Christian Churches Together

 

May 20, 2014


 
Posted by Phil Tanis
Tuesday, May 13, 2014 

The Reverend Christopher Ferguson has been elected as the next General Secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC).

Ferguson was elected by the WCRC Executive Committee after an extensive search process.


"The WCRC is at the edge of a new moment of renewal and transformation. It is exciting and uplifting to be called to be part of this renewed commitment to communion and justice," said Ferguson.

 

"I'm convinced Chris Ferguson will be an outstanding general secretary," said Clifton Kirkpatrick, convener of the search committee. "I look forward to great things for the WCRC under his leadership."

 

"It is critical that in this new location we have somebody who has solid ecumenical networking to sustain the visibility and work of the WCRC. Chris has this, as well as ecumenical experience on all levels, from the local to the global," said Jerry Pillay, president of the WCRC.

 

Ferguson, 61 this week, was born in Canada, ordained to the ministry in the United Church of Canada, and has served in ministry in Canada, the Middle East, various parts of Latin America, and at the United Nations.

"I'm very delighted that Chris has been elected," said Setri Nyomi, current general secretary. "I think he will bring gifts to move this organization forward as a communion committed to justice. I've known Chris for many years and believe he is the right person for this position in this time and place."

 

Nyomi has served the maximum of two terms (14 years) as the general secretary of both the WCRC and its predecessor organization, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. He will remain in office through the end of August.

 

Ferguson and his wife Susan will relocate from Bogota, Colombia, to Hannover this summer. He will begin his duties on 1 August, providing for a month's transition time with Nyomi.

 

Ferguson will be installed as the general secretary at a worship service on Sunday, 18 May, at the Reformed Church in Hannover.

 

The Executive Committee, the governing board of the WCRC, is holding its annual meeting in Hannover, Germany, 11-18 May. It is composed of 30 members from around the world.

 

 

Summary of the Christian Churches Together 
May 2014 Steering Committee Meeting

Read HERE

Criminal Justice Ministries & Resources

 

 

 
Alpha for Prisons 

Featuring the moving testimonies of ex-offenders Finny and Gram, this 21-minute DVD offers insights from church leaders in encouraging churches to get involved in prison ministry, as well as assisting ex-offenders in their transition into society. This DVD provides an introduction to the work in prisons with the Alpha course and contains interviews with The Rev. Paul Cowley, head of Alpha for Prisons at Alpha International, and Nicky Gumbel, among others. This DVD serves as a tool to show how the Alpha course is being used by God to transform and shape lives.

 

 

Alpha for Prisons | Royce Hall
Alpha for Prisons | Royce Hall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World Relief Basic Immigration Law 

40 Hour Training

 

 

June 9-13, 2014 Irvine, CA 

 

World Relief is offering a week-long course on the basics of immigration law for those who are interested in serving immigrants specifically with their legal immigration needs. The training will be taught by attorneys and conducted using the curriculum of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC). This course will help to provide the necessary training component for individuals who wish to apply for accreditation from the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).

 

BIA accreditation allows non-attorneys working or volunteering at non-profit organizations to practice immigration law. The course will touch on all areas of immigration law and practice focusing on topics most relevant to those serving and representing low-income immigrants.

 

Location: The training will take place at Mariner's Church, 5001 Newport Coast Drive, Irvine, CA 92603.

 

Cost: The price of the training is $495.  

 

If you have questions, please contact Brittany Gwynn at [email protected].

 

Register HERE 

 
Religious Bodies Speak in Support of ...

 

NCC condemns the death sentence of Sudanese woman sentenced to die for marrying a Christian

 

Washington, May 15, 2014 - Officers of the National Council of Churches today condemned "in the strongest possible words" the death sentence in Sudan for a woman whose only crime was to marry a Christian man.

 

The sentence of Meriam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag is also reproached by the U.S. government, American Baptist Churches USA, and many other churches and religious groups.

 

Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary of the NCC, said the sentencing of Ishag for associating with Christians "is inhuman and an act of unspeakable religious ignorance and bigotry. It is a fundamental violation of the most basic religious precepts that declare God's love and openness to all people."

 

The Rev. A. Roy Medley, chair of the National Council of Churches governing board and general secretary of American Baptist Churches USA, said American Baptists "and all persons of faith and good will" join in the censure of the Sudan court.

 

A statement by American Baptists condemned the sentence "as a violation of the fundamental human right to religious liberty."

Dr. Antonios Kireopoulos, NCC associate general secretary, Faith & Order and Interfaith Relations, said, "All our interfaith partners and member communions stand in solidarity with Ms. Ishag. Until all persons are safe to express their faith anywhere, even in areas where they are in the minority, freedom of religion will remain an elusive ideal."

 

National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said the U.S,. strongly condemns the sentence and called on Sudan "to meet its obligations under international human rights law."

 

Hayden said, "Since 1999, Sudan has been designated as a Country of Particular Concern for its ongoing, egregious, and systematic violations of religious freedom. We continue to urge Sudan to fulfill its constitutional promise of religious freedom, and to respect the fundamental freedoms and universal human rights of all its people."

 

 

WCRC supports release of Nigerian schoolgirls

 

Posted by Phil 

Saturday, May 17, 2014 

 

The Executive Committee of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) formally adopted a statement joining its voice to all those calling for the release and return of the kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria.

 

Earlier in the week the Executive Committee joined the #bringbackourgirls movement through social media and has offered prayers throughout the week for them.

Here is the statement in full:

"We are meeting here at a time when the world has been agonizing over the plight of the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls. We join the strong global voice to say: "Bring back our girls."

 

"We are shocked and saddened that young people, especially girls, cannot be given the opportunity freely to further their education. We hope and pray that this injustice will be rectified, not only here but globally.

 

"We believe that the action against these Nigerian girls is reprehensible and repugnant for people of all religions - Christians and Muslims and other people of faith who know the peace for which our religions call.

 

"We, the Executive Committee of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, support the efforts that are being made to find and free these girls and reunite them with their families.

 

We have prayed for these girls in our meeting and we shall continue to pray."

The Executive Committee, the governing board of the WCRC, is holding its annual meeting Hannover, Germany, 11-18 May. It is composed of 30 members from around the world.

 

Article HERE

 
News of Interest

  

National Mental Health Awareness Month 

Human Health Services Partnership Center Newsletter


U.S. Department of Human Health Services Partnership Center Newsletter

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health problems affect virtually all communities in our country; approximately one in five Americans over age 18 will experience a mental health problem this year. However, we know that people can and do recover from mental health problems.

 

Faith and other community leaders can play a major role in increasing understanding of mental health and encouraging individuals experiencing mental health problems to seek help. In our Featured Update, Pam Hyde, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, highlights two new resources that help faith and community leaders respond to the mental health needs of their communities. I also hope you can join us on May 30 for a Google Hangouton the role faith-based leaders can play in supporting national health security through community resilience.

 

In addition, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced that eight million people enrolled in the Health Insurance Marketplace during the first enrollment period. Thanks to all of you who hosted enrollment events, promoted our webinars on the Affordable Care Act, and did your part to make sure your congregants and community members were able to access health insurance coverage. Those eight million individuals include more than 4.3 million women; read on to learn about how the Affordable Care Act addresses women's unique health needs. I also encourage you to attend one of our upcoming webinars on the health care law.

 

The webinars will focus on special enrollment periods and learning to use your health insurance.

 

Finally, this June, Let's Move Faith and Communities is launching a new series of online trainings on evidence-based health education programs that you can run in your community. We hope you can join us!

 

We look forward to working with many of you in the coming months. To share your efforts related to any of these important issues, please contact the HHS Partnership Center at [email protected] or 202-358-3595.

 

Acacia Bamberg Salatti, Acting Director
Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

 
Link to articles: HERE 
 

  

Positions Available - Bread for the World 

  

Open Position 5/16/2014:  
 
Institute Project Coordinator for Information Synthesis and Dissemination

 

 

For over 10 years, the Institute has had Hunger Report Fellows who have purposefully been recruited on a short-term basis. The Institute has evaluated this practice and thinks that its current needs would be better served by having a regular position.  At this time, the Institute is seeking a Project Coordinator for Information Synthesis and Dissemination.  This position will be based in Washington, DC. We are eager to identify a diverse pool of qualified candidates. 

 

If you are interested in applying, please send a cover letter and resume to [email protected]

 

 

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY a non-fiction film commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail." No longer will the Letter from Birmingham Jail be in the SHADOW of the "I Have a Dream" speech.

 

The film stars community leaders of Columbus, Ohio and educators and leaders of The Ohio State University. The Letter from Birmingham Jail is an open letter written on April 16, 1963, by Martin Luther King, Jr. The letter defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racial discrimination, arguing that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws. After an early setback, it enjoyed widespread publication and became a key text for the American civil rights movement of the early 1960s.

 

See documentary HERE
CCT 2015 Annual Convocation
February 10-13 Houston, TX

Immigrant Faith Communities and the Future of the Church in the USA 
  
Support the work of Christian Churches Together 
 

 

  
For more information on Christian Churches Together in the USA
contact our Executive Director, Rev. Carlos L. Malav� at
email 
or call 502.509.5168
 
 
Visit our website: www.cctusa.net