Christmas Eve Televised Service from National Council of Churches

The following information comes to you from Dr. Richard Guentert,
Regional Minister and President:

The National Council of Churches presents a full hour-long program to be
carried on 190 CBS stations across the country on Christmas Eve, in most
areas in the same time period David Letterman us usually scheduled
(11:35 pm Eastern/10:35 Central). Thanks for helping us spread the news
of this special NCC program to those who might otherwise miss seeing it.

A 10-minute preview of the CBS Christmas Eve program can be found on
YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMBYTPfzChA

The NCC will run this link on the NCC website. Please share it with
colleagues, mailing lists, friends and family in your email
correspondence in upcoming days.

Blessings on your Advent.

World Reformed grouping and Disciples body seek closer ties

by Ecumenical News International

GENEVA — Two global bodies grouping Protestant Christians — the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council (DECC) — say they are looking to establish a closer relationship.

“It is significant that several united churches around the world are already members of both bodies and have been a voice encouraging us to pursue closer relationships in the future,” said the Rev. Robert Welsh, the general secretary of DECC. The president of the WARC is former Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick.

The Geneva-based WARC said in an Aug. 11 statement that leaders of the two groups had agreed at a meeting in Nashville, TN at the end of July to continue talking about “the development of a comprehensive partnership in pursuit of the visible unity of the Church.”

WARC general secretary the Rev. Setri Nyomi said the Nashville meeting marked a “potentially significant” step in the pursuit of Christian unity. “We welcome this important move.”

WARC has roots in the 16th-century Reformation led by John Calvin, John Knox and others, as well as in earlier church reform movements such as the Waldensians in the Piedmont valleys of Italy, and the followers of Jan Hus in the Czech lands. It brings together 75 million Christians in 214 churches.

The Disciples of Christ (which in some parts of the world is known as Churches of Christ), grew out of an early 19th century movement with origins in both the United Kingdom and the U.S.A. The DECC is a council of 19 Disciples of Christ, Churches of Christ, United and Uniting churches established in 1979, and represents 4.5 million Christians around the world.

In October 2007, WARC agreed to merge with the Reformed Ecumenical Council, with which it has an overlapping membership, to form the World Communion of Reformed Churches in 2010.

The DECC member churches are to consider a proposal that DECC become an associate member of WCRC to allow closer ties in relation to the programs and governance of the new communion of churches.

New Moderator Elected for Presbyterians

From Presbyterian News Service:

The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, 39, an energetic new church development pastor in San Francisco and leader in the "emergent church" movement, was elected moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Saturday night (June 21), capturing a second ballot victory.
Reyes-Chow — who received 48 percent of the first ballot votes — won an easy majority on the second ballot with 390 votes or 55 percent.

The Rev. William "Bill" Teng of National Capital Presbytery finished second with 255 votes or 36 percent. The Rev. D. Carl Mazza of New Castle Presbytery finished third with 52 votes or 7 percent. Elder Roger Shoemaker of Homestead Presbytery trailed with seven votes or 1 percent.

Reyes-Chow is pastor of Mission Bay Community Church, an innovative new church of San Francisco Presbytery that was recently named winner of a 2007 Sam and Helen Walton Award for outstanding new church development. In his address to the Assembly, he noted that he makes as many pastoral calls by email as by in-person visitation.

Such is the future of ministry, Reyes-Chow said. Mission Bay has a state-of-the-art Web site and extensive electronic communications among members and participants, which he said is absolutely essential for a congregation that is predominantly under-40. (Read more.)

Photo credit: The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow was elected moderator of the 218th General Assembly. Photo by Joseph Williams