As we celebrate 90 years of faithful work for justice and equity this year, we’re sharing stories of 90 Years Rooted in Faith that reflect the heart of the North Carolina Council of Churches. Each month, you’ll hear from staff and long-time friends of the Council as they highlight the transformative impacts we’ve had on our community and our vision for the future. Stay tuned for these inspiring reflections throughout the year!
by the Rev. Issac Villegas, Past President of the North Carolina Council of Churches’ Governing Board
I was appointed to the governing board in 2009, three years after I started my first pastorate. At the time, I was not quite 30 years old. I had learned a lot about ministry from seminary, and I would learn even more from NC Council of Churches board meetings, where I’d sit beside church leaders who’d been discerning together the church’s witness in our state for decades. Over lunch and during coffee breaks, I would listen to stories from elders in our movement for social justice. From their conversations I gleaned wisdom about how to organize communities dedicated to God’s love for the world. I soaked up their passion for churches as sites for bearing witness to the gospel, to God’s good news for our neighbors.
In 2018, when the U.S. president unleashed ICE agents throughout North Carolina, I saw Council members take action on their dedication to God’s care for our neighbors. In taking a stand with undocumented residents (see the “Ministry of Sanctuary” statement), the Council tapped into its storehouse of wisdom collected over a long history of working on behalf of the wellbeing of members of our communities across the state. Our Council of Churches became an advocacy hub for people devoted to the safety of immigrants. This work of solidarity took on the organizational form of a coalition of sanctuary congregations, a network of communities committed to house and protect people who were being targeted for deportation. (See more about our work, see chapter 6, “Sanctuary,” in my book, Migrant God: A Christian Vision for Immigrant Justice.)
The work of the Council centers on the life and ministry of Jesus—on “following the example and mission of Jesus Christ,” as the mission statement puts it. I’ve learned, over my years of involvement, that this is a commitment our churches live out in their everyday witness, through communal forms of hospitality, even when the gospel of Christ’s welcome means protecting people in our houses of worship.
I’ve seen the Council of Churches display our dedication to Christ through service in our communities and advocacy for the wellbeing of all our neighbors. My hope for the ongoing work of the Council is to continue to organize us to serve God and neighbor, to remind us to put our hope in God’s redeeming power—a hope to which we bear witness with our words and deeds as we give ourselves to God’s persistent love for our world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rev. Isaac Villegas
The Rev. Isaac Villegas is an ordained Mennonite minister who lives in Durham, NC. He served on the North Carolina Council of Churches’ Governing Board for over a decade, including as president from 2020 to 2022. Isaac has also served on the Executive Board of Mennonite Church USA and was a pastor for 16 years. Throughout his ministry, he has been deeply engaged in issues of justice, hospitality, and community organizing, drawing on both pastoral experience and collaborative leadership within faith-based movements.
Join us in continuing this legacy of justice and courage. Your gift supports the Council’s work for equity and compassion across North Carolina. Donate today.
