How should we understand the often painful dissonance between our convictions as Christians and the wild range of values we see in our culture in America today? That question was […]
A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to preview a new bilingual book called Listen to the Children: Conversations with Immigrant Families by Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Conde-Frazier. It’s a valuable resource for any faith community that works with immigrants. With a practical focus and many examples from daily life, Listen to the Children offers guidance in the midst of troubled times. Here’s an interview I conducted with the author.
On Friday and Saturday last week, about 180 people gathered at the 2011 Come to the Table conference in Winston-Salem. Bringing together pastors, lay leaders, experts in the fields of hunger and sustainable agriculture, entrepreneurs, farmworker advocates, and many others. Conference workshops were held on Friday, with site visits and practical tours on Saturday.
Prospect Presbyterian Church in Mooresville has received the North Carolina Council of Churches’ first Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) Gold Certificate for their commitment to better health. Rev. Joanne […]
Sojourners, a leading publication on the intersection of faith, politics and culture, ran a Feb. 16 blog about the upcoming conference opposing torture and being co-sponsored by the Council in […]
Tomorrow, the NC Council of Churches’ Rural Life Committee will convene our third biennial Come to the Table Conference. With meetings across the state over the next three weeks, the conference offers resources for faith communities working to relieve hunger and support local farms.
We are disturbed by increasing reports of NC landowners who are signing over some of their property rights to energy companies looking for new sources of natural gas. In addition to the environmental damage caused by accessing this natural gas, we are concerned that in many cases landowners are not fully aware of their rights and how these contracts will impact the use of their land in the future.
The following information comes from our friends at Rural Advancement Foundation International. Visit this page for more complete information.
There was a great turnout for Saturday’s HKonJ5. Thanks to all of you who attended and marched.
Watch video of HKonJ here.At their December meeting, members of the Council’s Governing Board elected new officers to lead the organization. Stan Kimer has been elected president. He replaces Jean Rodenbough, a […]
As a representative of faith-based health in North Carolina, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the 26th Annual Emerging Issues Forum in downtown Raleigh on February 7th and 8th, […]
In an effort to honor creation and be more mindful of our resources, the NCCC will be reducing the number of Church Council Bulletins printed. If you are receiving a […]
For the North Carolina Council of Churches, 2010 was a year of change and of celebration. In February, the Council staff moved into offices in West Raleigh Presbyterian Church. […]
On Wednesday, February 2, Cardinal Roger Mahoney visited UNC-Chapel Hill to highlight the Catholic Church’s position on immigration issues. Cardinal Mahoney, who represents the archdiocese of Los Angeles, delivered a message entitled “For Goodness Sake: Why America Needs Immigration Reform.” In an auditorium filled with about 200 students, professors and fellow Catholics, Cardinal Mahoney urged the audience to consider the contradictory messages contained in our broken immigration system. It is as though the U.S. has two giant billboards at our southern border with Mexico. One sign says “No Trespassing,” while the other says “Help Wanted.”
Please join us and people of faith across North Carolina in committing to diversity in North Carolina schools by signing this statement.
This weekend, February 11-13 is the second annual National Preach-In on Global Warming. Sponsored locally by NC Interfaith Power & Light (a program of the North Carolina Council of Churches), […]
Protecting the Common Good Let justice roll down like waters… Amos 5:24 Additional information is now available about the Council’s Legislative Seminar taking place on April 5. You can still […]
Partners in Health and Wholeness is offering a yearly certification process to congregations across the state. As of January 1, 2011, congregations can now achieve all three levels of certification – Bronze, Silver and Gold – and receive recognition from the Council and their respective judicatories upon completion of the program.
The North Carolina Council of Churches is a member of the Together NC Coalition. In light of the current state budget crisis, the coalition is offering concerned citizens one way […]
Inclusive Health – a nonprofit organization created by the state to provide affordable health insurance to people with pre-existing medical conditions – offered a free webinar to clergy and other […]
Partners in Health and Wholeness held an informational session/training at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Goldsboro on Saturday, January 29. The event was a follow-up to the PHW Clergy Breakfast […]
The celebration of the Council’s 75th anniversary in 2010 was a timely reminder of the rich history behind this organization and an affirmation of the bright future ahead of it. Program associate Chris Liu-Beers has collected some of both in this slideshow that explains beautifully how the NC Council of Churches got its start as well as where it’s going.
Torture conference logoOn March 25 and 26, 2011, the Duke University Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina will be hosting a conference on torture. This two-day event aims to equip participants to understand the arguments against torture and to prepare them for anti-torture advocacy within their own communities, trusting that the greatest protection against the U.S. government’s use of torture is a shared understanding that torture is always wrong.
You are invited to attend “Christian Conviction and Cultural Accommodation on February 21 in Greensboro, NC.
Today I’m happy to announce the launch of a new project by the Council’s Farmworker Ministry Committee. The Building Hope Project connects volunteer groups with farmworker families to build small chicken coops and greenhouses. These low-cost structures help families save money and supplement their nutrition. A recent study in North Carolina found that nearly half of farmworker families don’t have enough food year-round. The good news is that with a modest commitment of volunteer time and money, your congregation can make all the difference. Jesus said to his followers, “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.”
The Historic Thousands on Jones St. (HK on J) rally and march will take place on February 12 in Raleigh. A coalition of nearly a hundred social justice and community development organizations, including the North Carolina Council of Churches, have banded together to promote this event for the last several years.
I hope you had a chance to see NC People this past weekend. I was honored to be invited to be one of Bill Friday’s “people.” It actually started as part of the Council’s 75th anniversary last year, though it didn’t make it to the airwaves (an outdated term, if ever there were one) until now. Bill Friday celebrated his 90th birthday last summer. Even if you are new to the state, the hoopla surrounding his birthday would have made you aware that he is one of the state’s giants. I don’t know that there’s anybody alive today who is more respected or beloved or who has had more impact on the state for a longer period of time.
A bulletin insert with an excerpt from Dr. King’s prophetic sermon at Riverside Church is available for download here. The Council’s David LaMotte will be preaching at Martin Street Baptist in Raleigh on Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, January 16.
NC Council of Churches Executive Director George Reed appeared as Bill Friday’s guest on UNC-TV’s NC People on Friday, January 7. The program also aired Sunday, January 9. George spoke with Mr. Friday about the Council’s past as well as its future, discussing the Council’s work for social justice and the role faith communities and people of faith can play.
The North Carolina Council of Churches welcomes the Fourth Jurisdiction of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement as its newest member. The group becomes the 18th denomination which has chosen to […]
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NC Council of Churches Executive Director George Reed has been chosen to receive the 2011 Luke Mowbray Ecumenical Award by the American Baptist Churches USA. The honor is given to […]
Stan Kimer, newly elected Council president, was interviewed on WUNC’s The State of Things on January 6. In his conversation with host Frank Stasio, Stan spoke about the Council and its work, including priorities for the upcoming legislative session. Listen to the interview by clicking here.
Mildred Fry passed away on December 23, seven months shy of her 100th birthday. Mildred was the first woman to be elected president of the NC Council of Churches. It […]
The MIC @ 50 conference will take place on January 14-16, 2011, on the campus of Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. There is no charge to attend. The purpose of the event is to bring the MIC back into the spotlight as a key factor shaping our society and public life.
Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina – the same group that brought to us the Maintain, Don’t Gain Holiday Challenge – has developed health-related bulletin inserts for the faith community. These inserts provide short, easy-to-read messages on a variety of health topics such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease and stroke.
In February of 2010, over 50 congregations in North Carolina were some of over 400 congregations in 40 states participating in a national Preach-In on Global Warming. Here’s how you can participate in the coming year.
On November 29, 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama and the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships met with people of faith from across the country to discuss the […]
Friends, We look ahead to 2011 knowing we face many challenges and that our commitment to the work we believe in must be fortified and renewed. The environment in which […]
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This Prayer for Unity and monthly prayer calendar include by name the judicatories and congregations that are members of the North Carolina Council of Churches and the names of their current leaders. Your pryers for reconciliation are invited for all Christian bodies in and beyond the state.
Star-Child Star-Child, earth-Child, go-between of God, love Child, Christ Child, heaven’s lightning rod, Street child, beat child, no place left to go, hurt child, used child, no one wants to […]
Thank you. More than 900 of you stood with us, adding your names to the call for light over darkness, love over hate. And we have no idea how many […]
NC Policy Watch
In recent days, the Internet has been abuzz with revelations brought to us by “Wikileaks” of comments that were never intended to be public. Meanwhile, George W. Bush is touring to promote his new book, enthusiastically admitting that he violated international and US law. As the US government calls for accountability for Mr. Assange of Wikileaks, it must consider the applicability of its own words to other situations.
We have been overwhelmed at the response to our brief statement regarding the protest planned for tomorrow’s service for Elizabeth Edwards. Already, as of midday on Friday, we’ve heard from more […]
The protesters from Kansas have come many miles to spread their hatred at Elizabeth Edwards’ memorial service. Let us be clear: the Bible calls us to kindness and respect for one another, and Jesus Christ preached throughout his life that we should love one another. The protesters’ appalling and repeated violation of the sacred services by which we honor our dead, along with their representation of themselves as messengers of Christ, are offensive and misrepresent Christian faith.
Faithful Reform in Health Care is still working hard to try to prevent the health care reform bill that has already passed from being dismantled by the new Congress (through […]
As December begins, we make the transition from a time of thanksgiving to a season of anticipation. The Council has much to be grateful for this year. Talented and dynamic […]
Today many of North Carolina’s faith leaders issued a statement calling on Congress to pass the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act is a bipartisan bill that provides a clear, earned […]
Earlier this year, we were looking for a way to engage North Carolina in a constructive conversation about immigration when we heard about a new documentary film that was being completed by the Durham-based filmmaker Charlie Thompson. This new film, called Brother Towns / Pueblos Hermanos, examines the themes of migration, work and family across thousands of miles. When we talked to Charlie about using the film as part of a statewide series, he was excited about the potential to connect with new audiences in congregations from Asheville to Wilmington.
I strongly encourage people of faith who feel so led to contact your senators and urge them to support ratification of the New START treaty, which will reduce the US and Russian stockpiles by 30% and allow on-the-ground inspections, suspended last year as the START I treaty expired, to resume.
The staff of the North Carolina Council of Churches wishes you grace, mercy and love in this blessed season of Thanksgiving.
We knew when David LaMotte joined the NC Council of Churches’ staff in July as program associate for peace that we were gaining someone with an international reputation for his […]
In light of data recently released in the Wikileaks documents regarding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a group of pastors, priests, theologians and seminarians has issued a call to preachers to address the acts of violence detailed in those documents, and their failure to live up even to the standards of Just War theory.
Congregations across the state are now taking part in the North Carolina Council of Churches’ Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) Certification Program, demonstrating that their bodies are God’s temple by eating healthier, being more physically active and reducing the impact of smoking on themselves and their neighbors.
At the most recent Brother Towns event, this past Monday, November 1st, the energy filled the Carolina Theatre. About 270 people from around the Durham area came to the screening. Each person was full of excitement and several large groups were in attendance. I have never seen so many people so happy to watch a documentary. Being my first viewing of the film, I was also very excited to see it.
The Council is delighted to welcome two Duke Divinity School interns who will be working on a variety of projects over the course of the school year. “It is always exciting for us to have Duke Div interns helping with the work of the Council,” said Executive Director George Reed. “Their energy and enthusiasm enhance all that we do.”
The Eastern Carolina District of the Virginia Mennonite Conference of the Mennonite Church USA is the newest member of the North Carolina Council of Churches. The addition of the group brings to 17 the number of denominations who have chosen to work with the Council on issues of social justice and Christian unity.
Dr. Katherine Shea, a physician with expertise in the link between climate change and human health, is the new director of North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light, a project of the North Carolina Council of Churches and a state affiliate of the national Interfaith Power & Light campaign.
This is a video blog I shot yesterday while my toddler was taking his nap. Just a few thoughts about voting, not voting and the significance of each.
I was struck, as I listened to remembrances from the past, that we really are seeing progress on issues of social justice. But it happens over a period of years or even decades. The issues we heard about at the Anniversary are difficult ones. They have produced years of frustration and sometimes what looked like complete failure. And yet . . .
Faithful Reform in Health Care – an interfaith organization that works to provide people of faith with accurate, timely information on health care reform and to engage us in the […]
I’ll be speaking and singing at several events in the next few weeks, and thought I would let you know the details.
About 150 activists and experts gathered in Greensboro recently for the North Carolina Council of Churches’ Critical Issues Seminar focused on integrating Creation Care with the mission and ministry of faith […]
We’ve had an exciting couple of weeks on the Care of Creation front. Our Critical Issues Seminar in Greensboro last week focused on the issue. About 150 of us gathered […]
Dr. Terrence Rynne is the founder of the Marquette University Center for Peacemaking. His new book “Gandhi and Jesus, the Saving Power of Nonviolence” examines the intersections between the life of Jesus and the teachings of Gandhi. He has three presentations coming up in North Carolina, in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh.
News14 Carolina recently featured a peace vigil held in downtown Raleigh in conjunction with the nine-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. The NC Council of Churches co-sponsored the event, and David LaMotte spoke during the vigil. News coverage of the vigil focused on WWII veteran and longtime peace activist Cy King. In 2009, King accepted the Council’s Distinguished Service Award for his many years of gracious and committed activism for peace.
More than 60 people gathered at the Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte last night to watch the local premiere of Brother Towns / Pueblos Hermanos – a film about family, faith and immigration. This event, which was featured in one of the Charlotte Observer’s blogs, was the first in a statewide series that the Council is sponsoring.
Hello friends, There are a couple of upcoming events I wanted to let you know about in the Raleigh area, Charlotte and Greensboro. •Thursday, October 7 at 5 PM — please join us […]
Last week, comedian Steven Colbert caused a stir by testifying before Congress in support of the AgJOBS bill. Colbert’s larger than life persona brought a record number of cameras to the “Protecting America’s Harvest” hearing held by the U.S. House Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security. While pundits and bloggers disagree about the appropriateness of Colbert’s appearance, very little is being said about the substance of the bill he went to Washington to support: AgJOBS.
Please use the comments section below this post to let others know where you are traveling from and whether you would be able to transport other passengers, need a ride, or could do either.
The NC State students are back. I, for one, am delighted. Sure, there are longer lines at the grocery and a lot more beer being sold. Sure, there is more […]
Penny Hooper and Richard Fireman, both with the Council’s NC Interfaith Power & Light program, have collaborated to write a powerful op-ed on coal ash which has just appeared in […]
Urgent calls to North Carolina senators are needed concerning the New START treaty, the National Criminal Justice Commission Act and the DREAM Act.
The passing of health care reform legislation earlier this year has sparked a number of questions from both opponents of the new law and those who have supported it from […]
Fifty years after “Harvest of Shame,” not much has changed. Farm work remains one of the nation’s most dangerous industries. Here in North Carolina, dangerous conditions in the fields, poverty wages and substandard housing continue to threaten workers’ health and well-being. For example, workers often put in 14-hour days in bad weather – including extreme heat and rain. In North Carolina, 7 farmworkers died of heat stroke in a recent five-year span. They were literally worked to death. And heat stroke isn’t the only problem in the fields.
There have been no shortage of condemnations of the pastor in Florida who threatened to burn Korans. Those condemnations are effectively demolition work. Sometimes dangerous structures need to be torn down, and I’m not necessarily criticizing that. Demolition is most useful, though, when it makes space to build something new and constructive. I heartily celebrate the building of relationships and the expressions of respect and support that have come in response to this.
Mallory McDuff, author of “Natural Saints: How People of Faith Are Working to Save God’s Earth” and upcoming presenter at the Council’s Critical Issues Seminar, has been on quite a roll […]
We’re teaming up with local filmmaker Charlie Thompson to offer screenings of his latest documentary, Brother Towns / Pueblos Hermanos across the state. If you live in one of these cities, please help us promote this event by putting up movie posters around town. We also have bulletin inserts that can be used to encourage your congregation to attend. Thanks for your help!
The North Carolina Council of Churches held its first-ever Clergy Breakfast on Health on Thursday, August 26 at St. James African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church in Goldsboro. Twenty-five local […]
Faithful Reform in Health Care – an organization dedicated to quality, accessible health care for all – has studied how the new health care reform legislation impacts communities of faith
This week I felt privileged to be one of over 1,500 participants in the NC Latino Coalition’s Statewide Delegates Assembly in Durham calling for comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform. Leaders from religious organizations, organized labor and businesses joined the grassroots audience in making the compelling case for immigration reform now.
The Seminar “Loving God’s Creation: Fully Integrating Creation Care with the Church’s Mission and Ministry” is set for Thursday, October 14, 2010, at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Greensboro, NC. The program for this event has been announced.
In an op-ed, published in USA Today, Mallory McDuff offers an enticing look at the popular book and movie, “Eat, Pray, Love” through the eyes of a Christian environmentalist.
Certainly the BP spill has heightened concern about the environment, but that concern was already growing among many people of faith. It’s an area the Council has been working on for […]
More and more North Carolinians are getting involved with community gardens. Through our Come to the Table program, the Council’s Rural Life Committee has been promoting this work for the past few years. We’ve been visiting gardens, leading workshops, sharing best practices, eating delicious local food and making friends across the state.
Last month I received an email from Deborah Arca Mooney, a writer and editor with Patheos.com, asking if I would be willing to write an essay for an upcoming series […]
Disparities in health often mean earlier death and increased morbidity for one group of people versus another. Groups can be defined by race, ethnicity, age, sex, disability status, geography (urban […]
The Council bids farewell to Jill Rios as Director of Interfaith Power & Light. Jill, who has served in that role for two years based out of Asheville, resigned to devote more time to her family, health and other, more locally-based projects.
As I move forward in trying to clarify my calling here, I welcome the input of friends of the Council. Peace is a big job description. What does it mean to you?
Over the past year, we’ve been hosting clergy breakfast events on immigration across the state. We’ve met with over 450 faith leaders to talk about how congregations and people of faith can get involved to make our state a better place for our immigrant brothers and sisters. Our work has even drawn the attention of major media outlets. One was highlighted by a local TV station, and more recently we had not just one but two reporters from the Raleigh News & Observer sit in with us at the July 1 breakfast at Fairmont UMC in Raleigh.
Last week’s march and rally to halt re-segregation in Wake County was a powerful experience. Thanks to all of the Council folks who turned out. I saw several current leaders […]
The Council’s redesigned website is up and running with easier navigation, more modern functions, and a cleaner, crisper look. We have been discussing the new site internally for months, and the result is a big step forward for us.
The North Carolina Council of Churches’ Partners in Health and Wholeness program held its 2010 Faith and Health Summit in March, drawing together nearly 250 participants to learn about integrating health practices and strategies within faith communities.
In light of concerns about public school resegregation in counties across the state, the North Carolina Council of Churches has begun work to counter this backward step toward increased racial and economic separation. Issues of resegregation have surfaced in the state’s largest school districts, Wake and Charlotte-Mecklenburg counties, as well Wayne and New Hanover counties and elsewhere.
Some 2009 donors chose to give to the North Carolina Council of Churches in honor or in memory of someone. We are grateful for those gifts which help sustain our work for social justice and Christian unity.
These congregations have demonstrated that, as people of faith, they strive to live an abundant life of health and wholeness by naming a congregational health promoter, serving healthy food and beverage at church meals, and reducing the impact of smoking on themselves and their neighbors.
