Faith Digest

ACLU seeks to overturn funeral protest law. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit to overturn a Michigan law that makes it a felony to “disturb, disrupt or adversely affect” a funeral procession or ceremony. The suit was filed on behalf of Lewis Lowden after he and his late wife, Jean, were pulled over and arrested during a funeral procession for Army Cpl. Todd Motley who was killed in Iraq in 2007. The couple’s van carried signs critical of U.S. policy and then-President Bush. Motley’s family had invited the couple to drive in the funeral procession, but two miles into the drive, the Lowdens were pulled over and their van was impounded. They missed the burial and were detained for about 24 hours, according to the ACLU.

Presbyterians & Lutherans slash budgets. The Presbyterian Church (USA) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America both have slashed their 2009 budgets, cutting programs and laying off scores of personnel. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in American, the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination, announced a $5.6 million reduction in its 2009 budget. The cut was necessary in part because regional synods plan to decrease their contributions to the denomination by $2.4 million this year, church leaders said. Since last November, the ELCA has eliminated more than 23 jobs and cut 12 additional vacant positions. The Presbyterian Church (USA) announced a $4 million reduction in its 2009 budget because of a projected $10 million shortfall. Contributions to church headquarters, which come primarily from congregations and regional presbyteries, were almost $4 million less than expected. The denomination has eliminated 56 jobs since September of last year. Twelve new positions have been added.

British atheists offer ‘de-baptism’ documents. A secular organization in Britain that backs an atheist ad campaign on London’s buses is now producing “certificates of de-baptism” for people wishing to renounce their Christian faith, and the group claims it is getting thousands of takers. The National Secular Society reports more than 100,000 ex-worshippers have downloaded the de-baptism certificates from its website, and thousands of others have ordered up parchment versions at about $4 a copy.

Conservative Methodist groups name new leaders. Two conservative groups active in the United Methodist Church have announced leadership shifts, with Houston minister Robert Renfro succeeding James Heidinger at Kentucky-based Good News and Mark Tooley succeeding Jim Tonkowich as president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy in Washington, D.C. Heidinger, 67, has headed Good News 28 years and been a leader of efforts to resist repeated moves to liberalize Methodist positions on homosexuality. Renfro is pastor of adult discipleship at The Woodlands United Methodist Church in Houston. Tooley, a former CIA employee who has spent the last 14 years at the Institute on Religion and Democracy, will become president of the conservative Washington think tank.