Of the many decisions and activities that unfold in the arena of public affairs, the ones that tend to show up on the NC Council of Churches’ radar are those […]
On November 20, President Obama announced that his administration will make changes to immigration policy through an administrative relief program. This will include changing removal priorities, expanding Deferred Action for […]
As the year draws to a close, we offer sincere gratitude to all of you who have supported the Council with your gifts of time, talent, and treasure. You help […]
On the third Sunday of Advent, the New York Times ran an essay by Arthur C. Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute. (It was reprinted by the Raleigh News […]
Last week, the largest detention center in the United States opened. The 50-acre center, located in Dilley, TX, will hold up to 2,400 migrants who have crossed the border illegally […]
“Joy to the world! The Lord is come. Let earth receive her king. Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing….” It is the final week of Advent, […]
Perhaps you can fight fire with fire, but you can’t – or shouldn’t – attempt to fight terrorism with terror. That’s an ultimate takeaway from the U.S. Senate report detailing […]
This time of year we give thanks for many things — including our families, our health, and our churches. We often overlook our decorations, however. Putting up the Christmas tree […]
North Carolina’s new U.S. senator-in-waiting, state House Speaker Thom Tillis, had what appears to have been the closest scrape among winning Republican Senate candidates in last month’s election. Tillis defeated […]
The NC Council of Churches has begun the search for its next Executive Director. The Council is a statewide organization, based in Raleigh, and working on issues of justice, peace, […]
Advent is here. If you look around, it may seem like Christmas showed up weeks ago, at least in stores and on the radio. But it isn’t Christmas yet. It is Advent. The […]
It’s not every day that the organization that you work with finds itself in the Acknowledgements of a newly published book. But that is the case in “WorldChanging 101” by […]
I had a chance to talk with Mahan Siler at last week’s Road Show in Asheville. Mahan, who has retired to the Asheville area, was my family’s pastor at Pullen […]
Driving home today, dreading what I’d read, hear, see next on the news out of the tragedy in Ferguson, wondering if there was anything that could be said that might […]
The Council’s 2014 Advent Devotional Guide is now available as a free download. Each year, Council staff take a social justice theme as a focus for these guides to be used during […]
This week, representatives from 17 religious organizations met with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to deliver more than 10,000 public comments and highlight the support of the faith community on rules […]
Yesterday, President Obama took a courageous and controversial step toward reforming our country’s immigration system. He announced his plan to allow millions of undocumented immigrants to apply to stay in this […]
In his final fall appeal letter, Executive Director George Reed offers his thanks for those who have supported the Council over the years and helped it grown into the organization it […]
The decision last year by the conservatives who control North Carolina’s state government not to expand the state’s Medicaid program has left an estimated half-million residents out in the cold […]
Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act kicks off November 15 and continues through February 15, 2015. The Council has a long history of supporting universal health care as a […]
This week, President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping – leaders of the world’s two biggest polluters – announced a “historic agreement.” Each country committed to reducing its nation’s carbon […]
As I have been traveling across the state educating clergy about immigrants in their communities and facilitating discussion through the Clergy Breakfast tour, I have heard from some amazing people: […]
Last week, advocates joined with farmworkers from across the state to remember fallen farmworkers who have died in the fields of North Carolina. The event took place on November 1, […]
There’s no getting around the fact that when North Carolinians went to the polls on Nov. 5, they gave a thumbs-up to the conservatives who’ve been in charge at the […]
What do Tuesday’s elections mean for North Carolina? How can people of faith in the state continue to affect positive change? Join the staff of the North Carolina Council of […]
The slight nip in the air during the early morning hours as I make my way to an 8:00 am class tells me that summer is over. Fresh strawberries, abundant […]
Date: Christ the King – Nov. 23, 2014
Topic: Sustainable Living
Focus Text: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
In North Carolina, we have begun to pay more attention to the quality of our air and water and how our daily practices, both individually and corporately, can contribute either to environmental degradation or restoration. But my time in India impressed upon me the reality that my concern for clean air and water cannot stop at the state line.
For people who enjoy voting, North Carolina’s upcoming election promises to be a real treat. Federal, state and local offices are on the ballot. There’s no more straight-ticket voting for […]
The last couple of months have been particularly frustrating for Latinos who have been hoping for action in regard to repairing our country’s immigration system. Latino voters in North Carolina […]
For the past two weeks, the NC Religious Coalition for Justice for Immigrants has been on the road for its annual clergy breakfast series on immigration. These breakfasts are designed […]
Months of planning and networking for the Partners in Health and Wholeness Faith and Health Summit culminated in a day that birthed a community choir and an anthem that was […]
When thorny constitutional issues are being hashed out in the courts, it’s a fact of life that the show isn’t necessarily over until SCOTUS sings, or declines to sing. The […]
The immediate impact of the most recent court decisions regarding marriage is that same-gender couples who want to get married in North Carolina now can, clergy who want to perform […]
It is my unhappy task to announce that Willona Stallings is leaving her position as program director for Partners in Health and Wholeness. She is going to work for the […]
Our friends at the NC Conservation Network have created a useful (and nifty) interactive map of North Carolina that will point you quickly to your closest early voting site. Click […]
Health Care for All NC is continuing the important work for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. The group is hoping concerned residents will add their names to a petition calling on […]
October 9, 2014 Update: On October 8, the US Supreme Court handed down the final word about voting for this fall’s elections in North Carolina. It upheld the District Court’s […]
Perhaps the N.C. chapter of Americans for Prosperity was just trying to be helpful when it mailed out a bunch of “official application forms” to prospective voters. Thanks a lot, […]
Many Interfaith Power & Light folks, from NC and all over the country, took to the streets of New York City this past weekend for the People’s Climate March. It […]
November 4 is Election Day. Because of changes in election laws, it is important that people in our pews know when and where they can vote. All of the following […]
Recently, several counties in North Carolina have begun passing resolutions discouraging undocumented children, including unaccompanied minors, from attending schools in these counties. These children, who often have no family in […]
North Carolina’s upcoming general election – Election Day is Nov. 4 – will be the first held under a revamped set of rules making it less convenient for some citizens […]
This year, the NC Council of Churches is continuing its successful statewide series of “Clergy Breakfasts” on immigration. These events are geared towards busy religious professionals and faith leaders, and they […]
The NC Council of Churches’ 2014 Faith and Health Summit is now less than a month away, and we are delighted to have people of faith, public health professionals, faith […]
North Carolina Council of Churches Executive Director George Reed has announced that he will retire at the end of June, 2015. George informed the Governing Board of his decision at […]
A 12-year study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that Americans improved their eating habits slightly over the years, but that was not the case for America’s […]
As a teenage girl, pop culture, especially music, is seemingly everything. As a teenage girl growing up in the Presbyterian Church, David LaMotte was the epitome of cool. I was introduced […]
I was not granted the gift of creativity, so I am always in awe when I come across ideas like that of Healing Ceilings. This month at West Raleigh Presbyterian […]
I had the pleasure of serving on the North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s (NCIOM) Task Force on Rural Health, which was charged with creating a roadmap for better health in […]
The N.C. General Assembly during its 2014 session – a session so rife with disputes among the majority Republicans that it smoldered on and on – has left many sour […]
“There is nothing but a lack of social vision to prevent us from paying an adequate wage to every American whether he [or she] is a hospital worker, laundry worker, […]
Please join the North Carolina Council of Churches at the 2014 Faith and Health Summit, which will be held on Friday, October 10, 2014 at Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem (501 […]
News about children at the border – what’s happening to them, what politicians believe or say about them, where they are going, what will happen to them — continues and […]
The debate is familiar: State government is too big. No, it’s too small. People in the too-big camp typically think government – the state agencies and institutions that North Carolinians […]
UPDATE: After this blog was posted, the final budget was unveiled and passed by the House and Senate. The large reductions in Medicaid reimbursement rates mentioned in the blog below […]
People of faith are coming together in more and more impactful ways to help create the future that we want with clean air, clean water, clean energy, and with greater […]
This past week I have been focusing on the crisis of the thousands of refugee children at the border who are being held in detention centers. I have blogged about praying for […]
We wanted to share Rev. Richard Eden’s words of welcome from the hearing hosted by United Church of Chapel Hill: “First, welcome to United Church of Chapel Hill and the […]
The issue of unaccompanied children at the border has caused great concern about the thousands of refugee children who have fled violence and poverty to seek a safe haven here in […]
North Carolina legislators faced with vexing conflicts over a new state budget spent a solid week pawing and snorting at each other without a lot of movement on the main […]
Mount Nebo Pentecostal Holiness Church in Ramseur, NC received a grant earlier this year from the Randolph Hospital Community Health Foundation to build a walking track, which has since been […]
Blueberries, blackberries, persimmons and plums! What is your local fruit IQ? Do you know when local fruit is in season and where to get it? The blog below, written by […]
As we head into a long Independence Day weekend, most Americans are anticipating a Friday off from work and a time to spend with their families celebrating the largest secular […]
Cyrus Baldwin King, a gentle spirit with an iron resolve, was a hero of North Carolina’s peace and justice movement. The Council of Churches is honored to join in the […]
This past Tuesday evening, the Council co-sponsored an event on the topic “Coming to Terms with Torture: Truth, Accountability, and Renunciation” at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh. The primary speaker […]
With one final gathering that on June 25 drew more than 1,000 people to the heart of North Carolina’s state government, the NC NAACP and its allies say they have concluded […]
The NC Council of Churches aims to exert a positive influence on public policies that have implications for what is commonly known as social justice. What this often boils down […]
I am admittedly a person who does not care about sports. However, the World Cup is one event that can even make a sports observer as apathetic as myself tune […]
Anita will be performing her show, “Mama Juggs,” at 3 p.m.on Sunday, June 22, at Martin Street Baptist Church, 1001 E Martin St, Raleigh. This funny and informative show will be a kickoff event for the Breastfeeding Collaborative, an initiative of the NC Council of Churches that helps congregations to be breastfeeding friendly. Interviewed by Marnie Cooper Priest, project director for the Breastfeeding Collaborative. How long have you been performing the “Mama Juggs” show? On June 20 it will be the fifth anniversary of the “Mama Juggs” show. Did you have another show before…
The Council has published two new resources for people of faith interested in supporting North Carolina’s public schools. One is an abbreviated version of the Council’s materials for holding a […]
First it was Gov. Pat McCrory who tried to fashion a state budget giving teachers a badly needed raise while hamstrung by large tax cuts. Then the N.C. Senate took […]
The June 9 Moral Monday sent a powerful message to state leaders about the value North Carolinians place on strong public schools. If you couldn’t be there, our friends at […]
Workers in tobacco fields suffer the same injustices that other farmworkers face, including the low wages, weak workplace protections, and harsh conditions. However, their work is even more unhealthy and […]
For most North Carolinians, the myriad choices that comprise the state budget may affect the quality of their children’s education, or whether their favorite state park is kept in good […]
One of the most harmful parts of last year’s voter suppression bill was the limitation on early voting. There had been 17 days of it. Last year’s bill, adopted by […]
Say this much for the leaders of the North Carolina Senate and House: When they make up their minds on a course of action, they don’t mess around. The General […]
June is Torture Awareness Month, and we are gearing up for a presentation by David Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and the Director of the Center for Theology and Public […]
United Progressive Baptist Church has had many successes improving the health of the members of our congregation. During our Vacation Bible School, we were able to engage the youth of […]
The Partners in Health and Wholeness Breastfeeding Collaborative kicks off with a performance by Anita Woodley of her one-woman show, “Mama Juggs.” Woodley is a nationally renowned local performer and […]
If a session of the NC General Assembly can be compared to an opera — comedy, farce or tragedy yet to be determined – then the governor’s recommended budget might […]
Last week Rev. Sally Bingham, founder of Interfaith Power & Light, simply asked: “Do you remember what it was like to be a child and play in the great outdoors?” […]
Are judges politicians? And why – even in a state such as North Carolina, where judges are elected by the public – does the concept of judges who also function as […]
I’ve been engaged with Habitat for Humanity since its earliest days. In my previous life with the Baptist State Convention, I helped to promote this pathway to home ownership when […]
Please join us in thanking Sen. Burr for his vote to release portions of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s report on torture. Many of you have joined us over […]
*To see registration form, scroll down to the middle of the page. Registration for the Council’s 2014 Critical Issues Seminar on Public Education with a guaranteed lunch has been extended for […]
Here at the North Carolina Council of Churches, I’ve had the distinct privilege of working alongside immigrant families, faith leaders, lay activists, and immigrant rights organizations across the state in pursuit of humane fixes to our broken immigration system. While my time at the Council is drawing to a close, I know that immigration reform for our country is not a matter of if, it’s when. How long will we let political games take precedence over real human suffering? I believe that in 20 or 30 years issues that seem controversial today – like whether immigrants deserve human rights, due process, and the chance to become a part of society – will be obvious.
Living in harmony with the world of nature has never been all that simple for us humans. One could say that the reported misadventures of a couple of folks named […]
Free printed copies of bulletin inserts on why people of faith should care about fair elections are now available. Contact the Council office by e-mail or by calling 919-828-6501 to […]
The end of open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, March 31, is only days away. Although the past five months have been full of their share of challenges, stories of […]
The NC Council of Churches seeks a part-time Development Assistant to help grow our current outreach to donors including individuals, organizations, foundations, congregations, and other faith communities. With nearly eight decades […]
He hasn’t put it quite this way, but what Gov. Pat McCrory seems to be saying – and who among us hasn’t offered the same excuse? – is that it […]
Date: 4th Sunday in Lent – March 30, 2014
Topic: Awareness of Those with Disabilities
Focus Text: John 9:1-41
Jesus’ concrete actions in response to the man’s situation call into question not only the self-righteous judgment of the religious leaders, but also the comfortable distance maintained by the disciples. When they encounter this man in the city, they see it as an opportunity for theological reflection. But Jesus changes the nature of the conversation altogether. The disciples want to speculate; Jesus decides to act – to welcome the man as a person and a child of God, to offer those unique gifts that he has been given to heal the man’s suffering, that the glory of God might be revealed.
“We’ve only got a few weeks left. March 31st, that’s the last call.” President Obama made this statement recently to a group of his supporters, and he’s referring to the […]
A newcomer to Raleigh sooner or later comes up against a riddle: How can the city have two First Baptist Churches? Here’s a non-surprise: The answer is rooted in the […]
Whether anecdotal or empirical, the evidence is clear: North Carolina has done a poor job of furnishing its public school teachers with adequate salaries. By “adequate,” we should mean pay […]
Dear Friends,
I will be leaving the NC Council of Churches at the end of March to focus full-time on Tomatillo Design, my new communications shop that works with nonprofits to create amazing, affordable websites.
Since I began working at the Council as an intern in the summer of 2006, I’ve had the incredible privilege of working with the most dedicated, talented and likable group of coworkers imaginable. From its founding more than 75 years ago to today, the Council has worked on a wide range of progressive causes and I’m proud to be a small part of that legacy. Every day at the office I felt encouraged by the witness of recent saints like Sister Evelyn Mattern and Collins Kilburn.
A cross-section of North Carolinians and progressives from other states flooded downtown Raleigh on Saturday as part of HKonJ 2014. Longtime activists from across the state walked with college students, parents […]
