(RNS/ENInews) Ecumenical News International announced Monday (Oct. 1) that its ENInews service is suspending operations, effective immediately, as it seeks emergency funding in order to operate for the remainder of 2012.
"We regret taking this step, but despite a massive reorganization, ENInews is feeling the effect of the deep cuts from its historic supporters as well as from non-payment by quite a number of subscribers," said the Rev. David Harris, president of ENI and publisher of the Toronto-based Presbyterian Record.
"Subscribers and readers have said how much they value authoritative, unbiased news of ecumenical and inter-faith developments around the world," said Harris. "We hope the suspension will be temporary and ENInews will secure a firm funding base."
Founded in 1994, ENInews is supported by the World Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation and World Communion of Reformed Churches, all based at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva.
It is also supported by the World Association for Christian Communication, based in Toronto. This year, ENInews also received a grant from the Reformed Church of Argovia, based in Switzerland.
At the beginning of 2012, the WCC and LWF, citing financial difficulties, reduced their funding to ENInews, the latest in a series of cuts over the past several years.
The service also has about 500 subscribers and maintains co-publishing agreements with Religion News Service, the Latin American and Caribbean Communication Agency and Episcopal News Service. Its stories are published by church and secular media around the world.
