Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 14, 1990 TAG: 9007140244
SECTION: RELIGION PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
NEW YORK - Disregarding Iran's antagonism toward America, U.S. church agencies have sent money and supplies to help the thousands of victims of the devastating June 21 earthquake in the northwestern part of the country.
Church World Service, relief arm of the National Council of Churches, last week airlifted 5,606 pounds of antibiotics, blood bags and disinfectants valued at $286,557, assembled in cooperation with Interchurch Medical Assistance.
CWS also has raised $50,000 from member denominations as part of a $150,000 appeal to meet needs for food, tents and sanitation equipment in Iran, where an estimated 40,000 were killed, 60,000 injured and half a million left homeless.
"We are not looking at the political behavior of the Iranian government, but at the needs of the Iranian people," said the Rev. Dale Bishop of the NCC's Middle East office.
Feed the Children of Larry Jones International Ministries in Oklahoma City shipped 40 tons of medical supplies, food and clothings. Catholic Relief Services gathered donations for victims, and Lutheran World Relief sent 21,591 pounds of quilts and clothing valued at $35,567 as an initial response, while United Methodism's disaster relief agency sent an initial emergency grant of $10,000.
U.S. churches are working with the Middle East Council of Churches and the Iranian Red Crescent in coordinating aid. - Associated Press
iAid for Soviet Jews
SEATTLE - U.S. Reform Judaism has pledged support to the first Soviet Reform Jewish community in history, Congregation Hineni, which means "Here am I," a new congregation of about 200 Moscow Jews.
Plans for help to it were approved by the recent convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, representing rabbis of the Reform wing of Judaism. - Associated Press
Corpus members meet
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - About 150 members of Corpus, made up of married priests seeking re-entry into active ministry, met here during a June retreat meeting of U.S. Roman Catholic bishops.
Bishop Donald Wuerl of Pittsburgh, head of the bishops' committee on priestly life, conferred with Corpus President Anthony Padovano, who expressed gratitude for the talks. - Associated Press
Major issues
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. - A poll by the World Methodist Council of 2,466 Methodists around the world found that they consider global hunger and lack of belief in God as sustainer of life as the major issues facing the church. - Associated Press
Fair treatment urged
NEW YORK - Calling for "even-handed treatment" of the Unification Church, its new president in America, the Rev. James A. Baughman, says:
"The bottom line is that we no longer tolerate irresponsible journalism. We will fight gratuitous use of the `Moonie" or `cult' pejoratives."
Those terms often have been applied to the group founded by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon in 1954 in Seoul, South Korea, and spread in this country in the 1970's.
Baughman, who succeeds the Rev. Moses Durst, promised an aggressive campaign against misconceptions and distortions about the church. - Associated Press
by CNB