WCC NEWS: WCC presidents on Pentecost “The Holy Spirit moves the church towards a new vision”

The regional presidents of the World Council of Churches (WCC) shared a message for Pentecost, “The Holy Spirit moves the church towards a new vision.” A symbol of the trinity, cross and resurrection decorates the pulpit in the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, March 2020, Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 31 May 2022 he presidents recalled the commitment of the church to bring good news to those who suffer the most from armed conflicts, from the harmful effects of economic ambition throughout this time of pandemic, and from the devastating damages that we have caused the planet. “Acts 1 and 2 relate that, in Jerusalem, the apostles received the promise of the power to witness and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit to bring the good news to all ends of the earth,” the message reads. “It is not until Act 8 that these geographical advances in evangelisation are reported: not through the mouths of the apostles but instead though Philip, a deacon.” This happens as a consequence of the persecution against the church, the message notes. “In the Acts, the Holy Spirit brings new gifts, new ways to evangelise, new places to reach, new ways to live life, and pathways to reach those who have been discriminated against; it takes lives lived in the service of persecution and death and transforms them into lives in the service of Christ’s name and his good news; it gives power to confront political, military, and economic powers,” the message reads. “The church understood the need to build safe spaces and thus save lives.” The message concludes with a prayer that the impetus of this Spirit continues to move the world in the direction of safe spaces. “That it keeps putting words of eternal life into the mouth of the church,” the message concludes. “That its creativity is manifested through its unexpected actions and that, through its breath of life, takes us wherever it wishes.”   Read the message See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

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LL Stories May 31, 2022 Where are the safe spaces? “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more” (Matthew 2:18). A grocery store. A. … continue Pastoral care amid crisis Instead of preaching inside pristine chapels, Ray Stubbe preached outside in foxholes. Instead of worrying about low attendance on Sunday morning, the 20-something chaplain conducted impromptu … continue ELCA issues response to school shooting in Uvalde, Texas The ELCA has issued a response following the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. "The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America grieves with the families of the 19 students … continue

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RNS Morning Report: SBC list includes hundreds of abuse cases since 1960s

Quote of the Day “Each entry in this list reminds us of the devastation and destruction brought about by sexual abuse. Our prayer is that the survivors of these heinous acts find hope and healing, and that churches will utilize this list proactively to protect and care for the most vulnerable among us.” – SBC Executive Committee Chairman Rolland Slade and interim president/CEO Willie McLaurin Top Stories Southern Baptist list includes hundreds of cases of abuse, beginning in the 1960s (RNS) — Southern Baptist leaders began compiling the list in 2007, when the convention was considering creating a database of abusers. 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In Other News The truth behind Indian extremists’ anti-Muslim ‘great replacement theory’ Weapons that can cause ‘grave damage’ aren’t sacred, Texas bishop fumes Talk to Us We want your feedback on the RNS Morning Report — what you think we're doing right and what we should be doing differently. Send us an email at Comments@ReligionNews.com Subscribe to other RNS Newsletters. Forward this email to a friend. View the archive of past newsletters. Religion News Service is free to read, but it's not free to produce. If you value our reporting, please consider making a donation today. Yes, I support the work you're doing! Forward this email to a friend