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Latin American ecumenical leader dies, guided churches under dictatorship and democracy

Oscar Bolioli, 83, a Latin American ecumenical leader, died June 18 in Uruguay after an illness.

He was head of the Methodist Church in Uruguay, serving three terms in different decades. The first was 1975–1979, when the country was ruled by a dictator and many community leaders, including pastors and laypeople, suffered imprisonment, exile, torture, and disappearances. Bolioli helped people in danger to flee the country and distributed aid to relatives of political prisoners, among other human rights work.

Businessman raises funds for mosque honoring slain hijab-wearing teenager

The news came to Fahim Aref while he was on pilgrimage in Mecca: a teenage girl in Virginia had been slain walking to ser­vices at her mosque during Ramadan.

Like Aref, she had been trying to deepen her observance of the holy Muslim month.

Aref’s umrah (religious pilgrimage) changed. He walked around Mecca’s Kaaba, the most sacred site in Islam, not for himself, but for Nabra Hassanen, who was bludgeoned to death on June 18. Many Muslims and others believe she was the victim of a hate crime.

“I was devastated,” said Aref, writing from Saudi Arabia.

Unitarian Universalists elect first woman president

Susan Frederick-Gray, 41, an Arizona pastor and immigrant advocate, recently became the first woman elected president of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

She succeeds three copresidents appointed after the resignation of Peter Morales in April amid controversy about diversity in the UUA as criticism mounted over hiring practices.

“It is clear to me that I am not the right person to lead our association as we work together to create the processes and structures that will address our shortcomings,” he wrote in his resignation letter.

Pastor and psychology professor to lead Reformed Church in America seminary

Micah McCreary, who is a pastor, professor, and psychologist, will be president of New Brunswick Theological Semi­nary, beginning in the role on July 15.

The seminary’s board appointed him unanimously. He follows Gregg Mast, who served as president of the seminary for 11 years before retiring. The school, located in New Jer­sey, is one of two seminaries affiliated with the Reformed Church in America.

Ukrainian pastors aid neighbors on both sides of front line

When armed men arrived at a Light of the Gospel church in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, they searched the basement for weapons. There were no weapons; instead one of the men found a file with the names of people the church is assisting.

“He saw that we help veterans, disabled people, and large families,” said Pavel (whose last name is withheld for security reasons), bishop of the Light of the Gospel, a group of about 20 Baptist churches. “I think that touched the hearts of these fighters.”