The lack of any word from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) after eight years of war in Afghanistan was the focus of four overtures to the Peacemaking and International Issues committee of the 219 General Assembly.
MINNEAPOLIS – The Church Orders and Ministry Committee, responsible for considering nearly 20 overtures relating to gay ordination at this General Assembly, has heard plenty of opinions from others, and discussed the issues in small groups. It will begin considering the items individually tomorrow (July 6).
MINNEAPOLIS – Tolerance is basically a synonym for forbearance – and not nearly as strong as the idea of engaging with those whose views differ from ours, said R. Gustav Niebuhr, a religion journalist and now an associate professor of religion and the media at Syracuse University.
MINNEAPOLIS -- “There’s a need for the church to address the environmental catastrophe in the gulf and our Christian response to it,” said Amber Ellington, Theological Student Advisory Delegate (TSAD) from McCormick Theological Seminary.
Since 1997, Presbyterians for Earth Care (formerly Presbyterians for Restoring Creation) has given awards annually to publicly recognize individuals and groups, institutions, and churches for their leadership and accomplishments in caring for God’s creation. Individuals receive the William Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award, and congregations or institutions receive the Restoring Creation Award.
The former Palestinian presidential candidate (received 19 percent of the vote when Mahmoud Abbas was elected in 2005), and founder/general secretary of the third Palestinian political party shares his hopes for reconciliation and peacemaking in the Middle East with Outlook editor, Jack Haberer, when they met recently in Dr. Barghouthi's Ramallah office.
MINNEAPOLIS – Ron Shive says his committee’s report on conflict and peacemaking between Israel and the Palestinians lives up to its title, “Breaking Down the Walls.”