Giving and Receiving — An Update from Marianne Vermeer and Robert Johnson of Forman Christian College, Lahore, Pakistan

I suspect that many of you who have heard missionaries say 'I have received far more from the people of __________ than I could have possibly given them,' think they are being coy, or politically correct. I used to think this too. However, I want to tell you about a recent two week stretch I had that illustrates why missionaries have said this as long as there have been cross-cultural missions.

First, you should know something about Pakistan, and Pakistan's Christian population. By and large, Pakistan's Christians are converts from the Dalit or 'untouchable' caste of Hindus in the last part of the nineteenth century. As is often the case with marginal populations, the stigma and disadvantages of being from a despised class have persisted long after the 'official' reasons for discrimination have disappeared. Now, instead of being looked down upon by Hindus for being unclean, Christians are disdained by many in the Muslim majority for being infidels (as well as for having the lingering cachet of the ritually polluted).

Churches in Middle East reaffirm dialogue with Muslims

Paphos, Cyprus (ENI)--Churches from the Middle East meeting in Cyprus have highlighted the importance of the Christian presence in the region and dialogue with Muslims.

The Middle East Council of Churches said in a statement on 4 December after a meeting of its highest governing body, 'The churches expressed their great concern about various land occupations and the perpetuation of the sufferings of the people caused by injustices and wars.'

Update: Torrance remembered as greatest Reformed theologian since Barth

Thomas Forsyth Torrance (1913-2007), who died of a heart attack in Edinburgh on December 2, was arguably the greatest Reformed theologian since Karl Barth, with whom he studied, and an eminent 20th century ecumenist.  Having served for 27 years as Professor of Christian Dogmatics at New College, he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1976; and in 1978, he was awarded the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion for his contributions to the emerging field of theology and science.

Thomas Forsyth Torrance, 94, dies Dec. 2 in Edinburgh

Thomas Forsyth Torrance, 94, a twentieth century Protestant Christian theologian who served for 27 years as professor of Christian Dogmatics at New College, Edinburgh in the University of Edinburgh, died December 2 in Edinburgh.

Torrance was born to Scottish missionary parents while they were serving in Chengdu, Szechuan, China. He studied at the University of Edinburgh and University of Oxford before receiving an academic scholarship to the University of Basel in Basel, Switzerland. There, Torrance studied under theologian Karl Barth. Years later, Torrance translated into English Barth's Church Dogmatics.

Former GA vice-moderator and Board of Pensions chair Gene Sibery dies. Was one of the 20th century’s ‘most influential health care thinkers’

LOUISVILLE -- D. Eugene Sibery, a Presbyterian elder and health care executive who served as vice-moderator of the 1997 General Assembly and for six years as chair of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Board of Pensions, died Nov. 29 in Cape Coral, FL. Sibery, 78, had been in declining health for a number of years.

Born Sept. 29, 1929 in Muncie, IN, Sibery was named one of the most influential health care thinkers of the 20th century and was an architect of Medicare. He strongly believed that every citizen should have good health care, especially the elderly and the poor, and worked to achieve that.

Self-Development of People announces grant recipients

WASHINGTON, DC -- The National Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP) of the Presbyterian Church  (U.S.A.) has approved grants totaling $495,250 to 21 self-help projects in the United States. 

Money for the grants comes from the PC (USA)'s One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering. 

SDOP, funded primarily through the OGHS offering, enables members and non-members of the PC(USA) to establish partnerships with economically poor, oppressed and disadvantaged people in order to help them achieve sufficiency.

Grants were approved at a meeting of SDOP's National Committee last month in Washington, DC. Projects funded range from learning how to plant and operate an organic farm using produce sales to reinvest in equipment, seeds and tools in South Carolina to supporting a cooperative of Mexican Americans in rural Arkansas seeking to create and operate a thrift store and restaurant. 

Form of government changes, options to be presented at General Assembly

LOUISVILLE -- Recognizing there is opposition to some of what it has proposed, but still confident that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) needs a more flexible form of government to navigate in a post-modern world, the Form of Government Task Force is recommending significant changes in the denomination's constitution, but providing opportunities for amendment if the broader church disagrees.

Presbyterian Heritage Center to open at Montreat

For those who love Montreat and the sweep of Presbyterian history, it was a painful moment when the 2006 General Assembly voted to close the office of the Presbyterian Historical Society at Montreat, N.C.
But now another chapter is being written
The formal archives of the southern branch of the Presbyterian church have been moved.
Most of the material went to the Presbyterian Historical Society offices in Philadelphia, and some to Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., and other places.  
But now a nonprofit group that wants to keep the sense of Presbyterian history alive for visitors to Montreat is working, in cooperation with the Montreat Conference Center, to create a new Presbyterian Heritage Center.

“Historic breakthrough” for first Global Christian Forum

LIMURU, Kenya -- After four days of meetings, some 240 leaders of a broad range of churches, confessions and interchurch organizations from more than 70 countries agreed to carry forward what they call "the Global Christian Forum process," an open platform for encounter and dialogue whose goal is to "foster mutual respect, explore and address common challenges."

Participants broke into a spontaneous doxology when the final draft of a "Message from the Global Christian Forum to Brothers and Sisters in Christ Throughout the World" was approved at the last session of the meeting, which took place Nov. 6-9 in Limuru, near Nairobi, Kenya.

Don’t drop your guard on HIV and AIDS, pleads Tutu

Geneva, 30 November (ENI)--Faith-based campaigners and religious leaders say churches should not relax their efforts to deal with the HIV/AIDS pandemic despite UN figures showing a drop in the number of people worldwide living with the virus.

'This is not the time for complacency nor apathy,' said South African Anglican Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu in a 30 November statement released by the World Aids Campaign to mark World Aids Day on 1 December. 'It is the time for compassionate leadership.'

An important call to action from Linda Valentine, Executive Director, General Assembly Council, concerning Joining Hearts & Hands:

Because we can accomplish more together than we can individually, I am inviting you to rise with me to a new challenge.

When the Steering Committee of Joining Hearts & Hands met on Wednesday via conference call, we learned that $212,000 stands between us and the deployment of gifted mission candidates to serve where Christ has called them.  Denise England -- called to Egypt; Carol Dolezal-Ng -- called to Lebanon; Kathy Reeves -- called to Switzerland; and other qualified candidates who are ready and waiting need your financial assistance now.

Indian bishops demand end to Christian Dalit oppression

New Delhi, 29 November (ENI)--In an unprecedented protest, more than 30 bishops joined scores of priests, nuns and church activists in a sit-in near the Indian parliament in New Delhi to demand an end to the decades-old discrimination against Christian Dalits.

'We want the government to end this discrimination,' demanded Church of South India Bishop Jeypaul David, president of the National Council of Churches in India, addressing the sit-in on 29 November.

Church-backed farmworkers march on Burger King

LOUISVILLE -- A church-backed group of farmworkers and their supporters donned walking shoes today (Nov. 30) for a nine-mile march through Miami to the corporate headquarters of Burger King to demand higher wages and better working conditions in Florida's tomato fields.

The Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), which receives support from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and other faith groups, is calling on the fast-food giant to pay a penny more per pound to farmworkers harvesting its tomatoes.

Pope Benedict proposes meeting with Muslim scholars

Rome, 29 November (ENI)--Pope Benedict XVI has responded to a letter sent to him and other Christian leaders by 138 Muslim scholars, by inviting a group of its signatories to meet him and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

The response came in a letter from the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, to Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan, president of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Amman and a prime mover of the Muslim letter.

On the Road to Find out

HAZLETON, PA -- It's the American Dream: find a good job, live in a safe neighborhood with good schools and churches, raise a family... 

Yes, the American Dream: for North Americans, Central Americans, South Americans and every other country we in the USA -- a country founded by immigrants -- use to hyphenate ourselves.

Yet, in this immigrant nation, immigration is a hot-button issue in 3-D: documentation, denigration, deportation. 

Bill Teng endorsed to stand for moderator of 218th GA

William "Bill" C. Teng, a fourth-generation Presbyterian minister raised in Hong Kong, is the first declared candidate for moderator of the 218^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

National Capital Presbytery endorsed Teng, the pastor of Heritage Church in Alexandria, Va., at its meeting Nov. 27. Teng previously served as moderator of the presbytery and chair of its council.