The Massachusetts Council of Churches is an ecumenical partnership of seventeen Orthodox and Protestant churches/denominations in the state, with approximately 1700 congregations

On Tuesday September 7, 2010, a large gathering of inter-religious leaders, including many Board Members of the Massachusetts Council of Churches, issued a new inter-faith statement calling for tolerance in the wake of escalating fear and violence towards the Muslim community. All religious leaders, lay and ordained, are invited to sign the statement: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tobigotrynosanction/
 
Please forward this email on to your friends, church and colleagues and post the statement to your social networking sites. We hope this statement will be used in your congregations to continue conversations about religious tolerance and the freedom to worship in America.



The Rev. Nancy S. Taylor of Old South Church, a United Church of Christ
congregation in Boston's Back Bay, standing with a gathering of inter-
faith leaders speaking out for religious tolerance.


The statement has generated much local media coverage, including the Boston Globe, State House News Service, WBUR, local television and political blogs such as Blue Mass Group. New England Cable News had a long video segment available here ( http://www.necn.com/09/07/10/-Islam/landing_nation.html?blockID=305879) . 

As the Boston Globe reported
(http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/09/08/interfaith_group_rallies_on_beacon_hill_vs_anti_muslim_rhetoric/) "We cannot and will not remain silent in the face of the surge of fear about, and threats against, Islam and Muslim-Americans,'' said the Rev. Nancy S. Taylor of Old South Church, a United Church of Christ congregation in Boston's Back Bay. "We denounce terrorism, no matter who it's done by. At the same time, we reject the wholesale equation of terrorism to Islam.''

Thanks to the MCC board members and staff who were able attend the press conference and worked quickly over the past two weeks to bring about this important statement on our behalf: the Rev. Dr. Jim Antal (United Church of Christ), the Rev. Judy Hoehler (Unitarian Universalist Association), Alex Levering Kern (Religious Society of Friends-Quaker), the Rev. John Stendahl (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), the Rev. Dr. Thomas Wintle (Unitarian Universalist Association), MCC Executive Director the Rev. Jack Johnson, MCC Associate Director Laura Everett, and MCC Administrative Coordinator Fred Hayes.

At the same time, our ecumenical colleagues at the National Council of Churches in Christ participated in a major press event at the National Press Club, featuring NCCC General Secretary Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, The Rev. A. Roy Medley, general secretary of American Baptist Churches USA, and The Rev. Richard Cizik, president of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good. You can watch the CSPAN coverage here (http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/295331-1)  or read the NCCC statements here (http://www.ncccusa.org/news/100907interfaithpressconference.html)
 
Thank you for continuing to support the Massachusetts Council of Churches as we engage in sustained inter-religious work. Again, we encourage you to share this powerful statement: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tobigotrynosanction/
 
 

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The Fall 2010 Council Newsletter "Intersect"

Take Back Your Time Poster

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Group at council@masscouncilofchurches.org .

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Save the Date!

The Massachusetts Council of Churches
Ecumenical Dinner 2010
Boston College

The Heights Room

Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

November 6, 2010
5:30 pm Reception
6:30 pm Dinner
Keynote Speaker: Brian McLaren

Tickets are available for $35 per person from the

Massachusetts Council of Churches

14 Beacon Street - #416

Boston, MA 02108

For more information call 617-523-2771

or email: council@masscouncilofchurches.org

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Ecumenical Vigil for the

Tragedy in the Gulf at

Boston's Old South Church

Over one hundred persons gathered on Wednesday evening, July 7,  from our different faith traditions to pray for God's care for the natural resources endangered and the human consequences of this ongoing tragedy.

The offering which will be directed to Church World Service for outreach efforts in the Gulf of Mexico raised over $700.

The Prayer for the Gulf of Mexico, written by the Reverend John Stendahl, a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Council of Churches and the Pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Newtons was our centering prayer.

We are asking that you, your church, or your organization may continue to pray this prayer both an act of an ecumenical witness and as a raising of a spiritual awareness of the ongoing tragedy. We would hope that Christians throughout the Commonwealth will pray together this prayer as we continue to face the difficult days ahead.

Prayer for the Gulf of Mexico

Ecumenical Prayer Vigil - Order of Service

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                     Prayer for the Gulf of Mexico


Holy God,
out of the waters you brought forth life:
plankton and fish, grasses and birds,
dolphins and whales,
leviathan for the sheer joy of it,
and us as your stewards of your creation.
But now our greed and carelessness
have despoiled it,
death belches up into the water,
your creatures are perishing,
the coastlands befouled.
We pray for all this disaster’s victims.
In Jesus’ name, hear our grief,
forgive our folly,
give us courage for action and
sacrifice,
and, please, let not your
beautiful creation
be forever lost.
Amen
                                       

                                 The Rev. John K. Stendahl

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Creation Care Program

Ian Mevorach, a doctoral student of social and ecological ethics at Boston University School of Theology is a new student intern with the Council. Ian will be spending the summer working on a joint program with the Council and The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts on providing Creation Care workshops at local churches to enable congregations in learning about eco-justice and exploring ways to take action in their communities.

Click here to read more about the Creation Care program

Comprehensive Climate and Energy Legislation Petition

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The 2010 Ecumenical Luncheon

Commission on Christian Unity

The Commission on Christian Unity met on Monday, May 3rd, to welcome The Rt. Rev. Dr. Geervarghese Mar Theodosius, Bishop for the Diocese of North America and Europe for the Mar Thoma Church. The luncheon was hosted by the Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris, Suffragan Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts at the offices of the Diocese in Boston. Mar Theodosius presented a talk to the Commission entitled, "The Ecumenical Witness of the Mar Thoma Church. Click here for text of Mar Theodosius Remarks The members of the Commission and Mar Theodosius engaged in a spirited discussion following his remarks.

Pictured from left to Right: The Rev. Dr. Frederick Moser (Moderator: Commission on Christian Unity), The Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris (Suffragan Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts), Mar Theodosius (Bishop for the Diocese of North America and Europe), The Rev. Jack Johnson (Executive Director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches), The Rev. K.C. Varughese (Pastor of the Carmel Mar Thoma Church in Hudson, Mass.)

Mar Theodosius Appoints Representative to the Commission on Christian Unity

The Council is also pleased to announce that in the week following the Luncheon we received an announcement from Mar Theodosius that he has appointed Dr. Jesudas Athyal of the Carmel Mar Thoma Church in Hudson, Massachusetts as a member of the Commission on Christian Unity representing the Mar Thoma Church.

Ms. Laura Everett, Associate Director, and the Rev. Jack Johnson, Executive Director,  receive a certificate acknowledging the work of the Council in providing education on the negative impact of predatory gambling from Kathleen Conley-Norbut, LMHC, President of United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts. Laura Everett is spearheading the Council's important work in this area. The certificate was presented at the press briefing on March 31.

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Church Leaders Gather with Cardinal Sean O'Malley

Church Leaders gathered to share with Cardinal Sean O'Malley his reflection on his recent trip to Haiti. Pictured  above are Laura Everett, Associate Director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches;  Rev. Dr. James Antal, President and Minister of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ; Bishop Gideon Thompson, President, Black Ministerial Alliance; Rev. Jack Johnson, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches; Right Rev. Roy F. (Bud) Cederholm, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts; Bishop Peter Weaver, United Methodist Bishop of the New England area; and Cardinal Sean O'Malley of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Also joining the meeting but not pictured was Metropolitan Methodius of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston and the Rev. Wayne Parrish, General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Boston.

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.New resources now available

HEALTHY CHURCHES, HEALTHY KIDS, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
Environmental Health and Justice Curriculum

The MCC announces a new list of
 ecumenical services and gatherings around the Commonwealth

Let us know if your congregation, or any congregation in your community, offers an ecumenical service, or ecumenical gathering.

E-mail to council@masscouncilofchurches.org or phone 617-523-2771.

Pass on the word so we may have as complete a list as possible.

To check event listings go to our "news" page.

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