The National Convocation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) voted today to cancel plans to hold its 2010 Biennial Session in Charleston, S.C., after receiving a request from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People asking the Convocation to support its boycott of the state.

The Convocation had already signed hotel contracts, and had begun to promote the biennial. But they received a request from the NAACP to join its economic boycott of South Carolina because of an ongoing struggle to have the Confederate flag removed from state property.

The flag no longer flies above the capitol, but it is still part of a nearby memorial. The NAACP is applying economic pressure to get it removed, urging tourists to take their dollars elsewhere instead of South Carolina as long as the flag remains.

Several major denominations, including the United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal, and Catholic churches, have chosen not to hold conventions or meetings in South Carolina.

To read the entire article from DisciplesWorld, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Floor Fight Likely Over Handling of Social Justice Issues

A floor fight is shaping up over proposed changes in how the General Assembly handles social justice issues.

Almost 70 people met after the conclusion of Wednesday evening’s worship service at 9:45 p.m. for a meeting billed, “Justice Advocacy: the Future of Prophetic Witness in Our Church.”

Members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)’s two major social justice organizations – the Disciples Peace Fellowship and the Disciples Justice Action Network (DJAN) – led the talk, which focused on General Assembly Resolution 0925, “A Call for Action.”

The proposal, scheduled to be taken up Friday, would eliminate the sometimes-controversial Sense of the Assembly resolutions, which may be offered by local congregations, and replace them with four main issues screened by the General Board. The changes would go into effect provisionally with the 2011 General Assembly.

DJAN’s Charles Bayer proposed that when the issue comes up Friday, a procedural motion will be offered to refer Resolution 0925 back to the General Board. Such a move would bypass the Committee on Reference and Counsel, where resolutions are typically sent for revision while the General Assembly is still under way. . . .

Kathy Coggins, program director for Disciples Peace Fellowship, said a vote against the resolution does not equate to an endorsement of the current way of handling social justice issues. "But we don’t want to take one broken system and replace it with another broken system," she said.

To read the entire article from DisciplesWorld, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

GMP Watkins Urges Disciples to Contact Their Legislators About Health Care Reform

Dr. Sharon E. Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), today issued a pastoral letter to the entire church asking all Disciples to "get involved" in the issue of health care reform by calling representatives and Senators with this simple message: "Keep at it."

According to the letter, "I am writing because I believe this is the moment of a generation – when the United States can finally make decent, affordable health care accessible for all. The moral vision is there. The policy expertise is in place. It’s the political will that needs our support. Our legislators need our encouragement in the hard work of reform."

The letter continues, "What we do together now can make a difference for all of us, and especially for those who do not have access to affordable health care, who stand in greatest need of our prayers, our support, and our advocacy."

Contact your representative and Senator today at this toll free number: 888-797-8717.

And, as GMP Watkins says in her letter, "Ask them to achieve affordable, accessible, accountable, and inclusive health care this year."

To download a copy of this important pastoral letter, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Shawn Atleo is new national chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Canada

From the Canadian Press:
An aboriginal leader from British Columbia became the new national voice for First Nations people on Thursday after a marathon election with eight rounds of voting.

Shawn A-in-Chut Atleo, 42, was sworn in as the grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations as native chanting wafted in the background. There was applause, cheers and drumming as he was introduced before his first speech.

"There is work to do," Atleo told the assembly.

"It is our time as indigenous people in this country to take our rightful place. It's our time to see the treaties implemented. It's our time to see the young ones supported. It's our time to make sure that the murdered, missing women that we call for a public inquiry."

Atleo said he would press the federal government to back up its apology over residential schools with more help for native people.

"Make absolutely no mistake about the resolve that we must share to hold governments accountable," he said.

To read this story in its entirety, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read more about Atleo, PLEASE LICK HERE.

Three Dozen Religious Groups, Leaders Support Common Ground Abortion Bill

More than three dozen religious leaders and groups from across the ideological spectrum announced their support for landmark legislation unveiled today by Representatives Tim Ryan (OH-17) and Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) that makes concrete progress toward the shared goal of reducing the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancies and supporting pregnant women and families.

Groups supporting the “Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Pregnant Women and Parents Act” that support the legal right to an abortion include the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which represents 14 national Jewish organizations, Catholics for Choice, The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society, The Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ, Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, and many others.

Supportive pro-life groups and leaders include Dr. Joel Hunter, pastor of the 10,000-member Northland Church in Florida, Adam Hamilton, pastor of the 13,000-member Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, Dr. William Shaw, president of the National Baptist Convention, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Nicholas P. Cafardi, Civil and Canon Lawyer; Professor and Former Dean, Duquesne University School of Law, Vivian Berryhill, president of the National Coalition of Pastors’ Spouses, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Sojourners. Even the immediate past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. Frank Page, has issued a statement of tentative support.

Seven of the religious leaders supporting the legislation are members of President Obama’s Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

To listen to an audio of the press conference, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

President Obama on Helath Care Reform: "This Debate is No Game"

President Obama tonight held a prime time press conference to address the nation about health insurance reform. Standing before reporters and the American public, he attempted to lay out, from his perspective, where we are, where we're going, and why health insurance reform matters.

Referring to uninsured and underinsured Americans, as well as those who are anxious about losing their health care, the President said, "This debate is not a game for these Americans, and they cannot afford to wait for reform any longer." He continued, "They are looking to us for leadership. And we must not let them down."

To read more about this story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Or read more HERE.

U.S. President Takes On "Special Interests" Who Oppose Health Care Reform

U.S. President Barack Obama today made a statement on health care reform in the Rose Garden of the White House.

According to the President, "I understand that some will try to delay action until the special interests can kill it, while others will simply focus on scoring political points. We've done that before. And we can choose to follow that playbook again, and then we'll never get over the goal line, and we'll face an even greater crisis in the years to come. That's one path we can travel.

"Or, we can come together and insist that this time it will be different. We can choose action over inaction. We can choose progress over the politics of the moment. We can build on the extraordinary common ground that's been forged, and we can do the hard work needed to finally pass the health insurance reform that the American people deserve."

To read the full text of the President's remarks, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To watch a video of the President speaking about health care today, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Government of Canada Invests in Stó:lo Heritage Trust Society

On behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Randy Kamp, Member of Parliament (Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission), today announced funding for the Stó:lo Heritage Trust Society.

This funding will support a project that seeks to increase public awareness and understanding of the rich culture of First Nations peoples by enhancing on-site interpretive programs.

The mandate of the Xá:ytem Longhouse Interpretative Centre is the preservation and interpretation of the Hatzic Rock Site, a First Nations spiritual site and one of the oldest human occupation sites in North America. In July 1992, the Government of Canada officially designated Xá:ytem as a National Historic Site, one of the first Aboriginal spiritual sites in Canada to be formally recognized in this manner.

"Local heritage initiatives are vital for ensuring the preservation, management, and presentation of Aboriginal cultural heritage," said Minister Moore. "Our Government is proud to support projects that increase public awareness of the rich and diverse cultures of Aboriginal peoples."

For more on this story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Interfaith Alliance Mourns the Death of Walter Cronkite

Interfaith Alliance President, The Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, expressed his deep sorrow on the passing of Walter Cronkite, the organization’s honorary chair. Mr. Cronkite has been affiliated with Interfaith Alliance since 1997.

According to Gaddy, "Our nation has lost a true patriot and an exemplary citizen. The news media has lost a committed truth-teller who epitomized journalistic responsibility. Interfaith Alliance has lost a proud supporter and respected Honorary Chairman of the Board. I have lost an inspiring hero and a dear personal friend."

To read more, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

President Obama Speaks of "A New Moment of Promise" in Africa

In a speech to the representatives of the people of Ghana, President Obama shared his vision for human rights and democracy in Africa’s future, and described what America's role in promoting these in Africa will be.

According to the President, "We must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology," and "Governments that respect the will of their own people are more prosperous, more stable, and more successful than governments that do not."

He continued, "The 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra as well. . . . I can promise you this: America will be with you. As a partner. As a friend."

"Freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom’s foundation."

To read more about President Obama's visit to Ghana, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To listen to the President’s speech, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Canadian PM Meets with Pope

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper today had a Private Audience with Pope Benedict XVI.

"It was an honour to meet Pope Benedict and hear his perspective on a number of important isues, including human rights and an ethical response to the global economic crisis," said the Prime Minister. "I expressed my deep appreciation for the Holy Father's moral and humanitarian leadership as an advocate of human dignity, peace and religious liberty, and for the spiritual leadership he provides to Catholics in Canada and throughout the world."

Folowing his Audience with the Pope and a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, the Prime Minister toured St. Peter's Basilica.

For more on this story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

U.S. President Meets With Pope

As part of his trip to Italy for the G8 Summit, U.S. President Barack Obama (and First Lady Michelle Obama) visited Pope Benedict XVI.

Both the President and the Pope described the meeting as positive, with President Obama saying that it was "a great honor" to meet with and talk to the pontiff. In their conversation, the two discussed issues of agreement such as world poverty, Middle East peace, immigration, and opposition to genocide and violence against civilians during war.

But there was also discussion of issues where the two are very much in disagreement: abortion and stem-cell research. President Obama holds that stem cell research is necessary and that the number of abortions should and can be reduced without outlawing them.

Happy Birthday John Calvin!

Today is the 500th birthday of John Calvin, a leader of the Protestant Reformation and an intellectual giant whose theological reflections and political insights helped pave the way for modern democratic and republican forms of government. As we join our Presbyterian and Reformed sisters and brothers in their celebration of Calvin's birthday, let us reflect on a few of his theological-political insights:

"Equity, being natural, is the same to all mankind; and consequently all laws, on every subject, ought to have the same equity for their end. . . . Now, as it is certain that the law of God, which we call the moral law, is no other than a declaration of natural law, and of that conscience which has been engraven by God on the minds of men, the whole rule of this equity, of which we now speak, is prescribed in it. This equity, therefore, must alone be the scope and rule and end of all laws."

"Magistrates may hence learn what their vocation is, for they are not to rule for their own interest, but for the public good; nor are they endued with unbridled power, for what is restricted to the well-being of their subjects; in short, they are responsible to God and to men in the exercise of their power."

"When their minds are filled with malevolence, corrupted with envy, incensed with wrath, stimulated with revenge, or inflamed with the fervor of contention, so as to diminish charity, all the proceedings of the justest cause are inevitably wicked."

Canadian PM: Canada Founding Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute

The Government of Canada is building on its leadership role in the development of new, clean technologies to fight climate change by helping found a new global partnership to advance carbon capture and storage technologies, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced during the G-8 summit today.

“Canada is already a world leader at using cutting-edge technology to reduce emissions and fight climate change and now, through this new partnership, we are creating more opportunities to share this expertise on the world stage,” said the Prime Minister. "Carbon capture and storage technology has tremendous promise to balance our need for energy with our need to protect the environment."

Canada is joined by Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Norway, China and 13 other nations as founding members of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute. The Institute will be a global centre of expertise and help accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage demonstration projects worldwide. More than 80 major companies and industry associations have also joined the Institute, which will encourage developing countries to apply carbon capture and storage technology to energy production. The development and large-scale deployment of carbon capture and storage has been identified as a critical priority by leaders in the Major Economies Forum.

To read more about this, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Disciples Dialogue With Congressional and Administration Officials about Health Care Reform

A group of Disciples joined nearly 30 leaders of diverse religious communities (Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and Hindu) in the U.S. Capitol building for a day of discussion and strategy on health care reform. Although there were differences of opinion among the group about the specifics of various congressional plans and proposals, there was unanimous agreement that "health care is a right and not a privilege," and that the time for health care reform is now.

The religious leaders heard from and discussed health care issues with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI), Congressman John Dingell (MI), HHS Counselor for Science and Public Health Dora Hughes, and Dr. Mark B. McClellan, Director of the Engleberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institute. There was also a brief press conference covered by the Christian Broadcasting Network, the Religious News Service, the United Methodist News Service, and the Catholic News Service, among others.

Disciples attending the meeting were Dr. Sharon Watkins (General Minister and President), Dr. Michael Kinnamon (General Secretary of the National Council of Churches), Rev. Linda Walling (Dierctor of Faithful Reform in Health Care), and Dr. Ken Brooker Langston (Director of DJAN and Coordinator of the Disciples Center for Public Witness).

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

The Disciples Center for Public Witness, the Disciples Justice Action Network (DJAN), and the Disciples Advocacy & Witness Network (DAWN) in the Christian Church Capital Area wish you, your family, your friends and all your loved ones a very Happy Fourth of July!

May the blessings of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" soon be shared more fully and more equally by all Americans.

New Report on Gender Violence in the DR Congo

Sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa (a partner of KAIROS CANADA), a new and disturbing report details the violence endured by women in conflict zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These stories rarely make the mainstream media in North America, despite the documented role of North American-based resource extraction operations in aggravating the long running conflict. The fate and the resistance of women reaches the news even less often.

FECCLAHA is a long standing human rights and peace-building partner of KAIROS. One of its member councils is the Eglise du Christ au Congo (ECC, the ecumenical Church of Christ in the Congo) which works closely with KAIROS human rights partner Héritier de la Justice to combat gender based violence in Eastern Congo.

To read the report, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Small Group of Religious Leaders Visit White House to Discuss Health Care

A small group of leaders and advocates from diverse religious traditions (Christian, Jewish, and Islamic) were invited to the White House to discuss the Obama Administration's efforts in the area of health care reform. Various aspects of the proposals put forward by the President were explained by White House officials, including Nancy Ann DeParle, Director of the White House Office of Health Care Reform; Joshua DuBois, Director of the White House Office for Faith-Based and Community Partnerships; Paul Monteiro, Associate Director of the Office for Public Engagement; and Alexia Kelley, Director of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Religious leaders expressed appreciation and support for the Administration's efforts to promote health care reform and to do so now. A view strongly shared by all the invited leaders was that, whatever specific proposals were adopted, these should benefit not just the middle class but also the poor and marginalized members of our society.

Representing the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) at this meeting was Dr. Ken Brooker Langston, Director of DJAN (Disciples Justice Action Network) and Coordinator of the Disciples Center for Public Witness.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

The Disciples Center for Public Witness, the Disciples Justice Action Network, and the Disciples Advocacy & Witness Network in the Christian Church Capital Area wish a Happy Canada Day to all our sisters and brothers in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada, our ecumenical sisters and brothers in the Canadian Council of Churches, the United Church of Canada, the Congregational Christian Churches in Canada, Christian Churches and Churches of Christ in Canada, and all our sisters and brothers across the great nation of Canada. Happy Birthday, Canada!

To read a Canada Day message from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read a Canada Day message from Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read a Canada Day message from New Democrat Leader Jack Layton, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read a Canada Day message from Green Leader Elizabeth May, PLEASE CLICK HERE.