NCC staff leader to step down. The National Council of Churches announced General Secretary Michael Kinnamon is resigning due to health reasons. Kinnamon, 63, told the ecumenical group's governing board he must "immediately and significantly" reduce his activity, especially the frequent travel required by the job, under the advice of his cardiologist. A minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Kinnamon was elected to lead the New York-based NCC in 2007, amid staff layoffs and budget cuts. Under Kinnamon, the NCC cut spending on programs and administration from about $6.2 million in 2008 to about $5.4 million last year, according to annual reports. The NCC's income also declined, from about $5.4 million in 2008 to $5.1 million last year.
Evangelical group calls for nuclear cuts. The National Association of Evangelicals has called for greater precautions with nuclear weapons and a renewed effort toward disarmament. The resolution calls for taking a second look at the Cold War doctrine of deterrence in light of shifting global politics, and it challenges the United States to pursue new negotiations with Russia and other nuclear countries. It does not, however, call for unilateral disarmament. The resolution also challenges the Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. The board of directors of NAE, which represents more than 45,000 churches, approved the resolution at its semiannual meeting.
Religious services make some women happier. A new study in the Journal of Religion and Health suggests—at least for some women of a certain age—a link between optimism and attendance at religious services. Researchers examined the religious practices of nearly 100,000 women. Those who attended services frequently were 56 percent more likely to have an optimistic outlook than those who did not and were 27 percent less likely to be depressed, according to the study. The research, focused on post-menopausal women, is far from the first to associate church attendance and happiness, but it cements previous work that seems to show those who engage in communal religious services are better able to cope in life.
Charges filed against Catholic University. A George Washington University law professor has filed charges against the Catholic University of America for not providing Muslim students with prayer rooms free of Catholic iconography. John F. Banzhaf III, who earlier filed charges over the university's switch to same-sex dorms this summer, filed the new 60-page complaint with the Washington, D.C., Office of Human Rights. Banzhaf complained the university does not sponsor a Muslim student association, even though it sponsors a Jewish one. He also claimed the single-sex dorm policy discriminates against female students. The university, whose Arab student population swelled from 56 in 2007 to 122 this year, sponsors an Arab American Association, founded this fall by Muslim student Wiaam Al Salmi. The Office of Human Rights has begun an investigation of the university, which could take as long as six months.
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