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Terrelle Pryor, 5 other Ohio State football players suspended

December 23rd, 2010

12:17 PM ET

Six student-athletes on The Ohio State University football team have been suspended for NCAA violations, the school said Thursday.

Mike Adams, Dan Herron, DeVier Posey, Terrelle Pryor (pictured above) and Solomon Thomas will miss the first five games of the 2011 season and must repay money and benefits, the school said.

A sixth player, Jordan Whiting, must sit out the first game, the NCAA determined.

According to a university press release, as part of the players' reinstatement:

– Pryor must repay $2,500 for selling his 2008 gold pants, which were a gift from OSU, his 2008 conference championship ring and his 2009 Sportsmanship Award from the Fiesta Bowl.

– Adams must repay $1,000 for selling his 2008 Big Ten title ring.

– Herron must repay $1,150 for selling his football jersey, pants and shoes and accepting discounted services.

– Posey must repay $1,250 for selling his 2008 conference championship ring and accepting discounted services.

– Thomas must repay $1,505 for selling his 2008 gold pants, his conference title ring and accepting discounted services.

– Whiting must pay $150 to a charity "for the value of services that were discounted," the press release said.

The punishments stem from an incident in which at least some of the Buckeye players received tattoos for their autographs, according to news reports.

Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president of academic and membership affairs, said the penalties were “significant" and "based on findings and information provided by the university.”

Gene Smith, associate vice president and director of athletics at Ohio State, said at a press conference that the university will appeal the penalties, with hopes of getting the number of game suspensions reduced. Smith also said the university will do more to educate its student-athletes about the rules.

"After going through this experience," Smith said, "we will further enhance our education for all our student-athletes as we move forward.”

The student-athletes will be eligible to play in the AllState Sugar Bowl on January 4 against the Arkansas Razorbacks, the university said.

Archbishop Vanags Receives Strong Vote of Support

Riga (ENInews). Archbishop Janis Vanags, widely known for his strong stand against the ordination of women and opposition to homosexuality, is to remain as the leader of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia. Vanags, a dissident activist when the Baltic country was under Soviet rule, was chosen to lead the Lutheran church in his country after his predecessor died in a car accident in 1992. Seventy percent of the synod cast votes of confidence in Vanags, who told ENInews that he called the election because of his concern over the difficult situation in the church. [679 words, ENI-10-0816]

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Fellowship Recognized Between Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELC) and LCMS

After a number of years, fellowship has been formally established between The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations--Assistant to the President of the LCMS, tells the whole story.  Here is a little slice:

On 17 December 2010, the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) approved the recognition of church fellowship between The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELC). The approval of the recognition of fellowship between the LCMS and the SELC occurred twelve years after the SELC first requested fellowship discussions with the LCMS under President Alvin Barry.  Under Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2c, after a request for fellowship, consultation with the Preasidium, and the approval of the recognition of fellowship, the President of Synod may declare recognition of such fellowship.

Commenting on the CTCR’s action, President Matthew C. Harrison said, “We give thanks to the Lord that after much patience and longsuffering on the part of the Siberian Lutherans, the Missouri Synod can now recognize the gift of fellowship that the Lord has worked between the LCMS and the SELC.” For his part, Bishop Vsevolod Lytkin of the SELC has stated several times in the past, “From our point of view, we are in fellowship with the LCMS.”

Shortly after President Harrison was elected at the 64th regular convention of the LCMS, Bishop Lytkin sent President-elect Harrison a letter on 14 July 2010 saying, “We at Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church also hope that with your election and introduction in the office of the President discussions between our church bodies concerning church fellowship will gain new momentum and will come to a proper conclusion. As you may know, we have met with LCMS church leaders a number of times, starting from Alvin Barry, but in the last year some impending circumstances slowed down our progress.” In response to this letter, President Harrison sent a delegation to Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia, which consisted of Rev. Dr. Albert B Collver, Director of Church Relations ­ Assistant to the President, Rev. Dr. Joel Lehenbauer, Director of the CTCR, and Rev. Dr. Timothy Quill, Dean of International Studies, Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne, for doctrinal discussions with members of the SELC. The delegation, while acknowledging differences in practice, found no doctrinal differences. On 18 November 2010, President Harrison consulted with the Preasidium regarding pursuing fellowship with the SELC according to Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2c.

With CTCR’s December 17 approval, President Matthew C. Harrison, per Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2c, declared the recognition between the two church bodies.

Yours truly is quoted as follows:


Dr. Lawrence Rast, Chairman of the CTCR noted, “In John 17 the Lord Jesus prayed to the Father for the oneness of His church.  Since that time the church has struggled to express that oneness.  From this we learn, first of all, that fellowship doesn’t simply ‘happen’ by ‘chance.’  It is the gift of God.  Second, we see that the realization of that fellowship occurs in a fallen world that now lives under the cross of Christ.  The Commission on Theology and Church Relations rejoices in the Lord’s gracious leading of the SELC and LCMS to recognize their confessional unity and looks forward to future opportunities to work toward the faithful expression of the oneness we have in Christ with those who confess the faith in the fullness of its truth.”


This is truly an exciting day as we celebrate with our sisters and brothers in the SELC the gift of fellowship that God bestowsThe full story may be found here:
http://www.wmltblog.org/2010/12/fellowship-recognized-between-lcms-and-selc/

US Clergy's Professional Reputation Hovers in the Middle

US clergy's professional reputation hovers in the middle

Washington DC (ENInews/RNS). What do nurses, soldiers, pharmacists, elementary school teachers, doctors, and police officers have in common? U.S. Americans say they are all more ethical and honest than members of the clergy, according to a Gallup survey released on 3 December, Religion News Service reports. Slightly more than half of Americans (53 percent) rate the moral values of priests, ministers and other clerics as "very high" or "high." . [250 words, ENI-10-0795] 

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