Queensland Synod News

The World Council of Churches’ general secretary, the Rev. Samuel Kobia, has congratulated Fernando Lugo, the former Roman Catholic bishop of San Pedro, on his victory in Paraguay’s recent presidential election. "We have been moved by your statements, both during the election campaign and after being elected, that reflect the rich tradition of a Latin American Christianity that has struggled ...

The Rev. Richard Kirker, an Anglican priest who steps down during 2008 after three decades leading Britain’s Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, believes that if the worldwide Anglican communion separates over homosexuality, the onus of responsibility will fall upon "those who walked away". "If we are in any way held responsible for a schism, then so be it. But I ...

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who has been at the centre of controversy over sermons he has preached at the church attended by US presidential hopeful Barack Obama, has suggested the furore about his views is an attack on the US black religious tradition. "This is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright. It has nothing to do with Senator Obama," Wright ...

After 15 years of the Mt Isa Uniting Church congregation providing accommodation for women from remote communities during the final weeks of pregnancy, the Moderator of the Queensland Synod has expressed deep disappointment at the decision of the State Government to withdraw its support for the facility. The service to pregnant women has been provided using Department of Housing flats ...

Queensland Minister for Health, Stephen Robertson, who attended St Andrew’s as a patient last year, and major sporting identities including racing car driver Dick Johnson will be helping St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital launch its 50th Anniversary celebrations. Mr Johnson said he was “very impressed” with St Andrew’s when he was treated there. Others include national cricketers, Reds and Lions ...

India’s National Commission for Minorities has set up a committee to study the constitutional validity of highly politicised anti-conversion laws that churches and others say infringe freedom of conscience. "Freedom of religion is a fundamental right and the State cannot put curbs on exercising this freedom," Mohamed Shafi Qureshi, the commission’s chairperson told Ecumenical News International in early April, following ...

The Uniting Church in Australia has vowed to fight for the abolition of the nation’s recently introduced citizenship test, saying that it is not relevant and it appears that the main purpose "is to assess competence in English". The test was introduced in November during the last days of the government led by John Howard, who headed a right-of-centre coalition. ...

The World Council of Churches has called for the immediate release of the full and complete results of disputed elections in Zimbabwe, as Christians around the world are being urged to take part in an international day of prayer for the southern African nation on 27 April. "The World Council of Churches joins with churches across Zimbabwe in calling for ...

The Moderator of the Uniting Church in Queensland Rev Dr David Pitman has responded strongly to a national newspaper’s attack on Dr Mohammad Abdalla and the Griffith University’s Islamic Research Unit. In a letter to The Australian, Dr Pitman said Dr Abdalla is an outstanding scholar and a person of great integrity who is making a very significant contribution to ...

Church leaders in Zimbabwe have called on the United Nations and African regional groupings to step in to stem the violence that has been reported following disputed elections, and have warned that without intervention the country will witness genocide. "As the shepherds of the people, we … express our deep concern over the deteriorating political, security, economic and human rights ...