No Worship on the Golf Course
For those of us of the Christian persuasion, summer rekindles a profound theological struggle: should I head to church or the golf course on Sunday morning?
Magazine
Faith groups and United Nations condemn massacre in Syria
The World Council of Churches joined the international community in condemning the massacre of at least 108 people, including 49 children, on May 25 in the villages of Taldou and Kall Laha in the El Houleh area of Syria.
‘Unfit Mother’ Speaks Up
Unwed mothers who surrendered their children for adoption should have their grief recognized by the church, a former resident of a Presbyterian-run maternity home has said.
Former Principal Clerk Passes Away
Rev. Dr. Thomas Gemmell, the church administrator with a pastor’s heart, passed away May 13, in Richmond, Ont.
Ten Years of Lay Education
In Taek Chang and David Phillips were both recognized for their various contributions to the church and their support of lay education at a Knox College event in May.
Presbytery Urges Government to Change Policy on Torture
The Presbytery of Kamloops has issued a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper challenging “the recent federal government’s decision to allow the use of information received by and through the use of torture.”
Record Garners Church Press Awards
The Presbyterian Record took home 16 awards from the Canadian Church Press and Associated Church Press conventions in May, including the A.C. Forrest Memorial Award for excellence in religious journalism.
Korean churches plan peace train ahead of 2013 WCC assembly
Korean churches are developing plans for a “peace train” that would travel from Berlin through Moscow and Beijing to Busan, South Korea in time for the World Council of Churches’ (WCC) global assembly in October 2013.
The plan is to draw attention to the need for peace and reunification in the Korean peninsula, the churches said, and North Korea also would be on the route of the train, which would carry church and civil society representatives.
Canadian interfaith leaders to receive recognition
Two of Canada’s leading voices in interfaith relations will be honored by Pope Benedict XVI—Dr. Victor Goldbloom and the Rev. Irenee Beaubien.
Presbyterian Church of Mexico begins anniversary celebrations
Events in honor of the 140th anniversary of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico begin May 18 and will continue for the next several months.
France Will Have New Denomination with Protestant Merger
After years of preparation, a new Christian denomination will be formed this week in France when two synods meet in the eastern town of Belfort, a location historically important in the growth of Protestantism.
‘Occupy Faith’ Members Announce a Pilgrimage to Canterbury
A group of faith leaders announced on May 8 in London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral that a new pilgrimage to Canterbury is planned for this summer to protest unjust economic systems in the 21st century.
‘Green and Just’ Webinar to Foster Debate on Environmental Issues
A May 12 webinar hopes to bring together hundreds of people from around the world to share ideas on issues including climate change, sustainable development, eco-justice and theology.
Methodists Reach Across Historic Racial Boundaries with Communion Pact
The predominantly white United Methodist Church and five historically black denominations—after more than a decade of discussions—have entered into a full communion agreement.
Churches Urge Justice for Migrant Workers
A four-day consultation on “Ecumenical Advocacy for the Protection of the Human Rights of Migrant Workers in the Arabian Gulf Region” concluded on May 2 in Alwaye, India. The event was organized by the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) of the World Council of Churches (WCC) along with the Christian Conference of Asia, according to a WCC news story.
Churches Attacked in Kenya and Nigeria
Kenyan churches are tightening security after a lone attacker exploded a grenade inside an evangelical church in Nairobi on April 29, killing one person and injuring 15.
In Nigeria, a series of bombings during Sunday morning worship services killed at least four people in Maiduguri and 15 in Kano, with many injured.
Churches Cite Rising Tension Between North and South Korea
The Seoul-based National Council of Churches in Korea on April 30 noted that tensions between North and South Korea are rising following Pyongyang’s failed rocket-launching on April 12, and held an “urgent prayer meeting” for peace.
Faithfully Tolerated
Church world could be a great television setting—it’s got drama, power struggles, pettiness and backbiting. Sometimes it’s a miracle that people go to church at all.
Fifteen Years, Fifteen Stories
The Dix Mille Villages store has become a community in Pointe-Clare, Que
Seeing Face to Face
It was time to reflect on relationships: between church and community, between Christian calling and action.