Member Church News: Celebrations, Visits, Reparations

The United Church of Canada provides resources for congregations to celebrate the Indigenous Day of Prayer (18 June 2023), including two new worship resources: “The Sacred Drum: Celebrating Indigenous Spirituality and Strength,” and “The Possibility of New Beginnings.”

At its General Synod, the Reformed Church in America celebrated five decades of women’s ordination.

The United Church of Christ in the Philippines issued a pastoral letter marking the country’s 125th anniversary of independence: Let Freedom, Justice, and Peace Reign in Our Land!

J. Herbert Nelson, II, will conclude seven years as stated clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) at the end of June. In a series of videos, Nelson reflects on his time as the stated clerk: part one, part two.

In the United States, a reparations campaign takes new forms with Bible study and a Juneteenth march.

In May a training course for pastors was held in Lebanon, organized by the Communion Protestante Luthéro-Réformée. It brought together 15 pastors from the Eglise Protestante Unie de France, Union des Eglises Protestantes d’Alsace et de Lorraine, and Eglise Protestante Unie de Belgique.

A Council for World Mission delegation visited educational institutes and churches in Hong Kong while the CWM’s Annual Members’ Meeting presented an opportunity for delegates to gain exposure to different communities in Presbyterian Church in Taiwan through Sunday worship services and mission exposure.

Reformed Worship provides resources for “a challenge for today’s Christians:” Three services for the Pentecost season in response to the Great Commission.

On 6 June, faith groups across North America came together to launch the Apartheid Free Communities Initiative. Convened by the American Friends Service Committee, this coalition brings together over 100 congregations, faith groups, and organizations as an interdenominational campaign working to end the crime of apartheid committed against Palestinians.

The Inter-Church Dialogue for Peace (DIPAZ) celebrated the good news of the closing of the third cycle of dialogue between the Colombian government and the ELN in Cuba.

Global child-led webinar on Africa Day of the Child explores perspectives on global financial justice: A webinar on 16 June, co-organized by the World Council of Churches in collaboration with partners, will highlight how children, often overlooked as victims of global injustice, possess the inherent power to ignite transformative change.

At a memorial service in Nairobi, tributes pour in for the late Agnes Abuom: Amidst a global outpouring, tributes and condolences at a memorial service, Agnes Regina Murei Abuom was celebrated as bold Christian, peacemaker, and resolute ecumenist.

_{Image: CWM visit to Taiwan.}