Queensland Synod News

Former United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix is seeking support from religious authorities including Pope Benedict XVI and the World Council of Churches for a program of measures to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction. "If the nuclear weapon states do not move in the direction of moving towards disarmament" requests to other nations to forgo such arms ...

The head of the first university research centre in the United States focussing on the relationship between spirituality and the human brain says he hopes his investigations will help foster greater understanding about religion. "I’m hoping we can help create much more positive views about religious groups and the views they have toward each other," said Dr Andrew Newberg, director ...

The US National Council of Churches has reiterated a demand for the closure of the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, following the suicides of three prisoners there. "Americans who love their country and its historic ideals are mortified by this continuing blot on our honour, on our steadfast defence of freedom, and on our commitment to democracy and the ...

Leaders of seven Australian Churches have collectively written to the Prime Minister John Howard, expressing their opposition to the changes proposed to Australia’s processing of asylum seekers. The changes mean Australia will send asylum seekers who arrive here to Nauru until their claims are processed. The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) has consistently opposed the ‘Pacific Solution’ system of ...

The Episcopal Church USA is preparing for its triennial convention in Columbus, Ohio, where the US branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion is expected to grapple with two issues that have animated the life of the denomination in recent years: sexuality and church authority. "We’re wrestling with deep questions about identity and authority in a global family of churches made ...

President of the National Council of Churches in Australia and former Uniting Church President Reverend Professor James Haire was today appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for service to religion and to the community through the promotion of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, the Uniting Church in Australia and theological education. National Chair, Uniting International Mission and ...

The first and major shipment of school supplies has been loaded in a container and is on its way to the Solomon Islands. The consignment consisted of 15 cubic metres of boxes packed with almost 700 complete back packs, hats, Bibles, children’s school books, school uniforms, computers and an amazing amount of donated school supplies which didn’t fit into the ...

While soccer fans throughout the world get ready for the start of the World Cup in Germany, religious leaders hope to use the month-long event to promote peace between the faiths. In Berlin, Christians, Jews and Muslims are looking forward to an inter-religious soccer tournament on 25 June, following a first match between Christian clerics and Muslim imams in May. ...

The United Nations is scheduled Friday to complete a three-day meeting on the global AIDS pandemic, and religious leaders say they are going to hold national leaders to account for what they say is continued slow progress in battling the crisis. "My hope is that this is not just more paper," Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane of South Africa told Ecumenical ...

The Uniting Church in Australia, through Uniting Church Overseas Aid (UCOA), has been monitoring the situation in East Timor very closely, and keeping in regular contact with our partner organisations on the ground said Acting National Director Rev. John E. Mavor. YASONA, the community aid and development arm of the Protestant Church in East Timor (IPTL), has been under enormous ...