17 October 2012

Wednesday, October 17, 2012, 0:00

This news item was posted in Presbyterians Week category.

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Church of Scotland Begins Seizing Edinburgh, Scotland’s St. George’s Tron Property from Minister and Congregation that Exited Kirk over Homosexual Ordination

[2] Korean Association of Women Theologians wins Swiss prize

[3] Former Employee of First Presbyterian Church of Charleston, West Virginia Sues Church for Termination for Reporting Theft by Another Employee

[4] Headlines from The Christian Institute

[5] Articles from LifesiteNews.com

[6] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining

[7] The Religion of Peace

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[1] Church of Scotland Begins Seizing Edinburgh, Scotland’s St. George’s Tron Property from Minister and Congregation that Exited Kirk over Homosexual Ordination

An 11 October 2012 The Herald article titled “Kirk to Seize Back City Church in Gay Clergy Row” reports that the Glasgow Presbytery of the Church of Scotland (CoS) has begun the process of seizing the church buildings, manse, and money of the former St. George’s Tron (CoS) in Edinburgh, Scotland, whose 500-member congregation in June 2012 became the first entire congregation in Scotland to leave the CoS over the CoS decision to allow an openly homosexual minister to be installed as a church pastor.

+ The Herald, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, Scotland G2 3QB, 0141- 302-7000, Fax: 0141-302-7117, On-lineEditor@theherald.co.uk

+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722

+ Presbytery of Glasgow, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JP, Scotland, 0141-332-6606, Fax: 0141-352-6646, Presbytery Clerk

[2] Korean Association of Women Theologians wins Swiss prize

An association of feminist Korean theologians has been selected to receive an international prize awarded by women of the Swiss Reformed Churches to organizations or individuals who promote the role of women as church leaders.

The Korean Association of Women Theologians (KAWT) was chosen to receive the Sylvia Michel Prize granted by the women presidents of the Reformed Churches in Switzerland in cooperation with the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The prize is named after the first woman president of a European church executive and is awarded biennially.

The award for 2013 goes to KAWT in recognition of its support for the study of theology from a feminist perspective and its promotion of the full participation of women in churches in South Korea. The association has roots in initiatives for peace, reunification, and human rights on the Korean peninsula.

KAWT’s 350 members and 150 associate members include ordained pastors, academics and church-based women who serve the practical needs of women. The association promotes the full participation of women in church structures and encourages the study and recognition of feminist theology in the church.

The association was founded in 1980 by pioneering Reformed church theologian Soon Kyung Park (89). Park served as a professor at Korea’s Ewha Women’s University for twenty-two years while overseeing the work of KAWT. Her work focuses on liberation theology – an approach to Christian doctrine that favours the needs and protection of the most vulnerable people in society – and its connection to Korean concepts of suffering (Minjung) and of national self-determination (Minjok). Park is known for her support of reunification of the Korean peninsula, a stance for which she was jailed for over three months in 1991.

KAWT will use the US$5000 prize money to publish an English-language version of the history of the organization in time for the publication to be launched at the assembly of the World Council of Churches scheduled to be held in Busan, South Korea from 30 October to 8 November, 2013.

Park will travel to Geneva, Switzerland to receive the award on behalf of the association on 10 March 2013.

+ World Alliance of Reformed Churches, 150 route de Ferney, Post Office Box 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland, 41-22-791-6240, Fax: 41-22-791-6505, warc@warc.ch

[3] Former Employee of First Presbyterian Church of Charleston, West Virginia Sues Church for Termination for Reporting Theft by Another Employee

A 16 October 2012 article by Kyla Asbury in The West Virginia Record titled “Former Employee Says Church Wrongly Fired Him” reports that Ricky Edward Jordan, who was employed by the First Presbyterian Church of Charleston, West Virginia between August 2011 and June 2012, is suing the church for wrongful termination because Mr. Jordan had reported that his supervisor was stealing items from the church storeroom and hiding them under a blanket in the supervisor’s car.

Mr. Jordan says that he had been told by other employees before his firing not to report the thefts, and that after his firing another employee told Jordan that the church business manager told other church employees not to speak to Mr. Jordan or that they too would be fired.

Mr. Jordan is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from the suit, which is being processed in the Kanawha County (West Virginia) Circuit Court.

+ The West Virginia Record, 218 Dickinson Street, Charleston, West Virginia 25301, 304-249-8678, Fax: 757-257-0146, chris@wvrecord.com

[4] Headlines from The Christian Institute

Headlines of the past week from The Christian Institute:

— Hundreds Gather to Support Marriage at Fringe Event

— Organs Taken after Donor Group ‘Plays God’ with Patients’ Lives

— Gallaudet University Diversity Officer Suspended over Gay Marriage Petition

+ The Christian Institute, Wilberforce House, 4 Park Road, Gosforth Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8DG, England, 44-0-191-281-5664, Fax: 44-0-191-281-4272, info@christian.org.uk

[5] Articles from LifesiteNews.com

Articles from the past week from LifesiteNews.com:

— Twelve-Year-Old Gunshot Victim Declared in ‘Vegetative State’ Now Talking: Will Make Full Recovery

— Quebec Government Reveals Plan to Legalize Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

— Busting the Myth: Christians and Divorce

— Washington Post Faith Reporter Asks, ‘Why Is Polygamy So Problematic?’

— Canadian Advertising Standards Council Slams Pro-Life Commercial, Penalizes Pro-Life Organization

— Marie Stopes International Opens Illegal Abortion Facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland

— The Three Deadliest Words: ‘It’s a Girl’

— Pro-abortion Protesters Storm Quebec Church Chanting, ‘If Mary Had Aborted, We Wouldn’t Have This Nonsense’

+ LifeSiteNews.com, Incorporated, 4 Family Life Lane, Front Royal, Virginia 22630, 888-678-6008, Contact Page

[6] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining