wfn.org | [ELD] Town of Bethlehem rests more peacefully this Christmas / Annual Mission and Resources report a

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

>Episcopal Life Daily
>December 18, 2008

>Episcopal Life Online is available at
>http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife.

>Today's Episcopal Life Daily includes:

* TOP STORY - Town of Bethlehem rests more peacefully this Christmas
* TOP STORY - Annual Mission and Resources report available online
* WORLD REPORT - KENYA: Church leaders oppose new law that will 'gag'
the media
* WORLD REPORT - ZIMBABWE: Excommunicated Anglican bishop ordains own
clergy
* PEOPLE - Retiring Archdeacon Wyman helped launch modern computer age
* DAYBOOK - December 19, 2008: Today in Scripture, Prayer, History
* CATALYST - 100% Fairtrade Certified Organic Cotton Clerical Shirt

>_____________________

>TOP STORIES

Town of Bethlehem rests more peacefully this Christmas

>By Mary Frances Schjonberg

[Episcopal News Service] The peaceful images evoked by the Christmas
carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem" have not always reflected the current
reality in the birthplace of Jesus but this year there are reasons for
hope. 

Palestinians and Israelis are hopeful this season will sustain an
increase in tourists to the region, according to an Ecumenical News
International report. This year has also seen a decrease in violence for
the first time since the outbreak of a Palestinian uprising known as the
second intifada, which began in September 2000.

An Arabic version of "Silent Night" playing in the background on Manger
Square heralded in the beginning of the Christmas season in the Holy
Land at the eighth annual Bethlehem Christmas market on the weekend of
November 30-December 1, ENI reported. 

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_103889_ENG_HTM.htm

>- - - - -

Annual Mission and Resources report available online

>By ENS Staff

[Episcopal News Service] The annual report of the work accomplished
through the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society budget in 2008 is
now available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/missionreport08.

The Report of Mission and Resources 2008, which is required by General
Convention, includes multimedia and downloadable resources. 

The report tells how the Episcopal Church lives out the Gospel and
engages in God's mission in the world through support of church-wide
ministries and programs. The report also shows how the church addresses
the mission priorities for the 2007-2009 triennium as established in
Resolution D031 by the 75th General Convention in June 2006. The work
was done in collaboration with dioceses, congregations, organizations,
and networks. The mission priorities are: justice and peace; young
adults, youth and children; reconciliation and evangelism;
congregational transformation; partnerships.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_103892_ENG_HTM.htm

More Top Stories: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife

>_____________________

>WORLD REPORT

KENYA: Church leaders oppose new law that will 'gag' the media

>By Fredrick Nzwili

[Ecumenical News International, Nairobi] Church leaders in Kenya have
urged the government to step back from a proposed law that critics say
will muzzle the media, after the country's parliament passed the measure
that is seen as a threat to press freedom.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_103895_ENG_HTM.htm

>- - - - -

ZIMBABWE: Excommunicated Anglican bishop ordains own clergy

[Ecumenical News International, Harare] Renegade Zimbabwean Anglican
Bishop Nolbert Kunonga, who broke ties with his church earlier in 2008,
has ordained 33 deacons and priests to serve in his self-styled Anglican
Province of Zimbabwe.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_103896_ENG_HTM.htm

More World news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_ENG_HTM.htm

>_____________________

>PEOPLE

Retiring Archdeacon Wyman helped launch modern computer age

>By Joe Bjordal 

[Episcopal News Service] The Venerable Dr. Irma M. Wyman, 81, will
retire on December 31 as Archdeacon for the Diaconate in the Diocese of
Minnesota after ten years of service. It's the conclusion of her second
career. In her first she played a pivotal role in the development of the
modern computer industry and helped elevate the role of women in
American enterprise.

Wyman and five others were the first women accepted into the College of
Engineering at the University of Michigan in 1945. Despite the fact that
she was encouraged to leave the university to "make room for the men"
who were returning from World War II, she persevered and graduated in
1949 as one of only two women in her class. She then became involved
with several start-up companies who were experimenting with the
development of "automatic computers" as one of the new field's pioneer
programmers.

She eventually joined a small firm in Boston that was purchased jointly
by Raytheon Corp. and Honeywell, Inc. and became Datamatic Corp. There
she was involved in the development of the Honeywell Datamatic 1000,
first introduced in 1957. Wyman said that only seven were manufactured
because the technology was changing so fast that the machines would soon
be obsolete. She said the Datamatic 1000 cost "several million dollars,"
filled a 6,000 square-foot room and required a cooling system that used
1000 gallons of water per minute.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81831_103893_ENG_HTM.htm

More People: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81831_ENG_HTM.htm

>_____________________

>DAYBOOK

>On December 19, 2008...

* Today in Scripture: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/82457_ENG_HTM.htm

* Today in Prayer: Anglican Cycle of Prayer:

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/index.cfm

* Today in History: On December 19, 1855, William Henry Draper, Anglican
priest and hymnist, was born in Kenilworth, England.

>_____________________

>CATALYST

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