A top church historian has said he believes Christianity faces a “bright future” worldwide, but predicted the Roman Catholic church will undergo a major schism over its moral and social teaching.
Presbyterian World Mission Director Hunter Farrell, as well as mission co-workers Jed Koball (Peru), Chenoa Stock (Bolivia), and Kristin Van Nostran (El Salvador) will participate in the “Together for Justice” 2012 International Gathering August 13-15, 2012, sponsored by the Presbyterian Hunger Program.
Deborah Bruce, research manager for the Research Services office of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and one of the foremost religious researchers in North America, died July 11 of complications from a stroke. She was stricken at her home here July 7 and never regained consciousness.
Assembly in Brief, the popular bulletin insert-size summary of the 220th General Assembly just concluded in Pittsburgh is now available as a free download at
http://www.pcusa.org/resource/assemby-brief-220th-general-assembly-2012/.
Following a shoving match between members of the Ukrainian parliament on July 3, the heads of nine religious communities responded with a letter to President Viktor Yanukovich the next day. It was signed by two Pentecostals as well as Baptist Vyacheslav Nesteruk, President of the largest Baptist union, and one of his predecessors. Grigory Komendant is today President of the Ukrainian Bible Society.
Veteran campaigners in the Church of England claimed an important step forward following a vote on July 9 by the General Synod, the Church’s governing body, to postpone draft legislation that would have allowed women to become bishops ― though under circumstances the majority of Anglicans believe would have been both discriminatory and humiliating.
Gay and lesbian Episcopalians are celebrating their church’s approval on July 1 of liturgical rites for blessing same-sex couples. But conservatives are threatening to take “drastic” steps to distance themselves from the Episcopal Church.
In May 2012 a delegation of four members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and two members of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan visited the United Presbyterian Church of Vietnam. During the weeklong visit, the representatives from the three churches shared ideas, vision, meals and fellowship. It is hoped that the churches might enter into a mission partnership together, a ‘triangle’ partnership, as described by Te-Chien (Andrew) Chang, general secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.
These are some of the images from that encounter.
Erin Dunigan is a freelance writer, photographer, and pastor who lives in a small coastal community …
Nearly one in five Americans say they would not vote for a Mormon president, a percentage that has hardly budged since 1967, according to a new Gallup poll.
Christians should embrace and embody God’s hospitality, the seventh Congress of Asian Theologians declared following a meeting in Seoul, South Korea, from July 1-6.