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!
A Bold Beginning: Founding the Council in 1935
When Shelton Smith returned to his native North Carolina, lured back by the offer to found the Religion Department at the newly named Duke University, he also set to work founding the North Carolina Council of Churches. Several years of organized gatherings with denominational leaders in the state brought eager representatives together officially in February 1935 to adopt bylaws they had all agreed to a few months earlier. By unanimous acclaim, Dr. Smith was elected its first President. He agreed to serve for one year and, true to his word, the next year leadership passed to Dr. Walter L. Lingle ( Davidson College, Presbyterian).
The North Carolina Council of Churches was part of a broader ecumenical movement gaining momentum following the 1910 Edinburgh World Missionary Conference. Christians across the globe recognized the need for collaboration and unity to address social issues like poverty, labor rights, education, and race relations. Shelton Smith believed in this possibility and spent several years sharing his vision with the state’s denominational leaders. Though many more participated in the conversations about forming a state council of churches, the charter members included these eight: Christian (Disciples of Christ), Congregational (United Church of Christ), Episcopal (Episcopal, U.S.A.), Friends (Quakers), Lutheran (ELCA), Methodist (United Methodist), Moravian, and Presbyterian (Presbyterian, U.S.A.). Archival evidence shows no dispute about the importance of forming the Council nor the stated aims of addressing social ills through the lens of faith. Now with 19 member denominations, the Council continues its origin story in order to speak with one moral voice on issues affecting the state.
Realistically, this means the Council is most often out in front of where society and the churches will be eventually. For example:
- Council leaders talked about “race relations” in 1935 and within half a decade the historically African American denominations joined the Council, several presidents of North Carolina’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities became board members, and one of them became vice-president of the board in 1953. Keep in mind, the civil rights movement was not frontline news until the 1960s.
- Beginning in 1950, Council staff led a robust direct service ministry to the farmworkers of eastern N.C., at its height deploying a 1955 Harvester Chevrolet 4 door station wagon (what we had before we had vans) to ferry workers and their families to essential appointments, supplementary activities, and organizational meetings. Keep in mind the United Farm Workers did not become frontline news until the 1970s.
The history of the Council is a recital of prophetic leadership, giving credence to our oft-repeated mantra, “the Council leads through the voices of the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament gospels.” We really aren’t doing anything new . . .
The Council’s First Calls to Justice
Education and advocacy were central to the Council’s mission from the beginning. It offered resources to local congregations, organized statewide events and conferences, and issued public statements on matters of moral concern. Seminal issues addressed included child welfare, public education, alcohol abuse, racial injustice, and economic inequality. Clearly, many of them are still relevant to our work.
The years during and immediately after World War II brought significant growth to the Council. The war highlighted global issues of injustice and fueled a renewed commitment to Christian unity and moral responsibility. During this period, the Council expanded its programming and began to focus more intentionally on labor rights, poverty, and the emerging civil rights issues.
A Legacy of Unity and Justice
The early history of the North Carolina Council of Churches is a testament to the power of ecumenical cooperation in promoting social justice. Born out of the challenges of the Great Depression, the Council collected diverse Christian communities to confront the moral and social issues facing our state. Though operating in a region fraught with racial and economic tension, the Council maintained a steady commitment to unity, justice, and compassion. Its early work laid a strong foundation for the more progressive and inclusive advocacy it would embrace in the decades to follow, making it a key moral voice in the history of North Carolina.
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.
