c. 2007 Religion News Service
Council Sets Dates for Ramadan, But Not Everyone Agrees
(RNS) A council of Islamic legal scholars in North America has revised a fatwa from last year that determines when Muslims mark major holidays and other important dates such as the start of Ramadan.
According to the new changes made by the Fiqh Council of North America, Ramadan begins Sept. 13, while Eid ul-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of the holy month, will be celebrated on Oct. 13.
In the Islamic calendar, a new month begins when a new moon is first sighted. But because people in different places see the new moon at different times, Muslims across the globe and even within North America often disagree on when Ramadan begins.
The disagreement has been not only a practical annoyance _ for example, to imams planning services or parents who want to take their children out of school for a religious holiday _ but a psychological one to followers who emphasize unity.
Last year, the Fiqh Council of North America joined Islamic scholars in Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey and other Muslim countries to rely on astronomy.
The moment a new moon is born is called the time of conjunction, when the moon passes between the earth and the sun. The Fiqh Council said the conjunction is “precisely predictable by astronomical calculation,” and made its point of reference Greenwich, England, home of Greenwich Mean Time.
But some Muslim Americans disagreed with the ruling, and many imams chose to follow religious authorities in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, who pegged the start of Ramadan a day earlier than the North American Islamic scholars. The council defended its position, but said it was non-binding, and urged Muslims to follow whatever ruling their spiritual leaders make.
This year, the European Council for Fatwa Research also decided to rely on astronomical calculations to determine the start of a new month, but made Mecca, not Greenwich, the reference point for the conjunction.
_ Omar Sacirbey
Church Bankruptcy Legal Bill Totals $18.8 Million
PORTLAND, Ore. (RNS) Lawyers have submitted an $18.8 million final bill to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland for handling the church’s bankruptcy proceedings.
The total includes only the lawyers and experts who worked on the case in Bankruptcy Court. Attorneys for priest accusers who filed the lawsuits that sent the archdiocese into bankruptcy in 2004 earned an estimated one-third of the $50 million in sex abuse settlements.
That puts the total payout to lawyers at about $35 million.
The Portland Archdiocese emerged from bankruptcy in April by settling with about 175 people who claimed they were sexually abused by priests or other employees of the archdiocese.
The archdiocese also set up a $20 million fund for future lawsuits.
The archdiocese paid for the bankruptcy with about $50 million in insurance money, other assets and a line of credit.
No parish assets were used, and parishioners were not asked to contribute toward the settlement. That’s in contrast to places such as Spokane, Wash., where Catholic leaders sought contributions from rank-and-file Catholics to pay for settlements against priests.
The bankruptcy legal bill included $10.8 million in fees and $1 million in expenses charged by four law firms representing the archdiocese. The rest are expenses and fees charged by attorneys and experts working for other parties, including a committee of plaintiffs.
In Bankruptcy Court, the party seeking protection pays for everyone’s lawyers.
_ Ashbel S. (Tony) Green
Trial Opens in Alleged Church Kickback Scheme
CLEVELAND, Ohio (RNS) Ten years ago, the chief financial officer of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese made a proposition to the co-owners of an accounting firm working for the diocese, Zrino Jukic testified Wednesday (Aug. 22) in U.S. District Court.
CFO Joseph Smith asked for a 10 percent cut of all the money the diocese paid the accountants, Jukic said.
In exchange, Smith assured Jukic and his business partner, Anton Zgoznik, that he would give them more diocesan accounting work, Jukic said.
Jukic said he knew Smith’s proposal was illegal, but Zgoznik relented. “I accepted it because (Zgoznik) wanted to do it,” Jukic said. “I didn’t have much of a say in the matter.”
Jukic was the first witness for the prosecution on the opening day of Zgoznik’s kickback trial in federal court. Smith, seated in the back of the courtroom, will stand trial later this year.
Smith was as good as his word, Jukic testified. The firm’s diocesan workload increased, he said, and as the accountants got richer so did their kickback payments to Smith.
Over a seven-year period, Zgoznik’s and Jukic’s company, ZJ and Associates, collected $17.5 million from the diocese. They wrote checks totaling more than $784,000 to Smith.
In addition, Smith received $30,000 from the head of the Catholic Cemeteries Association and from an insurance broker who did business with the diocese, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Siegel told the jury in his opening statement.
At the same time, Smith’s predecessor, the Rev. John Wright, rewarded Smith with a secret bank account containing $270,000 that he could use at his discretion over a five-year period, Siegel said. The money was meant to keep Smith from jumping to the private sector, and was kept secret from then-Bishop Anthony Pilla, he said.
In all, Smith received more than $1 million in “executive compensation” in addition to his $120,000 annual salary, Siegel said. He failed to report most of that money on his tax returns, Siegel said.
The accounting scheme unraveled in 2003 when a whistleblower tipped off the diocese.
Zgoznik’s attorney told the jury the money his client paid to Smith was not for kickbacks, but rather a longstanding practice by diocesan leaders to compensate employees off the books.
“The evidence will show that millions of dollars of receipts were not recorded by the bishops because that is the way they did business,” said defense attorney Robert Rotatori.
_ James F. McCarty
Falwell’s Financial Planning Leaves Liberty University Debt-Free
(RNS) Liberty University is now debt-free, thanks to the financial planning of its late founder, the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
The Lynchburg, Va., school announced it will receive $29 million from Falwell’s life insurance. Falwell died May 15 at the age of 73.
“That was the goal,” said Jerry Falwell Jr., the school’s chancellor and Falwell’s older son, in a university news release. “Dad wanted to leave the university debt-free. Dad used to joke that when he kicked the bucket, Liberty would be in high cotton.”
The school, which was founded in 1971, has had a debt of between $20 million and $25 million for the last decade and will now have an endowment of $7 million or $8 million.
Falwell said his father wanted to be sure the school would not face financial constraints.
“He thought that Liberty would be more likely to fulfill its mission if it didn’t have financial pressures,” he said. “He wanted to put Liberty in a position that it would not have to compromise its core beliefs at any time in the future.”
More than 10,400 on-campus students are expected to attend the university this year.
Thomas Road Baptist Church, which the elder Falwell founded in 1956, will receive $5 million from life insurance. Falwell’s younger son, the Rev. Jonathan Falwell, is now pastor of the church, which also is in Lynchburg.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Court Says Minister Should be Rebuked for Lesbian Wedding
(RNS) A mid-level court of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has overturned a lower court ruling and ruled that a lesbian minister should be rebuked for conducting a same-sex wedding ceremony.
The 6-2 decision against the Rev. Janie Spahr was made on Saturday (Aug. 18), but Spahr and others involved in the case learned of it on Aug. 23.
Spahr, a self-proclaimed “lesbian evangelist,” was originally charged in presiding at the 2005 wedding of two women near Guerneville, Calif. The denomination allows pastors to preside at same-sex blessing ceremonies as long as they are not treated as marriage rites.
The lower court, based in Napa, Calif., had cleared Spahr in March 2006 of wrongdoing, saying she was acting “within her right of conscience.” The higher court, however, disagreed.
“Regardless of the expression of conscience by the Rev. Dr. Spahr, she may not circumvent the standards of the church,” ruled the Permanent Judicial Commission of the church’s Synod of the Pacific.
“Although the Rev. Dr. Spahr had acted with conscience and conviction, her actions were contrary to the Constitution as it is authoritatively interpreted.”
The higher court directed the lower court to “enter a finding of guilt … and to impose the censure of rebuke.”
The two dissenting members of the higher court said in a minority report that “the issue of freedom of conscience importantly distinguishes her actions from willful disobedience, and does not require censure.”
Spahr, 65, expressed disappointment in the ruling.
“I am deeply saddened that our church has chosen not to recognize the loving relationships of members of its own family,” she said in a statement.
The ruling can be appealed to the Permanent Judicial Commission, the highest court in the denomination, within 45 days. “We will listen and pray, and see where the Spirit leads us,” Spahr said.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Primitive Baptists Mark 100th Anniversary
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (RNS) The National Primitive Baptists have been modernizing some of their old beliefs and practices, but this year have been busying celebrating their past.
The National Primitive Baptist Convention is observing its centennial year, including a week-long meeting in Birmingham that ended Friday (Aug. 24).
“We’re thanking the Lord for where he’s brought us,” said Elder Bernard Yates, vice president of the convention and pastor of Zion Hope Primitive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla.
The predominantly black denomination was organized in Huntsville, Ala., in 1907 and has about 1,500 churches and 600,000 members nationwide.
“Our churches are growing,” said Elder Ernest Ferrell, president of the denomination and pastor of St. Mary Primitive Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Fla. “We want to celebrate that we’ve been around 100 years.”
A century ago, most Primitive Baptists called themselves “hardshell” _ unwilling to change or compromise their beliefs.
Staunch, hardshell Primitive Baptists are usually strict Calvinists, following Protestant Reformer John Calvin’s predestination teaching that God already knows the “elect,” those who are saved.
“They don’t do evangelism because of the doctrine of election,” Yates said. “We had to move from that place to a broader view of predestination. It’s our responsibility to preach and teach God’s word. Let God take care of the rest. We do evangelize, with revivals, outreach and mission work.”
When Primitive Baptists banded together to form a national group in 1907, many preferred to remain unaffiliated. That’s still the case.
“Many of them don’t like losing their independence,” Yates said.
They clung to practices such as singing hymns without instruments. Nowadays, most churches in the convention have a mix of the old and the new. Worship usually starts with a cappella hymns from the traditional hymnbook. But most churches now also have instrumental praise bands to augment the music at other points in the worship, Yates said.
Ferrell, 63, said he’s hoping some independent Primitive Baptists will join the convention. “We’re hoping we can reach out to them,” he said. “They are a part of us.”
_ Greg Garrison
Church Starts Running Club to Spread the Gospel by Foot
NEWARK, N.J. (RNS) They came two by two, and now boast a herd of 14 runners, consisting of parishioners, an auxiliary bishop, a priest of the archdiocese, and other dedicated Roman Catholics.
“Soles for Souls’ is a new way to evangelize to Catholics who love to run and be active,” said Liliana Soto-Cabrera, the coordinator of the Office of Evangelization for the Archdiocese of Newark, of the small but dedicated running brigade.
“Not only are we able to share our faith with other runners, we also use our training as a means of offering up the sacrifice for conversions and other special intentions,” she said.
Those special intentions may be to honor an ill family member, or help spiritually uplift a husband out of a job, explained Christina Pardo, club member and secretary at the archdiocese.
You don’t have to be affiliated with the church, but must be a Roman Catholic, and want to run in a spirit of sacrifice for the conversion of people, Soto-Cabrera said.
“Running can also be offered as a prayer,” Auxiliary Bishop Edgar M. Da Cunha said. “Physical activity, although good for the mind and body, can also be good for the soul, and it can also bring good fruits for others, if it is offered as a prayer.”
Da Cunha, who is an avid participant in local races, said the group strives to incorporate prayer into their runs. Pardo said they eventually hope to run the New York City Marathon.
“As we run, we are offering time and discipline,” said Soto-Cabrera. “We are answering the call, but we don’t have a pushy presence. We run but are not there saying, `Believe!’ But if people ask, we’ll tell them.”
_ Katie Barry
Ailing D. James Kennedy Resigns Florida Pulpit
(RNS) The Rev. D. James Kennedy, who used his Florida-based television ministry to establish himself as a leading voice for religious conservatives, has retired from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale.
Kennedy, 76, suffered a cardiac arrest in late December and has not returned to his pulpit of more than 48 years since falling ill.
“We thank the Lord for his faithfulness to my father over nearly one-half century, through the impact this church has made in the lives of people in this congregation and community and the influence he has had on countless individuals around the world through radio and television,” his daughter, Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy, said in a Sunday (Aug. 26) announcement of her father’s retirement.
Kennedy started the congregation, which is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America, in 1959. He became a well-known Christian broadcaster through his presidency of Coral Ridge Ministries, which broadcast his sermons.
“As Dr. Kennedy retires from the scene of active ministry, I praise God for giving the church this man of vision so committed to the kingdom of God,” said Frank Wright, president of National Religious Broadcasters. “With his godly wisdom, his courageous heart and his consistent example, he has inspired millions to love, follow and serve Jesus Christ.”
Leaders of Coral Ridge Ministries have begun plans to broaden its audience of 3 million to 30 million by 2012, by using Kennedy’s teachings on television, radio, the Internet and in print.
But other ministries founded by the ailing broadcaster have closed or gained new ownership.
Coral Ridge Ministries closed the Center for Reclaiming America, which fostered grass-roots action among conservative Christians, in April. The Center for Christian Statesmanship, a Washington-based ministry to Capitol Hill employees, closed at the same time, but reopened two weeks later under the auspices of Kennedy’s Evangelism Explosion International.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Progressive Nuns Want Bush, Cheney Impeached
(RNS) A progressive group of U.S. nuns has called on Congress to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney because of their roles in the war in Iraq.
“The National Coalition of American Nuns is impelled by conscience to call you to act promptly to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for … high crimes and misdemeanors,” the group wrote in a letter written on behalf of its board members.
The letter says impeachment is warranted for their “deceiving the public under the false pretense that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction” and “destroying” the reputation of the United States and the good will of other nations.
“The time for impeachment is now _ before the example of George W. Bush’s regime is set in stone,” they wrote. “Future generations will thank you for preserving the freedom of our nation and its relation to the entire human community.”
The coalition was founded in 1969 for individual nuns dedicated to issues of social justice and human rights.
The letter was approved during a mid-August meeting of the board, held in Chicago. During that same meeting, the board unanimously adopted statements opposing all war and affirming peacemaking efforts.
“Rather than continuing support of a just war theory, a more compassionate church would oppose all war and teach peacemaking skills for all levels of government and interpersonal conflict resolution,” the statement reads.
The board also adopted statements pledging to work to “moderate the impact we make on planet Earth,” and supporting nuclear disarmament and relief efforts for the poor in Africa.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Colorado Megachurch Approves Successor to Haggard
(RNS) New Life Church, the Colorado megachurch whose leader Ted Haggard was dismissed last year after a sex and drug scandal, has approved a new senior pastor.
Pastor Brady Boyd, a pastor at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, received more than 95 percent approval in a Monday (Aug. 27) vote by the Colorado Springs congregation, a church secretary/treasurer announced in a message posted on New Life’s Web site.
“This is a great day for New Life Church,” Boyd, 40, said in a statement. “All of us are excited about writing the next chapter together.”
Haggard was dismissed from his church for “sexually immoral conduct” in November. He said he bought methamphetamine and paid a Denver man for massages. Haggard, who acknowledged sexual immorality but denied that he used the drug, also resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Visitors to Confess `Eco-Sins’ to Priest at Greenpeace Fair in England
LONDON (RNS) Visitors to East Anglia’s annual Greenpeace fair in England on Sunday (Sept. 2) will be able to confess their sins against the environment to a Catholic priest.
But the Rev. Antony Sutch, who will be hearing people’s eco-confessions, said it would be a question of secular rather than sacramental confession.
“I am going along because I am someone conscious of the need to look at our consumption and greed and what this is doing to the world God gave us to live on,” he said.
The fair is taking place just outside Bungay, 100 miles northeast of London, and is the biggest fund-raising event organized by East Anglia members of Greenpeace, the environmental organization founded in 1971. They hope to raise more than $30,000. This year the sound system at one music stage will be powered by a member of the audience riding an exercise bicycle. _ Robert Nowell
Quote of the Week: The Rev. Paula White of Tampa, Fla.
(RNS) “It’s not the end of the story for Randy or Paula or maybe even Randy and Paula.”
_ The Rev. Paula White, senior pastor of Without Walls International Church, standing before her Tampa, Fla., congregation on Thursday (Aug. 23), with her husband, the Rev. Randy White, as they announced their plans to divorce. She was quoted by the St. Petersburg Times.
END RNS
