Thirteen West African countries. Thousands of youth and women. The numbers are daunting. But Ayoko Bahun-Wilson, West Africa regional coordinator of the Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiative in Africa (EHAIA), is determined to help West African youth become conscious, committed and prepared to fight to reduce the rate of HIV infections.
Military chaplains can lead same-sex marriage ceremonies on and off military bases, the Pentagon announced Sept. 30, in a move that closely followed the repeal of a ban on openly gay service members.
Twenty-five years after a Christian statement of belief known as the Belhar Confession was adopted, the issues it raised are still important, according to a South African theologian.
Daniel Griswold, the director of the Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies here, says that the U.S. government should end its embargo of Cuba.
Cuba is urging the U.N. General Assembly ― currently meeting in its 66th session ― to again condemn the U.S. embargo in an annual ritual that has been a political and moral victory for the socialist nation but with little real impact.
For Such a Time as This: A Small Church Residency — Growing Leaders, Growing Churches has announced recruitment plans for a new class of residency presbyteries, congregations and pastoral residents.
Launched by the General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) in Fall 2009, For Such a Time as This: A Small Church Residency — Growing Leaders, Growing Churches is a timely and innovative program that pairs small, underserved congregations with recent seminary graduates in a two-year pastoral residency relationship. The program was designed to renew the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) by equipping new pastors to grow small churches Deep and Wide in evangelism, discipleship, servanthood and diversity.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will not be seen in the major league baseball playoffs again this year ― they just concluded their 19th consecutive losing season.
But thanks to a unique partnership with Pittsburgh Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Bucs are big time champions off the field this season.
Shigeaki Hinohara, a Japanese Christian doctor who has carved out a reputation as an expert on healthy aging, marked his 100th birthday on Oct. 4 by contemplating the potential for celebrating his 110th.
“Now I have a major goal on what to do towards 110 years old and would like to stay healthy to see a spiritual world and a nuclear-free world realized while teaching children [about the significance of life and peace],” said Hinohara, honorary president and chairman of the board of trustees of St. Luke International Hospital in Tokyo.
The Southern Baptist Convention could be renamed after President Bryant Wright set up a task force to consider a new identity for the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
“The name ‘Southern’ really no longer reflects who we are as convention in reaching all of North America,” Wright said in a video posted on the Pray4SBC.com website.
Representatives of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) and the Council for World Mission (CWM) in North America and the Caribbean have concluded a joint assembly in the Dominican Republic with a promise to continue working together to meet the needs of the region.
Eleven international peacemakers from different countries around the world will visit congregations and presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) from Sept. 23-Oct. 18.
They will share their stories about church-based ministries in their countries that seek peace justice and pursue peace in the name of Jesus Christ. This year’s international peacemakers come from Bangladesh, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Jordan, Madagascar, Mexico, Russia and Sudan.
The International Peacemaker program is sponsored by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.
The Rev. Hubert Rakotoarivony is a minister ordained in the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM). He leads his denomination’s Commission on the Life of the Country and at the same time works as resource person at the Christian Council in Madagascar on the forgiveness, peace, justice, and reconciliation process program.