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The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) proudly announce an historic win in the 2025 World Zionist Congress (WZC) elections.

The post General Synod 2025 will consider a delayed implementation of structural changes appeared first on Reformed Church in America.

The season of Pentecost is always a fresh opportunity to call to mind and give thanks for the movement and inspiration of the Spirit of God, which is at the source of the community of faith we call the Body of Christ, the Church.

The post Congratulations on the United Church of Canada’s 100th anniversary appeared first on The Anglican Church of Canada.

May 29-June 1, Vienna

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep sorrow and solidarity with the people of Mokwa in Niger State, Nigeria, following devastating floods that claimed the lives of more than 200 people, left many others missing and presumed dead, and displaced thousands. 

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay strongly condemned a violent attack on a humanitarian aid convoy in North Darfur, Sudan, which took place on the night of 3 June. 

May 22-24, Syracuse, New York

[World Council of Churches] In their annual Pentecost message, the World Council of Churches presidents, each representing eight regions and church groups around the world, reflect on the meaning of unity in diversity. “In this year, in which all churches have shared a common Easter and therefore have the joy of celebrating a common Pentecost, we, the presidents of the World Council of Churches, greet you in the spirit of Christian love and fellowship,” the message reads at its opening. “Our unity in Christ is driven, empowered and blessed by the Holy Spirit, and the experience of the living Spirit of God empowers us to go on seeking the unity that is God’s gift.” It ends by saying, “Wherever you are, and whatever the most pressing concerns of your churches, may the Holy Spirit bless you with comfort and challenge, with a voice to speak the good news and with the hope of unity.” Read the entire message here.

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe spoke about church leadership in a time of change during a June 3 virtual meeting of the Gathering of Leaders, a group of Episcopal clergy and lay leaders who share experiences and resources through networking events year-round. “I wish there was a little more sight involved in the processes [of change], but Jesus set it up a bit differently, and our faith requires us to step out and, I think, normalize the risk of failure,” said Rowe, a former Gathering of Leaders board member. “I think changing our behavior around the ways in which we experiment and change and treat each other in those processes will make all the difference.” Since the beginning of this year, Rowe has been working on realigning The Episcopal Church. The long-term goal is to help maintain its relevance in a rapidly evolving secular world while continuing its mission for evangelism and compassionately responding to contemporary global challenges, such as the rise in global authoritarianism.  “If we take seriously the work that we’re called to do as the risen body of Christ in the world, we have to be grounded in the practices that will help us do that,” Rowe said. “We talk about collaboration a lot as a church, but what gets rewarded typically is individual achievement, so we often have competing commitments … we’ve got to be able to hold the missional wager as the highest and most important – the idea of making more disciples, of helping people to grow in the depth of their spirituality as the number one goal.” Rowe said the Episcopal Church Center staff is working with the Gathering of Leaders on a pilot program that will help develop and support leaders in all church settings. Founded in 2006 by former Texas Bishop Claude Payne, the Gathering of Leaders is a Christ-oriented source of empowerment and support for church leaders, particularly during times of change, according to the Rev. Jemonde Taylor, rector of St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and co-chair of the Gathering of Leaders’ board. Most members are clergy, but lay membership is also growing. The leaders typically meet a few times a year for retreats centered around hopefulness, peer-to-peer learning, networking, community building and evangelism. “We know with [Rowe’s] degree in systems and organizations that it just makes sense for him to be speaking about leadership in a time of change,” Taylor told Episcopal News Service in advance of the virtual gathering. “I haven’t heard [Rowe] articulate this, but I can also imagine that being in the Gathering of Leaders had an impact on him in the same way, because one of Bishop Payne’s visions was all about leadership in a time of change.” During the virtual gathering, several former and current board members were recognized for their longtime service, including Payne; retired Mississippi Bishop Duncan Gray III, former board chair; Diane Pollard, a lay board member who serves in the House of Deputies representing the Diocese of New York; and board member Scott Bader-Saye, dean and president of the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. “We’re all called to serve and offer our gifts, and it’s been a joy through over 60 years of ordained ministry to be encouraging and to try to follow Christ and to look at possibilities, explore ways,” Payne said. Other members of the Gathering of Leaders who were honored were former director Mary Parmer; former executive director Haley Bankey; former database and program manager Elizabeth Brauza-Hughes; and the Rev. Alicia Hager, rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Hastings, Michigan, and the Gathering of Leaders’ former community and communications curator. “It is my privilege, my pleasure and my honor to have worked with each of you and to be able to say on behalf of the board and on behalf of the community of the Gathering of Leaders, thank you from the bottom of our hearts, every one of you. You rock,” the Rev. Emily Mellott, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Moorestown, New Jersey, and co-chair of the Gathering of Leaders, told all who were recognized for their services. During the meeting’s closing prayer and blessing, former Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said he “thanks God” for the Gathering of Leaders and for Payne’s and Rowe’s leadership in The Episcopal Church. As for leading in a time of change, “we are in a time of transition, and maybe that’s always the case, but it is fitting that we are in Ascensiontide – between the ascension of our Lord into heaven and the coming of the Holy Spirit,” Curry said. “Maybe we are always in that in-between time.” -Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.

Words such as “boldly,” “joyfully” and “courageously” are rooted in an extroverted ideal, but pastor offers another way to view the vision statement.