TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

With Earth Day rapidly approaching (April 22nd) I'm passing along this request from friends at the Union of Concerned Scientists http://www.ucsusa.org/ - April 19, 2007





Dear Frank,

Your actions targeting ExxonMobil have had an impact! Now we need you to urge them to take the next step. Take action today.

For years, ExxonMobil has been undermining science and casting doubt on the facts about global warming—just like the tobacco industry tried to mislead the public about the dangers of smoking.
More than 50,000 UCS activists have taken action targeting ExxonMobil, and the company is listening. Now we need you to urge them to take the next step.
Earlier this year, the Union of Concerned Scientists released a report documenting how ExxonMobil funneled millions of dollars to climate contrarian groups and worked to delay meaningful action on global warming.
Our report received widespread media coverage, prompted Congress to hold a hearing about ExxonMobil’s actions, and has generated new pressure on the corporation. Faced with public outrage, ExxonMobil launched a campaign aimed at softening its image and recently agreed to stop funding several of the 43 climate contrarian groups highlighted in the UCS report.
Your actions targeting ExxonMobil have had an impact—but by withholding funding from just a handful of groups and continuing to support the rest, ExxonMobil is simply trying to improve its image while it continues to deceive the public and undermine legislation to reduce global warming pollution.
As the world’s most profitable energy corporation, ExxonMobil has the power and resources to go beyond slick PR and corporate spin and commit to meaningful actions that will help protect our children and the planet.
Send a letter today to ExxonMobil urging them to stop funding all global warming contrarian groups, publicize that information promptly, invest in clean energy solutions, reduce the corporation’s global warming pollution, and stop blocking federal action addressing climate change.
Sincerely,Kate AbendNational Field OrganizerClimate Change Program P.S. You can help ensure ExxonMobil hears our message loud and clear by passing this alert along to friends and family. The more letters we deliver the louder our voice will be.

Union of Concerned Scientists. 2 Brattle Square Cambridge, MA 02238-9105Phone: 800-666-8276 Fax: 617-864-9405 Email: ucsaction@ucsusa.org http://www.ucsusa.org/

Greening Sacred Spaces

Greening Sacred Spaces: A One Day Forum
Learn about how faith communities can become
more energy-efficient and ecologically-friendly

Sunday April 15, 2007, 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM

WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS WILL COVER:

Energy Efficiency: Save money and improve comfort
levels in religious buildings through draft-proofing, efficient
lighting, insulation, energy audits and more.

Green Living: Eco-friendly options for faith communities as
well as homes, including healthy cleaning products, organic
food, Fair Trade coffee and tea, composting, community
gardening, and more.

Alternative Energy: Learn how to power religious buildings
with wind, solar, and other renewable sources.

Green Teams: Easy steps and resources that are available
to help form a green team in your faith community.

Eco Spirituality: Explore the spiritual traditions and
practices of the major faiths and how they can inform a new
spiritual relationship with Creation.

Green Buildings: Architect Roberto Chiotti will speak
about green design and the construction of the new St
Gabriel’s in North York, now hailed as Canada’s greenest
church.


OTHER DETAILS:

There is no cost for this event, however, space is limited so
please register to reserve your place.

A lunch (vegetarian) will
be provided, so registering will also help us to estimate
quantities.

For more information contact Katharine Vansittart:
Phone: 416-532-5799
Email: forum@faith-commongood.net

This event is presented by:
Faith and the Common Good, a national
interfaith network that works to help faith
communities increase energy efficiency
and reduce their ecological footprint.

Visit us at: www.faith-commongood.net.
This event is bullfrogpowered with 100%
green electricity and has been organized
with generous support from our
sponsors.

REGISTRATION FORM:
Name:
Affiliation:
Address:
Postal Code:
E-mail:
Phone:
Send by Fax to: 416 978 7821
Email: forum@faith-commongood.net
Mail: Faith & the Common Good
47 Queen's Park Crescent East,
Toronto, ON, M5S 2C3
FORUM LOCATION:
Victoria College
University of Toronto
91 Charles Street West
Nearest TTC: Museum Subway Station
Parking Lots Nearby: St Joseph & Bay
and St Joseph east of Queen’s Park

The State of Our Canadian Clergy

March 13, 2007

The findings of a new study, Clergy Well-Being: Seeking
Wholeness with Integrity, have been released. The author of
the study is the Rev. Andrew R. Irvine, PhD., of the Centre
for Clergy Care & Congregational Health, established by the
United Church’s Emmanuel College and the Presbyterian
Church’s Knox College, for the purpose of supporting clergy
well-being and congregational health.

In conducting the research,
Dr. Irvine interviewed clergy from six major protestant
denominations in Ontario: United, Anglican, Presbyterian,
Evangelical Lutheran, Baptist Convention and Pentecostal
Assemblies. The entire study is available at
www.utoronto.ca/caringforclergy/research.html.

In his report, Dr. Irvine wrote, “As human beings we come
to the fullness of “self through the social relationships and our
interaction within community and the world. It is therefore
paramount that relationships and social activity be a central
part of our activity and development….Relationships for
clergy have always been a matter of great concern….Ministers
are surrounded by many people within the congregation and
community, but they are often defined by the strong definition
of office as opposed to by which they are as persons….
ministers are the one career group who could never
step outside of their professional definition and identity.”

Here are some of the study’s highlights:


Nearly 49 % of clergy could claim having two or less friends; 18 % identified no one as a friend in their current
church or community. “Relationally, [ministers] felt unfilled and lonely,” Irvine noted. Reasons for lack of friends
included: busyness, confidentiality and the transitory nature of ministry.

55 % indicated they sometimes feel very lonely.

16 % have a spiritual director.

70 % moderately or strongly disagreed with the statement: I feel fulfilled in ministry.

67 % agreed to strongly agreed with the statement: I sometimes project my job frustration on the family.

80 % agreed to strongly agreed with the statement: I feel guilty if people see me taking time off during the
week.

4 % have gone to denominational staff for support in a crisis.

51 % indicated they have suffered physically from stress-induced problems.

20 % have been diagnosed with emotional conditions, 16 % with depression – double Health Canada’s findings
that 8 % of Canadian adults experience major depression in their lives. Twice as many female clergy than male
clergy become depressed.

50 % moderately to strongly disagreed with the statement: I am consistent between who I am and how I appear
to others.

80 % of ministers admitted varying degrees of jealously toward the success of other ministers. This attributes to
a high level of competition amongst clergy. “Meaningful friendships cannot be established or maintained on a
foundation of mistrust and competition,” Irvine stated.

77 % agreed to strongly agreed with the statement: I feel more like a CEO than a pastor.

83 % agreed with the statement: My church wants a CEO rather than a pastor.

91 % agreed with the statement: Being a ‘minister’ is more like a job than a calling.

86 % agreed to strongly agreed with the statement: I pray with others but rarely have time for personal prayer.

60 % have considered leaving ministry.
Together, we can change the conditions of ministry for the better.

The Anglican Double Standard

Urgent Action Required – Let Your Voice be Heard

The Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck, Director of the Saskatoon Native Ministry is about to have his license removed by the Anglican Bishop of Saskatoon the Rt. Rev. Rodney Andrews. According to the Anglican Church Web News, this action was taken after Rev. Beck announced that he would marry gay couples. According to the report Bishop Andrews said that this was not a disciplinary action. It should be noted that an unlicensed priest is unable to perform baptisms or celebrate communion.

Our question then is how is Rev. Beck to earn a living as a priest.

Note the double standard being applied here. When Archbishop Finlay officiated at a gay wedding only his license to perform marriages was suspended and just for 3 months. Recently he served as chaplain to the Canadian House of Bishops Meeting. To our knowledge Rev. Beck has only said he will perform gay marriages and has lost his license as a priest.

The Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd. Commends Rev. Beck for standing up for his faith beliefs. We can all learn from Rev. Beck’s courage and faith in action.

Show your support for Rev. Beck by contacting him before March 31, 2007 at :

Saskatoon Native Ministry,
808 – 20th Street,
Saskatoon, SK S7M 0Y3
244-1381
snm@sasktel.net

Please also consider supporting the Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd. As we seek to develop a resource center for clergy who are being treated unjustly. See the article about this program on this web page.

Help for Religious Leaders

Help Us Support Clergy Who Have Been Mistreated or Denied Justice

The Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd is in the process of developing a Canada wide resource base to assist religious leaders of all faith groups who have been abused, denied natural justice, bullied, or denied fair access to the internal justice structures of faith groups.

We invite lay and ordained members of all faith to communities to help us in developing these resources by:

• sending us copies of faith group laws, rules and structures which you consider to be unjust, abusive or discriminatory;
• examples of progressive faith representatives whom you believe have been silenced by religious authorities;
• encourage individuals who believe they have experienced first hand such unjust treatment to send us their stories and any supporting documentation;
• provide us with the names, addresses and other contact of lawyers and legal firms who have had experience representing individuals who have experienced such injustice or have been treated unfairly and may be willing to do so again.
• the contact information for other individuals and groups who are engaged in a similar work.

It is helpful if this information can be provided to us by email or in a pdf or doc format.

We can be contacted at:

The Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd.

Frank Doe, B.E.S., M.Div. Director

340 Hoodoo Crescent

Canmore, Alberta T1W 1A9

1-403-678-5503

faithtowork@yahoo.ca

Other Helpful Links:

Pastors in Pain: A web site to help Christian ministers in pain.

http://www.pastorsinpain.com/

Pastoral Advocacy Center:

http://www.gardenministries.com/pastoral_advocacy_center.htm

Bullied and Abused Lives in Ministry:

http://www.balmnet.co.uk/

Clergy Abuse Net

http://www.clergyabuse.net/resources.html

Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Christian Faith and Works Ltd

Share your story and suggestions with us. Please let others know about our site.

http://centerforprogressivefaithandworks.blogspot.com/

CAW - United Church Clergy Initiative

www.caw.ca/unitedclergy

Objectives of the Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd

March 2, 2007

• To encourage the reading and study of sacred scriptures and teachings and to explore other texts as may be deemed appropriate.
• To provide spiritual counseling, quiet days, retreats and worship opportunities.
• To support the work of other individuals and groups working to end poverty, seek social justice and peace and to promote the health of ecosystems and wildlife.
• To educate society through regular religious, social, political and environmental commentary.
• To provide worship opportunities and to assist groups in designing their own worship experiences.
• To provide acceptance, opportunities for prayer, healing and new growth for those who feel they have been rejected by their faith group.
• To advocate and provide support and assistance to clergy who believe they have been mistreated by the religous body they have served as well as provide opportunities for them to share their stories.
• Although the Center will not be licensed to perform marriages, it will offer to bless same sex relationships and design the ceremony in conjunction with those involved.

themysticalkurmudgen

faithtowork@yahoo.ca