The staff of the NC Council of Churches is delighted to welcome Sharon Jarrells and Brandy Murray to our team of social justice advocates. Sharon Jarrells has just joined our […]
The coronavirus – now rekindled in a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” – is forcing us yet again to adjust our daily routines and recalibrate our expectations of normalcy. Even people […]
**Chris Pernell Available for Interviews** Raleigh, North Carolina — In response to the $26 billion settlement that North Carolina and states across the country reached with Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, […]
THOMASVILLE, NC — This past Sunday, the Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) program of the North Carolina Council of Churches presented the inaugural 2021 Willona Stallings Award for Excellence […]
North Carolina legislators – offering what amounts to a snappy salute in the direction of Mar-a-Lago – are well on their way toward fixing an election law that’s anything but […]
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, […]
Recordings We hope you enjoyed the many informative conversations on so many vital topics last week. For those of you who could not make it to each one, we have […]
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 […]
This sermon on Genesis 2:5-15 is being offered to the Brooks-Howell Retirement Community this Earth Day, April 22, via Zoom by NCIPL & Eco-Justice Connection Program Coordinator, Sarah Ogletree. In […]
The North Carolina Council of Churches was founded in 1935, primarily for the purpose of addressing racial inequity and racial injustice, and we strive to do so to this day. […]
Say this much, at least, for those legislators who favor making it easier, not harder, for North Carolinians to vote: They’re not ready to surrender to their vote-suppressing foes. Even […]
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 […]
Excerpted from Enough for All, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are […]
Excerpted from Enough for All, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 13: 1-17, 31b-35 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus […]
With Republican lawmakers throughout the land making “election integrity” a favorite cause and rallying cry, it likely was just a matter of time before some of their North Carolina counterparts […]
Excerpted from Enough for All, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 118:1-2 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is […]
Excerpted from Enough for All, 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 at […]
When an ambitious bill designated as H.R. 1 was approved by the newly empowered Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives back on March 8, 2019, perhaps a fitting […]
Excerpted from Enough for All, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Ephesians 2:1-10 You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which […]
Excerpted from Enough for All, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Exodus 20:1-17 Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your […]
Excerpted from Enough for All, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 22:23-31 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All […]
Perhaps it’s the pandemic that offers a fitting analogy to the condition of our politics as Americans try to recover from the trauma of Jan. 6 – when we came […]
Excerpted from Enough for All, 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 Enough for All, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Written by Andrew Whitworth, Duke Divinity School Intern, Summer of 2020 […]
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 […]
We are thrilled to introduce you to our 2021 spring interns, Noely Bernier and Dani Bahena Bustos. Noely is a student at Guilford College in Greensboro, while Dani is a […]
The United States Congress, a week after the nation’s Capitol was overrun by a violent mob while lawmakers were carrying out one of their paramount duties, now faces a paramount […]
For Immediate Release: January 7, 2021 Contacts:Joy Cook, NC NAACP, 336-970-8131, joy.cook@naacpnc.orgMorgan Pratt, NC NAACP, morgan.pratt@naacpnc.org Rev. Dr. Anthony Spearman Many who love democracy tremble for the United States of America tonight. […]
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 […]
This piece was written by Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, in conjunction with Chris Pernell, Director of Partners in Health and Wholeness. The Council has long been an advocate for universal […]
Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 Endow the king with your justice, O […]
Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 1:(1-9), 10-18 In the beginning was the Word, and […]
Even for those of us who found a measure of joy during the year whose end we now mark – taking delight from a child’s birth, perhaps, or from a […]
Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 148 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the […]
Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Luke 2:1-20 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree […]
Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Luke 1:26-38, 46b-55 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, […]
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 Americans soldier on amidst their ill-fated 2020 stress test, there is inspiration to be found. Our democracy’s guardrails as enshrined in the Constitution may have been battered by a […]
Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 40:1-11 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.Speak […]
Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Mark 13:24-27 But in those days, following that distress,the sun […]
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 […]
North Carolinians who stood against our soon-to-be ex-president’s rancid politics of grievance, contempt and division, fueled by a gusher of falsehoods, are heartened by the nation’s clear choice of Joseph […]
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 […]
With North Carolinians on track to cast eye-popping numbers of votes in advance of Election Day, Nov. 3, perhaps it’s time to breathe a cautious sigh of relief. A system […]
With the coronavirus still rampant across North Carolina, the top education concern in many families has little to do with the state’s long-term school investments or with the disadvantages faced […]
It’s pretty obvious why the N.C. Council of Churches and its allies on the faith-and-justice spectrum hope to see plenty of like-minded voters turning out for the elections this fall. […]
The image of a perfect storm conveys a rueful irony – the storm whose components are so intertwined, so synchronized, so mutually reinforcing as to make it “perfect” in its […]
The scenario was familiar as the N.C. General Assembly engaged in another frantic and exhausting push to complete a legislative session. Mission accomplished? Well, that depends on how you look […]
The following transcript was offered as a sermon by NCIPL Program Coordinator, Sarah Ogletree, on Sunday, June 7th, during the online worship service of Pittsboro Presbyterian Church. The sermon reflects […]
What does “sacred space” mean to you? This is the question I asked during my first virtual Sunday school class weeks ago. I teach a broad age range (3-9) so […]
A resolution adopted by the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches, June 2, 2020. Whereas the North Carolina Council of Churches was founded in 1935, primarily for […]
In his poem, “Harlem,” Langston Hughes asked, “what is a dream deferred?” He offers some unsettling answers and concludes that a dream deferred is a dream that ultimately explodes. Pentecost, […]
With just five months and change until Election Day, 2020 – and with many virus-leery North Carolinians wondering how they’ll manage to vote safely – efforts to update the state’s […]
In light of recent protests and rallies from some pastors and politicians in North Carolina calling for reopening our places of worship, the North Carolina Council of Churches states unequivocally […]
![A small roadway memorial marks the area where jogger Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed in Brunswick, Georgia [Erik S Lesser/EPA]](https://ncchurches.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/NCCC_Ahmaud.jpg)
This piece was written by Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, in conjunction with Jessica Stokes, Associate Director of Partners in Health and Wholeness. For 85 years the North Carolina Council of […]
Members of the N.C. House and Senate, resolutely confronting the deadly and disastrous coronavirus pandemic, have offered up shining examples of just what friends are for. Friends are there to […]
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 […]
When and if members of the N.C. General Assembly reconvene as scheduled on April 28 – presumably wearing masks and taking all the other recommended precautions to stay safe and […]
Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Easter Sunday – Colossians 3:1-4 So if you have been […]
Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Good Friday – Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 Since, then, we have […]
This “new normal” of social distancing has been weighing on our minds, hearts, and souls. We are living through a challenging time constantly consumed by distressing news updates. Many face […]
Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Maundy Thursday – John 13: 31b-35 Jesus said, ‘Now the […]
Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Palm Sunday – Matthew 21:1-11 When they had come near […]
In keeping with the familiar rhythms of American politics, this is a year when many of our elected leaders, including the president, and their would-be successors will stand for inspection […]
Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 130 Out of the depths I cry to you, […]
Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not […]
The work of faith-based climate action is important to us because we know that we cannot Iove our neighbors without addressing climate change and environmental injustice. The same can be […]
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. John 4:5-42 So he came to a Samaritan city called […]
Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the hills— […]
Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit […]
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 […]
God does not look for perfection in God’s disciples. Instead, God only looks for openness to God’s grace, which is all God needs to turn weakness into something great. This […]
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 […]
The North Carolina General Assembly’s Republican majority is down to what looks to be its last-ditch defense of the voter ID law it rammed through at the tail end of […]
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. […]
UpdateOn Jan. 21, Superior Court Judge David Lee, who oversees compliance in the Leandro school-quality case, issued an order endorsing the WestEd report’s findings and setting forth steps to address its recommendations […]
The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, on Sunday, January 12 at Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill focusing on Isaiah 42:1-9. What are the images that […]
A long road remains to be traveled before North Carolinians find out whether they’ll have to show an identification card, with photo, in order to vote in next fall’s pivotal […]
Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Matthew 2:1-12 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus […]
Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 148 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him […]
Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 1:1-14a In the beginning was the Word, and the […]
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 80: 1-7; 17-19 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, […]
When leaders of the N.C. Council of Churches two years ago adopted a policy statement entitled “Confederate-themed monuments: Time to reassess,” the statue known as Silent Sam still faced north […]
Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 35:1-10 The wilderness and the dry land shall be […]
Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 11:1-10 A shoot shall come out from the stump […]
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, […]
This advent season, the Council decided our theme would be focused on Climate Change. As people of faith, we proclaim our belief that our world is God’s creation, that God […]
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 […]
Just testing the header here….
Perhaps the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly have finally gotten the message: their decade-long efforts to rig the state’s congressional voting district boundaries in their party’s favor simply […]
When N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore called the House to order for its scheduled 8:30 a.m. session on Sept. 11, he made a fateful decision bearing not only on a […]
