RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – The North Carolina Council of Churches and our 19 denomination members commend President Biden for his move to commute the sentences of many of those on the federal death row to prison terms. We continue to believe North Carolina Governor Cooper is a leader with both the authority and the moral courage to address this glaring miscarriage of justice in our own state.
Over the past twenty years, the reasons to leave capital punishment in the past have grown too glaring to ignore. As Christian leaders, we want to reiterate a core belief of our shared faith, all humans have the God-given potential for redemption and taking away that life is immoral. The sin is compounded when systemic racism enters the courtroom. Dozens of death row exonerations, combined with a growing societal understanding of systemic racism, lead to one inescapable conclusion: North Carolina must join the other states in the Union who have relegated the death penalty to history.
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Founded in 1935, the North Carolina Council of Churches enables denominations, congregations, and people of faith to impact our state on issues such as racial equity, farmworker rights, environment, LGBTQ+ rights, economic justice and development, human well-being, equality, compassion, and peace, following the example and mission of Jesus Christ. The Council is made of 26 distinct judicatories from 18 denominations. Across the state, our members have over 6,200 congregations. For more information about the Council’s 85-year history, visit www.ncchurches.org. To stay up to date on progressive, faith-based news, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Contact Person
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland
Executive Director
North Carolina Council of Churches
jennifer@ncchurches.org
(919) 828-6501 Ext. 101
