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A new network of young people, ages 20-30, has formed a cohort called “Ecumenical voices of youth ambassadors”, to articulate a vision of rooted in justice, unity, and reconciliation. 

Mishael Nouveau has resigned as office manager for the Church of the Brethren’s Ministry Office as of June 27. Her work has been based at the denomination’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill., where she has served for seven years since Jan. 29, 2018.

One hundred years after the United Church of Canada was founded as a bold experiment in church union, an article published in The Ecumenical Review addresses its transformation from being an early mission-driven church union to its engagement with contemporary issues.

Participants in the World Council of Churches Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) 60th meeting in Athens, Greece had a unique opportunity of encounter at the Ecumenical Refugee Programme “Synyparxis,” operating shelters for unaccompanied minors across Greece.

Churches in South Sudan have begun peace prayers for the country that will last for 70 days. Rev. Tut Kony Nyang Kon, general secretary of the South Sudan Council of Churches, announced the prayers on 9 June, as a complex crisis, underlined by armed conflicts, food insecurity, and displacement continued to unfold in the world’s youngest nation.

The Bahá’í World News Service is now available in the Chinese-language, marking a notable enhancement since its establishment 25 years ago.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is mourning the passing of Rev. Antje Hanselmann, from the Evangelical Church in Northern Germany.

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe released a letter to The Episcopal Church on June 11 responding to a series of Trump administration policies on migration and immigration, including the use of the military for crowd control at protests. After federal agents conducted immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles on June 6, protesters clashed with law enforcement in parts of the city over the weekend. Trump, against the wishes of California leaders, ordered the California National Guard to deploy thousands of soldiers to assist. His administration also has deployed Marines to the city to secure federal properties. California leaders have sued the Trump administration to reverse the decision to send in troops. Rowe’s letter, titled “Acting Faithfully in Troubling Times,” calls such military deployments “a dangerous turn” in President Donald Trump’s attacks on his political opponents and his administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown. He also amplified a statement issued June 10 by the bishops of California’s six Episcopal dioceses. Trump also has faced criticism for a separate policy, restricting travel to the United States from 19 countries. Rowe, in his letter, said he had written to Anglican leaders in those countries expressing his concern about Trump’s new travel ban. “At its best, our church is capable of moral clarity and resolute commitment to justice. I believe we can bring those strengths to bear on this gathering storm.” The following is the full text of Rowe’s letter. Dear people of God in The Episcopal Church: I am writing to you from Geneva, where I am meeting with global partners at the World Council of Churches and the United Nations Refugee Agency. As we have discussed how our institutions might act faithfully and boldly in these turbulent times, I have been reflecting on how we Episcopalians can respond to what is unfolding around us as followers of the Risen Christ whose first allegiance is to the kingdom of God, not to any nation or political party. The events of the last several days lend urgency to this spiritual challenge. Earlier this week, President Trump’s executive order banning or restricting travel from 19 countries went into effect. This order impacts countries that are home to dioceses of The Episcopal Church and many of our Anglican Communion partners, and I have written to the bishops and primates in those countries to express our concern. The unwarranted deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps on the streets of Los Angeles also signals a dangerous turn. As the bishops of California have written, these military deployments risk escalating the confrontations unnecessarily and set a dangerous precedent for future deployments that heighten tensions rather than resolve them. As Christians committed to strive for justice and peace among all people, we know that there is a better way. What we are witnessing is the kind of distortion that arises when institutions like the military and the State Department are turned on the people they were meant to protect. These mainstays of the federal government, designed to safeguard civil society and promote peace and stability, are now being weaponized for political advantage. The violence on television is not our only risk. We are also seeing federal budget proposals that would shift resources from the poor to the wealthy; due process being denied to immigrants; and the defunding of essential public health, social service, and foreign aid programs that have long fulfilled the Gospel mandate to care for the vulnerable, children, and those who are hungry and sick. With all of this in mind, we are finding ways to respond as Christians to what we see happening around us. We are exploring options to support litigation challenging the travel ban on the ground of religious freedom; advocating for federal spending that safeguards the welfare of the most vulnerable; caring for immigrants and refugees in our congregations and communities; and standing in solidarity with other faith groups. In short, we are practicing institutional resistance rooted not in partisan allegiance, but in Christian conviction. At its best, our church is capable of moral clarity and resolute commitment to justice. I believe we can bring those strengths to bear on this gathering storm. Churches like ours, protected by the First Amendment and practiced in galvanizing people of goodwill, may be some of the last institutions capable of resisting the injustice now being promulgated. That is not a role we sought—but it is one we are called to. In Geneva, I have been reminded that we are part of a global communion of hope in the Risen Christ. We do not stand alone as we live by our baptismal promises: to persevere in resisting evil, to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being. In these troubling times, may we find courage and resilience in our identity as members of the Body of Christ. Yours in Christ, The Most Rev. Sean Rowe Presiding Bishop The Episcopal Church

On Monday, a civilian ship that was bound for Gaza, carrying aid and a dozen committed volunteers, was intercepted by the Israeli military and prevented from continuing its journey to Gaza. The activists on board the Madleen were attempting to…

The post A Joint Prayer on the Aid Blockade in Gaza appeared first on United Church of Christ.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Faith and Order Commission, in collaboration with Christian World Communions, will host a webinar titled “Unity of the Church: Anglican Perspectives and Ecumenical Responses” on 16 June.