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Faithandmedia.org., a Web site dedicated to how the Canadian media covers faith, was named Featured Site by the Media Awareness Network. The site contains over 50 articles, presentations, studies and reflections, and links to other related sites. Media Awareness Network is sponsored by CBC, CTV and Shaw Communications and is located at http://www.screen.com/mnet/eng. The Faith and the Media Web site resulted from the Faith and the Media conference held June 7-9, 1998 at Carleton University School of Journalism, Ottawa. The event, sponsored by 35 media outlets and faith groups, brought together 270 journalists and representatives from Canadian faith communities to talk about the way Canada's media covers faith.--JOHN LONGHURST
Mennonite Savings and Credit Union sent out cheques totaling $16,500 to churches and Mennonite Central Committee Ontario in October. The donations, ranging from a few dollars to more than $1,500, came from MSCU's church builder term deposits. For every dollar invested in the three-year term deposits, MSCU pledged to donate an additional 1/2% annual interest to member churches or to MCC. The $16,500 donation will be repeated each year during the three-year term deposit, and augmented by any 1998 sales. MSCU is the largest Mennonite credit union in the world, serving members of Mennonite, Amish and Brethren in Christ churches in Ontario.-- MENNONITE SAVINGS & CREDIT UNION
Alexey Sitnikov, pastor of Grozny Baptist Church in Chechnya, was kidnapped from the church on Oct. 9. The next day, Father Issihiy of the Russian Orthodox Church in Grozny, was also abducted. Motives for the kidnappings are unknown. Sitnikov had reportedly been taken into custody twice before by Chechens, and on one of those occasions was badly beaten. Grozny Baptist Church has 170 Russian members, mostly elderly. Local churches recently urged Russian Christians to leave Chechnya and resettle in Russia due to danger, poverty and isolation within the breakaway republic. Since ending its 20-month war for independence from Russia in August 1996, Chechnya has been plagued by armed gangs of kidnappers demanding huge ransoms for an array of captives. The hostages include more than 400 Russian soldiers and 100 expatriates, including humanitarian aid workers, businessmen and Russian President Boris Yeltsin's personal envoy to Chechnya. A Chechen official issued a televised ultimatum to all kidnappers in October, demanding the release of 103 hostages within three days; 14 soldiers were released on Oct 19, and a Russian woman on Oct. 20. The Chechen government has claimed autonomy from the Russian Federation and has instituted Islamic law over all its residents.--COMPASS DIRECT
Funding of Mennonite Central Committee's programs in Eastern Canada will continue at the current level of $400,000 and may increase. This was decided by MCC Canada's board of directors at its meeting Oct. 3 in Petitcodiac, N.B., the first time the board has met east of Ontario. MCC Canada's overall budget was cut a couple of years ago, but spending in eastern Canada was not. A three-person task force, consisting of MCC Canada executive director Marv Frey, board member Lucille Wall and an unnamed person from Eastern Canada, will study options for program expansion. In 1994, the board made a five-year commitment to its Eastern Canada program, which covers Quebec, the Maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador. The board also learned that the value of MCC's shares in Tire Recycling Atlantic Canada Corporation, which has plants in Minto, N.B. and Cornwallis, N.S., dropped from $209,800 to $10,000. Increased investment in the company by other partners diluted the value of MCC shares. MCC Canada will continue to hold a seat on the company's board. Don Cayo, a long-time journalist and head of an Atlantic Canada think tank, advised the board that MCC is the right organization to help those left behind in the region's economic upserge. He says government cutbacks have actually helped the region by allowing it to rely less on government funding. He thinks MCC could have the greatest impact on rural areas by setting up collectives or cooperatives. Cayo also thinks MCC could help the Atlantic First Nations, particularly in their logging dispute with the government. He believes MCC can properly deal with this issue because of its history of compassion, intelligence and commitment to non-violent solutions.--MCC CANADA
Jim Bertsche has spent more than 10 years researching and writing a new, comprehensive history of Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission, and its predecessor, Congo Inland Mission. Bertsche spent more than 25 years in Africa with the mission agency, then was AIMM executive sectretary 1974-86. Bertsche's book, CIM/AIMM: A story of Vision, Commitment and Grace, is available for $35 US (plus shipping) from AIMM, 59466 County Road 113, Elkhart, Ind. 46517-1644. Founded in 1912, AIMM is now supported by five Canadian and US Mennonite conferences, including the MB Conference, and works in six African countries.--AFRICA INTER-MENNONITE MISSION
Colombia's military must treat all seminary students equally, Colombia's constitutional court ruled Oct. 8. This ruling resulted from conflict between Mennonite Biblical Seminary and the military over the seminary's Hacedores de Paz (Peacemakers) program. Previously, the law allowed exemptions from mandatory military service, particularly for students in Catholic seminaries. Based on this, Justapaz, the peace and justice program of the Colombia Mennonite Church, began Peacemakers in March 1994 to give an opportunity to Colombians to study peacemaking and to provide an alternative for young men who did not want to serve in the military for reasons of conscience. At first, the government granted exemptions, but when the number of students seeking military exemption rose to over 100, extra requirements and restrictions were put in place by the government. The government ordered MBS to close in late 1996, claiming that the seminary did not "meet educational standards". The seminary began its academic year as usual at the beginning of 1997, but the military refused to give exemption status to the Peacemakers students. Justapaz then made appeals to the Colombian legal system.--GENERAL CONFERENCE MENNONITE CHURCH COMMISSION ON OVERSEAS MISSIONS
House church leadersfrom 10 major groups in China have published a united appeal to the Chinese government to end persecution. The seven-point appeal was issued Aug. 22 in Henan province by unregistered groups, including churches with charismatic, Pentecostal, Lutheran and Baptist leanings. The appeal calls on the government to change repressive religious regulations and to release unconditionally all house church Christians in labour camps. According to the appeal, China's house churches have an estimated 80 million members. The government-registered Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) churches claim to have 10 million members. The appeal shows a degree of maturity for the house churches, which for many years have been divided because of theological differences. The appeal recognizes TSPM churches as a legitimate denomination, but says TSPM has no right to claim to represent the entire church in China. The appeal calls on the leadership of the communist party to begin dialogue with house church leaders to seek reconciliation and decrease confrontation. The appeal declares, "The house church is the channel through which God's blessing comes to China. The persecution of God's children is a blockage to this channel of blessing."--COMPASS DIRECT
The Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus is a non-partisan group of Canadian members of Parliament and senators supporting the pro-life movement. Liberal, Progressive Conservative and Reform MPs and senators met for the first time in April. The co-chairs of the PPLC are Jason Kenney (Reform), Tom Wappel (Liberal) and Elsie Wayne (PC). Almost 50 MPs and senators have attended one or more of the three meetings held to date by the PPLC. A previous pro-life caucus ceased meeting in 1991.--VOICE FOR LIFE
According to the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, about one in 20 abortions leads to sterility. At that rate, the 106,658 Canadian abortions recorded in 1995 probably resulted in 5,332 Canadian women not being able to become pregnant again.--VOICE FOR LIFE
Mennonite World Conference Executive Committee at its recent meeting approved plans for a study process on peace. The process was proposed by the Peace Council, a body of MWC which meets every three years in connection with MWC General Council meetings. The study process will occur over the next six years, and a summary report will be given at the next MWC assembly in 2003. At the Peace Council's next meeting in Colombia in July 2000, attenders will study the biblical and cultural foundations for peace, concrete practices of peace, biblical definitions of peace and why peacemaking is the norm for Christians. Participants will then try to have similar discussions in their home countries' churches.--MENNONITE WORLD CONFERENCE
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