Church hounded from hotel over its traditional beliefs
A church in Aberdeen was blocked from holding a Sunday service in a hotel function room because of the church’s beliefs about sex and marriage. The Gilcomston Church has recently broken away from the Church of Scotland in opposition to the ordination of gay clergy. They had booked a function room at the Copthorne Hotel in Aberdeen to hold their first Sunday service as an independent church on 10 March. Hotel management broke off the agreement after it received complaints because of the church’s beliefs. Rev Smart said: ‘So much for the tolerant society. We were just going to have a church service.’ The Gilcomston Church has now come to an amicableagreement to lease its old church building, until they can find a permanent venue so it no longer needs to hire a hotel function room.
Pray: that secular political correctness will not stop Christians from worshipping in differing ways. (Jn.17:23)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/church-hounded-from-hotel-over-its-traditional-beliefs/
Church of Cyprus has offered to help.
‘The entire wealth of the Church is at the disposal of the country so that we c
an stand on our own two feet and not relying on foreigners,’ Archbishop Chrysostomos said after meeting Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades early on Wednesday. The Church of Cyprus is a major shareholder in Cyprus's third-largest domestic lender, Hellenic Bank. Unless Europe, the International Monitory Fund or Russia give Cyprus more money or the banks will go bust. Cyprus has become the tax evasion centre for Russian oligarchs. It is doubtful Angela Merkel would agree to a bailout blueprint that causes German taxpayers to subsidise Moscow billionaires with a German election looming this autumn. Anastasiades - a month in the job - gathered party leaders and the governor of the central bank at his office on Wednesday and was due to hold talks with officials from the EU, European Central Bank and IMF while Finance Minister Michael Sarris was in Moscow negotiating a Russia bail out to safeguard high levels of Russian deposits in Cypriot banks.
Pray: for God in His mercy to sort out the looming turmoil that would affect ex-pat European citizens. (Ps.20:1)
More: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-throws-bailout-disarray-seeks-russian-help-074339638--sector.html
Church of Cyprus has offered to help.
‘The entire wealth of the Church is at the disposal of the country so that we c
an stand on our own two feet and not relying on foreigners,’ Archbishop Chrysostomos said after meeting Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades early on Wednesday. The Church of Cyprus is a major shareholder in Cyprus's third-largest domestic lender, Hellenic Bank. Unless Europe, the International Monitory Fund or Russia give Cyprus more money or the banks will go bust. Cyprus has become the tax evasion centre for Russian oligarchs. It is doubtful Angela Merkel would agree to a bailout blueprint that causes German taxpayers to subsidise Moscow billionaires with a German election looming this autumn. Anastasiades - a month in the job - gathered party leaders and the governor of the central bank at his office on Wednesday and was due to hold talks with officials from the EU, European Central Bank and IMF while Finance Minister Michael Sarris was in Moscow negotiating a Russia bail out to safeguard high levels of Russian deposits in Cypriot banks.
Pray: for God in His mercy to sort out the looming turmoil that would affect ex-pat European citizens. (Ps.20:1)
More: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-throws-bailout-disarray-seeks-russian-help-074339638--sector.html
EU’s Ashton expects breakthrough In Kosovo dispute
The European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says Serbia and Kosovo are close to a deal to end the ethnic partition of the former Serbian province. She spoke after the leaders of both nations expressed optimism about an agreement as early as this week. In a significant U-turn, Serbia offered to recognize the authority of Kosovo's government over the north, in exchange for autonomy for Serbs living there. The two sides were at odds however over the powers any Serb institutions in the north would have. But Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic now says they are in his words ‘never closer’ to settling their differences. Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told reporters earlier they were at what he called ‘the beginning of the end’ in reaching an accord to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. The two men spoke after separate talks with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Belgrade and Pristina.
Pray: for the success of these discussions and pray for a breakthrough that will bring reconciliation. (Eph.4:13)
More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/27189-news-watch-eus-ashton-expects-breakthrough-in-kosovo-dispute
