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Making Waves is the name of a new ecumenical feminist journal “committed to addressing issues related to women, justice and theology” and to “working to free the church and society from racism, ageism, sexism and classism and from teachings and practices that discriminate against women”. Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada will produce the journal; the first issue is scheduled to be published this fall. WICC is a national, ecumenical organization of women representing Anglican, Baptist, Disciples of Christ, Evangelical Lutheran, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Religious Society of Friends, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army and United Churches. The Mennonite Brethren Church is not a member. – Voices For Non-violence
“Rhythms of Life: Connecting Faith and Culture” is the theme for the Mennonite Health Assembly Mar. 22-25, 2001 in Albuquerque, N.M. Sponsored by Mennonite Health Services and Mennonite Mutual Aid, this four-day conference will offer resources for connecting faith to the ministry of health care; personal and professional growth; and fellowship. Chaplains, administrators, counsellors, physicians, trustees, nurses and disability service providers will be among those expected to attend. – Mennonite Health Services
Rose Stutzman has been named director of Herald Press Congregational Publishing, a new arrangement that came into effect this August. Stutzman will be responsible for curriculum, periodicals and church supplies produced by Herald Press and Faith & Life Press. The two Mennonite publishers are currently merging their operations because their parent denominations (Mennonite Church and General Conference Mennonite Church) are merging. Stutzman joined Herald Press in 1995 as an editor of children’s education with responsibilities for products such as the Then and Now VBS curriculum, Story Friends and the Jubilee Sunday school curriculum. A replacement is being sought to carry out her current editorial responsibilities. – Herald Press
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment Canada have formed an alliance. ACMC Canada sells literature and offers training seminars in evangelism. EFC is a national association of evangelical denominations, churches, para-church organizations and educational institutions. The alliance would make ACMC resources more available to EFC members. Scott Forbes has been appointed executive director of ACMC Canada. He will assume ACMC Canada responsibilities while maintaining his current position as director of global ministries at Heritage Baptist College and Seminary in Cambridge, Ont. – Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
The Boy Scouts of America can continue to bar homosexuals from serving as troop leaders, the US Supreme Court ruled June 28. In a 5-4 decision, the Court said forcing the Scouts to accept homosexuals as troop leaders would violate the organization’s First Amendment rights to free expression and free association. The Court’s action reverses a New Jersey Supreme Court decision that found the Scouts are a “public accommodation” and as such must not discriminate against homosexuals. – Evangelical Press News Service
An extensive survey of religious life was conducted over five years by over 40 participating faith groups representing 95% of worshippers in the US. The survey was conducted by a coalition known as Faith Communities Today (FACT), which included Mennonite Church USA (made up of General Conference Mennonite Church and Mennonite Church); mainline, Pentecostal, evangelical, independent, Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches; Jews; Muslims; Mormons; and Baha’i. Preliminary analysis of the responses shows that most of the congregations consider themselves “spiritually vital and alive”; 48% reported that the number of regularly participating adults has grown since 1995; 55% of congregations reported that “most” or “almost all” of high school youth of adult members are involved in the religious life of the congregation, and 27% said that “some” of their members’ high school children were involved. Each faith group was responsible for gathering its own data through statistically valid samples and will develop its own follow-up programs. The groups used about 190 questions from a common “core questionnaire”, and some groups, including Mennonites, added specialized questions for their constituencies. – General Conference Mennonite Church
Lab-in-a-Suitcase is a new medical diagnostic kit that is credited with saving lives that would have been lost due to distance and lack of supplies. It is a portable, compact and inexpensive laboratory that can be transported to remote areas. It provides 85% of the basic diagnostic work required for accurate, reliable diagnosis of the most common diseases, including malaria, Hepatitis B, HIV, tuberculosis and syphilis. Lab-in-a-Suitcase is a program of International Aid’s Medical Equipment Services and is currently being used in over 30 countries, including Sudan, Haiti, Myanmar and Mozambique. – EPNS
Photo of prolife activist taken by journalist Sue Careless. Although she was carrying a press card and was not participating in the demonstration, Careless was subsequently arrested, her camera and film seized by police. |
Sue Careless, freelance photojournalist and a member of the Canadian Church Press, wrote an extensive article for The Globe and Mail (“Shattering press freedom”, Aug. 10), decrying harassment of journalists by Canadian police. On Oct. 15, 1999, Careless was arrested in front of a Toronto abortion clinic while trying to take photos of police arresting a peaceful, prolife activist. Police also seized her camera and film as evidence. Careless explains that she was not part of the demonstration and was carrying a press card. Still, she was arrested along with two other journalists and the one demonstrator. She also says that she was never given full disclosure of the evidence against her. The Crown prosecutor withdrew the charge July 28, acknowledging that “there is no reasonable possibility of a conviction”. Charges against the other two journalists were dropped five weeks earlier. In the article, Careless lists six other journalists who have been arrested at demonstrations since August 1999. Charges against all but one of them have been dropped. She writes: “It is not for the police to determine what is a newsworthy event or what should reach the eyes and ears of the public. Journalists must have access to public property to pursue news stories. Photographers and reporters should be able to cover controversial stories without fear of intimidation by the authorities. . . . Police should not interfere with the news-gathering process.” – The Globe and Mail
“Clusters of Death: The Mennonite Central Committee Global Report on Cluster Bomb Use and Production” calls for a moratorium on the use of cluster bombs. The report, released Aug. 7, highlights the suffering of civilians from inaccurate targeting and unexploded military devices. It provides detailed information about the US and Russian cluster bomb arsenals and underlines the strategic role cluster bombs have in these two countries’ militaries. It also examines the use of cluster weapons by the government of Sudan against the civilian population during that country’s ongoing civil war. Virgil Wiebe of Georgetown University and Titus Peachey of MCC US authored the report. The report’s release coincided with the release of another report, “Cluster Bombs: The Military Effectiveness and Impact on Civilians of Cluster Munitions” by Rae McGrath. McGrath is an independent consultant with the United Kingdom Working Group on Landmines, a London-based partner of MCC. McGrath’s report examines cluster bomb design, types of injuries caused by their use, the question of “dud rates” and case studies in places such as Laos, Iraq, Chechnya and Kosovo. Both reports will be sent to key people in the US Congress. The MCC report is available, for $10 US, from Titus Peachey, MCC US, Box 500, Akron, PA 17501, e-mail tmp@mccus.org. – Mennonite Central Committee
Integrated Ministries is a program of the US MB Conference that in 1988 set a goal of starting “30 new viable” churches among immigrant groups by the year 2000. The program has surpassed that goal. New churches include 20 Slavic/Russian churches with over 10,000 in weekly attendance, seven Korean churches with 700 attenders, 10 Hispanic churches with over 600 attenders, two Japanese churches (started by the Japan MB Conference), five Ethiopian churches with over 700 attenders, and one Chinese church. – The Christian Leader
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Last modified October 20, 2000.
© 2000 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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