liberties coalition felt the provision was “unnecessary and unwise.”

ENI – Members of Canada's largest Protestant denomination are going to drink tap water at future meetings and not the bottled variety that has become institutionalised at gatherings, if church leaders have their way.

The stubborn resistance to empire exhibited in the Bible by the Jews in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament is a model to be emulated by Christians today, a panel of World Alliance of Reformed Churches theologians stated earlier this year from Manila, Philippines.

World Association for Christian Communication, a media savvy advocacy agency with representatives in over 100 countries, opened its new offices in Toronto in October. The London, England-based organization moved over 450 boxes, along with a comprehensive library and nearly its full staff, into a renovated United church on Danforth Ave. Rev. Randy Naylor, general secretary of WACC, said the $700,000 church renovation and international move was done smoothly and in “record time.” He also praised the congregation of Hope United church, and their minister Rev. Douglas du Charme, for “moving mountains” to convert the seven-decade-old Sunday school wing of the church into a modern, fully networked office.