9 Ebola response in Sierra Leone T
he Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Mission Area (Synod) is responding to the
Ebola crisis in partnership with its companion, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone. Its congregations have given more than $85,000, which includes medical and food aid. Messiah Lutheran Church,
Weatherford, Texas, held a Mis- sion Fest, raising close to $6,000 for the effort. Bishop Kevin Kanouse said gifts have come from churches throughout Texas and beyond. So far the synod has sent three
40-foot containers of medical supplies and personal protective
equipment through international aid organizations. The containers carried Steramine, a potent clean- ing and sterilizing agent requested by medical professionals in Sierra Leone. Due to the food emergency fac-
ing quarantined communities (prices have soared so even basic staples are beyond the reach of peo- ple in need), synod funds are also providing for the distribution of rice, tomato paste, onions, bouillon cubes and cooking oil.
Ann Hafften
Hafften, a writer and editor, is a member of Messiah Lutheran Church, Weatherford, Texas.
Clergy face charges Fort Lauderdale, Fla., police charged three men—including two pastors— for feeding the homeless in public on Nov. 2 after an ordinance effectively banning public food sharing took effect. The first to be charged was homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90, who has been feeding the city’s homeless for more than 20 years. Also cited were Dwayne Black, pas- tor of The Sanctuary Church in Fort Lauderdale, and Mark Sims of St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church in Coral Springs. All three men face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Publisher closes Nazarene Publishing House closed Dec. 1. The Kansas City-based denominational publisher produced Beacon Hill Press ministry resources and books, Sunday school curricu- lum and music (Lilenas Publishing). Church of the Nazarene leaders said “shifting cultural circumstances, including changes in the church,” led to revenue decreases. According to The Kansas City Star, the 102-year- old publisher experienced years of financial losses, including a $3.7 mil- lion net operating loss in 2012.
Corrections COURTESY OF KIT KLEINHANS
Wittenberg welcomes women The ELCA’s first International Women’s Seminar Oct. 26-Nov. 1 in Wittenberg, Germany, the birthplace of the Reformation, welcomed participants from partner churches in Hungary, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mexico, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Serbia and Zimbabwe. The women are shown with a statue of Martin Luther’s wife, Katharina von Bora, who strides confidently through an open door, symbolizing the new opportunities for women brought about by the Reformation. Led by Kit Kleinhans of Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, and Wanda Deifelt of Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, participants learned about women reformers, shared their experiences and studied Luther’s writings about political empowerment. Many of the women helped lead an English-language Reformation Day service at the Castle Church Oct. 31.
10
www.thelutheran.org
“The Nairobi Statement on Worship and Culture” was issued by a Lutheran World Federation study team in January 1996 (October, page 38). ... Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D., launched an American Studies major (November, page 50) ... assistant his- tory professor Brian Leech of Augus- tana College in Rock Island, Ill., won $1,000 for his doctoral dissertation (November, page 51).
For more news, visit
www.thelutheran.org/feature/ december
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