Global Ministries

Advent and Christmas are magical times for children. It is difficult to sometimes separate the anticipation and fantasy of the secular Christmas with the deep mystery and beauty of the birth of Jesus. So as educators of children we try our best to “tell the Biblical story” surrounded by  spiritual awe and wonder, but I sometimes wonder how close does that resonate to a fantasy, that perhaps surrounds Santa. One of them is real.

The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a coalition of leading national and local Muslim organizations, today announced major educational, outreach and civic empowerment initiatives to address growing Islamophobia in America and to enhance national security through the promotion of freedom and justice.

The Latin America Working Group has posted an in-depth article about US-Cuba relations in the past year since the announcement by President Obama and President Castro that they would be normalizing relations. The LAWG outlines what has been accomplished and what still needs to be accomplished for completely normalized relations between the two countries to be realized. They also offer suggestions as to what can be done in 2016 and ask members of the public to take action by urging their representatives in Congress to co-sponsor 2 specific bills.

More information and the full article can be found here.

Posted Dec 11, 2015 on LatinOne

After Puerto Rico Governor, Alejandro García Padilla, admitted that the country has run out of cash because of its $70 billion debt, the US Congress has thought of some ways to remedy the situation.

CNN Money said the legislative body presented two bills that could help Puerto Rico recover from its humanitarian crisis.

Posted Fri, December 4th, 2015 on SCOTUSblog

For the second time in the current Term, the Supreme Court on Friday agreed to look into the Puerto Rican government’s authority to manage its own affairs.  This time, the commonwealth is seeking an opportunity equal to the states to restructure its public debt.  The island’s debt is massive and still growing.

WASHINGTON: It is gratifying that many faith leaders, media figures, and politicians have denounced the demand by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that Muslims be banned from entering the country. The National Council of Churches joins our voice to those who have expressed outrage at his comments.

A joint statement of the leadership of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

As people of faith, we are called to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength.”  Jesus charges us to “love our neighbor as yourself,” telling us that “there is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).  We are called to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and to “pursue peace with everyone” (Hebrews12:14).

Mere days after terror attacks in Beirut and Paris, the theme of an interfaith meeting of Christians and Muslims at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva on “Religion, Peace and Violence” was entirely appropriate, said participants.

Last week, religious leaders and community members gathered at the Washington National Cathedral for a multi-religious service called, “Beyond Tolerance: A Call to Religious Freedom and Hopeful Action,” followed immediately by a press conference introducing the Religious Freedom Pledge (text below). Washington National Cathedral and Shoulder to Shoulder co-hosted the religious service.

Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries of the Division of Home Missions, in partnership with the Middle East and Europe office of Global Ministries, submitted this statement this week to inform the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee members of some of our key values related to Syrian refugee needs.