logical drift” (specifically Called to Common Mission with the Episcopal Church and the 2009 sexuality votes) as their reason to leave the ELCA.
Florida church leaders speak After George Zimmerman was acquit- ted in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., the Florida Council of Churches said in a July 15 statement that “many minority families and the documented statis- tics of Florida’s criminal justice sys- tem show a long-standing, continual disadvantage against young African descent and Hispanic males.” Sign- ers said public policies have resulted in a school-to-prison pipeline and that for Florida’s future “as a sustain- able economy … we must remove the suspicions and prejudice that linger on from the days of slavery and Jim Crow.” Signers included then Florida- Bahamas Synod Bishop Ed Benoway and the council’s executive director, ELCA pastor Russell Meyer.
Blood drive unites faiths Twenty-five years ago, people from multiple faiths in Toledo, Ohio, came together in peace and fellow- ship to save lives: They organized their community to give blood. The annual Interfaith Blood Drive has been hosted by Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church ever since. Orga- nizers believe it’s the oldest interfaith blood drive in the country. After the annual drive (this year June 22-23), a worship service titled “Celebra- tion of Life” is held. It celebrates the diversity in the community through song, dance and readings.
Methodist youth: Had enough
Members aged 13 to 25 in the United Methodist Church say they’ve had enough of drugs and alcohol destroy- ing lives. They worked through the United Methodist Special Program on Substance Abuse and Related
Violence to launch the HadEnough movement with the goals of educat- ing young people and the church about substance abuse; breaking the silence surrounding addiction; offer- ing support to those affected; and leading congregations in substance abuse ministries. Its website features testimonies, resources and ways to get involved (
www.umcmission.org).
Cardinals toss cross Early this summer a fan noticed a cross etched into the pitcher’s mound at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, and when alerted, the team manager asked the ground crew to stop etching the cross (and the No. 6 for the late Car- dinals slugger Stan Musial). “It’s not club policy to put religious symbols of any type on the field or in the ball- park. We have fans of all faiths and
various beliefs. We strive to provide a welcoming environment for all fans to enjoy baseball, regardless of their faith, politics, race, financial status or any other factor,” the Cardinals orga- nization said in a statement.
Anti-Semitic acts decline The Anti-Defamation League’s study of anti-Semitism in the U.S. shows a 14 percent decrease in incidents dur- ing 2012, the second consecutive year of a downward trend. Overall, the ADL counted 927 anti-Semitic incidents—including assaults, van- dalism and harassment—down from the 1,080 incidents reported in 2011. “While these numbers only provide one snapshot of anti-Semitism in America, to the extent that they serve as a barometer the decline shows that 10
MICHAEL D. WATSON
Flying off the shelf Justin Holford (left) and Wayne Barnholdt of the Theological Book Network pack
up tomes at the shuttered ELCA library in the Lutheran Center, Chicago. The ELCA entered a library joint use agreement with the Episcopal Church’s Seabury- Western Seminary, which rents space at the Lutheran Center. A large number of books were moved to the seminary’s space. Others were distributed throughout the building while some were given to the network, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based nonprofit that distributes theological books overseas.
September 2013 9
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