Explaining what the NC Council of Churches does is both exceedingly simple and exceptionally complex. I should know – it’s a big part of what I do for a living. […]
You probably know how the phrase “canary in the coal mine” came into being, but it doesn’t hurt to repeat it. Before there were other ways of monitoring for dangerous […]
Tuesday, September 18 10am-11am Register now You’re invited to join the NC Council of Churches and Church World Service for a free one-hour webinar focusing on immigration at the federal […]
NCIPL is all about helping faith communities find positive responses to climate change. It’s a big mission dealing with an extremely complex and rapidly changing problem. Science tells us that the […]
While the July 26 article “N.C. wary of possible farm labor shortage,” in the Raleigh News & Observer, included statistics and testimonies detailing our allegedly pending shortage of farm laborers, it left unstated the obvious conclusion: we can’t have our cake and eat it too. Or in this case, we can’t have our fresh produce and eat it too.
Winston-Salem Journal
Placing defibrillators in houses of worship — including eight in Winston-Salem — is part of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C.’s strategy for extending the reach of health care into community gathering places.
The insurer and churches hope there will be a pay-it-forward element from the free CPR training that goes along with the automated external defibrillators.
“Most people don’t want to be in a helpless place when they see someone having a cardiac arrest,” said Bruce Hayes, associate pastor at Reynolda Church.
You may have seen news yesterday about a just-released report from the Natural Resources Defense Council on food waste. I read the full report – only 26 pages, and eminently […]
Laypeople, clergy and organizational leaders can urge Congress to protect programs vital to vulnerable people as well as to protect the country’s economic security by e-mailing their elected leaders or signing […]
Durham-Herald Sun
DURHAM – Over the next three years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina will fund 150 Automated External Defibrillators and training for places of worship across the state, with 33 already lined up. BCBSNC President and CEO J. Bradley Wilson made the announcement Tuesday at First Calvary Baptist Church in Durham along with Strive to Revive partners the American Red Cross, the North Carolina Council of Churches and N.C. Rep. Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg).WUNC 91.5 North Carolina Public Radio
Eric Hodge: Several state organizations are banding together give churches the tools to save lives. Gurnal Scott reports.
This piece in National Geographic Daily News is a wake-up call from local mountain dwellers in Europe. The Aletsch glacier is the source of the Rhone River system, and it […]
The following are some of Executive Director George Reed’s remarks at the statewide launch of the Strive to Revive campaign on August 7: We see preserving health as an issue […]
Most people don’t think of flying basketballs, high rebounds, and tough competition when you say “I’m meeting with the pastor.” But Dave Halloway, pastor at Godwin Heights Baptist Church in […]
Places of worship across North Carolina are invited to apply for a free Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and CPR training through a program called Strive to Revive (STR). STR is […]
Friday, October 10, 2014; 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. Ardmore Baptist Church 501 Miller Street, Winston-Salem Please use the scroll bar to complete entire form and click […]
I had a scare last month. My husband and I returned home on our 31st anniversary date to a telephone message from my older sister – my father had been […]
The North Carolina Council of Churches joins with our sisters and brothers in Wisconsin to mourn Sunday’s horrific actions against a Sikh faith community peacefully gathered in their house of […]
Are you following the Olympics? I am just amazed at the beauty and grace of the swimmers, the gymnasts, the volleyball players and so many others. I dreamily imagine myself […]
“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them…God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it […]
Cindy Taylor and Sheila Menendez of Troy, NC planned a spectacular day of taste testing and health pledge signing. Their respective organizations, Bodies for Christ United and Montgomery County Farmers […]
Every day, about 243 agricultural workers suffer injuries that cost them work time; about five percent of these injuries result in permanent impairment. Agriculture consistently ranks among the three most […]
Sizzling pans and laughing children will fill the Troy Farmers Market on July 19. Tomato Day at the market will feature local tomato-recipe tastings. And Partners in Health and Wholeness will co-sponsor […]
What do you think of when I say ‘faith and health’? Maybe a congregation exercising together or changing their diet? How about members of a faith community visiting a Farmers […]
The General Assembly on Monday overrode Governor Perdue’s vetoes of three bills. By doing so they gutted the Racial Justice Act, revised the budget for 2012-13, and moved ahead with fracking. The outcome was not in doubt in the Senate. In fact, several Senate Democrats had excused absences and didn’t even show up for the votes. The drama was in the House.
The News & Observer
Death penalty opponents and advocates of the state’s Racial Justice Act have embarked on an intense petition drive, letter-writing and email campaign, targeting five Democrats in the state House of Representatives.The goal is to persuade the representatives to sustain the governor’s Thursday veto of the legislature’s overhaul of the Racial Justice Act.
The News & Observer
The N.C. Council of Churches rejoices in the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the Affordable Care Act, affirming the decades-long concerns of the council for those without health care.We applaud Governor Beverly Perdue for her veto of a rewritten Racial Justice Act that had been gutted of key provisions. The Council has long worked for fairness in our […]
Sojourners | God’s Politics
The recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court should put to rest any notion of North Carolina trying to enact an Arizona- or Alabama-style immigration bill. While we remain concerned that the ruling could leave the door open for legalized racial profiling, the Court has made clear that immigration policy and enforcement should be left up to the federal government.The NC Council of Churches rejoices in today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which affirms the decades-long work and concerns of the NCCC […]
At a farmworker camp this past week, sitting on the ground with a plate of rice and tortillas in my lap, I glanced around at the faces of my dinner […]
Please join a broad coalition of concerned citizens, business leaders, local elected officials and people of faith Wednesday, June 27, at 6:15 pm, across the street from the Governor’s Mansion, 200 North […]
The following is from the NC Coalition for a Moratorium and the Carolina Justice Policy Center. The fate of the Racial Justice Act probably rests with the three representatives listed […]
The General Assembly has passed S 820 and sent it to the Governor. This is the bill that would move North Carolina farther down the road toward extraction of natural […]
Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court should put to rest any notion of North Carolina trying to enact an Arizona- or Alabama-style immigration bill. While we remain concerned that the ruling could leave the door open for legalized racial profiling, the Court has made clear that immigration policy and enforcement should be left up to the federal government.
Here at the NC Council of Churches we see how faith communities are putting their faith into action every day, ministering at the front lines of the immigration debate by offering English courses, meals, job training, and pastoral care to people facing very challenging situations.
Young people from Charlotte had the opportunity to pack meals with Stop Hunger Now thanks to Council supporters. A meal-packaging event originally scheduled after the Council’s April Critical Issues Seminar […]
Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for Americans? In fact, more than 800,000 people die a year (one in three overall deaths). The American Heart Association (AHA) lists […]
One of my friends just posted this amazing YouTube video of Severn Suzuki who, at age 12, addressed the United Nations at the first Earth Summit in Rio twenty years […]
The House of Representatives has voted 73-47 to gut the Racial Justice Act. The vote was on S 416, a bill originally about using tire retreads on school buses. The […]
Thank you. Since last month, more than 400 of you have signed onto a statement rejecting toxic and offensive words being preached against gays and lesbians. You said that that pastors […]
Last week, while senators in Washington indicated their overwhelming support for the Farm Bill through a preliminary floor vote, farmworker families throughout the Southeastern U.S. toiled long hours in the summer heat. After 14-hour days in the fields, many farmworkers return home pesticide-ridden, underpaid and empty-handed — financially unable to provide adequate food for themselves and the hungry mouths that await them.
Once again this summer, the Council will benefit from the talents of outstanding young people who come to us as interns. In prior years, interns have made a lasting contribution […]
Mary Swann and Yvonne McGraw have taken an active leadership role in forming the Pee Dee Baptist Association Health Coalition. They have been gathering at least once a month since […]
George Reed, Editor Robert L. Mason, Intern Associate Fracking Clean Energy and Economic Security Act Domestic Energy Policy Underground Injection Ban Fracking Contracts/Against Public Policy Sale of Children Senate’s Budget […]
When our three-year-old runs off to another part of the house to play and suddenly becomes quiet, you know that she is either very focused on whatever she is playing […]
Statement Affirming the Principles of Concern for the Poor and the Vulnerable as Made More Visible by the “Occupy” and Other Movements Approved June 5, 2012 by the Governing Board […]
Adopted by the Governing Board, June 5, 2012 The Issue For more than four decades now, the North Carolina Council of Churches has been fighting to protect the health of […]
Two time-sensitive issues for advocates: 1) A vote to override the Governor’s veto of the Racial Justice Act could come up any time. 2) There is a lobby day tomorrow […]
Intern and Duke Divinity School student Lisa Talbott learned a lot in her year working on social justice issues with the Council. It was a physical journey, from Alaska to […]
The General Assembly leadership is committed to having this short session truly be short, and there’s talk of adjourning by early July. In fact, an adjournment resolution was introduced yesterday with a target date of June 19. This session, which starts in May of even-numbered years, is primarily to tweak the second year of the budget adopted the year before. In addition, certain bills which were introduced last year (mostly ones which passed in one house) can be considered. For a new bill to be introduced this year, it must fit into one of a few specific categories, with most new bills having to do with budgetary matters or coming from a study commission which met during the interim. Finally, pending veto overrides are also thought by the House and Senate leadership to be eligible for consideration.
Goldsboro News-Argus
Immigration is not just a political issue — it is about life and death, an advocate who works with churches told Wayne County clergy Tuesday. Chris Liu-Beers, program associate with the North Carolina Council of Churches, met with 17 local religious leaders during a special breakfast designed to encourage conversations about the topic and how churches can play a role. One of those sharing his experiences with the immigrant community was the Rev. John Richardson, a regional minister with the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. He equated the immigration issue to the story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible.A Legislative Advocacy Toolkit is now available from the Council. The toolkit provides a wealth of information for people of faith who want to be effective as grass-roots lobbyists, especially […]
The Spring 2012 Church Council Bulletin includes photographs from the Council’s recent Critical Issues Seminar, an update on items of interest in the General Assembly’s short session, a statement on the passage of Amendment One, the Council’s spring appeal, and more.
A couple of weeks ago, Steve Ford, editor of the editorial page of the Raleigh News & Observer, wrote an excellent piece about Amendment One. As I commented to him, […]
In light of this week’s news of a North Carolina pastor calling for people who are gay or lesbian to be rounded up and fenced in – concentration-camp-like – along […]
The General Assembly convened this past Wednesday for its regular “short session.” As always, the primary purpose of the short session is to tweak the budget for the fiscal year […]
Farmworkers feed the world, but too often their contributions to our society go unnoticed. How much do you know about the people behind the food we eat? Take our interactive quiz and see how you score!
Martin Luther King Jr.’s phrase “the fierce urgency of now,” articulated in his 1967 sermon, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”, is more relevant now than ever. Although the […]
Click here to register now | Regístrate Ahora Presented in partnership with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship – NC. This is a fully bilingual event (English & Spanish). Details in English are below. […]
Several additional legislative days have been announced. Among them are: HKonJ, People of Color Justice and Unity Legislative Day is Wednesday, May 23. The opening session will be at Raleigh’s […]
In light of yesterday’s vote to add a discriminatory amendment about marriage to our state’s constitution, it is important to consider what was accomplished through this campaign and what it […]
Susannah Tuttle and I had the privilege of representing NCIPL at the annual meeting of Interfaith Power & Light last week in Washington, DC. We spent two days immersed in […]
Executive Director George Reed’s full interview with NC Policy Watch from Sunday is now available here. In it, Reed explains the Council’s opposition to Amendment One. People of faith who […]
Hear George Reed explain the Council’s opposition to Amendment One on Sunday morning’s News & Views hosted by Chris Fitzsimon of NC Policy Watch. The program airs at 7 a.m. […]
Council Friends— I am writing you with a last-minute appeal to get to the polls for next Tuesday’s election, when voters decide whether to amend the state constitution, defining marriage […]
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We are happy to announce that the North Carolina Council of Churches’ Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) Initiative has received continued support from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield […]
I have helped to make the arrangements for the food served at Council meetings for ten years. But the 2012 Critical Issues Seminar was different. In staff meetings leading up […]
It was a beautiful day spent at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem on April 19. I was there for the annual NC Council of Churches Critical Issues Seminar; this […]
The Critical Issues Seminar has come and gone, and with it goes the end of my internship with the NC Council of Churches. The Council was not the sort of […]
On April 19, Father Joe Vetter received the Council’s Distinguished Service Award during lunchtime ceremonies at the 2012 Critical Issues Seminar. After Council President Stan Kimer offered the following remarks in […]
Durham Herald-Sun
The ballot referendum that could cement the definition of marriage as “the only domestic legal union” into the state Constitution has turned a political debate into a religious one — and is mustering people of faith across North Carolina to the polls.Early voting is now under way for North Carolina’s May 8 primary. Between now and May 5, you can vote if you are already registered, and you can register and […]
The lead case applying the historic and ground-breaking NC Racial Justice Act (RJA) concluded today with a judicial finding of race discrimination in the operation of the death penalty in […]
From Acts of Faith: Free Lectionary Resources for Prophetic Worship
Date: 4th Sunday after Easter, April 29, 2012
Topic: Interfaith Connections
Focus Text: John 10:11-18
From the pastoral reflection: In 21st century North Carolina we have many and various ways to come into contact with “other sheep.” Will we stick to our own kind, work to create a Christian enclave where we feel safe and secure, free from any risk? Or, will we be the welcoming face, the open hands, the purposeful feet, and the compassionate voice of Christ in the world so that all may know the love of God?
This comprehensive, intergenerational curriculum focuses on the food we eat and why it matters. Featuring 7 lessons with Scripture, prayers, resources, and activities for young children through adults, “Eating Well” will challenge and inspire your church or community group. Download your copy today.
In 2008, Big Tobacco spent $9.94 billion to market cigarettes, and sadly, that amount corresponds to ‘new customers’ despite public health efforts to stop the destruction caused by tobacco. Part of the harm […]
It’s funny when strangers strike you as family. That is what happens, for me at least, each time I attend another Earth Sabbath Celebration. After a few months of travelling […]
BCBSNC Foundation
My faith journey began at an early age and in a somewhat nontraditional way. I fondly remember attending weekly prayer meetings and Bible studies at my grandmother’s house in rural North Carolina. Community members would come from all around to worship together in a small, weather-beaten house at the end of a long dirt path. They would read scriptures, sing songs and tell stories of how they were able to overcome various obstacles throughout the week.
The 2012 County Health Rankings report, recently released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, points to major disparities in health by geographic […]
For the first time since its creation, a special committee reviewing North Carolina’s immigration policy heard from the public on Wednesday, March 28th. To a hearing room packed with advocates on both sides of the immigration debate, speakers told their stories to North Carolina lawmakers charged with considering the state’s role in immigration. Reverend Villegas presented the co-chairs of the committee with over 175 written comments from clergy and people of faith from across the State urging the committee to carefully consider the negative impact that new tough, anti-immigration laws would have on North Carolina.
Spring is a favorite time for all of us who love to be in the garden. I cherish this season and plan my weeks so that I can begin and […]
Join us on April 19 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem as we package meals with Stop Hunger Now, the Raleigh-based non-profit that provides nutritious dehydrated meals which are shipped […]
The deadline to guarantee lunch at the 2012 Critical Issues Seminar has been extended to April 12. This year’s seminar, Eating Well for Ourselves, For Our Neighbors, For Our Planet, takes […]
On April 6, state religious leaders and activists will remember Jesus Christ’s suffering and death and the suffering and death of immigrants coming to this country in an “Economic Justice Way of the Cross.” The North Carolina Council of Churches is a co-sponsor of the event which takes place from noon to 2 p.m. at the N.C. State Capitol.
The Good Friday commemoration of Jesus’ suffering and death will be linked with the need for justice, immigration reform, a change in US trade policies, and an end to US support for the war in Afghanistan and Colombia. Money needs to be spent on food and economic development instead of war, according to Gail Phares, director of Witness for Peace Southeast, the event’s primary organizer.Rev. Jill Edens, United Church of Chapel Hill
Though the disciples have left everything to follow Jesus, the discussion as they travel to Jerusalem reveals that they are profoundly unready for what is to come. In this pivotal moment we encounter blind Bartimaeus who Mark holds up as a model for discipleship: “As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’”
The Pee Dee Baptist Association Health Coalition, a joint effort of the Association along with Partners in Health and Wholeness, takes place April 3 at 7 p.m at St. Paul’s […]
Alexia Kelley will deliver the keynote address for the North Carolina Council of Churches’ 2012 Critical Issues Seminar, and Father Joe Vetter will receive the Council’s Distinguished Service Award at the […]
Congratulations to two of the Council’s friends and colleagues on being designated Champions of Change by the White House. Linda Walling, Executive Director, of Faithful Reform in Health Care (and soon […]
From Acts of Faith: Free Lectionary Resources for Prophetic Worship
Date: 2nd Sunday after Easter, April 15, 2012
Topic: Living Wages
Focus Text: Acts 4:32-35
From the pastoral reflection: “As Christians, we attempt to recapture the vision of work as related to the creating, sustaining, and transforming work of God. Our vocation is not defined simply by our paid employment. What we do at home, in churches, in our volunteer and political activities, all contribute to the “work” that embraces the whole of our lives.”
Tell NC legislators that we don’t want to follow Arizona and Alabama – say NO to harmful anti-immigrant legislation that could be introduced here in North Carolina.
A special committee of the NC House has been meeting to determine whether to introduce an Arizona-style “Papers, please” bill. This is your chance to hold lawmakers accountable for making NC a welcoming state that is competitive in the global economy instead of enacting costly measures that will separate families and threaten our economy.
The Affordable Care Act was approved two years ago. Join the virtual second-anniversary celebration through a conference call with Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin on Thursday, March 22 at 2 p.m. Hear all […]
Richmond County Daily Journal
The Pee Dee Baptist Educational Congress, an auxiliary to the Pee Dee Baptist Educational Association, will conduct the Annual Christian Educational Institute from March 19 to 23, 2012, at the Pee Dee Educational Building in Dobbin Heights.There will be classes for church officers and each department in the church.
A recent report by the U.S. Surgeon General revealed that a large number of America’s youth – 600,000 middle school students and three million high school students – smoke cigarettes. […]
Ending world hunger is a pretty big goal, but the folks at Stop Hunger Now have set it for themselves and have been working toward it for 13 years. With […]
Adopted by the Governing Board, NC Council of Churches, March 6, 2012 In 1998, the NC Council of Churches issued a statement entitled With All Due Respect. It decried the […]
Lynice Williams died this weekend. Too soon by any measure. She was one of this state’s great advocates for and organizers of people of low income and low wealth. Among […]
Durham Herald-Sun
Pilgrim United Church of Christ will host a community series this month on “Faith and the Marriage Amendment,” about the proposed North Carolina Amendment 1. If the ballot measure passes May 8, the only valid domestic union recognized by the state will be marriage of a man and a woman.Read more: The Herald-Sun – Pilgrim UCC hosting series on Amendment 1
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
8:30-10:00am
Saxapahaw United Methodist Church
5624 Church Rd.
Graham, NC 27253
We hope you’ll join us on April 14 for the Fourth Annual Jack Crum Conference on Prophetic Ministry. This annual ecumenical event takes place at Raleigh’s Fairmont United Methodist Church […]
