Neil Armstrong honoured at National Cathedral service; Episcopal Church Woos Latinos To Congregations; WCC concerned over forced conversions and marriages in Pakistan; Canada: New $500K program to revitalise theological education; West Africa set to have two provinces, two Archbishops; Middle East Christians must be builders of peace
Neil Armstrong honoured at National Cathedral service
Astronaut Michael Collins, who remained in lunar orbit while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon, led prayers during Armstrong’s memorial service at Washington National Cathedral. He thanked God “for your servant Neil Armstrong, who with courage and humility first set foot upon the moon. Following his example, save us from arrogance, lest we forget that our achievements are grounded in you; and by the grace of your Holy Spirit, protect our travels beyond the reaches of the earth, that we may glory ever more in the wonder of your creation.”
In her homily, Washington Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde said that most people assumed that Armstrong’s “burning-bush” moment was the two-and-a-half hours he spent on the moon.
However, she said, Armstrong tended to downplay that experience and worked “for the survival of the only planet we human beings call home.”
Episcopal Church Woos Latinos To Congregations
In Oregon, the number of Latino Episcopalians has tripled in recent years. The church is also seeing considerably higher Latino membership in Nevada and Washington, D.C. Church leaders say the influx is due in part to a focused marketing campaign.
WCC concerned over forced conversions and marriages in Pakistan
The World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee has adopted a statement expressing concern on abductions, forced marriages and forced conversions of young women from Christian and Hindu communities in Pakistan.
The statement from the world church body’s Central Committee was presented in September 2012 at its meeting, which is currently taking place at the Orthodox Academy of Crete in Kolympari, Greece.
The Central Committee is the primary decision-making body of the WCC and meets every 18 months to reflect and deliberate about the present and future work of the council.
Pointing to the fear spread among the religious minority communities by radical groups in the country, the statement speaks of “a significant number of young women of religious minorities, especially Hindus and Christians who live in Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan provinces,” who “face violence, including sexual assault, including rape, threats, and persecution.”
The statement calls on the Pakistan government to “ensure adequate protection mechanisms for all religious minorities in the country” and to take immediate action over the crimes and discrimination against religious minorities.
http://tinyurl.com/d7hso5r
Canada: New $500K program to revitalise theological education
Anglican Journal -This September, Emmanuel College will launch a new program that its creators hope will revitalize theological education.
Founded in 1928 and associated with the United Church of Canada, Emmanuel College is a constituent college of Victoria University in the University of Toronto.
The two-year Teaching for Ministry (TFM) program has been made possible by a $500,000, five-year grant from the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. It will produce “scholars…uniquely prepared to teach the next generation of the church’s ministers,” said a statement by Mark Toulouse, principal of Emmanuel College.
Importantly, the program will respond to what educators perceive as a gap between academic experience and hands-on ministerial work. “There’s a disconnect between what students are learning in the academy and how they can use that knowledge or skill set,” says Natalie Wigg-Stevenson, director of the new TFM program as well as the Contextual Education programs.
Eight doctoral students with scholarly and practical skills will “stimulate the imagination of ministers-in-training and have a more theological approach to the work that they’re doing,” said Wigg-Stevenson in an interview. The hope is that the program “will have a larger impact for God’s work in the world,” she told the Journal.
West Africa set to have two provinces, two Archbishops
The Church of the Province of West Africa will be adopting an amendment to its constitution allowing for two internal provinces, each with its own Archbishop.
The Church of the Province of West Africa has revealed that it is holding a special synod at the end of the month to adopt a constitutional change that will see the creation of two provinces with two archbishops.
The Provincial Secretary, The Revd Canon Fr Anthony Eiwuley, said today that the Church will be meeting at Cuttington University in Liberia September 27-29 for a special synod.
“At this synod, we shall be adopting an amendment to our constitution to give room for the establishment of two administrative provinces,” he said. “One to contain all the dioceses in Ghana and the other, the rest of the six dioceses in Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cameroon. ”Each of the smaller province will then elect an administrative Archbishop and out of the two, one will be elected the Primate of the Province.” The current Primate, The Most Revd. Dr. Justice Akrofi, retires on October 29, 2012 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70. Canon Eiwuley added, “We seek for the prayers of the entire Communion.”
Middle East Christians must be builders of peace
Pope Benedict XVI has called upon Christians in the Middle East to work for peace in the region ahead of his visit to Lebanon
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/middle.east.christians.must.be.builders.of.peace/30641.htm