Short stuff

Congolese Mennonites are relieved their country successfully held national elections this year after decades of corrupt dictatorship and two recent wars, said Pascal Kulungu, a Mennonite Brethren leader in the capital, Kinshasa. Although accompanied by fears of widespread violence, the process concluded relatively peacefully and culminated in the Dec. 6 inauguration of incumbent Joseph Kabila. A total of 40 Congolese Mennonites, including Kulungu, ran for parliament and 3 were elected in a field of more than 9,000 candidates. Kulungu was not elected.

—MCC

What really unites Pentecostals? Although speaking in tongues was at the heart of the movement’s founding, that gift ranks much lower today than healings and faith in the prosperity gospel, according to a recent survey of Pentecostals in 10 countries by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. It suggests “Pentecostalized Christianity is nearly synonymous with the prosperity gospel.” Christianity Today’s Ted Olsen comments we need to listen to Christians in the majority world but also proclaim biblical truths that counter the “health and wealth” message.

—Christianity Today

Photo: John Hiebert

Salome Hiebert was recognized for more than 40 years of “extraordinary volunteer service at Fort Garry MB Church (FGMB) and in the larger church and community,” as a recipient of The Anita Neville Volunteer Award in Winnipeg Nov. 19. Over 43 years, Salome, together with her husband Jake, has led Bible studies, hosted new members’ suppers, hosted and taught hundreds of international students, been a member and leader of the caregivers (deacons), been a pastor to women, served on council, provided childcare for MOMs, and more.

—FGMB

It doesn’t have to be fancy or perfect (pizza is fine), just regular. And it makes all the difference in the world. That’s the message Miriam Weinstein promotes in The Surprising Power of Family Meals: How Eating Together Makes Us Smarter, Stronger, Healthier and Happier. Weinstein cites Columbia University research showing that the one thing differentiating kids who “engaged in risky behaviours” from those who didn’t was eating family dinners. (And 5 nights a week was better than 2.)

—Globe and Mail

Number five: South Africa became the fifth country to legalize gay marriage, when the acting president signed a landmark bill into law Nov. 30. It is the first African country to redefine marriage. South African Christians spoke out in opposition. The other countries that recognize marriage between homosexual couples are Canada, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

—Evangelical Press News

One man, one woman: In light of Parliament’s December vote, 175 to 123 against re-opening the marriage debate, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada said it will continue to maintain that the institution of marriage is the public covenanting together of a man and a woman in a loving, enduring, and exclusive relationship. This understanding was elaborated in the Declaration of Marriage signed by Canadian religious leaders from various faiths (see MBH Dec. 15).

—EFC

There were only two Canadian students among 250 youth at a United Nations conference on global telecommunications and the developing world held in Hong Kong in December, and Michael Alty of Canadian Mennonite University was one of them. The third year political studies major from Winnipeg, and member of Crossroads MB Church, was selected on the basis of an essay he wrote about the importance of embracing simple technologies to help alleviate disasters in the developing world. Alty also represented Canada at a special UN conference on youth and poverty in New York a year ago.

—CMU

The M2/W2 Association, a restorative Christian ministry in prison settings, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 3 locations in B.C. last fall: Kamloops, Richmond, and Abbotsford. The events, which raised some $17,000, included music and drama, as well as a powerpoint presentation. The association undertook two major projects to celebrate, the book Whatever You Did For One . . . You Did For Me, and a video of volunteers and former prisoners.

—Timelines

The “blue-collar opera” that comprises World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) draws on biblical images of “power, destruction, revenge and judgment,” said Hugh S. Pyper of England’s University of Sheffield, speaking at a Society of Biblical Literature meeting in Scotland. Citing names and language used and the creative role of WWE owner–impresario Vincent McMahon as evidence, Pyper urged fellow academics not to dismiss popular use of religious imagery such as appears in the wrestling spectacle.

—Christian Century

Outreach to Muslims at home and abroad has been hindered by the war in Iraq and by Christians’ ignorance of the Islamic faith, asserted Tony Campolo at the Montreal Mission Fest. He called for more training for Christians in using the Qur’an for debate and use of studies by Islamic scholars such as Bernard Lewis. Campolo also called for partnership with the Christian church in Jordan, where thousands of Christian refugees from Palestine, Iraq, and other countries are fleeing every month.

—ChristianWeek