The Rev. Dario Barolin knows firsthand what it’s like to be part of a religious minority.
A pastor in the Waldensian Church, a tiny branch of the Reformed tradition that has its roots in Italy, Barolin leads an alliance of Presbyterian and Reformed churches in predominantly Catholic Latin America.
“We do not live in the mentality of the ghetto, nor in the mentality of a minority complex, nor do we live as dhimmi (dependent) people,” said Bishop Munib A. Younan. “We have always been, as Arab Christians, building our societies, loyal to our countries and nationalities, bringing hope in hopeless situations.”
Now that Boy Scout delegates have taken their long-awaited vote and permitted openly gay Scouts, will there be a mass exodus by religious groups?
It depends on who you ask.
The Office of the General Assembly has released the 2012 statistics of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The statistical materials include comparative summaries of the PC(USA)’s membership, a summary of receipts and expenditures from 2009–2012, and additional miscellaneous information.
The total membership of the PC(USA) at the end of 2012 was 1,849,496, compared to 1,952,287 in 2011, which is a decline of 102,791 members.
Growing up under the influence of pastors and Sunday school teachers in Presbyterian congregations in Los Angeles gave Sarah Henken a pretty clear career goal: “I knew I wanted to live my life in the church.”
In an international conference on the situation of Christians in the Middle East, the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), highlighted the significance of the cross as a symbol of hope for the global church in solidarity with Christians in the Arab world.
The Church of Scotland’s General Assembly May 20 passed a historic vote to allow actively gay men and lesbians to become ordained ministers.
The ecumenical movement frequently uses the imagery of a boat, Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) General Secretary Nilton Giese told the organization’s sixth General Assembly here May 24.
There is more than one way to introduce a story about a new gardening mission. The project could be described as sprouting, budding, growing, taking root — you get the idea.
With Zimbabwe and other African nations heading for elections in the coming months, churches in the region recently reflected on their role in strengthening democratic governance and electoral process.