Groups offer prayer for the environment in the wake of BP calamity

Well before some other groups began praying for the environmental catastrophe surrounding the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, there was this group (which posted its video on May 8th).

Since then, groups around the country have joined together to offer prayer for an the end to that oil leak, and for relief to the communities, residents and wildlife that call the Gulf of Mexico home.

2010 Women's Conference to be held June 16-18

The Resource Center for Women in Ministry, in collaboration with the 50th Anniversary of The Interchurch Center, is hosting the 2010 Women's Conference June 16-18 at The Interchurch Center, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, New York 10115. The theme of this year's event is  "Unlimited Journey: 50 Years of Women In Service."

For information about participating in this event, contact the Resource Center for Women in Ministry Director Dr. Cynthia Diaz, at 212-870-1212, E-mail: cdiaz@nyts.edu or The Interfaith Church Tenant Relations Manager Rachel Rivera, at 212-870-2954, E-mail: rrivera@interchurch-center.org.

Rev. Dr. Eugenia Lee Hancock passes away

Our beloved colleague, the Rev. Dr. Eugenia Lee Hancock, Professor of Urban Studies and Spirituality and Director of the Center for the Study and Practice of Urban Religion (CSPUR) at the Seminary, died at home on Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Lee, as she was affectionately known, was an extraordinary spiritual presence in our midst. Her disarming smile and intense eyes communicated a genuine affection and sense of engagement with everyone she encountered.

Lee was relentless in her pursuit of academic excellence in the classroom. Students who worked with her during the years she served first as an adjunct professor then as a member of the Seminary’s core faculty will testify to that. But she also had a pastor’s heart. Her passion expressed itself in a real desire to integrate intellect and spirit in constructive, creative ways. She applied these gifts masterfully in a number of positions of community and institutional leadership beyond the classroom, including on the Seminary’s Board of Trustees where she served prior to joining the faculty.

Lee was born in Bluefield, West Virginia, and graduated from Mary Baldwin College before going on to Union Theological Seminary in New York where she earned her M. Div. degree, then to Drew University where she earned her Ph.D. While at Drew she served as the program officer for the Newark Project, a research program designed to enable students and community leaders to gain a better understanding of the role of religion in contemporary urban life. Her dissertation, which was completed in the area of Religion and Society, was an ethnographic study of those “infected and affected” by HIV/AIDS in Newark, NJ.

After graduating from Drew, Lee served as the Dean of Auburn Theological Seminary and the Director of Auburn’s Center for Church Life and the Center for Multifaith Education. One of the projects she developed at Auburn was the New York Sabbatical Institute, which brought together more than 60 working pastors from diverse theological and cultural traditions over a two-year period for work and play around pastoral excellence and self-care.

An ordained member of the Presbyterian Church USA, Lee previously served as a minister at Judson Memorial Church and Central Presbyterian Church in New York, as Associate Executive Presbyter for the Presbytery of the City of New York, and as Seminary Pastor at Union. She lectured widely and was well-known for her inspirational preaching. Lee was the editor of The Book of Women’s Sermons: Hearing God in Each Other's Voices (Riverhead Books, 2000). Her love for the city, for religious communities, and for humanity will continue to inspire us long into the future.

A private funeral service for family members has been planned. Further information on a public memorial service as well as suggested ways for contributions to be made in her honor will be announced in the days ahead.

Religion Link: Religion, the Environment and BP

According to Religion Link, the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is becoming both an environmental and social disaster. As this ecological catastrophe continues, national soul-searching is being sparked where it involves energy needs and preserving our natural resources.

Additionally, according to ABC News, with five-times more oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico than originally projected, British Petroleum is scrambling to find answers about how to stem the leak.

US: Peace in Afghanistan means women's rights

According to USA Today's Aamer Madhani, women's rights are a significant factor for American diplomats as Afghanistan readies for a peace conference between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Reportedly, the American Government sees the rights of Afghan women as a vital element to a potential peace.