A host of River City stars have pledged to go hungry for charity. Jenni Keenan Green, Lorraine Macintosh, John Murtagh and Libby McArthur will go without food for the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund's 24-hour fast.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.
posted at 3:03 PM

Marion Nicholson, the session clerk of Fort Augustus Parish Church, is to visit Sri Lanka with Christian Aid.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 2:58 PM

Mike Rumbles, the Scottish Liberal Democrat party's health spokesman, has astonished the Catholic church by claiming state funding should be withdrawn from faith schools if they attempt to opt out of elements of the Scottish executive's new sexual health strategy. The Catholic church reacted furiously, saying Rumbles and his party "utterly misunderstand the scope of education legislation". "Collaboration and persuasion will always achieve more than threats and intimidation," said a church spokesman. "Ministers cannot compel the headteacher of a school to do anything, not even to let in a nurse or a dentist, let alone a sexual-health worker. They can say they would like pupils to be referred to certain services but that is all they can do."
Source: Sunday Times.
posted at 1:24 PM

The producers of The Da Vinci Code film might build a replica of the Rosslyn Chapel in France or Ireland after reluctance from the trustees to offer a welcome to Scotland. Tom Hanks will play the book's hero, Professor Robert Langdon. He follows a trail of clues from the murdered body of the curator of the Louvre to Rosslyn Chapel, where he discovers the truth about the Holy Grail. Hanks will be joined by the Amélie star Audrey Tautou and her French colleague Jean Reno.
Source: Scotland on Sunday.
posted at 1:17 PM

A coalition of liberal voices has attacked the Scottish Executive after a leading Catholic archbishop claimed ministerial U-turns on sexual health were a "victory" for his Church. Mario Conti, the Archbishop of Glasgow, said that health minister Andy Kerr's support for "abstinence plus" was a clear rejection of the "safe-sex" mantra that had failed Scotland. He added that the Executive's rethink on the sexual health strategy, announced last week in parliament, was a blow to "political correctness" and a triumph for "good sense".
Source: Sunday Herald.
posted at 1:09 PM

Alan Greenspan, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve, is to give the first Adam Smith lecture at St Brycedale's Church of Scotland in Kirkcaldy, in an event partly arranged by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown. His father, the late Rev John Brown, used to preach there.
Source: Scotland on Sunday.
posted at 1:07 PM

An asylum-seeking mum and her 14-year-old son, who fled to Scotland from Turkmenistan and claim to be in fear for their lives, have been seized in a dawn raid and are to be kicked out of the UK within three days. Oskana Toropova, 33, and her son Yoldush Rahimbaev - known as Yura - were taken by a team of seven to the notorious Dungavel detention centre, near Strathaven in Lanarkshire. Oskana said she was targeted by the dictatorship of Turkmenistan because she is Russian by birth and a committed Christian. Sister of Notre Dame Patricia Cassidy, who met Oskana at St Jude's Church in Barlanark, Glasgow, said it was a 'certainty' that both would be arrested and put in prison if they were deported.
Source: Sunday Mail.
posted at 12:57 PM

Families for the Right to Mourn in Peace, the cemetery action group, has received support from leading church figures. The group is leading a campaign to convince East Dunbartonshire Council to change their present cemetery rules, and instead adopt the Charter for the Bereaved - a document that is used by over 100 local authorities in Britain. The Scottish Episcopal Church's Bishop of Glasgow, Reverend Idris Jones, said: "This is a matter of great sensitivity and it is clear that there has to be consultation and discussion between all those involved." The Reverend Mark Johnstone, minister at St Mary's Parish Church in Kirkintilloch, said: "It is sad and unfortunate that certain memorials have been removed and that choice may be limited in the future. The need some of us have to externally remember the internal journey of letting go is profound. For some, that which was laid to rest has been emotionally disturbed."
Source: Kirkintilloch Herald.
posted at 9:25 PM

Rev Tom McWhirter - minister to Old Luce and New Luce parishes, and Interim Moderator of Monigaff and Kirkmabreck - is to visit Cambodia with the Tearfund charity to see how the country is rebuilding its society.
Source: Galloway Gazette.
posted at 9:20 PM

A conman has been found guilty of posing as a priest and social worker to steal from trusting elderly victims. Robert Markward called himself Father Billy when carrying out scams in Ayrshire.
Source: Ayrshire Post.
posted at 9:06 PM

Too many clergy have been destroyed in spirit by mean or intransigent parishioners who have hurled wicked verbal abuse at them, according to the Anglican Bishop of Lancaster, the Rt Rev Stephen Pedley. "People complain about things as never before. And because he or she is in the way - officially in the way - the vicar gets it. I have heard wicked stories of verbal abuse and institutional insensitivity thrown at clergy by hard-hearted and headed parishioners who have been attending church all their lives but who don't appear to have learned the first thing about the gospel."
Source: Church of England Newspaper.
posted at 6:30 PM

Desmond Tutu, the charismatic African church leader who struggled prominently against apartheid, is being propped up as an "icon" by opportunist "elitists", South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) has claimed.
Source: Church of England Newspaper.
posted at 6:28 PM

The Evangelical Alliance is hosting the launch of an ambitious international programme to train a million new Christian leaders for the future. Million Leaders Mandate comes to the UK and Ireland on 9 February 2005 and is the vision of American leadership specialist, John Maxwell. The author of the best-selling book 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership will run the day-long session.
Source: Evangelical Alliance news release.
posted at 6:17 PM

A Salvation Army Hall in Shettleston, Glasgow, is to shut in March after 23 years because the Army say they don't have enough cash or volunteers to provide services for the area. Residents say they will fight to the end to ensure the centre, which opens five days a week, is saved for the community. Salvation Army West of Scotland Divisional Commander Major David Hinton said: "We would encourage local people to link up with our centre at Parkhead, which is a short distance from Shettleston."
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 6:11 PM

Three Glasgow pubs could be shut next month as part of a clampdown by the city's Licensing Board on bars which display images, insignia, colours, flags or behaviour deemed to be sectarian. The pubs are Bairds and Bar 67 on the Gallowgate, both haunts of Celtic fans, and Walkers in Bridgeton, a favourite of Rangers fans.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 6:06 PM

Rangers star Marvin Andrews makes his debut tonight - as a faith healer. The £10,000-a-week footballer is a deacon and preacher at the Zion Praise International Church in Kirkcaldy, Fife. Pastor Joe Nwokoye called Marvin a gifted preacher who could 'cure the ills' of those who sought his help. He explained Marvin will perform the 'laying on of hands' - where he places his hands over a sufferer's hands and prays for God's help to ease their pain.
Source: Daily Record.
posted at 6:00 PM

Abstinence was yesterday put at the heart of the Scottish Executive's multi-million pound sexual health strategy designed to redress Scotland's appalling record on teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. But Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leading Catholic in Scotland, said the new strategy "could not be reconciled" with the views of his church, and he warned ministers that their approach was "at odds" with public opinion.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 5:47 PM

Archbishop Desmond Tutu will give the keynote speech at the Commonwealth local government conference to be held in Aberdeen in March.
Source: BBC Scotland News.
posted at 5:57 PM

The Scottish Executive today published its sexual health strategy document, Respect and Responsibility. The foreword by health minister Andy Kerr says: "It sets out our proposals in a way which is respectful of both children's rights and parental and personal responsibility, and which recognises religious, cultural and gender diversity." He adds: "The right focus for us in the Scottish Executive in the action we take to promote sexual health, is on the quality of relationships rather than on family form or on issues of legal status. Abstinence, or sexual activity which is delayed until a mature, loving relationship is established, are approaches we support." Cardinal Keith O'Brien commented: "I am pleased the Health Minister recognises marriage as 'a key pillar of our national life' and that he endorses the principle of abstinence ... Parents can be assured that programmes of sex education in their Catholic school will continue to offer Christian moral values to young people."
Sources: Scottish Executive news release, Scottish Catholic Media Office news release.
posted at 5:49 PM

The Art and Christianity Enquiry is inviting entries for the 2005 ACE Awards which offers prizes totalling £12,000 in four categories: for religious architecture or landscape design, commissioned artwork in a Christian worship space, a garden design which incorporates text, and a book which makes an outstanding contribution to the dialogue between religious faith and the visual arts.
Source: Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) news.
posted at 1:19 PM

A new booklet has been launched by the Joint Faiths Advisory Board on Criminal Justice, in co-operation with the Scottish Quaker Community Justice Network, with the aim of helping people become involved in volunteering in the Scottish criminal justice system, for example through Victim Support or the Children's Hearings system.
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 1:16 PM

Tom Forgie, a Scots emigrant to Canada who served as a lay preacher for outlying Baptist churches at Pontrilas and in the Torch River district of Saskatchewan, has been commemorated in a mural at Pineland Marketplace, south of Nipawin. Tom, who was the local milkman for 30 years, died in 2001.
Source: Nipawin Journal.
posted at 12:41 PM

A report on the first Council meeting for 2005 of the Baptist Union of Scotland is now online.
Source: Baptist Union of Scotland news.
posted at 4:45 PM

Scottish church leaders have appealed to Home Secretary Charles Clarke for a meeting to discuss the future of Rev Makielukele Nzelengi Daly and his family, who are seeking asylum in Scotland.
Source: Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) news.
posted at 9:08 PM

The future of Scotland's answer to the Oberammergau Passion Plays is being threatened by a shortage of disciples. Casting for this year's production of the Life of Jesus Christ at Dundas Castle, South Queensferry, is being held up by a shortage of men coming forward for key roles, including those of Christ's 12 disciples.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.
posted at 8:57 PM

New rules designed to clamp down on sectarian parades risk undermining people's democratic right to protest, it was claimed today. Campaign groups fear Scottish Executive moves to stamp out trouble at Loyalist and Republican processions will rebound against student demos, anti-war protests and trade union marches.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 8:55 PM

The architect of Scotland's controversial sexual health strategy yesterday accused the Catholic Church of not treating other people's views with enough respect. Professor Phil Hanlon, a former adviser to the Scottish Executive, accused politicians of worrying "too much" about a repeat of the backlash which erupted over the Section 28 debate surrounding classroom education on homosexuality. Professor Hanlon said: "If we are going to have a grown-up discussion, I need to respect absolutely where the Catholic Church is coming from ... but if we have a disagreement ... I would expect them to be respectful of the alternative position."
Source: The Herald.
posted at 8:12 PM

Ordinary people should have a greater say in the planning of contentious marches in Scotland. The claim is one of 38 recommendations made by former chief constable Sir John Orr's parades review for the Scottish Executive. His recommendations are divided into five categories: the period of notice required for a march, informing and involving the community, decision-making, numbers involved and effects on communities, and the cost of policing. Ian Wilson, the grand master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, said the review had been conducted in a "thorough and professional" manner.
Source: BBC Scotland News.
posted at 2:14 PM

A new report from the Scottish Prison Service reveals that one in nine people in the Royston area of Glasgow will have spent time in prison by the time they are 23. A male born in a deprived area of the city such as Royston, Ibrox or Pollok is more likely to spend time in prison than a black man in America - the population traditionally associated with one of the highest levels of imprisonment in the world. In the New Life Pentecostal Church in Royston, Pastor Robert Kelly said that youth crime is a real problem. "Groups of youths hang about because there is nothing to do and they end up drinking and taking drugs. They realise quite quickly they are in a dead-end street. It is a vicious cycle for them and some end up dead. There is really quite a sense of hopelessness in this part of the city," he said.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 1:43 PM

A new report from the Scottish Prison Service reveals that one in nine people in the Royston area of Glasgow will have spent time in prison by the time they are 23. In the nearby New Life Pentecostal Church, Pastor Robert Kelly, said that youth crime is a real problem. "Groups of youths hang about because there is nothing to do and they end up drinking and taking drugs. They realise quite quickly they are in a dead-end street. It is a vicious cycle for them and some end up dead. There is really quite a sense of hopelessness in this part of the city," he said.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 1:38 PM

The police investigation into Luke Mitchell's murder of Jodi Jones exposed a culture of drug taking, violence and Satanism among some pupils at St David's High School in Dalkeith which raised disturbing questions for the authorities that run the Roman Catholic secondary school. Mitchell's criminal activities and his attempts to corrupt other pupils with drugs and Satanism were no secret at St David's. But at a time when the Scottish Executive's policy was to avoid excluding troublesome pupils, he was allowed to remain at the school, mixing with other youngsters - one of whom would pay for her relationship with him with her life. Councillor Peter Boyes, education leader for Midlothian Council, suggested a review of what had happened at St David's would now begin. A spokesman for the Catholic Church said the Scottish Catholic Education Service had not been aware of any concerns about Mitchell, who is not a Catholic. He said issues such as drug dealing and violence in schools were a matter for the council.
Source: Scotland on Sunday.
posted at 6:34 PM

Catholic schools are to defy Jack McConnell's order to provide pupils with advice on obtaining contraception and abortions without their parents' consent. Church leaders have said that they will boycott the executive's sexual health strategy, which will be unveiled this week, reigniting a bitter row with ministers. Michael McGrath, education director of the Catholic church in Scotland, said: "The executive is supposed to serve the needs of the community rather than impose what they think is good for you. In a Catholic school we are not going to deliver something that's in conflict with the teachings of the church." The church's stance means that 126,000 pupils at 400 Catholic primary and secondary schools will continue to be encouraged to abstain from sex before marriage. The church will also continue to oppose barrier methods of contraception, including condoms, as well as the morning-after pill.
Source: Sunday Times.
posted at 6:24 PM

Members of Glasgow's religious community have gathered to remember the victims of the Tsunami disaster. The interfaith service was held at Glasgow University's Bute Hall. Dr Alison Elliot, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, was among the speakers. The lord provost of Glasgow, the Scottish Interfaith Council and the Glasgow Forum of Faiths also supported the event.
Source: BBC Scotland News.
posted at 6:20 PM

Whatever happened to our work ethic, asks Allan Massie. "Respect for work was written into the Scottish character. Nowhere was St Paul's message to the Thessalonians 'if any would not work, neither should he eat' - quoted more often and with more complete approval than in Scotland ..."
Source: Sunday Times.
posted at 6:08 PM

The Catholic Church last night claimed victory in the ongoing row over sexual health education in schools after insisting that headteachers would be able to block family planning workers from entering classrooms. A spokesman for the Church said he was "relaxed" about a strategy that would not force faith schools to do anything contrary to their ethos.
Source: Sunday Herald.
posted at 6:03 PM

Appreciation of Jean McTavish McLellan (1916-2004), who was brought up at Harper Memorial Baptist Church in Glasgow and saw missionary service as a nurse in India for almost 30 years.
Source: Baptist Union of Scotland news.
posted at 10:26 PM

The Moderator of the General Assembly, Dr Alison Elliot, is to help launch an appeal to support the Girls' Brigade Scotland. Susan MacKenzie, the Brigade's national president, said: "We have set ourselves the target of £500,000."
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 10:20 PM

The death of RAF Leuchars padre, Squadron-Leader Rev Bryan McNeil, has shocked the community in and around the base. Squadron-Leader McNeil (45), who was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1985, had a ''considerable impact'' on the chaplaincy at the station in the relatively short time he was at Leuchars, according to Wing-Commander Rev Ken Wilson.
Source: Fife Now - St Andrews Citizen.
posted at 10:09 PM

A culture change is in store for two Cupar ministers who are to become ambassadors in the Amazon. Rev Dr Ken Jeffrey of Cupar Old Parish Church and Rev Sheila Blount from St John's Church set off on Tuesday for a journey which will see them visit the Amazon Hope - a floating medical centre - and see some of the various projects set up by Scripture Union to work with street children in the Peruvian cities of Lima and Iquitos.
Source: Fife Herald.
posted at 10:06 PM

Sunday evening mass has been cancelled at a Glenrothes church - because there is no priest to celebrate it. The 6.30 p.m. service at St Paul's will not be held for the foreseeable future. The decision follows the departure of Father Jock Dalrymple at the beginning of the year. Father Chris Heenan, dean of the diocese which covers the parish, said: "Regrettably, because of the extreme shortage of priests, I am having to cancel the celebration of this mass for the foreseeable future."
Source: Fife Now - Glenrothes Gazette.
posted at 10:04 PM

An Alexandria-born former pop star who turned to God after being convicted of fraud is raising money for tsunami victims. Kevin Glancy - once a session singer with 1980s chart-toppers Bronski Beat - will donate all profits from his new CD of religious songs to the disaster fund.
Source: Lennox Herald.
posted at 10:02 PM

A member of the Blairgowrie branch of the Salvation Army has raised over £5000 to train "barefoot doctors" in China. Ray Field raised the money as part of a scheme that teaches two villagers from hundreds of rural communties in the Zhaotong District basic medical skills. This year, Mr Field, whose efforts have seen him crowned Blairgowrie Citizen of the Year, will turn his attention to a scheme that will enable 400 vulnerable children in Mozambique to attend school.
Source: Blairgowrie Advertiser.
posted at 9:57 PM

Churchgoers in Drymen are being given a financial incentive to worship on Sunday - they're being handed £10 each! But the catch is that the Drymen Parish congregation then has 40 days to use the cash to go towards the church's planned extension. The unique idea is based on the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25: 14-30. Rev Alex Macpherson said: "We're looking for different ways from the congregation to multiply the tenner. Perhaps there is a bit of risk, but people out there have some great ideas to raise cash."
Source: Stirling Observer.
posted at 9:53 PM

The Prime Minister could be stripped of his historic role in the appointment of deans in the Church of England under plans to introduce greater transparency into the Church's selection process.
Source: Church of England Newspaper.
posted at 9:42 PM

An employment tribunal has ruled that Mohammed Khan, a bus cleaner in Bradford who went on a six-week pilgrimage to Mecca, suffered religious discrimination when he was subsequently sacked for gross misconduct. Mr Khan was awarded £10,892 after the tribunal ruled on Wednesday of last week that the company had breached the 2003 Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) regulations. His solicitor, Anna Power of Morrish and Co., said that a precedent could be set whereby Christians might apply for Christmas off for religious reasons. The Keep Sunday Special campaign described the ruling as "an encouraging trend".
Source: Church Times.
posted at 9:39 PM

An exhibition which explores the phenomenon of Jerusalem syndrome opens in Dundee today. The work, which looks at the rare travel psychosis which makes people feel intoxicated by the Holy Land, has been created by leading Scots visual artist Nathan Coley.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 9:31 PM

Edinburgh's five mosques are split over the true date of the Eid Al-Adha festival. The discrepancy in dates is caused by the lunar calendar. Muslim teaching requires the moon to be visible to the naked eye, but because of the weather in Edinburgh the moon is often covered by cloud , resulting in different interpretations of the date.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.
posted at 9:28 PM

Interviews with two survivors of Auschwitz who now live in Scotland - Rabbi Ernest Levy and Susan Singerman. Also interviewed is Bob Kutner, who escaped Germany in the 1930s and translated in the interrogation of Nazis after the war.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 9:19 PM

Children in all Scottish schools will learn about sex under the same guidelines for faith and non-faith schools, according to a policy to be announced next week by Andy Kerr, the health minister, risking the opposition of the Catholic Church.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 9:05 PM

Catholic education leaders criticised a local authority last night after plans to merge a series of secondary schools in one of Scotland's most deprived areas were given the go-ahead. A full meeting of Inverclyde Council yesterday ratified proposals that will see the number of secondary schools in the region fall from eight to five. Two denominational schools - Notre Dame and St Columba's - will join, and campaigners believe the future of Catholic education in the area has been placed in jeopardy.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 9:03 PM

Feature on the Catholic organisation Opus Dei in Scotland, including an interview with Dermot Grenham, director until recently of Dunreath, Opus Dei's centre for men in Glasgow, and Eileen Cole, a member for 27 years and one of seven female 'numeraries' who live in a West End town house in the city. Ronnie Convery, the director of communications for the late Cardinal Thomas Winning, and now for Mario Conti, the Archbishop of Glasgow, was a member for many years before leaving after he found it too demanding. Opus Dei has recently embarked on a PR offensive, using the novel The Da Vinci Code and the appointment of supernumerary member Ruth Kelly as Secretary of State for Education to promote its agenda.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 8:59 PM

The Moderator of the General Assembly, Dr Alison Elliot, returns from her tour of Asian countries in February to carry out a variety of engagements, including a three-day visit to the Scottish Parliament. She will also be visiting the north-east, and will be involved in events at the universities of Aberdeen and St Andrews, before heading for London, where she will be attending the Assembly of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 8:49 PM

Carmelite nuns have been given the go-ahead to turn their monastery in Mansionhouse Road at Langside, Glasgow, into a multi-million pound housing development.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 8:45 PM

A church has been inundated with offers of help after vandals trashed their bus and stole a generator. Within hours of the Evening Times highlighting the theft and damage to the double decker - owned by the Elim Church in Govanhill - dozens of generous readers had called and offered help and cash, and even a new bus. The kind-hearted offers mean the church's Salt and Light Outreach workers will be able to return to the streets tonight to give help, counselling, warm food and clothing to some of city's most needy people.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 8:41 PM

Obituary of the Rev Robert A Howieson, the last provost of Newport-on-Tay, died on 10 January, aged 94. "He was a significant yet modest personality who travelled the world and played many parts in Church and State when the Kirk and many of its ministry could hold a place in society as cultured and educated personalities."
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 8:32 PM

More than 1,000 mourners gathered today for the funeral of five members of the same family who were swept away by tidal waters while trying to escape hurricane-force winds. Archie and Murdina MacPherson, their children Andrew, seven, Hannah, five, and grandfather Calum Campbell, were killed fleeing the storm in their two cars after their seafront home was flooded on South Uist in the Western Isles. The interdenominational service at St Mary's RC Church in Griminish, on Benbecula, included readings from Church of Scotland ministers and Catholic priests.
Source: The Scotsman/PA News.
posted at 8:30 PM

Pastor Makielokele Nzelengi Daly and his family, who are at the centre of a deportation row, have been released on bail from the Dungavel Detention Centre in Lanarkshire. Surrounded by his family and members of his congregation, Pastor Daly, who preaches at the Pentecostal Church of Redemption in Royston, said: "There was a time when I did not believe any more I would be free. I did not believe I would stay in Glasgow any more. When I was in Dungavel I sometimes asked myself 'why should I suffer so much?' There were times when I felt as if I was nothing, like an asylum seeker is more than a criminal."
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 8:28 PM

An African preacher and his family seeking asylum in Scotland were last night freed from Dungavel detention centre after local churches raised £4000 bail. Pastor Makielokele Nzelengi Daly, 42, fled war-torn Angola with his wife and children more than four years ago, but was detained at the centre in Lanarkshire, last month. Isabell, his wife, and their children, Rachel, 16, Josue, 14, Linda, 13, and 11-year-old Isaac, were detained on Monday.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 8:27 PM

The debate within the Catholic church over the use of condoms to combat Aids was rekindled yesterday when Spain's hierarchy softened its stance on the matter. Juan Antonio Martinez Camino, general secretary of the Spanish bishops' conference, said there was scientific evidence that condoms could combat the spread of the disease. A spokesman for the Church in Scotland said: "I understand the bishops' spokesman wished to clarify the Catholic hierarchy's rejection of the recent government-initiated campaign against Aids. As far as I am aware, the Spanish bishops' conference remains resolutely convinced that condom use is always sinful and did not concede anything to the contrary. This is the position of the bishops' conference of Scotland." A spokesman for Archbishop Mario Conti said: "It is important to distinguish between contraceptive and medical uses of the condom. It is also important to note that abstinence is the only sure way of preventing transmission of HIV."
Source: The Herald.
posted at 8:24 PM

One of Scotland's top referees, Mike McCurry, may have to hang up his whistle - to be ordained as a minister. The Glasgow official is giving up his job as finance director with a waste management company to take up a full-time position with Mosspark Baptist Church in the city.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 8:19 PM

Pastor Ric Neese is to visit Scotland to learn about hymnology as part of a sabattical following 35 years of service at Chapel By The Sea in Lincoln City, Oregon.
Source: The News Guard, Oregon.
posted at 8:18 PM

In February's issue of the Church of Scotland magazine Life and Work a former Moderator, the Very Rev Dr James Simpson, provides a response to faith questions about the Boxing Day tsunami. Dr Andrew Cubie, former chairman of CBI Scotland, is profiled in this month's issue and says the Kirk should not be too concerned about falling rolls. Dr Cubie says he believes the Church of Scotland should play its full part in Scottish civic life. Also in this issue, the Church of Scotland's director of stewardship, Rev Gordon Jamieson, reflects on giving with grace and highlights the difficulties of encouraging increased giving to the Kirk.
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 7:37 PM

Christian organisations in Edinburgh to have made successful applications to the Scottish Executive's Voluntary Sector Development Fund include the Ark Housing Association, £15,000; Little Sisters of the Poor, £6000; Bethany Christian Trust, £12,000; L'Arche Edinburgh, £3500.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.
posted at 7:30 PM

Edinburgh councillor Andrew Burns has cited the Pope's complaints about the amount of traffic in the heart of Rome in support of his campaign for congestion charging in the capital. A spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland said: "Councillor Burns is obviously looking at this in a light-hearted way, but congestion charging is not an issue the church in Scotland has a view on. That is the domain of local politicians and the people of Edinburgh."
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.
posted at 7:27 PM

Singers from Mount Zion Church in Killen, Alabama, will share the bill at a Celtic Connections concert in Glasgow Cathedral on Friday with Gaelic psalm singers of the Western Isles in pursuance of jazzman professor Willie Ruff's theory that "precenting the line" - the traditional unaccompanied singing of psalms in Gaelic in the Presbyterian churches in the Hebrides - is the ancestor of "lining out", still practised in black churches in the South and, therefore, that Gaelic psalm (salm) singing lies at the root of all black American music.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 10:46 AM

The Herald examines Jack McConnell's keen interest in combating sectarianism. While the First Minister has observed in the past that some communities such as Wishaw, which lies in his constituency, seem to be unfairly targeted by the marching bands, yesterday was the first time he came right out and said the number of marches had to be reduced.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 10:41 AM

The first ever ordination of a married Catholic priest in Scotland is due to take place soon in the Diocese of Aberdeen. The Reverend James Bell, a former priest of the Scottish Episcopal Church, was ordained Deacon at Huntly in September last by Bishop Peter Moran of Aberdeen. Bishop Moran will again officiate, this time in Inverness, on 2nd March this year. The bishop said: "James Bell's experience and personal qualities will be of great value in our diocese. I am delighted that permission has been granted to ordain him as a priest. Although, a married priest is an unfamiliar idea for Catholics in this country, I am confident that we will all welcome James in his new role and Lesley as his wife."
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release.
posted at 5:41 PM

The Scottish Churches Industrial Mission has appointed deacon Lewis Rose as national co-ordinator in succession to the Rev Erik Cramb, who retired last month. Mr Rose will combine the national position with his current duties as area organiser for the North of Scotland. He brings a depth of expertise and knowledge from a varied career which began in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, from 1975 to 1990. Mr Rose has also served as a parish assistant with the Church of Scotland in Dundee from 1992 to 1998.
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 5:39 PM

Scotland's Roman Catholic bishops held their first meeting of 2005 at the Scots College in Salamanaca during a week-long visit to Spain.
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release.
posted at 5:35 PM

Good Samaritans who offer vital services to needy people in Glasgow have been forced off the road after thieves ransacked their bus. Crooks stole a petrol generator and equipment from a blue double-decker belonging to Govanhill's Elim Church, forcing the volunteers to cancel their Salt & Light Bus Ministry outreach programme.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 5:32 PM

The family of an African preacher seeking asylum in Scotland were detained yesterday, only days before the government decides whether they can remain in the UK. Pastor Makielokele Nzelengi Daly fled war-torn Angola with his wife and children more than four years ago but he was detained last month and is being held at Dungavel detention centre near Strathaven, Lanarkshire.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 5:18 PM

Faith-based schools may be harming the fabric of British society, the chief inspector of schools in England claimed yesterday, in comments that brought immediate condemnation from Muslim and Roman Catholic representatives. David Bell, the head of the education watchdog Ofsted, said that while diversity was potentially a great strength, it could also pose a threat to "our coherence as a nation" if taken too far. Peter Kearney, a spokesman for the Scottish Catholic Church, said: "Either you believe that having diversity in religion is a good thing in society and your allegiance to the nation is something over and above that, or you don't. If you don't, the logical conclusion is that you can't have a society unless everyone has exactly the same set of beliefs." Osama Saeed, the Scottish spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain, described Mr Bell's comments as "absolutely extraordinary". He said: "The Muslim community are performing well academically, which means that they will be able to contribute to society, which helps improve integration."
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 5:17 PM

Cardinal Keith O'Brien and Mgr David Gemmell, adminstrator of St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh, have arrived at Peten in northern Guatemala at the start of a two week visit to Guatemala and Mexico, visiting parishes in both countries where priests from the Diocese of St Andrew's and Edinburgh are 'on loan' to the local dioceses.
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release.
posted at 9:37 PM

The deputy leader of the Scottish National Party, Nicola Sturgeon, speaks about her religious background and beliefs: "I was brought up in the Church of Scotland, although my parents were never regular church-goers. I did go to Sunday school quite regularly, but when I was about three or four, I made a bid for freedom from Sunday school and was found half way up the main street of Dreghorn in Ayrshire, the village I lived in. These days, I don't go to church and wouldn't describe myself as religious. But I do believe there is a greater power than the human race."
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 11:52 AM

J Philip Newell will be the featured speaker for Kanuga Conferences Episcopal centre's pre-Lenten retreat. The writer-theologian at the Cathedral of the Isles, Cumbrae, will take the theme Listening for the Heartbeat of God: Celtic Spirituality for Today.
Source: Asheville Citizen-Times, North Carolina: Voice of the Mountains.
posted at 11:38 AM

Members of Mason Congregational Church have chosen Christopher Owen to be their new pastor. A Congressional candidate in 2004, he holds a masterÂ's degree from St Andrews University.
Source: Nashua Telegraph, New Hampshire.
posted at 11:37 AM

Steve Connor of Sports Outreach Scotland will be a key speaker at next week's Great Lakes Regional Conference for the Association of Church Sports and Recreation Ministers.
Source: Adrian Daily Telegram, Michigan.
posted at 11:31 AM

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, has been citing his late father, the Rev John Brown, as a childhood source of his determination to tackle poverty in Africa. "My father was a Church of Scotland minister," he said. "There were many contacts between the Church of Scotland and Africa. I repeatedly heard stories from people coming back and telling us about the things that needed to be done." Meanwhile, Times analyst Mary Ann Sieghart, compares the Prime Minister - son of an atheist, who embraced Christianity at university- with Brown, "steeped in it from birth. The son of a Church of Scotland minister, he attended Church four times a day every Sunday and listened to his father preach. His Christian tradition embraced the Calvinist emphasis on work, struggle and evils to overcome."
Sources: Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times.
posted at 11:30 AM

Labour ministers are preparing to exempt faith schools from parts of the Scottish ExecutiveÂ's sexual health strategy. Under plans being drawn up by health minister Andy Kerr, pupils in Catholic schools will not have the same level of access to services and advice available to children in the integrated sector.
Source: Sunday Herald.
posted at 11:29 AM

The BBC is being investigated by Scottish prosecutors amid claims it broke blasphemy laws by broadcasting the controversial Jerry Springer - The Opera north of the Border. The investigation was prompted by a religious group which believes BBC managers who gave the go-ahead for last weekÂ's broadcast committed blasphemy, a criminal offence under Scots common law. Reverend George Hargreaves, leader of the Christian political party Operation Christian Vote, has written to the procurator fiscal in Glasgow formally requesting an investigation into whether a crime was committed by BBC Scotland executives.
Source: Scotland on Sunday.
posted at 11:28 AM

Organisers of Orange and republican marches are to be forced to give four times as much notice of their intention to parade through Scottish communities. The proposal is contained in a 300-page report ordered by Jack McConnell, the first minister, to curb religious hatred and violence. It is likely that organisers will be required to take out newspaper adverts, alerting local communities and allowing residents time to object or to seek to have marches re-routed to avoid sensitive locations such as churches.
Source: Sunday Times.
posted at 11:28 AM

Prayers were being said yesterday in churches across the north-west of Scotland for three generations of one family wiped out in a storm on the islands last week. Archie and Murdina MacPherson, their children Andrew, seven, and Hannah, five, and grandfather Calum Campbell died on South Uist in the Western Isles on Tuesday. Rev Jacqueline Petrie was holding two services at South Uist Church of Scotland
parishes at Daliburgh and Howmore on the island, which will be attended by ArchieÃfÂ,Ã,Â's father, Davie MacPherson, who is a Kirk elder, and other family members. Meanwhile, on the neighbouring island of Benbecula, Father Roderick MacAulay was leading prayers for the dead at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, in the Griminish area, where Calum, 67, and Murdina, 37, worshipped.
Source: The Scotsman/PA News.
posted at 11:24 AM