Excerpted from 2025 Lenten Guide: The Year of the Lord, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year C from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Luke 4:1-13 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, […]
Throughout his life, Jesus moved in the midst of sorrow and suffering, not necessarily because he was a woe-seeker, but because there was woe all around him. No doubt, this […]
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 […]
Excerpted from 2024 Advent Guide: Hope is Near, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year C from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the […]
It’s not by accident we call the 1st Sunday of Advent, Hope—Hope, not to be confused with optimism. Hopeful living is a very different sort of existence than the culture […]
by the Rev. Dr. Jenifer Copeland, Executive Director Deep into this presidential election season we are once again saying what we have said for at least the last two—This is […]
The following sermon was delivered by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at New Creation United Methodist Church in Durham. Proverbs 1:20-33; Wisdom of Solomon 7:26-8:1 […]
As a faith leader in North Carolina, I was dismayed to see Congress pass a recent funding bill that will harm some members of our communities by expanding immigration detention and other […]
Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 25:6-9 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for […]
The following sermon was delivered by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at Duke University Chapel. View the recording. Put a serpent on a pole, stare […]
Voting may be the most important place for us to live into God’s call for a flourishing world. Feeding the hungry is crucial, but how much more so is passing […]
Most of us are responsible, productive people. We head off at the start of the day to do what is expected of us. At the start of a new school […]
The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland during a Faith Leaders Rally for Abortion Access on January 22, 2024. Click here to view the recording of the full rally. When […]
Excerpted from 2023 Advent Guide: A Season of Renewal, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 40:1-11 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your […]
Advent offers the double purpose of waiting for two things while preparing for both—waiting for Christmas and waiting for the in-breaking of God’s kin-dom. The preparation for Christmas is obvious: […]
by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director The separation of Church and state outlined in our U.S. Constitution might be the most misunderstood part of our nation’s laws. The newly […]
After the sun set on May 16, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly completed their override of the Governor’s veto of a bill that will now dramatically restrict reproductive rights […]
Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland delivered the following remarks at a press conference on April 14, 2023, calling on Governor Roy Cooper to commute all death sentences in North Carolina. Click […]
Excerpted from 2023 Lenten Guide: A Season of Renewal, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 22 My God, my God, why have […]
Years ago I preached for a friend in a “high church,” Lutheran Church in Washington, D.C.’s Capital District. As an aside, my students and I also were treated to a […]
Excerpted from Keep Awake, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 2:1-5 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and […]
As the proud parent of an Eagle Scout (Occoneechee Council), the announcement that Boy Scout organizers have invited former president George W. Bush to address the Scouts in the Raleigh area next week […]
The following remarks were delivered by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland at the #MapOurFuture: People Over Politics virtual town hall on Thursday, September 1, 2022. The event focused on Moore […]
The N.C. Council of Churches includes 18 denominations with churches large and small, urban and rural, black, brown, and white all across the state. One of the things we all […]
Prior to the 2020 elections, a representative from the Carter Center’s Conflict Resolution team reached out to the North Carolina Council of Churches. For the first time in its 40-year […]
The following remarks were delivered by the Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, during a memorial service and press conference at the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh commemorating Workers Memorial Day. Click here to view […]
The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, during one of the four gun violence prevention vigils that occurred across North Carolina on April 24, 2022. The following […]
This Raleigh Report was written by Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, in collaboration with Matt Rossi, Duke Divinity School intern. The past two years have revealed not only how vulnerable we […]
Christians often use the season of Lent to focus on the basics. Some of us practice denial of certain luxuries and others practice the addition of spiritual disciplines. The point […]
Cowards perpetrate fear and sow discord. Such cowards are hard at work this week creating havoc on our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. As an organization founded in 1935 […]
The following remarks were delivered by Executive, Jennifer Copeland, during the public launch of the North Carolina — Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (NC-TJRC) on January 20, 2022. To watch […]
The following remarks were delivered by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, during a vigil on January 11, 2022 calling on the Biden administration to close the Guantanamo Bay […]
The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, on January 5, 2021 at a Gun Violence Prevention press conference. View the live stream here. When individual rights are at […]
The following remarks are from Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, during a candlelight vigil on World AIDs Day to honor, remember, and celebrate the lives of those living with and lost […]
Psalm 25:1-10 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies […]
The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, on October 11, 2021 at a press conference hosted by St. John’s MCC in front of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s […]
The following remarks were delivered by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, at the Elizabeth City Solidarity Rally in Raleigh on June 1st, 2021. To watch the full video […]
The following remarks were presented by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, at a Takeover Tuesday rally against HB805, a bill that threatens our first amendment. The history of […]
The following remarks were presented by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, during the public gathering and clergy march in Elizabeth City after the recent death of Andrew Brown, […]
The following remarks were presented by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, during the Workers’ Memorial Day Service hosted by the NC State AFL-CIO. To view the live-stream, click […]
The following message was presented on April 27, 2021 in Elizabeth City by Executive Director, the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, after the life of Andrew Brown Jr. was abruptly taken […]
The following remarks were delivered by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland at the Minimum Wage Increase – Bill Introduction Press Conference, hosted by Raising Wages NC. To watch the full […]
Excerpted from Enough for All, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Acts 10:34-43 Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand […]
How much is enough? Scripture has a treasure trove of advice for defining enough and even more advice on how to make sure everyone has enough. And not merely enough […]
No doubt, all of us have watched multiple recaps of events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. Epiphany. Perhaps it was calendar coincidence that counting and certifying the electoral […]
Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is […]
The following remarks were delivered by Jennifer Copeland at a press conference at the General Assembly on Healthcare for all this morning. There’s a story in the Gospel of Luke […]
As I write these words (early enough for compilation, printing, and delivery into your hands), we are all watching polls, listening to commentators, and considering how best to cast a […]
My faith tradition professes that our worth is in our faces because our faces look like God’s face. We are created in the Image of God, making each human face […]
There was no recognizable democracy for the people and places reflected in the Old and New Testaments. It was mostly clans and tribes eventually giving way to monarch rule. In […]
The North Carolina Council of Churches is offering a modification to the typical National Day of Prayer, celebrated each year on the first Thursday of May. Borrowing an idea from […]
Handwashing, covering sneezes, and social distancing techniques abound. We recommend the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ guidelines. Meanwhile, our friends in Seattle and Italy tell us we […]
Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 58:1-12 Shout out, do not hold back!Lift up […]
The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, on Sunday, February 23 at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York focusing on Matthew 17: 1-9. From the Gospel […]
North Carolina needs a budget. With half the fiscal year gone (the year began July 1, 2019) we are operating with a budget that is more than a year old. […]
Remarks from Jennifer Copeland at the Vigil to End Gun Violence in Durham on December 13, 2019 About two years ago, the North Carolina Council of Churches paid for a […]
Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 122 I was glad when they said to me, […]
The North Carolina Council of Churches has long cared about gun violence prevention — you would expect that from an organization that devotes much of its energy toward PEACE. A […]
Sermon on II Kings 6:8-23 delivered Sunday, July 28 at First Presbyterian Church in Durham. Who would pass up the chance to preach on this marvelous little story in Second […]
Sermon on II Kings 6:8-23 delivered Sunday, July 28 at First Presbyterian Church in Durham.Audio from Jennifer’s sermon Who would pass up the chance to preach on this marvelous little […]
It has been 10 years since Congress raised the minimum wage. Some states have raised their minimum without a federal mandate, but not North Carolina. This 10-year span follows on […]
It has been 10 years since Congress raised the minimum wage. Some states have raised their minimum without a federal mandate, but not North Carolina. This 10-year span follows on […]
Thus says the Lord:For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of […]
The Mother Emanuel, Charleston, SC, shooting was four years ago today, June 17. The N.C. General Assembly Senate Judiciary Committee will consider Senate Bill 90 tomorrow, June 18. A favorable […]
While the headlines tell us about very real instances of violence against faith communities (a synagogue in Pittsburgh, a mosque in New Zealand, a sikh temple in Wisconsin, a church […]
The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a press conference introducing House Bill 740 to end North Carolina’s role in torture. All the people who spoke […]
Remarks delivered by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director of the NC Council of Churches, at the Workers’ Memorial in Raleigh on April 26, 2019. Genesis 5:1-5 This is […]
Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and […]
The people of North Carolina pay federal taxes. Our tax dollars help fund the 90 percent federal match on Medicaid expansion enrollees for states that have expanded Medicaid under the […]
Remarks delivered at the Witness for Peace footwashing ceremony at the gates of Aero Contractors earlier today. Every year, all over the world, millions of Christians spend six intense weeks […]
The following words were delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland on Friday, March 22 as the opening invocation of the North Carolina Association of Educators State Convention. Gracious and loving […]
The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a press conference earlier today on Medicaid expansion and raising awareness of the opioid crisis. In 1935 the North […]
The following remarks were delivered by Jennifer Copeland as the opening invocation to the Raising Wages press conference held in the press room of the NC General Assembly this morning. […]
We are a few weeks out from the 2019 Special General Conference of the United Methodist Church, a gathering many of us were anticipating since 2016. In truth, we were […]
Each time the Council holds its bi-annual Legislative Seminar, we honor those whose public lives reflect their faith commitments. The Faith Active in Public Life Award calls attention to someone […]
Closing remarks made by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at the Council’s Public Education Summit on Friday, January 25. The Council placed a billboard along I-40 last summer, echoing the attention […]
As if we need to be reminded of the preponderance of guns and gun-related violence on our streets, we’ve had served up for us in the closing days before the […]
Sermon originally delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland on Sunday, October 21 at Community United Church of Christ in Raleigh. Right now there are thousands of people walking from Honduras […]
Remarks originally delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a press conference on Tuesday, October 16. We stand before you today as faith leaders supporting many traditions. We have joined […]
The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at the North Carolina Commission of Inquiry on Torture’s press conference on Thursday, September 27. The press conference marked the […]
Sign Me Up! That was the rallying cry of delegates at the AFL-CIO state conference. Of course, all of them—and I—had already signed up. We believe in the power of […]
Recently, two stalwart champions of justice, Christina Cowger and Allyson Caison, received the annual Joshua Heintz Humanitarian Award from the Robert H. Jackson Center in Syracuse, NY. The mission of […]
As the flood waters recede–slow as that is–our focus shifts from survival to recovery. Having weathered a few of these storms, now arriving with increased frequency, we know that recovery […]
The following prayer was delivered this morning as the opening invocation of the AFL-CIO North Carolina State Convention: God of majesty and wonder, you have said to us in one […]
Most people pay attention during presidential election cycles and many of them come out to vote. The numbers are not as healthy during midterm elections (40% v. 60%). In spite […]
The North Carolina Council of Churches has unveiled our latest billboard. This time we set our sights on Public Education. The billboard is located on I-40 East at Mile Marker […]
Dear Friends, Like Esther, the NC Council of Churches finds itself heeding the call “for such a time as this.” Unlike Esther, we do not need an uncle to persuade […]
Hours after teachers marched on Raleigh to talk about funding needs for their schools, their students, and, yes, even themselves, a bill was introduced in the N.C. General Assembly to […]
Remarks delivered at the Community Conversation on Gun Violence on May 15, 2018 at Wake Forest Presbyterian Church. God knows that we are a violent people. It’s been this way […]
“Build a Church, then Build a School.” Chief among the instructions for John Wesley’s itinerant ministers was this directive about education. Methodists are not the only faith group to grasp […]
Sermon originally delivered at the Jack Crum Conference at Highlands United Methodist Church in Raleigh on Saturday, April 21. The primary text was Isaiah 55:1-9. My parents have an amazing […]
Remarks delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a March 17 press conference in Chapel Hill on the Sanctuary Movement. At the North Carolina Council of Churches, we don’t pretend […]
When the news broke about the North Carolina Council of Churches billboard suggesting a connection between guns and idolatry, responses ran from, “Thank you for naming the truth,” to “How […]
On your drive along I-85/40 outside of Mebane, look for our billboard on the side of the road. It will go up this week and stay in place for the […]
Remarks originally delivered March 23 at The State of the Soul of Appalachia conference in Pipestem State Park in West Virginia. The heavens are telling the glory of God; and […]
Sermon delivered by Jennifer Copeland yesterday, Sunday, February 18 at Millford Hills United Methodist Church in Salisbury, NC. The lectionary texts were Genesis 9:8-17 and Mark 1:9-15. 40 days–rain! 40 […]
Excerpted from the NC Council of Churches Lenten Guide, “Journey to Justice” We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to […]
Black History month is North Carolina Council of Churches’ history starting in 1935 because our history is founded on the black experience as seen through the eyes of the white […]
Remarks originally delivered at the Medicare for All Rally held in Durham on Saturday, January 13. We are the fortunate ones. We are here. We are able to be here. […]
