Chicago Urban League Files Civil Rights Lawsuit on School Funding

Chicago Urban League Files Civil Rights Lawsuit on School Funding

Source: MarketWatch - USA

Author:

Date:20 August, 2008

Today we have gone to court to seek an end to decades of inadequate and unequal funding the State of Illinois has given our schools," said Cheryle R. Jackson, president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League.

Jackson was be joined by civil rights groups, ministers, education advocates and administrators including: Theodia Gillespie president and CEO of the Quad County Urban League, a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit; Mary Ellen Guest, campaign manager, A+ Illinois; Arne Duncan, CEO, Chicago Public Schools; Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., founder and president, Rainbow PUSH Coalition; Karl Brinson, president, NAACP Chicago, Westside branch; Dr. Byron Brazier; pastor, Apostolic Church of God; Dr. Leon Finney, pastor, Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church; Dr. Marshall Hatch, pastor, New Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church; Rev. Sen. James T. Meeks, pastor, Salem Baptist Church of Chicago; Rev. Otis Moss III, pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ and Rev. Stephen Thurston II, co-pastor, New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church.

8 finish 96-mile walk to promote equal rights

8 finish 96-mile walk to promote equal rights

Source: Arizona Republic - Phoenix, AZ, USA

Author: Amanda J. Crawford

Date: 17 August, 2008

Meg Sneed is a cancer survivor. She is also a lesbian.

After spending three days walking to benefit breast-cancer research, she had an idea. What about a walk to raise awareness about marriage inequality?

Last week, Sneed, 25, and seven other gay, lesbian and bisexual young people aged 19 to 28 walked through the metro area to the state Capitol to raise awareness about gay rights and the fall referendum that would add a gay-marriage ban to the state constitution…

Among their stops was the Church of the Beatitudes United Church of Christ in north-central Phoenix.

The Rev. Nancy Elsenheimer is one of the senior pastors at the church, which performs commitment ceremonies for same-sex couples. She called Sneed and the other walkers "courageous" not only for braving the Valley's heat but also for spreading their message through areas not always receptive to gay rights…

Helping hands are pushing for change

Helping hands are pushing for change

Source: Duluth News Tribune - Duluth, MN, USA
Author: Linda Hanson

Date: 17 August, 2008

On most Wednesday mornings, you’ll find the Rev. Kathy Nelson and other volunteers making breakfast and serving it to homeless people at the Churches United in Ministry Drop-in Center in Duluth.

For Nelson, pastor of Peace United Church of Christ in Duluth, this sort of direct action to help people in poverty is central to her Christian faith…

Catholic Church and Sins of Men

Catholic Church and Sins of Men

Source: digital dryad

Author: Diana Boston

Date: 15 August 2008

Adult sexual assault exists in the Catholic church and in other Christian denominational institutions. According to the study's statistics: The United Church of Christ found that 48% of the women in the work place have been sexually ...

National UCC and Disciples staff raise Tents of Hope

National UCC and Disciples staff raise Tents of Hope

Source: Global Ministries News - http://www.globalministries.org

Author:

Date: 15 August, 2008

National staff of the United Church of Christ at the UCC Church House in Cleveland and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) at the Disciples Center in Indianapolis are creating their own Tents of Hope in order to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis and support for Sudanese refugees and for the Tents of Hope project…

WILL HAWAII BECOME AN INDEPENDANT NATION ONCE AGAIN?

WILL HAWAII BECOME AN INDEPENDANT NATION ONCE AGAIN?

Source: Central La. Politics (blog)

Author: Political Bloggers

Date: 10 August, 2008

Whereas, the Eighteenth General Synod of the United Church of Christ in recognition of the denomination's historical complicity in the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 directed the Office of the President of the United Church of Christ to offer a public apology to the Native Hawaiian people and to initiate the process of reconciliation between the United Church of Christ and the Native Hawaiians.

Talking about race in a sacred place

Talking about race in a sacred place

Source: Oregon Live

Author: NANCY HAUGHT

Date: 8 August, 2008

The Rev. Linda Jaramillo, 60, lived in Portland until 2005, when she was elected to a national office in the United Church of Christ. As executive minister of justice and witness ministries, she oversees what her denomination calls Sacred Conversations on Race. Based in Cleveland, she's in Portland for a meeting on the process.

Cross Is Central Symbol Of Christianity And Must Not Be Secularized By Government ...

Cross Is Central Symbol Of Christianity And Must Not Be Secularized By Government, Americans United Tells Court

Source: Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Author:

Date: 6 August, 2008

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, said he is offended by the claim that the cross is merely a secular symbol.

“The cross is the preeminent symbol of Christianity,” said Lynn, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. “For the government to claim that the cross is a secular symbol is deeply offensive and betrays a poor understanding of religion and our Constitution.”

"Tell President Bush and Secretary Leavitt NOT to Release Proposed New Rules"

"Tell President Bush and Secretary Leavitt NOT to Release Proposed New Rules"

Source: United Church of Christ News blog

Author: Rev. Chuck Currie

Date: 6 August 2008

Action Alert from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice:

We call on the Administration to not issue these dangerous and ill-conceived regulations. We ask all Americans of faith to express to President Bush and Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt your opposition to this assault on individual rights, religious freedom and medical access by taking action (click here).

The United Church of Christ is a member church of the coalition.

Janesville's juvenile diversion group well underway

Janesville's juvenile diversion group well underway

Source: Gazettextra.com

Author: Ann Marie Ames

Date: 1 August, 2008

Six kids are enrolled in the Wednesday morning detention diversion session at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 54 S. Jackson St., Janesville. The program—part of the juvenile justice division of the Rock County Human Service Department—is in the fourth week of its first six-week session.

Protesters continue fight at church over immigrant

Protesters continue fight at church over immigrant

Source: The Voice

Author: Admin

Date: 29 July, 2008

A group of anti-illegal immigration protesters stood outside a Simi Valley church Sunday morning waving American flags, marking nearly a year of weekly demonstrations there.

The United Church of Christ began sheltering an Oxnard woman named Liliana last August, as part of a national faith-based movement to shelter and offer legal aid to unauthorized immigrants at risk of being deported...

Major church body opposes expansion by CWM

Major church body opposes expansion by CWM

Source: Niagara Gazette

Author: Charles Lamb

Date: 28 July, 2008

The United Church of Christ, a denomination formed when four denominations merged several years ago, has gone on record as opposed to further expansion of the Chemical Waste Management toxic waste disposal site in the Town of Porter. They have called upon their members to oppose the expansion, and have written to Governor Paterson and Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis about this.

Blind To Toll From Colombia Violence

Blind To Toll From Colombia Violence

Source: Courant.com

Author: DAVIDA FOY CRABTREE, ALLIE PERRY and CHARLIE PILLSBURY

Date: 27 July, 2008

Traveling as members of the United Church of Christ, we were hosted by our longtime mission partner, Ricardo Esquivia, Mennonite lawyer and director of Sembrandopaz, a peace and development initiative of Protestant churches on the north coast of Colombia. Over eight days we traveled to several locales, including Maria La Baja in the province of…

A Warning to Liberal Churches

A Warning to Liberal Churches

Source: Spiritual Pathways Ministries

Author: David Norris

Date: 26 July, 2008

…the Presbyterian Church USA is not along in this corprate move, as the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, and two regions of the United Methodist Church have all discussed divestment of economic pressure against Israel, ...

THE LAST WORD

THE LAST WORD

Source: Wrongful-Convictions blog

Author: Serena

Date: 26 July, 2008

According to the American Friends Service Committee’s Criminal Justice Program, which maintains a list of faith and ethical group that are opposed to the death penalty, many groups are officially opposed to capital punishment, including American Baptists, American Ethical Union…United Church of Christ…

UCC 1, Univision 0

UCC 1, Univision 0

Street Prophets: 02-25-2007

It's fashionable in many circles, both liberal and conservative, to bemoan the state of the media. Many people think that nothing can be done to rein in the corporate behemoths that rule our media landscape but it just isn't true. There are tools that work if they're applied fairly, and the UCC has demonstrated a certain flair for getting that application. (See the story for a brief explanation of why the UCC is so committed to media reform.)

SB church celebrates 140 years of reaching out

SB church celebrates 140 years of reaching out
SBsun.com: 02-25-2007

Today, the First Congregational United Church of Christ of San Bernardino still reaches out to the community.

"We've always been part of a wider ministry, reaching out beyond our doors," said the Rev. Petra Malleis-Sternberg, the church's first woman senior pastor.

Record Fine Expected for Univision

Record Fine Expected for Univision
The New York Times: 02-24-2007

The case dates to the summer of 2005, when the United Church of Christ raised concerns about Univision’s programming lineup, complaining that it was failing to provide adequate children’s programs.

Landmark FCC ruling against Univision is result of UCC's public advocacy for children

Landmark FCC ruling against Univision is result of UCC's public advocacy for children
United Church News: 02-24-2007

The United Church of Christ is celebrating a landmark decision by the Federal Communications Commission, which has ruled in favor of the church’s filed complaint that Univision, the nation’s largest Hispanic television network, is not serving the educational programming needs of children.

Obama's Church

Obama's Church
The Bosque Boys blog: 02-21-2007

"Regular readers of this blog have heard of the UCC before, arguably the most liberal American denomination."