Pope Francis on June 5 denounced consumerism and what he called the “culture of waste” of modern economies, especially when it comes to food.

When tornados hit Moore, Okla., May 20, members of First Presbyterian Church of Statesville felt a call to reach out and help. The congregation had already planned a youth trip to Tennessee but quickly shifted gears to plan an all-ages trip to Oklahoma instead.

The congregation had already planned a youth trip to Tennessee but quickly shifted gears to plan an all-ages trip to Oklahoma instead.

Presbyterian Mission Agency’s For Such a Time as This, which pairs small, underserved congregations with recent seminary graduates in a two-year pastoral program, has received the program’s largest single gift—$25,000 from Presbytery of Tampa Bay.

In a World Council of Churches (WCC) consultation in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, participants reflected on “Asia’s human security challenges” today and how to strengthen efforts of working towards “sustainable peace with justice in Northeast Asia.” In a communique issued at the end of the consultation, participants affirmed the diversity of their ethnicities and nationalities as a “celebration of God’s image” compelling them to “protect human dignity and assert human rights in faithfulness to our God.”

The Jewish Federations of North America announced June 3 that its trustees had passed a resolution in favor of a nonsegregated place where men and women can pray and read from the Torah at the Western Wall, the Jewish holy site. Worshippers at the Western Wall now have two options: separate men’s and women’s sections, both under the auspices of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, an Orthodox institution.

Earline B. Williams, a certified public accountant with more than 30 years of consulting, private industry, and quasi-governmental experience, has accepted the position of Deputy Executive Director for Shared Services/Chief Financial Officer for the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP) has approved grants totaling $180,000 to nine self-help projects in the United States. The money is from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. SDOP receives 32 percent of undesignated OGHS gifts.

Botshelo Moilwa, a young African woman from Gaborone, Botswana, called on churches to affirm the dignity of women amidst the realities of HIV and AIDS and sexual violence, if they are to realize the Christian vision of justice and peace.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has elected its first openly gay bishop, the Rev. R. Guy Erwin, to oversee churches in Southern California, four years after the church allowed openly gay men and lesbians to serve as clergy.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has received a $1.4 million grant from the American Red Cross to coordinate volunteer housing for Hurricane Sandy relief workers.