News Archive
Latest articles published by ENInews. Full text articles are available only to subscribers apart from the featured articles highlighted.
France will have new denomination with Protestant merger
Paris, 16 May. After years of preparation, a new Christian denomination will be formed this week in France when two synods meet in the eastern town of Belfort, a location historically important in the growth of Protestantism.
Syrian Christians live in uneasy alliance with Bashar Assad
Damascus, Syria, 15 May.
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Greek churches "face disaster" as crisis deepens
, 15 May. A senior Greek Protestant has warned that minority denominations "face disaster" due to the country's worsening economic crisis.
Japan disaster victims still "isolated and uncertain," says Christian relief network
, 15 May. Many victims of the 11 March 2011 northeast Japan earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant disaster are still "feeling isolated and uncertain about their future," a Japanese interdenominational relief network reports.
In Cameroon, new churches sprout, many illegally
Yaounde, Cameroon, 14 May. New religious movements in Cameroon are promising quick fixes to the many problems facing the country, but established churches are concerned that the newcomers are offering people false hope. In addition, the government is having trouble controlling the spread of the illegal churches.
Indonesian authorities restrict places of worship after Muslim protests
, 14 May. Indonesian authorities have closed and sealed off 17 Christian places of worship in the Aceh Singkil district in the past two weeks after Muslim protests on 30 April.
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Reformed church gathering to focus on Christian unity, finances
, 11 May. Church unity, justice, peace, and financial issues are at the heart of discussions as the senior decision making body of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) opened its annual meeting on 10 May in Berastagi, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Dutch criticize Mormon baptism-by-proxy of royals
Utrecht, The Netherlands, 11 May. There is public criticism in the Netherlands of the Mormon practice of baptism by proxy after a Dutch newspaper revealed 9 May that several members of the royal family were posthumously "baptized" into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, colloquially known as the Mormon church.
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Ugandan faith leaders urge transparency after oil discovery
, 10 May. In Uganda, faith leaders are joining citizens in demanding openness in the handling of recently-discovered crude oil, which is inspiring hope for a better future for the East African country.
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North Carolina approves ban on same-sex marriage
Wilmington, North Carolina, 10 May. The sign outside the polling station at Devon Park United Methodist Church in Wilmington, North Carolina exemplified the struggle with an amendment to the state's constitution that bans same-sex marriage.
Mayan spirituality behind peacemaking, says Niwano prize winner
Tokyo, 10 May. An award-winning human rights activist from Guatemala has said that principles of Mayan indigenous spirituality -- respecting people, nature and spiritual living -- is behind her peacemaking effort.
Anglican-Roman Catholic meeting ponders ecumenical dialogue
Hong Kong, 9 May. As the 4 to 10 May meeting of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) drew to a close, participants emphasized the importance of social witness and openness in ecumenical dialogue.
Church leaders defend Philippines in dispute with China
Baguio City, Philippines, 9 May. Philippine church leaders have joined efforts aimed at defending their country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, which they say are under threat by an emerging power in Asia -- China
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Occupy Faith members announce a new pilgrimage to Canterbury
London, 8 May. A group of faith leaders announced on 8 May in London's St. Paul's Cathedral that a new pilgrimage to Canterbury is planned for this summer to protest unjust economic systems in the 21st century.
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'Ecumenical accompaniment' aids victims of violence in Colombia
, 8 May. An ecumenical project to document the plight of people in the violence-ridden Montes de María and San Onofre region of Colombia is beginning to gain international attention.
Ecumenical panel kicks off UN forum on indigenous issues
New York, 8 May. Several faith groups were among the sponsors of a U.N. panel session on 7 May called "Churches Disavow the Doctrine of Discovery: Calling for Poverty Alleviation and Healing," which sought to address various issues facing indigenous peoples, including education and land rights.
Orthodox patriarch calls Putin Russia's legitimate leader
Moscow, 7 May. Following Vladimir Putin's inauguration to a third term as President of Russia at the Kremlin on 7 May, Patriarch Kirill I of the Russian Orthodox Church held a prayer service for his health and successful rule and praised him as Russia's legitimate leader.
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Worshippers told 'migrant workers must not become scapegoats'
London, 7 May. Migrant workers in the U.K. must not become scapegoats or targets of popular frustration with the economy, a Catholic bishop told worshippers on 7 May at the 7th annual Mass for Migrants at Westminster Cathedral.
French faith groups hope for unity after presidential vote
Paris, 7 May. Faith groups in France revealed marked political differences in voting surveys ahead of the 6 May presidential election, but many now hope that victor François Hollande will uphold the "values of the republic" during his mandate.
Theologian sees links between Christianity and African traditional religion
Nairobi, Kenya, 4 May. When a missionary asked Africans in Zanzibar to tell him something about their God, they simply said, "God thunders!" The cleric had travelled across the seas in the 19th century to tell "the heathens without religion" or "people with a primitive religion" about God.