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. Edward N. Preistaf, Pastor of Long Memorial United Methodist Church in Roxboro “I don’t think I have it in me. I hope no one calls me today.” […]
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (RNS) — After watching a documentary on the threat of Christian nationalism on a Tuesday evening last week, members of Word Tabernacle Church, a predominantly Black congregation […]
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 […]
by the Rev. Dr. Christy Lohr Sapp, Pastor of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Hickory and member of the North Carolina Council of Churches Governing Board. As shoes for your […]
There is a joyful sound on Sunday mornings at St. Joseph AME Church in Durham, North Carolina. On the Sunday morning after Helene struck and devastated the western part of […]
by Hope Elisa Ann Bryant, Founder of Rebuilding Lives Ministry, written during National Recovery Month. It is always important to honor the mothers, fathers, siblings, caretakers, and youth among us […]
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 […]
Amid the turbulence of a high-stakes election season stands a sadly familiar outpost of stability – the N.C. General Assembly’s relentless support of private schools at the expense of the […]
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 […]
By: Jennifer Roberts, Co-Chair of N.C. Network for Fair, Safe, and Secure Elections With the November 2024 elections drawing closer, many people have been discussing the specter of political violence. […]
By: Reggie Wilson Jr. MS, MSW, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, The Armstrong Center for Hope “. . . for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but […]
By: The Rev. Beth Crissman, Uwharrie District Superintendent and Director of Peace Building Ministries of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church “sac-ra-men-tal: (adj) exhibiting visible signs […]
There’s the civics-class version of how laws are enacted in North Carolina – rooted in the state constitution and rules of the General Assembly, and embodying ideals of orderly, even-handed […]
RALEIGH, NC – The North Carolina Council of Churches proudly announces the release of the Faithful Voter Reflection Guide. This vital resource is designed to help people of faith integrate […]
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 […]
We would like to welcome John Dempsey Parker as our new Director of Partnerships and Development. John has over 25 years of experience in North Carolina in asset-based community economic […]
First, the good news. As North Carolina’s lawmakers crank up their every-other-year “short” session (well, sometimes it’s not so short), they’ll have the luxury of working with a healthy boost […]
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 […]
Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 I love the Lord because he has heard my voice […]
Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Hebrews 10:16-25 “This is the covenant that I will make […]
Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Mark 1:1-11 The beginning of the good news of Jesus […]
As a classic example of trying to fix something that’s not broken, look no farther than the N.C. General Assembly’s overhaul last year of the State Board of Elections and […]
Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 12:20-33 Now among those who went up to worship […]
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 […]
Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 O give thanks to the Lord, for he […]
Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 19 The heavens are telling the glory of God, and […]
Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Mark 9:2-9 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter […]
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 […]
Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 25:1-10 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.O […]
Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm […]
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 […]
In a political climate less driven by conservative ideology, even within our judicial system’s upper reaches, it might be reckless to forecast how the latest, epic clash over proper funding […]
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, faith leaders and activists on Monday rallied for abortion access and reproductive freedom across the state. Jan. 22 marks the 51st anniversary of the 1973 […]
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Monday marked 51 years since the passage of Roe v. Wade, the landmark US Supreme Court decision which protected abortion rights. It was marked by a series […]
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — On Monday, the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, dozens of faith leaders are in Raleigh demanding access to safe and legal abortions and squashing what […]
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 60:1-6 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and […]
Excerpted from 2023 Advent Guide: A Season of Renewal, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 148 Praise the Lord!Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in […]
Excerpted from 2023 Advent Guide: A Season of Renewal, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 9:2-7 The people who walked in darkness have seen […]
Excerpted from 2023 Advent Guide: A Season of Renewal, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel […]
At the beginning of December, a new law expanded allowing people to carry concealed guns in North Carolina. State law now allows people to conceal carry in churches that share […]
Excerpted from 2023 Advent Guide: A Season of Renewal, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Luke 1:46b-55 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and […]
During Diabetes Awareness month (November) – and every month – someone is having a limb amputated due to diabetes every three-to-four minutes here in the United States. These patients often come from […]
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 […]
Recruiting participants for a citizen science project produced a more diverse group when people were signed up through partner organizations, such as schools and faith-based organizations, than when they joined on their […]
North Carolina’s new voting district maps were hatched in a way that brings to mind Macbeth’s calculation as he ponders murder: “If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere […]
Excerpted from 2023 Advent Guide: A Season of Renewal, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Corinthians 1:3-9 Grace to you and peace from […]
As part of a promotion, Gladwell Orthodontics and Youngsville Gun Club & Range are giving certain customers their pick between a Silver membership at the Youngsville Gun Club & Range […]
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: […]
The Council is excited to introduce you to one of our newest staff members, Sandra Pardo. Sandra joined us in October as the Farmworker Advocacy Network Coalition Coordinator. Read more […]
Have you seen the trending #Every1KnowsSome1 for domestic violence awareness? It may surprise you to think you know someone. Or maybe you think you are the only one? In truth, […]
Not for the first time, let’s recall the quasi-consolation offered by Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. as the U.S. Supreme Court declared – in a case involving North Carolina – […]
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 […]
North Carolina’s newly passed state budget includes nearly $26 million in funding for religious organizations, ranging from direct grants to individual churches to funds for anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers. Among […]
GREENSBORO, NC — The North Carolina Council of Churches is excited to announce the upcoming event, “Trusting Women and Empowering Equity,” scheduled for October 26, 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., […]
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) – Some groups aren’t happy about the new North Carolina State Budget, believing it’s lacking in important areas. Groups such as the Community Education Group and the […]
Well, that was quick. We’d barely had time to reckon with all the bullying packed into the new state budget approved on Sept. 22 when the N.C. General Assembly’s Republican […]
The Republicans who rule North Carolina’s General Assembly from their high supermajority perch want to make voting more difficult because they think that on balance, this gives them a leg […]
The Fourth Circuit will be the latest court to examine the interplay between federal job discrimination law and religious freedom protections when it hears arguments Wednesday in a Catholic high […]
The N.C. General Assembly — under the thumb of a conservative and anti-small-d-democratic majority – is making its intentions clear. It wants to keep as many voters as possible from […]
Recordings and resources from the 2023 Legislative Seminar are now available. View the resources below:
The Council is excited to introduce you to one of our newest staff members, Donna Parks Hill. Donna joined us earlier this month as Project Coordinator for Overdose Response and […]
On May 16, the North Carolina legislature overturned Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of SB 20, another in a long line of abortion bans blanketing the country. The threats that this […]
As painful as it is to admit, and just as obvious, the right of Americans to vote in the elections by which their political leaders are chosen has emerged only […]
The 2023 Legislative Seminar proved to be a platform for education, discussion, and inspiration, made possible by all of you who participated. Participants and organizers left feeling energized and motivated. […]
A Catholic school teacher fired due to his same-gender marriage will have his discrimination lawsuit heard by a U.S. Court of Appeals soon. In 2014, Lonnie Billard announced on Facebook […]
FARMWORKER ADVOCACY NETWORK DESCRIPTION The Farmworker Advocacy Network (FAN) is a statewide network of organizations that works to improve the living and working conditions of agricultural workers in North Carolina. […]
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 […]
Led by the Rev. William J. Barber II, a dozen Christian clergy stood in the hallway of the North Carolina General Assembly Friday (May 12) to denounce a bill approved […]
“What happens to solar panels during a hurricane?” This was one of the first questions asked during a renewable energy symposium in Carteret Community College’s Joslyn Hall the week of […]
The idea that North Carolinians would be allowed to carry a concealed, loaded weapon without having a permit appears to be holstered for this legislative session. In a surprise move Wednesday, the […]
Written by Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, and Rachel Baker, Communications Director The North Carolina Council of Churches announces that Governor Roy Cooper will receive this year’s Faith Active in Public […]
In the conservative catalogue of insults, calling a judge an “activist” is about as cutting as it gets. If this were an old-time playground war of words, it would rank […]
House lawmakers in the Judiciary 2 committee debated House Bill 189, otherwise known as the NC Constitutional Carry Act on Tuesday morning. The proposed bill looks to allow anyone 18 […]
House Bill 189, the bid to remove restrictions and allow most North Carolinians to carry a concealed loaded weapon, passed through a key committee despite vigorous debate on Tuesday morning and […]
The forces in North Carolina’s General Assembly aligned with what typically are seen as progressive causes – including strong public schools, fair and adequate taxation, wide access to decent health […]
The Council is excited to introduce you to one of our newest staff members, Carrilea Hall. Carrilea joined us as West Regional Associate Director for Partners in Health and Wholeness. […]
Council Description: With more than eight decades of progressive activism, the North Carolina Council of Churches remains the leading faith-based ecumenical voice for justice advocacy in North Carolina. We are […]
After tragedies like the Hedingham mass shooting in Raleigh, people often turn to their faith for answers and healing. Members of the North Carolina Council of Churches have over 6,200 […]
About 300 leaders in the faith community on Friday called on Gov. Roy Cooper (D) to commute the death sentences of all prisoners awaiting execution in North Carolina. In a […]
Nearly 300 faith leaders from around the state delivered a letter to Governor Roy Cooper asking him to commute the death sentences of all 137 people on North Carolina’s death […]
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 […]
An opportunity to learn more about solar and wind power will take place in Carteret County during the week of Earth Day. The Renewable Energy Symposium is set for 1 […]
Three major religious holidays are overlapping today as Christians celebrate Easter Sunday, Jews mark Passover and Muslims are in the middle of Ramadan month. Today on In Focus with Loretta […]
During a time of major celebration for several world religions, nearly 300 faith leaders from around North Carolina are calling on Gov. Roy Cooper to end the death penalty. On […]
Excerpted from 2023 Lenten Guide: A Season of Renewal, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Matthew 28:1-10 After the Sabbath, as the first […]
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 […]
Excerpted from 2023 Lenten Guide: A Season of Renewal, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Now before the festival of […]
RALEIGH, NC – The North Carolina Council of Churches (Council) has filed a comment with the North Carolina Utility Commission (Commission) about Duke Energy’s proposed rate increase, urging that greater […]
Excerpted from 2023 Lenten Guide: A Season of Renewal, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Matthew 21:1-11 When they had come near Jerusalem […]
The North Carolina Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System will host a symposium next month focusing on the harms posed by confederate monuments. The all-day event […]
Addiction Professionals of North Carolina announces our collaborative partnership with Mount Vernon Christian Church (MVCC) in Clayton, NC to provide mental health awareness and education. MVCC received a grant from the North Carolina Council […]
High on the granite façade of the North Carolina Supreme Court’s headquarters across from the Capitol in downtown Raleigh is engraved what can be seen as an inspiring and enduring […]
Excerpted from 2023 Lenten Guide: A Season of Renewal, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 130 Out of the depths I cry […]
Excerpted from 2023 Lenten Guide: A Season of Renewal, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Ephesians 5:8-14 For once you were darkness, but […]
Excerpted from 2023 Lenten Guide: A Season of Renewal, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 95 O come, let us sing to […]
Excerpted from 2023 Lenten Guide: A Season of Renewal, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Genesis 12:1-4a Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from […]
We weren’t expecting it to be pretty – “it” being the launch of the N.C. General Assembly’s new session, with freshly emboldened conservatives eager to flex their muscles. The reality, […]
