"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3059 notes).
Note 3059 by UMNS on July 12, 1996 at 16:56 Eastern (3751 characters).
Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.
CONTACT: Thomas S. McAnally 345(10-71){3059}
Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470 July 12, 1996
NCC launches petition
campaign on climate change
WASHINGTON (UMNS) -- A petition campaign urging the United
States government to respond to the dangers of climate change will
be launched here July 16 by the National Council of Churches.
NCC staff executive Joan Brown Campbell says issues related
to climate change are also related to global justice. "The
potential impacts of climate change on poor people in the United
States are enormous," she said. Among other things, the petition
asks the U.S. Government to fulfill its pledge at Earth Summit in
1992 in Rio de Janeiro to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990
levels by the year 2000. President of the National Council is
United Methodist Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, San Francisco.
* * *
Interfaith Russian delegation
visits National Council leaders
NEW YORK (UMNS) -- The first interfaith delegation of
religious leaders from the Russian Federation visited the United
States June 25 - July 3 at the invitation of the National Council
of Churches in the United States. A Latin rite archbishop, a
rabbi, a Baptist minister and a Russian Orthodox priest were on
the team visit to Washington and New York.
NCC staff executive Joan Brown Campbell welcomed the group at
the council's headquarters for an interfaith service of prayer for
peace in the chapel of The Interfaith Center here. Offices of the
council are in the center. President of the council is United
Methodist Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, San Francisco.
* * *
Church leaders urge military spending shifts,
greater commitment to ending global poverty
WASHINGTON (UMNS) -- Twenty-nine of the nation's top church
leaders -- including National Council of Churches staff executive
Joan Brown Campbell and United Methodist Bishop Melvin G. Talbert,
NCC president -- have called on Congress to increase the U.S.
commitment to eradication of global poverty in part by shifting
funds from U.S. military spending.
"The growing separation between those who have plenty and
those who have almost nothing is both a sign of moral collapse and
a profound threat to the world's peace and security," the church
leaders warned. The U.S. leaders were urged to reallocate
resources within the nation's foreign aid program to increase
assistance to poor countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The statement came as the Senate took up debate on defense
spending, with deliberation on foreign aid appropriations expected
to follow.
# # #
WCC chief sounds alert
over council's funds
GENEVA, Switzerland (UMNS) -- "Income is no longer sufficient
to pay for the present activities in which the World Council of
Churches is engaged," warned the Rev. Konrad Raiser in a letter to
WCC member churches. Raiser is staff executive of the
international body.
Forecasting a deficit in 1996, Raiser said "by the end of
this year, despite strict expenditure control and savings, the
general funds and reserves available will have been used up." The
1995 Financial Report sent with the letter shows a total income
for the WCC of about $64.3 million, down about $7.4 million from
the previous year. Total expenditures for 1995 were about $81
million compared to about $91.2 million in 1994. (An exchange rate
of 1.25 was used to calculate the exchange from francs to
dollars).
# # #
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