The words we hear form what we think. The words we say form what we do. And when powerful people use words, the words have even more power. And so […]
We all do it and well we should–start the new year resolving to do better. Maybe it’s eat better, exercise more, or work less. The resolution itself quickly takes a […]
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. …And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen […]
Originally appeared in the Durham Herald and signed by both Larry Hall, Secretary of the NC Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director of the NC […]
Excerpted from A Season of Hope. An Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. “But in those days, following that distress, the sun will […]
Remarks offered at a press conference on tax reform at the North Carolina State Capitol on Monday, November 29. For those of us who mark time a little differently than […]
Dear Friends, Last year when we sent out our fall appeal requesting financial support for the work of the North Carolina Council of Churches we were only days past the […]
Psalm 100 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It […]
If we are not angry today, we have no faith. If we are not frustrated today, we have no hope. If we are not bereaved today, we have no love. […]
As I continue to follow court cases addressing Gerrymandering at both the federal level (Gill v. Whitford) and in North Carolina (Common Cause v. Rucho), along with the latest move […]
There are no words… and so my words come from the Psalms where laments make up the largest category. This lament from a portion of Psalm 142: With my voice […]
Remarks offered at the Duke Energy Progress Rate Increase hearing on Monday, September 25. Right now I have the privilege or the pain of owning two houses in Durham, NC. […]
In surveys conducted during the months leading up to the 2016 election, large numbers of Americans reported little interest in the political process. They said things like, “nothing will change,” […]
On April 26, 1865, my great-great-grandfather was camped a mere five miles from where I now live in Durham, NC. He was from the upstate of South Carolina, as am […]
Today, Friday, August 18, 2017, South Main in Durham, NC, is closed to traffic. Civil employees have been sent home. Some banks and many businesses in the downtown area have […]
Wartime profits are a thing — from the people who make the machines we use to kill other people to the garment factories that provide clothing for the people who […]
With so many issues confronting us, our nation’s involvement in acts of torture is fading from the public’s priorities for concern. Five years and $40 million in the making, the […]
Just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus […]
Remarks delivered at the NC Justice Center’s 2017 Defenders of Justice Awards where the Council was recognized for Grassroots Empowerment. In 1960 Terry Sanford ran for Governor of NC. By […]
About this time two years ago, I accepted the offer to become the next Executive Director of the NC Council of Churches. We agreed that I would spend two weeks […]
By now, most of us have read “Dark Money” or heard enough about the subject it explores to recognize that money is suffocating our democracy. Add to this styptic environment […]
Sermon preached on May 7, 2017 at Church of the Nativity, Raleigh. When I was in kindergarten, we memorized the 23rd Psalm. Of course, it was the King James Version, […]
Remarks delivered at the Workers’ Memorial, April 28, at the Old Capitol Building, Raleigh Micah 7:1-4, 6:8 God has always had a preferential option for the marginalized and the down […]
Two of the most volatile elements on a college campus are alcohol and hormones. These ingredients contribute to sexual assault (23.1 percent of female and 5.4 percent of male undergraduates), […]
In the final hours of the first day of the Triduum, these intense three days when Christians rehearse the events between Maundy Thursday and the Easter Vigil, the juxtaposition of […]
Preached on April 12 at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Chapel Hill Holy Week, this week, is the most intense week of the Christian year. The secular world might […]
Jesus mentions when discussing faith-based activity, “Do not sound a trumpet before you…so that [you] might be praised” (Matthew 6:2) and advises that those who work toward the Reign of […]
Sermon preached by the Rev. Jennifer Copeland on April 1, 2017 at First United Methodist Church, Mocksville for the Western North Carolina Conference United Methodist Women’s Legislative Day. For God’s […]
If you think organized religion has lost its appeal (25% of Americans do; most of them under 40), then it might be time to look again. Look at the Wild […]
Remarks delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a press conference on fair wages on March 8, 2017. Today is a day without women. Across the world women have been […]
Yesterday morning, the Sandra P. Lerner Jewish Community Day School in Durham received a bomb threat. This was the most recent in recurring waves of bomb threats against Jewish centers […]
Remarks delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at HKonJ 2017. Picture this on the marquee in front of your favorite house of worship: Pulpit for Sale! For the right price […]
For more than 80 years the NC Council of Churches has stood for essential human rights and common decency grounded in the Gospel imperative to “love God and love neighbor.” […]
Enabling good health is a community restoration project. It’s really not about prescription plans, deductibles, out-of-pocket expenses, or any other cost-benefit analysis. It’s about community. When people are sick or […]
Two weeks ago I flew to Florida for a national gathering of state ecumenical leaders and a few days later I flew home. In between my landing and leaving, in […]
Dear Mr. Trump, You ARE my president. I did not vote for you, but you were elected, and that makes you my president because I am a citizen of these […]
Excerpted from How Will We Welcome the Prince of Peace? An Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the NC Council of Churches. The word that Isaiah son of Amoz […]
The North Carolina Council of Churches is calling on people of faith and leaders of the faith communities across NC to shape their worship services the weekend of December 2-4 […]
There’s more to pay attention to when voting down the ballot than just the Governor’s race, though that is surely among the most important boxes to check when you step […]
Early voting in North Carolina is on pace with some of the best years on record. In the spirit of keeping the momentum building, the NC Council of Churches is supporting […]
As the election approaches, many people of faith are turning to clergy for advice and assistance in the voting process. This year the Council is partnering with the nonpartisan voting […]
Remarks delivered on September 21 by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a press conference marking the International Day of Peace. Words make a world. The words we use become embedded […]
We are “sore afraid.” But not like the shepherds in the hills around Bethlehem on the night angels proclaimed the birth of Jesus. The angels assuaged their fears with Good News […]
Early in my tenure as the Executive Director of the NC Council of Churches, I needed a pithy answer to the question: “What do you do?” I honed the response: […]
This sermon was preached on August 6, 2016 at the Church Women United Leadership Conference. Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let […]
These remarks were delivered at the Reason for Reform press conference on August 3, 2016 at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. In addition to my job as leader of the NC […]
If you’ve ever wondered how it feels to live the adage, “two steps forward, one step back,” welcome to North Carolina. We’re having a 2-step forward celebration after three long […]
Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! — Genesis 4:10 For days now, I’ve heard the same cry God is hearing. The blood of Philando Castile, Alton […]
This speech was delivered by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland at a press conference against House Bill 100 on June 28, 2016. The Old Testament is filled with instructions on how […]
After Sunday morning, no one can dispute we are under attack. The real attack, however, is not the one involving assault rifles like the ArmaLite Rifle – 15 (Yes, I […]
Remarks from a June 2 press conference recognizing Wear Orange Against Gun Violence Day. Last fall, we at the NC Council of Churches, invited all the organizations we know who […]
Baccalaureate sermon delivered by Jennifer Copeland on May 5 at Louisburg College. Isaiah 2:2-4; Revelation 21:1-7; Luke 4:16-21 You are the most watched generation in history. Of course, it’s easy […]
Remarks from an April 19 press conference in opposition to HB2. There are lots of ways to read the Bible. Some of us read it like a self-help manual; not […]
In the era of participation trophies, one more award might seem just that. This is not your ordinary award, however, nor is the recipient your ordinary participant. The Distinguished Service Award […]
Remarks by Jennifer E. Copeland to Richard Cordray, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, delivered in Washington, DC, as part of a national coalition to address predatory lending. Representatives […]
Remarks offered at the March 9, 2016 Vigil on Breaking the Silence on Torture co-sponsored with NC Stop Torture Now and the Movement to End Racism and Islamophobia. Every year, […]
Excerpted from the NC Council of Churches Lenten Guide, “Love One Another: Reflections on Race, Power, and Privilege” Ash Wednesday —Psalm 51: 1-17 Have mercy on me, O God, according […]
Preached at the Christian Unity Service of Holy Cross Catholic Church, Durham Matthew 5:1-16 The sermon you have just heard is only one-seventh of the real thing. You heard 16 verses, […]
Preached at the Epiphany Service of Trinity Lutheran Church, Raleigh. How many wise men are there? Three? Who told you there were three? Three gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh, so […]
Excerpted from In Those Days and In These, an Advent Devotional Guide from the NC Council of Churches In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a […]
December 10, 7 p.m. Judea Reform Congregation 1933 West Cornwallis Road, Durham The NC Council of Churches, partnering with North Carolinians Against Gun Violence and the League of Women Voters, […]
The following was originally presented as part of an NAACP panel discussion on October 8. The givens in the title are: We are pursuing justice. We want to pursue justice […]
The offices for the NC Council of Churches sit half a block from Hillsborough Street—the street that automatically conjures up images of NC State, as well it should since the […]
Jennifer is pictured on a spring break trip with students to Nome, Alaska. Monday, August 3, was my first day at work. The staff laughed with me when hearing that announcement since […]
