Mideast Peace Efforts Sought / Interfaith Group Asks Rice for Greater U.S. Role in Ending Conflict

WASHINGTON – U.S. Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders held a private meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to press for a greater U.S. role in ending Mideast violence.

Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington, said the religious leaders asked for high-level engagement with both the Israelis and the Palestinians “that holds both sides accountable in a step-by-step peace process.”

The group also promised to “say tough things to our communities here and in the region” about what must be done to bring about peace.

Along with Rice and McCarrick, the meeting Monday included Bishop Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori; Sayyid M. Syeed, national director of the Islamic Society of North America; Rabbi Paul Menitoff, a leader in Reform Judaism; and Rabbi Amy Small, a leader of the Reconstructionist branch of Judaism.

They are part of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East, which represents more than 35 religious groups and supports a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Arsonist’s parents visit church, offer apology

PANOLA, Ala. – The parents of a former Birmingham-Southern College student who pleaded guilty in a series of rural church arsons visited with the congregation of one burned church, asking for forgiveness and expressing remorse.

“My son wants you to know how sorry he is,” Mike Cloyd told members of Galilee Baptist Church on Jan. 28.

Mike and Kim Cloyd of Pelham are the parents of Matthew Cloyd, one of three former college students who pleaded guilty to federal charges in the church arsons. The couple spoke with the congregation, which is meeting in a trailer as its new church building is being constructed.

The Cloyds said the visit to Galilee Baptist, where the congregation dedicated songs and hugged them during two hours of worship, is part of a pilgrimage to see the rural churches their son admitted to burning in February 2006. He is awaiting sentencing.

Methodists’ site offers more social networking

WASHINGTON – Methodists have a new way to connect.

United Methodist Communications last week unveiled the church’s redesigned Web page, which is meant to function as a social- networking site, similar to MySpace or Facebook.

The church spent more than two years developing the new www.umc.org, to allow visitors to set up personal profiles, upload photos, create a blog and establish a network of friends.

The United Methodist Church claims 8.3 million U.S. members, along with many members overseas.

Congregation changes Presbyterian affiliation

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church has voted to leave the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) because of the congregation’s theological differences with the national denomination.

The 2,000-member church voted to break away and join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, which has fewer than 200 churches and a more conservative view of Scripture than the 2.3 million- member Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), like other mainline Protestant groups, has been struggling for years to reconcile members who disagree over how to interpret Scripture on many issues, including ordaining partnered gays.

MEMO: FAITH & VALUES

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