The Anabaptist-related church communities of Japan are largely safe, according to Takanori Sasaki, chair for Japan Mennonite Fellowship.

Many progressive Christians found themselves experiencing profoundly mixed feelings both about Pope Benedict’s visit and about the protests against it, says Simon Barrow. This is perhaps because neither imperial religion nor rejectionist forms of secularism are adequate to the task of remaking public life and public faith.

The National Council of Churches USA and the Church of the Brethren have jointly appointed Jordan Blevins to lead an ecumenical peacemaking programme on behalf of the two organisations.

The bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover in Germany has issued a strong plea to give the upcoming jubilee of the Reformation a clear emphasis on common Christian witness.