Member Church News: Concensus, Solidarity, Advocacy

It is a cry that echoes that of Jeremiah 31:15, “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel, weeping for her children.” This was the plaintive question asked by one of the Presbyterian Church of Myanmar female leaders in response to the humanitarian crisis that was unfolding in her community in Tahan, Myanmar.

Rifaat Fikry was elected for a second term as President of the Dialogue Council of the Evangelical Synod of the Nile.

Peace in Colombia and human rights in Peru were topics for discussion and action during an online workshop.

Peter Makari, the Global Relations Minister of the Middle East and Europe Global Ministries humanitarian organization, which is a partner of the Middle East Council of Churches, headed a delegation from the organization on a visit to Our Lady dispensary affiliated to MECC and located in the Sabtieh region, Lebanon.

Webinar explores obstacles, opportunities, and strategies to combat racism: A World Council of Churches webinar on 25 April explored obstacles, opportunities, and strategies to combat racism, xenophobia, and racial discrimination in the church and in the world. Speakers led an exploration of overcoming obstacles in order to continue the quest for racial justice.

Church leaders in Papua, in a position statement directed toward government officials, said “the current situation is a human tragedy,” expressed grave concern about extrajudicial killings and other violence, and called for immediate measures for a sustainable peace.

Applications invited for WCC Eco-School for Europe and North America region: The fifth edition of the World Council of Churches Eco-School on Water, Food, and Climate Justice, will be held 24-31 July in Crete, Greece. Convening in-person in the Orthodox Academy of Crete, Greece, the event is open to young people under 30 years of age from the Europe and North America region only.

National Christian Council of Sri Lanka releases statement opposing proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA): “The ATA contains vague definitions that could make dissent, including protests and trade union action, acts of terrorism,” reads the statement. “The definition could also make dissenters ‘terrorists.’”

Over one hundred Asian church and ecumenical leaders explored possibilities of introducing consensus decision-making at the the Asian Church and Ecumenical Leaders’ Conference.

Image: Tara Tautari (Methodist Church of New Zealand) and Terence Corkin (Uniting Church in Australia) share models, practices, and opportunities of consensus decision-making for the ecumenical movement in Asia at the ACELC.

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